The Radiant Young Lady of the Dark Family - Chapter 24
“Then hold it.”
“Really?”
Before Dayan could change his mind, Hartbisa quickly grabbed her brother’s hand. Her young brother was so awkward about holding hands that his shoulders stiffened.
Perhaps she might earn her brother’s hatred for being an annoying sister, but she didn’t care about that.
If her brother hating her meant changing the future, Hartbisa would gladly welcome it.
With a bright smile, she looked at her brother and made casual conversation.
“Come to think of it, Dayan, you seem to have grown taller?”
“I’m in my growth phase.”
“At this rate, you’ll catch up to your sister soon.”
“Don’t state the obvious.”
While Hartbisa was enjoying her time with Dayan, grinning even at trivial conversation, a shadow suddenly fell before them.
“Oh? If it isn’t Cellie.”
As Hartbisa turned her head curiously at the rough, informal address, Dayan clicked his tongue softly and pulled her behind him, tightening his grip on their joined hands.
Though it seemed like he was trying to hide her from them, she was still taller than Dayan, so she wasn’t completely concealed. Hartbisa smiled slightly at her brother’s adorable behavior, but the other party broke the warm atmosphere with their next words.
“I thought I smelled blood somewhere.”
“Yeah, wonder what made it crawl out of its room. I thought it knew shame, but guess not.”
They wore the same pure white uniform as Dayan. These peers, though only a few steps away, spoke loudly enough to be heard, as if treating Hartbisa and Dayan like props on a stage.
Before Hartbisa could be shocked by their rudeness, they deliberately added more.
“The educational philosophy of Preju Academy is really good. It’s the only place in the empire where you can express yourself regardless of status.”
Hartbisa finally realized these were the students mentioned in Dayan’s school records, the ones who had repeatedly clashed with her brother.
Hartbisa’s eyes met with those of the boy in the center, who had curly brown hair. Raoul, who looked younger than his age due to his smaller build compared to Dayan, smirked when their eyes met.
“What’s this? That lady. Does she know it’s dangerous to hang around you?”
Along with the sarcastic remark, the boy who had been staring at Hartbisa seemed to recognize her and spoke.
“Oh? Isn’t that his sister?”
“Sister? They look completely different.”
Their attention quickly turned to Hartbisa. Unlike Dayan, her white and soft features looked quite innocent. When their eyes met, a sinister light crossed Raoul’s face.
He spoke loudly, clearly intending to be heard.
“Ah, I remember now. She takes after her maternal side. I heard my father say the Duchess came from unknown origins and had unusual features.”
Hartbisa didn’t even blink at the words about her. Compared to the malicious words Helena and her ex-husband used to say, these weren’t even particularly hurtful.
Her blank expression seemed to displease them, and they spoke even louder.
“Well, she’s dead now anyway. Oh, speaking of which, do you know why the Duchess of Cellie died? They say it was illness, but I overheard my father saying that their terrible blood devours the ones they love first. It’s not a blessing, but a curse.”
Hartbisa was used to such cutting words meant to wound, but Dayan was still just a child his age.
She felt Dayan’s body trembling slightly. Her worried eyes turned to her younger brother. In Dayan’s pitch-black eyes, anger seemed to be boiling. According to his student records, Dayan might throw the first punch.
But Dayan suddenly turned to look at Hartbisa. When she met his eyes with round, surprised ones, he clicked his tongue softly.
“There’s nothing more to see here, let’s go back.”
“….”
With those words, Dayan turned around, holding Hartbisa’s hand. She was surprised that her brother had suppressed his temperament because of her. When had he become so mature? Though she wanted to go along with her brother’s consideration, Hartbisa planted her feet firmly and stopped.
As a sister, it was hard to pass by those who had been bullying her brother right before her eyes.
When Dayan looked up questioningly, Hartbisa asked in a casual tone.
“Dayan, isn’t this the upperclassmen’s building?”
