Chapter 10

Emily’s body Gu was shaking so violently that she looked like she was about to break down at any moment.

But unable to withstand my pressure, she raised her hand and rummaged around in her tied up head maid. Quickly, a needle appeared there at her fingertips.

”It’s really good! It’s quite well hidden.’

What was certain was that Penelope had been the victim all along.

Even if Penelope wanted to rebel against this maid who had been abusing her, she couldn’t do so without finding evidence.

“In, here ……”

Emily handed me the pin with her shaking hand.

I gazed at the one in my hand, the thing that had been constantly hurting Penelope until now. It was nothing more than a small iron needle that didn’t even weigh a handful.

However, I had felt yesterday how much pain this light and small needle could give.

‘How painful it is for Penelope.’

Every morning Penelope would struggle to open her eyes in pain, and no one would notice even if the blood spots on her arms were mangled.

“Raise your head.”

I ordered as I gritted my teeth over and over again.

Emily lifted her head hesitantly.

Desperation was revealed in her hesitant eyes, and she was probably thinking about what kind of punishment she would receive from the duke’s daughter who was persecuted by her.

But alas, it is not my business to avenge Penelope now.

“Look closer, Emily.”

I held out the hand that hadn’t been pierced by the needle and placed it in front of Emily.

It was a slender, white, scarless hand.

Then without hesitation, I stabbed it straight in with the needle Emily had given me.

“Ah! Miss!”

It was clearly me who was stabbed deeply by the needle, but Emily yelled as if she was the one who was stabbed by the needle.

Then I immediately pulled out the needle that had pierced more than halfway into my hand.

“Ah.”

Drops of blood began to seep out of the needle hole.

Even though I had prepared myself for this, it really hurt, so much so that it was almost on the verge of tears.

However, instead of showing this pain on my face, I stabbed the needle once more into the area close to where I had just been stabbed.

“Ah!”

This time, I wasn’t able to hold back the pain and screamed out.

“Little, miss!”

Emily gasped loudly as if she was about to gag.

Emily who was so shocked and cried to the point of not knowing what to do because of such a reckless action on my part looked like she made me want to laugh a little.

‘What I’m doing now are things you’ve done before ah, is there a need to be surprised to this extent. .

“Miss, Miss, why are you doing this?”

“There’s no need to cry like that, Emily, because it’s a wound you caused.”

I replied in a gentle tone. Emily’s expression became blank.

“…… Huh?”

“Although there are only two right now, it could turn into three, four, five, or maybe even more.”

At my words, Emily stopped huffing and shaking at the same time.

“From now on, whatever No Claim does to me, I’ll take it without question, the bath water you prepare, the clothes, the food, even everything.”

“Little, Miss…”

“The more you do, the more pinholes that might appear on the back of this hand. So will there come a day when someone will notice it?”

“…. ”

“Who was the arrogant abuser who ignored the members of Eckhardt’s family? There’s always going to be someone who wants to unravel that mystery. For example, someone like Brother Leonard.”

I smiled like a bright flower while verbally attacking Emily.

“I mean all of this will depend on your behavior after this.”

My valet failed to make any reply to these threatening words of mine.

Her face was so pale that it even made me feel as if she had just been strangled.

“Get up quickly. Your master has finished breakfast, now do what you need to do.”

I retracted my arm that was reaching for her.

Then absently turned my gaze to the large window next to the dining table.

After kneeling on the floor for a moment longer, Emily stood up from the floor.

Then with robotic speed and skill she began to clear the table.

‘Looks like someone who knows better.’

How fortunate, I think I can easily make use of her from now on.

Even if I get a new valet, my situation won’t change.

There was no way I could just continue to be passive, so I created a card that I could legitimately utilize, namely this valet who had been abusing Penelope.

It just so happened that this opportunity was delivered to me at a time that was favorable to me.

Moreover, I still quite liked Emily’s character, who pursued practical benefits but had little opinion.

With this thought in mind, I watched Emily until she quickly finished arranging the table.

Just then.

Bang……! As if it was going to be broken, the door was opened vigorously.

I turned my head in surprise.

That nice light pink hair was floating in the air.

Like the second son of a duke who didn’t know what gentlemanly etiquette was, Leonard Eckhardt frowned and glared at me.

“You.”

He hurriedly stepped into the room. The favor bar showing [Favorability -3%] was so close to me.

