Chapter 12
Whenever moments like that came up, Dietrich Hartmann, who had once been her friend, would puff out his chest and boast proudly.
“Isn’t it obvious? Our Diena is the rightful heir of one of the Five Great Houses.”
Of course, both he and the other one had completely changed their attitudes the moment they learned she was powerless.
Just remembering it left a bitter taste in her mouth.
Let’s not think about those two bastards.
Shaking her head, Diena focused her attention on Bianca instead.
Something felt strange.
The darkness lingering inside Bianca’s body was far weaker than she had expected. She didn’t look anything like someone who had been slowly dying over the course of several years.
That was only possible because the members of House Cardian had gone out of their way to minimize contact with Bianca all this time.
The side-effect suppressants must have helped as well.
Diena’s eyes narrowed.
Then Bianca’s death… really was because of Matilda.
Bianca was painfully thin.
She looked even more emaciated than Diena had when she had been starved in House Rothwell.
There could only be one explanation.
Matilda had been controlling her meals.
First, let’s see whether my ability works.
Diena moved with effortless grace, as though she had spent years serving tea.
Even the way she opened the tin of tea leaves carried the elegance of long practice.
She poured tea into Bianca’s cup.
As if entranced, Bianca picked it up and took a sip.
“…Wow.”
A gentle smile spread across her lips, clearly pleased by the flavor.
Closing her eyes, she slowly emptied the cup.
Watching quietly, Diena tilted her head.
“Why aren’t you eating the sandwiches?”
Bianca hadn’t touched a single piece of food besides the tea.
Startled by the sudden question, she hurriedly waved her hands.
“I don’t have to eat. I’ll gain weight. Noble ladies have to control themselves.”
“…”
“And opening your mouth wide to eat something like a sandwich isn’t elegant. If you eat anything, it should only be a little cookie or cake.”
Diena frowned.
“Why are you trying to lose weight? I think you’d look even prettier if you gained some.”
Bianca shook her head.
“No. If I get fat, everyone will hate me.”
“Who would ever hate Your Ladyship?”
Bianca pouted.
She didn’t want to tell Diena the truth—that every time she attended a banquet, the other noble girls looked down on her.
Matilda had told her she had to become thinner if she wanted them to stop.
Normally, someone contradicting her would have irritated Bianca.
Strangely…
She wasn’t angry.
Perhaps it was because Diena carried herself with such natural elegance that Bianca found herself unconsciously overwhelmed.
“What about me?”
Diena asked gently.
“Don’t you think I’m pretty, either?”
The unexpected question made Bianca blush.
Diena wasn’t unpleasant to look at.
If anything…
She was exactly Bianca’s type.
She was so beautiful that she surpassed many of the noble ladies Bianca had seen at banquets.
“W-Well… you’re not bad.”
Diena widened her eyes in exaggerated surprise.
“But I’m much chubbier than you are.”
“You?”
Bianca immediately shook her head.
“You’re lying.”
“I’m not.”
Diena smiled warmly.
“I really am. And I think you’d still be absolutely adorable even if you gained more weight than you have now.”
The sincere compliment dyed the tips of Bianca’s ears crimson.
“T-Then… maybe I’ll have a little cake.”
Just as Bianca reached toward the cake…
Diena casually slid the plate holding the sandwiches closer.
At the same time, she lightly brushed Bianca’s fingertips with her own.
She was activating her Purification ability.
The effect was immediate.
The tension that had been etched across Bianca’s face visibly melted away.
“Huh?”
Bianca blinked.
“For some reason… my body suddenly feels lighter.”
She muttered in confusion.
At the same time, Diena’s own expression brightened.
It works! My power works against Dark Erosion!
If this amount alone produced such a noticeable effect, healing Bianca completely would take far less time than she’d feared.
Though completely curing Dark Erosion will still put a tremendous strain on me.
Whenever she used Purification, the caster suffered damage equal to the darkness expelled.
Already, her fingertips trembled faintly.
Quietly, she clasped her own hand so Bianca wouldn’t notice.
Thankfully, that was all.
Perhaps…
Even after completely healing Bianca, it wouldn’t be severe enough to make her cough up blood.
At worst, she might simply faint.
She’d experienced that countless times in her previous life.
Still…
She’s not powerless?
It was faint.
So faint that no ordinary person could ever notice.
But Diena, a Purification ability user herself, could clearly sense another supernatural energy sleeping within Bianca.
She had seen this once before.
Someone whose darkness was so overwhelming that their ability never awakened.
Years ago, she had treated someone who carried that exact same dormant aura.
Some people can only awaken their abilities after every trace of darkness inside their bodies has been cleansed.
It was rare in the present era…
But in the future, cases like that would occasionally appear.
And no side-effect suppressant could ever accomplish such a thing.
Those medicines could suppress the darkness—
They could never erase it completely.
But my ability can.
Her Purification power was unquestionably superior to any suppressant.
“Diena, why did you suddenly move this?”
“Yes, Lady Bianca.”
Snapping out of her thoughts at Bianca’s puzzled question, Diena smiled.
For now, treating the Dark Erosion comes first.
With a gentle smile, she said,
“I thought the sandwiches looked delicious too. Why don’t you try one first?”
After a brief hesitation…
Bianca reached for one.
Carefully, she picked up a sandwich from the table.
Her eyes wavered with uncertainty before she cautiously took a small bite.
Watching her, Diena’s eyes curved into a soft smile.
“It’s good, isn’t it?”
Trying to sound indifferent, Bianca answered,
“I mean… it’s not bad. Better than I expected.”
* * *
From a distance, Matilda had watched everything.
A deep frown settled between her brows as she folded her arms and let out a heavy sigh.
“Bring Diena here. Tea time is over.”
At her command, the maids hurried over and escorted Diena out of the room.
The moment the door closed behind them, Matilda strode up and glared at her.
“And who do you think you are, commenting on Lady Bianca’s meals?”
Her voice was icy.
Diena met her gaze without flinching.
“Lady Bianca is still growing. This is the time when she needs proper nutrition.”
“But she’s barely eating.”
“Hah.”
Matilda scoffed.
“What would you know? Of course you wouldn’t understand. Noble ladies are supposed to be thin. That’s what’s considered beautiful. It’s refined.”
“No, it isn’t.”
The unexpected reply left Matilda speechless.
“…What?”
“I’ve heard that these days, even among noble ladies, being healthy is considered a virtue.”
“Rather than being painfully thin, eating properly and exercising is becoming much more admired.”
Matilda let out a mocking laugh.
“I don’t know where you picked up such nonsense, but watch your mouth.”
“I was born a noble.”
“You’re a commoner.”
“Even if anyone knows the truth, it’d be me—not you.”
Then she jabbed a finger at Diena and snapped,
“If you spout that kind of nonsense again, you’ll regret it.”
“Lord Barkhan may have brought you here, but I’m the one in charge of managing you.”
She was convinced Diena had finally learned her lesson.
A mere commoner won’t dare defy me again.
But Matilda couldn’t have been more wrong.
From that day onward…
Diena didn’t change in the slightest.
If anything—
She began visiting Bianca even more often.
