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.CHAPTER 05.
A cold purge swept through the Devernon estate.
Fourteen servants were dismissed without receiving a single coin in severance pay, while several others received particularly harsh punishments.
Those who had stolen food supplies had all of their possessions confiscated and were thrown out of the estate wearing nothing but their underwear.
The servants who had embezzled money suffered the same fate.
The atmosphere became so grim that rumors even spread claiming some servants had died under Taikan’s merciless beatings and had been secretly buried somewhere behind the estate.
Just then, the door to Seila’s room burst open.
A girl with orange hair and warm, round eyes came running inside in a panic.
“My Lady! What on earth have you done?!”
It was Mary, Seila’s personal maid.
She had been away from the estate for two weeks to attend her grandmother’s funeral.
“Did your grandmother have a proper farewell?”
“No, that’s not the point! What happened while I was gone? Everyone’s saying you’ve been possessed by a ghost!”
Seila smiled gently.
“Mary.”
“Yes?”
“Mind your manners.”
Mary froze.
She blinked repeatedly, wondering if she’d heard correctly.
“…Did you just scold me?”
“Yes.”
“You… scolded… me?”
“Yes.”
Unable to believe it, Mary rubbed her eyes.
Then she suddenly crouched down and buried her face in her knees.
She mumbled to herself.
“No way…”
Seila quietly watched her before walking over and placing a hand atop Mary’s orange hair.
“Mary.”
“…”
“Answer me.”
“…Yeees.”
“I’ll only say this twice because it’s you.”
“Behave with proper manners.”
Mary’s shoulders shook.
How…?
How could My Lady scold me?
She muttered to herself like someone half out of her mind.
Then—
Snap!
She suddenly raised her head.
Her bright eyes were already brimming with tears.
“You really did scold me, didn’t you?”
“You really did!”
Mary barely restrained the overwhelming urge to grab Seila by the shoulders and shake her.
That would have been terribly rude.
“You really scolded me!”
The next moment…
She burst into loud sobs.
Yet…
She was smiling from ear to ear.
“Thank you!”
“Thank you so much!”
“Oh, merciful heavens!”
“Lady Seila actually scolded me!”
“I never imagined I’d live to see this day!”
It was the most moving moment in Mary’s entire fourteen years of life.
Seila simply smiled quietly as she watched her.
Mary was one of the very few people in this mansion who had always been on Seila’s side.
“Hey, you old hag!”
“Didn’t I tell you to stop talking about Lady Seila like that?!”
“You worthless little brat!”
“Lady Seila only let you get away with it because she’s kind!”
“It’s not because you’re impressive or scary!”
“What? You think she fears you? Looks up to you?”
“I’ve had enough of listening to your nonsense!”
“You actually think you’re tough?”
“Fine!”
“If you’re so strong, then fight me!”
She had been placed under disciplinary confinement multiple times after getting into fistfights with other servants to defend Seila.
Seila’s devoted personal maid during childhood…
My closest friend…
…and also someone responsible for planting countless death flags for me.
In one route…
Mary accidentally served Seila poisoned juice.
The culprit behind it was Jermiel—
The “quietly insane male lead.”
In another route…
Mary feels deeply betrayed by me, falls into darkness, and personally tries to kill me.
Watching Mary continue crying with her shoulders shaking, Seila recalled everything she knew about her.
She’s tiny and childish right now…
But after the coming-of-age ceremony, she’ll suddenly shoot up in height.
People in the world of normally underwent their coming-of-age ceremony at fifteen or sixteen in the temple.
Afterward, they experienced dramatic physical and mental growth.
If I guide her properly…
She’ll become one of my strongest allies.
Thinking back…
They had first met when Seila was around five years old.
Even then, Seila had understood her place within the family.
She never asked Mary to do anything.
She wanted to become the quiet, capable child who handled everything herself.
But for Mary…
That had become a wound.
It made her feel as though she had no reason to exist in this mansion.
As though she was completely useless to the person she was meant to serve.
“Mary.”
“I’m thirsty.”
“Bring me some ice water.”
“…R-Really?!”
Mary sprang to her feet.
“My Lady has given me an order!”
Her tone suddenly became strangely theatrical.
Without meaning to…
Seila laughed.
“I’m so happy!”
