Chapter 18.
The Eldest Daughter’s Duty
“Look closely. This is my wife.”
At the man’s words, the people weakly turned their eyes to it. Ah, those with fragile hearts squeezed their eyes shut. The man stared at it with blazing eyes. He was gaunt, sometimes staggering as though drained of strength.
But what truly made people fear him were those eyes—dark and sucking, as if they would devour you whole. With his gaze alone, he seemed capable of cutting a man down. Hatred, fury, a condensed something—people could sense it all radiating from him.
Even if darkness fell, those purple eyes would still glow. That chilling terror made everyone tremble.
“The wife you killed—she is my wife!”
But what he called his “wife” was no longer human. A wife is a person. The thing he pointed to was a corpse, rotting away. Once a woman with platinum hair, her complexion had long since faded, her body darkening and decomposing. It was hideous.
“Kiss the back of my wife’s hand.”
Startled, the people looked at him. Has he truly gone mad?
“….”
“What, you can’t bring yourself to touch a rotting corpse?!”
The man gave a twisted smile. At that same moment, a scream tore out from someone in the crowd. His laughter grew louder and louder. And just like that—ah, another body dropped to the ground.
“Anne… Anne…”
Amidst the merciless horror, only the man muttered in a voice soaked with grief.
Diana opened her eyes. The sound of the man’s laughter would not leave her ears. It clung to her like something sticky, echoing. Was it the anger inside that unsettled her—or the sorrow?
Diana quickly shook her head. Foolish dreams shouldn’t be given a reaction. She had too many tasks at hand.
“Are you awake?”
The voice made her flinch. It was Guiscard. When Diana sat up, she saw him staring blankly at her. Had he been watching her the entire night?
Should this really be allowed?
The thought flickered through her mind. Was there ever such calmness between them? Then she realized—it had already been a month since Guiscard became her slave. Ah, this was not the hellish palace of Lodbrok. She rubbed her sleepy eyes several times.
“Shouldn’t Sally have woken me?”
“Lady Mirva summoned her, so she told me to wake you instead.”
“I see.” Diana nodded. On the surface, Mirva had obeyed her since that day. But she still left little stings like this. Pointless resistance. It would be far better if Mirva sincerely reformed and returned the position of mistress of the household. Yet entrusting the estate to a girl twelve years younger was impossible.
Keeping Guiscard as her slave brought her surprising peace. The servants occasionally ordered him about, but there was no abuse, no beatings.
He ate the food Diana provided and began to put on weight. As soon as he got proper nutrition, he grew rapidly. He had already reached the height of a grown man and needed clothes tailored for adults. And his looks… stunningly handsome, almost unsettling. Diana found herself smiling bitterly.
Sometimes, seeing that face, she had to suppress a rising disgust.
“Did your sword training go well yesterday?”
“Yes.”
“Sir Liam says you have talent.”
Many objected to teaching a slave the sword to make him a guard. Naturally—it insulted the knights.
But Sir Liam, a commoner who had risen in the ducal house, sympathized with Diana. He had once had a younger brother around Guiscard’s age and secretly began teaching him swordsmanship. At least, he was learning well. But there was one problem.
“It would be nice if you learned letters just as well.”
At that, Guiscard stayed silent. Diana noticed his ears turning red and nearly burst out laughing.
Yes—Guiscard was devastatingly slow at learning to read.
Teach him one character, and he forgot another. Ask him why, and he would simply forget again.
“Bring the book. We’ll go over the letters again.”
Handing him a children’s primer, Diana yawned without meaning to. She was still tired.
“You slept late, didn’t you?”
It was rare for Guiscard to speak first. Diana nodded. She had resumed her own training after pausing for the princess of Ionia’s birthday banquet. She hardly needed it, since she already knew most of the lessons—but her father was still an unyielding wall.
He never acknowledged her. And then there was Alexa. She could not neglect Alexa. At only eight, she still needed care. Recently, she’d had a mild fever and needed close attention.
Mirva only pretended to care, but the actual checking of Alexa’s condition always fell to Diana. And lately, perhaps from her illness, Alexa had grown fussy, demanding attention. Diana had no choice but to indulge her.
