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Chapter 13
The Trouble-Making Daughter
The sight of his daughter upon her return was far more dreadful than he had imagined.
Her dress was filthy with dust and dirt, and her once glossy hair was hopelessly tangled, hanging limply down to her waist.
So shocking was the scene that he nearly forgot the very plan he had made to scold her. Only when Robrin poked his back insistently from behind did Anwen barely come to his senses.
Yes—he would threaten her with punishment.
If he did that, surely he would once again see the daughter who, as in the old days, would lift her chin proudly and rebel against him.
She would reveal that there had been some even more wicked scheme behind all of this.
With that expectation, Anwen composed his expression and raised his voice. Right on cue, Robrin even tossed a receipt in front of her face.
Come now, Leriell—rebel proudly, just as you always have.
The couple waited for her reply with pounding hearts.
“Do you truly believe that I did something wrong?”
The opening was good.
At her very first words, Robrin already looked relieved. Anwen, too, felt nothing but pride in his daughter for rebelling just as he had expected.
…For exactly three seconds.
“I only… wanted to help the children, that’s all.”
“…Leriell?”
“But it’s also true that I used the Tenebris family’s wealth without permission. I understand why you’re angry. I’m sorry, Father. Mother.”
She bowed her head politely to her parents.
Not even in his nightmares had he ever seen something like this.
Now even Anwen could no longer keep his composure, stumbling backward in disbelief. Never before had his daughter felt so unfamiliar.
“S-Sorry…? You…?”
“Yes. I mean it sincerely.”
I feel nothing but regret for causing you worry.
As Leriell added this, she looked up at them. Her deep green eyes seemed, for some reason, to shine with a warm hue today.
“G-Good heavens, my lady!”
Thud—Robrin collapsed on the spot. As Habel screamed and called for a physician—
Anwen, amidst the chaos, could only stare blankly at his troublesome daughter.
Leriell was sentenced to seven days of confinement.
Anwen had never imagined that he would truly end up punishing her. Yet here it was, a cold reality staring him in the face.
Leriell Tenebris had become kind.
‘Seven days…? That can’t be right!’
For a time, he believed there was still hope. More desperately than ever before, Anwen had wanted to believe it.
‘What about volunteering at the orphanage? I even promised Semi I’d come again tomorrow!’
‘Who in the world is this Semi supposed to be…?’
But it had all been an illusion. Pressing a hand to his forehead, Anwen let out yet another sigh—how many times today had it been now?
He had to admit it. In the span of just a single week, his daughter had changed completely.
This was a transformation far beyond what the word “puberty” could describe—a cataclysm, and the greatest crisis in the history of the House of Tenebris.
“Malcolm.”
In a deeply sunken voice, Anwen called for the head butler. His expression was just as grim.
The brighter Leriell became, the darker the shadows around her grew.
As both a parent and the head of the ducal House of Tenebris, Anwen bore the responsibility of dealing with this disaster.
“Go and compile a list of every psychological counselor active in the kingdom. Not a single one left out.”
“Yes. Understood.”
The moment the order was given, Malcolm left the office as though he had been waiting for it.
Watching the door close quietly, Anwen sighed yet again.
His head throbbed. Deep wrinkles—born of filial piety, no, of excessive filial devotion—etched themselves into his brow.
‘What a dreadful day…’
Muttering to himself, he lifted his gaze to the large frame that dominated the center of his office wall.
It was a family portrait painted over two days by a renowned artist.
Anwen sat in a chair. And to his right stood Leriell, resting a hand on his shoulder with a cold smile.
Anwen overlapped the face in the portrait with the face he had seen today—and finally couldn’t bear it any longer, turning his head away.
That family portrait had always filled him with strength whenever he looked at it.
Yet today, it was unbearably painful to see.
“Hmm-hmm-hmm…”
A soft hum echoed through the room from time to time. As she gazed out at the peaceful scenery beyond the window, a bright smile spread across Leriell’s face.
