The Reborn Lady is Loved by her Foster Brother: The Scariest Villain - Chapter 22

　Ortansia, a duchess who was falsely accused, abandoned by all and tragically executed.

When she found herself back in time, she was determined not to make the same mistake she made in her first life.

The key to avoiding execution was Ortansia’s brother, Gerard. If she can get him on her side, she may be able to change her tragic fate.

Ortansia made an effort to get along with Gerard, and she found that her brother had become a little bit more attentive to her, just a little. At the same time, the treatment of Ortansia by the servants of the mansion and other members of the nobility has also changed for the better.

‘Yes, surely, if things continue as they were, I can avoid a disastrous fate!… so I thought… but I was wrong.’

‘…… yeah. I’m putting my foot down the worst possible route at all costs, aren’t I?’

　Cowering in a dark corner of her prison cell, Ortansia managed to resist the urge to cry. In her previous life, she had been confined to the mansion for so long that she had been unable to make allies in social circles, and was easily falsely accused and executed.

She regretted this, and in an attempt to make allies, she went out to socialize, only to find herself kidnapped, an event she had not encountered in her first life.

　Packed into a burlap sack and placed on a horse-drawn carriage, she was now confined in a dingy, stone prison-like place.

　Twice a day, a simple meal was served from behind cold iron bars by a man in a dubious robe. At first wary, but finally unable to resist her hunger, Ortansia took a bite of the meal. It was not very tasty, but at least it did not seem to be poisoned.

　Time was vague in the place with no windows or clocks, but it had probably been three days since Ortansia had been locked up here. At first, she thought she had been kidnapped for ransom.

But soon, Ortansia began to realize that this was not the case.

 Ortansia heard a scream that sounded like silk being ripped apart from afar, and she cowered.

The intermittent screams, a condensation of fear and pain, finally became too much for Ortansia to bear and she covered her ears.

‘I’m sorry. I’m sorry I couldn’t save you…!’

Her body trembled and her teeth clattered. Ortansia clenched her teeth tightly, afraid that if anyone heard the sound, someone would come for her.

She shrinked even smaller in the cramped confines of her prison cell, and she stifles her sobs with ragged tears.

From time to time, Ortansia’s ears would hear these mournful exclamations.

And drifting in at the same time is the smell of thick blood. With just that, she couldn’t help but guess what was going on over there.

‘Surely, when my turn comes, I will…’

　Fearfully opening her eyes, she saw beyond her tear-stained vision, a strange pattern on the wall beyond the iron bars.

The pattern was something Ortansia had never seen before, but now she knew what it meant.

‘After all, this place is the hideout of the cult of demon worshippers!’

In this country, “star god religion” is the state religion, and most of the people, including Ortansia and the Duke of Verite, believe in star god religion.

The goddess Auriella, who bestowed Ortansia’s blessing, is also one of the main deities of the star god religion.

It is not that no other faiths are allowed, but there is only one faith that is clearly forbidden.

That is the worship of demon gods.

　Since ancient times, there has long been a cult that worships demon gods that opposes the gods of the Star god Religion, and they have repeatedly committed cruel acts such as human sacrifice, eventually leading to a national ban on their beliefs.

　But the cult has gone underground and is still fighting the Inquisition…

The heretical cult is frightening, but for Ortansia, it was supposed to be a distant world.

It was supposed to be, and yet It seemed like a long time ago that she was frightened by Gerard’s cold stare and Annabelle’s petulant words.

Now Ortansia couldn’t help but miss them.

‘I’d love a cup of the slightly astringent tea Pamela made me… When Annabelle comes to call me, I politely thank her and surprise her by saying, “When did you improve so much?” It might be nice to take a walk in the garden with my father and see the Shangri-La flowers.’

　Unlike in her first life, Gerard seemed to care about Ortansia for some reason.

Why that is, Ortansia does not know.

If I was killed here, it would be completely unnoticed.

‘I should have talked to my brother more properly…’

Looking back, Ortansia may have been excessively afraid of Gerard since her first life. Ortansia never tried to approach him.