MILND 98

Chapter 98

It was exactly the kind of situation you’d call digging your own grave.

Cornell’s ridiculous—and yet, age-appropriate childish—defense only made the atmosphere worse.

Of course, many of the children frowned at Cornell’s baseless defense, but the arrows turned toward Eupina.

“How much must she have lied to Lord Cornell….”

“Lord Cornell is just too trusting, that’s the problem.”

Rather than blame Cornell, they condemned Eupina for being the one he defended. Finding an easy target to curse was also a hallmark of high society.

Cornell tried to tell them to refrain from such words, but Jace stretched out his hand and covered his mouth.

“Hey, Lord Cornell. That’s enough.”

“Mmff….”

Unlike when they first met, Jace gave him a perfunctory courtesy as a count’s son while pulling him away from Eupina.

“They said it’s a matter between the two. Just let them handle it.”

“But I… I want to help Lady Eupina….”

“Help? Come on. This mess is partly your fault too, so drop it.”

“W-what?”

So he really didn’t know. Jace sighed.

Cornell was a guileless person.

His attempt to defend Eupina was surely born out of nothing but goodwill.

He truly believed Eupina was a genius inventor.

He probably never even thought to doubt her.

Because he had never been betrayed.

It had been a long time since Jace had seen a child raised in a greenhouse like this.

It almost felt like looking at himself, and a wave of disgust rose within him.

Of course, Jace was neither as good-natured nor as innocent as Cornell….

But I also once thought I could be forgiven no matter what I did.

In that way, they were alike—utterly convinced of their own actions, never having been denied, with the demeanor of pampered young lords.

Leaving behind the helplessly retreating Cornell, Jace turned his eyes to Eupina and Maybell, still locked in confrontation.

So, what now?

He hadn’t expected to uncover the one who drove Maybell out so quickly.

That things had escalated this far was thanks to both Eupina and Maybell’s efforts.

Eupina wanted to deny Maybell outright, and Maybell had no intention of running away.

On top of that came Wilhelmina’s help, and so an irreversible atmosphere of duel had been set.

Meanwhile, to the other children, this was nothing but entertainment.

The downfall of a once-rising star, or the birth of another sacrificial lamb for their amusement—either way, it was a play they wouldn’t want to miss.

Disgusting.

Seeing the intrigued expressions of the children surrounding Eupina and Maybell, Jace spat a curse under his breath.

“Big sister, I’m the one who made that invention. You’re the one who stole it.”

“……”

“I don’t know why you did it. But I’m a Metocan. I don’t make counterfeits. So… apologize.”

For the Metocan family, being inventors was their very identity.

It was a pious filial thought—not to disgrace her mother’s name—but those words only pricked Eupina’s nerves.

“What’s so great about a family name?”

Pretending at high society or not, she was still a fourteen-year-old child; her mask broke easily.

“Our Anette family are scholars too! We even received a plaque from His Majesty the Emperor! I’ve never made a counterfeit—the invention was mine!”

At that moment, someone let out a derisive laugh.

“…The Anette family being inventors was long ago.”

Eupina snapped her head to glare at the direction of the voice, but the culprit was already gone.

So Eupina was from the Anette family.

Only then did Jace understand why Eupina had targeted Maybell.

The Anettes had once been a renowned family of scholars in the West, but in recent years they had produced no notable achievements, barely clinging to the rank of viscount.

Yet despite their waning prestige, they held strong influence in society thanks to marrying their children into high noble families.

So that’s why she obsesses over the Western Sun.

He remembered hearing at the academy the mocking praise that the Anettes “may have no power, but they sure are good at selling off their children.”

That explained her entry into the Western Sun, and her closeness with Cornell.

“And you were the ones who stole first! Our family’s nickname, our honor—your mother took it all!”

In contrast, the Metocan family’s rise had begun with Maybell’s mother, Milliona Metocan.

The moniker “Creative” had shifted to the Metocans, along with enormous wealth as inventors.

Ironically, when the Anettes declined, the Metocans rose in perfect parallel.

“They always said, ‘Maybell is a genius,’ or, ‘Metocans really are different.’ I was always compared to you! Because of those strange inventions you’d send me as birthday gifts, I kept hearing, ‘Why can’t you make things like this?’ Always…!”

“That was… for you, sister….”

“If it was for me, then you should never have shown yourself in front of me!”

Eupina’s voice cracked into a scream, and Maybell flinched with a frightened expression.

Eupina had already lost her self-restraint.

