TPES 19

Chapter 19

“Some people have been up since dawn, working diligently and not even getting any sleep, yet you’re sleeping in this late. If you’re a noble, you should wake up early and take care of yourself. Just look at you.”

When I opened my eyes in the morning and headed to the dining room for breakfast, two unfamiliar women were already seated there. The younger one immediately began scanning me up and down with a displeased look, while the older woman quietly sipped her tea.

Who are they?

Judging by how comfortably they were acting in the house, dressed in flashy gowns early in the morning, they didn’t seem to be outsiders.

Then they must be Espin’s stepmother and stepsister.

From what Flaris had said yesterday at the temple—colorfully cursing about how Espin’s stepsister kept coming around to see Haren—I could tell that these two had been tormenting Espin for quite some time.

I thought they had gone to the count’s territory with him. But seeing them here now, it seemed they had returned to the imperial capital with Father.

“I heard you fired all the servants in this house?”

The stepmother, who had been sitting down, turned her gaze toward me. Her eyes were so sharp that it was immediately obvious she disliked me.

“Yes.”

“Espin, I always tell you this. If you behave so selfishly, no one will like you. If you punish the servants as if you’re venting your anger, which of the maids who come here in the future will like you?”

The countess spoke loudly on purpose, as if making sure the maids standing near the dining room could hear. Just as she intended, the maids’ eyes wavered at the implication that I had fired all the servants in a fit of anger.

After glancing sideways to confirm their reaction, the countess stood up and walked toward me. She fussed with the shoulder of my loungewear, then shook her head.

“With the status of the count’s family, even if it’s indoor clothing, isn’t this a bit much? Go change into something else. That way people will see you as a proper young lady of the count’s house. Right now, you’re no different from a commoner.”

At her words, I looked down at what I was wearing. It was just ordinary loungewear.

If anything, the one dressed strangely was the countess herself. Wasn’t it far stranger to show up to a family breakfast wearing a heavily jeweled, extravagant dress?

When I raised my head, unable to understand the situation, the countess frowned deeply.

“And that vulgar pink hair. I told you so many times to change your hair color. Espin, I’m always worried. I worry that you’ll disgrace the Leon count’s family somewhere with that vulgar pink hair. So today, you must change your hair color. Head butler, prepare it.”

“My lady. The medicine used to change hair color isn’t good for the skin. Many people have ended up changing not just their hair color but their skin color as well. That medicine is really—”

“How dare you talk back to me, head butler? If I say do it, you do it. Are you taking me lightly just because you’ve worked for this family for a long time?”

“No, that’s not it. I was just worried about the young lady—”

“That kind of worry doesn’t help Espin at all, so just prepare the dye.”

The countess snapped irritably and turned away.

So… she’s controlling Espin under the excuse of being ‘worried’ about her?

I had wondered why Espin had grown up so emotionally deprived despite such a good environment. It seemed that woman bore much of the responsibility.

She claimed it was all out of concern for Espin, but her words were fundamentally filled with disregard. And that line about how no one would like her if she didn’t listen.

The countess was clearly gaslighting Espin.

“What are you doing? Hurry up.”

Ignoring the countess, who raised her voice irritably, I sat down. As if she hadn’t expected to be ignored, the countess stared at me in shock.

“What do you think you’re doing? Didn’t you hear what I said?”

“I heard you.”

“Then why are you sitting down? I told you to go change right now. And change your hair color. Immediately.”

“Didn’t you hear Mother? What do you think you’re doing?”

Rose, the stepsister beside her, rolled up her sleeves and backed up her mother.

Watching the two of them glare at me as if they wanted to kill me while I sat calmly made me want to laugh.

What is this, some kind of fairy-tale Cinderella?

As I coolly observed their childish behavior—

Bang!
The dining room door flew open and Father walked in.

“Count, you’re here?”

At his appearance, the expressions the countess and Rose had been using to scold me vanished instantly.

“What’s going on here?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. We were just asking Espin how she’s been, since it’s been a while. There were some things that worried me, so as her mother—”

Oh, so she pretends to be a kind mother in front of the count.

This really is no different from Cinderella.

“Let’s eat. By the way, I heard Espin represented the family and went to the temple yesterday. Good work.”

The countess hurriedly changed the subject. The count looked at my face, but seeing no change in my expression, he went to his seat.

“The social season will be starting soon. I’m really looking forward to seeing how Espin and Rose will shine during it.”

Smiling hypocritically, the countess shifted the atmosphere.

So this is how she’s been deceiving the count.

In front of him, she must have acted as though she cherished Espin even more than Rose, as if she truly loved her like her own daughter.

The count, who hadn’t paid Espin much attention, probably never noticed. Or perhaps he did notice and simply didn’t care.

That would explain why he hadn’t known Espin was being scammed by people who approached her, and why, after she lost her fortune to fraud, he expelled her from the family and sent her to a prayer retreat that was basically a prison.

It’s probably best to cut ties with this count’s family.

There was no reason to maintain relationships with people who had no familial affection. Leaving them behind at the right time would be better for my mental and physical health.

“By the way, Count. I think it’s about time we start looking for a marriage partner for Rose…”

The countess carefully observed his expression.

“Is there anyone you have in mind?”

“Handle it as you see fit.”

“Really? Then I’ll take care of finding partners for both Rose and Espin—”

“Let’s wait a bit longer with Espin.”

“Then I’ll just focus on Rose. Actually, there is someone I have in mind.”

“Do as you wish.”

“Would you perhaps be able to speak to the Ameron ducal family about a marriage?”

“……”

Father didn’t respond at all, merely moving his knife. It was clear he had no intention of proceeding with a marriage between Rose and the Ameron ducal family.

Understanding his intent, the countess bit her lip and shot him a look, then turned that gaze toward me. She seemed to think the reason Father refused was because of me.

Haren really is too good for Rose.

Dressed in flamboyant, peacock-like attire, Rose was unfortunately not very beautiful. She was clearly dressed up with effort, but she didn’t come across as attractive, and the strong perfume scent noticeable even from a distance was more off-putting than appealing.

Moreover, Rose wasn’t the Leon count’s biological daughter—she was the daughter the countess brought with her when she remarried.

In other words, she had commoner blood, which caused many nobles to look down on her. That was why the countess was so sensitive about Rose’s marriage.

“Hahaha. I suppose it’s difficult to bring that up when you’re close to them. I’ll prepare things myself. How about my daughters go dress shopping with me today? It seems like an important season, so it would be good to prepare in advance.”

The countess’s eyes were still glaring straight at me.