The sickly youngest member of the villainous family

Chapter 24

The dome-shaped assembly hall at Winchester Manor.

Normally closed, it was opened for three days once a year during the ‘Dark Feast’, a gathering of blood relatives with the Winchester surname.

The official purpose is to worship the “Black Dragon”, the source of the black salt in the family folklore.

But the real purpose was for Winchester descendants to mingle, share information, collaborate, and show off their Winchester strength.

On the second day after the party, each person would place one item into the Dark Goblet to prove that they had been chosen by the Darkness.

And today was the first day of the ceremony.

Strolling leisurely through the antique and ornate assembly hall, the guests enjoyed the view of the Winchester mansion.

Magnificent music played non-stop, and the chefs continued to prepare new dishes and drinks.

“Have you heard the rumors about the lady?”

“What lady? She is the illegitimate daughter of a woman from Quenne who was not officially married.”

“They say she looks more like him than any of his sons. Silver hair, green eyes…… kind of funny.”

The people gathered around the table were muttering rumors about Sasha Winchester.

“Still, it’s a chance to put pressure on the Taylors…. so, I’m assuming the head of the family is interested.”

“Last year, Lord Bashiron had his eyes on her.”

“Perhaps it was the Taylors who were responsible for the raid? I heard Taylor’s venom was found in the poisoned arrows.”

“His leg hasn’t healed, and I hear they’re bringing in a fairly famous healer this time, so maybe he’ll get better.”

More than half of the fifty or so people gathered here were related to Recardo Winchester within eight degrees of consanguinity.

In fact, if you went beyond the eighth degree of consanguinity, you couldn’t use the surname Winchester, and you couldn’t use the power of black flame, so this was a gathering of people who could be called “Winchesters” in the Empire.

Some people were unhappy with him as a member of the Afinizu.

“It’s not like him, there has to be something to it, with the raid on Bashiron and…… the kid must have a secret.”

One of them, Zestia, looked at the altar and pursed her lips.

Since Sasha Winchester’s birth, the things that had been happening in the Winchester household had been quite upsetting to her.

It was bad enough that Recardo, the unsightly bastard, had taken over as head of the family, but the spies that Bashiron and Zestia had planted in the Winchester manor were losing contact.

Then, just when it looked like they might finally be catching up …… Recardo overreacted.

The youngest, a maiden, a mere child.

“It stinks.”

At Zestia’s side, her daughter Permetis raised her eyebrows. “I will find out, Mother. Don’t worry too much.”

Permetis was seven years old, two years younger than Jin and Othello.

She had wavy gray hair like Zestia’s, and her eyes were red, like her slave father’s.

After Zestia gave birth to Permetis, she killed the male slave who had been her lover.

Because that was the way to pass on the Winchester surname.