~Chapter 90~
“Mmph…!”
Alicia clutched at her mouth and coughed, pain shooting from her frozen tongue.
But no matter how hard she tried, no sound would come out.
“No, no. You don’t get to use that tongue anymore.”
“Ah… aaah!”
Now blind and mute—how fitting a punishment for her.
After all, that lying tongue had manipulated a trusting friend and seduced someone else’s husband.
“Belinda.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Belinda, who had been waiting silently nearby, stepped forward at Diana’s call.
“When I leave with Catherine, bring her back to the mansion secretly and lock her in the shed.”
“Understood.”
“Aah! Aagh!”
Alicia flailed her arms, desperate to speak, but her tongue was frozen and no sound escaped.
Diana gave her a cold look, then turned and left without another word.
After she was gone, Belinda gagged Alicia and dragged her out like a sack of meat.
Outside, a large bag lay waiting.
“Mmph! Mmm!”
“Shut up.”
Belinda growled coldly and shoved Alicia into the sack with no hesitation. She tied it tightly with a rope.
Alicia tried to resist, but being blind and mute, there wasn’t much she could do besides squirm.
Belinda threw the sack over her shoulder and entered the mansion.
“Hey, what’s in the bag?”
A guard at the door asked, curious at the way the bag wriggled like there was an animal inside.
Belinda gave a small smirk and answered lightly:
“A wild boar. Get ready for roast tonight.”
“Roast boar? Nice!”
The guards drooled, laughing amongst themselves. Belinda smiled and strolled past them, acting casually.
She pretended to head toward the kitchen—but instead turned toward the shed.
Kicking the door open, she dropped the sack onto the floor with a loud thud.
The rope loosened from the impact, and Alicia’s struggling undid the knot.
“Mmmph…!”
She thrashed in darkness, fear wrapping tighter around her blind body.
Belinda yanked her out of the sack by the face.
“Stay put. Her Highness will decide your fate soon.”
Belinda gave her one last cold glare and left. The shed door slammed shut and locked behind her.
Left in darkness, Alicia could only let out unintelligible cries.
Meanwhile…
“Where’s Alicia, I mean, the doctor?”
Catherine asked as Diana returned alone. Her mood was visibly good, clearly pleased to have her sight back.
How can someone be so consistently selfish? Diana thought.
She replied calmly:
“She’s under probation for now.”
“Probation?”
Catherine scowled. After all that, just probation? That was far too lenient.
“You’re not banishing her?”
“She’ll stay in the shed for now.”
“The one in the corner of the mansion?”
“Yes.”
How ironic. That very shed had once been planned as the place where Alicia would kill Diana.
Now, it was Alicia who was blind and trapped there. The reversal was so satisfying, Diana nearly hummed with delight.
“She seemed so sad.”
“Sad?”
“When I said she was to rest for a while, it was like her tongue froze. I think she’s gone mute from the shock.”
Diana added a small lie on top of the truth.
“She can’t talk?”
Catherine was stunned. Blind and mute? Unbelievable.
“I guess it’s punishment—for trying to seduce Father and for making me blind.”
She said it so casually, as if it had nothing to do with her.
Diana felt deep revulsion. But this is who Catherine truly is.
Then an idea struck Diana.
“Can you take her meals to her for a while?”
She wanted to give Catherine a chance—to care for her real mother. That would be true mercy.
Not the kind where you give poisoned fog to a daughter’s corpse.
“Me?”
Catherine’s face twisted in obvious disgust.
“We haven’t decided her punishment yet. It wouldn’t do to let the maids see her like this.”
Diana’s reasoning was sound. Catherine pursed her lips in frustration.
She didn’t want to see Alicia at all—but she couldn’t go against Diana. Not when Diana was her only lifeline.
“…Alright.”
After some hesitation, Catherine reluctantly agreed.
Diana couldn’t wait to see what Catherine would do. Would she bring food? Or let Alicia starve?
She might think if Alicia dies, no one will ever know she’s not my real daughter.
“We’ve arrived.”
The coachman’s voice broke the silence. Diana and Catherine entered the mansion hand in hand.
Diana’s emerald eyes flicked down to their joined hands, coldly.
Even now, this child clings to me, while her real mother cries in a shed.
She chuckled bitterly. So much for being called a devil. Maybe I’ve become one myself.
Inside, Diana gently pulled her hand away.
“Don’t forget what I said. She’s probably very hungry.”
“…Yes, Mother.”
Catherine sensed something was off. It felt like Diana was rejecting her.
But she brushed it off and headed to the kitchen.
As she left, Diana let out a quiet laugh.
That girl will take full responsibility for everything she’s done.
Diana’s eyes turned away, frosty. She slowly returned to her room—curious what Catherine would feed Alicia.
“Hm?”
On the table lay a pile of letters. Must have been left by Milan.
Among them, the one she’d been waiting for stood out—the envelope bearing the seal of House Peresche.
“It’s finally here.”
Smiling, Diana opened the envelope with a letter knife.
Inside was a bank draft sent by the Marquis.
She smiled again, then opened her drawer.
Inside were the Ernst family seal and land deeds, supposedly given by Calypso.
But those documents were fake—fabricated lies Diana had crafted.
Her smirk deepened.
Perfect timing. It was time to discuss Alicia with Calypso anyway.
She picked up the bank draft and headed for Calypso’s office.
“Dear.”
She waved the draft so he could see it clearly. Calypso’s eyes locked onto it instantly.
“Oh, Diana.”
His uninterested face lit up at once. Exactly as expected.
She sat down, carefully masking her hatred.
Calypso, now bright and eager, moved across to face her.
He had the diamond mine, and now the draft—his business plans were nearly set.
“What’s that?”
He obviously knew, but asked anyway.
“A bank draft, backed by the collateral you gave me.”
She placed it on the table.
His greedy fingers reached for it—but just before he touched it, Diana pulled it back.
“Dear?”
He looked confused.
“I have something to say.”
“What is it?”
“While you were at the palace… Catherine regained her sight.”
“Catherine?”
He hadn’t heard about that.
He looked ready to run to her right away.
“But… Alicia gave her the wrong medicine. Catherine went blind for a while.”
“Went blind?”
He was shocked.
“Thankfully, Alicia showed how sorry she was and gave up her sight for Catherine.”
“That really happened…?”
“Yes. And Catherine… she told me something interesting.”
“What?”
Diana paused for effect.
“She said Alicia… tried to seduce you.”
t
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