The Radiant Young Lady of the Dark Family - Chapter 9
Hartbisa smiled gently.
“Is this really all you’ve got? What do you think Father would do if he knew how you’re treating me?”
“How I’m treating you? I’m merely guiding my lacking niece onto the right path. So what if he finds out about this? Foolish child, do you really think my brother would take your side just because you’ve had a few meals together?”
The aunt covered her mouth and sneered as if she had the upper hand.
“If I were him, I’d find it painful to even look at that filthy pink hair.”
She deliberately insulted Hartbisa by reminding her of her mother. It had always worked best until now.
But such cheap tactics couldn’t even dim the smile on Hartbisa’s lips, who had already made her decision.
“Take my side? Of course not. I’m just appealing that keeping me close is more beneficial in the long run than you. You saw it, didn’t you? I’m quite clever.”
The Cellie family crest with intertwined two-headed snakes.
It was a symbol of undying will, where even if one head is cut off, the other would bite and kill the enemy.
It represented the will of the Cellie ancestors to protect the family at all costs, and for that, the top priority in succession was based strictly on ability.
As Helena said, Hartbisa didn’t think her father would easily take her side just because they had a few meals together and he acted affectionately.
What Hartbisa believed in wasn’t such trivial emotions, but visible facts.
Hartbisa slightly raised her chin and leisurely lifted the corners of her mouth.
“Besides, you didn’t raise me like your child. You’ve kept your own child very well hidden.”
“…Are you investigating me?”
“Why, are you afraid of that? Afraid I might harm your child like you’ve done to me?”
That smile completely erased her fragile, flower-like impression, replacing it with that of a predator.
“You crazy b***h!”
She knew how terribly her aunt cherished her own child. Even though she considered it horrible that she had a child with Count Winblad, she was secretly collecting sponsorship money for her daughter.
As if she had hit the exact trigger, Helena, engulfed in fury like a fire demon, couldn’t contain her anger and slapped Hartbisa’s cheek.
Until now, she had used various methods to torment her, but she had never raised a hand directly.
Hartbisa’s head turned sharply to one side. Her hair flew about in disarray.
Helena, her anger not subsiding, raised her hand once more.
Surely, that venomous girl would bare her teeth and lunge at her even after being hit like this.
But contrary to Helena’s expectations, Hartbisa’s eyes, now facing straight ahead, were red as if about to burst into tears. Soon, she spoke in a pitiful voice.
“Aunt, I’m sorry. Please, calm your anger, spare me…”
“What?”
“My lady.”
Salam appeared behind Helena, who seemed confused about the situation.
His expression was coldly set as if he had been there for some time. Flustered, Helena stuttered, hiding her hands behind her back.
“Butler. This is… well…”
While her excuses of starving and confining Hartbisa for the sake of her stable social life might have worked before, considering Hartbisa’s frequent mistakes at parties, physical violence was different.
Above all, Hartbisa’s pale cheek was swollen and red as if it had burst. It was enough to pain the hearts of those who saw it.
Hartbisa whimpered, placing her palm on her cheek as if to hide it. Of course, she had no intention of hiding it at all, which only made her look more pitiful.
“Salam, please don’t misunderstand. Aunt was just upset. I should have considered her when I was dining with Father, but I didn’t invite her, which seems to have angered her greatly.”
Before Helena could spout nonsense, Hartbisa publicly stated that the reason for her aunt’s assault was something so trivial.
Helena’s lips trembled, as if wronged. It seemed she was at a loss for words, being treated with the very method she had used countless times to torment others.
“This child must have gone completely mad. My words…!”
“My lady. It would be best to refrain from further words. The young miss’s treatment should come first.”
Salam looked at Helena with eerily calm eyes.
“The master will be informed of this incident.”
It was the first time since Helena had taken over all the authority of the mansion’s mistress that Salam had declared he would report her actions to his master.
Knowing full well what this meant, Helena glared at Hartbisa as if she could kill her, then left the place.
Hartbisa watched the back of her head while rubbing her stinging cheek.
It was a classic method, but it worked quite well. It was even somewhat satisfying despite being hit.
‘Still, I should avoid it next time. It feels rather dirty.’
At that moment, Salam offered a handkerchief. Hartbisa hurriedly took it and smiled.
“It’s alright, just the inside of my mouth that was already sore burst open. More importantly, what brings you here?”
Hartbisa smiled flexibly, as if her trembling like a frog before a snake just moments ago was a lie.
When Salam had seen the two raising their voices at the end of the corridor, he thought it was just Lady Winblad venting her frustrations as usual.
He was worried that the young miss might be locked up in that old attic again, but surprisingly, she maintained an unperturbed face. Their eyes even met briefly.
But as if that eye contact had been an illusion, the young miss continued to exchange words with the lady until she was right in front of her, and then she was slapped.
And at that moment, Salam realized. That he, Lady Winblad, and everyone in that corridor were like chess pieces for the young miss. Like actors in a play, she had scripted.
Salam chuckled softly as he looked at Hartbisa, who stood with intelligent eyes again as she wiped her mouth with the handkerchief.
“The Duke asked me to deliver this to you.”
What Salam handed over was a very thick thesis on development zones within the empire.
“The Duke said, ‘Everything in the study is old, and all the land near the capital has been redeveloped in the last 100 years, so this book will be helpful.'”
It didn’t seem likely that he would have said exactly that, but both her father and Salam seemed somewhat excited about it.
Even though the mansion might be boring with nothing to do, was recommending a book really such an exciting thing?
Thinking that both of them had unexpectedly pure sides, Hartbisa replied.
“Thank you, please convey my gratitude to Father, Salam.”
She received the book. She thought Salam would leave like a shadow as he always had after finishing his business, but he hesitated for a moment and added, “And if you need anything else, please feel free to tell me directly.”
Salam’s gaze was peculiar. It was as if he wanted her to tell her Father directly about how her aunt had been tormenting her all this time.
‘Does he want Father to drive my aunt away?’
But that was her job to do.
After coming back like this, she couldn’t simply let someone else handle it. The moment she relied on others, things would become no different from before.
She decided to live as herself, not as someone’s daughter or wife, so everything was her responsibility.
Hartbisa decided to say something else instead.
“Well, now that you mention it, there is something I’d like to ask.”
“Anything, please say it.”
“Could you give this to Father?”
What Hartbisa handed over was a neatly folded paper.
“This is…”
“I was going to tell him directly, but things turned out like this. It’s a recipe for a sweet, energizing tea.”
At her words that nothing was better for stimulating appetite, Salam smiled warmly.
“I’ll make sure to deliver it.”
“Ah, and may I ask one more favor?”
***
“Hello, I’m Tar. From today, I’ll be serving as the young miss’s personal maid.”
Tar, with her curly hair loosely tied up, looked quite young.
Hartbisa carefully examined her face. Under that cautious gaze, Tar rolled her eyes around, unable to hide her embarrassment.
The way she fidgeted with her fingers clasped below her navel made her look quite nervous.
Hartbisa had asked Salam for a personal maid to attend to her. So, it was Hartbisa herself who had directly chosen Tar, who was now acting like a rabbit before a tiger.
Hartbisa smiled softly.
“Nice to meet you. I look forward to working with you.”
At her welcoming smile, Tar’s shoulders suddenly stiffened.
She had heard countless times that the late madam was a great beauty.
Especially Tar’s mother, when braiding the madam’s hair, would talk endlessly about how it felt like weaving pink flower petals that fit comfortably in one hand, describing its enchantment.
Tar, not believing in things she hadn’t seen, had let it go in one ear and out the other. But now she felt like she could understand her mother’s feelings a little.
