TLDH~21

Chapter 21

“Huh, what?”

“I have a dad, Lesha. My mom is in heaven. It’s not like I have neither a mom nor a dad.”

I wiped a single tear that dropped from my large eyes with the back of my hand.

It wasn’t intentional, but the tears fell steadily as if planned.

At the sight, Grandfather’s expression hardened even more, and the youngest aunt, Helen, looked distracted, trying to gauge Grandfather’s mood.

And Bellia, the second aunt who had made the comment, turned away from me, her body trembling slightly.

“Oh my! Look at this child!”

“…….”

“Did I say you have no parents? I was just saying your parents aren’t *with* you, for heaven’s sake. And where do you get off interrupting when adults are talking! I’ve told you so many times that if you act like this, it’s your father who gets criticized.”

“But Dad said… not to yield to unfairness……”

“You! My, listen to what she’s saying.”

At my words, Bellia’s face flushed bright red, and Grandfather’s gaze, fixed on me and the second aunt, intensified.

‘I need to use this chance to firmly plant suspicion in his mind.’

After the Duchess passed away, Aunt Bellia, who was in charge of running the main household, might seem a certain way on the outside, but in reality, she was utterly incompetent at managing it.

Perhaps because she came from a Count’s family with a large estate, she was very extravagant and had no idea how to use money efficiently. On top of that, she was unfair to the servants as well.

But Grandfather seemed to be aware of this and yet let it slide.

‘Grandfather has his own reasons.’

But now, I wanted to make her back off from me.
So she could no longer interfere in my affairs.

That’s why I deliberately clashed with Chandler more and defied Bellia.
Hoping that Grandfather would see Bellia’s true nature in how she treated me.

“Is this what you call unfair? Huh?”
“That’s not it.”
“Look at this. We’ve been too lenient with you, and now you have no fear of your elders, do you?”
“Enough.”

At that moment, Grandfather raised his hand, cutting off Aunt’s words.
“But Father!”

Her voice calling for Grandfather was cracked with panic, but Helen, who had stopped Bellia, shook her head slightly.
“Sister-in-law.”

At that, Bellia, who had been about to step forward in a huff, bit her lower lip and took a step back.
“Lesha.”

A warmth settled on both my shoulders.
Along with a familiar perfume scent.
“Youngest Aunt.”

Helen Asher.
She was the wife of Windren Asher and Jason’s mother.

As a Baron’s daughter, in my previous life, she was one of the few who hadn’t treated me badly.
More precisely, she was someone who hadn’t openly tormented me.
And for that alone, I had held a favorable impression of her……

“I think you should apologize to your brothers, don’t you?”
“…….”
“And to your Second Aunt as well.”

Aunt Helen was subtly pressing down on my shoulders, forcing an apology.
I took a sharp breath at the coercion, which felt sufficiently oppressive even for a child.
I thought the youngest aunt was a good person.

But she had just left me alone because I was no harm to her.
*Sigh, I misjudged someone again.*

Someone who wasn’t bad was never necessarily a good person.

“Grandfather is feeling troubled too, you see? Hmm?”

Helen mentioned Grandfather and patted my back.
“Come on, our Lesha is a good girl, right?”

But I’ll say it again, I had no intention of being manipulated by them anymore.
So I slipped out of Helen’s grasp and stood before Grandfather.
“I’m sorry.”

Then I even bowed my head and raised it again.
At my action, Helen came after me, saying “Good job,” and patted my back.
The dull thudding echoed in my chest.

She was probably wearing a very pleased smile, thinking she had handled the situation well?
But-

“The direction of your apology is wrong.”

The key to this situation still lay in Grandfather’s hands, and he was saying my apology was misplaced.
His gaze, which seemed a little disappointed in me, was an added bonus.

“A proper apology is made while looking at the person. So, Letitia, if you truly intend to apologize sincerely, you should do it while looking at your brothers and your aunt, not at me.”

I raised my head, nodding slightly as if I understood everything in those blue eyes.
“Then, Lesha did the right thing, Grandfather.”
“……What?”
“It’s correct that I’m telling *you* I’m sorry, Grandfather.”

