It was certainly naive of her to lose control of her emotions and become so openly hostile the moment she met Daphne.

She had allowed Daphne to present herself exactly as she wanted: as a pitiful adopted daughter.

Now it was Medeia’s turn to do the same and earn their sympathy.

“……I’m not hurt that you spoke to Daphne privately about those things either. From now on, you may care for her the same way even when I’m present.”

If Medeia appeared jealous of Daphne or behaved as though she naturally deserved better treatment simply because she was their biological daughter.

It would only reinforce the impression that growing up away from home had made her ill-tempered.

‘……I should have acted this way from the beginning.’

The moment she saw Daphne, she had been unable to conceal her murderous intent.

“Actually, if she hadn’t asked me to call her ‘older sister’, I wouldn’t have gone that far. When she asked me to do that, it felt as though she were taking away the place I had only just regained.”

As Medeia continued speaking, the Duchess of Heidel’s eyes became increasingly bloodshot. It was clear that she was barely suppressing her emotions.

“Mommy didn’t even realize…… and said something so thoughtless.”

The Duchess of Heidel responded as though she finally understood why Medeia had refused Daphne’s request to call her older sister.

“……I understand. So you don’t need to worry about how I feel. Neither you nor Father has done anything wrong to me.”

“……Why aren’t you upset? Why won’t you tell Mommy that you were hurt? I’m your mother, Dea. I’m your mother…….”

Medeia could vividly imagine what would happen if she complained, with everyone inevitably feeling sorry for Daphne.

And that was exactly what Daphne wanted.

‘There’s no reason to act foolishly and give her what she wants.’

If Medeia wanted to avoid being defeated by Daphne, she had no choice but to make herself appear as pitiful as possible and evoke their sympathy.

“You cherish Daphne. I know the fact that I’m your biological daughter isn’t what matters to you. After all, it’s been such a long time since we last saw each other.”

“How could you say that, my baby?” You’re only acting this way because Mommy called you sensitive earlier. Aren’t you? You’re holding back what you truly want to say and trying to behave well…’

“Because I’m afraid you and Father might dislike me.”

Parents who felt guilty towards their child were far more likely to give in to a child who constantly observed their every reaction.

Medeia imitated Daphne exactly.

She employed the same method that Daphne had used to gain the sympathy of the Duke and Duchess of Heidel.

She made it appear as though she was carefully monitoring her behavior, for fear of falling out of their favor.

“……I’m frightened. No matter how hard I try, I can’t make up for all the time that has already passed.”

It was strange. Her words had begun as something calculated, so why was all her long-suppressed hurt seeping through?

“If I had never returned……. No. Please pretend you didn’t hear what I just said.”

This was dangerous.

She needed to suppress her emotions even further.

If she didn’t stop now, she felt that everything she had buried deep inside would come pouring out.

She would only be safe from being abandoned again if she stopped relying on the Duke and Duchess of Heidel.

“Daphne summoned Madame Sisana for my sake. I realize now that she has been very considerate and cares deeply about me. It may be difficult at first, but I’ll try to grow closer to her.”

“……Dea.”

The Duchess of Heidel clutched her chest and staggered.

Then she burst into tears. Covering her face with her hands, she collapsed into the Duke of Heidel’s arms and began to sob.

“Why are you……? You’ve grown so much…… You’re already an adult, yet you’re still watching everyone’s reactions so carefully…….”

“…….”

“Why are you behaving just as you did when I scolded you for secretly eating candy? Why are you still trapped at the age of five? Why……?”

Medeia hid her trembling hands behind her back.

She clenched them so tightly that her joints ached, but she refused to relax her grip.

She did not want to embrace the Duchess of Heidel.

She could not just stand there in silence.

Fortunately, the Duke of Heidel stroked his wife’s back, drew her into his arms and comforted her.

“Medeia, it’s all right. Go inside and rest.”

“……Yes.”

He then gestured for Medeia to go inside.

She bowed her head and entered the mansion.

When she reached the staircase, her body stiffened.

The presence of Baron Velosi had made climbing the stairs easier earlier, but now she was alone.

She could not believe that she was afraid of dying from falling down the stairs.

Just as she gripped the banister and prepared to take a step, she heard someone coming down from upstairs.

“Did Madame Sisana leave?”

When Medeia raised her head, she saw Daphne smiling brightly, her eyes curved into crescents.

“……Yes. I was just seeing her off.”

“I can’t wait to see the coming-of-age dress Madame Sisana creates for you.”

Of course, Daphne was looking forward to it. In fact, she was probably more excited about the coming-of-age ceremony than the dress itself.

On the day of the ceremony, she draped a white fox fur around her shoulders, claiming that it complemented her dress.

‘My maternal grandfather died after being attacked by a bear while hunting white foxes…….’

The Duchess of Heidel wept at the memory of her late father, while the duke reprimanded Medeia for her thoughtlessness.

Furthermore, most of the guests at the coming-of-age ceremony knew that the late Baron Velosi had died while hunting white foxes.

They all agreed that this was the most disrespectful thing one could do to their family.

Medeia wanted to explain that Daphne had given her the fur and that she had been unaware of its significance.

However, Daphne looked at her fearfully, as though begging her not to reveal the truth. This left Medeia with no choice but to remain silent.

Later, Daphne claimed that she had not done it intentionally.

Foolishly, Medeia believed her. She concealed the fact that Daphne had given her the white fox fur until the very end.

“I know. Thank you for looking forward to my coming-of-age ceremony so much. And for being so thoughtful as to invite Madame Sisana.”

Daphne would give her the same white fox fur this time, but Medeia had no intention of suffering the same fate again.

“It’s nothing. It’s only natural that you still feel unfamiliar with the House of Heidel. Would you like to come to the opera with me tomorrow? I’m going with Chloe and thought it would be nice to bring you along.”

“……The opera?”

“Yes. It’s called Orpheus, and it tells the story of a man who journeys into the underworld in search of his deceased lover. Although it ends tragically, the love between Eurydice and Orpheus is truly beautiful.”

Come to think of it, Medeia remembered that Daphne had been particularly fond of the opera Orpheus.

She had personally invited Medeia to attend with her, just as she had now.

At the time, Medeia had wanted to grow closer to Daphne, so, despite having no interest in opera, she had accepted the invitation.

Lady Valois had not been particularly friendly towards her.

Her engagement had been broken off the previous year because of Princess Charlotte.

Her former fiancé, the young Marquis of York, had fallen in love with Princess Charlotte at first sight and openly courted her.

Although Princess Charlotte had rejected him, the young Marquis of York had unilaterally broken off his engagement to Lady Valois.

As a result, Lady Valois recognized Medeia as the girl Princess Charlotte had taken under her protection and frowned at her immediately.

She openly mocked Medeia by asking if attending to Princess Charlotte had been difficult.

‘Back then, I wasn’t fluent enough in Serenian to respond properly.’

Medeia was now fluent in Serenian, and she thought she knew why Daphne still wanted her to accompany her.

Lady Valois was impatient and quick to anger, so it was likely that they would quarrel.

Daphne was probably waiting for that to happen.