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nChapter 31

nTranslator: effefille

nProofreader: xoxomonami

nMiraila didn’t come a long way with the intention of being angry from the beginning.

nOriginally, she intended to coax Artizea.

nShe was worried that Lawrence’s situation was not very good, and she was worried that Artizea’s stupid engagement would go well.

nAll her life, Miraila had tried to prevent Artizea from encountering men.

nArtizea was a girl with nothing to offer. She intended for Artizea to live without getting married or ever leaving the mansion.

nThere was enough money to spend until her death.

nSo, it was best to just live with housework and embroidery.

nBut isn’t it important for Lawrence?

nHowever, she was going to soothe Artizea well, and get her to ask Cedric to speak well with Lawrence.

nShe knew that Cedric was a man of principle, but he was still a man.

nThe man before knowing a girl and the man after knowing a girl are two completely different people.

nEven Miraila knew that Cedric despised her.

nBut look. Don’t you fall in love with my daughter?

nIt was impossible to know what would happen to the relationship between man and woman.

nBut Miraila didn’t think it would last long.

nBy now, he must have been obssessed by her daughter’s charm like a man possessed.

nAnd that kind of love doesn’t last long. In Miraila’s experience, this especially applied to young men.

nSo, she was going to allow it. If necessary, she was going to teach her how to seduce a man and how to keep his love for a long time.

nIf you want to do well, you must do it right.

nArtizea could be the Grand Duchess. Miraila herself gave birth to her and raised her not as an illegitimate child but as the Marquis’ daughter.

nGrand Duchess Evron, didn’t it just sound cool? As the emperor said, it will be of great help to Lawrence.

nShe came all the way here with that mindset.

nBut when she saw the mansion completely changed, her eyes turned upside down.

nArtizea was different as if she had transformed into a butterfly.

nMiraila’s eyes weren’t good enough to recognize that the seeds in it were the same.

nAll she saw was that her daughter, who had not long ago been docile and sloppy, was buried among the flowers sent by a man, while changing into the clothes a man bought her one morning.

n“Mad girl!”

nMiraila’s eyes turned red as she screamed and grabbed Artizea’s hair.

n“Aaahh!”

nThe guests screamed in horror and stood up from their seats.

nEven the man who was watching with his eyes shining for something exciting would happen, was astonished by the excessive violence and did not know what to do.

n“What did I say? Didn’t I say that a stupid and ugly bitch like yourself should just sit in the corner of the house and live while breathing and embroidering!”

nThe silver pins on her head were scattered on the floor.

nArtizea couldn’t scream and closed her eyes tightly. Then Miraila pulled and dragged her away.

nShe has never resisted since she was very young. When she resisted, Miraila was more heinous. The abuse would only grow longer.

nAs the front of her eyes became dark, her legs loosened.

nShe didn’t know what it would be like to fight like a crazy person, but she had never tried.

nGetting used to it was a scary thing itself.

nShe was a villain of the world who had thousands and tens of thousands of deaths on her hands. However, in front of her mother, it was no different from when she was two years old when she pinched her skin till it peeled off and then reached out for a hug.

n“You should know how to be grateful for me for giving birth to you! But now that you have a man caught in the middle of your eyes, you decide to stab your mother in the back?!”

n“Please be patient, Madam!”

n“Patient? Should I be patient? Should I be patient with my daughter?!”

n“Ahh!”

nMiraila shouted and smacked the maid who held her arm. The maid sat down on the floor and grabbed Miraila’s leg.

n“Madam, madam!”

nMiel cried mournfully to stop, but it did not go into Miraila’s ear.

nMiel, who was inherently weak and frail in character, was so surprised that she couldn’t breathe properly and collapsed.

nHazel was surprised and supported Miel.

n“Doctor! Call the doctor! Miel, Miel?”

n“Madam Rosan, stop!”

nEven among the startled guests, a person intervened and tried to stop them.

nMiraila pushed with her hand and pulled Artizea off the terrace.

nAnd threw her to the lobby.

n“What did I say!? I told you not to be a bitch! Crazy bitch, this stupid bitch!”

nMiraila squeezed Artizea’s head, and hit her face. And she shook Artizea’s head again.

n“Do you think you can live in comfort because you’re a girl?! Get clothes from a man, get a bouquet, get a gift of jewelry, do you think you are something? Huh?”

nHit!

nThe sound of a kick rang in the lobby. All of the employees fled, trembling.

nThe only ones left in the lobby was Miraila and Artizea. The maid that was hit had also run away.

n“Who gave birth to you and gave your life?! You dare to smack the back of my head like this?! You can’t go anywhere! If you want to run away, give back the life I gave you!”

n“Lady!”

nAlice, who arrived late, shielded the crouching Artizea.

