Chapter 18
Call Me Father
At the same time, at the Dayburn Marquis estate—
“So, you want to attend the upcoming Social Night?”
Marquis Manoff Dayburn was delighted that Cassian was finally planning to appear at an official social event.
“Yes. I thought I’d attend this year.”
“Hahaha, now that’s good to hear. You always claimed you had no talent for those sorts of things. What suddenly changed your mind?”
At the marquis’s question, Cassian pressed his lips together and remained silent.
For some reason, saying it aloud felt embarrassingly awkward, so he only scratched the back of his neck.
“It’s just…”
“Just?”
“I felt like going.”
There wasn’t any grand reason.
He simply needed an excuse to see Sara again.
And since a major social event was approaching, meeting Sara there once more would be enough for Cassian.
“Well, ‘just because’ can be a reason too. Go at least once. It’ll be a good experience.”
Marquis Manoff was a middle-aged man with a warm and gentle appearance.
After losing his wife at a young age, he had spent many years living alone.
Before he could even recover from that grief, his health had rapidly deteriorated.
At one point, he had nearly followed his wife into death itself.
The person who saved him at the brink of death had been the young Cassian.
After that incident, the marquis adopted Cassian, a boy left with nowhere to go after an orphanage fire.
The marquis let out a kindhearted laugh and took a sip of tea.
“So then, have you decided on your partner? You need one to attend the event, don’t you?”
“…I have.”
Though he had been avoiding details until now, Cassian answered immediately.
“It’s Lady Sara Tresha of the Count Tresha family.”
“Oh ho, so you’ll be attending with a beautiful lady. That’s wonderful news.”
Of course, he hadn’t officially invited her yet.
At the marquis’s congratulations, Cassian lowered his head slightly.
To him, Marquis Manoff was both a benefactor and a dependable guardian.
“I don’t know why, but I feel proud myself. This really is good news.”
The marquis smiled warmly.
You’ve grown up so well.
He had heard of the Tresha family before.
And if cautious Cassian had chosen her himself, then she must surely be an elegant and remarkable person.
“…Cough, cough!”
Still smiling, the marquis suddenly broke into a fit of coughing and grimaced.
“M-Marquis, are you alright?”
The marquis’s health had never fully recovered.
Even the slightest cough terrified Cassian, who feared he might collapse again.
“Haha, sit down. Cough… I said sit. It’s only a cough. The weather’s poor, so perhaps I’m catching a cold.”
Seeing Cassian worry so much over him, the marquis smiled reassuringly.
“…Cassian. I’ve already lived a life without regrets. If anything, leaving earlier would only mean returning to my wife sooner.”
Cassian’s heart grew heavy.
“Please don’t say things like that, Marquis.”
“How long are you going to keep calling me that?”
“……”
The marquis tried to comfort him with humor, but he knew the truth.
His condition worsened with each passing day.
And perhaps he wouldn’t survive the year.
“I remember the first time I taught you how to hold a sword.”
“……”
Cassian had once looked at people like a wild beast—baring his teeth, wary of everyone around him.
He had wielded a blade only to kill or to survive.
The one who first taught him another purpose for the sword had been Marquis Manoff.
“Remember this well. A sword may kill, but at times, it can also save.”
“Thank you.”
That beast-like child had now become a proper young man.
The boy who once feared and avoided people was finally stepping into society itself.
And the reason was probably that young noble lady who had recently begun visiting so often.
Watching Cassian fondly, the marquis took another sip of tea.
“Perhaps something good is about to happen.”
“Yes? What do you mean?”
“If something good truly does happen…”
The marquis smiled warmly.
“Then call me father.”
At the warm smile of that gentle adult, a small smile naturally formed on Cassian’s lips as well.
“Beria! My daughter, where is my daughter?!”
Diana had begun frantically searching for Beria.
Hearing the commotion, Beria stepped out of her room and approached her mother.
“Mother, what’s going on?”
“Oh, my daughter. There you are.”
“W-Why are you acting like this?”
Startled, Beria instinctively stepped backward.
Diana gripped both of her shoulders tightly, smiling only with her lips.
Dark shadows hung beneath her eyes, making her seem even more terrifying.
“…Mother!”
Diana grabbed Beria’s wrist and dragged her into the room.
After quickly shutting the door so the maids couldn’t enter, Diana hurried to the vanity table.
“What are you doing right now? Hm?”
Whether Beria spoke or not, Diana seemed trapped in her own world.
She rummaged through everything on the vanity frantically, shaking her head as if possessed.
“No, not this either… no…”
Then her eyes landed on the bread and desserts placed on the table.
“You’re eating this right now?”
“You told me earlier to eat—”
Before Beria could finish, Diana swept the food onto the floor with a violent motion.
Crash!
The plates shattered loudly across the room.
“Have you lost your mind?! I told you over and over that you’ll gain weight! I said dresses won’t fit properly if you do! Are you planning to attend the ball looking fat? You hate that too, don’t you?!”
“…Mother! Seriously, what’s wrong with you today?”
