“This can’t be….”

A sigh of despair escaped her crimson lips. Ormil stared intently at her reflection in the mirror, raising a trembling hand. With that shaking hand, she touched the right side of her face.

“My face, my face….”

My beautiful face!

A large bruise had formed on Ormil’s right cheekbone. It was impossible to ignore, standing out so vividly that anyone who saw it might ask, ‘Did someone punch your cheek with a stone fist?’

Of course, it wasn’t from being hit. In fact, the injury on her face was the result of her own actions.

She had tried to grab Riela by the hair, charging at her recklessly, and this was the consequence. It hadn’t been long ago either—just earlier that day.

After running at Riela, Ormil had tripped over Mail’s foot and fallen hard. It wasn’t until six hours later that she regained consciousness in her chambers.

Considering the loud thud when she hit the ground and the time she spent unconscious, it was clear just how violently she had charged.

Ormil had lunged with reckless abandon and, in return, earned a deep blue bruise. In truth, there was also a large bump on her forehead, but that could be hidden with her bangs, making it less noticeable than the bruise.

Her trembling hand clenched into a tight fist.

“I won’t forgive you.”

Her voice was ominous, low and bitter. If she had spoken kindly, it might have sounded like a nightingale, but the way she spat out the words made them harsh and unpleasant to hear. After muttering to herself, Ormil ground her teeth furiously. *Gnash.*

“You dared to do this to my face?”

Ormil shifted her focus. She went from hating Riela to hating Mail. Her grudge had been redirected. That didn’t mean her hatred for Riela had disappeared, though.

She still despised Riela. Just thinking about her made her want to curse. But for now, Mail had become the bigger target. In short, Ormil had reprioritized her vengeance. First, she’d take care of Mail, and then she’d deal with Riela.

“Do you think I’ll just let this go? I’ll kill you.”

Though she’d never killed anyone before, Ormil easily said the words. Ormil Petten, whose looks and intelligence were inversely proportional, sat in her chambers, quietly fuming with malice.

***

“You actually came?”

Though she had asked him to come, she hadn’t really expected him to. That look of surprise was written all over Telia’s face as she greeted her brother at the mansion.

Her brother, who had used his vacation days just to come and see her, now had a foul look on his face. When was it that she’d sent three letters begging him to come?

“You’re the one who begged me to come.”

“Me? Doing something that crazy?”

“…Telia.”

“I’m kidding. Come on in.”

Grinning mischievously, Telia welcomed Banther into the house.

Telia von Mohaim, now married and known as Telia Cyclamin, was Banther’s only younger sister, three years his junior.

Every time Banther saw her, he was reminded of the day marriage proposals started pouring into their household.

The Duke of Mohaim had sighed year after year, wondering who would ever take the family’s biggest troublemaker off their hands. Who could have imagined that she would end up as the lady of the Marquisate of Cyclamin, one of the wealthiest families in the capital? It had been three years since the entire family was turned upside down by that revelation.

“Time flies.”

“Why do you say that every time you see me? Aren’t you tired of it?”

“I can’t help it, that’s what I always think. How’s Elsy?”

Elsy Cyclamin was Telia’s daughter, now two years old—just over 400 days old. Telia instructed the maid to bring tea and answered.

“She’s sleeping in her room.”

“Really? Since when?”

“She fell asleep a little while ago.”

“Then I won’t be able to see her walk.”

“Nothing to be done. You’ve always had bad timing, Brother. But while you’re here, you might as well admire my pretty face.”

“Didn’t you just tell the maid to get tea? Don’t serve any snacks. If I have to look at your face while eating, I think I’ll throw up the moment I swallow.”

“You want me to actually make you puke?”

The Mohaim siblings were quite close. They didn’t stand on formality or maintain any pretense with each other.

The two often exchanged conversations that would make a conservative noble, who lived and died by their dignity, clutch their neck and faint.

Today was no different. If a refined lady were to hear the words being spoken between the two, she might immediately run out, shouting, “These barbarians!”

Telia elegantly picked up the tea the maid had brought out. It was still too hot to drink. Bringing it close to her face, she simply took in the aroma, her lips parting in satisfaction.

“The new maid makes tea very well.”

“Whether she does or doesn’t.”

“Is your response supposed to be insolent?”

“What do you mean by insolence to your older brother? You never change, no matter how much time passes.”

“Why would I change when even my older brother, who is older than me, hasn’t? Speaking of which, when are you going to show me a niece or nephew?”

“…Why is the conversation going in that direction?”

As Banther hesitated at his sister’s sudden attack, the maid came in with some snacks.

“Hey, I told you not to bring any snacks.”

“Who said I was giving them to you? They’re all for me.”

“You’ll get fat like that.”

“I’m still pretty even if I gain a little weight.”

“Did the Marquis of Cyclamin remove all the mirrors in his estate?”

“Do you want to try eating cookies through your nose?”

After some playful banter, the conversation returned to its original topic. The snack was a round cookie packed with nuts.

“Honestly, I always thought you’d have kids before me. You’re three years older than me, after all.”

“You used to say three years wasn’t a big deal, and now you’re emphasizing it.”

Banther’s face scrunched up in a sullen expression. Telia chuckled. She broke the coin-sized cookie in half, popping one side into her mouth and tasting it before speaking again.

“I really thought you were going to marry that lady we met two years ago.”

“Hey, that’s…”

“I remember it clearly. On her birthday, you insisted on staying at the palace to spar with His Majesty. It was both her birthday and the anniversary of your first meeting, wasn’t it? She sent you a breakup letter right after, didn’t she? She said, ‘You love His Majesty more than you love me. Goodbye.’”

“That was all work-related… Damn it, Telia, how long are you going to keep bringing that up?”

Banther raised a hand to cover his face, which had turned bright red. His sister, who had dug up his embarrassing past, laughed so hard she clutched her stomach before raising both hands in surrender.

“Okay, I’ll stop bringing it up from now on. Come to think of it, that must be a sad memory for her, so it’s rude to mention.”

“…Ugh.”

“Our dear brother… It’s strange. He’s not unpopular, so why isn’t he getting married? At this rate, you’ll end up in a coffin all by yourself.”

“Of course, I’ll be in there alone. What, should I go in with someone else? Instead of worrying about my marriage, why don’t you pay more attention to Elsy?”

“I already pay plenty of attention to Elsy. My husband is even more overprotective than I am. It’d be nice if you could find someone like I did… Honestly, have you ever really liked anyone?”

Telia, resting her chin on her hand, abruptly threw a stone at Banther’s past relationships. He, in the middle of picking up his teacup, froze and snapped back.

“What are you talking about? I’ve been in plenty of relationships!”

“That’s not the same.”

“Why would I date someone if I didn’t like them?”

“I don’t know, but let’s be honest. Every time you were in a relationship, you always acted like some egalitarian.”

“What do you mean by that?”

Telia reached out and grabbed the other half of the cookie she had broken earlier. She popped it into her mouth, washing it down with tea that had now cooled to a pleasant warmth. Then, she continued.

“I’m sure you liked them. But at the same time, you also liked His Majesty, me, your friends, animals, the bread at the bakery, and even the weeds on the street.”

“I didn’t like the weeds.”