“What the hell are you planning to do?”

Leonard who approached me with a ferocious aura. When he saw Emily standing frozen at the table, his expression became even more menacing.

“You ……!”

“Young, young, young master.”

I hurriedly looked over to the dining table.

Every utensil was placed on the tray, with only the fork still in front of me.

“Tsk.”

I always had an ominous feeling, so I immediately picked up that fork and placed it on the tray.

After making sure that I wasn’t surrounded by anything dangerous that could be used as a weapon, I spoke.

“You can leave now, Emily.”

She immediately lifted the tray from the table as if she was waiting for me to say so. But when Emily did, Leonard shouted.

“Where are you going!”

“Hurry up.”

With my eyes, I signaled Emily to hurry up and leave before this eccentric young master exploded. The witty Emily seemed to understand my meaning as well, and she hurriedly left the room.

She looked just like me who frantically fled from Derrick yesterday in order to stay alive.

After Emily left, Leonard’s displeased gaze set on me.

“Tell me, what are you up to?”

I pondered for a moment what I should say to answer him.

Penelope always talked to Leonard without rules in the game.

Leonard was only 2 years older than Penelope. The two people who didn’t have a big age difference clashed as often as a dog and a cat.

‘It’s like the relationship between the second asshole in the family and me.’

Of course I’m not going to get on Penelope’s bad side like he would, I’m just unilaterally being scolded.

Although I considered treating Leonard like I would treat Derrick, who was older than me, with respectful conversation, I eventually gave up.

After all, someone who spoke to him in such a casual manner up until yesterday would instead show me up as strange if I turned to conversing in honorifics after one morning.

“Do you all simply just ignore what I say now?”

Because I didn’t reply to him right away, Leonard piped up in his unpleasant way to ask.

‘Really, acute.’

I replied to him just like Penelope did.

“…… What is it?”

“I’m asking why you let that bitch, serve as your valet again!”

[Favorability -3%] shone dangerously on those fluttering pretty pink head temples.

What should I answer to avoid the deathflag?

I’ve been thinking about turning on the ‘option’ until now, but it seems like it’s already too late.

‘ It’s fine, even if I turn on the option, only lines that only a psychopath would say will appear.”

Looking at the angry Leonard, I gulped.

If it was Penelope, she would have said ‘None of your business’ or a self-defeating reply like ‘Get out of my room’.

“It’s nothing, you don’t have to bother so much.”

But I wasn’t Penelope after all, so I changed what I was going to say slightly.

Anyway, whatever I say, Leonard won’t take it to heart.

This level should be enough for the current situation.

“…… What?”

However, I don’t know if it backfired, but Leonard’s eyes became murderous.

“She’s feeding her master rotten food, and that’s saying it’s nothing?”

“No, that’s ……”

“Teasing the Eckhardt’s family also requires a degree, a mere bitchy servant girl who doesn’t know her honor actually dares to do so!”

“This kind of audacious servant girl our dukedom doesn’t need at all, even if there’s no pay, there will be countless people who want to come over here and work as a servant until they die!”

Leonard said in a burst of anger.

I was going to end this conversation by saying that there’s no need to make a fuss about this, but Leonard’s unexpected reaction left me speechless.

Watching him get angrier than I, his victim, made me want to laugh.

That’s what Leonard had been saying to Penelope.

“You’re actually laughing?”

The guy who was sensitive enough to notice me laughing out loud frowned and said.

“How far do you want to be looked down upon by the female lethargists, and you’re actually just going to meekly take it?”

Yeah, right.

I’m despised as the daughter of a duke to such an extent that the servants here haven’t followed what I said once.

I was worried that if I said any wrong words it would lead me to a deathly end, and my heart, which was just in the midst of a raging storm, calmed down all of a sudden.

“It’s fine if you don’t have to do that, I went to see father yesterday because of this.”

I looked at him with even colder eyes than before.

“That’s right, father will also agree with what I said. I’ll throw that bitchy maid out right away.”

Leonard looked like he was proud of his behavior, puffing out his chest confidently.

Could it be that he’s trying to get praise or something from the fake sister he’s always despised?

Unfortunately, I have absolutely no intention of doing so.

“Neither Father nor Eldest Brother are going to kick Emily out.”

“What?”

After my calm words fell, Leonard widened his blue eyes.

“Father and …… elder brother both think so?”