ITETP Chapter 5

Dana picked up the vase on the nightstand, which happened to have forget-me-nots that matched Allice well. Holding the vase, she walked toward Allice with deliberate steps.

 

“Allice Windsor, aren’t your knees sore?”

 

“Huh?”

 

“You’ve been crying so loudly from that position for a while now. Isn’t your throat sore?”

 

“Si-Sister? Are you worried about me?” Allice smiled brightly, and her eyes sparkled. “Thank you, Sister. I knew you would—”

 

The next moment, Dana poured the water from the vase onto Allice’s head, still with a smile on her face. Splash. The clear liquid drenched Allice’s head, and the flowers scattered.

 

Allice looked up at her, utterly stunned, as though unable to believe what just happened.

 

“Sister… did you just…?”

 

Drip. As the last drop fell, Allice’s lips trembled. “H-How could you do this to me, Sister?”

 

“You’re one to talk.” Dana tilted her head. “Allice, how could you do such a thing to me?”

 

Allice looked up at her with teary eyes filled with sorrow. “I-I-I didn’t want to hurt you, Sister. But love isn’t something you can control!’

 

“I feel the same.” Dana smoothly replied and grabbed Allice’s hair.

 

“Ack! Si-Sister?!”

 

“I feel the same, Allice. I don’t want to hurt you. But anger isn’t something you can control, right?” I said, glancing at the door.

 

Why haven’t they come yet? Just as Dana thought it was time for them to arrive. Stomp, stomp, stomp! The sound of urgent footsteps began to approach. Finally, they’re coming.

 

Dana raised her hand with a calm face, and then. Slap—! She slapped Allice across the face.

 

“Kyaa!”

 

At that exact moment, the door burst open.

 

“What are you doing?!”

 

A man with statuesque platinum blond hair, Danae’s uncle, Carl Windsor, burst in.

 

“A-Allice! Oh god, how could you do such a thing?!”

 

Followed by Danae’s aunt, Sandra, who also rushed in.

 

Dana greeted them with a smile. “Uncle, Aunt. You two are here. Good morning.” While gripping Allice’s hair. “Have you had breakfast?”

 

“Kyaa!”

 

A scream burst out from Allice. Then Sandra shouted, turning pale. “Let go of my daughter’s hair right now!”

 

“Yes.” Dana let go obediently, and Allice burst into tears and ran into Sandra’s arms.

 

“Sob, sob, Mom, Dad.”

 

Dana quietly observed the scene. She didn’t particularly like violence; in fact, she despised it. But…

 

These two had to see this scene.

 

Dana had thought they would come. Because Allice had been crying so loudly in my room as soon as she had entered. Someone among the servants would have gone to tell them. But she didn’t expect them to come this late.

 

“You!” Sandra shouted, her eyes flipped in rage. “Are you insane, Danae!”

 

“The insane one is your daughter, Aunt.”

 

“What?”

 

“If she wasn’t insane, why would she hide naked under my fiancé’s desk?”

 

Sandra stared at Dana with a dumbfounded face.

 

Danae is always smiling, kind, and gentle. That kind Danae would never say such a thing…

 

“Dana, it looks like you’ve lost your mind.” Then, Carl Windsor’s voice, filled with anger, was heard. “To engage in such vulgar behavior. I can’t believe it.”

 

Dana held back a laugh.

 

So he had such an expression too. It was the first time Carl looked at her with such eyes. Why wouldn’t he? He had never frowned at Dana before. He had always been gentle and kind.

 

Well, this is what I wanted by showing him the scene of me slapping Allice on purpose. Hoping that Carl would get angry at her.

 

“That’s too much.”

 

Because it would be an excuse for her to get angry.

 

“Uncle may be Allice’s father, but you’re also my guardian.”

 

Guardian. At that word, Carl Windsor’s expression hardened.

 

Dana expressed her grievance with the saddest face she could muster. “I thought that when I was treated unfairly, Uncle would share my anger. Because Uncle is my guardian.”

 

Carl Windsor’s anger seemed to dissipate completely at those words. In the past, Dana would have thought that his anger subsided because he sympathized with her…

 

“If you don’t stand by me even in this situation, then what’s the use of me having a guardian?”

 

“…!”

 

“Are you still my guardian?”

 

Now she knew. How desperate he was to maintain his position as guardian.

 

Watching Carl Windsor’s frozen face, Dana swallowed her laughter. What will you do, Carl Windsor?

 

She humiliated and insulted his daughter in front of him. If he took Danna’s side now… You’ll become a pathetic father. An incompetent husband and father who couldn’t protect his own daughter.

 

But if he took side against her… You’ll lose your position as my guardian. And thus, he would have no chance to inherit Danae’s wealth, the role of patriarch.

 

Which would Carl Windsor choose? Dana waited with glee. Whichever side he chose, it would be the beginning of Carl Windsor’s downfall. He was a man who must be brought to his knees. Because only then can I obtain the holy relic.

 

Dana looked at Carl. More precisely, she observed the ring on his left middle finger. A large amber-colored gemstone ring, a heirloom of the Windsor family, passed down to the deputy head of the family. And… That’s the holy relic.

 

Carl Windsor had never taken off the ring since becoming the deputy head of the family. Unknown to anyone, that was the holy relic. The very item that would help Dana return to her world. And she intended to take it. Even if it meant cutting off Carl’s finger.

 

“…Dana.” After a tense silence, Carl spoke, seemingly having made a decision. “It seems there’s been a misunderstanding.”

 

And then he laughed. As always, like a caring uncle

 

“I didn’t mean it in that way.”

 

“…!”

 

At that moment, a shock like lightning passed through Allice’s eyes. Sandra felt the same.

 

Ignoring his daughter and wife, Carl soothed Dana. “Don’t misunderstand. It saddens me that you would say such a thing.”

 

“Misunderstand? Allice has deceived me, Uncle.”

 

“Yes, yes, Allice was wrong. I’ll scold her well, okay?” Carl hugged Dana and patted her shoulder. “You’re very upset, aren’t you? Let’s calm down.”

 

“…”

 

“I’ll take care of scolding Allice, okay?”

 

While embraced by him, Dana stared sharply at Allice and her aunt. They were trembling with a sense of betrayal. Although she wanted to laugh, she held it down, pretending to be angry, and pushed Carl away.

 

“No, do you think scolding is enough?”

 

“Dana.”

 

“Allice doesn’t even know what she did wrong. So,” Dana looked at Allice’s utterly bewildered face and said, “I think we need to follow the traditional disciplinary methods of the Windsor family.”

 

“…!”

 

The deep-rooted military tradition of Windsor. That was corporal punishment.

 

To discipline Allice corporally? Carl’s gaze shook violently. To discipline his beloved youngest? His daughter, whom he had cherished and raised with care?

 

“You need to show Allice that this was wrong, Uncle. For her sake.”

 

“…”

 

“Uncle, you are Allice’s father… and also my guardian, right?”

 

Yes, guardian. Carl swallowed hard. I’m her guardian. The guardian who, in just a year, would become the first line for her inheritance…

 

Carl closed his eyes. And after a moment. “…You there, bring the cane.”

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