Rise Of The Villain : In a World Ruled By Anomalies

Chapter 144 - 143 : self respect

From the moment Arina Evan Imperius was born into the Imperius family, she was taught one absolute truth.

Talent and strength determined a person’s worth.

Those who possessed neither were inferior.

Those who could not rise, could not fight, or prove their value through power were not even worth looking at.

That was not merely a belief in the Imperius family.

It was law.

A rule carved into the bones of every child born under that ancient name.

Might makes right.

And just like every other child of the Imperius bloodline, Arina grew up obeying those words as if they were sacred commandments.

She was trained by the best of the best.

Swordmasters who had survived wars.

Scholars who had memorized ancient battle theories.

Mana instructors who could bend the elements with a flick of their fingers.

Combat tutors who never praised weakness and never tolerated hesitation.

From the moment she could walk, Arina was taught how to stand with dignity.

From the moment she could speak, she was taught how to command.

From the moment she could hold a blade, she was taught that mercy toward the weak was nothing more than arrogance disguised as kindness.

And Arina was talented.

Terrifyingly talented.

Her bloodline burned with the pride of the Imperius family, granting her strength that ordinary people could only dream of. Her mana flowed smoothly, her body adapted quickly, and her mind absorbed lessons faster than most instructors could teach them.

People praised her.

Servants lowered their heads when she passed.

Branch family members whispered her name with admiration and envy.

Teachers looked at her as if they were witnessing the birth of another monster from the Imperius bloodline.

But Arina knew better.

Because before her, there had already been two monsters.

Jessica Evan Imperius.

Lucas Evan Imperius.

Her elder sister and elder brother.

Their names alone were enough to silence a room.

Their achievements were spoken of like legends. Even inside Imperius Academy, the records they had set remained unshattered. No one had even come close to the terrifying talent, intellect, and dominance they had displayed.

Jessica was elegance sharpened into a blade.

Lucas was overwhelming power given human form.

They were revered.

Feared.

Admired.

May be even worshiped.

And Arina could proudly tell anyone that they were her siblings.

Yet somewhere deep inside her heart, in a place she never allowed anyone to see, she knew the truth.

She was living in their shadow.

No matter how brightly she shone, people always compared her to them.

No matter how many victories she achieved, people always said, "As expected of Jessica and Lucas’s younger sister."

No matter how much effort she poured into herself, her name was always attached to theirs.

Arina hated it.

She hated that invisible shadow.

She hated the silent comparison in everyone’s eyes.

She hated the thought that she might only ever be remembered as the younger sister of two legends in the making.

So from the moment she first heard about all their feats, Arina made one goal for herself.

She would surpass them.

She would surpass Jessica.

She would surpass Lucas.

She would show the entire world that she could shine brighter than anyone in the Imperius family.

Brighter than all of them.

And then there was him.

A black-haired boy who always stood at a distance.

Arthur.

Arthur Evan Imperius.

Her brother.

At least, that was what others called him.

Arina never did.

To her, he was nothing more than a stain on the Imperius name.

A boy surrounded by shameful rumors.

A boy whose existence gave the branch families a reason to mock them.

A boy whose weakness made people whisper.

A boy who did not belong.

And yet, no matter how coldly she treated him, Arthur kept coming to her.

The first time was after her awakening.

Arina had awakened an S-rank talent.

The entire estate had been thrown into celebration. Servants spoke of her future with shining eyes. Instructors praised her potential. Branch family members who once doubted her suddenly smiled as if they had always believed in her.

But her father was busy.

Her mother was busy.

Jessica and Lucas were away.

And in the middle of that grand celebration, Arthur came to her room holding a bouquet of orchids.

They were white and violet, carefully arranged, as if he had spent time choosing each flower.

His hands trembled slightly, but his smile was gentle.

"Arina," he said softly, "congratulations on your awakening."

Arina looked at him.

Then she looked at the bouquet.

Her expression did not change.

"Can you please stop visiting me to congratulate me on something that is a normal feat for an Imperius?" she said coldly. "It is creepy."

Arthur froze.

The smile on his face weakened, but it did not disappear.

Arina’s eyes narrowed.

"But I guess these kinds of things are only a dream for you, huh?"