Perhaps because it was the first time she poured out her true feelings, she lost both face and composure, spilling endless resentment.

“Do you know what it took for me to come here? You know nothing about how important this place is to me!”

“But… my invention and that… they have nothing to do with each other.”

Maybell mustered courage to interrupt, but Eupina’s face only twisted further.

“You came here to ruin me. To laugh at me with your amazing invention. You’ve always done that—every time we met, you’d flaunt inventions I didn’t want to see, treating me like a fool. This time is no different!”

“I just wanted a friend….”

“As if! You don’t need something like that. You already have everything!”

Tears streamed down Eupina’s cheeks.

“Have… everything…?”

Maybell blinked in confusion, not understanding.

“You can become head of your family!”

“……!”

“With that brilliant mind, you can succeed in so many ways. But me? I have nothing else!”

At those words—“other ways”—Maybell involuntarily held her breath.

“You say you want to make friends, but does this place really look so fun to you? Do you really seem desperate just for friends? You don’t know what it’s like to carry the burden of finding a fiancé, or the loneliness of being the only one not invited to gatherings!”

It was a harsh and ugly reality Maybell had never even considered.

The very reason the Western Sun was called a miniature society: ten-year-old children forced to act elegant, struggling desperately to secure their place….

Pains that had nothing to do with Maybell, who was already destined to inherit as head of her family.

But just as Maybell could never understand Eupina’s pain, Eupina could never understand Maybell either.

“Do you know the first thing I worried about when you said you’d join this group? That you’d get close to Lord Cornell. He likes inventions, he admires clever children. If that happened, then I…”

Eupina scrubbed her eyes with her hand.

She knew her words were all excuses, but she couldn’t stop.

“…Then I’d be worthless. I wouldn’t be able to be like my sisters. Unlike you, this is all I have….”

This was her only chance to prove her worth.

That was why she could never allow Maybell to join.

Had Maybell stayed away, it might have ended at mere jealousy. She could have ignored her circumstances and lived like everyone else.

But the moment Maybell appeared, even the excuse of self-deception disappeared.

Eupina couldn’t bear the comparisons.

Whenever she saw Maybell, her own false smiles and forced approaches to Cornell felt unbearably pathetic.

“This is all I have.”

She had long realized that the real villain was herself.

Even while knowing Maybell had done nothing wrong, her jealousy and malice kept growing without end.

The arrogant, sneering Eupina was gone.

In her place, her eyes burned with rage and grievance as she glared at Maybell.

“Sister….”

Just as Maybell tried to step closer, someone blocked her path.

“Don’t make me laugh. Don’t you dare play the victim now.”

Spitting the words as if they were curses, it was none other than Jace.

He sharply cut off Maybell’s hesitation and snarled at Eupina.

“What? ‘This is all I have’? You’re worried? You think explaining why you bullied her changes anything? Anyone hearing you would think Maybell actually wronged you.”

“I… I just….”

Eupina faltered, lips trembling.

“You were the one who insulted her first. Don’t bring up pathetic excuses. If you hadn’t trapped Maybell in the first place, none of this would’ve happened.”

It was the plain truth, but Eupina refused to accept it.

“What do you know! Do you have any idea how it feels to always be compared—how much I…!”

“Then complain to the ones who compared you! Don’t take it out on someone innocent—!”

“Eek…!”

Jace’s forceful shout made her stumble backward.

Even the other children watching were frightened by his sheer anger.

“How would I know how hard you had it? If your past is unfair, blame your family—not Maybell!”

Drawing in a deep breath, Jace spoke with words dripping in self-hatred, almost as if to himself.

“Whatever your circumstances, once you’ve bullied someone, you’re the perpetrator. Don’t pretend to be unfortunate, don’t claim you had no choice. It’s disgusting.”

Memories flashed—being ignored at the academy, Count Jormun’s pressure, and how he had treated his friends like underlings.

The foolish boy who cursed and raised his fists, as if he were some kind of king.

Seeing Eupina now reminded him of his own shame, and he couldn’t let it stand.

Clicking his tongue harshly, Jace turned toward Maybell.

Then he grabbed her cheeks with both hands and pulled them up sharply.

The sound smack! echoed.

“You’re no different.”

“H-huh?”

“This is the problem with half-baked do-gooders. Why are you swaying because of her words?”

“I… I….”

“Why are you sympathizing with her? What’s the reason you came here?”

At those words, her vow not to disgrace her mother’s name flashed across Maybell’s mind.