I’m sorry, Onii-sama.

Several flame pillars swallowed father’s flames and flared brightly.
He knew perfectly well just how advanced a technique it was to rewrite another person’s magic into your own.
Anyone could simply perform magic, but to be able to take control of an opponent’s magic was proof that your skill exceeded their’s.
Aside from being a highly difficult level magic spell, the flames were created by someone who was hailed as the best.
Everyone was dumbfounded and fell into silence upon seeing the spectacle.

“―――I see, it seems there is no need to fight. I surrender, Origa.”

A complicated smile that could be taken as heartfelt, mocking, or a bitter smile appeared on his handsome face and Rujil’s current clan head raised his hand.

“As of this moment, I concede my position as current clan head to you. It was my utter defeat.”

The leading clan members that were serving as witnesses lowered their head one after another, swearing fealty to Rujil’s new prodigious clan head.
The raging flame pillars flared greatly, illuminating the young child’s calm eyes in response to her emotions.

With this, the prodigious Origa Emelda Rujil, attained the position of clan head at the mere age of ten.

I finally did it! I gave it everything I had!
I won the position of clan head six years earlier than in the novel.
With this I’ve succeeded in shortening Gilford-sama’s miserable childhood as much as possible.
Ahh, what a long journey it has been.
While keeping away the hostile hands that befall onto Gil-sama, I’ve been training and honing my skills each and every day, and living a shut-in lifestyle inside the manor, for four years!
And finally I became the clan’s strongest, no, the country’s strongest fire magician.

“Origa-sama. How shall we deal with the former clan head?”

……And thus, there was no time to enjoy the fruition of my efforts, a situation arose where I immediately had to deal with duties as the clan head.
Although I couldn’t help but feel depressed for what the future held, it was no exaggeration to say that I lived the past four years recklessly for this.

Traditionally, a fallen clan head was to be killed promptly on the spot to maintain the balance of power.
The changing of this tradition wasn’t allowed, even if the new clan head were to order it.
Numerous people have been killed due to this tradition, all the way up to my generation.
Above all, trying to force anything right now with my exhausted magic power, is as expected impossible against the entire clan.
However, things were in my favor this time around.

“I will allow father to live―― as the husband of mother, the royal princess, we will not harm him as to show our loyalty for the royal family.”

I will decide in the future on how to properly handle him.
That aside…
Looking over the surrounding people who were starting to become restless, I cast a glare at an individual who wasn’t present.
I forcefully cleared my throat which was becoming dry from the tension, then as the clan head, as the “Lady of Fire”, I announced my first order.

“There is someone else we must expel――bring onii-sama here.”

Onii-sama was brought forth by several men, and had a look of confusion as he was forced to kneel on the ground.
However, despite being intimidated by the leading clan members standing in a row, after looking at my body from head to toe onii-sama gave a sigh as if he were relieved.
Although the only people who actually saw the scene were limited to the few here, everyone knew that I had challenged father to a duel in the rite of succession.
But no matter how much I was hailed as a prodigy, I was still only ten.
If I were to go into the surrounding town, or leave the manor, I would be nothing but a mere child that needs protection.
I was small, my strength was weak, and my body was terribly fragile, an existence meant for protection.
Especially for onii-sama who had grew up in a normal environment before being brought here, that impression was even greater.

“Congratulations on the rite of succession.”

“Thank you very much. I had onii-sama brought here to inform you how you will be dealt with.”

Even the first words of congratulation that onii-sama gave me didn’t move my heart.
But it did make me feel guilty for the act I was about to do.
The affectionate green eyes wavered in astonishment, and it took all my willpower to not look away.

“We’ve waited long enough. It would have been fine if you at least had the slightest bit of apt.i.tude for fire. Instead you’re weak to the point……that you cannot even be called a Rujil.”

Four years have pa.s.sed since onii-sama was brought here.
I’ve been focusing on honing my own skills, and finally my preparations are complete.
Weakness was a sin, and the clan recognized that as something that should be eradicated.
Thus, in a rite of succession, the new head would kill the defeated head to show strength.
It wasn’t due to hatred against the former head, but was instead a tradition.
It was an elimination of the weak, but since it was just a mere show of strength then instead of killing father―――――

“Therefore, I will brand you so that you may never use the name of Rujil ever again, and then I will banish you.”

Gil-sama widened his eyes, he was only kneeling less than five steps away, yet it still felt too far.
Today, at this very moment, our paths will decisively part.
Although my heart felt uneasy, this was all in accordance to the story.
In the novel, Gil-sama’s life was targeted by “Origa”, but due to help from a friend he only ended up being banished.
It ended up changing to where I instead was the one to banish him, but regardless of the process the outcome was still the same.
No matter how “I” felt, no matter what methods I chose, as long as onii-sama is the hero, it is something that will happen eventually.

