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Chapter: 17
Before Seria could throw out a bait, she first had to identify those who acted as Ivan’s eyes and ears.
The most obvious person would have been Kelson, but to him, Seria was nothing more than a thorn in his side.
He would have been more likely to try to kick her out than offer any help.
“What would be the fastest and most reliable way…?”
While Seria crossed her arms and pondered, Theodore walked up to her.
“By now, your room should be ready.”
At that moment, there was a knock at the door from outside.
“Your Grace, it’s Kelson. The room has been fully prepared.”
When Theodore opened the door, Kelson bowed politely.
Compared to the first time, it seemed that his blatant hostility toward Argentain had somewhat lessened.
Following Kelson’s guidance, Seria arrived at her room, which was tidier than the one Theodore had used in the past.
The well-maintained furniture and sunlit windows made it clear that the room was quite nice.
It seemed that Ivan, the one in real power, had been calm, and so his will was being followed.
“Seria, do you like the room?”
“Yes. Plenty of sunlight, and the view is nice. I like it.”
Seria answered Theodore with a bright expression.
It was time to resume the tiresome sibling act. She subconsciously clenched the hem of her skirt.
“Your Grace, if I may—”
Kelson, who had been standing at a distance, approached Theodore and spoke quietly. Theodore’s expression immediately darkened as if he had heard something unpleasant.
“Seria, I have some business to attend to. I’ll be back shortly. Keep looking around in the meantime.”
“Alright. Go ahead.”
“Your personal maids will arrive soon. That’s all for now.”
As Theodore left the room, Kelson’s expression toward Seria subtly changed.
He scrutinized her as if evaluating her, which was extremely rude.
“Ahem. I will say this once more, Miss Seria. I am Kelson Barnes, steward of the Belbart household, and I have devoted myself to the Belbart family for generations.”
Despite his polite voice, Kelson’s head was held stiffly upright.
And the title “Miss Seria”—it must mean that a mere girl of your status was unworthy of being called a “lady.”
With Theodore absent, there was no one to restrain Kelson.
“I know.”
Seria replied without looking at him.
“Over the years, Belbart has taken in countless adopted sons and daughters, all of whom fulfilled their duties with talent and effort.”
“So?”
“Not only the Duke, but everyone in the Belbart family has high expectations of Miss Seria. And your Grace must have had a reason for bringing her here, given her background.”
What he meant was: you were adopted into Belbart despite being from Argentain, so behave yourself. His extreme loyalty was almost laughable.
Seria smiled faintly at Kelson.
“…Of course. I won’t do anything to disappoint Theo.”
“That’s a relief.”
Knock, knock.
A dull knocking sound came at the door.
“This is Tilda. I’ve brought the maids.”
“Ah, let them in.”
With Kelson’s permission, a stern-looking woman and two still-young girls entered.
They stood in front of Seria, bowing in unison.
“I am Tilda Hudson, head maid. These sisters will be your personal maids, Miss Seria.”
Tilda nudged the two girls forward.
Even though it was midwinter, the girls wore clothes whose sleeves didn’t fully cover their arms.
Their hands were red and chapped, indicating they had likely been doing hard labor before being assigned to Seria.
“Now, introduce yourselves.”
“I’m Erika Bell…”
“I’m Amy Bell…”
The sisters spoke in barely audible voices, bowing deeply and trembling. Unsurprisingly, Kelson glared at them with piercing eyes.
Seria deliberately stepped closer, placing a hand on each sister’s shoulder.
“Nice to meet you. I’m Seria Belbart.”
The sisters flinched at her closeness, then tightly closed their eyes.
If they reacted like this to just a touch, Seria could imagine roughly what kind of life the Bell sisters had endured.
Judging by appearances, they were probably not from Argentain either.
The wave-like mark beneath the left eye of each sister indicated they were from Taras Island.
Clearly, like Argentains, the sisters had suffered discrimination.
Seria clicked her tongue in disapproval.
“Tilda, give Erika and Amy new clothes. Winter isn’t the season for these outfits.”
“These clothes were given just a few days ago. It seems the girls haven’t taken proper care of their personal items. If you wish, I can throw them out of the mansion immediately.”
Tilda grabbed the back of the sisters’ necks as she spoke.
Kelson silently seemed to agree.
What kind of accident would lead to such an extreme reaction? Seria was flabbergasted.
“No. I like them, so just bring new clothes.”