No maids today either. Without their help, she had to tie her own hair. Struggling with the ribbon, she couldn’t get it right.
Then Guiscard reached out and tied it for her. Diana flinched at his touch. When she turned wide eyes on him, he quickly withdrew his hand.
“A mere slave dared touch his lady’s body.”
“….”
“My apologies.”
Diana stared hard at his face. What was he really thinking? Was he truly apologizing because he was a slave? She forced her expression calm.
His touch unsettled her. Not because he was a slave—but because it brought back memories.
When he had used marriage as an excuse to embrace her. When his rough hand lifted her chin to kiss her. When those same hands grabbed her head, her waist.
“I… don’t like men touching my body.”
She couldn’t say “I don’t like slaves touching me.” So she skirted the truth and tied her hair herself.
“Show me your assignments.”
At her words, Guiscard sighed lightly and fetched the primer. Teaching him letters was an act of kindness—her kindness. And how absurd that seemed now.
Still, she continued. Someday he would become king, and he would need to read. She wanted his life, at least, to be a little easier. And…
I want him to remember the kindness I showed.
Even if he bore resentment, before raising a blade, let him recall her mercy.
She taught him patiently, never once raising her voice.
Today, there was progress. For the first time, he managed to write his own name.
Looking at the crooked letters, Diana smiled brightly.
“Well done, Guiscard!”
“….”
“See? You can do it.”
But he didn’t answer. As she wondered at his silence, Diana saw someone standing behind him—Emil.
“…I wondered what you were doing first thing in the morning.”
Emil strode in and shoved Guiscard. Guiscard only staggered back, refusing to fall. Emil, dissatisfied, moved to kick him.
“What brings you here, brother?”
“What did you say to Mirva?”
Emil had little interest in household matters, being occupied with heir’s lessons. Suddenly bringing up Mirva? Diana frowned.
“My friends came over, and when I looked for tea, Mirva was too busy glancing at the maids to even serve it properly. Isn’t that the housekeeper’s job?”
“….”
“You made her housekeeper, didn’t you?” Emil’s brow furrowed.
“No matter how grown-up you try to be, Mirva is still working hard for us. She deserves respect. You’re too young to understand.”
“…Emil, please listen.”
“She was Mother’s lady-in-waiting. Is your pride really so important?”
Diana looked at him. This was what always frustrated her. No matter how hard she fought, Emil brushed her words aside, turning her efforts into nothing, dismissing her as merely sensitive.
To Father and Emil, Mirva was always the angel. And strangely, Mirva cherished Emil as well. Staring at the beloved brother she had once missed, Diana let out a bitter smile.
“Emil. I think Mirva misunderstood.”
“What?”
“She struggled, so I made her housekeeper. It doesn’t look good for the mistress of the house to do menial tasks like managing maids.”
Emil expected her to snap, but her gentle explanation eased his face. Perhaps because he resembled their father, he hated having his authority challenged. Push him, and he would crush you. Better to deflect lightly.
“But Mirva said you humiliated her in front of the maids. That you even struck her…”
“Brother. She tried to give me a pearl necklace that Her Majesty the Queen detests. If Her Majesty grew angry, our family would have borne the consequences.”
“….”
“You would have been angry too if you’d heard. Father especially—it would have been disastrous.”
Smiling sweetly, she took Emil’s hand.
“Of course, I admit I was furious. But letting the matter end here was my mercy, before it could reach Father. Don’t you agree?”
Emil faltered. He had meant to scold her, but her reasoning left him speechless. Yet his pride kept him from backing down. Instead of answering, he looked at Guiscard.
“And don’t neglect Alexa just because you’re busy teaching a slave letters.”
“….”
“Father and I handle affairs outside. You’re always indoors, so you must look after her. Father says the same.”
You and Father should care for Alexa too. That’s what Diana wanted to say. Did they even know she’d lost sleep watching over Alexa last night? Or that Mirva had tried to sabotage her? Why wouldn’t Emil understand?
She felt a sudden weight on her chest. Emil patted her shoulder, glared once more at Guiscard, and left. Diana loved her family. But whenever things like this happened, she could only feel suffocated.
Once Emil was gone, Diana let out a heavy sigh. Guiscard silently watched her pale face.
