Episode 4
In Rosa’s hand was a thin wooden stick.
It looked like it had been hanging on the wall in Briana’s room for a long time.
So there’s always been a stick hanging in the room for punishment…
“Stand up and roll up your skirt,”
Rosa said with a nasty smile.
Still sitting on the floor, Anastasia slowly got up.
Rosa smirked, thinking she was going to obey and prepare for punishment.
“If that girl doesn’t listen, it’s fine to hit her.”
Rosa remembered proudly.
She was arrogant and hot-tempered—kind to those stronger, cruel to the weak.
That’s why she was so happy when Count Clark gave her permission to punish Briana.
After all, she was just a commoner, and now she had a reason to beat a noble girl.
She never let that power go to waste.
“The master told me to take care of punishing her anyway.”
Count Clark never directly told Rosa to punish Briana for the Empress’s death—
But as always, Rosa took it for granted.
“Hurry up and—!”
Her angry voice was suddenly cut off.
Anastasia had grabbed the stick from Rosa’s hand.
“What do you think you’re doing?!”
Rosa shouted, frowning.
But Anastasia didn’t answer and walked past her.
She stood in front of the fireplace, where the fire was barely burning, and broke the stick in half.
“What are you doing?!”
Rosa rushed over in panic.
But by then, the stick was already burning in the fire.
Anastasia calmly walked back to her bed and picked up her notebook.
She wrote:
[Get out.]
Rosa’s face turned red and blue as she read the note.
Fuming, she marched over to Anastasia and raised her hand without hesitation.
SLAP!
The sound of skin hitting skin echoed—but the one who got slapped wasn’t Anastasia.
It was Rosa.
Holding her red cheek, she trembled in shock.
She was stunned, not just because of the pain, but because it was Briana who had slapped her.
Anastasia stared coldly down at her.
Rosa stood up quickly but couldn’t move.
It was as if her body froze on instinct—
Like prey standing in front of a predator.
Just looking into Anastasia’s sharp eyes made her palms sweat.
“How is this cowardly girl acting like this…?!”
Rosa’s mouth opened and closed, but no words came out.
Eventually, still breathing heavily, she stormed out of the room.
Her angry footsteps echoed through the halls.
Her behavior had been completely inappropriate for a servant—
And Anastasia wasn’t going to let it slide.
Anyone who disrespected her, no matter who they were, wouldn’t be ignored.
“Now, I’m Briana.”
Anastasia—no, Briana—quietly stared at the door.
A little later, Briana, now properly dressed, was sitting on the sofa when someone knocked.
Before she even rang the bell, the door burst open.
“The master wants to see you.”
It was Heuben, the butler of Count Clark’s household.
He didn’t even greet Briana properly before speaking—
Treating her like a servant.
He stared at her coldly.
“He calls me ‘Young Lady,’ but it means nothing.”
Briana knew they treated her like a servant, not a noble.
She didn’t say a word and simply stood up.
Heuben walked ahead of her without waiting, like it were obvious she should follow.
She silently walked behind him.
When they reached the large door, Heuben bowed respectfully before speaking.
“Sir, the Young Lady is here.”
Even as Briana entered and the door closed, he kept bowing politely.
Inside the room were Rosa, Count Clark, and another man named Polian, smoking a pipe.
Briana’s hands shook when she saw Count Clark.
He’s the one who stood right next to Cassius yesterday.
What dirty things has he done all this time to get me pulled away from Cassius?
He must’ve laughed while pretending to help me…
To hide her anger, Briana clenched her fists until her nails dug into her skin.
Polian glanced at her and nodded toward the seat.
“Sit.”
His tone was like a command.
Briana silently walked over to the sofa.
She noticed Rosa sitting there with a smug smile on her face.
Briana calmly sat down.
“I heard you slapped Rosa.”
At Polian’s words, Briana picked up her notebook and wrote:
[Yes.]
“Why did you hit her?”
He wasn’t asking why she hit Rosa—
He was asking how dare she hit someone like Rosa.
Briana held back a bitter laugh and wrote:
[I punished her for entering the master’s room without permission.]
“Master, huh…”
Polian chuckled.
Briana quickly wrote again:
[I know Father allowed her to punish me. But did you also tell her she could act like my superior?]
Reading this, Polian’s face changed—
He seemed interested.
Rosa quickly jumped in to defend herself.
“Sir! I only entered her room to discipline her—”
“Quiet.”
Polian shut her down with one word.
Rosa bit her lip nervously as she watched his face.
“This isn’t going well…”
The smug look she had earlier was now gone.
“So Rosa entered your room without permission.”
Briana nodded and wrote again:
[A servant entering the master’s private room without permission is no small matter.]
[I think Rosa should be dismissed to set an example for the other lazy servants.]
Rosa’s face turned pale.
Then Polian suddenly burst into laughter.
“You’re right, Briana.”
Rosa panicked.
She thought that if she told the Count, he would punish Briana.
But instead, she was the one being pushed out.
Even Polian, whom she believed would take her side, was listening to Briana.
“A servant like Rosa must be punished for entering a master’s room without permission.”
Polian put down his pipe and looked at Briana.
“But Rosa has served you for years. Are you really okay with this?”
Briana quickly wrote:
[I’m no longer a child who needs a nanny.]
As soon as she wrote that, Polian called for Heuben.
“Take Rosa Foster away.”
“M-Master!”
“…What?! What do you mean…?”
Rosa dropped to her knees, shocked as if lightning had struck her.
Even Heuben looked surprised by the sudden order.
“Briana is still a rightful master of this house.”
“…!”
“And a servant who enters a master’s room without permission must be punished.”
Hearing Polian explain it like that made Heuben’s eyes widen.
“He called her ‘master’…?”
For 15 years, Heuben had treated Briana like she didn’t exist.
Now the Count was calling her the master?
Quickly, Heuben led Rosa out of the office.
Now, only Polian and Briana were left.
He leaned back on the sofa and spoke.
“That was unexpected.”
He looked closely at Briana.
“I thought you’d cry or do something stupid because that vulgar woman died…”
