Chapter 4
The children of the Five Great Houses had known one another since childhood.
Back when the previous Duke of Cardian had still been alive, Diena had been treated with all the dignity and affection of a princess.
Remembering those days, the Duke of Castleton looked at her with undisguised pity.
“My goodness… your clothes…”
His brows furrowed.
“Are you all right, Diena?”
The gazes of the young nobles and noblewomen drifted between Romie and Diena.
The contrast couldn’t have been more striking.
Romie stood proudly in an extravagant, brilliantly embroidered gown.
Diena wore threadbare clothes fit for a servant.
Edellyn’s eyes widened.
“Why are you here? Weren’t you supposed to stay in your room?”
The words left her mouth before she could stop herself.
Only then did she realize how sharp and hostile she had sounded.
Diena immediately lowered her head, looking as though she were about to burst into tears.
She shrank into herself so pitifully that even strangers couldn’t help but feel sympathy.
“I-I’m sorry…”
“I got so hungry that I went looking for the kitchen…”
“But… I must have taken the wrong turn.”
Romie’s face flushed scarlet.
“Don’t lie!”
“You’ve lived here your whole life! How could you not know where the kitchen is?”
Edellyn’s expression stiffened.
Romie had handled the situation terribly.
The hostility in her voice made several noblewomen frown in discomfort.
The Duke of Castleton turned toward Edellyn with thinly veiled criticism.
“Duchess Rothwell…”
“Does Lady Diena normally dress like this?”
Edellyn’s face instantly turned bright red.
She waved her fan hastily.
“O-Of course not!”
“It’s only today… I simply overlooked it.”
“I would never make her wear such clothing under normal circumstances.”
But her flustered voice…
Her burning cheeks…
And Diena’s miserable appearance…
Together, they made it painfully obvious she was lying.
“And what was that about being hungry?”
The duke’s tone sharpened.
“Surely… you haven’t been starving the child?”
Edellyn’s hand trembled.
She instinctively looked toward Lady Volkov and Lady Hartmann for support.
Both women quietly averted their eyes.
Even they believed she had crossed a line.
Unable to stay silent any longer, the Duke of Castleton spoke.
“Even if she isn’t your biological daughter…”
“She is still of Rothwell blood.”
“This treatment is excessive.”
Those standing beside him quickly voiced their agreement.
“Those clothes are something even maids would hesitate to wear.”
“If my own child were being treated like this…”
“My heart would break.”
“If she’s part of your family, shouldn’t she be cared for as though she were your own daughter?”
Heat spread across Edellyn’s face.
She spun toward a nearby maid.
“Go at once and prepare Lady Diena’s meal!”
“How could you neglect her until she ended up in such a state?”
The Duke of Castleton quietly shook his head.
Watching her vent her anger on an innocent servant looked even uglier than her earlier excuses.
Meanwhile…
Romie’s expression darkened.
Only moments ago, everyone had been looking at her with admiration.
Now…
Those warm gazes had turned cold.
The banquet she’d expected to make her the center of attention had been utterly ruined.
All because of her…
Why did this have to happen?
She watched as a maid hurried Diena away to prepare food.
Romie’s glare followed her until she disappeared from sight.
The moment the banquet ended…
Romie, Edellyn, and Kain headed straight for Diena’s quarters.
Her room stood inside a neglected annex tucked away in the farthest corner of the estate.
A damp, gloomy place better suited for servants than members of the ducal family.
Bang!
Romie kicked the old wooden door open.
Startled, Diena jerked upright from the worn-out bed she’d been curled up on.
“You did that on purpose, didn’t you?”
“You came out just to embarrass me!”
“I told you not to leave your room!”
“So why did you come out?!”
Romie glared fiercely.
Diena lowered her head.
“I didn’t do it on purpose.”
“It was meal time…”
“But no one brought me anything to eat.”
“I got so hungry…”
“So I went looking for the kitchen…”
“Liar!”
Romie shoved Diena hard in the shoulder.
