“Ah, I should introduce my maids. This is Krisina from the Ferny family. And this is Erwel from the Lukic family.”
Rishi said, gesturing toward the women standing in a line behind the sofa.
Even while I was beside myself with anger, the family names Ferny and Lukic registered clearly. Both were renowned, prestigious families. To think that women from such lineages were serving as Rishi’s maids.
Of course, among the maids of the Duchess Britney, there had been daughters of viscounts or barons. But the Ferny and Lukic families held a status that simply couldn’t be compared to mere viscount or baron rank.
I began to realize the true standing of House Green.
Glovern and Denise were tense as well. They had intended to give Rishi a stern scolding the moment they entered the room, but the presence of such high-ranking maids made that impossible.
“Anyway, I wrote the date clearly on the invitation, so why the early visit? I doubt it’s because you missed me.”
“Th-that’s because… we were worried about you….”
At Denise’s words, Rishi smiled brightly.
“What were you so worried about?”
“How could we not be? Count Green suddenly showed up and kidnapped you as if he were taking you away to marry you… and we haven’t heard a whisper about a wedding.”
“That’s right. Besides, you were at the center of some terrible rumors. The newspapers and magazines were in an uproar. I was so worried because it felt like all your flaws were being exposed right after getting married.”
Britney cut in quickly.
Rishi laughed as if she found it amusing.
“Why… why are you laughing?”
“Because it’s funny. That you were ‘worried’.”
“Is it funny that I’m worried about my sister?”
“I suppose it is. You instigated the Viscount Huchis to send someone here, which put me in a difficult position. Didn’t you know this would happen?”
“What is that… why would I send Viscount Huchis here? Are you crazy? Ah, and… why are you speaking so informally?”
“You spoke informally first.”
“I am your sister, Iris.”
“Britney. Do you still think I am Iris Witlow?”
Rishi’s gaze turned cold and chilling.
“I am Iris Green, the Countess Green. If you show the respect due to the mistress of House Green, I will show you respect as well.”
“Honestly, I can’t watch this anymore, Iris!”
Denise exclaimed in a shrill, piercing voice.
“Just because you left home and became a Countess, do you think the fact that you carry the blood of House Witlow will just disappear? Even if you’re upset about this marriage, treating your family this way is not something a lady would do, is it?”
Denise paused, struggling to contain her rage. A child born from her husband’s affair with a maid from nowhere. She had wanted to kill her on the spot, but she held back and raised her. She even gave her the title of “Flower of the Witlow Duchy” and raised her for twenty years.
And this was the thanks she got? She had let her live, when she should have died within a few hours of birth!
“We have treated you well all this time… if you’ve been fed and raised well, you should naturally repay that grace.”
“Grace.”
Rishi whispered the word with an unfamiliar expression, as if she were hearing it for the first time.
“Grace. Yes. So, aren’t I repaying it, Duchess? I am treating you even more kindly and gently than you ever treated me… is this not enough? Ah, unless you want me to treat you exactly as you treated me….”
A smile spread across Rishi’s lips. Britney felt a shiver run down her spine.
“Shall I make you do the dishes? Or perhaps clean the windows? Should I frame you for a crime you didn’t commit, lock you in a windowless storage room, and starve you? Should I scold you and whip you for things you never did? Is that what you want—for me to do exactly what you did to me? Truly?”
The Witlow family couldn’t even breathe at the calm, unflinching truth flowing from Rishi’s lips. They hadn’t expected Rishi to lay bare her past in front of the maids.
“Holy… those were some crazy bastards….”
A small voice came from behind Rishi. Rishi glanced back briefly, then turned to face the Witlow family again.
“Why those faces? Did you think I wouldn’t say these things in front of my maids?”
Rishi crossed her arms and propped her legs up on the table, looking amused. Sinking deep into the sofa, she continued.
“Why would you think that? Being hit, abused, framed, starved, and locked up—crying because of it wasn’t my fault, nor was it something I should be ashamed of.”
“I-Iris….”
Glovern barely managed to part his lips. “Let’s… talk amongst ourselves for a moment.”
“I don’t think that’s a good idea. There are three of you, and three of us. It’s only fair.”
“W-we just want to talk as family.”
“You’re slow, aren’t you?”
Rishi narrowed her eyes.
“Wh-what did you say!”
“What do you think I’m talking about? I’m saying that you aren’t my family.”
“Iris!”
Glovern couldn’t take it anymore and jumped up. He glared at her as if he wanted to smash Rishi’s head right then and there. His clenched fists were trembling. If it were the old Rishi, she would have bowed her head and trembled at the slightest increase in Glovern’s volume.
But the Rishi before them now simply sat buried in the sofa with an arrogant posture, glancing up at Glovern.