“Please keep ordering me around!”
“I’ll bring you the coldest ice water in the whole world, filled with floating ice cubes!”
She rushed toward the door so quickly that she nearly stepped on the hem of her skirt and fell.
“Hyup!”
Miraculously, she caught her balance and kept running.
A few minutes later…
Mary returned, carefully carrying a tray with a glass of ice water.
But…
There wasn’t a trace of color left in her face.
“My Lady!”
“Lady Seila!”
“What is it?”
“Um…”
She first placed the glass on the table before taking several deep breaths.
“Hoo…”
“Hoo…”
Finally…
She spoke carefully.
“My Lady…”
“The Lord of the House has summoned you.”
“Father?”
That had never happened before.
Mary was trembling ever so slightly.
“W-Why would he…?”
“I wonder.”
Seila rose from her seat without much concern.
“Aren’t… aren’t you nervous?”
“Is there any reason I should be?”
As she walked…
Her thoughts drifted elsewhere.
…Dad.
I miss you.
The face of her father, who had passed away five years ago, surfaced in her mind.
He hadn’t been rich.
He hadn’t been especially muscular.
But to her…
He had always been Superman.
Such an amazing Superman…
That she’d believed he could overcome even something like a traffic accident.
Only after he died…
Had she realized.
Dad wasn’t Superman after all.
She suddenly remembered the warmth in his eyes.
Dad always looked at me so warmly.
She had been a daughter who constantly wanted things.
Her father had wanted nothing.
“As long as you children are healthy and happy…”
“That’s the greatest gift you could ever give me.”
All she remembered was receiving endless love from him.
Because of that…
So-hyeon had barely felt the absence of her mother.
Well…
That’s not entirely true.
Her father had done everything he possibly could.
Yet there had always remained a small emptiness that nothing could quite fill.
Still…
That didn’t mean she’d lacked love.
Dad always told us Mom had passed away.
So-hyeon had believed him completely.
She’d never once thought she’d been abandoned.
She had simply missed a mother she believed had died in a tragic accident.
The truth…
Was very different.
When So-hyeon had been three years old…
Her mother had run away with another man.
She abandoned the family.
So-hyeon only learned that after her father’s death, while sorting through his belongings.
She had found his diary.
“I still don’t have the courage.”
“I’m too afraid the children will be hurt.”
“But once they’re grown…”
“I should tell them.”
“They deserve to know the truth.”
He had every right to resent her.
To curse her.
Yet…
His diary contained nothing except concern for his children.
Then…
After became a huge success…
Her mother came back.
“My precious children…”
“You’ve both suffered so much.”
Then…
Without the slightest shame…
She asked them for spending money.
Something about having legal rights to the family property.
Seeing someone so utterly shameless…
Had made So-hyeon miss her father more than ever.
Thinking about all of that…
Today…
She missed him terribly.
A father who had been perfect…
Except for leaving her far too soon.
Someone like my dad deserves to be called a father.
Not Dephelto.
Thinking about him is making me seriously pissed off.
She remembered being dragged to the temple against her will for a bloodline verification ritual.
She also remembered Dephelto’s disgusted expression…
When the results confirmed she truly was his daughter.
Everything felt as vivid as though it had happened yesterday.
And now that man wants to see me?
He’s definitely not going to say anything nice.
The Devernon estate had just gone through a bloody purge.
For a prestigious noble family…
Such turmoil was hardly desirable.
He’s obviously going to reprimand me.
Why did you stir up unnecessary trouble?
Why couldn’t you simply behave quietly?
Walking with graceful steps, Seila spoke.
“Mary.”
“Brace yourself.”
“…Yes?”
“No matter what Father says…”
“Stand behind me.”
“Remain perfectly composed.”
“Don’t waver.”
“W-What do you mean?”
Before long…
Seila had naturally taken the lead.
Watch carefully.
This is how veterans play.
What actually came out was:
“Watch closely.”
“I’ll make you proud to serve me.”
…Seriously?
That’s how that gets translated?
“I… I understand.”
Mary’s cheeks flushed faintly.
This…
Was exactly the kind of elegant young noble lady she’d always dreamed of serving—
The sort who existed only in novels…
Almost never in reality.
For some reason…
Today, Seila seemed like a tiny giant.