For a moment, silence filled the room.

Arthur stood there with the bouquet in his hands.

Then he smiled again.

It was not a happy smile.

It was a defeated smile.

A smile that carried both grief and happiness.

As if he was hurt by her words, but still genuinely happy for her.

That smile made Arina angrier than his weakness ever could.

’Why is he smiling?’

’Does he not have even a little self-respect?’

’How can someone be this pathetic?’

She turned away from him, refusing to look at his face any longer.

"Leave."

Arthur lowered his gaze.

"...Okay."

And he left.

But that was not the last time.

He came again when she won her first tournament.

Again when she broke through to a higher rank.

Again when she mastered a technique faster than expected.

Again when she received praise from the academy.

Again and again and again.

For the Imperius family, those achievements were small.

Her father and mother were always too busy to attend such minor events.

Jessica and Lucas had their own duties.

The servants congratulated her because it was expected of them.

The branch families praised her because they wanted favor.

But Arthur always came because he wanted to.

Every time, he brought orchids.

Every time, he smiled.

Every time, Arina insulted him.

And every time, he endured it.

One day, after another one of her victories, Arthur came to her room again.

He stood at the doorway, holding another bouquet of orchids.

"Arina," he said, his voice gentle. "Congratulations. I heard you won again."

Arina stared at him with cold eyes.

"Why are you here?"

Arthur hesitated.

"Father and Mother were busy, so..." He looked down at the flowers, then back at her. "So I thought at least someone should be there for you. And as your brother, it is only natural that I..."

Before he could finish, Arina walked toward him, snatched the bouquet from his hands, and threw it onto the floor.

The orchids scattered across the polished tiles.

Arthur went still.

Arina’s voice rose, sharp and cruel.

"You are not my brother."

Arthur’s breath caught.

Arina glared at him.

"I refuse to acknowledge something this worthless as my family."

The words struck him harder than any blade could have.

Arthur stood there silently.

His lips parted slightly, but no words came out.

A single tear slipped from his eye.

Arina saw it.

And instead of guilt, anger surged through her chest.

"You call yourself a man and cry over these little things?"

Arthur did not answer.

He only lowered his head.

For a few seconds, he simply stared at the fallen bouquet.

Then he slowly bent down and picked it up.

One flower at a time.

His fingers were careful, almost tender, as if the flowers had done nothing wrong and deserved better than being stepped on.

Arina watched him in silence.

Arthur held the damaged bouquet against his chest.

"...I understand," he whispered.

Then he turned and left the room.

The door closed quietly behind him.

Arina clenched her fists.

Her teeth gritted together.

’Why?’

’Why does he keep coming back?’

’Why does he keep acting like he belongs here?’

’Why does he keep looking at me like I matter to him?’

That day, Arina made a decision.

Arthur had to be removed from the family.

If he remained, the rumors would remain.

If he remained, the branch families would continue mocking them.

If he remained, his weakness would continue staining the Imperius name.

So Arina made a plan with her close friend, Liana Clinton.

It was not difficult.

A few whispers.

A few carefully placed words.

A few manipulated situations.

A few people who already wanted Arthur gone.

And eventually, the plan succeeded.

Arthur was cast out.

Removed from the Imperius family.

Erased from the place he had once tried so desperately to belong to.

Arina thought she had won.

She thought she had finally cut away the shame.

She thought Arthur would lower his head and disappear like the weakling he was.

But on the day he left, Arthur looked at her.

Not with tears.

Not with pleading eyes.

Not with that defeated smile she hated so much.

He looked at her with something different.

Something cold.

Something wounded.

Something alive.

"The future me will be different," Arthur said.

Arina remembered his voice clearly.

Calm.

Quiet.

Certain.

"And you will not want to get on his bad side."

At that time, Arina had laughed.

She had laughed because the idea was ridiculous.

’Arthur?’

’That Arthur?’

’The boy who cried over insults?’

’The boy who brought flowers to someone who hated him?’

’The boy who could not even defend himself?’

’What could he possibly become?’

But now...now Arina stood in front of him again.

And she could no longer laugh.

The black-haired boy standing before her was not the weakling she remembered.

But something complete opposite and terrifying.