Chapter 55
Count Green appeared, on the outside, to be a perfectly ordinary head of a noble family.
Ever since he began supporting the crown prince, he had always been quiet, reserved, a man of few words. Many people, influenced by the gentle Green sisters, carried the illusion that Count Green must also be a kind and decent man.
But according to Adella, Count Green was nothing like the rumors.
He was extremely conservative—and violent.
Whenever he was in a bad mood, he had a habit of hitting first.
Most of the victims were the servants working in the estate.
He especially didn’t tolerate anyone who annoyed him.
That included their mother and the Green sisters as well.
After the Green sisters’ mother passed away early, Count Green began using his two daughters.
“The only fortunate thing is that Father never laid a hand on us sisters… until recently, anyway. I only started getting slapped these days.”
Count Green played the role of a doting father to them.
He fed them well, dressed them well, educated them carefully—and always inspected everything himself.
On the outside, he probably appeared to be a loving father.
“When I was little, I thought Father was pulling himself together after Mother died. But one day, I realized there was a reason he treated us like this. He wanted to use us to raise the Green family’s standing in society.”
The Green sisters became famous for their beauty and intelligence.
People flocked to them, and the Green family began to gain attention.
Like the Allison family in the past, people began to revere the Greens.
Carefully crafted image-making made Count Green the rising star of the social world.
“Sometimes I wanted to escape, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it. Once I realized how calculating Father was, I became terrified.”
The only small act of rebellion Adella ever managed was sneaking out to ride horses fast enough to feel free.
Even that, her father eventually discovered.
The day he found out she had been sneaking off to ride alone,
Adella was slapped by him for the first time in her life.
Today was the second—because she had displeased him by being seen with me.
Only then did I understand.
Why Adella always seemed burdened when I saw her at the riding grounds.
Why she rode at uncontrollable speed, as if trying to escape something.
After Adella finished telling her story, Sophie and I looked at her.
Sophie spoke first.
“Arghhh, that greasy seaweed-haired bastard!”
Sophie roared, pulling at her hair.
“That slimy pond-scum-looking creep! Someone should dunk his head into a pot of soup and make toxic algae soup out of him—!”
“Calm down, Sophie.”
I soothed Sophie and turned to Adella.
“Adella, it must have been hard… thank you for telling us.”
“No,” Adella said with a faint laugh.
“I just… want to change. In any way I can.”
“……”
“I don’t want to live as Father’s puppet anymore. I’m exhausted.”
At that moment, bang bang bang—someone knocked loudly at the door. We all turned to the entrance in shock.
I signaled Sophie to take Adella into the bedroom and hide.
Then I approached the door and opened it. Standing outside was—
“Good to see you again, Lady Cassion—former Duchess of Hydrian.”
It was Count Green.
* * *
Even after the conflict earlier, Count Green looked completely unconcerned.
He even smiled leisurely. Disgusting man.
I asked, “What brings you here?”
“I’ve come to take my daughter.”
Just as expected—but I didn’t think he would personally come.
Realizing he was the type to take action when needed, I continued,
“I don’t know how you found my house, but Adella isn’t here.”
“You took her from the ballroom earlier, did you not?”
“I calmed her down and sent her off. I don’t know where she went afterward.”
Count Green gave a faint, mocking smile.
“You’re lying.”
“……”
I stayed silent. He sighed deeply, shoved a hand into his pocket, and looked at me.
“Do you know how I found out where the former Duchess of Hydrian—now Bennett—lives? I learned only today about your divorce and your living in the capital.”
… I understood what he meant.
Someone had followed me when I brought Adella here.
His snide emphasis on “former Duchess of Hydrian” irritated me, but I stayed silent.
He continued,
“The debutante ball has ended. His Majesty is furious. I don’t know whether it’s because of you or because of me…”
Muttering, he then spoke clearly,
“So now, I shall take my daughter home. Please step aside.”
“As I said,”
I opened my eyes wide and met his gaze.
“Adella isn’t here. That’s all I have to say.”
I didn’t want anything to do with him.
As I stared him down, he stared right back.
He sighed, smiling chillingly, and shook his head.
“…Very well.”
His eyes hardened.
He turned to the knights who had accompanied him.
“Search.”
And the house descended into chaos.
* * *
Adella hid in the wardrobe with Sophie, barely breathing.
She heard her father ordering the knights to search, and soon they burst into the room.
Through the crack in the wardrobe door, Adella saw them tearing the room apart on purpose.
Crashing vases, clothes flung everywhere—pure destruction.
She clenched her fists tightly.
This was Cassia’s house—someone who had helped her.
Yet it was being destroyed because of her.
Why can’t I do anything?
She was miserable. Because she was afraid of her father. Because facing him terrified her.
What was so scary about him…?
But she had lived her entire life under his control—brainwashed into obedience.
Anything Father didn’t approve of, she could not do.
From posture, to hobbies, to education—everything had to follow his taste.
Adella had always struggled with that.
She could have no hobbies, no career, no romance of her own.
Her marriage—her entire life—had already been chosen for her by him.
After reaching adulthood, she began to doubt everything she’d been taught.
She rebelled in tiny ways, but never in front of him. She always backed down.
She never stood up for her own life.
Are you going to do that again now?
It felt like a voice deep within her was shouting.
Wake up, Adella.
If not now, you’ll live the life Father chose for you forever.
Go.
Get out there.
Don’t tremble.
Face him.
And win.
Be brave.
As the knights entered the room and began their search, Adella threw open the wardrobe door.
Sophie gasped and tried to stop her, but the knights had already seen her.
Adella’s voice trembled as she spoke. Her heart pounded.
“Stop.”
Everyone froze.
The knights stepped back.
Adella looked around the wrecked room.
In the distance stood her father.
Adella stepped out slowly. Count Green simply watched her.
She walked all the way up to him. His tall figure towered over her.
“I’m not going.”
“……”
Count Green’s eyebrow twitched. For the first time, Adella looked directly into his eyes.
“I’m not going back home. Starting today, I’m becoming independent.”
“…What did you just say?”
He seemed calm but his eyebrows twitched again.
“I said I’m becoming independent. I don’t want to live by your rules anymore.”
It was the first time she had ever looked him straight in the eyes.
Her emotions surged—she felt she might cry.
She clenched her trembling fists and spoke.
“In all my life, I never once enjoyed the things you forced us to learn.”
She continued,
“I like horse riding. But you made me learn embroidery. I hate tedious parties. But you kept sending me to tea parties.”
She could say much more—days and years of life without “me,” only the puppet of Count Green.
“Not once—never once—did I feel good doing what you demanded. Was any of it truly for me?”
“……”
“I’m exhausted. I don’t want this life. There’s no meaning in it. So please allow me to live independently.”
Count Green only stared at her silently.
After a long time, he finally spoke.
“I never once said it was for you.”
He chuckled coldly.
“Everything was for me. And for the Green family.”
“……”
“To think a daughter of the Green family would question that… you must have been swayed by strange influences.”
Adella had spoken at length, but Count Green said only a few sentences. Then he continued,
“If you leave this house now—
you are no longer my daughter.”
“……!”
Adella’s eyes widened.
Behind him, Angela also stiffened in shock.
