Chapter 9
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
Dear, I believe you may be misunderstanding.
Episode 9
"You are nothing but property within this house. A commodity. An object Father will sell off when the time comes. That's all women are, isn't it?"
Norman Oellin muttered with venom dripping from his voice.
"Stop pretending to be human, Grace Oellin. You are not human. Why are you so audacious, born into that frail, worthless body? How infuriating."
No matter how filthy and harsh Norman's words became, Grace didn't flinch.
Rather, the longer he spoke, the more tedious I found him.
Grace closed her eyes slowly, then opened them, regarding Norman as if asking whether he had anything more to say.
That only provoked him further.
I wanted to crumple that serene face.
Crack!
"Look straight at me with those eyes of yours...!"
Unable to resist the impulse, Norman's hand struck Grace across the cheek.
Norman spoke with hatred lacing his voice.
"You, the daughter of a stepmother who crawled into this house—don't you dare think of taking even a shred of this family's wealth, Grace Oellin. Not even a speck of dust is wasted on you."
A tediously familiar pattern.
Pick a fight, strike, threaten.
Grace rubbed her burning cheek and spoke in a weary tone.
"How pathetic, Norman Oellin."
"...What?"
"A weak, contemptible creature who bartered away his humanity for mere pennies."
"...!"
"Petty-minded and small-souled. You know it yourself, don't you?"
Though her voice carried no profanity, merely calm and measured, Grace's words ignited Norman's fury.
"Argh! You wretched girl!"
He finally lost control and shoved her with his foot.
Pathetic, petty-minded, small-souled—these were Norman's vulnerabilities.
And Grace knew them better than anyone.
Thud!
Kicked by Norman's foot, Grace crumpled to the ground, clutching her aching stomach.
She bit her lip hard to stifle any sound of pain.
Julie rushed over in alarm.
"Oh no! Miss! Goodness, Young Master, please stop! If Miss collapses again and cannot attend any engagements, the Master will be furious!"
"Get out of the way! This girl needs discipline!"
"Oh dear! The Queen's reception is coming up soon! Miss has been invited, and if she cannot attend, what will happen? Please, I beg you, stop!"
Julie desperately blocked Grace, her hands clasped in supplication.
At the mention of the Queen's reception, Norman clenched his fists and held his breath.
Their father overlooked Norman's abuse and violence toward Grace, but if it caused her social calendar to be disrupted, he would rage like wildfire.
"You...! Both master and servant, equally insolent!"
Norman's fury finally turned toward Julie's cheek.
He struck Julie's cheek with all his might, then stormed out of the room with heavy, ragged breaths.
"Miss, are you alright? How could anyone strike a woman in her condition? He's truly despicable!"
Julie's voice trembled with tears as she spilled out harsh words, as though choking them down.
Ignoring the sting of her own cheek, Julie fussed only over Grace's face and abdomen—a sight that made Grace's expression turn apologetic.
"I'm sorry, Julie. It seems you were struck because of me."
"Don't say such things! That's not it at all! And I'm fine, Miss. I'm sturdy—I don't bruise easily. But you're different. Heavens, where on earth should one strike such a beautiful face?"
For Julie's sake, Grace forced herself to smile through the pain.
Had she crumbled at something so trivial, she would have dissolved into salt long ago.
"I'm fine too. I'll have a bruise or two, but that's all. More importantly—did you do what I asked?"
"Ah, yes. I did exactly as you instructed, Miss."
Julie quickly retrieved the small jeweled box she had placed beside Grace's vanity.
A single gem adorning the box's surface gleamed with brilliant light.
Grace asked Julie to bring cold compresses, then remained alone and gently pressed the gem on the box.
The jewel shifted through several colors, and then a sound leaked from within.
—*Click!*
—"You need to conduct yourself properly, you dissolute girl!"
It was Norman's voice from moments before, when he had torn the room apart.
A "recording stone"—obtained at an exorbitant price.
Artifacts left behind by ancient mages were costly and difficult to use, yet possessed such remarkable functions.
Grace caressed the gem gently until it glowed a deep crimson.
The flickering red light faded completely.
The sound had been recorded.
She swallowed a trembling breath, her voice hardening as she murmured.
"So I already told you not to strike me again, Norman."
Even a cornered mouse will bite.
And there exist humans who, bitten by such a small mouse, face irreversible ruin.
You don't seem to understand that, Norman.
* * *
Time moved slowly.
Lucas had spent the past week in a blur of activity, yet he found the coming week crawling toward him with agonizing lethargy.
Perhaps it was because he anticipated a particular day with such intensity.
And at last, the day Grace Oellin was to visit his Estate had arrived.
"Hmm."
'This is truly strange.'
Haem Demigrass, Lucas's adjutant, narrowed his eyes with suspicion as he observed his superior and master.
'The man who couldn't sit still all week, restless as a hungry puppy—why is he in such a splendid mood today?'