“These girls can’t even take care of small things. There’s no way they can properly serve Miss Seria.”
Tilda was pretending to act in Seria’s interest, but she was clearly acting on her own will.
It was obvious she intended to intimidate Seria from the start.
Seria bit her lip.
“I’ll decide that myself.”
“I’m giving advice for Miss Seria’s benefit.”
It was a tense standoff, almost like a battle of spear and shield.
Tilda, like Kelson, was persistent.
This would not end on its own.
“How many times must I say this?”
Seria wiped the smile off her face.
“Even if I’m adopted, I’m still a member of Belbart. You should know I’m not in a position to be interfered with.”
A moment of silence fell in the room.
Kelson and Tilda both looked displeased. They clearly did not like someone of low rank standing their ground.
But if they dragged this out further, it would insult the Belbart family itself, so they had no choice but to retreat.
“Very well. We’ll have them change and send them back.”
Tilda pushed Erika and Amy out of the room.
Seria watched the scene with a still stern expression.
She wasn’t suited for this kind of quarrel. She had never tried to deliberately break someone’s spirit, nor had she ever wanted to.
To put an end to this pointless power struggle, she needed the Duke’s recognition as soon as possible.
“You two, leave now. I want to be alone.”
Seria waved her hand tiredly, ordering Kelson and Tilda out.
They reluctantly bowed and left the room.
Once the door was closed, Seria plopped onto the sofa, lost in thought.
To lure the Duke, she first had to gain allies before finding the Duke’s confidants.
But most of the mansion’s staff harbored resentment against Argentains, so there was no one to help her.
The only ones with potential were the Bell sisters, her personal maids.
They had likely been treated poorly all their lives and, unlike other staff, probably had no loyalty to the Belbart family.
They could become the only allies unaffected by the Duke’s influence.
“First, I need to earn their trust…”
Thinking of the sisters being dragged around by Tilda without resistance, Seria’s anger flared again.
The girls were young, probably no older than fifteen or sixteen.
It was infuriating to see children treated so harshly. She wanted to vent this frustration somehow.
Seria jumped up and looked around.
Her eyes landed on the thick pillow on the bed. She walked over, lifting it with one hand while clenching her other fist.
“You seem busy, Seria.”
Theodore was standing there, arms crossed, calm as ever.
“Hah.”
Of all times, why now!
Her boiling anger cooled into embarrassment. She threw the pillow onto the bed.
“You may continue if you wish.”
“Quiet.”
Theodore sat on the sofa with a slightly disappointed expression.
“They seem to have gotten under your skin?”
“Don’t ask if you know the answer.”
“You probably handled it in your own way.”
Seria glared at Theodore, her fists clenched.
Listening to his teasing words, her irritation bubbled again.
“What did you go out for earlier?”
“I got a message from the palace.”
“No way…”
The Crown Prince?
Seria waited tensely for an answer.
It would be troublesome to meet the Crown Prince before even dealing with the Duke.
“The Emperor wrote that you don’t need to attend court for the time being. He said to take good care of your new ‘sister.’”
“Ah.”
Seria slumped across from Theodore, deflated.
It had only been half a day since arriving at the Belbart mansion, yet word had already reached the Emperor.
It must have been the Duke’s doing.
It was astonishing that someone who never left the room could act so quickly.
Seria let out a small groan.
“So, starting the day after tomorrow, you’ll begin etiquette lessons.”
“What?”
“You need the basics before entering society.”
“I already know Antithesia’s history and politics. More than you’d imagine.”
“I know. This is just for show.”
Theodore knew Seria’s knowledge exceeded that of many prominent families in Antithesia.
The lessons were only a pretense to avoid suspicion from Ivan and the Emperor, showing that she was being trained as a tool for the royal family.
“You don’t need to pretend to be lacking.”
“I never intended to.”
Seria’s brows furrowed.
She hated being treated as incompetent. Being underestimated for being an Argentain was reason enough.
Why was xenophobia in Antithesia considered natural? It was beyond anger—it was bewildering.
Knock, knock.
“E-Excuse me…”
A frail voice sounded from outside. It was Erika. Seria sprang to her feet and moved toward the door.
“Who is it?”
Theodore asked, expecting her to already know everything.
Seria blinked slowly before opening her mouth.
“My personal maids, the only ones who will be my allies.”
And the ones I have to help as well.
Seria’s expression brightened.
