Leona pulled the bell cord.
For a whole week, she had not called for anyone even once.
She hadn’t asked for meals, nor had she asked to bathe. She had simply locked herself in her room all week. But now, she finally made up her mind and called someone.
To survive, the very first thing was to sate her hunger.
It was only after a long while that a maid opened the door and came in.
“Did you call for me?”
“Go back out.”
“…Pardon?”
“You forgot to knock. Don’t you even know the basic manners of knocking before entering your master’s room?”
The maid frowned, then stepped out. A knock followed, and she came back in.
“Is this better?”
Her face was full of annoyance.
“Wipe that expression off. Who dares make such a face at their master?”
The maid wondered if Leona had gone mad.
“I said, wipe that look off your face.”
With no choice, the maid straightened her expression.
“Good. From now on, never make such an insolent face toward me again.”
The maid pressed her lips tight.
“No answer?”
“…Yes.”
The maid replied in a faint, crawling voice.
“Bring me a meal.”
“At this hour?”
It wasn’t mealtime. Lunch had long passed.
“I’m hungry now, so bring it.”
The maid reluctantly obeyed and left.
After a short while, she returned with food.
“I brought your meal.”
She set the tray on the table with a loud clatter.
Leona, rising from her bed, looked at it.
On the table lay hardened bread scraps and cold stew. Food long since prepared.
Leona, now sitting before the table, crooked her finger at the maid.
“You expect me to eat this?”
“Is there a problem…?”
“Plenty. Come here. Kneel.”
“…What?”
“I am your master. And yet a mere maid dares look down on her master?”
At Leona’s cold, sharp tone, the maid clenched her teeth and lowered herself.
Leona upended the bowl of cold stew over the maid’s head.
“What on earth—”
“What on earth? That’s you. How dare you serve garbage like this to me, the count’s eldest daughter?”
The maid’s eyes trembled.
Leona rested her chin on one hand and aimed her fork at her.
“Bring me warm, properly cooked food instead. From now on, I’ll also eat in the dining hall, so keep that in mind. Now, get out.”
Grinding her teeth, the maid picked up the tray and left.
Once outside the door, she seethed.
“Arrogant wench, acting high and mighty when she isn’t even recognized.”
She had locked herself up for a week, and now she was clearly not in her right mind.
She would report this to the lady of the house at once. Then the mistress would fix Leona’s insolence.
The maid immediately went to Greta, the mistress of the count’s household.
“What is it?”
Greta was watering the plants in her room.
“Lady Leona said she will now take her meals in the dining hall. And also…”
The maid tattled every single thing Leona had done.
Of course, Greta was dumbfounded.
“Leona really said that?”
“Yes, I heard it myself.”
The maid bowed low.
But Greta found it hard to believe.
Who was Leona? Always with her head bowed like a sinner, always watching Greta’s mood.
And now, that girl dared to speak harshly to a maid and demand to eat in the dining hall with them?
It was unthinkable.
“There’s no way. That girl has never once lifted her head in front of me. She ate what she was given and wore what she was given. This doesn’t make sense.”
“Whether you believe me or not, it’s the truth.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yes!”
“Then, bring her a hot meal again. If her attitude remains the same, report back to me.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
When the maid left, Greta paused her watering.
“Leona made a demand?”
That girl?
The more she thought about it, the less sense it made.
“If that’s really the case, I’ll soon know.”
Greta decided not to dwell on it.
Even if she had changed, what could that pitiful thing possibly do?
Leona was within her grasp. If she dared climb up, punishment would put her back down.
Just as always.
The maid returned carrying warm food.
“I brought your meal again.”
Freshly baked bread, stew with meat, and a crisp vegetable salad were laid on the table.
“Leave it there, and prepare bathwater.”
“…Bathwater?”
“Yes. And have maids ready to attend me.”
The maid looked bewildered. This was not the Leona she had always known.
“What are you staring at?”
“N-Nothing.”
The maid rushed out, and Leona began her meal.
Indeed, once authority was established, they finally brought proper food.
Until now, she had eaten only what was handed to her—living off scraps and fear.
That was proof she had been eating with lowered eyes.
‘No more of that.’
The Leona who lived on scraps no longer existed.
After eating, she bathed with the attendants’ service.
Once bathed and dressed in clean clothes, the door opened, and a middle-aged woman entered.
Her wine-colored hair was pinned up elegantly. She was Greta, the mistress of the count’s house.
“Leona!”
Leona frowned.
“Do you not even know the basic courtesy of knocking before entering someone else’s room?”
“What?”
“State your business and leave. I doubt either of us wants to see each other’s faces.”
Greta stared at her in disbelief.
“The maid said you demanded to eat in the dining hall. Is that true?”
“So what if it is?”
“What do you mean, so what—”
“I am a direct member of this family. There’s no law saying I must eat alone in my room. Or am I wrong?”
A sneer for a sneer.
As she returned Greta’s scorn, the mistress’s face contorted.
“If you’re finished, leave. And next time, don’t forget to knock.”
“I thought locking yourself up for a week meant you were reflecting. Seems you’ve only grown more insolent.”
“Reflecting? Is that something you eat?”
“Are you trying to make jokes now?”
“You said something laughable, that’s all.”
“Laughable?”
“Yes. I’ve done nothing wrong, so what would I have to reflect on? Isn’t that funny?”
“You… what on earth…”
Leona’s attitude was completely unlike the girl she had known.
“I’d like to rest now. If you’ve nothing more to say, please leave.”
“No. Today, I’ll fix your behavior.”
Greta smirked and signaled the maids.
“Seize her.”
One maid grabbed Leona’s arm—only for Leona to seize her wrist and twist it.
“Ahhh!”
The maid screamed.
Leona flung her to the floor.
“Do not ever lay hands on me again. That’s a warning.”
“Useless fools! Can’t you even handle one girl?!”
Greta roared, and the maids hesitantly approached.
Leona threw them all down one by one.
Greta was beside herself.
“Well? Do you feel like leaving now?”
Crossing her arms and raising her chin arrogantly, Leona looked down at her. Greta trembled.
“You… I’ll deal with you later.”
Grinding her teeth, Greta stormed out.
The maids, glancing nervously at Leona, hurried after her.
When the storm had passed, Leona calmly changed into light training clothes and left her room for the training grounds.
There, Liriel and the family knights were training.
With pink hair, lovely ruby eyes, and a cute face, Liriel was beloved in the count’s household.
The knights adored her, too. Even the knight-captain, Niblemore, had wished to train her.
As usual, today she stood, full of charm, receiving instruction from Sir Niblemore.
And into their midst strode Leona.
The knights, Niblemore, and Liriel all stiffened at the sight.
Ignoring their stares, Leona stretched her body. But neither Niblemore nor Liriel would simply stand by.
“Lady Leona, this is Lady Liriel’s lesson time,” said the knight-captain, with the tone of telling her to leave.
“Since when did the knights of this family discriminate? Knights should be the most just and fair of all.”
Liriel was the illegitimate child of Count Caliban and Lady Greta.
The count had secretly lived with Greta outside the house while Leona’s mother was alive.
When her mother passed away, Count Caliban formally brought Greta in as his wife.
From then on, Leona’s life had grown miserable.
Especially when talents she lacked blossomed in Liriel, the discrimination only worsened.
“You have no qualifications,” Niblemore said coldly.
He despised the talentless Leona.
The Caliban count’s family was famed for its swordsmanship. For such a family to have a talentless direct heir—she would only bring ruin.
Thus, to Niblemore, gifted Liriel was far more worthy.