I could see suspicion billowing like smoke in his narrowly opened eyes.
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“Why is that?”
“Fighting with my brother, no matter who was wrong first, is an act of betraying family affection, and that’s what you hate the most, Grandfather.”
“…….”
“I was wrong.”

I tried to answer as clearly as possible and raised my head. Grandfather straightened his body, which had been slightly leaning forward.
“Then, are you saying you did nothing wrong to Chandler?”
“Yes.”

I nodded.
“Chandler said you bullied him for no reason?”

He wasn’t asking if I was lying.
Probably, the reason Grandfather was this angry was that he roughly knew what had happened between the two, no, the three of us.
And even if he didn’t know, it didn’t matter.
We could just tell him.

“It was my brother who bullied me for no reason.”

I raised my head.
“Then why did Chandler hit you?”

Under his gaze, staring intently at me with his hands behind his back, I puckered my lips like a duck, as if pondering.
How much should I say? Without a moment to gauge-

“Letitia.”

He called my name in a pressuring tone. I raised my head.
“Brother Chandler said that if Dad dies, I’ll be kicked out of the household. He said I’m going to Onello to practice for that. He said Dad is a dirty illegitimate child and Mom is dirty because she’s from Diabria. That Lesha too……”

I hadn’t intended to cry, but as I spoke, an acting skill I didn’t know I had welled up, making my throat feel tight. I trailed off at the end.

“What nonsense is she spouting now!”

Bellia raised her voice.
“That’s enough.”

But Grandfather raised his hand as if dismissing Bellia’s protest and looked at Bellia and Chandler, who was hiding behind her skirt, with a hardened face.
“Ah, Father.”
“It seems your child-rearing has been a failure.”

Bellia’s face turned pale under Grandfather’s gaze, which cut off her attempt to defend Chandler.
“Keuk.”

But at that moment, a small laugh flowed from behind me.
‘Is it the youngest aunt?’

She was the only one who could make a sound from a distance where only I could barely hear it.
I thought they got along well.
But it seemed that might not be the case.

Well, there was barely any difference between the incompetent Andrea and Windren, but Windren couldn’t even get his name on the successor list just because he was born later.
‘She must be annoyed.’

I let out a long sigh, understanding her action. As if he heard it, Grandfather stared at me.
“Letitia, you may stand up now. Both Chandler and Jason shall remain kneeling until I tell them to get up.”
“Mommy!”
“Mommy!”

As soon as Margo’s words fell, I heard Chandler and Jason’s voices, sniffling and calling for their mothers. I quietly got up from my spot. Bellia, who had stepped forward, shook her head.
“Ah, Father!”
“Father, that punishment seems too harsh. They are still young children. And Jason has no fault-”
“Do you truly think so?”

Unlike Bellia’s malicious call, Grandfather’s gaze landed on Helen, who had been trying to persuade him calmly.
Under that cold, chilly gaze, even the always composed Helen lowered her eyes.
And only at that moment could I be sure. Grandfather had heard the things they had said.

‘Then.’
I had nothing more to say.
Saying more here would only be a minus for me.

‘I should go to my room quietly.’

This small body is cute and all, but it gets tired too easily.
On top of that, I got angry, shouted, and even kicked Chandler’s leg.
Fatigue was washing over me like a tide, and I felt like I could fall asleep right then and there.

‘I’m sleepy.’

I couldn’t possibly yawn, so I let out a small sigh instead and turned around. Then I heard Grandfather call me.
“And Letitia.”

My heart thumped, thinking, ‘Was I caught trying to run away?’
Was he going to punish me too? In that short moment, all sorts of thoughts ran through my head as I turned my body.
“Yes.”
“Letitia!”

And at that moment, Grandfather shot up from his seat, and simultaneously, something warm flowed from my nose and filled my mouth.

‘It’s blood.’

It didn’t stop there; a gush of blood came out with a gurgling cough, filling my palms.
Is it another side effect of my ability?
What ability did I even use today?

In the incomprehensible situation, I was startled. Seeing Grandfather’s wide-eyed look of shock, I smiled as if to say I was okay.
‘Well, at least I didn’t collapse.’

“Grandpa, I’m okay. Pwease just call Paul.”