Chapter 9
“What?”
“But Seltin, you should consider all you’ve gained by living as a member of the Adelheit family. Excessive greed is not a noble virtue.”
“You little…!”
“Oh, right. Since you’re not originally a noble, you might not know these things.”
Smack.
Unable to contain her anger at Rayliel’s sarcasm, Seltin grabbed Rayliel by the hair and slammed her head against the bedpost.
Seltin was, in a way, a “good” sister—just as Karin was a “good” stepmother.
But that was only an act. This was the truth.
Unfortunately, the world was all too eager to believe the lies of Seltin and Karin, just as Rayliel’s father, Heinz, did.
“Rayliel.”
Still gripping Rayliel’s hair tightly, Seltin glared at her and spoke.
“Don’t you know? No matter what you do, it won’t make any difference. I thought you’d realize that by now, but it seems you’re not as smart as a noble lady should be.”
Rayliel felt more confusion than humiliation or pain from Seltin’s violence. It was natural. After all, she was thoroughly accustomed to their cruelty by now.
‘That Duke Delsen would never take me as his concubine if I’m not a v*rg*n.’
The world would sooner turn upside down. Rayliel knew all too well the true nature of Duke Delsen, who was obsessively fixated on v*rg*nity and purity.
“Or… are they planning to hide it?”
But how do they intend to hide it? Rayliel almost laughed at the thought.
In her past life, on the night she was sold to Duke Delsen, the first thing he checked was whether there was a bloodstain on the bed after consummation.
In fact, he checked during the act itself, multiple times, as if he were inspecting the quality of meat at a butcher shop.
And within seconds, the person who could solve Rayliel’s doubts appeared.
It was Karin.
“Seltin.”
The first thing Karin did upon entering the room was to stop her daughter.
But it wasn’t because Seltin’s actions were wrong or because she pitied Rayliel.
“Don’t touch her. Who knows what kind of filth she’s been with?”
Rayliel let out a short laugh.
“……Rayliel.”
Karin removed Seltin’s still-fuming hand and called Rayliel’s name in a solemn voice.
It made Rayliel feel like retching.
“You’ve decided to drag our Adelheit family’s reputation through the mud, haven’t you?”
“Our Adelheit family?”
Rayliel let out a brief scoff, then burst into a fit of laughter like a madwoman.
It was so absurd, so unbelievable—this entire situation.
But her laughter didn’t last long. Karin, apparently unwilling to touch her hair or body, grabbed Rayliel by the collar instead, cutting off her laughter.
“I know full well how much you despise us,” Karin said.
“……”
“From the moment we first came into the Adelheit family, you looked at us like we were insects.”
Karin’s words were pure delusion. Rayliel had never considered them enemies from the start.
In fact, she had made considerable efforts at the beginning. She worried that the mother and daughter, having lived as commoners, might struggle with noble life, so she tried to help them in various ways, even persuading the servants who didn’t like them.
Of course, that was all in the past now…
“Why don’t you go outside again? Go out and behave as scandalously as you want. It doesn’t matter if it’s one man, two men, or even three. You could sleep with them all together if you like.”
“What…?”
“It won’t change anything. In three days, you’ll be heading to Duke Delsen’s estate.”
Rayliel’s face hardened instantly, and Karin seemed very pleased with herself. Seltin looked equally satisfied.
“Everyone in this estate is loyal to me. You must have known that, Rayliel?”
Karin was right. After she had wrapped Heinz around her finger, the first thing she did was get rid of the old servants under various pretexts.
The new servants she brought in came from all sorts of backgrounds, but more than half of them were already acquainted with Karin.
Rayliel knew this. But what did it matter now?
“It’s almost time for your cycle to start, isn’t it, Rayliel?”
“You… You…”
“It should start by tonight at the latest. You’ve never missed your cycle, after all.”
“…….”
“And it’ll end quickly, just as it always does.”
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