“Because you must become the head of the household.”
At her mother’s words, Rianne finally could no longer hold back and opened her eyes.
Her fists were tightly clenched.
When Galenia stepped back and gave her some space, Rianne got up from the bed, sighed, and glared at her.
“That’s enough, Mother.”
“What do you mean?”
“I mean you need to stop fanning the flames between me and Roengreen.”
“…”
Galenia’s expression abruptly changed.
The deep smile that formed on her stiffened lips was oddly threatening.
“That’s my role.”
“Mother.”
“How can you obstruct what I must do as the lady of the house? To make Helvint be the Helvint he should be.”
“…”
Rianne had already known long ago that they wouldn’t see eye to eye.
But now, Rianne’s circumstances had changed.
“Have you heard that Isaac is leaving?”
“…”
“Meaning, you can no longer use Isaac to manipulate me.”
It felt as though her heart was being torn apart.
Just saying these words aloud made her feel queasy, but still, Rianne had to make sure her point was clear.
“Please stop.”
“Truly fortunate, isn’t it? That a talentless commoner ever dared to be the head of the household’s son-in-law.”
“Mother!”
Rianne’s outburst was met with Galenia’s unrelenting laughter as she continued what she had to say.
“Today’s display from you was rather impressive. Of course, you are more suited to be the head than Roengreen—”
“Mother, please!”
“Snap out of it, Rianne!”
Galenia, gripping Rianne’s shoulders with both hands, shook her roughly. Rianne looked even smaller than usual and was shaken more easily than expected by her mother.
“You are Helvint. The eldest daughter of Helvint, no one else! One who stands in such a prestigious and great lineage must shoulder its responsibility!”
“What exactly is great about this household?”
SLAP!
Rianne’s cheek was struck.
Even though she was the daughter, there were still lines that should not be crossed, her mother’s compulsive reaction to that.
“As the eldest daughter of the Helvints, preserve our dignity. Don’t entertain such foolish thoughts.”
“…”
Galenia slowly approached and gently hugged Rianne. She didn’t respond to her mother’s touch.
“Rianne, you are like me.”
Galenia whispered into her ear with a tender voice.
“Being infatuated to the point of self-destruction. Knowing it leads to your downfall and yet being unable to let go.”
“…”
“Does divorcing that crude commoner change anything? Do you think that by doing so, you’ll rid yourself of your weaknesses?”
“I—”
“Rianne.”
Her body trembled involuntarily.
The tension that had tensed her muscles started to fade.
“While staring with those love-stricken eyes, what exactly has changed?”
“…!”
“Take over as the head. That’s the only way you can truly protect him.”
Galenia lightly kissed her daughter’s cheek. Despite the harsh words, her voice and expression conveyed something different.
It was affection.
A mother’s love.
Hence,
After Galenia left, Rianne covered her face with both hands and exhaled a bitter breath.
Rather,
She wished there had been some ulterior motive.
She wished there had been some malice behind it.
If that were the case, she might have mustered the courage to fight back.
When she was very young,
Before she cared about family names and status,
And simply grew up happily—
[Oh, our Rianne, isn’t she beautiful?]
Such beautiful memories.
[What? You brought this for me? Ah, you’re such a good child.]
Such warm recollections.
[Isn’t this vase pretty? I thought of you when I saw it.]
Such loving embraces.
“Why…”
Were they exactly the same?
Her hair being stroked, being softly embraced, and now having her cheek kissed just now.
All these actions reminded her of the warmth of her innocent childhood.
Her mother hadn’t changed one bit.
Thus, knowing this, Rianne felt even more incapable of letting go.
“Sniff.”
Still in the room was the vase she had received as a gift from her mother.
Had it not been properly maintained while Rianne was away?
A single rose inside the vase was slowly wilting.
—
*
“Cookiecookie.”
Sitting on the chair, Sharon’s legs swung freely back and forth.
Tapping the table with both hands, she hummed happily.
“Here it is.”
Chef Millie placed the freshly baked star-shaped cookies on the table, causing Sharon to beam with joy.
“Whoa! They were right here all along? I went through so much trouble looking for them everywhere!”
A special glass of Kelsey’s Orange Whiskey (juice) was placed beside the cookies, and she was fully prepared.
She was celebrating and congratulating herself for her hard work after returning from the Malidan Wall.
“I never knew you liked them so much, miss.”
“It was such a hassle searching for them, and even Isaac didn’t tell me where he got them from.”
Munch munch.
Sharon chewed cookies with both cheeks full while flashing a broad smile.
Seeing this, the chef and the maid exchanged amused glances.
Even after all the chaos that happened lately, which could have caused the Helvint mansion to collapse, Sharon’s cheerful smile relaxed everyone’s tense hearts.
While Sharon ate the cookies, her personal maid, Kelsey, briefly chatted with Millie.
“Still, it’s lucky that the interior of the mansion isn’t damaged much, despite all the commotion.”
“It’s probably because the mansion was considered given the upcoming Sword Oath Festival, and we had guests visiting.”
