“Oh my, your cheeks have become so hollow. See? This is what happens when you do not listen to me. I will give you breakfast today as a special favor. It would be troublesome if you were to die, my Lady.”
The maid stepped into the room.
I swallowed dryly and waited for what would happen next.
“Aaah!”
Just as I expected, she stepped squarely on the lamp oil spread across the floor and slipped with a scream.
The food tray hung in the air for a moment before falling straight onto the maid’s head.
“Ack! The smell!”
The maid screamed and rolled on the floor.
It seemed she had struck her back badly when she fell, because she couldn’t even get up.
I looked down at her with a cold expression before stepping forward.
Even when I approached her, the maid didn’t notice because of the stench and the pain.
I picked up the tray that had fallen on the floor and brought it down on her head.
“Agh!”
The maid let out a sharp scream and immediately lost consciousness.
Throwing the tray aside, I stepped over the maid and walked out of the room.
At last, I had escaped.
I hurried out of the annex.
As expected, there was no one in the annex.
They must have all abandoned their posts to slack off somewhere.
I quickly headed toward the main building.
I had to go to the main building if I wanted to meet the Grand Duke.
The Grand Duke’s estate consisted of four buildings in total.
The layout in the novel I had read was like this.
The main building stood at the center, with the east wing and the west wing on either side, while the annex stood far away to the north of the main building.
I walked barefoot on the dirt ground.
The servants in the annex hadn’t given Ivelotte proper clothes, let alone shoes.
Even what I was wearing now was something they had made me wear after taking clothes a maid’s younger sibling had thrown away because they were too small.
I walked and walked.
No matter what, I had to meet the Grand Duke.
After walking for some time, I was out of breath and my feet hurt from not eating properly, but soon the main building came into view.
The main building was a pure white structure topped with a roof made of gold.
Seeing the building made me even angrier.
“They have this much money, yet they think it’s a waste to spend any of it on me?”
Just then, I saw two people coming out of the main building.
One was a handsome man with dark black hair and golden eyes, followed by a man with brown hair.
I recognized him immediately. That black-haired man was the Grand Duke.
Seeing him made me even angrier.
Ivelotte had always waited for her father to come and save her.
But even in the moment she died, the Grand Duke never came.
His indifference had practically killed her.
I picked up a stone lying nearby and hurled it straight at the Grand Duke.
Whoosh!
The stone flew straight toward the Grand Duke’s head.
But unfortunately, it didn’t hit him.
The Grand Duke had simply tilted his head slightly and avoided it.
I didn’t give up and picked up another stone, throwing it at him again.
Every stone I threw, the Grand Duke avoided.
The vassal beside him watched the Grand Duke and me in stunned silence.
“What are you doing?”
At last, the Grand Duke’s flat voice was directed at me.
I strode straight toward him.
He swept a sharp gaze over my entire body.
My eyes shifted to the top of the Grand Duke’s head.
[Annoyance]
The word “Annoyance“ was floating above his head.
The Grand Duke seemed to recognize me at once.
“What kind of state are you in?”
“What is wrong with how I look?”
“I don’t recall having a beggar for a child.”
‘Hah, a beggar?’
My brows furrowed on their own.
“And who do you think made that beggar?”
“Are you trying to say that I did?”
“Of course it is your responsibility. I ended up looking like this because you failed to act like a proper parent.”
“…”
I continued to snap at him.
“If you gave birth to a child, you should at least take the minimum responsibility. Instead of stuffing me in the annex and pretending I do not exist.”
“I have fulfilled my responsibilities sufficiently.”
I was dumbfounded by the Grand Duke’s words.
“Sufficiently? You can say that after looking at the state I am in right now? Feeding me garbage every day and leaving me to be abused with insults and violence is what you call fulfilling your responsibilities?”
“What are you talking about?”
The word above the Grand Duke’s head changed from [Annoyance] to [Shock].
‘Did he really not know?’
He truly looked surprised.
The anger subsided a little. Still, that didn’t mean he was without fault.
“You really look like you had no idea. Well, whatever. From now on, at least take the minimum responsibility.”
The Grand Duke listened to me in silence.
Seeing my chance, I quickly poured out my words.
“I am not asking for much. Just give me proper food instead of garbage, and improve the living conditions. I cannot bear staying in a room full of dust. At this rate, I will end up getting sick and dying.”
After listening quietly to my words, the Grand Duke looked at the vassal standing behind him.
His gaze sharpened as if he were about to kill someone.
“Jeff, investigate the annex immediately.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Then the Grand Duke looked at me.
“You, follow me.”
The Grand Duke led me toward the main building.
When we entered, countless gazes turned toward me.
Above their heads floated the words [Surprise] and [Curiosity].
The Grand Duke pushed me into an empty bedroom in the main building and summoned the physician.
A moment later, the door opened and a brown-haired woman walked in.
“You called for me, Your Grace?”
The Grand Duke shoved me toward her.
“Treat her.”
The physician looked down at me.
Glancing back and forth between me and the Grand Duke, the physician’s eyes widened.
“Could it be… the Young Lady?”
“Sit quietly and receive treatment. We will talk afterward.”
Leaving only those words, the Grand Duke turned and walked away without waiting for any response.
I looked up at the physician.
[Surprise]
The word [Surprise] was floating above her head.
The physician smiled kindly and spoke.
“Hello, my Lady. I am Melissa, the Ducal House’s physician. May I take a look at your injuries?”
I nodded, and she gently led me to the bed.
Melissa had been described as a very kind person in the original story.
Moreover, she was from the orphanage that the Grand Duchess had supported.
Thanks to the Grand Duchess’s sponsorship, she had been able to enter the medical academy and become a doctor.
After graduating, Melissa became the Ducal House’s physician in order to repay the kindness she had received from the Grand Duchess.
But unfortunately, the Grand Duchess died while giving birth only one year after Melissa became the family physician.
At that time, the ducal household was plunged into deep grief.
Melissa was just as heartbroken.
Many people who cherished the Grand Duchess mourned her death.
Melissa had repeatedly told the Grand Duchess to give up the child during her pregnancy.
But the Grand Duchess refused.
That was how Ivelotte was born.
Even as she was dying, the Grand Duchess worried only about the newborn child’s future.
But the Grand Duke sent the child to the annex.
It was because the child had taken the Grand Duchess’s life, and because her spirit affinity was terribly weak.
I stared at Melissa.
[Guilt]
‘Is she feeling sorry?’
Above her head, [Guilt] had already replaced [Surprise].
“Doctor, did you also like my mom?”
At my question, she looked at me in surprise.
“Then you must hate me too.”
“My Lady…”
Melissa spoke with a stiff expression.
“I do not hate you, my Lady.”
“Why not? My mom died because of me.”
“Her Grace did not pass away because of you, my Lady. So please do not say such things.”
She looked at me with a sorrowful expression as she examined my wounds.
After rolling up my sleeve, Melissa’s face stiffened. Then she rolled up the other sleeve and examined the wounds there as well.
“May I remove your clothes for a moment?”
I nodded.
Carefully taking off my clothes, Melissa was left speechless at the wounds covering my entire body.
“How could this…?”
The word [Shock] appeared above her head.
Melissa barely held back her tears as she looked at me.
“I am sorry, my Lady. Please endure this for a moment. It will sting a little.”
Melissa wiped my filthy skin with a warm cloth, then carefully disinfected the wounds and applied medicine.
“Is there anywhere else that hurts?”
I shook my head.
