Ten years had passed; it couldn’t be true. She was still just a child. If Jocelyn wanted to kill her right now, she could easily do it, weak enough for anyone to defeat.

When Jocelyn didn’t answer with a stiff attitude, Arianthe’s expression twisted.

“I asked you.”

“Is it Lady’s place to be here? Or do you want to play a nasty prank on the servants again?”

Arianthe frowned.

“No. When I look from here, the shadow of that tree looks like a snowman.”

Round, blue eyes blinked a couple of times. The sight reminded Jocelyn of Liria, making her even more uncomfortable.

“How could that vulgar face resemble Mother so much?”

In response to Jocelyn’s sarcastic remark, Arianthe’s pupils contracted.

“What did you just say?”

“Lady indeed resembles our late mother greatly.”

Jocelyn muttered with a casual tone. However, Arianthe flared up and rolled her eyes.

“Lies! You cursed Mother with dirty words! I heard everything! ”

Even though Arianthe was angry, Jocelyn remained indifferent. Rather, with an expression that seemed to say she couldn’t understand why Arianthe was angry, she widened her eyes.

Jocelyn said, “Dirty words? Insults? Certainly not. I just said the truth, how can you be so angry? Truly thoughtless behavior and ignorant actions.”

Calling it thoughtless behavior or ignorant actions were stories Arianthe still couldn’t clearly understand. However, instinctively, she could tell that it wasn’t a compliment. But she, a frustrated child, could only shout in frustration. “Liar! You’re a liar! Why are you here in this house? Don’t do bad things if you meet me! Last time, you tried to bother Swan, and you bothered me too! So Father even ordered to stay sober, and you still don’t know what’s wrong! Get out! I hate Jocelyn being in this house! Get out!”

“Get out?”

Jocelyn twisted her lips. It was a strange and almost eerie smile.
Without lowering her head, Jocelyn approached Arianthe a bit more. Arianthe clenched her fists tightly but didn’t step back, ready to fiercely retaliate like she did last time by biting with all her might into Jocelyn’s leg.

With wide-open eyes, Jocelyn raised her head firmly and extended her upper body.

“If there’s anyone who should leave this house, it’s you, first and foremost. The second is that wretched woman who pities you.”

Arianthe glared back with a rebellious attitude. Such a sight, resembling Berbo so closely, further distorted Jocelyn’s feelings. It was a moment when she, like a beast, was about to add another word to Arianthe.

Suddenly, Jocelyn reached out her hand towards Arianthe’s neck. However, Arianthe quickly evaded her hand, stepping back.

“What are you doing! I’ll tell Father about this!”

“Why do you have that thing?”

Now, Jocelyn didn’t even bother confronting Arianthe. Her bloodshot eyes didn’t seem to be in their right mind.

Arianthe frowned, staring at Jocelyn and groped her own neck. She touched something small and solid.

It was the wooden pendant Arianthe had found among the things when cleaning the empty room on the east side, which was now used as Swan’s room.

Maeyana had woven a string through a hole she pierced, and Arianthe sometimes wore that necklace.

“I found this. It’s mine.”

“Give it here!”

Jocelyn shouted. Arianthe, to escape from her, took a few steps back more quickly. Even a child could understand. Jocelyn considered this necklace as something very important. If that was the case, there was no way she could give it back.

Ventie said it wasn’t even a jewel; what was pretty about it? That was what she said, not understanding the child well. Even if Maeyana asked her to change it, rather than thinking about it, why would Jocelyn? It was impossible.

“This is mine.”

Holding the wooden pendant tightly in her hand, Arianthe stubbornly said. At that moment, an old memory struck Jocelyn’s mind like lightning.

“All right, I’ll give you this. You don’t accept jewels even if they’re given.”

It happened when she was about fourteen. Duke Valternminster gave Jocelyn the wooden pendant when she refused any gifts that didn’t fit her status.

In terms of value, it was more rare and precious than a common jewel, but Jocelyn, being young at the time, didn’t appreciate its worth. She was just fascinated by the fact that something originally wood had turned into something like a stone.

Having returned from the death of Duke Valternminster and serving Sedyloy, who carried the heavy burden of the head of the family at a young age, she had completely forgotten about that object.

However, why was it in the hands of that wretched girl? Jocelyn could no longer think rationally. Her mind was full of the thought that Arianthe had stolen that wooden pendant.

“Learn dirty habits like a mouse obsessed with tiny things. Your mother must have been the same. I don’t even need to see it; it’s probably a typical thing.”

Jocelyn uttered a malicious remark, her mind partly gone. However, instead of crying or shouting, Arianthe stared back at Jocelyn with determination.

“Father said Mother was a wonderful person. Do you think I’ll believe what you say?”