“Origa-sama, this treatment is perhaps too soft. We are a clan that values magic. Being weak itself is a sin alone.”
“……Onii-sama was not born and raised inside of Rujil. He was just merely born from a superior bloodline and nothing more than a simple incompetent child. Acknowledging and treating him as one of our own clan members brings shame to our ancestors.”

Nurturement starting from infancy is an important factor that every magician knows to be true.
By stating that onii-sama’s latency as a magician and inability to utilize magic, was due to being raised by some unknown person should convince everyone.
Executing someone who didn’t even know the meaning of magic under the reputable house name would essentially be acknowledging him as a magician.
After I brought forth the subject of how shameful it was, everyone fell silent and didn’t pursue the matter any further.

After looking around and checking whether there were any other objections, I ordered the men to gag and hold down onii-sama.
I knelt down next to onii-sama who was being held down on his back unable to resist, and slowly opened his collar.
Then I drew an ancient character in the air that stood for disownment, which burned red and formed into a seal.

“Let this mark be carved into your heart―――no, your soul.”
‘‘Let your body burn and burn until not even dust will remain――’’

A scene I had once saw in the past flashed through my mind.
With my voice, my face, and my flame flickering in the distant memory.

I don’t…want to do this.

Without thinking about the consequences, my emotions made me move.
In order to deny the future that would one day come, I quickly modified the mark before anyone could see―――and burnt the seal on my fingertips into his skin.

“――――Mm-!!―――Mh-!!!”

A sizzling sound of burnt flesh, and the m.u.f.fled screams of onii-sama echoing.
The screams of pain, the smell of burning, and the feeling itself, all served to point out just how heinous my actions were, but I couldn’t allow myself to look away.
Because…this…is the sin I committed.

「―――― Gah ―――……..」

I continued to push my fingers down onto his shuddering body―――when I checked to confirm that the seal was properly engraved, the surroundings had become silent.
Everyone present has confirmed that ‘Gilford Rujil’ was forever disowned from the clan of fire.
No one had any more reason to look at the boy who had fainted from pain.
There was no more reason to kill him either, since his existence was no longer worthy of sullying their hands for.

“……Keika, send some funds to the knight training school. When onii-sama wakes up provide him with sufficient equipment and send him out.”
“What shall I do about his surname?”
“Apply using his mother’s surname. Also tell the person himself, that he is to go by that name from now on”

As onii-sama was being carried out by a few men, those who hadn’t been present at the rite of succession poured in to offer their congratulations.
As if drunken by the display of power, people oblivious to the situation surrounded me in satisfaction, and offered congratulations one after another.
Not a single person condemned me for my actions.
Not a single person glanced towards the person whose body was burnt.
Even though it was such an abnormal sight, no one even realized it’s abnormality.
Everything about it was horrible.

I wanted to return back to my room, so I instructed my maid, Keika, to handle the cleanup, and she nodded with a delighted expression.
She would be a close attendant of the head starting from today.
Seemingly moved by this, she congratulated and swore fealty to me.
But none of her words entered my ears.
Besides, I just wanted to be alone right now.
I didn’t want to see anyone.
As if I were running away from the overwhelming pressure, I turned around and returned back to the mansion.

The echoes of my footsteps rang out as I headed back to my room by myself.
My footsteps were steady and anyone happening to glance at me would see my usual expression.

With this, I have completed everything that needed to be done.
Gil-sama would meet new friends from now on, pave his own path, and become stronger.
It would mark the start of a hero’s story who cut through his b.l.o.o.d.y fate, defeated evil, and created a country where everyone could live happily.
There would be no more interference from I, the villainess.
Starting from now, my life would be a mere side story until the time I would reappear onstage again.
―――――A story of repeated cruelty.

When I tried grasping the handle to the mansion’s door, for some reason my hand was trembling and I couldn’t muster any strength.
This was the first time I had burned someone with my magic, as during training a protective film would be deployed over the fire.
I had never thought that…
It would smell like that.
He would scream so much.
It would feel that raw.
It would burn so easily.
That humans were so fragile.

I wonder how many more people I would lay my hands on with this magic from now on.
Someone’s family, lover, or dear friend.
All burned, burned, and burned.
All I can use is fire magic――just like Gil-sama once said, it could only create hatred and could save nothing.

In my mind, appeared a scene that I had once read before many times over and over.
Standing alone, a witch in a blazing field alongside thousands of corpses―――― ”Origa Emelda Rujil”.

I had acted as I desired, and obtained the results.
These were the results that I had wished for myself.
I was satisfied from the bottom of my heart.
But the trembling wouldn’t cease no matter what.

A self-conscious character had opposed the events that were meant to be, thus creating a tiny distortion.
In return, emotions that never should have existed arose, and those who should have disappeared instead survived.
This denied the future written out by a certain someone, and acted as a sign back to the past.

The characters had begun to deviate from their original routes, and instead started to search for a new path.
Thus the destined fate(story) set forth by G.o.d was warped.