TSMMT Ch 18

The Eldest Daughter's Duty

[Man] "Look closely. She is my wife."

At the man's words, the people stared helplessly at 'she'.

Ah, the faint of heart tightly shut their eyes. The man stared at the object with burning eyes. The emaciated man stumbled occasionally, lacking strength.

Yet the people feared this man entirely because of those captivating eyes. A thick bloodlust capable of slicing someone down with a mere glance, a concentrated rage, and an intense essence radiated from him.

Even as darkness fell, those purple eyes glowed. That chilling terror made the people tremble with fear.

[Man] "My wife whom you killed—it is my wife!"

But "she," which he ordered them to look at, no longer remained a human. A wife was a living person, not a rotting corpse. The complexion of the once platinum-blonde woman had already vanished, turning black. It was a gruesome sight.

[Man] "Kiss the back of my wife's hand."

Everyone flinched and stared at him in shock at his words.

Has this man completely lost his mind?

[Man] "......"

[Man] "Why? Can you not do it to a rotting corpse?!"

The man gave a twisted smile. Simultaneously, someone's scream echoed through the air. The man's laughter grew louder. Ah, another corpse appeared.

[Man] "Ann, Ann......"

Amidst the brutal terror, only the man murmured in a sorrowful voice.

Dianna awoke. The man's laughter lingered in her ears, clinging to her like a sticky residue. The mad laughter left an unpleasant aftertaste.

Was it because of the rage within it, or the sadness......?

She dismissed the thoughts.

I must not react to an absurd dream. I have far too much work to do.

[Guiscard] "Are you awake, My Lady?"

She flinched at the sound of his voice. Guiscard's voice had startled her.

As she sat up, he stared blankly at her.

Did he watch over me all night? Is this dynamic alright?

She wondered for a moment.

Did peace ever exist between us?

Then, she realized that Guiscard had been her slave for a month now.

Ah, this is not the hellish Lodbrog royal palace.

She rubbed her sleepy eyes several times.

[Dianna] "Shouldn't Sally have come to wake me?"

[Guiscard] "Mistress Mirva summoned her and ordered me to take her place."

She nodded. On the surface, Mirva had obeyed her since that day. However, she still showed her spite in these petty ways. It was a meaningless struggle.

It would be better if that woman repented and returned to the position of the estate's mistress. Expecting a twelve-year-old girl to manage the entire estate is unrealistic.

Keeping Guiscard as her slave brought an astonishing amount of peace. The estate's servants occasionally ordered him around, but they never abused him, nor did anyone whip him.

Guiscard gained weight from the food Dianna provided. The moment he received proper nutrition, he grew at an incredible rate. He already reached the height of an adult, requiring custom adult clothing.

Furthermore, Dianna gave a bitter smile as she looked at his astonishingly handsome features. Occasionally, she had to suppress a rising wave of aversion whenever she looked at his face.

[Dianna] "Did your swordsmanship lessons go well yesterday?"

[Guiscard] "Yes."

[Dianna] "Sir Liam mentioned that you possess great talent."

Many expressed severe distaste for teaching a slave the sword to make him a guard. It made sense, as it insulted the knights.

Sir Liam, a commoner-born knight of the ducal house, was one of the few who actually listened to Dianna. Mentioning that he once had a younger brother around Guiscard's age, he secretly taught him how to wield a sword. At any rate, the boy mastered the sword well. However, a problem remained.

[Dianna] "It would be wonderful if you could master your letters just as well."

Guiscard remained silent at her words. Dianna suppressed a sudden urge to burst into laughter as his ears flushed crimson.

Indeed, his reading progress was catastrophically slow. If she taught him one character, he forgot it immediately. Instead of memorizing it, he would question why the character looked that way, only to forget it all over again.

[Dianna] "Bring your book. I must check your writing."

Handing him a children's textbook, she yawned involuntarily. Drowsiness overcame her.

[Guiscard] "You went to bed late last night, didn't you?"

He spoke first, a rare occurrence. Dianna nodded.

Her strict education, which had paused briefly for Princess Ionia's birthday party, resumed. Having mastered these lessons in her past life, she had no real need for them, yet her father remained as unyielding as a stone wall. He refused to acknowledge Dianna at all.

Furthermore, she couldn't neglect Alexa. She was only eight years old and still required constant care. She had run a low fever lately, demanding extra attention.

Mirva merely put on a show of concern, leaving the careful monitoring of the child's health entirely to Dianna. Moreover, Alexa grew increasingly cranky lately, perhaps due to her illness, forcing Dianna to indulge her every whim.

The maids are not coming today either.

Since the maids failed to appear, she had to tie her hair herself. She struggled to tie it with a silk ribbon.

Right then, Guiscard reached out and tied her hair for her. She flinched at his touch. As she turned around, her eyes wide, he pulled his hand back in sudden realization.

[Guiscard] "A mere slave dared to touch your precious body, My Lady."

[Dianna] "......"

[Guiscard] "I apologize."

