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Betty smirked at me as she remained in father’s arms. What a nasty personality.
“I didn’t hit her.”
“You’re still saying that?!”
My father’s shout made me shudder. Still, I couldn’t admit to something I didn’t do. I clenched my trembling fists and glared at my father.
“I did not hit her.”
*slap!*
“Danna-sama.”
My cheeks became numb and hot. For some reason, I thought I heard the maid, who should have been nearby, screaming from far away.
“Stop it, father. It’s my fault. I must have done something wrong that made onee-sama angry.”
Betty then stuck herself to Father. My father stroked Betty’s head and hugged her lovingly. There was love in his eyes for this poor sister who was bullied by her mean sister.
“Dahlia, you should learn a bit from Betty. No matter what you do to her, she still shows you kindness and yearns for you to treat her as her sister. You need to learn how to compromise.”
“…compromise. Kindness. You want me to learn that?”
I repeated my father’s words while touching my sore cheeks. Today, I learned for the first time that I don’t feel pain when someone hits me hard. I didn’t like pain, so that’s a good thing.
I stared straight at my father. My father flinched slightly at the look in my eyes, but I quickly affirmed my words.
“I understand.”
“Where are you going—”
I left my room and headed straight to Betty’s room.
“Kiyaa! What are you doing here, miss Dahlia?!”
Betty’s handmaid screamed at my actions. My father, Andrea, and Betty, who all followed me, were stunned. They probably didn’t expect I’d do what I did.
I, myself, didn’t expect that I would make such a mess out of someone’s room. I opened Betty’s closet and was surprised to see dresses a lot more than mine and looked better than those I had, but that didn’t stop me from pulling those all out and scattering them on the floor and on the bed.
“Waaaaa!”
Betty began to cry that echoed throughout the mansion. Perhaps because her understanding had finally caught up with my actions. So noisy.
“Dahlia, what are you doing?!”
Again, my father slapped me. This time, on the other cheek. The impact seemed to cut the inside of my mouth. It tasted like iron. I felt sick.
“Aren’t you the one who said I needed to learn how to compromise?”
“What?”
A stupefied face. A stupefied voice.
“I was only copying Betty’s behavior because Father told me to follow her example. She had the audacity to come into my room without my permission and rummage through my things. You can see the mess in my room.”
He didn’t seem to have paid much attention to it though, because he was distracted by the crying Betty. My father seemed to remember the state of my room from my words.
That was good. I’m glad he doesn’t have a poor memory.
“Her actions surprised me. But it’s just as what you would expect from a daughter of a mistress. Nonetheless, I have decided to forgive her actions, since it couldn’t be helped by someone who has the blood of a lowly commoner. Isn’t it kindness that I’m showing, Father?”
My father glared at me in disgust. I, myself, know that the words that left my mouth were not good. But I have no intention of reflecting on it or withdrawing the words I said.
There’s no use crying over something already broken. You’re the one who broke it first, Father.
“You’re so mean… You’re so mean, Onee-sama! I didn’t do that! I didn’t make a mess out of your room like you did!”
You look so hurt as you say those words, Betty. But you know what? Your eyes are not even wet. You don’t have a tear rolling down your cheek. You can’t even cry properly. But you do have a pretty face.
But what I took note of weren’t the faces of my enemies nor my allies, but of those servants who only looked out for themselves and their own interests.
“You call that kindness?”
“Yes, it was none other than Father who told me to imitate Betty’s kindness. But if it had been someone else’s kindness, it would have been much different.”
Betty and Andrea stared at me, as if I looked like a demon.
Betty, where did the poor little sister who got bullied by her older sister go? If you’re going to play your part, you have to do it til the end. Ahh. You have no talent for acting, so all you can do is act like an idiot.
Poor thing. I wonder just how far you’ll be able to go.
“You deliberately messed up your own room and blamed it on your sister. I’m afraid I won’t be able to forgive you this time. You’ve become so arrogant and impudent. I’ll send you to the Milene Convent so they could educate you.”
Milene Convent was famous for rehashing conceited and crooked aristocrats. I heard rumors that it was a very strict place.
I looked at Andrea and Betty and saw them laughing in satisfaction. Father, who had his back turned to them, was oblivious to this. What a fool.
“If that’s what father wants.”
I bowed and left the room. I immediately ordered a maid to prepare for the journey. The maid looked at me distressingly, but followed my instructions without saying a word.
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