chapter 10
It was actually something that happened fairly often. Sometimes she got beaten, sometimes her money was taken. Of course, this time was a bit different, but it wasn’t as if the things she mentioned never happened.
However, as she grew older and experienced more, she didn’t just take it lying down anymore.
“I may have lost some things when I was younger, but later on, I hardly lost anything at all.”
After her older sisters’ debut tantrum incident, she desperately fought to save money and leave the house as quickly as possible.
In urgent situations, she would grab sticks or rocks and attack, and if that didn’t work, she’d scream at the top of her lungs like Daisy.
It didn’t make her win, but she could scare off a mad dog enough to make it run away.
Some might scoff, but at the time, that was the best Serena could do.
Having endured this until she was eighteen, she held a certain pride.
“I don’t want to go through that again, though…”
As Serena finished recalling her past, Harpe immediately interrupted, furrowing his brow as if something didn’t make sense.
“…50 gold? What are you talking about? The money you were supposed to receive each month was 500 gold. And sometimes it wasn’t enough, so they’d even come to take more, like today.”
Five hundred gold?
It was an amount she had never even seen, and the thought made her blood boil.
This wasn’t just a joke—it was money they were playing with—and it made her furious.
“Are you kidding me? If I’d been getting that much every month, would I be wearing these rags? I could’ve bought at least some other shabby clothes.”
She didn’t want to talk about her clothes anymore, but she couldn’t think of a better way to prove how poor she had been.
Fortunately—or unfortunately—Harpe merely scanned her tattered appearance and smirked, without refuting her.
Instead, he revealed something that explained why their conversation had gone off-track, and it was astonishing.
“In heir training, we learn where and how money is spent, and it clearly said that your family was to receive 500 gold each month. I even saw it in person. That was part of the lesson, after all. And it was something I’d have to handle later myself.”
He spoke smoothly, and it didn’t sound like he was lying.
As Serena listened silently, Harpe’s eyes narrowed.
“But… have you ever actually seen it? Your father receiving the money? Even when other family members came along, he always took it himself, right? From what I saw, he always came to the study alone to collect it.”
Of course. Regardless of capability, her father was the head of the household. He had grown up here and, in any case, was the eldest son of the current Count of Roselantis.
It made no sense for the wife or children to come to the study to collect money.
Waiting for things to end like today, while eating or taking a walk, was the appropriate thing to do.
“No way…”
So she had never doubted it. She had never imagined that the amount he gave them could be falsified.
It was strange, admittedly, that the eldest son of such a prominent family would only provide 50 gold for monthly expenses. It wasn’t a trivial amount, but it was insufficient to live as a noble.
“I thought maybe he was giving less on purpose because he kept spending unnecessarily…”
But it turned out he received 500 gold each month and skimmed off 450! On top of that, he even took an extra 25 gold and, not satisfied, stole even the meager remaining funds meant for food to gamble them away!
It was unbelievable. No, she didn’t want to believe it. How could a man with a wife and four children do such a thing?
Yet Serena soon thought that it could be her father.
He was that kind of man.
Someone who would steal the money meant for immediate needs without a second thought and use his children as shields without hesitation.
“Maybe the reason the living expenses kept decreasing after today was because of my father’s unilateral actions…?”
The cause wasn’t the fights reducing their funds, but the fact that the family no longer went to the main house, allowing him to lie and embezzle money freely.
“That’s why he hesitated even when I said I’d take the beating instead. He feared that his misappropriation might be discovered because of me.”
Thinking this way, everything fell into place.
The parts that had always felt strange and unsettling were now neatly explained.
“…My father isn’t even human.”
A beast. No, even lower than a beast. At least beasts take care of their offspring.
“Fortunately, you’re not as dumb as Caroline or Daisy. At least you can understand when I explain. Those two always attacked with all their might. I was just stating the facts.”
Harpe mocked Serena mercilessly as her face turned icy.
Finally, Serena understood why her sisters cried every time they returned from the main house.
“My sisters were so proud and cruel…”
It wasn’t because of a simple prank. He had probably dug into their tender spots with a metaphorical crowbar, hurting them deeply. They couldn’t help but cry.
Even though Serena had endured much and was proud of herself, realizing that it all stemmed from her father’s greed brought tears to her eyes.
She bit her lip tightly.
“What? Are you crying?”
She wasn’t sure if he was concerned or not, but she didn’t want to show weakness to the one who had hurt her.
Slap!
She struck her own unbruised left cheek. The tears disappeared.
“I’m not crying.”
At least, she wouldn’t cry in front of him.
Harpe blinked at her brave display. Carlos touched his forehead.
“Can… can you stop hitting yourself?”
“This wakes you up fastest.”
“But it still hurts.”
Carlos sighed. He looked concerned, but Serena was firm.
“It hurts, so it wakes me up.”
She had to stay alert to survive. In her past life, she had died engulfed in flames because she hadn’t stayed aware.
“If I had just kept my wits back then, I wouldn’t be in this situation now…”
Serena’s gaze moved to Harpe’s hand, which still held their great-grandmother’s documents.
“Should I take that? He found it first, didn’t he?”
Even now he held it—was it okay to take it? Or should he keep it?
Feeling as if she were stealing, Serena hesitated, and Carlos noticed. He took the documents from Harpe without a word.
Harpe stared at him in disbelief.
“Take it and ask for it immediately.”
Carlos didn’t care and handed the documents to Serena.
Though she longed to grab them, Serena asked Harpe tentatively, just in case.
“Don’t you want this? It originally belonged to your house. I just found it by chance. Shouldn’t you have it?”
Harpe frowned.
“What would I do with that trash?”
“Trash… Isn’t that harsh? Then what about me? Am I allowed to have trash?”
“It’s trash to me, but not to you. Can you afford to be picky? Even if it’s trash, don’t expect to take it gratefully.”
Harpe laughed at her as if hearing nonsense.
“He’s right, but does he have to phrase it like that?”
He even scrutinized her from head to toe. Since her clothes were shabby, Serena shrank instinctively.
The only fortunate thing was that Harpe’s rude mouth made her feel no remorse.
Gripping the documents, Serena glared at Harpe.
“Don’t talk back later.”
“I wouldn’t take it anyway.”
Feigning bravado, Serena marched boldly toward the library entrance.
She didn’t know how useless this land was, but she vowed to survive, eat well, and live well no matter what.
As she prepared to leave the library with a swelling heart, she realized one problem and stopped abruptly.
Serena slowly turned to the two boys.
“…Do you know where the dining hall is? Is it far? I’m not asking you to take me there, just to point me in the right direction…”
Having arrived in a rush following the light, she had no idea where she was.
Trying to hide her embarrassment, she asked. The boys stared at her briefly.
When she awkwardly smiled, asking for help, Harpe flopped onto a nearby sofa.
“Hey! You take her. I’m tired and want to sleep.”
“No, just tell me the way. I can manage.”
She walked three hours daily round-trip, so this was easy.
Though she didn’t remember the way she came, she could manage if shown the direction.
Carlos followed her.
“I have some business nearby. Let’s go partway together.”
“Oh? Okay…? Thanks.”
Serena nodded, and Carlos lightly pushed her back.
Harpe watched the two leave the library and muttered to himself with a scowl.
“Did he really mean he’d take her? Why that tone? Ugh… gross.”
Shaking his head, Harpe stood up and, as usual, went to a sunny spot to start reading.