Beria was frightened and confused by Diana’s unusually unstable behavior.
Then Diana suddenly realized how terrified Beria looked.
“…Oh dear, oh dear. It seems Mother raised her voice at you again.”
Only then did Diana realize she had become far too emotional.
“My daughter, I’m sorry. You must’ve been startled. The ball is coming soon, isn’t it? You should wear a dazzling dress worthy of Social Night.”
“…It’s not like I even have a partner.”
Remembering the humiliation she suffered from Cassian, Beria puffed out her lips sulkily.
“What are you talking about? Why wouldn’t you have a partner? My beautiful, lovely daughter?”
“……”
“You do have one, so don’t worry. Just focus on choosing a pretty dress.”
Beria tilted her head in confusion.
Something had definitely happened to Diana.
Otherwise, she would never look this deranged.
“I have a partner? Mother, what are you talking about?”
At Beria’s question, Diana smiled.
“Of course you do. The Dayburn Marquis family. Him, of course. He’ll be your partner.”
“…What? No thanks.”
Become the partner of a man who never contacted her and only humiliated her?
Beria immediately shook her head.
Diana’s expression twisted violently.
Grabbing Beria’s shoulders, she shook her fiercely.
“No? No, you have to! Listen to your mother. I will never let that girl Sara become his partner. Never!”
“M-Mother…?”
So Sara was supposed to become his partner?
That was why Diana had completely lost control.
Only then did Beria understand.
She let out a small sigh.
She should have been used to seeing Diana nearly hysterical like this by now, yet it still frightened her.
Diana hated Sara excessively.
Beria already knew Sara wasn’t her real daughter.
But did it really need to go this far?
Sometimes even Beria wondered that.
In truth, Beria’s relationship with Sara wasn’t particularly bad.
It was simply Diana’s obsession that constantly forced them into competition.
And because of that, Beria had stayed neutral.
Even though she knew Derek’s feelings toward Sara, she chose to remain silent.
“Hm, perhaps a lavish embroidered dress from Designer Levorde would suit you. No… if it’s too extravagant, it might overshadow your pretty face… Ah! I should have them bring different dresses!”
Ironically, Diana looked more excited than Beria herself, the actual one attending the ball.
Or rather—
It wasn’t excitement.
It was the desperate desire to defeat someone.
And that someone was clearly Sara.
“You absolutely must become the Dayburn Marquis family’s partner instead of Sara. Absolutely!”
Diana shouted harshly like a threat.
Beria replied with a weary expression.
“Stop it, Mother. …It’s not even my place.”
“……”
In truth, Beria and Sara had never truly hated each other.
Diana slowly stopped moving and lowered her hands weakly.
Her eyes had gone hollow.
To Diana, Beria was her beloved daughter.
“There is no place that doesn’t belong to you, Beria. From the moment you were born, I believed I could create every place in the world for you. Everything.”
“Mother. Please.”
“And ever since that day…”
“……”
After that day, Diana had begun loving Beria even more obsessively.
And she resolved to grant her daughter anything she desired.
That day when the entire sky burned red.
The day Diana screamed and despaired, believing she might lose her daughter.
Back then, the two young girls had been trapped inside that room in the mansion.
“…You must win. And you must be happy.”
“……”
“I’m sorry, my daughter.”
After saying those words, Diana turned away with an exhausted expression.
Slowly, she left the room and closed the door behind her.
“……”
Beria was alone again.
Staring at the room that had become a complete mess, she slowly sank to the floor.
As memories of that day resurfaced, fearful tears began falling from her eyes.
Several years ago, a massive fire had spread through the estate in an instant, throwing everyone into chaos.
Unable to determine where the fire began, everyone evacuated as quickly as possible.
Only afterward did they realize two people remained inside—
Sara and Beria.
Both of them young daughters.
At the time, Diana had been desperate with fear that the girls might die.
Back then, her feelings toward Sara had not yet been this terrible.
She merely disliked her.
Recalling those memories, Beria slowly stood and approached the mirror.
Then she partially removed her dress—
And the red burn scars across her arm came into view.
Beria squeezed her eyes shut, unable even to bear looking at them.
They were scars from that fire.
When the flames engulfed her, Beria had suffered burns across her arm and chest.
The pain had been unbearable.
Terrifying.
Horrifying.
Yet somehow, both Sara and Beria had survived the blaze.
[You did this, didn’t you? You wicked girl!]
Diana had believed the fire was Sara’s fault.
And from that moment onward, she convinced herself it was true.
Sara never received even a single word of comfort.
After that day, Diana’s abuse toward her became far worse.
But Beria knew the entire truth.
[Beria, stay awake. Okay? We can get out. I’ll save you no matter what. Don’t worry.]
Sara had saved her.
“…Even though Mother was the one who did it.”
The true cause of the fire had not been Sara.
It had been Diana.
But Beria could never say that aloud.
Ever since Diana’s obsession with her deepened, Beria chose to silently overlook everything.
Because to her, that was her own way of protecting the family.
