Chapter 44
“Miss! Lady Elisia!”
Rachel’s frantic voice echoed as she banged on the door, sounding more like a scream than a call.
Elisia, who had just begun her morning routine, blinked wide-eyed and told her to come in.
The sharp tone in Rachel’s shout made Pi’s ears twitch.
“What’s wrong? Did something happen?”
Elisia asked, sensing something unusual in Rachel’s reaction.
Rachel entered, her face pale as a ghost.
“People from House Aste just arrived at the mansion.”
For a moment, Elisia thought she had misheard. But then she quickly realized—those people would show up unannounced. Her brows drew together.
“They’ve been unusually quiet lately…”
House Aste was nothing more than a recurring headache for Elisia.
“Don’t tell me the whole family came?”
Irritation colored her voice.
“No, only Lady Aste and Young Master Aste.”
A small relief. Just the two of them.
They were both unbearable in personality, but at least it wasn’t all three of them, including Lord Aste.
Elisia mentally steeled herself by picturing the worst-case scenario.
As they entered the dining hall, Elisia spotted a young man with pale green hair sitting at her seat.
It was her cousin, Von Aste—older by a year.
He welcomed Elisia and Ariel with the casual air of someone who had invited them.
“It’s been a while, you two.”
Seeing Von planted in the private dining room she shared with Ariel, all the calm she had built up evaporated.
Still, Elisia composed her expression like a seasoned noblewoman.
Ariel, however, didn’t bother.
“Ugh!”
She gagged dramatically, like she had just seen something revolting.
Elisia nearly burst out laughing.
Though Ariel lacked tact, Elisia couldn’t afford to give Von any excuse to latch onto. She barely held back her grin.
Von, on the other hand, failed to mask his displeasure.
“How ill-mannered. Ariel, when are you going to grow up?”
Take your own advice.
Elisia bit her tongue and took her seat.
Technically, Von had taken her spot—but knowing his childish need to provoke, she let it slide.
It was obviously bait.
“The food here’s quite good,” Von remarked, side-eyeing Ariel, who had turned her head away in disdain.
His sharp gaze then drifted to Elisia.
Her calm demeanor only seemed to fuel his irritation.
“And Lady Aste?”
Elisia replied coolly, sidestepping his attempt to dominate the conversation.
“…Shouldn’t you try being a little more respectful?”
“And why should I?”
A servant rushed in and quietly placed a dish before Elisia before retreating. Everyone in the household knew the tension between the cousins—and that today, it was particularly thick.
“Gods, Elisia. No wonder Ariel ends up mimicking your behavior.”
“You little—!”
The jab was aimed at both sisters.
Ariel flared up, ready to fire back, but Elisia gently tapped her leg under the table—stay quiet.
“Just look at your appearance.”
Von snapped his fingers at a servant. From the four staff standing nearby, one approached him.
“Cut it.”
He ordered arrogantly.
The servant took up Von’s utensils and began slicing the meat with mechanical precision.
Nothing screamed poor upbringing quite like making someone else cut your food.
It spoke volumes about what kind of household Von had been raised in.
“What are you wearing? Why do you look the same every time I see you?”
A familiar lecture began, and Ariel stuck out her bottom lip.
“Other young ladies start wearing dresses properly from a much younger age. They learn to hold themselves with grace in daily life. And you two…”
Elisia and Ariel both preferred simple dresses over formal gowns.
Ariel would wear them on occasion, but comfort always won out.
As for Elisia—she didn’t even bother.
Since neither of them had debuted into society yet, they were free to dress more casually.
But Von saw it as nothing more than stubborn defiance.
“I fear the day you two show up to a tea party dressed like that. You’ll disgrace the Aste name.”
The servant silently placed the sliced steak back in front of Von and stepped away.
Only then did Von stab a piece with his fork and pop it into his mouth.
“No matter what we wear, House Aste will remain shame-proof. So don’t worry.”
Elisia smiled, tilting her head slightly.
The best way to shut Von down was to remind him that she wasn’t part of the main family.
Just as she expected, his brows twitched mid-bite.
“Relax, Von.”
Why bring that sour face to the table?
She mocked gently, watching him grit his teeth.
“Pfft.”
Ariel couldn’t contain her laughter. Von’s constant picking and habitual humiliation—and his predictable defeat—never failed to amuse.
“And Von,” Elisia added, “I usually don’t enjoy lecturing others, but there’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you.”
Considering how he’d continue to pester her this time, this was a minor retaliation.
Whenever Von visited the Parteen estate, he stuck to Elisia like glue, making it impossible for her to meet Eden.
Ariel suffered the same fate.
“So… how is it that you’re still that age and still can’t cut your own steak?”
“Pfft—!”
Ariel nearly lost it, clamping both hands over her mouth to muffle a full-blown laugh.
BAM!
Von’s fist slammed down on the table.
The startled servants visibly flinched.
“Haa… Perhaps it’s you who needs a lesson in table manners, Von.”
Elisia calmly popped a piece of carrot into her mouth, shaking her head in mock disappointment.
Von had a foul temper.
He never did things himself and barked orders at subordinates like it proved his superiority.
He genuinely believed that the more people he commanded, the more valuable he became.
That’s why he was obsessed with belittling Elisia and Ariel.
Every time he insulted them, he felt like the real heir to House Parteen.
That’s why he came so often, hovering around Elisia like a persistent shadow, doing everything he could to get under her skin.
This time would be no different.
Elisia easily predicted how the next week or two would unfold and told Ariel,
“Ariel, you and I won’t be able to see Eden for a while.”
“Yeah.”
Ariel nodded. She had figured as much.
“Still, we need to let Lisbeth and Eden know. It’ll be hard on Lisbeth, but better that than letting Von find out.”
Elisia had promised Eden she’d always let him know in advance if she couldn’t visit.
She gently patted Ariel’s head and continued.
“Von’s bound to come looking for me soon. You go to Lisbeth and let her know. And don’t forget to ask her to pass it on to Eden too.”
Ariel nodded again.
For the first time, she found herself preferring Eden’s company to this nonsense.
She didn’t just hate Von. She hated the whole family.
Well, everyone except Elisia.
“Be careful not to get caught.”
Elisia handed Ariel a lunch tray. Beside the bread sat Eden’s favorite candy.
Ariel took it with the determination of someone entrusted with a sacred mission.
Shortly after Ariel left, just as Elisia predicted, Von barged into her room without even knocking.
Pi jumped up, his fur bristling in alarm.
With a heavy sigh, Elisia patted his rear to calm him down.
Gradually, Pi’s fur settled.
“Hey. You’re not seriously going to ignore your guest, are you?”
As if he understood the meaning of “guest.”
No one considers an uninvited, unannounced intruder a guest.
Elisia could only sigh.
“I don’t have time to play with you.”
She dramatically flipped through a stack of papers.
Pi, meanwhile, was glaring at Von like he was ready to hiss.
Von, now sprawled uninvited on the small sofa, finally noticed the animal staring him down.
He chuckled mockingly.
“So you are a woman. You like cute things?”
The emphasis on ‘woman’ was unnecessary.
Elisia pretended not to hear him, eyes still on her paperwork.
But Von had come to regain the upper hand—and he wasn’t leaving quietly.
“You can’t even manage your sister, and you think you can take care of a pet?”
Elisia hated when others talked about her people.
More than hate—it was one of the few things that truly made her angry.
“Put those boring documents away. How about a game of chess?”
Then bring the board with you.
Von only ever won the first round—because Elisia didn’t know the rules of whatever game he brought.
But once she lost, she’d study the game mercilessly.
And she never lost a second time.
It was a matter of pride.