“Sit down, Duke Witlow. This is not the Witlow mansion, and I am not Iris Witlow. If your fist hits my head like it did at the Witlow mansion, something serious will happen here.”
“W-when did I ever hit you!”
“Ah, so that’s the plan. To make me out to be a liar.”
That was, of course, exactly what they intended. Glovern, Denise, and Britney were all desperately trying to think of a way to make everything Rishi had just said look like a lie.
“Feel free to try. But remember this. The moment you start causing me trouble, I will run to the authorities and petition to sever my ties with House Witlow. They will ask for a reason. And then, I will truthfully confess everything you did to me.”
Denise tried to say something, but Rishi raised a finger to silence her and continued.
“Of course, you’ll try to paint me as a liar there too. But don’t forget that there are many people who know exactly how I was treated at the Witlow mansion.”
Glovern’s eyes widened as if they might pop out.
“You won’t be able to kill them to keep them quiet this time. From now on, I will be keeping a close eye on the movements of the Witlow household staff, and if anyone disappears suddenly or is found dead under mysterious circumstances like before, I will report it. To the authorities, to the Imperial Palace, and to the Holy Kingdom. Iris Witlow didn’t have the power to do that.”
Rishi’s eyes curved into half-moons. She smiled so sweetly that a stranger might have mistaken it for a smile directed at a lover. Still smiling, Rishi slowly rose to her feet and looked down at the Witlow family.
“But the Countess Green does.”
Rishi pointed her index finger toward the door.
“Leave now. I’m tired.”
+++
Throughout the walk back to the guest house, as if chased out of Rishi’s room, the Witlow family said nothing. As soon as they entered their guest room, Denise and Britney burst into a frenzy.
Amidst the two women screaming at each other, Glovern stood in silent contemplation.
‘Ciriel….’
He hadn’t thought of that name in a very long time. A long time ago, she was a pretty and strong-willed maid whom Glovern had forcibly subdued and made his own.
*“It would be better to kill me here, Glovern. If you let me live, I will definitely kill you.”*
The chilling gaze she had given him while holding the newborn Iris in her arms. He had never thought that Iris resembled her mother while growing up. But Iris, having become Countess Green, possessed both the eyes and the temperament of her mother.
The moment that realization struck him, Glovern had no choice but to acknowledge it.
Iris had escaped the cage built by the Witlow Duchy. No matter what happened from now on, she would never return to that cage. The only consolation was that Iris had not yet formally severed ties with the Witlow family. It would be better to appease her for now and maintain a connection with House Green. Who knew? There might come a day when he would need their help.
“Let’s go back.”
It was better to return for now. Since Iris didn’t want to see them, there was no benefit in staying at the Count’s estate for long. He decided it would be better to show his face only on the day of the wedding.
“Go back? What are you talking about? Are you saying we should just back down like this? When that girl is behaving so insolently?”
Denise did not share Glovern’s thoughts. She had plans to straighten Iris out one way or another.
“She said she doesn’t want us here. As she said, this is the House Green estate, and she is the mistress of this house. There’s no point in staying when the mistress doesn’t want us here…”
“Ha! No matter what she says, she is Iris Witlow. She is Iris Witlow, whom we fed, sheltered, and raised all this time!”
“That’s right, Dad. I really don’t think we should go back like this.”
Britney joined in to support Denise. “What if she goes around spreading rumors about our family? It would be better to stay here and show people that we are good, decent people.”
“Exactly, dear. I’m not saying I’m going to torment Iris. We need to manage our reputation. If we leave now, everyone will assume that everything she says is the truth.”
Glovern doubted that his wife and daughter staying here would actually improve their image. However, there was some logic to what Denise and Britney were saying. Glovern let out a grunt and racked his brains.
Since it was a wedding for House Green, representatives from the imperial and royal families of various countries would surely be sent. Even if the Emperor himself didn’t come, the Crown Prince or other princes would likely attend. Glovern had been pulling strings behind the scenes, aiming to secure Crown Prince Iovet of the Gavizar Empire as a son-in-law.
‘The Crown Prince usually doesn’t attend events like this, so it’s highly unlikely he’ll show up, but…’
It would be disastrous if Iris spouted nonsense at the wedding and it reached the ears of anyone from the imperial family. Perhaps it was better to stay here and appease her after all.
The Witlow family decided to stay at the House Green estate until the wedding.
***
“The Witlow family says they will stay until the wedding.”
Rishi nodded as he listened to Jamie’s report. It was exactly as Rishi had anticipated. He could also guess how the Witlow family would act from here on out.
‘They’ll try to treat me well. Since the imperial family will be sending guests to the wedding, they’ll want to project a good image to them.’
If that was the case, he intended to play along with the fake kindness they offered.
‘I’ll watch to see just how good of a “father” and “sister” they can pretend to be. It will certainly take a great deal of effort on their part.’