Today, I met with Princess Anesa again.

And after searching my body to check if I had a recording magic device, she started harassing me.

Pinching my cheeks in anger was a common occurrence.

“Darling, does it hurt a lot?”

“No.”

When I answered so boldly, the princess glared at me with fierce eyes and whispered softly.

“Try crying and saying you’ll be good, and ask for help. Then I’ll help you not fall into the abyss.”

“I don’t want to.”

She smiled mockingly and put her hands on me again.

“You fake daughter, you still don’t know your place. Shall we do a bit more?”

For now, I endured it all.

After pinching my face, she would pour holy water on my cheeks.

So that my cheeks wouldn’t swell up or scar as if they had been hit. She seemed to be erasing anything that could be evidence.

‘Well, honestly it’s nothing. I can endure it.’

I had to slowly and silently accept what Princess Anesa’s intentions were, and exactly what actions she would take.

That woman sees me as just a cunning ‘little girl’.

So I needed to let her be careless like that, and not suddenly lash out.

‘My father is more precious than my body. That person could use me to do something to my father.’

So I silently endured her attitude.

Today too, she and I were talking together in a small reception room.

Princess Anesa was freely spewing information she had while going on about me being a fake daughter.

“Do you understand now that you’re a fake daughter? Have you heard the rumors?”

“You spread them, those rumors?”

“Oh, I thought you were stupid but you can guess that much. I pulled some strings, do you like it? What do you think about those rumors, Sien?”

“Hmm. I guess I’m a fake daughter.”

When I pretended to be gloomy, the corners of her mouth turned up.

“There’s also a rumor that your mother rescued you from some hut before she died. And another saying the real daughter was switched at the hospital. The latter is more credible. So if we just find the real daughter, you’re finished.”

What she said was exactly what I had heard from Delphia.

There was nothing else particularly special.

‘Does this woman not have any more information either?’

Thinking it might be time to stop this, I remained silent.

Thinking I was hurt, a sardonic smile formed on her lips.

Now it was time for her to scratch my face with those long nails.

If I didn’t act according to her intentions, Princess Anesa would lose her temper and suddenly hit me. Then she would pour holy water on my scratched cheek to heal it before leaving.

It seemed like she was going to do the same thing today as Princess Anesa raised her hand.

But…

Contrary to my expectations, she lowered her eyebrows and whispered to me.

“Lady Sien, how can you say such frightening things?”

I tilted my head in confusion.

What was this person who had been insulting me this whole time up to now?

“Even if you don’t like me becoming your stepmother…”

The princess even let tears fall from her beautiful eyes.

I gaped in surprise.

‘So this woman is suddenly… This is… like something out of a weekend drama!’

Just as I was on the edge of my seat at the dramatic situation.

Tok tok tok. Tap.

The sound of quick footsteps was heard at the door.

The murmuring voices of people also began to ring clearly in my ears.

Thinking she had finally reached the climax, Princess Anesa cried out theatrically.

“If you torment me like this, I suffer too! Others… like me… Even if you think of me as a stepmother, please have some decency!”

“Uh, huh?”

“I even endured you swearing at me and calling me stepmother every time!”

At last came the loud sound of the door sliding open.

And outside were the maids, Duchess Lucella, Leonhart, and Delphia.

Princess Anesa lowered her gaze, casting down her eyelashes pitifully.

“I… I’m not hurt by the words of a five-year-old.”

With an expression that anyone would see as hurt, Princess Anesa muttered.

“Even if Lady Sien acts like she’s throwing away my feelings like this.”

I admired her brilliant acting.

Seeing that image, anyone would reach out to her. Thinking their heart aches, not knowing what lies beneath that angelic appearance.

After all, Princess Anesa had built up a reputation in this mansion in a short time.

That device-like thing she suddenly hid in her bosom, it probably had some brainwashing effect.

Princess Anesa seemed to think people would fall for her acting.

But there was something Princess Anesa overlooked.

These people are…

“What bullshit.”

…on my side.

Elder sister Delphia’s words “What bullshit” rang out loudly in the reception room.

I grinned and tilted my head slightly.

The fact that I had cut off almost all interactions with the family members until now in order to deceive Princess Anesa finally paid off.

‘Stupid Princess Anesa.’

She must have thought I was the black sheep of the Mirmode family since no one got angry even when she hit me.

She thought her plan had worked when no one got angry even after she spread rumors that I was a fake daughter, so she gleefully carried out her next plan.

“…Bull…shit, you say?”

For a moment, as if she couldn’t believe what she had just heard, Princess Anesa’s lips trembled.

I began to watch the situation with great interest.

“What did you… just say?”

“I said bullshit.”

At Delphia’s harsh words, the princess wore a bewildered expression.

