I slightly opened my eyes again.

The image of the maid fidgeting with her hands and moving her lips nervously was fixed in my sight.

In the end, I chose the option that would ease my conscience rather than my mind.

“What is it? Go ahead and say it.”

“Well, the Madam said she must have you attend today.”

“Doesn’t she always say that?”

“She said if you don’t attend, she’ll raise hell. Especially, don’t even think about using illness as an excuse…”

“Huh?”

“She said it’s definitely 100% feigning illness, and if you try to skip with that excuse today, be prepared,”

“This is ridiculous.”

“…is what she said.”

The maid finished speaking and lowered her head, watching my reaction.

I knew this would happen.

I stared at the ceiling for a moment, counting the patterns on the wallpaper.

“My lady.”

“As expected, the Countess is sharp indeed.”

I lowered my eyes and slightly raised the corners of my mouth. My heart was already burning with fighting spirit.

Can’t be helped.

“What are you doing? We need to get ready. Bring something other than that flashy dress from earlier. Something more subdued.”

“…Yes! Thank you, my lady.”

Sion looked at me worriedly as I got up.

“Lady Lora, will you be alright?”

“Even if I’m not, what can I do?”

If I ignore this, I know that maid will be the one to face hell instead of me.

“This is all because of me…”

Sion blamed himself with a dejected face. He seemed to think it was because we had called the priest and made a fuss about fixing his leg.

“No. While your issue is part of it, it’s probably more because I asked to be disowned from the family.”

As I shared another story about my dysfunctional family to ease his worry, his eyes widened.

“Disowned, you say?”

“Yes, that’s how it turned out. Anyway, stay here quietly. I’ll have the maid bring you dinner.”

“Yes, Lady Lora. Please be careful and come back safely.”

“I will.”

I left, receiving Sion’s solemn farewell.

Although I tried to appear nonchalant as I left, my steps towards the dining room felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

“Hello, Count, Countess.”

“Sit down.”

“Yes.”

Not long after I sat down, Calix and Lindel entered.

Lindel glared at me as if he wanted to devour me, while Calix greeted me with a slight nod.

Today, as usual, I didn’t react to anyone.

And unlike other times, a very, very quiet dinner began, without even the usual lively conversation among family members, except for me. It was a calm like the one before a storm.

I should eat first. I need to eat to gather strength to either rebut or not.

Just as I was about to put a piece of meat in my mouth.

“Lorazie.”

The Countess called me.

…Why does she always call me when I’m about to put something in my mouth? Is she deliberately timing this?

I narrowed my eyes in reasonable suspicion and put the meat I was holding into my mouth anyway.

I need to eat to live.

And only after chewing and swallowing the meat did I open my mouth.

“Yes, Countess.”

The Countess, who had been observing my actions with evident disapproval, proceeded to speak.

“I’ve been informed that you requested to be disowned from the Count’s family. Furthermore, while you claim it wasn’t through slave trading, you purchased a high-quality slave and summoned a high priest to treat him, is that correct?”

“Yes.”

I continued to chew the meat as I answered.

Watching me, the Countess seemed to be getting even more heated.

“…There’s a limit to how much you can disgrace our Epine Count family. I’m at a loss for words now.”

I knew this would happen. No one listens even if I say it’s not true.

As I let out a deep sigh, just as the Countess was about to shout in anger, the Count stopped her.

“Dear, Lora must have had her reasons.”

“Reasons? Did you just say reasons? Moreover, how dare a mere illegitimate child casually talk about being disowned?”

“Dear! How can you call her a ‘mere illegitimate child’? The child is listening, isn’t she?”

“Ha, did I say anything wrong?”

Oh, they’re fighting.

“Dear!”

Ah! You startled me. Hey, mister, could you lower your volume a bit?

I watched their fight with my chin resting on my hand.

“This is truly shameful. Well, maybe it would be better if you were disowned.”

At that moment, I heard a noise interrupting my observation.

Of course, it was Lindel, and I didn’t feel the need to tolerate Lindel.

“Brother, don’t you have any compassion? How can you force someone to ignore a person limping, a former knight with cut tendons?”

“What? Force?”

“Moreover, last time you were full of perverted thoughts, going on about slave trade and spreading rumors all over the neighborhood! How many times did I tell you that I brought him as a guard?”

“Ha, perverted? Where in the world is there a young lady who brings a high-quality slave as a guard??”

“Here! Right here!”

“So you!”

Lindel, losing his temper and shouting, seemed to realize his mistake and stopped mid-sentence.

“You what?”

“You’re saying I have no pedigree!”

I twisted the corner of my mouth at his unfiltered words.

“My, how alike you two are, mother and son, saying the exact same thing.”

Lindel, seeming to realize he had crossed a line, was fuming but didn’t respond.

Just as I was about to say one more thing to him, Calix opened his mouth.

“This is a mess.”

It was an uncharacteristically undignified remark.

Well, with the Count and Countess fighting on one side, and Lindel and me having a dogfight on the other, it was hard to find a more fitting expression than ‘mess’.

“Father, Mother, Lindel, and Lorazie. I think it would be best for everyone to calm down. The servants are watching.”

“Yes, I’ve shown an unseemly side of myself.”

As he sorted out the situation, the Countess apologized obediently but glared mercilessly at the Count.

“…Yes, I’m sorry.”

The Count also apologized quietly, seemingly ashamed of his unseemly behavior.

I didn’t want to go along with this atmosphere, so I took a contrary stance.

“I’ve been quiet all along. If only Brother Lindel hadn’t gone on about disgrace and disownment.”

“You, really…”

“Lindel.”

“Brother! Isn’t she being insolent?!”

“I said stop.”

“I can’t stop! Today, I must thoroughly teach Lorazie what dignity is!”

The mess moved over there.

“Lindel. Do it moderately.”

‘Lindel. Do it moderately.’

I entered observation mode again, inwardly mimicking Calix’s tone as he pretended to be the only dignified one here.

However, their conversation just repeated the same words like a broken record, so I soon lost interest.

So I looked at the Countess and asked for the reason. I wanted to end the conversation quickly and go up to rest.

“So, Countess, what was your reason for insisting that I come to dinner tonight?”

“I may not be your birth mother, but I am your guardian now. How dare you cause such incidents on your own. I see I haven’t taught you proper manners.”

“So you threatened the maid to call me here to teach me manners, is that right?”

“There’s one more thing I failed to teach you. What kind of speech is that?”

Her tone as she pointed this out to me was very elegant.

As if that matters when we’ve already seen her raising her voice at the Count.