So it had finally come to the point of confinement. The image of her father, unable to hide his disappointment as he punished her, was still vivid in her mind.
‘I didn’t even get to bring up the engagement.’
It was only regrettable that her mother had collapsed before she could lay everything out she had prepared, leaving the matter unresolved.
‘Are you all right, Mother?’
On the first day of her confinement, Leriell went to check on her mother out of concern—only for Robrin to recoil in terror, trembling as though she had seen a ghost.
More precisely, it was because of something Leriell was holding.
‘What… what are you holding right now…?’
‘A wet towel.’
‘A wet towel? D-Don’t tell me…!’
Unfortunately, it was exactly what she feared. Smiling, Leriell walked in among the horrified servants.
Splash—the clear sound of water sloshing in a bowl rang out. She dipped the towel into the lukewarm water she had carefully prepared, then pulled it out.
Wring, wring—she twisted the towel firmly and said,
‘I’m the reason you collapsed. I’ll take care of you.’
Take care of her?! Robrin nearly fainted again. With nowhere left to retreat, she pressed herself into the corner of the bed, frantically waving her hands.
‘Don’t you dare try something that horrifying on my body!’
In the end, Leriell was chased out of the room without being able to do anything at all.
She tried to visit again from time to time after that, but the physician invoked the need for absolute rest and banned her from entering altogether.
“I was trying to make it up to her, in my own way…”
Muttering regretfully as she recalled Robrin’s horrified expression, Leriell stepped away from the window and walked over to the bed. Thump—she dropped onto it, collapsing flat.
Being confined was one thing, but she had far too little to do.
She could have used this time to do at least one more good deed.
Grumbling, she rolled over and sprawled out flat on her back. The ornate patterns on the ceiling filled her view.
‘What should I do next?’
Naturally, her thoughts drifted to what would come after her confinement.
Once the punishment was over, the first thing she needed to do was annul the engagement.
If she had taken care of that properly from the start, wouldn’t things have turned out differently?
The thought crossed her mind.
‘No—still, it’s far too dangerous to leave my name tied to this family. The other party is a saintess. A woman who could brand Tenebris as evil and strike it down at any moment!’
Quickly steadying her wavering resolve, Leriell shook her head.
Don’t forget—the protagonist of this novel wasn’t her. It was the captivating saintess, Anilla Media.
For her sake, someone who monopolized the love of people, gods, and even the original author, even the current flow of events could be overturned in an instant.
‘Really, being disowned like this would be the most peaceful outcome.’
Nodding as she reaffirmed her goal, she felt oddly reassured.
Fortunately, there was no limit to the good deeds she could do. Bad deeds pricked at one’s conscience, but good deeds only brought satisfaction.
All right—maybe next I’ll go pick up trash along the roadside?
Just as she was devising yet another plan so wholesome it threatened to bury the prestige of the House of Tenebris underground—
“Excuse me, Sister. There’s a guest here to see you…”
“Huh?”
A familiar voice came from outside. It was her younger brother, Habel.
Why was he doing a servant’s job? And who could this guest be?
“Come in.”
Creeeak—
Even after permission was granted, it took a while for the door to open fully. Habel entered hesitantly, clearly watching her reaction.
Well, it wasn’t hard to understand. The sister he had always respected had changed so drastically—it was only natural for him to be confused.
“What about the servants? Why are you the one delivering the message?”
Taking the initiative for his sake, Leriell spoke first.
Habel still couldn’t meet her eyes, answering in a voice so small it was barely audible.
“They’re all afraid of you and refused to pass along the message. We’re so short-handed that I had no choice.”
“Come on, why would anyone be afraid of me? I’ve been so kind these past few days!”
Whether or not she realized that it was precisely that “kindness” that had driven the servants away—
As Leriell spoke casually, Habel took another step back.
This conversation, at least for him, was clearly anything but pleasant.