nArtizea pushed Alice away even in such a state.

nMiraila quickly struck Alice with a basket, pulled her out and pushed her back.

nEven in that situation, Alice didn’t raise her hand.

nBecause if she accidentally scratched Miraila’s body, it was the same as asking the emperor to kill her.

nAt that time, the front door opened up.

n“Quickly!”

nRize, who hurried in, stopped breathing at what was happening in the lobby.

nCedric, who hastily followed her, opened his eyes wide.

nRize was quick-witted. As soon as she heard that Miraila had come, without thinking twice, she went to ask for the Grand Duke Evron’s help.

nAnd just in time, she ran into Cedric who was at home.

n“Lady!”

nRize reacted before the frozen Cedric. She ran and hugged Alice.

nAlice cried out loud.

n“Please save her!”

nMiraila grabbed Artizea’s arm and dragged her.

nCedric stepped up and grabbed Miraila’s wrist.

n“Let go of this hand.”

n“Who invited you to enter someone else’s house?! Get out! Get out now!”

nMiraila screamed in a shrill voice.

n“Get out!”

n“I told you to let go of this hand.”

nCedric said in a voice repressed with anger.

nMiraila spoke to him in a hateful voice as if spitting at him.

n“Why would anyone interfere when a mother is teaching her daughter a lesson?”

n“What education is this?”

n“Or what else!? Whatever I do with my daughter is up to me! Ahhhh!”

nCedric gave his hand some strength. Miraila screamed in pain as if her arm were breaking.

nArtizea’s arm fell down as the strength from Miraila’s hand loosened.

nCedric pushed away Miraila.

n“… No.“

nArtizea whispered through a breathless sound, as if trying to endure the pain.

n“If my mother gets hurt, you’ll be in trouble.”

nCedric took off the cloak he was wearing and covered her head first.

nHer hair was ripped off, and her face was left with a red mark. The dress was torn, too, and her shoulders and arms were covered with blood.

nHe opened his cloak and hid Artizea’s body.

nThere was a difference in height, so even a cloak that came near his calf was enough to fit Artizea’s body.

n“Your Grace.”

n“Stay still.”

nThen Cedric carried Artizea.

nHe already knew from feeling it when she danced, but her skinny body was lighter than it looked.

nMiraila blocked his path.

n“Put her down. It’s my daughter.”

n“…..”

nCedric tried to move away from her without even responding. Miraila grabbed him and shouted out.

n“It’s mine whether I decide to kill her or let her live!”

n“Not anymore.”

nCedric replied in a low growl. Then he pushed her hand roughly and made his way out.

nIn the background, came the shouts of Miraila’s raucous roar.

nCedric walked quickly out of the estate.

nThe knights who followed him politely bowed their heads. Cedric ordered.

n“The Lady will move in from today. Take control of the Rosan mansion. Keep every single employee in custody so that the Lady may dispose of them herself later.”

n“Yes.”

nThere was concern that the emperor would intervene. However, Freil didn’t dare to say anything.

nAs long as Cedric was determined.

nAnyway, now that Lawrence had a major accident, even the emperor would not be able to recklessly protect Miraila.

nAfter hearing Freil’s answer, Cedric climbed onto the horse holding her as he didn’t want to use a carriage if it came from this mansion.

nArtizea panted and struggled hard to say.

n“Alice, Alice….”

n“Don’t worry, Freil will take good care of her.”

n“At home, there were guests. Lady Miel is weak…”

n“Freil will also take care of that for you.”

nCedric bit his lips.

n“You should worry about yourself.”

nIn his arms, Artizea was straining for a while.

nBut it wasn’t long before she resigned. He felt relieved when he saw her lose consciousness.

nCedric looked into her face, curled up in his cloak.

nIn some areas, the skin was broken and the flesh had fallen off from the long nails that tore through her. The bruises and blood made her appear badly beaten, and her unconscious face was pale with a new blue color.

nArtizea said that she could not wait until she inherited the title of Rosan nor could she choose a suitable man. Cedric felt that he really understood it now.

nIf it wasn’t for him who held her hand right now, Artizea probably knew she would have been killed. Not because of wealth or position, but simply because of the mad mother’s anger.

nIt’s foolish to ask why she didn’t fight back. She must have been terrified.

nFrom birth, she must have been treated like this. Beating the trauma from childhood was difficult.

nThere are things that can’t be done no matter how wise and noble people are. Cedric believed in the power of the will, but he wasn’t foolish enough to believe that it would solve everything.

nArtizea needed him.

nThe bottom of his chest seemed to be twisting and cracking. Still, his heart shook with that fact.

nSomething rattled down his throat. Cedric wanted to spit it out, but he still didn’t know exactly what it was.

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