Chapter 4
Duke Elionne’s eyes turned cold, twisting his lips into a mocking smirk.
“So? Did it feel that satisfying to crush someone with your status?”
Sertia retorted at once.
“Please phrase it correctly. It wasn’t status, but power that I used to suppress them. You saw it with your own eyes this morning.”
Duke Elionne responded indifferently.
“Magic—what’s the big deal?”
The reason he hadn’t been particularly shocked by her use of magic was simple—Duke Elionne already knew that Sertia was a mage.
Ha. Her lips trembled as if they were having a spasm. She wanted nothing more than to storm out of the office, but she held herself back. She wasn’t yet prepared to face the consequences that would follow.
“…So you already knew.”
“It’s not hard to figure out. I have some talent myself. But don’t be so full of yourself. The reason the Elionne family exists today is because the first duke performed heroic feats as a mage.”
It was a warning not to get arrogant about her abilities.
Sertia placed a hand on her forehead and let out a light laugh—a laugh that teetered on the edge of instability.
She realized, once again, just how little she knew about the history of the Elionne family.
No—more accurately, it was impossible for her to have known.
Just as Duke Elionne had been indifferent toward her, her tutors had shown little enthusiasm in educating her, the one who was not the heir to the family. She hadn’t received a proper education in anything, let alone the history of House Elionne. Other than what she had studied on her own, her knowledge was severely lacking.
The only saving grace was that the subjects she had taken an interest in—business management, accounting, and market trends—were all crucial for running a business.
Wait.
If she used her past knowledge as a stepping stone to generate the funds she needed for her long-desired independence through her workshop…
She couldn’t perfectly replicate the products that had once taken the market by storm, but there was still hope.
She did feel a pang of guilt at the thought of borrowing someone else’s idea, but in this life, she had to be selfish.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t even be able to breathe.
“In that case, this conversation just became easier. You showed such disrespect to me, the blood of House Elionne that the first duke brought honor to. That punishment was only natural—assuming, of course, that I truly am Lady Elionne.”
Sertia’s posture was upright, her body unwavering. But her voice carried traces of emotion.
In truth, the fury of the past kept welling up inside her, forcing tears to the surface again and again. She had to choke them back, and it felt like agony.
That’s why, at this moment, she decided to be honest.
Facing Duke Elionne felt especially unbearable today. His cold words and unfeeling actions made her feel as though she were being suffocated, dragged into the depths of despair.
A sudden wave of dizziness made Sertia sway slightly, and in that moment, Duke Elionne finally lost control of his pent-up anger.
“You dare say that?! Do you know whose sacrifice allowed you to be born into this family—”
Realizing too late that he had gone too far, he cut himself off and covered his face with both hands, rubbing it dryly.
But that only pushed Sertia over the edge. She could no longer hold back her fury.
“Hah! How much longer are you going to keep saying that?”
“What did you just—?!”
Duke Elionne froze when he met Sertia’s unstable eyes. Though his silence seemed like restraint, his gaze was filled with contempt.
“What exactly did I do wrong? Being born into this family? Killing my mother? Oh, no—stealing away the precious heir’s mother?”
In the end, tears of bitterness rolled down Sertia’s face.
“You seem to be under a grave misunderstanding—I didn’t choose any of this. Not even my own parents.”
“……”
“If you miss her so much, why don’t you just kill me and bring Mother back? I’d gladly die by your hands.”
Wasn’t it truly ridiculous?
All she had ever wanted was a warm gaze.
And yet, how was that so impossible to receive?
Now, she could finally say it—after returning to the past, she had repeatedly debated whether to end her life. She had even pressed a blade to her own throat, only realizing what a foolish act it was at the last moment.
“You… Do you even realize what you’re saying?”
“Yes.”
Duke Elionne remained silent for a moment before speaking with a grave expression.
“Have you… even once… felt grateful to your mother?”
Sertia let out a heavy sigh, her face filled with resignation. That sigh carried a sorrow that was impossible to fully grasp.
“…Why would I?”
“…What?”
“Why would I have to?”
Though her words came out harsher than she intended, her eyelids trembled slightly as she lowered them.
In truth, she was deeply grateful to her mother.
Her mother had died bringing her into this world—how could she not be grateful? If it were possible to save her mother, she would gladly give up her own life.
“Sertia!”
Duke Elionne’s voice, filled with anger, rang out as the veins in his neck bulged.
“You dare—how dare you say such things—”
“Just be honest, Your Grace.”
“Silence that mouth of yours!”
“You see my mother in me, and that’s why you hate me so much, isn’t it?”
“Sertia…!!!”
The objects cluttering the desk crashed to the floor with a loud bang.
Cups shattered, parchment scattered in all directions, and ink splattered across the room, dripping darkly onto the floor.
Sertia stared blankly at the mess before letting out a bitter laugh.
“It’s really strange, isn’t it? My hair and eye color are identical to yours, but my features are the spitting image of my mother’s. If not for that… how different would my fate have been?”
Then—
BANG.
A deafening noise shook the office.
Duke Elionne, having reached his breaking point, had hurled a book in his hand.
“…Ah.”
Blood dripped from Sertia’s jaw where the book had struck her. She let out a quiet groan of pain and wiped the trickling blood with the back of her hand.
The crimson stood out starkly.
“…Ha.”
Ha. Ha.
At first, she let out small scoffs, but soon, she broke into a full, despairing wail.
Then, she swept her hair back and murmured quietly.
“This is the worst.”
She bolted out of the office.
Alec, who had been waiting outside, looked shocked and tried to stop her, but she was already gone.
Left alone, Duke Elionne’s pupils trembled violently.
Late at Night
Unable to sleep, Sertia sat on the balcony floor, staring blankly at the mansion’s front yard. She let out a deep sigh.
As the intensity of her emotions slowly subsided, regret crept in.
She had let everything pour out all at once, and strangely enough, that brought her relief.
But now, her future seemed uncertain.
She had burned bridges with Duke Elionne. She needed to leave the mansion as soon as possible.
Yet, with the money she had… it was impossible. She couldn’t even afford a house on the outskirts, let alone in the capital.
She needed to establish her workshop and secure the funds for independence.
And—
She needed someone to protect her.
If Duke Elionne suddenly changed his mind and forced a marriage, all her plans would be for nothing.
‘What should I do?’
If she had a close friend, she would have begged for help. But as things stood, she had no one.
Except for Anna.
Was there really no way…?
The more she thought about it, the clearer the answer became—begging Duke Elionne for mercy would be the fastest solution. A temporary truce.
“…Ugh, I should’ve just held back.”
She grabbed her hair in frustration. Sometimes, this actually helped her think.
Someone to ask for help… Someone…
And then—
“Wait.”
A thought struck her.
The one person who could hold power over House Elionne.
Duke Dicaterion.
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