It looked like a magical artifact, but its exact use was unclear.
…Was it expensive?
I lifted the ring and slipped it onto my index finger. It fit perfectly.
‘It’s pretty.’
It didn’t seem to be a purely romantic gift.
‘But my ten billion…’
Just as thoughts of my precious ten billion began creeping in, there was a knock at the door.
Knock knock.
“This is Chamberlain Teikan. May I come in?”
“Please do.”
I greeted Teikan with a smile, hiding my regretful thoughts.
“I was actually planning to visit you tomorrow, Master.”
When I called him ‘Master,’ Teikan quickly waved his hands.
“I merely taught you the basics. Now that you’re Lord Themanon’s student, it feels improper for you to call me that.”
“Once a teacher, always a teacher.”
“Well, if that’s how you see it, I’m honored….”
It had been a while since I saw Chamberlain Teikan, but his complexion wasn’t looking good.
He seemed to have aged ten years and had developed deep dark circles under his eyes.
What happened while I was away?
“The Lord wishes to see you tomorrow morning.”
“My father?”
“Yes. He’s invited you to breakfast…”
“If it was something so simple, you wouldn’t have come all the way yourself. What is it that you wish to say?”
“I believe he plans to introduce your future stepmother.”
“…Stepmother?”
I was momentarily dumbfounded.
What stepmother?
Somehow, I got the feeling those dark circles of Teikan’s had everything to do with this “stepmother.”
The woman dating Defelto was named Rantuanne.
Wait—Rantuanne?
‘What’s she doing here?’
Rantuanne was a kind-hearted villainess.
A sunbeam of destruction, who unwittingly led everyone she met to ruin.
Our team leader used to call her “the sunshine of ruin.”
‘She always started things with good intentions… but inevitably led them to collapse.’
In that sense, she was the complete opposite of the heroine.
While the heroine warmed and uplifted those around her, Rantuanne gently led them straight into ruin with that same warmth.
‘She showed up a lot in the side stories, but she was never involved with Defelto—not even once.’
Rantuanne had a gift for comforting lonely people.
So in <Her and Her Story>, characters with emotional wounds would naturally gravitate toward her.
She didn’t seem like someone who would get along with Defelto at all.
“You said the relationship is headed toward marriage?”
“Yes, that’s right. They’ve even signed a contract.”
The wrinkles on Chamberlain Teikan’s face deepened.
“You’re saying she convinced the lord to invest 10 billion dia?”
“Yes. It’s about a mining investment.”
It seemed Rantuanne had brought information about a mining venture to the family.
And based on that, Defelto invested ten billion dia in cash.
The sudden expenditure caused the household’s internal affairs to falter.
‘Defelto isn’t usually so easily swayed. This is strange.’
Was he that infatuated with Rantuanne?
This had never happened in any storyline.
My head was spinning.
‘Anyway, nothing good ever came from getting involved with Rantuanne.’
Most people ended up bankrupt, dead, or missing.
There was no guarantee the Devernons wouldn’t suffer the same fate.
‘I have to protect Devernon.’
Like it or not, Devernon was a valuable buffer for me.
A reliable shield against the constant threats of death.
‘I’ll have to meet her first to know for sure.’
As if I weren’t tired enough—another headache added to the pile.
The next day, I went to the dining room with Mary, where I was introduced to Rantuanne for the first time.
“So you’re Seila. I’ve heard so much about you.”
“Yes. I’ve heard a lot about you too, Lady Rantuanne.”
Her eyes curved into crescent moons as she smiled.
She looked like a genuinely kind person.
As if her face was labeled: “Good-natured.”
We exchanged polite greetings and chatted about trivial things—just typical small talk.
As the awkward meal neared its end, Rantuanne asked:
“So, how do you plan to repay the five billion debt?”
Wow, I nearly choked for a moment.
I covered my surprise with dignity, calmly wiping my mouth with a napkin.
“What debt are you referring to?”
“I know all about how you embezzled that five billion contract deposit.”
She gazed at me with eyes full of concern and gently continued.
“This is a family matter, so I’d prefer to settle it quietly. That’s why I’m referring to it as a debt rather than embezzlement. If you’d prefer, I can use a different term. I hope you’ll understand—that’s how a future mother speaks from the heart.”
Wow. That was the gentlest load of crap I’d ever heard.
My head was spinning even more.
‘It’s scarier that she actually believes that.’
