Chapter 5

“Miss Leslie!”

Just as Leslie lay on her bed to rest, a woman barged into the attic loudly calling for her. It was Leah, Eli, and her nanny. Out of all the people in the house, she was the one person who paid the most attention to Leslie. She was also one of the two women who degraded Leslie. Leah and the Marchioness, Leslie’s mother, always took the extra mile to make sure Leslie felt miserable.

“You must’ve lost your mind!”

Leah pulled away Leslie’s blankets and forcibly sat her up on the bed.

“How could you say such things to Miss Eli! Prince Arlendo might misunderstand!”

Their faces were only a few inches apart, so Leah’s voice boomed. Leslie felt her hearing go numb and sounds were ringing. But what was she talking about, Leslie wondered.

“Misunderstand?”

“Oh, I heard it all. I, Leah, the faithful maid, heard it all. I heard that these burns are your own doing! You were playing with the kettle and burned yourself while on a family vacation!”

Ah hah! Leah snorted and delivered a hit on Leslie’s small back. Leslie’s body shook and swayed with each blow. But it wasn’t the burning sensation of the sudden violence on her back that bothered Leslie, but what was being shouted at her.

“Is that what they really said?”

“Yes, Miss! But it’s no use apologizing now! Miss Eli was sadly telling me how desperately she tried to stop you from causing the accident!”

With that, Leah roughly pulled on Leslie’s arm and Leslie let out a small cry instinctively.

“Now, let’s go! Let’s go to Miss Eli and beg for her forgiveness that you lied! Miss Eli is an angel, so she’ll forgive you, but you still need to be punished! That way, you can correct your lying habit.”

As if Leslie’s opinions were not necessary, she dragged the little girl on her feet. Leslie tried to break free from the woman’s grasp by twisting her own arm and slapping at the woman’s hand.

“Let go.”

“...Miss?”

Leah’s brown eyes flickered in surprise.

“I won’t go and I won’t apologize because it’s Eli’s fault.”

Leslie twisted a smile.

“No, let me rephrase that. It's all their fault that I am hurt.”

Leah's head shook at Leslie’s response. She even forgot that Leslie had slapped her hand away.

“Oh, oh, my goodness... How could you say that? You must have really lost your mind.”

Leah mumbled to herself, covering her mouth. Leah believed that she knew the little girl more than anyone else in the house.

An obedient, meek child. No matter how degraded or scolded, she always bowed her head deep and cried silently. The girl was a product of the Marchioness’s punishment over many years.

There was talk of independent women in the high society. Some of them went out to protests or fight in a war like that duchess woman from the House of Salvatore. Imprudent and disobedient women! Leah grew up hearing that good women are obedient. They stayed in the house until told otherwise and trained for domestic work. That is what makes a perfect lady, not talking back or resisting the society's rules.

Of course, coming to the capital city has presented her with many other experiences and ideals. But her thoughts did not change. Nonetheless, a lady needs to be a lady and there’s only one way to make a lady. Through discipline and punishment, a lady is born. The Marchioness was a lady who complained to Leah about how much Leslie needed to become a true lady. Leah, of course, agreed and appreciated the thought. So, she was employed by the House of Sperado and raised the little girl as a true lady who’s obedient like a pretty doll...

“I am going to have to report this to Marquis Sperado. How dare you talk back to me.”

It is heartbreaking, but discipline seemed necessary. If Leslie doesn’t get punished immediately, she will become like Duchess Salvatore, and Leah won’t allow that. It isn’t too late, Leah told herself and made up her mind. Her breaths quickened as she eyed Leslie.

Of course, if the girl apologized and asked for her forgiveness, Leah was willing to forgive her and maybe lighten the punishment. A little bit of crying always worked.

But what Leslie said next was nothing like what she expected.

“Tell him.”

“What?”

Leslie seemed nonchalant as she calmly spoke to Leah and Leah froze, blinking fast.

“Tell him. Have you gone deaf? Tell him everything. Tell him that I talked back to you and that I called you deaf. Go to the marquis or his wife and do whatever you want.”

With that, Leslie climbed into the bed again. She needed to rest. Confrontations and the trip to the temple had worn her off, and her eyelids felt so heavy.

“Now, if you understand what I said, get out. I’m going to rest.”

Leslie pulled the blanket up and closed her eyes, resolute to talk to Leah no more. Seeing this, Leah began to yell with a newfound fury.

“Leslie! How dare you give me that attitude!”

The floors creaked and shook as Leah took quick, heavy steps toward the bed in an attempt to force Leslie out of sleep once again. But before her fingers could close around on the girl, her feet were pulled from underneath her.

“Kyaa-!”

With a loud, high-pitched scream, Leah crashed into the floor. The fall was loud and a dull thump could be heard throughout the mansion. A tendril of dark shadow retreated back and hid itself under Leslie’s bed.

“Ouch... ouch, I’m going to die, I’m dying...”

Leah must have fallen hard and perhaps broke something and she moaned and cried at the bottom of the bed. Instead, Leslie grew annoyed and wished that Leah would leave the attic soon. She laid still on her side and kept her eyes closed.

“Leah, don’t be noisy and get out.”

Did I speak what was on my mind? Leslie stirred up from her bed and saw Eli staring venomously at her.

“Miss Eli... I’m hurt and can’t get up. Leslie’s been naughty...”

“Shut up! If you can’t walk, crawl your way out!”

Eli spat in a shrill voice. Eli was nothing like Leah believed all girls should be. But Leah said nothing and left the attic with a slow crawl.

The truth is that Leah couldn’t say anything to Eli. If she ever tried to discipline Eli like Leslie, the marchioness would surely slap both of Leah’s cheeks till they bled.

