C35
Countess Wallace took a deep breath to control her anger after shouting.
"Countess..."
Leandro, who was about to say something in response to my statement, looked at her in surprise. He was taken aback to see her cursing since she had always had a calm and decent image.
"How often does she verbally abuse her daughter?"
Will her true intentions be revealed in this short period of time? This also meant that the daughter's declaration of isolation was absolutely unacceptable to the countess.
Countess Wallace smiled awkwardly and waved her fan.
"I'm sorry, young duke. I got so angry for a moment that I showed a shameful side..."
"No. There's no need to apologize to me."
"If you don't mind, could you leave me alone with my daughter? I want to have an honest conversation between mother and daughter."
It's funny. You want to scold me while Leandro isn't here.
"Of course. I hope you can reason with my wife."
"Yes, of course. Our Ethel is a good girl by nature and very devoted to her parents."
Her gaze shifted down in a pitiful gesture.
"She's probably a little angry right now. I made a big mistake in the past."
Tears could even be seen.
"Well, it's all my fault. I hope this girl accepts my apologies."
Leandro, who was deceived by her outstanding acting skills, comforted the countess like a gentleman.
"Don't worry too much. My wife will soon realize her mistake and regret it."
"Thank you for your words."
"I will withdraw now."
Leandro left the room after giving me a long look.
Countess Wallace's next target was Vinetta.
"Please leave as well."
"It's impossible. I am ordered to stay by Ethel's side no matter what."
"Can I ask you to please? I want to spend time with my daughter."
Vinetta was as strong as a mountain even in the face of the countess's tears.
"It's not possible."
There was no change in her expression.
The corner of her mouth twisted slightly, but the countess sat without urging her again. At that moment, someone caught her attention.
"Mmm? Who is that?"
The servant behind me shrugged in surprise.
"I'm here as the errand boy."
"Errand boy? How long have you been there?"
"... I've been here for a while."
Yes. I used to work in the office and was the errand boy Sharon assigned to me before coming here.
"If something happens there, send Robbie here. He's more agile than he looks and very invisible to people."
As she said, Robbie, who made a small and blurry impression, had a light presence. Although he was always by our side, the Countess didn't even notice his presence.
"Anyway, could you leave?"
Robbie asked me.
"... Should I leave?"
"It's okay. Stay here."
"Yes, yes!"
At that moment, Countess Wallace gritted her teeth. However, she managed to maintain her composure and pointed to the table filled with sumptuous food.
"Anyway, sit down, Ethel. I want to see you eat to your heart's content."
She didn't forget to add a gloomy comment.
"I wanted to do it myself, but I couldn't."
It was so absurd that I burst out laughing.
Since Ethel could cook, she rarely entered the kitchen.
"Yes, there were occasions when she did something, like a bean sprouting during a drought."
At that time, Ethel was very excited and wrote a long diary about it, so I found out.
"Today my mother baked cookies. And she gave me an extra one without my little brother knowing!"
Ethel was a girl who cried and laughed over a single cookie, even though she was openly discriminated against. With that cookie, she pledged to be better to her mother.
"So maybe she loves me as much as my little brother."
Maybe that's why only Countess Wallace came here?
Unlike the other two who mistreated Ethel, she used sticks and carrots.
She generally beat her with a whip, but on rare occasions, she showed kindness as if on a whim. Then, Ethel would regain hope thanks to that small act of kindness.
"In reality, my mother loves me too. If I try a little harder, she'll look at me."
She believed foolishly.
I also received the kindness of the Countess during the time I was in that house.
This was my impression from a third-party perspective.
"Why are you being so condescending with just this? What do you want with me now?"
It was so insignificant. Ethel's joy.
I looked at the woman who had been taking advantage of her daughter for such a low price.
I didn't know that maybe this person had her own circumstances. She always complained to Ethel about her patriarchal husband and her arrogant son. She whispered that only she could be her strength.
I think it's a ridiculous excuse, but it could be different if I were in her place.
But Ethel, who had tried to understand her mother as best she could, had disappeared.
I am not this person's daughter.
"I have no desire to eat with you. If that's all you have to say, I'll leave."
"Don't do that, alright?"
"Come on. Vinetta, Robbie."
"Ethel? Just wait... I told you to stop! Ethel Wallace!"