If she’d said something obviously ridiculous, I could’ve just crushed it with logic.
But she genuinely believed I’d embezzled five billion.
‘She probably truly believes that the contract money should’ve been used for the family.’
You can’t reason with people like her.
‘Okay, but what about Defelto? Why isn’t he saying anything?’
He should know how ridiculous this all is.
In noble houses, it was common for successful heirs to contribute to the family.
That’s why I gave up ten billion, remember?
And now they want another five billion?
Because I didn’t give it, it’s embezzlement?
But that’s too harsh, so she’s “graciously” calling it a debt?
And I’m supposed to repay it?
I was furious.
“Is that what His Grace thinks as well?”
“If the woman who will be your mother says so, then that’s how it is.”
Rantuanne smiled serenely.
“But I’m not here to scold you. I understand you must’ve had your reasons, Seila. Life on the Eastern Continent without connections surely required more money than expected.”
She handed me a piece of paper.
“I estimated the cost of living over there. It includes the wages for your personal maid, so please don’t misunderstand.”
My living expenses were calculated at roughly one billion dia.
“So I’ve deducted that one billion from the five billion debt.”
“……”
“In addition to basic needs, maintaining your dignity and image requires significant expenses. Look at the itemized breakdown.”
Clothing, cosmetics, and other appearance-related costs were listed at two billion dia.
Each category was detailed in tiny, meticulous handwriting.
‘So my maid’s salary and all other living expenses are one billion—but my dignity costs two billion?’
Where did it all go wrong?
It was such a carefully crafted load of garbage, I didn’t even know where to start picking it apart.
“So I’ve deducted three billion in total, and we’ll consider the remaining two billion as your debt to the family.”
“……”
“You can repay it slowly. But you’ll need to sign a promissory note.”
“……”
“I hope you don’t take this the wrong way. But I think it’s important that you learn how society works. That’s why I’m asking for the note.”
She looked at me as if asking, Isn’t this generous of us? Aren’t you grateful?
…I’m really about to punch someone.
After Seila left the household, Defelto found himself gazing at the night sky more often.
‘Strange how sentimental I’ve become lately.’
Was it old age?
He missed his late wife more than usual today.
The day she gave birth, he had been drinking wine outside—something he regretted more than anything.
I was afraid to see you in pain.
His wife had always suffered greatly during labor.
He had run away because he couldn’t bear to see her like that.
Alone under the night sky, he muttered,
“If only you hadn’t screamed in such agony, I would have stayed by your side.”
Thinking of his wife naturally led him to think of Seila.
‘She looks so much like you.’
And that’s why he resented her so much.
The cursed child who had taken her mother’s life.
From the moment she was born, she was filled with misfortune.
Staring at the stars, Defelto muttered,
“She’s nothing like you.”
Always timid, desperate for affection.
So different from his wife, who had always stood tall and earned admiration.
Aside from her looks, Seila had nothing in common with her.
And that infuriated him.
“But at some point, she began to resemble you. Her steps grew confident, her eyes sharp. Everything she did carried grace and elegance.”
He frowned.
“She’s still not as warm as you were, though.”
Seila had become overly distant.
Unlike before, when she longed for affection, she now kept her distance and maintained strict boundaries.
After doing everything she promised for the family, Seila left for Quaybeck.
Since then, she hadn’t sent a single letter.
She seemed to exchange occasional messages with her brother Garen, but that was it.
Not even a letter to her father, huh.
He occasionally heard things about her through Themanon—always things he never knew.
Whenever Themanon would visit and talk at length about Seila, Defelto would clench his fists afterward.
If she was going to be this arrogant, I’d rather have the Seila who yearned for love!
He didn’t even attend her coming-of-age ceremony.
He could’ve, but found no reason to.
They didn’t exchange letters—what justification did he have for traveling all that way?
Instead of attending the ceremony, he went to a social gathering and drank wine.
But a strange emptiness lingered.
That’s where he met Rantuanne.
While sipping wine, Rantuanne said,
“Young ladies her age need a mother’s touch. There are things a father just can’t know or teach.”
“Is that so?”
“Of course. A father with a daughter in such a sensitive stage—how complicated your heart must be.”
Rantuanne smiled sweetly.
“Shall we date?”
Seila’s transformation had left a hole in Defelto’s heart.
And Rantuanne slipped right into it.
It was something that never happened in <Her and Her Story>.
