Chapter 22.1

“What was the Marquis trying to do to you?”

“…now.”

My voice sank heavily. I barely managed to lift my stiff body and glared at Curtis.

“Why do you ask me that now?”

It was what Edith wanted to say for a long time. I smiled and let it out my mouth.

“You’ve never been curious.”

He never trusted me or asked what was bothering me.

Edith wanted to burst into tears in anger, but her pride refused to show emotions.

“Is the Marquis bothering you?”

Curtis opened his mouth hesitantly, looking down at my face thinking I was about to cry.

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

‘Edith did, you son of a bitch.’

I laughed in vain at his reproachful tone. No, I tried to smile, but a dry smile spread across my lips.

“If that is the case, I can take you to Caballero.”

“You can take me to ‘maybe’,” I shot him sharply, shaking him off as he tried to help me. “Ha! That’s a great favor, Your Highness.”

The Grand Duke was just as much of a cushion of thorns to Edith as the Marquis. In a world where she was a villainess, she wasn’t welcomed anywhere.

I began to understand why she slowly turned mad, and why she’d tried to get out of her own world.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t need it.”

Curtis’ arm, which was in the air at my firm refusal, trembled. I looked at him with unbothered eyes and moved slowly.

“At the very least I don’t want your help.”

Barely recovering from my abnormal condition, I passed Curtis and left the study.

RING!

A message popped out that his karma was almost full, but I didn’t even want to check.

* * *

I came out to the gardens to avoid people’s eyes and sat down in front of the fountain letting out a long and exhausted sigh.

‘…what do I do now?’

I yelled loudly at Curtis, but I didn’t even have the courage to return to the mansion. If the Marquis caught me again, there won’t be anything left of Edith’s mental strength.

‘I don’t think I can stay in the Marquis’ mansion in this situation.’

My current employer was Lirina, but even if I tried to hide under her skirt, in the end Marquis Abina was the owner of the mansion. Lirina would have no choice but to have me surrendered if the Marquis asked her to.

“I don’t want to live this sad life anymore.”

Why are all fathers like this? I felt sorry for Edith to the point I was suffocated with pity.

Edith’s father – I didn’t even want to call him his father – he wasn’t even much of a Marquis in any way. But when I think of my biological father, who might as well be trash, my teeth gnashed.

“Hello, my lady.”

A long shadow fell over me and hit the well-polished marble fountain. Despite the familiar voice, I was still caught by surprise.

“…Ares?”

He wasn’t someone you’d meet in this place. Valérez’s appearance was in the Duchy of Toledo in the south, the entertainment district of the imperial capital, and the plaza.

“You are here.”

He smiled as if he couldn’t believe he was looking at me. My usually warm face looked a little cold, so he put his hands over my cheeks.

“My lady, are you from the Marquis of Abina?”

Valérez hated the Marquis of Abina. I was Edith Abina, the eldest daughter of the Marquis of Abina, whom he professed his hatred for.

“You didn’t tell me where you lived, so you tricked me after all.”

Somehow, that fact felt very sad. I finally burst into tears in front of Ares who criticized me.

“…why are you crying all of a sudden?”

He strode forward and knelt in front of me.

“My lady, why are you crying?”

I couldn’t answer his question easily and just held my breath. His handsome face was all a blur as my eyes were full of tears.

“Do you think I wouldn’t argue with you if you cry like that?”

“Huuu!”

“…No, I’m sorry. I won’t argue. Please don’t cry.”

“I-I, huu, ukkk, here, ukkk, live, buy, huuu…!”

Embarrassed, Valérez tried to apologize several times to appease me, but my tears flooded and never stopped.

“I want to live, I want to, huuu, I want to live, I want to…!”

I wasn’t living here because I wanted to!

I didn’t want to live under the same roof with a dirty stepfather and a step sister who grumbled whenever she saw me.