TKWTSSST CHAPTER 4

“Eeek!”

The maid’s face turned pale.

“And you—get out before I drag you out.”

“The one who should leave is you. How does it make sense for you, who aren’t even my mother’s daughter, to use this room?”

“What did you say!”

Just then, upon hearing the commotion, Greta opened Liriel’s door and entered.

“Liriel!”

“Mother!”

Held in Greta’s arms, Liriel glared at Leona.

“Leona told me to get out of this room.”

“Hah, how dare she.”

Sending Liriel behind her, Greta approached Leona.

“You’ve grown quite bold—defying the mistress of this house.”

Leona, lounging diagonally on the sofa, looked up at Greta.

“I’m merely exercising my rights.”

“Rights?”

“As the eldest daughter of this family, I have the right to choose my room. You didn’t actually think I’d meekly use that filthy attic, did you?”

“Even that room is more than you deserve. Know your place.”

“And what place would that be? At the very least, I’d say it’s above yours, Madam.”

Greta’s eyes flared.

“It seems you still haven’t come to your senses. Get up. Now.”

“The sofa’s too cozy. I don’t feel like getting up.”

“What are you doing? Drag her out this instant!”

At Greta’s command, the maids moved in.

“Stop. Lay a hand on me and your wrists won’t remain intact.”

At Leona’s sharp gaze, the maids faltered.

Greta shouted again.

“Drag her out! Do you all want to be fired?”

Faces gone white, the maids seized Leona.

“My lady, please rise—”

Leona shook off their arms and stood on her own.

“Using the maids’ dismissal as a weapon—how very petty.”

“What did you say?”

“If you think that’ll make me give up this room, think again.”

“Mother, do something.”

Liriel clung to Greta’s arm.

“Leona, if you keep acting so unreasonably, you’ll find yourself in trouble.”

The implication was clear: Greta ruled the household; Leona had no such power.

Leona smirked.

Then, glancing around, she spotted the sword Liriel used and picked it up.

It looked quite expensive—an elegant, high-grade blade.

“Put that down.”

As Liriel reached for it, Leona drew the sword and tossed the scabbard to her.

Catching it by reflex, Liriel stared, dumbfounded.

Leona admired the keen aura clinging to the blade.

“Sharp. Very finely tempered.”

Liriel snorted.

“Do you even know what that sword is worth?”

“I do. It’s the sword given to the next heir of the count’s house.”

“Good, then you know. Once I complete the family swordsmanship, I’ll be the heir. Got it?”

“Good for you.”

“Right, good for—what?”

Liriel was thrown off by Leona’s unexpected calm.

She had expected disappointment and despair—yet Leona remained unruffled.

Ignoring her, Leona gave the sword a few test swings. Liriel cried out in alarm,

“What do you think you’re doing!”

“What does it look like?”

Sword in hand, Leona walked to the table—an exceedingly fine piece.

Her fingers brushed across its surface.

“This table—you replaced my mother’s old one for being worn out, didn’t you?”

Liriel had chosen this room precisely because it had been Leona’s mother’s.

And, in front of Leona, she had burned the furniture her mother had used.

“W-what are you going to do?”

“This.”

With a crooked smile, Leona swung. The fine table split cleanly in two.

Proof of how razor-keen the blade was.

Liriel stared at the halved table in horror.

“Do you know how much that cost!”

It had been a custom piece from a renowned furniture master at the central pole of the capital—ruinously expensive. Now, cleaved in an instant.

“So this is what it felt like.”

“What?”

Like a wooden puppet, Liriel creaked as she turned.

She couldn’t accept what she was seeing.

The Leona she knew could never do something like this.

How could she smile while doing it?

“This is how it felt—when you burned my mother’s furniture and looked at me.”

“You—you!”

“Don’t get worked up yet. We’re only getting started.”

“What?”

Sword still in hand, Leona looked around.

“Oh, that’ll do nicely.”

