CHAPTER 21
Countess Isollet hesitated for a moment at Eartis’ firm attitude, but eventually calmed her anger and subdued her divine power.
“I will try to persuade the Duke. Please trust me.”
Her eyes were filled with conviction that belied her young age, and Countess Isollet finally nodded.
As she left the office, she threw out the words she had long held back to the Duke, her voice hoarse.
“No matter how high your status, you cannot take away Lady Eartis’ future as a knight.”
The door shut heavily. Eartis now stood before a worried-looking butler and a cold, composed Duke.
It was the Duke who broke the silence first.
“Why didn’t you tell me you had talent in swordsmanship?”
“Because you were never curious.”
Not just about swords, but about me—nothing at all.
Eartis let the unspoken words drift into the air, now dull enough not to sting anymore.
“Please allow me to learn swordsmanship. I truly wish to become a knight, and for that, I must be admitted to Deltore.”
“What is your reason for lying like this?”
“What do you mean by that?”
Before she could fully respond, Kaidel’s sharp tone cut her off.
“Drop the nonsense about wanting to be a knight. That’s not who you are, and I know it’s a lie.”
The Duke dismissed her purpose as nothing more than a petty excuse.
“If a noble lady suddenly wants to go to a remote boarding school on the empire’s outskirts, then explain the real reason.”
Duke Kaidel pressed her with biting sarcasm. Eartis stared at him silently.
She had already thought of how she would convince him when she told the Countess she’d handle it herself.
‘I don’t like revealing my shame, but…’
Even if it wasn’t her fault that shame existed—something she’d long grown used to.
Suppressing the faint bitterness rising inside her, Eartis reached up and swept her long silver hair off her shoulder.
“….”
The butler, Mel, gasped sharply in horror. The Duke’s eyes, too, briefly flickered with surprise.
Unlike them, Eartis remained calm as she spoke slowly.
“Does this answer your question?”
As the silver hair fell away, a stark, bluish bruise was revealed on her pale shoulder.
“That injury—what happened?”
Mel was the first to step forward. His golden monocle gleamed as he stared at her shoulder, unable to look away. His aged face flushed with anger.
“Who did this to you, my lady?!”
Without waiting for permission, he used his gloved hands to gently pull aside more of her hair.
The bruise beneath the curtain of silver strands was clearly the result of a hard strike.
Mel’s steady hands began to tremble. The Duke, frozen, stared at Eartis’ shoulder. Mel spoke for him.
“To think someone dared to lay a hand on the young lady under this roof…”
Eartis calmly moved the butler’s hand away, offering no response.
“Who laid a hand on you?”
The Duke finally spoke after a long silence.
‘He sounds… as if he’s truly shocked.’
Eartis couldn’t understand it. Uncomfortable under his intense gaze, she looked away.
“I asked you—who was it?!”
His voice roared through the office like a storm. Eartis took a breath and answered.
“It was Arta.”
Mel swallowed hard again.
“Your former nursemaid?”
Duke Kaidel murmured the words in disbelief. It was more of a monologue than a question.
Eartis didn’t respond.
“Not just any maid or servant—but your nursemaid, the one who raised you?”
He remembered the calm expression she’d had when she requested Arta’s reassignment and a new maid. Even as a child, she had never made frivolous complaints or demands.
He hadn’t thought much of it at the time. He never imagined such a reason lay behind the request.
Eartis, on the other hand, found it odd. There was emotion in Kaidel’s voice that resembled anger.
‘Is this the leftover reaction of a would-be protector? Or just his pride being hurt for not noticing misconduct in his household?’
She briefly considered the possibility of something else, but discarded it. It didn’t matter anymore.
“Yes. Now you understand why I said I wanted to go to Deltore.”
Whether it was a nursemaid’s abuse or the Duke’s pride—what was done was done.
Now she had to use it to get what she wanted. There was no room to be picky about methods.
“I want to leave this estate. So please allow me to take swordsmanship lessons for the entrance exam.”
“You want to leave?”
“This place is no longer somewhere I can stay.”
The Duke stood, clearly ready to dismiss her demand outright, but Eartis pressed on firmly.
“If you agree to my request, I promise I won’t speak a word of this to anyone. I have no intention of damaging House Vellanel’s reputation.”
After all, to the outside world, she was still the Duke’s niece.
If it came to light that she had suffered this treatment at the hands of her own nursemaid, the scandal would be unavoidable.
High society thrived on gossip, and House Vellanel was always at its center.
Not even they could avoid the fallout from such news.
“That’s not what matters right now!”
His voice, low but seething, cut through the air like a blade.
“I don’t understand why you’re angry, Duke.”