She studied his face.

What thoughts occupied his mind? Did he feel sorry for touching her as a mere slave?

She forced a calm expression. His touch brought discomfort. Not because he was a slave, but because it evoked her memories.

When he held her under the pretext of marriage. When his rough hand lifted her chin to kiss her. Those same rough hands used to hold her hair and wrap around her waist.

[Dianna] "I...... dislike men touching my body."

She could hardly tell him that she hated a slave touching her. Dianna spoke evasively, successfully finishing her hair on her own.

[Dianna] "Let me see your assignment."

At her words, Guiscard let out a quiet sigh and brought over the textbook. Teaching him how to read was entirely an act of kindness on her part. Kindness. It felt absurd now.

Dianna continued to teach him his letters. Though he would master reading once he became king in the future, she hoped to make his current survival in this world easier.

And...... I hope he never forgets the grace I bestow upon him.

Even if he harbored deep resentment toward this estate, she hoped he would remember the kindness she extended before swinging his blade.

Dianna taught him meticulously without ever losing her temper. Today brought a breakthrough. For the first time, he managed to write his own name. She smiled brightly at the crooked, uneven characters.

[Dianna] "Well done, Guiscard!"

[Guiscard] "......"

[Dianna] "See? You can do it if you try."

He offered no response to her praise. As she wondered at his silence, a figure stood behind her. It was Emil.

[Emil] "I wondered what you were up to the moment you woke up."

Emil strode forward and shoved Guiscard. Yet Guiscard merely stumbled back without falling over. Dissatisfied with the result, Emil raised his leg to kick him.

[Dianna] "What brings you here, Brother?"

[Emil] "What exactly did you say to Mirva?"

Immersed in his successor training, Emil rarely paid attention to the estate's internal affairs. Why mention Mirva so suddenly? Dianna's confusion mounted.

[Emil] "My friends arrived, but since no tea appeared, I went looking for it. I found Mirva walking on eggshells around the maids. She couldn't even give a proper order to serve tea, claiming that it fell under the head maid's duties."

[Dianna] "......"

[Emil] "Did you really appoint a head maid?"

He knitted his brows.

[Emil] "No matter how hard you try to act like an adult, the fact remains that Mirva works tirelessly for this family. She deserves proper respect, but you are far too immature."

[Dianna] "Emil, listen to me."

[Emil] "She was our late mother's lady-in-waiting. Is your petty pride that important?"

Dianna stared directly at Emil. This exact trait made him incredibly infuriating: whenever she fought with all her might, he would always dismiss her efforts with a careless comment, rendering her actions completely meaningless. He always chalked it up to her overly sensitive nature.

Naturally, Mirva always behaved like an angel in front of Father and Emil. She unusually doted on Emil, and he reciprocated the affection.

Looking at the face of the brother Dianna once loved and missed, she wore a bitter smile.

[Dianna] "Emil, Mirva completely misunderstood the situation."

[Emil] "What?"

[Dianna] "I appointed a head maid because she was struggling with her workload. It looks improper for the person in charge of the estate's internal affairs to waste time on trivial tasks like managing maids."

Emil expected Dianna to throw a fit, but her gentle tone softened his expression.

Mirroring his father's nature, he despised anyone challenging his authority and refused to listen to criticism. Confronting him directly would only invite a harsh suppression. Deflecting his words smoothly was essential.

[Emil] "But she said you humiliated her in front of the maids. That you laid a hand on her......"

[Dianna] "Brother, Mirva tried to force me to wear a pearl necklace, knowing full well that Her Majesty the Queen loathes pearls. Had the Queen unleashed her wrath, our entire family would have suffered the consequences."

[Emil] "......"

[Dianna] "Even if you had been in my position, you would have raged. If Father found out, it would have turned into a massive catastrophe."

She smiled brightly and took his hand.

[Dianna] "Of course, I admit I lost my temper. But resolving it right there was a mercy I extended before the matter escalated to Father. You understand that, right, Brother?"

Emil stammered, entirely at a loss for words. He wanted to scold his sister, but his arguments vanished. Yet, letting his anger dissolve felt like an insult to his pride. Instead of agreeing, he shifted his gaze to Guiscard standing beside her.

[Emil] "And you, don't neglect Alexa just to teach a mere slave how to read."

[Dianna] "......"

[Emil] "Father and I handle external affairs. As the one who stays inside the estate, your duty is to care for her. Father always says so."

Father and Brother should show some interest in Alexa too.

Dianna wanted to scream those words.

Do they even know I went to bed late last night because I was caring for Alexa? No, before that, why can't he show even a shred of empathy regarding Mirva's attempt to sabotage me?

A sudden suffocating feeling welled up within her.

Emil placed a hand on Dianna's shoulder, glared coldly at Guiscard, and vanished from the room.

Dianna loved her family, yet their recurring behavior left her entirely disheartened.

After Emil left, she exhaled a heavy sigh. Guiscard stared intently at her pale face.

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