She headed toward Liriel’s dressing room. Startled, Liriel blocked her path.

“Stop right there! Mother!”

At Liriel’s scream, Greta snapped out of her daze.

She, too, had never imagined Leona would run wild like this and had been momentarily stunned.

“Leona, do you think you’ll get away with this?”

“And if I don’t?”

“Have you considered what will happen when your father learns of this?”

“You’ll go tattle to Father?”

“Why—are you afraid?”

Greta sneered.

But what Leona said next wiped the smile from her face.

“Go ahead.”

“What?”

“I said, go tell him.”

“…You’ll regret this.”

“Regret… I wonder. I think there’ll be two people doing the regretting.”

Leona entered Liriel’s dressing room and swung the sword.

“Kyah! Stop!”

Liriel grabbed Leona’s arm. Thanks to her training, Liriel had considerable strength in her grip.

“Let go. Now.”

Clutching Leona’s sword-hand by the wrist, Liriel glared.

Her ruby eyes sharpened.

She deliberately let killing intent seep out to frighten Leona.

She believed Leona couldn’t withstand it—that her knees would buckle any moment.

But Leona’s face didn’t change. If anything, it was Liriel whose knees went weak.

“W-what…?”

Her hands trembled.

Peeling Liriel’s fingers from her wrist, Leona whispered at her ear,

“My, my—you’re scared.”

Liriel’s ruby eyes shook violently.

“T-that’s impossible…”

Her legs gave out, and she collapsed.

Leona looked down at her.

Staring up at Leona, Liriel felt as if she faced a towering mountain.

It was absurd.

“My dear!”

Greta rushed to Liriel, shielding her while shoving Leona.

“What on earth do you think you’re doing!”

“I haven’t done anything.”

“She fell for no reason?”

“Then why touch me when I was just sitting here?”

“What?”

“Did you think I’d sit and take it quietly?”

Greta looked at Leona in bewilderment.

Was this really the same girl?

Leona had always been a child in the palm of her hand—flustered at a single word, ever watchful of her mood.

“I’ll give you a choice.”

“A choice?”

“Give me this room, or restore my room to what it was. I won’t be going to that filthy attic.”

“And if I refuse?”

“The attic suits you! Be grateful you even have that!”

Greta sneered, and Liriel jeered.

“Fine. Understood.”

Turning away, Leona swung her sword in Liriel’s dressing room.

Slash, slash.

Dress hems fell to the blade.

No one stopped her.

The maids trembled in fear, while Liriel and Greta watched in dismay as the garments were shredded.

Leona tore Liriel’s dresses to rags.

The luxurious gowns became scraps in an instant.

“Leona! Stop at once!”

“No. You didn’t stop when I told you to, did you?”

Liriel had once ruined Leona’s dresses, too—

Saying a wretch like Leona belonged in rags, then tossing her cast-offs at her like alms.

“Now it’s a little fairer. Isn’t it?”

“I won’t let you get away with this!”

Liriel was beside herself.

She lunged for Leona, but Greta restrained her.

“Let go! I won’t let her go unpunished!”

“Calm down. The one who loses their temper, loses!”

“You saw what she did!”

Leona tapped the fallen dresses with her sword.

“Well? Shall I continue?”

If not, it looked like Leona would only rampage more.

“You think this will make me back down?”

“Is that so? Then I suppose I’ll just sleep here from tonight.”

“Over my dead body! What are you doing! Drag her out!”

At Liriel’s icy command, the maids flinched and approached.

They grabbed Leona.

“I told you not to touch me.”

Leona seized the wrists holding her arms and twisted.

“Aaagh!”

The maids screamed.

Leona flung them to the floor, then advanced on the mother and daughter.

She let killing intent rise, directed solely at the two.

Greta and Liriel’s faces went white.

Leona felt like a towering mountain moving in on them.

Their bodies trembled.

“Well, even now—will you not make a choice?”

Next—