Chapter 3

"My mother too..."

"Your mother had nothing to do with it, Sasha. Really. Why would you hurt a nanny who knew nothing? We have... already spilled enough blood."

"You should add the blood of your niece to that count. Why did you keep us alive for nearly two years when you even made a substitute and sent them abroad?"

A faint ray of afternoon sunlight fell between us, and tears glistened in Jerome's eyes.

"I couldn't do that. I can't let you do that-"

"You're tearing up. Wasn't it to make an excuse that you were protecting us when a well-made substitute was discovered?"

"I was the one who made that excuse, and I used it to stall because it worked. It's natural that you resent me, but I really never imagined things would turn out like that... Time keeps moving forward, my older brothers are unstoppable, and you look at me with such disdain. To my shame, I was blinded by the opportunity that presented itself to me so easily..."

I listened in silence as Jerome expressed his regret in a desperate tone.

"When I heard the news of Estelle's death, I thought I had truly gone mad. Everything that happened to my eldest brother is a sin because even if I didn't actively participate, I turned a blind eye to it. I know I don't deserve to face you now... At least I tried to save you. I never wanted any of you dead or harmed. Who could have imagined that the butler would abuse my niblings?"

"If you had paid a little attention, it might have been possible."

"Yes, you are right. It's all my fault. I have no one else to blame. Because of my foolishness and cowardice, I hurt you all like this... But now things are different. I find it ironic that I suffer alone while the ones who committed the crime live shamelessly as if nothing happened. Can you forgive me for the past and accept that I am now on your side?"

"I'm on your side." Jerome had numerous chances to choose a side. He could have confided in his eldest brother about his siblings' conspiracy, or he could have disclosed what was happening to his niblings to someone outside the family. Even when we were eventually freed, he still had opportunities to reveal the whole truth.

Yet, he wasted all those chances, driven by self-pity and the allure of personal gains.

He was a person easily swayed by emotions, lacking the backbone to take a stand and do the right thing. Like a discarded chess piece, no more, no less.

"Lethy-oppa suffered an eye injury and became seriously ill. He wandered around searching for his parents, on the verge of death. He desperately wanted to find them, and I worried he might not survive."

"..."

"When Estelle went outside, she wanted to attend the ball. But she was afraid her friends wouldn't recognize her. I reassured her and we played pretend together. Every day felt like an eternity, so we played every game we could think of."

"..."

"You know, Lethy-oppa slit his wrist after you left Estelle, who was sick, behind. It must have been devastating for him to come to terms with the fact that the uncle he loved so much had betrayed him."

"That child..."

"Soon after, the butler started bringing us scraps of food that even the lowest-ranking servants wouldn't eat, and we ate them and endured. Estelle couldn't eat well; she would secretly throw up everything she consumed, so we wouldn't see it and worry. That sweet child died before her 14th birthday. She was so thin that the clothes you brought two years ago were too loose on her."

Tears welled up in Jerome's eyes. The scene was heinous and atrocious, but its power lay in it being undeniably true.

I leaned forward and gently tapped his arm, resting casually on the table. It was an act of comfort, akin to a daughter comforting her father or a niece comforting her uncle, filled with affection and kindness.

"I understand that you struggled in your own way. At least you tried to keep your conscience. But I'm still not entirely convinced. There are plenty of reasons for you to appear as if you're doing this now, perhaps out of fear of retaliation."

"Sasha, I... W-what can I do? How can I prove my determination to earn your forgiveness? What do you want me to do?"

"There are others who will have to pay the price for what happened. You know that well."

A languid smile spread across my face. Then I whispered to the Viscount, who stared earnestly at me as if seeking the mercy of a goddess.

"Prove it once. Show that you are genuinely committed to becoming part of us."

* * *

Lethias kept his promise and invited Alfonsina to our house for tea. It happened on Benya's birthday, the day before the long-awaited hotel opening ceremony.

"I was concerned when you took that way last time. I should have paid more attention..."

"Oh, no. I'm fine now."

"Still, I was relieved to know that Princess Parke would take good care of you. I heard you two have been close friends since childhood. I lost all my childhood friends, so I was quite envious."

Adriana was preoccupied with her brother's commotion that day and couldn't pay much attention to her friend.

Nevertheless, I shared my thoughts. A slight shadow passed over Alfonsina's face as she lowered her head slightly.

"Ari is... She's too good for me. She's beautiful and smart... Even her charming little brother... They are all perfect friends."

If she's referring to the charming little brother, is she talking about Juan? True, he has good looks, but his temperament is not so great.

Nonetheless, it was undeniable that Adriana's prominent position in the social world was not solely due to her family name and rumors of her love affair with the Crown Prince; her pretty, siscon of a younger brother also played a role.

She was practically a heroine with everything.

It would have been nice to learn more about Adriana and Alfonsina's relationship, but unfortunately, the original story left out all the important details.

Alfonsina shouldn't have been significant... but I recalled how it had described Sasha, who couldn't even harass the female lead, treating her the same way.

I changed the subject to tomorrow's event.

Alfonsina listened attentively as I chattered about what the event would be like and how people might react. I noticed that she kept glancing at me with shy, lowered eyes.

"Oh, did I speak too freely?"

"Hm? Oh, no. It's not like that..."

"If you have something to tell me, feel free to say it."

When I smiled warmly and encouraged her to speak her mind, Alfonsina hesitated for a moment, then whispered with a stutter.

"...so pretty."

"Pardon?"

"...Because Sasha is so pretty. I've never seen anyone prettier than Ari... Your dress is really pretty too..."

To hear her say that I'm prettier than the female lead... I didn't know how to react. Hehehe, what an adorable young lady.

"Thank you. But in my eyes, the young lady is much more beautiful."

"No, I... I know I'm just childish and unattractive. I can't... even compare to someone like the duke."

That was quite self-deprecating, but it wasn't true.

If she changed her heavy, puffed-up hairstyle, removed the thick powder from her face, and opted for a less cumbersome dress, she could become a beauty with unparalleled charm.

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ᴛ/ɴ: ᴊᴜꜱᴛ ɪɴꜰᴏʀᴍɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ɢᴜʏꜱ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪ'ᴍ ᴘᴜᴛᴛɪɴɢ ᴀᴅꜱ ʜᴇʀᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ ɴᴏᴡ ᴏɴ, ʙᴜᴛ ɴᴏᴛ ᴛᴏᴏ ᴍᴀɴʏ ᴀᴅꜱ. ɪᴛ'ꜱ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ᴀɴɴᴏʏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ꜱᴏ ᴍᴀɴʏ ᴀᴅꜱ ᴡʜᴇɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ʏᴏᴜ ʀᴇᴀᴅ. ɪᴅᴋ ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴀᴅꜱᴇɴꜱᴇ ᴡɪʟʟ ᴘᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴅꜱ, ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ, ʟᴏʟ.