Chapter 4

"Ashil...!"

The reverberation of her mother's scream sliced through Roxana's ears, a stark counterpoint to the eerie calm that had pervaded their lives just days prior. Ashil, with his radiant smile, had been the embodiment of joy. Now, he lay lifeless, a cold body returned to the bosom of his mother and sister.

Roxana was overwhelmed by a profound sense of loss. The woman who introduced herself as an "Executive Officer" declared that Ashil had been expelled according to the rules, deeming him unsuitable for the Agrece family. It marked the first time their generation had witnessed such disciplinary action.

In that poignant moment, a cold, sinking feeling gripped Roxana, an all-encompassing chill that seemed to permeate her very soul. She felt as though she had been plunged into icy waters, struggling to find her footing in this unforgiving tide.

Her mind raced back to a scene from three years prior, vivid and haunting. She recalled her father's piercing scrutiny and her mother's palpable anxiety on that fateful day.

"I had hoped for even a glimmer of talent, but you prove utterly worthless."

Her mother had fainted when confronted with Ashil's lifeless form, and Roxana, too, fell ill, plagued by shock for nearly ten days. She couldn't shake the haunting thought that if Ashil could be "disposed of," she might be next. The mere contemplation sent shivers down Roxana's spine.

It seemed her father valued individuals based on their usefulness to him.

Roxana had remembered her father's cruel assessing gaze, he would not take kindly on an unworthy child, going so far as to murder them for the simple crime of not being good enough. The girl decided there that she would truly be reborn, she wouldn't let this life be cast aside like the last. Thus, she embarked on a path of rigorous education unlike any she had previously experienced.

"Xana, are you making progress with your studies?" her mother inquired.

"Yes, I'm working diligently," she responded.

"Good, for you must strive to become a remarkable Agrece," her mother emphasised.

She refrained from challenging her mother's words, realising that her role demanded unwavering dedication. While her primary focus shifted towards mastering the art of influencing others, she continued to acquire a diverse skill set, encompassing basic physical abilities, weapon proficiency, knowledge of poisons, gathering information, and honing her speech.

Their family, characterised by its lack of affection, observed a monthly tradition known as the "The Great Banquet." Her father invited the top three achievers among his children for a special meal each month. Yet, until that point, neither she nor Ashil had ever been extended an invitation.

Two more children met a grim fate, their attempts to escape the clutches of Agrece foretelling their doom. They were eventually apprehended and met a fate worse than death.

With every passing day, Roxana's scepticism toward this world grew, and she increasingly saw her father, Lant Agrece, as the key to unlocking the answers to her myriad questions. When she turned twelve, a year after Ashil's tragic demise, she finally received the coveted invitation to "The Great Banquet."

It was then that she became convinced that the world she had been reincarnated into was the same as a novel she had read so many years before.