The only thing scheduled for today was an early departure followed by an evening dinner with Lady Grace Oellin.
'Surely our commander isn't actually looking forward to dinner?'
It seemed unlike a man who had always regarded women as mere stones in a mountain path.
Haem observed his master with eyes that mingled astonishment and delight.
Whisk! Tap! Whisk! Tap!
Those brisk fingers flipping through documents.
Even his hand as he reviewed and signed seemed to dance with unprecedented lightness.
His posture remained impeccable as always, his gaze unwavering, yet today his work efficiency was distinctly different.
His processing speed had accelerated to three or four times his usual pace.
'Remarkable—he's not spending more than ten seconds per page.'
Whisk, tap-tap, tap.
Had he maintained this speed in his ordinary work, Haem's overtime nights would have been cut in half.
Haem, wearing a subtle smile, ventured a comment.
"What time are you planning to leave today, sir? Your signature is moving so fast I can barely see it."
"Stop your chatter and focus, Haem."
"Hmm. If you worked this efficiently all the time, why don't you maintain this pace normally?"
"Would you prefer to stay behind and endure this tedious paperwork through the night?"
"Heavens, no! I intend to execute all of your duties flawlessly today and return safely to the Estate. Of course, escorting Miss Grace will be my responsibility as well."
At the mention of Grace's name, Lucas's gaze, which had been fixed upon the documents, flickered upward.
Haem quickly propped his chin in both hands and arranged his features into an innocent expression.
"After all, I am your capable subordinate, Haem Demigrass, am I not?"
Lucas's expression darkened considerably. He regarded Haem with a flat stare for a moment before returning his attention to the documents.
Seizing the opportunity, Haem quickly added:
"By the way, sir, what shall we prepare for flowers?"
...Flowers?
Lucas's pen, which had been moving with such vigor, came to an abrupt halt.
"Hmm, perhaps yellow lilies to symbolize the Oellin Family? Or those fashionable blue roses? Ah! And there are hyacinths in season right now, but still, yellow lilies would be more fitting, wouldn't they? To think the day has come when I prepare flowers for a Lady~! It's a marvel to behold. Hahahaha!"
Though delivered in a teasing tone, the words carried considerable weight.
Inviting a woman to his Estate for the first time, and he hadn't even prepared flowers in advance!
Lucas, startled, lifted his head with sudden gravity.
'What a careless oversight.'
Lucas rose abruptly from his seat with a grave expression, startling Haem, who quickly lowered the hand he'd been holding above his head.
'Did I scare him too much?'
Haem hastily retreated, raising his palms defensively above his head.
"I-I'll stop now!"
'Why does he keep fooling around when he's so easily frightened?'
Lucas shook his head with mild disapproval, casting a sidelong glance at Haem before passing by his desk and striding through the study with long, measured steps.
The study was so expansive that the temporarily placed desk barely seemed to encumber it.
He completed exactly three circuits around the room before coming to a halt.
It was difficult. Finding a flower that suited that woman was far too difficult.
As Lucas pondered what flower could be both elegant yet steadfast, delicate yet sensual, he suddenly looked up in alarm.
He pressed his deeply furrowed brow and muttered harshly to himself.
"This is insane."
Had I really just described Grace Oellin as elegant yet steadfast, delicate yet sensual?
How many times have I even seen her?
Lucas shook his head at his own absurdity, then returned to his desk and spoke in a deliberately subdued voice.
"Just pick any flower. They're all the same anyway."
"...Pardon? Any flower at all?"
"Yes."
He fixed his gaze back on the documents, clearly unwilling to dwell on the matter any longer.
Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—
His processing speed remained swift.
In fact, it seemed even faster than before.
'Hmm, that's strange. He seems to care about something...'
Haem observed Lucas for a moment, then shrugged and returned his attention to his own documents.
If that wasn't the case, then it wasn't—besides, his superior was far too terrifying to provoke further.
About ten minutes passed as they both focused on their respective paperwork.
Click!
Lucas's fountain pen settled precisely into its holder, and in the same instant, he rose sharply from his seat.
"Get up, Haem."
"Y-yes? W-why so suddenly?"
He strode toward the coat rack and pulled the bell cord to summon the butler.
"Prepare the carriage."
Haem was bewildered—they'd been working, and now he wanted to take a carriage somewhere?
As Haem stared in confusion, Lucas fixed him with a piercing gaze and gave a sharp nod.
It was a clear signal to get up and dress immediately.
"W-wait, sir. We were just working—where are we going all of a sudden?"
Haem hastily threw on his coat and followed Lucas out of the study, pressed forward by his superior's momentum.
Lucas descended the stairs at a brisk pace toward the butler, who stood ready with the carriage, and answered curtly.
"To buy flowers."
...Well, that's absurd.
You just said you'd disappear without a trace!
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org