“…Hey, Damia— can you hear me?”

Damia came to her senses at the call from across the table. Her stepmother, Noella, worriedly eyed her.

Only then did Damia realize that she had frozen mid-bite, embroiled in her thoughts. Perhaps yesterday’s incident had shocked her more than she had initially thought.

‘I told myself that I was bitten by a stray dog and tried to forget.’

It didn’t work out as well as she hoped. She was angry at Akkard, who made her look like a cheap courtesan, and hated herself for being swept up in lust under his hands. When Damia recalled what happened in the locker, her face burned with shame.

Damia naturally had a serene, thoughtful face. Noella looked at her beautiful adopted daughter’s face like a master scuptures’ masterpiece. And asked very carefully.

“The food on your plate hasn’t decreased for a while now. What is bothering you so much, Damia? What’s the matter?

“Ah-Abu-bu!”

As if to counter Noella’s words, Leon, Damia’s young half-brother, waved a baby fork and shouted.

Damia laughed a little at his bright loveliness and then met Noella’s gaze.

“I’m sorry. It’s just that… there’s a lot of household affairs to worry about.”

Usually, the Lord’s wife handled a family’s internal affairs, but in the case of Count Primula’s house, the daughter, Damia, managed the household affairs.

This was her father’s consideration for Damia, who had given his only daughter all the power early in his second marriage. It was also an attempt to prevent a possible battle for succession.

“I see.”

When the topic of household affairs came out, Noella immediately lowered her eyelashes. Damia could never guess her thoughts. What did she frankly think of the household affairs and internal power in Damia’s hands?

Noella, who was the daughter of a poor baron, became a widow when her husband passed away. As a widow with a child she retreated to a temple to live and pray for the rest of her life. But accidentally, on business, she was spotted by Count Primula, and they remarried.

The House of Primula, although it had the moderate status of Countdom, was one of the most prestigious families in the North. Perhaps that’s why Noella looked intimidated in front of Damia even though she was her stepmother.

Sometimes she was so timid that Damia often felt uncomfortable. Just like now.

“I think you’re very busy these days, Damia. You don’t come home, and you often stay out…! Of course, I’m not trying to interfere with your personal life. Don’t get me wrong, I’m just worried about you–“

Noella couldn’t even make eye contact and babbled. She had an oddly young girlish attitude even now with two children. Perhaps that’s why Damia even felt like she was that one villainess who bullied her.

“No, I’m grateful that you’re worried about me. It’s been a long time since we’ve had a meal together, and I’m sorry for thinking, Mother.”

Trying to shake off the uncomfortable air, Damia replied with a meek and sympathetic tone. Then, Noella’s anxious face soon turned bright.

“Thank you for saying that, Dami; I was just… lonely without you. You know, we’re the only ones in this spacious mansion.”

Noella said, reaching out and hugging Leon. Damia knew what she meant. Her father, Count Primula, was absent— as was Noella’s son Cesare. Therefore, the only woman and children in the mansion.

‘But there are so many employees.’

Damia glanced at the maid who was busily carrying food from the kitchen, but Noella, who didn’t notice the focus of her attention, sighed deeply and brought up Cesare’s story.

“He followed the Count to Daeshin, but I haven’t heard from him yet. I’m worried if he arrived safely and if he is learning the business from the Count now.”

Noella forced herself to laugh, mentioning that it was no use raising sons who often grew up to be so unthoughtful and unfilial. In the meantime, she covered Leon’s ears in case he could understand her.

“Don’t worry too much, Mother. Brother Cesare……”

Damia wanted to tell her that he was smart so that he could take good care of himself. However, compliments about Cesare could not come out of her mouth. Especially now that she knew he was up to something.

Louise said Cesare would definitely bring ‘the goods’ from the Daeshin battlefield. And he would feed it to Cecil. What the hell is that ‘thing’?

Maybe it’s a neurotoxin? What are you trying to get out of Cecil by feeding her something that will cloud her mind?

***