SWMD 99

~Chapter 99~

Several days passed since they defeated Eclipse. Rueiri had returned to the Magic Tower after saying he would wait. He still had matters to settle with the Temple.

Diana gathered a stack of documents and looked out the window where the sun was rising. With the documents she had organized overnight, she went to Aisel’s room.

“Aisel.”

“You’re here?”

Aisel welcomed Diana with a bright smile and reached for the documents in her arms.

“What are all these?”

“These are documents for your debutante ball.”

“Wow…!”

Diana and Aisel moved to the table. The documents included catalogs of the best dresses, trendy jewelry, and reports about the most popular ballroom decorations from recent debutante balls.

“Choose whatever you like. Your grandfather will pay for it as your debutante gift.”

“Grandfather will?”

“Yes. It would be nice to visit him before the ball.”

“Okay. I want to see grandfather too.”

Aisel’s eyes sparkled as she flipped through the catalog full of beautiful designs.

Milan soon brought them light refreshments and tea. Diana gave her a small thankful nod, then looked at Aisel, who was engrossed in the catalog.

Who wouldn’t love beautiful things? It hurt Diana’s heart that she could only now give Aisel this happiness after all Alicia and Catherine had done.

She let out a heavy sigh and spoke slowly:

“While we prepare for your debutante ball, Alicia will have to stay in your room for a while.”

“Alicia?”

Aisel’s eyes widened in surprise.

“Yes.”

“I don’t mind.”

Aisel shrugged casually, but her eyes burned even brighter than when looking at the catalogs.

Alicia was the one who had locked her in the bookshelf for five long years. She wouldn’t feel even a shred of guilt doing the same to her.

“But why? Why does Alicia have to be in my room?”

Though she didn’t care, she was curious. Alicia was still blind and locked in a hut, betrayed by her own daughter Catherine.

Diana smiled faintly. Alicia’s fate was indeed a tragic one.

Unlike Alicia, Diana had never been abandoned by her daughter. Even when Aisel was in a worse situation than Catherine, she would bring her meager bread rations to Diana and choose to starve herself.

But Catherine? Even when given chances to redeem herself, she starved her own mother.

Catherine was the cruelest of all, abandoning anyone—father or mother—for her desires.

And there was a fitting end prepared for her.

“Someone else will be going into that hut soon.”

Aisel understood immediately and spoke in a low voice:

“…Calypso, that man?”

“Yes.”

Diana elegantly lifted her teacup.

“What are you planning to do with Calypso?”

“Right before your debutante ball, Calypso will present the herb I introduced him to the academic world.”

“Finally, the moment has come.”

“Yes. The moment Calypso becomes a criminal.”

A small smile formed on Diana’s lips.

“All the things I’ve been preparing will explode at once.”

Aisel smiled in satisfaction, just like her mother.

Finally, the day of vengeance for all their grudges was close.

“Now I should visit Catherine too. She will also be attending the debutante ball on the same day as you.”

“Yes, Mother. Please go.”

Diana kissed Aisel lightly on the forehead and left the room. She went to her own room, gathered the documents she had prepared for Catherine, and headed for her door.

“Catherine.”

“Oh, Mother!”

Catherine greeted Diana warmly. With the debutante ball coming up soon, Diana was the only person she could rely on.

But even as she smiled, she glanced at Diana nervously. Maybe Aisel had told Diana that Catherine had tried to poison her.

Fortunately, Diana acted as if nothing was wrong, and Catherine secretly sighed in relief.

“May I come in?”

“Of course! Please come in!”

Catherine’s face was brighter than ever, but her fingernails were broken and ragged, unfit for a noble lady—just like Aisel’s nails when she had been locked in the bookshelf.

Her eyes were sunken, her complexion pale, like someone who had been sick for a long time.

Catherine quickly pulled out a chair for Diana and ordered a maid in the hall to bring tea. Then she sat down nervously, fiddling with her nails.

Since the day she saw Aisel and Rueiri face Eclipse, he hadn’t appeared to her again.

No matter how much she called, her cries vanished into the air.

Eclipse might have disappeared, but what scared her most was the mark he had left on her palm.

No matter how hard she washed, it wouldn’t go away. What would happen to their contract now?

Eclipse had given her magic in exchange for time. She didn’t care about losing time—living long didn’t matter.

If she lost to Aisel and was branded as an illegitimate child, a long life would be worthless.

Catherine stared coldly at the mark on her palm, then clenched her fist. Worrying wouldn’t change anything. If the mage and Aisel had truly defeated Eclipse, she would likely disappear soon anyway.

All she needed to do was have a stunning debutante ball, then find a good husband.

Catherine’s eyes darted toward the catalogs Diana had brought. She already guessed what they were.

Diana smirked inwardly and laid the documents before Catherine.

“Go ahead and look.”

Without any explanation, Catherine eagerly opened them. But the moment she saw the catalogs, her face twisted in disgust.

“What is this…?”

“Is there a problem?”

“These are catalogs from cheap dress shops!”

Catherine shouted angrily, almost throwing the catalogs.

“Catherine.”

Diana’s low voice made Catherine flinch. But this was one thing she couldn’t back down on.

It was a once-in-a-lifetime debutante ball. She couldn’t give up on beautiful dresses and jewels.

“Is the family that poor now?”

“Because of your father’s business preparations, we can barely afford this.”

Diana’s words were true. Calypso had already cut off the funds the Grand Duchess usually received for household expenses.

“Why start a business during my debutante ball? Don’t you have the personal funds grandfather gave you? At least use that…!”

How ungrateful could a child be?

Diana almost laughed out loud in disbelief. To demand her parents’ wealth for her debutante ball…

“I gave all of it for your father’s business.”

“What… what did you say…?”

Darkness fell over Catherine’s greedy eyes. She thought of the diamond jewelry her grandfather had given her. If only she had those, she wouldn’t have to beg like this.

This was all Alicia’s fault for failing to get rid of Aisel.

Catherine ground her teeth.

“If I ask grandfather—”

“Catherine. Your father stole the business plan from him. Now is not the time.”

Her last hope was gone. Catherine looked hopelessly at the catalogs. She didn’t even need to check closely to know they weren’t good enough for the daughter of the Erenshte family.

Diana watched her for a moment, then spoke softly.

“Or how about this?”

“What do you mean?”

“Your father has already prepared to sell the herb after his announcement to the academic world.”

“So if I just wait until the announcement, you’ll buy me a better dress?”

Catherine clasped her hands together sweetly, acting as charming as she could.

“Yes. You’re very clever.”

Diana smiled gently at her fake sweetness.

Your greed and cunning will only drag you deeper into ruin, Catherine.

Diana hid her true thoughts carefully.

And of course, Catherine’s answer was exactly what Diana expected.

“I’ll wait!”

“I believe it will all work out, but if it doesn’t, you might have to settle for something even cheaper than these catalogs. Are you sure you’re okay with that?”

Catherine’s body trembled slightly in unease, but she answered firmly:

“…Yes!”

“Good. Then let’s wait just a little longer.”

Diana gave Catherine a bright smile.

“Everything will work out.”

“Yes, Mother! It will!”

Catherine had no idea what was coming. Her mind was full of dreams of a dazzling debutante ball.