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Chapter TextWaking up as a character in a mahwa where the FL gets isekai'd into a dangerous family with wicked intentions was troubling enough. What he didn't fully understand was... Why did he have to be reincarnated as the brother who dies for character development?! It wouldn't do. "I will save this curse family," he vowed in the dark. How far will this journey take him? Can his humanity last until the Agriche family ultimately falls? Chapter TextOne month, a deadline that was set specifically to please the murderous patriarch. Ashil wasn't sure what the consequences of disappointing his father would be. Although it was clear that his actions had gained him more attention than needed because it deviated from the novel, he really didn't want to know what the negative reaction from Lant Agriche would mean, whether it was simply falling out of his favor or being punished in the room of nightmares. He didn't want any of it. Unfortunately, that also meant he had to pull off something worth being praised for. He was currently in the Laboratory, a corner almost dedicated specifically for him. The dedicated space was large and far gloomier than the other rooms in the mansion; towering cabinets with containers of different shapes and sizes, tucked books and papers stashed in the corner, number of tables scattered around in organized chaos with beakers, fire, and the vague scent of poison drifting through the air. Funnily enough, some areas of the Agriche Mansion were restricted for younger children due to safety concerns. The thought itself was queer. After all, Lant Agriche treated his offspring like experiments he could discard on a whim. Although it could also be seen as a testament to his cruelty, he treated his biological children with the minimum courtesy of not killing them. Until they proved themselves to be useless. There was a reason he had expressed his anger in the encounter with Ashil. Though, the boy wouldn't call it kindness. The children's lives wouldn't have been in danger if the mansion wasn't a goddamn death trap. It was far from just putting some child-safety locks around. "If you were going to kill everyone anyway, I wouldn't have said anything!" The empty room stood as a witness to his mini-outburst. Ashil sighed deeply, his small body slightly hunched over the small desk/working area prepared for him, his hand on his face - grasping - as if that would give him a sense of reason. "Come on... This isn't the time to falter..." What had mattered was that he kept a part of his humanity by protesting, even if the result spoke of nothing extraordinary. He directed his gaze towards the sprawled out papers and herbs in front of him. The Agriche were always looking into methods and ways to make their arsenal deadlier. As mentioned in the novel, they often experimented with close to everything poisonous, deadly, and toxic in the world, dabbling into science and magic alike to introduce new killing methods that ranged from brutal to quick. It was also because of their additional interest in dark arts, that the research and data behind such studies were extensive, and since there was nothing humane about the way they did things. A year or so ago, Ashil had accidentally come across a record detailing a few. Psychiatry and other medical practices had their fair share of horrifying history, and it was only through modern regulations that things had started to be more digestible, but the detailed accounts weren't data of the past that he needed to learn in order to be a better medical practitioner. It wasn't something that was cremated in history, frozen far away from the hands of the present. The doctor in him wanted to puke. This family... Ashil shut his thoughts away before his own resolve wavered. However, going through all the horrific records wasn't without merit. Instead of poison and death that followed swift, his eyes fell onto information about toxins and the effort made to experiment with various effects. That day, he had a boyish grin on his face. ───── On the final day, the result finally bore fruit. A vial that contained a colorless, tasteless and odorless liquid that was the testament of success after days and days of tireless work. Ashil's blue eyes glistened on the surface, the glass of the vial reflecting his gleeful exhaustion back at him while his small hand reached over to carefully hold the vial. Even if one were to stare at the liquid for prolong periods of time, the contents looked like normal water, and there was no other indication of it being anything else. The disposition of the liquid was perfect for poison. But, even if he was born an Agriche, he really didn't want to contribute to the body count. It was an experimented mixture of toxins that was disguised as a poison that slowly deteriorated bodily function, but the immediate effect was what tied everything together. The human body could mimic many stages where it would be impossible to distinguish if it was dead or alive. Normally such an effect of a toxin would be deemed useless by the Patriarch, the family's focus was on painful and swift killings, not on rendering a person into a state of deadness without death. Ashil tucked the vial closer to his clothed chest. He wore a sturdy white coat for the day, the outfit reminiscent of regal formal wear with its gentle gold and blue trimmings, its main purpose was to cover the boy up to his neck with a tiny amount of breathing space left for him to not feel suffocated. It was buttoned up to the top despite how stuffy it was. Such importance was given because the toxin was extremely sensitive, enough to be effective with the slightest amount of skin contact. The effects varied depending on the duration and time. "I have to be careful with something like this..." He couldn't deny his own anxiety, it felt like he was holding a boiling pot of water that would hurt catastrophically if he made the tiniest slip. Ashil mustered his will to proceed. The quicker he got this over with, the better it was. Lant Agriche's premature attention on him had already spread throughout the mansion. The servants started displaying interest first with some making things more convenient for him, either out of ambition or pity, the pathway to his daily study was peaceful and sometimes there were even sweets on top of the desk. Although the latter was less likely to be from a servant, and more likely to be from a certain red-eyed boy. Ashil would've been fine if that was the only attention he got, but alas, he started catching eyes with some of the older siblings. They stared with interest, instead of indifference, like predators who started to notice a disruption in the edge of their territories. All because of a certain bastard father's fault! The guards peeked at him curiously as he navigated the vast mansion. Upon his notice, they would either avert their gaze or smile with a misplaced sense of amusement. I'm surprised he stuck around too. Usually, at this time of the year, the Patriarch would've been far busier with external matters. "...really want to watch the world burn, huh?" Small mutters left the young boy's lips. His mind was far too focused on remembering the pathway towards Lant's office, and the subsequent consequence of what would happen. So much so, that the corner he turned, he didn't notice the towering figure before it was too late. Ashil's head bumped against someone's back. Thankfully, he pulled his torso away quickly without staggering. The glass vial was held tightly against his body. "Oh¬" The smugness in the young voice immediately put the blond boy on guard. "¬who let this little rat scurry around?" Two beady eyes, a face that was slowly maturing, a scar that lacked from his features. Fontaine Agriche glared at Ashil from the corner of his eyes, while a grin slowly twisted into place. It was clear that he wasn't going to let his half-brother go uninterrupted. "I wonder what we should do with you?" |
The Way to Protect the Female Leads Older Brother AO3
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