However, from Fiona’s perspective, the child born from the womb of a lowly Baron’s daughter suddenly showed her presence and tried to take her place.

When the child was only a mere twelve years old.

“Leave if that’s all you came here for,” Elysia ordered.

‘Of course I’m not yet done.’ Fiona replied in her head.

Elysia focused on Fiona’s malicious smile.

The composed voice of Elysia sparked Fiona’s temper.

When the current Duke Valtine became the head of the family, his mother, who had lost her husband early and carried on alone, took over the internal affairs of the House.

However, the Duke’s mother died soon thereafter, her weakened body unable to keep up.

The Duke’s younger brother immediately left the House after the death of their father.

Thus since then, Fiona and Edick had been in charge of the House’s affairs until a mistress was brought.

The Duke only cared about external affairs and held no significant attachment to the House, thus was indifferent to the internal affairs of the family.

The same was true after he married the late Duchess, Isabella.

After all, the Duke married the late Duchess purely because he wanted to create a child with an aptitude for magic, so she wasn’t given an opportunity to strengthen her position as the Duchess.

The Duchess held no real power within the House, so the servants treated her with no significance.

“I barged in on Miss without prior notice… Yes. You’re right, I’m sorry Miss.”

Fiona admitted her wrongdoing faster than expected, then took a deep breath and apologized to Elysia looking like she was reflecting on herself.

For someone apologizing, Fiona’s attitude and tone contradicted her stated remorse.

One of Elysia’s eyebrows rose slightly.

“But Miss. I think you should look at yourself, too.”

Fiona suddenly spoke to Elysia, her words disguised as advice.

At first, it might be passable as ‘advice.’

However, whatever Elysia did wrong, she was not supposed to hear it from Fiona, who was only a mere maid.

Finally Rachel, who had held herself back from butting into their conversation, opened her mouth upon hearing Fiona’s disrespect to their master.

Elysia glanced again at Rachel, signaling her to stay put.

“To take away the livelihood of the maids just because you’re angry…”

“…….”

“What you did, venting your anger on the maids, could push other people’s lives to the brink.”

‘What?’

Fiona openly insinuated that Elysia was someone who couldn’t control her anger.

When in fact, it was Elysia and Isabella who were driven to the edge of the cliff.

Isabella was a mother who still played with her children despite the disapproving eyes of others around them.

Then, when she fell ill, all of the servants treated Isabella as someone who couldn’t take care of herself.

For she was only a burden for them.

“It was unfortunate and I understand that your mother died early so you didn’t learn how to handle matters within the household…”

‘What are you talking about?’

Elysia did not know how the current situation had anything to do with her mother.

Moreover, bringing up her mother’s name to Elysia was an open-secret taboo among the servants.

And there was no way that Fiona couldn’t have known.

‘Is she implying that I wasn’t properly educated?’

This time around, Elysia was the one who laughed.

“Head Maid! What nonsense are you spouting?!”

Rachel had clenched her fist at Elysia’s glance, forcing herself to hold back her anger, eventually gave in and shouted in anger at Fiona.

Elysia was surprised by Rachel’s loud and angry voice, which she hadn’t heard in a long time.

“How dare the Head Maid speak to Miss that way! Who do you think you are?!”

Elysia thought of something as she covered her mouth with the hand that was resting on her chin.

Elysia thought that the moment she heard Fiona’s voice, she should have sent Rachel straight to Ariel’s room.

“Rachel. Where did you learn that attitude? Tsk. Is that…”

“Head Maid!”

“Is that what you’ve learned from the Barony?”

Elysia’s eyes narrowed immediately at the mention of her mother’s House.

Elysia already knew.

The reason why all of their servants ignored her mother, Isabella.

Besides that she was not loved by her husband, the main reason was that she was a Baron’s daughter.

Working in a deeply-rooted pedigree and prestige-obsessed Duchy, to have a Baron’s daughter as their Duchess was beneath their dignity.

Even if Isabella was once a capable wizard of her time.

So no matter how skilled she was, Isabella ended up being ‘just a wizard.’

Even if wizards were scarce and valuable resources in their State.

Things would have been different for her if she had become the Master of the Magic Tower, however, she withdrew from the candidacy to marry Duke Valtine.

And so, whatever she was capable of at that time, in the end, Isabella was just a wizard.

The Baron’s daughter fell ill after giving birth to two daughters and was neglected by her husband after their marriage, and eventually, she was abandoned for good when she could no longer bear him an heir with a high aptitude for magic.

And that was the impression left from the servants of the late Isabella.

“Rachel. Inform Ariel that I think I’ll have to eat dinner alone tonight.”

“Yes? How– however…”

Rachel was unsatisfied and worried about leaving Elysia alone with Fiona.

“It’s alright.”

Elysia decided it would be better if she were to have a talk with Fiona alone, than allowing Fiona the opportunity to find fault with Rachel, who was already fuming with anger.

“…….”

“Hurry.”

“…I understand, Miss.”

Rachel’s face was red, still the same color as when Fiona came unannounced earlier, as if her anger had still not yet subdued.

Nevertheless, in order to fulfill the Miss’s order, Rachel forced herself to calm down and left the room.

As Rachel finally left, Elysia and Fiona were the only ones remaining in the room.