Chapter 157
Pandemonium
“Madam! Madam!”
Van called out urgently to the woman walking ahead.
According to the plan, the Duke was supposed to oversee the event near the prince, while the Duchess stayed under the canopies prepared for the households.
In case of any unexpected situations, they needed to be able to quickly escape to the safe zones where the priests were stationed.
But suddenly, the madam had started preparing for the hunt and was now heading swiftly into the hunting forest.
‘Isn’t that the area where noblewomen engage in falconry?’
It seemed unlikely that she was moving just to enjoy a leisurely activity with other noblewomen. There was a cold determination in her small frame.
“Madam, you mustn’t go that way. If the master finds out—”
“It will only be for a moment, Sir Dike.”
When Freesia turned to face him, Van involuntarily flinched.
She was smiling as warmly as usual, but her eyes were cold and serene, like a frozen lake.
“Sir, please keep watch for a moment. Make sure no one interrupts while I speak with my sister.”
“But…!”
“I will handle the aftermath. I’ll be back shortly.”
It was the first time she had issued such a firm command, and even Van, who was more experienced, found himself silenced.
Leaving Van, who reluctantly acquiesced, behind, Freesia entered the thicket.
She could see a clearing where women her age were chatting and laughing merrily.
Falconry was just a grand name—for those who didn’t genuinely enjoy hunting, it was nothing more than a social gathering.
As they were building camaraderie among themselves, Freesia’s sudden appearance made the noblewomen raise their eyebrows silently. Even if she had brought a bow, they hoped she didn’t intend to join their group.
However, Atria couldn’t help but stand to greet her.
“Oh my, look who it is. I didn’t know you enjoyed archery, Sister.”
“…Could we speak privately for a moment, Atria?”
“If it’s a conversation, we can have it here with everyone—”
“It’s a matter that could bring you trouble if discussed here.”
Her direct threat made the surrounding people prick up their ears. They all looked curious to death, but Atria forced a smile.
“Haha, even if you’re upset with your younger sister, jokes like that can be hurtful.”
“…”
“Please excuse us for a moment, everyone.”
Atria laughed as if she were soothing a jealous older sister, and the others reluctantly followed suit.
However, once they were in a suitably secluded area, Atria’s bright smile turned into a sneer.
“…I was so worried about you after you left the mansion like that, Sister. But it seems all my worries were for nothing.”
On the day of the banquet at the mansion, she had only intended to mock Freesia’s ‘vulgar’ body.
She wondered if that incident had made the Duke pity her and sleep with her. If so, it would mean she had been caught in her own trap.
“Did we ever have the kind of relationship where we called each other sisters, Atria?”
“Ha.”
Atria chuckled, looking Freesia up and down with a stiff expression. However, her smile didn’t come from a place of complete superiority.
It was obvious that she had dressed to impress for the palace banquet, which made her even more contemptible. Despite the jewelry making her barely tolerable, it was tiresome to hear people subtly complimenting her.
And seeing her act so arrogantly because a man showed her a little interest was unbearable…
“Yes, I heard. The Duke is searching for your biological father. But it seems he hasn’t had much success yet?”
“…”
“It looks like he’s trying to sever ties with our family so you can start fresh.”
Snap. A thin branch under Atria’s foot broke.
“Aren’t you lucky? A girl who would’ve lived and died as a beggar commoner had one good marriage. The Duke even goes out of his way to keep you around despite you not being of ducal lineage.”
“…”
“No matter how much you pretend, it won’t change the fact that your mother was a wh*re. Spreading her legs for many men. The more he learns, the more disappointed he’ll be in you.”
Atria’s sneer sounded muffled to Freesia, as if heard underwater.
She could clearly see the sunlit forest when she blinked, but the memory of a dark bedroom veiled her vision.
‘How could I forget?’
She remembered kneeling on the floor in a chemise dress while Atria, wrapped in a shawl, looked down at her.
It was a scene she had glimpsed in a nightmare after returning from the Antares mansion.
‘I thought it was just a bad dream, but it wasn’t.’
What she had screamed and cried about had actually happened.
<No! My child is not a beast!>
Her briar baby.
A being that had once given Freesia the hope of happiness.
‘I thought losing the baby was entirely my fault.’
She believed she was being punished for seeing the child as a tool to secure her position, not loving him for his own sake.
So she thought she had no right to shed tears when burying him under the rose bushes.
<Look at you, gobbling up whatever is shoved into your mouth like a greedy pig without knowing what’s in it.>
Atria’s mocking laughter echoed like an auditory hallucination. Blaming her for eating anything said to be good for the baby and the mother.
“That herb. Pennyroyal. Was it you who prepared it?”
“What?”
“No, not you. Your witch of a mother must have handled it for you. After all, you’re a precious ducal lady who can’t do anything on her own.”
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