My Hidden Talent Is Too OP...

As the door creaked open, the faint glow from the hallway illuminated the room.

It was simple, almost painfully so. Unlike my grand, luxurious room, this space was bare, with just a small bed, a plain wardrobe, and nothing else of note.

And in the corner, she sat.

Elowen.

Her frail form was huddled against the wall, her shoulders trembling her as muffled sobs filled the room.

Still awake?

This wasn't the mighty, prideful villainess I'd encountered in the game. No cold domineer, no air of superiority.

What I saw was... broken.

A shattered girl.

The kind I feared the most.

The mere sight of her sent a shiver down my spine.

Her condition was so far gone that a simple apology wouldn't fix this.

What the hell am I supposed to do now?

I hesitated, but then pulled myself. Quietly, I stepped inside, my movements slow. First, I'd try a genuine-sounding apology. To test how her animosity goes.

And if that didn't work?

Well, I'd have to rely on my hidden weapon, the intectual advancement I gained after dropping thousands of plan, forcefully attending family gathering, And surviving my school life.

The talent I pride on.

Coming up with bullshit.

"Elowen," I called softly, keeping my voice calm.

She froze.

Instead of turning to look at me, she scrambled further into the corner, pressing herself against the wall as if trying to melt into it.

Her entire body shook with fear.

What the actual hell, Steve?

Getting her this traumatized definitely wasn't something that could've happened through PG-13-rated means. What kind of monster were you? Steve.

But now wasn't the time to dwell on it. I cleared my throat and tried again. "Elowen, listen, I'm sor— Bhuhaaa!!"

Before I could finish, laughed out.

Crap.

Yeah, I am crazy.

I couldn't help it. Whenever I'm in a stressful situation, I automatically start laughing. And watching the stern expressions on the butler and the whore only made it worse.

My laugh intensified.

They must be thinking, What the hell is this idiot laughing at in the middle of the fucking night?

Placing a hand on my chest, I tried to stop myself. It was difficult, my stomach hurt from laughing so much.Thinking about my life and the idiot I'm acting like only made it worse.

But pulling myself together, I fixed my gaze on the two standing there. "Your puny faces are making me laugh. Get out of here."

"Huh?" the maid blurted, clearly caught off guard.

"Y-Yes, sir!" they stammered in unison before running out.

The laughter faded, leaving me in the heavy silence of the room once more. I turned my gaze back to Elowen.

And then... saw it

[Warning!!!]

[You are about to die.]

{Animosity: -99}

Death.

I could see it. Smell it. Feel it.

Panic surged through me, and without a second thought, I dropped to the floor. And hammered my forehead to the ground near her feet with a resounding thud.

When I dared to look up, her face with dried tears stared back at me, confusion bringing her brows together.

"I am sorry,"I said, my voice pained, as much as I could make it. Slowly, tears started to stream down my face.

I still don't know how I manage to do that.

But she stood there, confused, saying nothing but watching me intently.

It felt heavy, I had no experience with magic or the supernatural, yet faintly, I could feel it a suffocating presence.

Instinctively, I knew, if I didn't convince her with my next words, it would be certain death for me.

And I doubted it would be painless like last time.

"Just kill me, Elowen," I said, my voice trembling. "I deserve it."

"What?"

she finally responded.

"Just remember that I always loved you. He made me do it. He will make me end everything. This is the first time I've had control over myself, and you were already in this condition," I said, pausing to catch my breath.

"I don't know what he's done all this time, but killing me is the only way to stop him. Please, do it, my sister."

Seriously, what the fuck am I talking about?

Can't I come up with anything better?

So this is how I die?

"Sister?"

I could see it. Her dead eyes from before lit up, just a little. "What do you mean, he made you do it? Who is he?"

At least she wasn't dismissing it as complete bullshit.

Great!

"You won't understand, Elowen. I can't kill myself, and more than that, I can't bring myself to hurt you anymore. So please, end me," I said, filling my voice with as much sorrow and sincerity as I could muster.

"No. Tell me first what suddenly happened to you,"

I lifted my head to meet her gaze, my eyes red and teary from the pressure I'd forced upon myself.

"I am possessed by a high-ranking demon. Though he isn't inside me, he had corrupted my heart. Because of this, I acted in ways I never wanted to. To gain control over me, he made me hurt the most important person in my life. To make me weak,"

I paused, to affirm my words. My focus stayed on her. Her expression was a mix of emotions, impossible to read, but I could tell she was buying this crap.

Great for me.

I continued, "I somehow managed to gain control back. But just thinking about what he could do to you again… I can't risk it. Please, kill me."

I let my voice falter, filling it with as much pain and sincerity as I could muster. "Just call me 'brother' one last time. Please… I want to hear it from your lips before I go."

And then, as if on cue, tears rolled down my face again.

Without a second's delay, she hugged me.

Is it really working?

Her expression became more complex, and as tears started flowing through her eyes, she hugged me close and cried for ten long minutes. It was as if she had been waiting for this moment, longing to hear those words.

She still wanted to believe in her brother? Even after suffering for so long?

"Brother, I knew it. The person who cherished me so much in my childhood could never harm me intentionally. There had to be a reason."

Bro, fuck! My bullshit talent is just too OP.

"Elowen, we don't have time. Just kill me before he takes control again."

"Bullshit! Do you really think I would do that? I'm ready to suffer for you, brother, but we will find a solution for this together."

"Elowen!" I silently looked at her while she gently hugged me. "Elowen, sorry, but I don't remember much. He didn't do something indecent with you, right?"

"Even if he did, I never had a problem with that, brother."

The fuck!

A shiver ran down my spine.

What did she mean by that? I swear this is a 13-rated game.

"Taha! Just kidding. He never did that."

Ding!

{Animosity: -20}

What? It came down so much?

But again, I think the trauma is too deep-rooted for just a single session to make it positive. For now, I'm just happy that my life is saved.

"Elowen, listen to me. I have grown stronger than I used to be. Maybe that's why my mentality has fortified, so I won't let him easily take control of me. But if he does, can you promise me one thing?"

"What?"

"You will kill me without batting an eye."

"No! I can never do that to you, brother. In my entire life, you were the only one who never ignored me in my childhood, brother. You used to play with me."

"Do you still think of me as your senior brother?"

"Yes!"

"Then promise me."

Her jaw tightened with emotion. Even though she was a merciless villain in the game, I guess before being broken by emotion, she was as kind-hearted, or even more so, than the protagonist.

This is the thing: the purer you are at heart, the crueler and colder you become after that heart is crushed.

Controlling her tears, she silently nodded.

{Animosity: -5}

Wow!

"Elowen, you aren't trash. Whatever the family says is totally irrelevant."

"What are you saying, brother? I couldn't even perform the family's basic swordsman technique."

"That's why I say it's irrelevant. Your talent lies in mana. I could tell just by touching your veins."

She looked at me with bewilderment. "You could tell that?"

"By your tone, it looks like you're quite aware of it. Good you didn't reveal it, the family would have killed you."

Giving her a reassuring nod, I stood up. "But now you don't have to worry about it. Learn magic at the Academy. I will take care of the family."

"What??"

She was surprised to hear that.

Of course, if the family knows that someone with the Blackthorne name is learning magic, I don't think they would let it go lightly. Even I won't be able to convince them.

Then did I lie to her?

Not completely.

"Elowen, you are free now. I will ask the servants to transfer you to a better room."

After stating that, I quickly exited the room.

To be honest, I was getting impatient and excited at the moment to check out the reward icon that glowed at the corner of my vision.