When I turned around, I saw a middle-aged woman with a devilish expression on her face, huffing.
"You bold brat! Do you think you shouldn't listen to me just because you married Cassius?"
This felt much more familiar to me.
"This should be enough," I thought.
I looked at Robbie. Robbie nodded and silently headed for the door.
While Countess Wallace and Leandro were in the middle of a conversation, I gave Robbie instructions.
"I asked if you would come or not. Your arrogance seems to be through the roof!"
The Countess didn't seem to notice Robbie's movements at all, but I responded appropriately to divert her attention.
"It's absurd. Why are you acting so indulgent?"
"What? I fed you, put you to sleep, and dressed you!"
"That's the minimum you should do as a mother. You didn't even do it properly."
"What didn't I do?"
"The household chores. Why should I be the only one doing them?"
"Huh. Are you still talking about that? I expected you to have grown a bit after getting married. I explained it to you clearly back then, and you understood, right?"
"I just didn't want to talk about it. I was planning to get married anyway and never see you again."
A vein popped on the woman's forehead.
"Is that why you ignore us every time we visit you? How embarrassing it was to see the servants!"
Even so, they couldn't bear the idea of causing trouble at the Cassius mansion, so they spent some time in the living room before returning.
"The purpose was probably money. Like Samuel's business funds or the costs of building a new mansion."
Samuel was Ethel's younger brother, and he was a proud and arrogant person.
Most of the letters from the Wallace family were burned before even opening them, but I read one out of curiosity.
It was full of money requests, as if someone had entrusted them with money.
"Is it wrong for me to want help from my daughter? How can you not show your face even once!"
"The purpose was achieved. You must have received money from Leandro."
It was obvious who they would turn to if they couldn't get money from me.
I heard that Leandro had given a considerable amount of money to the Wallace family.
Although I knew it, I really didn't care. It's not my money, so what does it matter?
"... Yes. That's the problem."
Countess Wallace, clutching the fan tightly in her hand, trembled.
"If you insist on divorcing over something trivial, what will happen to us? We won't only fail to get Cassius's approval, but in the worst case..."
A sigh filled with concern erupted.
"It's possible they'll demand that we return all the money they lent us at once!"
Well, it really wasn't my concern.
"They didn't give it; they lent it, so if they ask us to pay it back, we have to pay it! Isn't your husband a bit stingy too? How can he really lend me money just because I asked when he has so much money!"
It was a scene I had never seen before, but I could see it clearly.
Out of respect, the Wallace family wouldn't have been able to ask for money directly; they would have asked for a loan. In that sense, stubborn Leandro really would have lent it.
"I bet one gold that he even used a promissory note."
The Countess tugged at her hair.
"I went through Cassius before coming here, and I heard that the Duke was extremely angry. The atmosphere was really terrifying. If he wants, he can legally destroy our family!"
"So?"
"What?"
"So, what do you want me to do?"
I spoke without expression, paying close attention to the door not to be seen.
"...," there was silence. Countess Wallace bowed her head as if all the strength had left her body.
Of course, there was no way she would suddenly realize her mistake or repent of mistreating her daughter in the past.
From what I personally experienced and what I learned through Ethel's diary, she wasn't that kind of person.
Maybe it was my mood, but I could hear the last thread of patience the Countess had snapping.
"Aaaah! Ungrateful wretch!"
Countess Wallace ran towards me, screaming. Just as she used to relieve her stress on her quiet daughter.
"Let me go! I'll kill you! How did I raise you?!"
Although Vinetta stopped her, the woman glared at me fiercely and continued to curse me. The words were so vulgar that I wanted to wash my ears.
Instead of avoiding her, I approached the restrained woman. I raised my hands high.
Countess Wallace closed her eyes tightly, as if she thought I was going to hit her.
Plam-!
But the palm was aimed at my face, not hers. I hit my own face.
And I fell back, letting out a loud scream.
"Ethel!"
Vinetta left the Countess alone and ran towards me as I lay there.
And it was at that moment.
"What's going on?!"
The door opened, and Leandro burst into the room. Behind him, other restaurant patrons with surprised expressions could be seen.
The sight before them...
The Countess stood there, Vinetta tried to help me, and I couldn't move with a palm mark on my cheek.