I Became the Younger Brother of the Villainess

Christina Hayley was a clever woman.

Her kind smile and calm demeanor often gave the impression of a gentle soul, and while it was true that she was kind-hearted, there was more to her than met the eye. Christina Hayley was not just a compassionate person; she was also a capable and astute noblewoman.

She knew how to separate the personal from the professional.

So, when she received the notice from the Chepes family—less a letter and more a declaration—she immediately sought out her eldest half-brother.

Predictably, his response was exactly what she had anticipated.

“What? Chepes? I don’t care! Isn’t managing the estate your responsibility?”

“But, brother, as the acting lord—”

“So? Are you saying this is my fault?”

Realizing there was no point arguing further with her hot-headed and unreasonable elder brother, Christina instead sought out her second brother.

“Well? That’s perfect. This could be my chance to get rid of him.”

“If we incur the wrath of Chepes, what use is the title of count, brother? Please—”

“Once I inherit the title, I’ll handle it just fine! Now leave, you’re being noisy.”

The second brother, ever jealous of his twin for being the firstborn and heir, saw this crisis as an opportunity. Confident in his own abilities and eager to supplant his incompetent twin, he dismissed Christina without a second thought.

Frustrated and defeated, she realized that convincing him was equally futile.

Finally, she considered her youngest half-sister. But there was little hope to be found there. Instead, she turned to her stepmother, believing that as much as the woman despised her, she wouldn’t completely disregard advice meant to protect the estate.

However, her stepmother refused to even grant her an audience. Christina was met with cold rejection at the door, forced to walk away with nothing but hollow footsteps and mounting despair.

She felt tears threatening to spill but held them back.

She still had the loyal retainers who had supported her father and continued to stand by the Hayley name.

For their sake, she resolved to protect the estate, no matter the cost.

The appointed day arrived.

Christina and her retainers, who had spent the past few days preparing to receive the delegation from Chepes, stood in the garden, visibly tense.

A heavy silence loomed over the gathering. No one dared to speak, fully aware that the future of the Hayley estate would be decided today.

Finally, the gates opened, and a carriage bearing a banner of a crimson raven on a black field crossed the threshold.

The carriage belonged to the solitary yet extraordinarily influential Chepes family, one of the Empire’s Seven Great Pillars. Though they had no marital alliances or political ties and rarely appeared in the Imperial Court, their influence extended silently but powerfully across the entire Empire.

Christina’s legs almost gave out as she realized who was inside the carriage.

“If I collapse here, it’s all over!”

This was not just her fear. The retainers behind her, and even the most powerful individual present—the Hayley Knight Captain—were similarly unnerved.

“This aura… It’s absurd! I haven’t even faced him directly, yet the pressure is suffocating. This is… monstrous.”

Sensitive to displays of power, the Knight Captain barely managed to stay upright, biting his tongue to maintain consciousness. Only his unshakable discipline kept him from kneeling on the spot. A weaker soul would have already buckled under the strain.

All eyes remained fixed on the carriage as its door finally opened.

From within, a shadow spilled forth.

It was as if darkness itself flowed like liquid, pooling around the feet of the man who stepped out.

He was striking—a man with golden hair that gleamed like sunlight, ruby-red eyes that sparkled with an unnatural luster, pale, flawless skin, and an ethereal beauty that seemed sculpted by the gods.

Yet no one present felt admiration.

What filled the air instead was a primal, instinctive terror.

It was the kind of fear a prey animal feels when faced with its predator. No creature looks upon its hunter with affection.

Christina couldn’t even bring herself to meet his gaze.

“Greetings,” the man said flatly, as if unaware of the suffocating dread his presence exuded.

With his words, the shadows that had seemed ready to devour everything in sight suddenly receded, curling obediently at his feet.

Only then did everyone seem to collectively exhale.

The display was a silent reminder that he could destroy everyone present if he so wished.

Christina fought the urge to tremble.

“If I show fear now, everything will be over.”

This was not the moment to falter. She had not endured so much, sacrificed so much, to break here.

Gathering her resolve, she stepped forward and spoke with unwavering determination.

“Welcome, great Pillar of the Empire, the immortal Lord of Chepes.”

Though terrified, she acted with grace and poise. She could not afford to show weakness, for failure here would mean the ruin of everything she had worked to protect.

The man, his thoughts unreadable, nodded slightly, seemingly satisfied with her composure.

“So, you are Christina Hayley. Is that correct?”

“…Yes,” she replied, her voice steady despite the pounding of her heart.