And rightly so. The princess must have put quite a bit of effort into Delphia until now.

She may have even mistakenly thought everyone had come over to her side.

But someone like Delphia wasn’t interested in people who were nice to her. She was the type to only be nice to people she took a liking to.

“What, want me to curse some more?”

At Delphia’s words, the princess’s face flushed with confusion.

Moreover, contrary to the princess’s expectations, people really liked me.

It was a bit embarrassing that they liked me even though I hadn’t done anything.

‘So Princess, I’ve secured a much more advantageous position than you, that’s what this means.’

People like the princess are like that.

They think everyone will like them, and they can construct relationships however they want.

They think everyone will dance to the tune they’ve composed.

It’s not unreasonable for her to think that way.

Because Serina Anesa is the princess of the great empire. Until now, no one would have dared to go against her wishes.

But she was wrong.

No, even if she was right usually, today was different.

Duchess Lucella, who had been coldly watching the princess’s flustered appearance, elegantly opened her mouth.

“Step back, Delphia. Princess, our little sweetie wouldn’t do that. You must have misunderstood.”

“I was startled to see Lady Sien’s aggressive behavior.”

It was amusing to see her still trying to slander me, perhaps not fully grasping the situation yet.

Princess Anesa lowered her trembling eyelashes.

Grandmother, who had been staring intently at that sight, spoke in a kind voice.

“No? I meant, what kind of dirty trick are you trying to pull, Princess.”

Of course, the content of her words was not kind at all.

‘Seeing my elegant grandmother use language like “dirty trick” that elder sister Delphia usually uses… She must be extremely angry, it’s scary!’

Flustered by grandmother’s demeanor, the princess bit her lip hard as she stood up.

“…Even if this is Mirmode, I am still a princess, how dare you use such expressions.”

However, no matter what she said, there was not a single person in this place who would move according to her intentions.

Delphia smirked.

“So you were just pretending to be pitiful like a dog, but actually making up lies to sound real? You slandered our baby, you know? And you expect to be treated like a human?”

Princess Anesa straightened her back and glared at me. Then Leonhart walked over and stood beside me. As if he were a knight ready to protect me.

“That’s right, Her Highness the Princess must have done something wrong, right?”

She must have realized that everyone here was hostile towards her.

When her act didn’t work, the princess briefly wore a confused expression, as if this wasn’t right.

I carefully observed the changes in her expression.

‘In the past, she must have always discredited people like this.’

It didn’t matter if Princess Anesa’s acting was a bit sloppy. She was a princess, with an angelic image after all. All she had to do was spread rumors that people around her were slandering the princess.

But today was different.

No matter what anyone said, the people here were my people.

Elder sister Delphia sighed heavily as if annoyed and spoke roughly.

“This is really driving me crazy. Why are you just standing there blankly? Princess? Get lost.”

…No, it wasn’t just rough.

Elder sister Delphia even raised her fist along with the curse.

“There’s no way our master would do that, you know? Don’t piss me off and get lost.”

The princess must have thought I was just a young child who would quietly endure being bullied. And she must have also mistakenly thought she had easily won over the Mirmode people.

Her body trembled with rising feelings of betrayal and emptiness as she squeezed her eyes shut then opened them again.

But right at that moment.

Leonhart looked at Delphia with surprising calmness.

“Lady Delphia.”

Others might not notice, but I could see his suddenly subdued tension.

“Ah, what! Aren’t you angry? She’s slandering right now!”

Elder sister Delphia messed up her silver hair roughly. Then Leonhart raised the poison he was holding in his hand.

“I’ll sacrifice myself. I’ll send her off in one go.”

…No, are you trying to kill someone just for acting?!

Trying to kill someone, as expected of a villain family.

But if that happened, it could really create a huge rift between the imperial palace and the Mirmode family.

Above all, our Mirmode family might have to pay astronomical compensation.

But the people here didn’t seem to care about that at all.

In the end, the conclusion was that I was the only one who could mediate this situation.

I clapped my small hands together.

When everyone’s attention gathered on me, I opened my mouth and said.

“Please leave, Princess Serina Anesa.”

“…Ha! You’re all… out of your minds. I didn’t do anything! Originally, due to my nature… I often received this kind of slander. I was good to this child, I never thought I would be insulted like this…”

Her eyes began to turn red. I almost applauded her amazing acting skills.

I looked at the princess with her pitiful expression. Then, she too began to stare at me with bloodshot eyes.

“Lady Sien, how could you−”

“Everything has already been revealed, and there’s not a single person on your side here, Princess. So…”

I stared straight at the princess, who was doing a pitiful act but gradually contorting her expression, and murmured.

“Don’t say anything to my people, and get lost.”