Chapter 05
The First Strike
Birdsong woke her. Sunlight streamed through thin curtains, scattering in dazzling fragments. Diana blinked slowly.
Even after a day had passed, yesterday’s events replayed in her mind as vividly as if they had just happened.
She rose and sat before her vanity.
Her reflection stared back—golden hair gleaming like flowing honey, emerald eyes blinking between thick lashes.
“It doesn’t matter now.”
She smirked faintly and covered her eyes with the blindfold.
If they had blinded her and used it against her, she would use it against them.
“Is someone there?”
“…Yes, Your Grace!”
The maid from yesterday entered, her cheerful voice at odds with the annoyed expression on her face.
Diana almost laughed. How insolent.
She had never treated her maids harshly before. Foolishly, she had believed everyone—noble or common—was precious.
But true value lies in kindness, not in mere existence. And she had been the only one blind to that.
Her tone turned icy.
“Call Alicia and Catherine.”
“…Huh?”
The maid’s eyes widened at Diana’s sudden shift to informal speech.
“Did you not hear me?”
Why should I show respect to those who bow to the strong and sneer at the weak?
“Tell them I wish to have tea. And prepare it on the terrace.”
“Y-Yes, Your Grace…”
The maid left, bewildered. This was the opposite of the gentle woman who had kindly addressed them yesterday.
Diana had to change completely. The kind, trusting version of herself had to disappear.
She would make these maids—who had mocked her under Alicia’s influence—regret their betrayal.
They were bought. And they would pay the price.
Her eyes gleamed sharply. To justify purging them, she needed a reason—which meant she had to act just unreasonable enough.
Gripping her cane, she stepped out. As expected, maids lined the hallway—yet none offered to assist her, hiding behind the excuse of her blindness.
Of course. They thought she couldn’t see them.
She stopped abruptly.
“You there.”
“Y-Yes?”
“Do you dare stand idle while the Grand Duchess walks alone? Should I stumble to the terrace by myself?”
How did she know? Could she see?
Their eyes darted nervously. Diana suppressed a sneer.
“Blindness doesn’t mean deafness. Or did you assume my ears were useless too?”
How amusing—they thought she couldn’t even sense their presence.
But then again, in her past life, she hadn’t noticed. The irony wasn’t lost on her.
“F-Forgive me, Your Grace!”
“Enough. Offer your arm.”
She gripped the maid’s wrist tightly and made her way to the terrace. The rose garden’s centerpiece was still being set for tea.
“How slow. Was my order unclear?”
“B-But it hasn’t even been an hour—”
“Are you talking back to me?”
Her arm dropped. Though her eyes were hidden, the chill in her voice was unmistakable.
The maid immediately knelt.
“F-Forgive me, Your Grace!”
“What’s going on?”
Diana turned toward the voice.
Alicia.
The shameless woman who had tangled with her husband right before her eyes was approaching.
Something hot and bitter surged in Diana’s chest—fury, thick and suffocating.
“L-Lady Alicia, it’s just—”
Before the maid could whisper excuses, Diana stumbled dramatically—then fell, landing in a pitiful heap.
Not yet. She couldn’t reveal her hostility. She had to appear weak, unsuspecting.
“Your Grace! Are you all right?”
Alicia’s voice dripped with false concern as she helped Diana up.
Diana clutched her arms, trembling.
“The maids… they ignore me now that I’m blind. Ali…!”
Tears streamed down her cheeks—just as the old Diana would have cried.
Alicia’s lips curled in silent mockery, her eyes full of disdain.
“…Who would dare disrespect the Grand Duchess?”
“Ali, these maids—you recommended them, didn’t you?”
“…Yes.”
“Fire them all. I’m scared, Ali.”
She shuddered dramatically.
“Then I’ll arrange for new—”
Ugh, this idiot is ruining everything!
Alicia’s face twitched in irritation.
But Diana wiped her tears and cut her off sweetly.
“No, Ali. You’re busy enough as the physician. I’ll handle it. After all—”
She smiled.
“—it’s the Grand Duchess’s duty.”
Alicia’s eyebrow jerked at the title. Her lips pressed into a thin line.
“…As you wish.”
Grand Duchess? Please. You don’t even have your husband’s heart.
Diana nearly laughed. Calypso? That man meant nothing to her now.
Their marriage had never been about love. He had been kind to her—or so she thought. That rarity had made him seem precious, like a gem.
Now, he was just a rock on the roadside.
“You’re not upset that I’m dismissing your maids, are you?”
“…Of course not.”
Alicia’s voice was flat, but her lips trembled with suppressed anger.
“Let’s sit.”
With Alicia’s help, Diana took her seat. Alicia deliberately left space for Catherine beside her, smirking as she whispered orders to a maid.
Soon, a three-tiered tray was set elegantly on the table—along with a vase of roses, their thorns sharp enough to draw blood.
Diana almost laughed. How cruel. Alicia needed to humiliate the blind woman, even now.
As the roses were placed, Alicia smiled in satisfaction.
Diana’s fingers itched to slap that smug face.
“Everything’s ready. Do eat, Your Grace. Pity you can’t see, but you’ll have to get used to it.”
Not an ounce of sympathy. If anything, she seemed excited to watch Diana hurt herself.
“Thank you, Ali. You’re the only one who cares.”
Diana reached out blindly, her hand hovering near the thorns.
Alicia sipped her tea, watching like it was a show.
Just as Diana’s fingers almost brushed the thorns—
“Mother.”
Catherine’s voice made her pull back.
Alicia tsked in disappointment and turned.
Catherine approached, her silver hair—so like Calypso’s—fluttering. Her amethyst eyes, once beautiful to Diana, were now sharp with annoyance.
So this is the face you made behind my back.
Grief and hatred twisted together. Diana’s hand trembled slightly.
My beloved daughter… Now, you’re my enemy too.
But first—Alicia.
Diana’s gaze flicked to the teapot, kept magically hot near Alicia. A faint smirk touched her lips.
“Catherine!”
She jumped up dramatically—yanking the tablecloth as she did.
The teapot tipped.
“AAAH!”
Scalding tea poured onto Alicia’s lap. The skin on her thighs immediately reddened and blistered.
Magic-heated tea was no different from boiling water.
No amount of medical skill could erase the scars this would leave.
I wonder if Calypso will still love you with grotesque marks on your skin.
Diana flailed her arms, feigning panic.
“Ali! Wh-What happened?!”
Maids rushed forward with cold water, but it was too late.
Alicia clutched her burns, glaring at Diana’s “innocent” expression.
Diana tilted her head toward her.
You did this to me first, Alicia. You took my sight.
And I’ll make sure you suffocate slowly—in agony.
Staring at the hideous burns, Diana had to fight the urge to laugh.