So, she left without a word. As soon as the door closed, a silence fell between Eli and Leslie.

“What a dump. This place is nasty.”

Eli’s face scrunched up. She quickly took out a handkerchief from her dress and covered up her nose and mouth as if something was rotting in the attic. She thought that she would surely die if she breathed the air as it is. Seeing what Eli was doing, Leslie turned to go back to sleep. Whatever Eli wanted, it’s probably useless to engage with. But Eli stopped her.

“You, let’s talk.”

“No. I have nothing to say to you.”

Leslie ignored Eli, which only angered her sister. So, for the second time already, Leslie’s blankets were pulled and thrown down to the dusty floor. The maids only cleaned the room bi-weekly. So, the dust bunnies quickly stuck to the blanket.

“You little weasel! You’ve been hiding your powers all this time. Of course, that’s the only explanation for surviving the fall from the cliff.”

Eli gritted her teeth loudly at Leslie. Leslie wondered how no one in the mansion knew the truth. Eli’s reaction was so predictable and plain in sight. So, it was a mystery that no one else noticed.

Also, the fall from the cliff wasn’t just a fall. It was loud and the fire burned so brightly above her. So, how come no one noticed? Eli shrilled again at Leslie upon seeing Leslie daydreaming.

“That power is mine. It belongs to me! I don’t know how you got your hands on it, but don’t you dare use it anymore and stay in your miserable old attic. Do you understand me?”

“Yours...?”

Eli looked down at Leslie as if her sister was the stupidest person in the whole world.

“Of course, it’s mine. I am the first-born child of the Sperado with all the right qualities of the heir. Just look at me. Forest green eyes and shining blond hair. But you… you have hair like a hag.”

Eli began to list the most absurd and pointless things, and it just kept getting more and more bizarre.

“Besides, I am beautiful. So, just think about it. It’s only obvious that the magic of the House belongs to me.”

Eli showed off her shining blond hair by gently brushing her fingers between the golden threads behind her shoulders. Her smile glowed and she was indeed lovely. In fact, she was so beautiful that it is said she stole Prince Arlendo’s heart at first sight.

‘Disgusting.’

Before she knew the truth and experienced the horrors, Leslie also had nothing but envy and affection for Eli. She wanted to have soft hair, clear eyes, and well-manicured hands like her sister’s. So, despite the punishment and humiliation, she followed Eli everywhere like a duckling and imitated her as best as she could.

But now Leslie knew better and it was only obvious that she could never look like Eli.

Eli had many maids who took care of her all day long. One bathed her in roses and expensive perfumes while the other massaged her. She shopped for new dresses and shoes to attend balls. She spent gold after gold on beautiful diamonds and jewelry to make herself literally glow.

Servants, too, trailed behind her anywhere she went. She was always provided with a large umbrella to keep her skin white and blemish-free. Knights protected her all the time, and she never had to walk a mile because her pristine white carriage would be waiting. She had to be beautiful after all that.

In addition, Leslie now knew the truth. The truth is that Eli’s beauty and possessions were built upon the blood of many children who were abandoned, neglected, abused, and ultimately sacrificed alive just like Leslie. The whole family and what the House stands for is nothing more than the spilled blood from innocent lives. And Eli was the product of such investment.

“...”

Leslie turned her head, unable to keep it straight from the disgusting display of her sister. Eli took it as a sign of resignation and smiled. As always, she caves in. So predictable like a well-trained dog, Eli thought.

“It pleases me to see you finally understand.”

Eli tilted her head innocently and smiled in the most calculative and manipulative way. Her heart lightened at the thought of what will happen in six months’ time. After all, Leslie is a good sacrifice and she doesn't have much time left.

“So, shut up and play nice. Just a half a year more and...”

It’ll be done. I might even be a little more generous and smile at you. That’s what you want, right? But before Eli could finish, Leslie spoke in a cold voice.

“Shall we talk about this in the main hall?”

“What?”

Leslie got up from the bed slowly. Her thin, rough, out-of-season linen dress made a small noise with Leslie’s every move.

“Leah and you, everyone’s becoming deaf. Shall we take this to the main hall where the marquis is? Let’s go and discuss how powerful I am compared to you. What will a quick little demonstration do? What will he say?”

Leslie walked toward the door of the attic, ready to go down the stairs to find the marquis while Eli anxiously watched.

“And who will he throw into the fire six months later, me or you?”

The door opened abruptly, violently shaking the walls as hinges screamed and the door crashed into the wall. At the sound, Eli flinched.

But it wasn’t the sound that scared her. If Leslie and Eli did go down and told the truth, the marquis might choose Leslie. Of course, Eli was still useful. She was beautiful, engaged to the prince, and most importantly, the marquis would hate to see his investment in Eli become wasted. So she might be spared from the fiery death. But who knows what he will actually do?

The marquis desired the power to yield black magic. To bring glory to the family, he was in a dire need of it. The House’s influence and wealth are fast declining, and the future was grim without the power.

So, in the end, he might choose power over a daughter who will be married off to the imperial family. After all, the marquis didn’t hesitate to sacrifice his own child for power in the first place. Also, it wasn’t uncommon for a noble’s daughter who was engaged to the crown prince to suddenly die. Thus was the fate of the high nobles. Eli swallowed hard at the realization.

“Now, get out of my room. If you play nice, I’ll keep it a secret from the marquis.”

‘Until I change my mind,’ Leslie whispered to Eli. She looked Eli in the eye, silently telling her to make a choice. Once again, Eli gritted her teeth, but left the attic as she was told with loud thumping footsteps.

And then, Leslie could finally fall asleep.