High school students through adults took classes in the upperclassmen’s building, while younger children attended classes in the lowerclassmen’s building. This was what Dayan had briefly explained while walking here. When she specifically asked about this point, Dayan nodded as if wondering why she was asking again.
“Yes, we saw the lower classmen’s building earlier when we came up.”
“I thought so.”
Hartbisa turned to face the group with a bright smile and spoke.
“Did you hear that? This is where the big kids study. Are you lost?”
At Hartbisa’s words, the faces of the students opposite them turned bright red. Raoul immediately burst out.
“What are you saying? How do we look like lowerclassmen? We’re in the same year as him!”
“Oh my, is that so?”
Hartbisa covered her mouth and spoke as if she truly hadn’t known.
“Your undignified behavior made me think you were lower classmen who hadn’t received etiquette lessons yet.”
Raoul’s eyes widened at the direct comment about lacking dignity. Since it was proper etiquette for those of higher rank to keep their true thoughts more deeply hidden, it was his first time hearing such blatant words from a noble lady’s mouth. At this, Raoul frowned.
“A noble who doesn’t even know how to speak indirectly.”
Hartbisa responded with a bright smile, as if completely oblivious.
“I thought we could speak without regard to status here, or was I wrong?”
Raoul’s face turned dumbfounded. Realizing he couldn’t win against Hartbisa’s expressionless demeanor, he came to a conclusion.
‘What a shameless woman. Looking so innocent, yet truly a Cellie after all.’
As if deciding to change tactics, Raoul crossed his arms and muttered.
“Here we were worried you might die like someone else, and you don’t even show gratitude.”
At this, Hartbisa raised one eyebrow. His continued mentions of her mother were becoming quite brazen.
When Hartbisa remained silent, one of Raoul’s companions, assuming she had been intimidated, spoke loud enough for all to hear.
“You should know your place, being a Cellie. You, who will inherit the title, should recognize who Raoul Versois is.”
Hartbisa’s eyes widened at the deliberately emphasized family name. Count Versois.
She had wondered why his manner was so crude, but now it made sense – he was Versois’s son.
Hartbisa had met Count Versois in her previous life. He had expanded his mining business all the way to the Kingdom of Yursia, and during that process, he had visited the Count’s residence.
When Versois saw Hartbisa there, who was the Countess in name only, and learned she was Cellie’s daughter, he spread malicious rumors throughout the Count’s residence.
Thanks to that, she, who already lived like a ghost, became completely isolated in the mansion.
Just thinking about it made her blood boil.
However, for his mining business to flourish, Wolfgang needed to discover artifacts in Dux Mountain and sell them in the black market, which would then end up in Count Versois’s hands.
But what a shame, now Wolfgang would never get those artifacts.
Back then too, the Count enjoyed spreading rumors and hurting people. They say children mirror their parents. Looking at him now, he was exactly like his parent. Hartbisa smiled as if having a good idea and took a step forward.
Though Dayan tried to stop her, Hartbisa blinked once to signal it was fine and stepped closer to Raoul.
When actually facing Hartbisa head-on, Raoul seemed quite flustered and hunched his shoulders.
“W-what is it?”
“I’m grateful. I didn’t know there were schoolmates who cared so much about our Dayan.”
“….”
“And even worried about me too. But don’t worry about me. Even though I look different, I’m still a Cellie. Neither Dayan nor I are as fragile as you seem to think.”
Seemingly overwhelmed by Hartbisa’s presence, Raoul could only twitch his lips without giving a proper response. To this, Hartbisa continued with a bright smile.
“Besides, if you’ve heard rumors about me, that can’t be all you know.”
Just how much had the gossip-loving Count Versois blabbed in front of his child?
When their eyes met, Raoul answered as if entranced.
“Come to think of it, they say you went mad and were locked in the attic.”
Hartbisa smiled brightly with her pale face.
“Yes, because I couldn’t control my power. I sent quite a few people away because of it.”
Hartbisa knew how to handle gossip-loving socialites. It was simple. Just strangle them with the rumors they lived and died by.
“I’ve been rather bored lately, not having tasted blood.”