At those calm words, his expression froze, as though stunned. The magic power that had filled the room also subsided.
Eartis seized the opportunity to press again.
“I really won’t tell anyone. I promise. If you allow me to learn swordsmanship, I’ll act as if none of this ever happened. I won’t bring shame to your house.”
Her offer was entirely sincere.
Though the expressions on the Duke and Mel grew more complicated with every word she said, Eartis didn’t notice.
She never wanted an apology. Or regret.
“So please, allow Countess Isollet to become my teacher.”
Let me become a knight—please.
That same afternoon, Arta was expelled from the mansion.
“I’m so sorry, my lady. I have no excuse.”
With a sorrowful expression, the butler personally escorted Eartis to her room.
When Arta entered, intending to vent her usual anger, she was instead met with Mel’s furious gaze.
“W-what brings you to this room, sir…?”
Arta tried to feign innocence, but her pale face gave her away.
When her eyes met Mel’s accusing ones, she gripped her apron tightly, a silent confession.
She was soon restrained by the estate’s guards.
“I didn’t hit her! It wasn’t me!”
Child abuse was severely punished in the Empire, and Arta knew it. She tried to deny her actions, but it was useless.
“My lady doesn’t need to explain a thing. I will handle it myself.”
Mel’s sharp, steel-gray eyes glinted behind his glasses. Arta opened her mouth to protest, but Mel had already made up his mind to disregard her excuses entirely.
Realizing that, Arta crumbled to the floor.
“I’m sorry! Please forgive me! I didn’t mean to!”
“You didn’t mean to? Then what—your hand just hit her on its own?”
She shook like someone dunked in icy water. She’d worked here a long time—long enough to know Mel was as fierce as the Duke himself.
“Sometimes children need discipline, and—”
“Discipline? Who do you think you are?”
Mel cut her off sharply.
“The Duke’s house hired you to protect and care for the young lady—not to abuse her under the guise of ‘discipline.’”
Arta could only gasp, unable to speak.
“There will be a formal investigation and dismissal procedures.”
Arta’s eyes widened in horror.
“An investigation?!”
“What, did you think you could commit this crime and just walk away from the Duke’s estate?”
Mel turned from her. Returning to his calm demeanor, he faced Eartis.
“The rest of the inquiry will be conducted elsewhere, my lady.”
As he bowed, his eyes fell once again on her bruised shoulder, and he clenched his jaw.
“I deeply regret that we only just learned of this. The Duke is devastated. He said he will handle the matter personally.”
Mel was heavy with guilt.
“This is my failure. I am truly sorry, my lady.”
But Eartis didn’t blame him.
Arta had always pretended to be caring in front of others while abusing her in private—skipping meals, using cruel words, striking only in hidden places.
Still, no one, not even the butler, had noticed—because the Duke never paid attention.
As Eartis grew up like a ghost in her own home, the Duke never once looked for her, as if denying her existence altogether.
Eventually, she stopped leaving her room, like a trapped animal.
Without the Duke’s interest, none of the servants dared interfere. She was forgotten.
So she didn’t respond to Mel’s apology—just nodded slightly and turned away.
‘Now I can finally rest in my room.’
No strong emotions. Just that.
“I’m sorry! Please forgive me, Lady Eartis!”
Arta screamed desperately as Eartis turned her back. Of course, Eartis didn’t answer.
‘Once the investigation begins, Arta’s past actions will all come to light. It’s just a matter of time.’
Today’s bruise came from a thrown hairbrush. But that was only the tip of the iceberg.
‘It’s been going on for fourteen years.’
Fourteen years of abuse—Arta was sure to face a punishment she couldn’t endure. She knew it too.
“Please, Lady Eartis!”
That’s why she was so desperate.
Her screams echoed through the halls. Eartis turned slowly.
“‘Lady’? That sounds strange coming from you.”
Arta had never once called her that before.
Arta’s face crumpled in hopeless despair.
“Get up now!”
At Mel’s shout, the guards hoisted Arta up roughly. She screamed even more.
“I’ll never do it again! Please forgive me!”
But Eartis remained silent until her pleas were silenced.
After both Vivian and Arta were removed, the other servants’ attitudes changed completely.
No more whispers or hidden gossip when Eartis walked by. Kassy said it was refreshing.
“They all woke up fast after seeing what happened to Vivian and Arta. Honestly, it was chaos before!”
Kassy chattered cheerfully as she entered the room, carrying a large box.
“Even Tanya’s been quiet lately. Hardly leaves her room. Bet she’s busy trying to keep her daughter out of prison!”
“What’s that?”
Eartis asked, pointing to the large box. Kassy beamed.
“It’s your training uniform, sent by Countess Mercedes Isollet!”