She staggered backward several steps.
But she silently endured it.
Even if I told the truth…
She would have been angry anyway.
Romie had always vented her frustrations through violence.
Whenever she was in a bad mood…
Diena became her target.
Edellyn stood just behind her daughter.
She made no attempt to intervene.
Instead, she merely looked down at Diena with icy eyes.
“Romie is right.”
“Why did you come out and humiliate our family?”
Kain smirked, adding fuel to the fire.
“Everyone in high society will be talking now.”
“They’ll say Aunt mistreated her niece.”
“That she abused the legitimate young lady of House Rothwell.”
“What delightful gossip.”
Romie’s eyes reddened.
“It’s all her fault!”
“I was so embarrassed!”
“How am I supposed to show my face in front of the other noble families now?”
Diena slowly shook her head.
“No, Romie.”
“The truth is…”
“Your reputation had already been ruined the moment you put on that dress.”
“So you shouldn’t blame me.”
“…What?”
“You probably don’t know this…”
“But among high-ranking nobles…”
“It’s considered extremely rude for an unmarried young lady who hasn’t even made her debut to wear red on her dress.”
Romie’s mouth slowly fell open.
“I… wasn’t trying to upset you.”
“I just thought…”
“You genuinely didn’t know.”
Romie’s eyes dropped to the crimson ribbon decorating her gown.
Her face became as red as the ribbon itself.
Kain burst into laughter.
“I think she’s making fun of you on purpose.”
“I know that!”
Romie shouted.
“Mother!”
“Do something!”
“Instead of apologizing, look how shameless she’s being!”
Edellyn gently wiped the tears gathering at the corners of Romie’s eyes.
“There, there.”
“Don’t cry.”
“You’ll ruin that pretty face.”
“What would make you feel better?”
Romie pointed directly at Diena.
“She likes going outside, doesn’t she?”
“Then don’t let her leave anymore!”
“Lock her in the punishment chamber beneath the castle!”
Kain nodded approvingly.
“Sounds fair.”
“If someone does wrong…”
“They should receive proper punishment.”
Diena quietly watched Edellyn.
The duchess smiled kindly.
“Our Romie really is too soft-hearted.”
“To forgive her after something so minor…”
Then…
The warmth vanished from her face.
She grabbed Diena’s arm roughly.
Behind her mother, Romie stuck out her tongue mockingly.
Kain laughed gleefully.
“The punishment room is freezing.”
Edellyn’s lips curved into a cold smile.
“Members of House Rothwell don’t fear a little cold.”
“We are a family of powerful ability users.”
She narrowed her eyes.
“If something like this is too much for you…”
“Then perhaps…”
“You were never truly one of the Rothwells.”
Diena said nothing.
Edellyn muttered under her breath,
“Where did such an ill-mannered child come from?”
“It seems I failed in your upbringing.”
Without another word…
She dragged Diena mercilessly through the castle.
Deep underground…
They stopped before a massive iron door.
“If you’d simply apologized properly to Romie…”
“You wouldn’t be receiving this punishment.”
Romie nodded smugly.
But Diena already knew.
It didn’t matter what she had said.
She would have been punished regardless.
With a groan of rusted hinges…
Edellyn pulled the heavy iron door open.
An icy wind poured out from the darkness beyond.
“Spend some time thinking carefully about what you’ve done.”
“The door won’t be opened again until you’ve reflected.”
Just before it closed…
Diena quietly asked,
“Not even once…”
“Have you ever pitied me?”
Edellyn frowned.
“Pity you?”
“While raising me…”
“Did you ever truly think of me as family?”
A look of disgust spread across the duchess’s face.
“Why would you be my family?”
“You’re not my child.”
“What a ridiculous thing to ask.”
“Get inside.”
Boom!
The enormous iron door slammed shut.
Diena was left alone in complete darkness.
“…How merciless.”
She gave a bitter smile.
There was nothing surprising about her aunt’s answer.
After all…
She had always known exactly what kind of person Edellyn truly was.