Despite such a great disturbance, the interior of the mansion had remained fairly intact.
Millie clutched her tray firmly and asked Kelsey with careful curiosity.
“Did you go to the Malidan Wall?”
“Yes, it was so cold there.”
“…How is Master Isaac doing?”
Millie asked softly, but there was unmistakable intensity in her voice.
However, Kelsey wasn’t surprised by the question.
Given that Millie had been baking for Isaac, it was likely she was one of his few close attendants.
“He was hurt, and he certainly worked hard, but he’s fine now.”
“He was injured?”
“He was at the front lines, so he’s receiving treatment. He just may be late because of it, so there’s no need to worry.”
“Hmm.”
Relieved, Millie sighed.
The faint smile on her lips revealed her sense of relief.
“I’ll have to prepare some good food for him when he returns.”
“The northern region has somewhat limited food options. He’ll probably enjoy it.”
Given this limited northern menu, Millie started pondering about the dishes she could prepare for Isaac’s return to Helvint.
She wanted to prepare some good meals while he was still in Helvint before his divorce and departure.
Since she had already mentioned that she would miss him even before he left for the north.
“Kelsey! Come try one! It’s really good!”
At Sharon’s call, Kelsey approached with a smile.
In the past, sharing cookies like this would’ve been unimaginable.
“Do you understand now why I searched so much for them!”
‘You’ve changed so much, miss.’
Sure, it was exhausting and there were dangerous moments, but it was evident that her time in the north had positively enriched Sharon.
CLUNK!
“Sharaaaaaan!”
A man’s voice shattered the peaceful atmosphere as he charged into the room.
Aloys, whose leg had been injured by Rianne’s Ragnar Bell, now stomped his way into the kitchen.
“Yum?? What is it?”
“What’s your nonsense! Finish what’s in your mouth before speaking!”
Glug.
“What? Are you already walking?!”
Having swallowed the star cookie, Sharon asked in amazement.
Her reaction only irritated Aloys more.
“Stop with the strange talk and answer my question.”
“What is it with your tone?”
“Shut up and listen!”
It was obvious Aloys was losing it. A kind of madness and obsession flickered in his red eyes.
His messy hair and the drool from his mouth indicated something was very wrong.
Moreover, the smell of antiseptic coming from his body suggested he had just left medical treatment.
“What did you hear at the Malidan Wall from Sister?”
“Huh?”
“Did you hear— Damn it! Did you know I was trying to ruin that commoner fool?!”
“Commoner? Isaac?”
Sharon blinked in confusion.
She suddenly remembered hearing the story about the chandelier falling on their wedding anniversary.
Not just that, there had been medicine causing stomach cramps in the cake.
She only remembered this because she had tried to eat the leftovers but had been scolded by Kelsey.
“Isaac? That guy could never have known. But if Sister swung her sword without even listening to my excuses, it means she’s sure… Why, why the fuuuck! Who told her!”
Furious, Aloys screamed.
His heart was beating so fast, it felt like it might explode.
He was incredibly restless.
The moment Rianne realized he had tried to harm Isaac, who knows what might happen.
But none of that mattered to Aloys.
If only his leg or arms were broken, it didn’t matter.
What truly troubled Aloys was the thought of being hated by Rianne.
The mere idea made him feel as though his heart was being torn apart.
“Huh…”
Sharon stared blankly, took a bite of the cookie, and processed everything.
Then she continued thinking seriously.
“Hmm.”
Chomp chomp.
“So…”
Chomp chomp.
“This is really good.”
“You damn brat! Are you mocking your elder brother?! You’re disrespecting your position—”
“Hong Flame Shoot!”
Sharon fired a blast of red energy from her palm, pushing Aloys backward.
It wasn’t a lethal attack, since it wasn’t a sword, but it was enough to push him.
Under normal circumstances, Sharon’s Hong Flame Shot would have been effortlessly blocked or absorbed by Aloys.
However, thanks to her growth in the north, and his current state with his injured leg, the results were different.
“Gah!”
Aloys’s back slammed into the kitchen door as he slid back.
Even as rage and lack of control clouded his mind, Sharon’s voice remained clear and crisp.
“The Helvints don’t entertain the pleas of the weak!”
With a cookie still in her mouth, Sharon stuck out her tongue and teased him.
“What are you up to with that injured leg? Come back when you’re fully healed, kid!”
After shoving the rest of the cookie into her mouth, Sharon left the kitchen with Kelsey.
“Millie, thanks for the food! Next time!”
“Ah, yes… Miss.”
“This disrespectful brat—!”
Aloys tried to jump up and chase after her but immediately collapsed back down as his legs gave out.
“Damn it! This is so damn frustrating!”
He pounded the floor with his fists, frustrated in his fit of anger. Although the magic healer had treated him, it hadn’t been long enough for him to walk properly.
If only…
If only Isaac had been here, he’d probably have mocked him with a sly smile.
“I understand your feelings well.”
