Chapter 27
‘So now they’re trying to look good in front of the Emperor.’
Since the Emperor hinted that he’d summon me soon, the family seemed like they were trying to pretend they cared. But that was all.
No one explained anything to me.
No one told me why I was here or how to use the many forks and knives in front of me.
Whenever someone’s glass emptied, the maids quickly filled it. But no one came to refill mine.
Worse, all the main dishes were placed out of my reach, except for a piece of bread and some soup. And no one helped serve them to me.
In short, I was still being treated like I didn’t exist.
‘They’re making it look like they fed and included me—just in case. So later they can say, “See? We took care of her and she still betrayed us.”’
They were setting the stage to defend themselves.
I didn’t care.
“Hey, here’s some meat.”
Just then, Boris Rohia reached out and pulled a steak dish toward me—one I couldn’t quite reach.
‘What’s going on? Are we acting like siblings now?’
I looked at Boris suspiciously.
“You don’t know how to cut it, right? I’ll do it for you.”
He grinned, picked up a knife, and dramatically waved it in the air in front of me.
Then, with a devilish smile, he began to cut the steak.
That’s when I realized what this jerk was trying to do.
Splatter! Splish!
Because of his rough and violent cutting, the sauce on the steak splashed everywhere.
Of course, the one who got hit the most was me—on my face and my clean clothes.
I looked down at my stained upper body and glanced toward the Duke and Duchess.
‘They’re ignoring it.’
The two of them were talking about something that happened in the basement last night. They noticed the mess Boris made, but they just sighed and did nothing to stop him.
After slicing the last piece of meat, Boris said:
“I’m not your servant, you know.”
Then—ptooey—he spat on my plate when the Duke wasn’t looking and stepped back.
“If you leave even one piece, you know what’ll happen, right?”
I stared at the butchered steak with spit on it and clenched my eyes shut.
‘It would’ve been better not to come at all.’
When I opened my eyes again, I looked up at Boris.
“Aren’t you going to answer?”
He leaned in and whispered, then kicked me under the table. Hard.
Ouch. That’ll probably bruise again.
“Yes, young master,” I said with a sweet smile, nodding.
Only then did Boris smile in satisfaction and start eating his own food.
He cut a piece of steak and put it in his mouth—
Then suddenly—
“HAAACK! Ptooey!!”
He loudly coughed and spat something on his own steak.
Everyone at the table froze in shock.
Boris slowly turned his head, his hand shaking with the knife.
There stood his tiny little sister, Izana Rohia, smiling brightly.
“Are you insane?” Boris asked.
Izana, holding a knife and fork she somehow picked up, chirped:
“I’ll cut yours too, big brother!”
Then she rushed toward his plate and started smashing the steak with wild energy.
Boris stared in disbelief, then tossed his knife and jumped up from his seat.
Clang!
“Boris!” the Duke shouted in surprise.
But Boris had lost it.
“Have you completely lost your mind?! You spit on my food?!”
He grabbed Izana by the hair like someone stealing candy from a child.
“KYAAAH!” Izana screamed and began to cry.
“Let go of her, Boris!” Duchess Yudis ran over, pulling him away.
Boris was still young, but strong from training. It wasn’t easy for her to break them apart.
When they finally separated, Izana was thrown aside by Boris’s angry kick.
“Sob… I just wanted to say thank you to the young master by cutting his food like he did for me… sob…”
Izana lay on the floor, crying bitterly.
Yudis held Boris from behind and shouted angrily at the girl:
“You rude little brat! Boris was just playing around, and you spat in his food?! Trying to ruin it on purpose? How dare you act like an equal to your older brother! You’re clearly still sick in the head!”
“No, mother! I only wanted to thank the young master! I didn’t mean to be rude!”
“Oh, what a clever excuse! You think I don’t see through your schemes? I know you’re just trying to make Boris look bad! What a sly tongue you have!”
Yudis’s voice grew sharper and angrier.
Even Boris, the one who caused the mess, went quiet and started glancing around nervously.
“You ungrateful child!”
She glared at Izana as if she were a sworn enemy.
“My goodness…”
Duke Berne wiped his face in disbelief as he watched the chaos unfold.
Then he pointed a finger at his wife and exploded:
“Wonderful. Just wonderful!”
“…”
“You said it would be fine, and look at this mess! How many times did I say we should send her away? And now this happens the moment she’s included at the table!”
He didn’t forget to glare at his disappointing son Boris.
But he still didn’t look at me, the supposed illegitimate child, even once.
“He should never have taken up the sword. All he’s learned is how to act like a thug…”
“Father…” Boris murmured, hurt.
The boy turned toward his mother, tears falling from his eyes.
“We agreed to help him grow where he had talent. Why do you keep bringing up the past and hurting him? Are you even his father?”
“He didn’t choose the sword because of talent. He chose it because he had no gift for the pen!”
“And you’re one to talk? You weren’t born with great talent either! You just chose the pen because you couldn’t wield the sword!”
Yudis snapped, unable to hold back her rage.
Their shouting was finally interrupted—by Izana.
“The Emperor said he would summon me soon. That’s why I wanted to learn table manners from the young master. Please forgive me, Duke…”
Berne finally looked at the girl.
“Table manners…?”
Izana kept wiping her tears and nodded.
“Yes. I just wanted to prepare for that time. What if I embarrass myself in front of Lady Irina by not knowing how to cut meat…?”
She glanced at the ruined food and then lowered her head again.
“When I saw the young master cutting steak, I thought I should try it too. That’s why I used his plate… I’m sorry. I’m sorry! I lied about just wanting to thank him. But I really was thankful too… sob… please forgive me.”
Yudis shouted furiously again:
“Ridiculous! You’re not going anywhere! After that disgusting behavior, it’s clear you’re still not well. I’ll contact His Majesty tomorrow and tell him your illness has returned!”
“That’s nonsense!” Berne roared this time.
The dinner table had turned into complete chaos.
“First the Marquess, now His Majesty—more and more people are showing interest in that child. Do you really think this can be hidden now? Her illness? If it were that easy to cover up, things wouldn’t have gone this far! Can’t you see what’s happening?!”
If Izana started copying Boris’s behavior outside, the blame would fall on him as her legal guardian.
And it would hurt Yubel’s reputation too.
‘I can’t let that happen.’
Berne was furious that his wife kept turning a blind eye to reality.
“And you, as the lady of this house, haven’t even hired a tutor for her?! If she behaves like this in public, it’ll disgrace the Rohia name! What have you been doing all this time?!”
At last, Berne slammed down his knife and fork and stood up.
He had no appetite left.
Pointing at Izana, he shouted with cold fury:
“Starting today, assign someone to teach her proper manners.”