ISTV 05

A cold wind swept through the Devernon estate.

Fourteen servants were forcibly dismissed without a single coin of severance pay, and several others received harsh punishment.

Those who had tampered with the food supplies had all their possessions confiscated and were thrown out of the mansion in nothing but their underwear. Servants who had profited financially met the same fate.

The atmosphere had become so grim that a terrifying rumor began circulating—some claimed that someone had died under Taycan’s harsh beatings and was buried somewhere behind the garden.

In the midst of it all, the door to Seila’s room burst open.

A girl with orange hair and kind eyes rushed in, panting.

“Young Lady, what on earth have you done?!”

It was Mary, Seila’s personal maid.

She had been away from the estate for two weeks due to her grandmother’s funeral.

“Did you give your grandmother a good farewell?”

“That’s not the point! Do you know what’s going around right now? People are saying you’ve been possessed!”

Seila smiled gently.

“Mary.”

“Yes?”

“Mind your manners.”

Mary flinched.

Her eyes widened in disbelief.

“Did you just scold me?”

“Yes.”

“You, Young Lady, scolded me?”

“That’s right.”

Mary rubbed her eyes as if she couldn’t believe it, then crouched down and buried her face in her knees.

Muttering to herself, she whispered, “Unbelievable…”

Seila watched her quietly, then approached and placed a hand on Mary’s orange head.

“Mary.”

“……”

“Answer me, Mary.”

“…Yes.”

“I’ll say it twice just for you. Mind your manners.”

Mary’s shoulders shook.

How… how could the Young Lady scold me?

Muttering like someone half out of their mind, Mary suddenly shot her head up.

Tears welled in her warm eyes.

“You really scolded me, didn’t you? Right?”

She barely resisted the urge to grab Seila’s shoulders and shake her.

That would be rude, after all.

“You really did, right?”

And then, Mary began to cry—loud, sobbing cries.

But her mouth was stretched in a wide grin.

“Thank you! Thank you so much. Oh, heavens above… Young Lady Seila scolded me. Oh, I never thought I’d live to see this day.”

It was the most emotional moment of Mary’s long 14-year life.

Seila watched her quietly and smiled warmly.

Mary was one of the very few people in this mansion who was on Seila’s side.

“Hey, lady! I told you not to speak so badly of Young Lady Seila!”

“You little brat! Young Lady Seila only treats you kindly because she’s a good person! Not because you’re strong or impressive! What? You think she fears you? Looks up to you? Ha! Don’t make me laugh! If you’re that tough, why don’t we duke it out right here?!”

Mary had even been disciplined multiple times for physically fighting with other servants to defend Seila.

“A personal maid who showed devoted love to Seila as a child… and also someone who triggered countless death flags for me.”

In one route, Mary accidentally gives Seila poisoned juice.

That was part of the secretly-insane male lead Jermiel’s scheme.

“In another route, Mary feels deeply betrayed by me and falls into darkness—she even tries to kill me herself.”

Seila quietly observed the still-sniffling Mary, recalling everything she knew about her.

“She looks small and childlike now, but after her coming-of-age ceremony, she’ll grow quickly.”

In the world of “That Girl Is That Girl”, characters usually undergo a coming-of-age ceremony at fifteen or sixteen in the temple.

It marks a time of rapid physical and emotional development.

“If I nurture her well, she’ll become one of my strongest allies.”

Thinking back, Seila first met Mary when she was about five.

At that age, Seila already understood her situation well and never asked Mary for anything.

She tried to be a self-sufficient, well-behaved, quiet child, but for Mary, that had left a deep wound.

She felt like her existence had no purpose in this mansion, and that she was of no use to Seila.

“Mary. I’m thirsty. Bring me some iced water.”

“R-Really?”

Mary shot up and shouted.

“The Young Lady gave me a command!”

Her tone suddenly changed so much that Seila couldn’t help but laugh.

“I’m so happy. Please give me lots of commands from now on. I’ll bring you the coldest, most refreshing iced water in the whole world, Young Lady Seila!”

Mary nearly tripped over her skirt as she rushed out of the room but somehow caught herself with a “Hup!” and steadied her steps.

A few minutes later, she came back in, carrying a tray with iced water, walking with quick little steps.

But her face had gone completely pale.

“Young Lady! Young Lady Seila!”

“What is it?”

“Well…”

Mary carefully set the iced water on the table and tried to catch her breath.

“Huff… huff…”

After calming herself, she spoke cautiously.

“Um… the Lord has summoned you.”

“My father?”

It was the first time such a thing had happened.

Mary looked extremely flustered, her body trembling slightly.

“Wh-What do you think it’s about?”

“No idea.”

Seila stood up without much concern.

“A-Aren’t you nervous?”

“Do I have any reason to be?”

As she walked, a deep thought crossed her mind.

‘Ah… I miss my dad.’

She thought of the father who had passed away five years ago.

He hadn’t been rich, nor was he muscular, but to her, he had always been a kind and gentle superhero.

He was so amazing, she believed even a car accident was something he could easily overcome.

Only after he died did she realize.

‘My dad wasn’t actually a superhero…’

She suddenly remembered the look in his eyes—the warmth in his gaze.

He had no expectations of her, only wished for her health and happiness.

He always said that was the greatest gift she could give him.

Her memories of her father were filled with nothing but overflowing love.

Because of that, Sohyun had hardly felt the absence of a mother.

‘Well, maybe that’s not completely true…’

Even though her father did everything he could, there were always little cracks, an unfillable yearning.

But that didn’t mean there had been a lack of love.

‘Dad used to say Mom had passed away.’

Sohyun had believed him.

She never thought her mother had abandoned her.

She simply thought her mother had died in a tragic accident and longed for her vaguely.

In truth, Sohyun’s mother had run away with her lover when Sohyun was three.

She only found out while going through her father’s belongings after his death—she found his diary by accident.

[I don’t have the courage yet. I’m too afraid the kids will be hurt. But when they’re older, I’ll tell them. They deserve to know the truth.]

‘He had every right to hate her… but all he wrote about was his worry for us.’

Later, after “That Girl Is That Girl” became a huge hit, her mother showed up.

“My babies! You must’ve suffered so much!”

Then, without shame, she demanded an allowance. Something about legal rights to property.

Seeing that inhuman face made Sohyun miss her father even more.

With all those thoughts swirling, she really started missing her dad today.

He had been perfect—except for leaving too soon.

‘That’s what a real father is. DeFelto? He’s nothing. Just thinking about it pisses me off.’

She recalled being forcibly taken to the temple for a paternity test.

And how DeFelto had been visibly displeased when the results confirmed they were related.

It all felt like it had just happened yesterday.

And now that man wanted to see her?

‘He’s definitely not going to say anything nice.’

A storm had swept through the mansion.

In a noble household of high standing, things like this were best avoided.

‘He’ll definitely scold me.’

He would probably ask why she made a scene, why she couldn’t behave more ladylike.

As she walked lightly, Seila said,

“Mary. Steel yourself.”

“…Huh?”

“No matter what Father says, just stand behind me and maintain a composed posture.”

“Wh-What do you mean?”

At some point, Seila had naturally taken the lead.

“Watch closely. This is the ‘still waters run deep’ act.”

“Watch well. I’ll make sure you’re not ashamed to serve me.”

That line…!

“…Got it.”

Mary’s cheeks flushed a little.

It was the very image of the elegant noble lady she’d always dreamed of from novels—but almost never saw in real life.

Today, Seila felt like a small giant.