Every time Jane encountered Cain’s changed appearance, a corner of her heart crumbled helplessly. It would help achieve her goal, but…

“Your table manners are terrible, I can’t stand to watch anymore. Go prepare for dance practice.”

The meal time ended after just five spoonfuls of soup.

‘Does that woman want to starve me to death?’

Jane stood up, waiting for Mrs. Themis to make a critical mistake.

“Are we starting with the waltz? Who will be my partner?”

Jane, positioned in the center of the room, asked Mrs. Themis as she turned on the phonograph.

“How impudent, looking for a partner first? You should practice the basic steps before that.”

Mrs. Themis’ paddle flew towards Jane’s shoulder as she crossed the room.

“Pull your shoulder blades together and lift your chest. Suck in your stomach! At twenty-five, you can’t do anything properly. Tsk, to think I’m wasting time teaching someone like you.”

I’d be grateful if you’d quit and leave right now, Jane retorted inwardly while smiling.

She hated getting slapped on the cheek.

Seeing that composed face, Mrs. Themis’ grip on the paddle tightened. The paddle trembled with her force.

‘At least I’m not the only one getting angry, so it’s bearable.’

In the past, Mrs. Themis had despised her attitude, finding it repulsive.

Obedient yet defiant, was it?

“We’ll repeat until you master the steps perfectly.”

Jane was about to feel relieved that she was wearing more comfortable shoes than yesterday when…

“Change your shoes.”

Mrs. Themis held out a pair of shoes with sharp heels. Indeed, Mrs. Themis was not to be underestimated.

* * *

Jane was completely exhausted. Her feet were scraped and swollen, in a terrible state. As Jane collapsed in fatigue, a look of satisfaction appeared on Mrs. Themis’ face.

“We’ll stop here for today. From tomorrow, we’ll start serious dance practice, so be prepared.”

The thought of tomorrow was dreadful.

How long would she have to dance to Mrs. Themis’ tune?

Jane’s chest tightened.

Since Cain had brought her, Mrs. Themis couldn’t easily dismiss her.

All Jane could do was protest to him to change her teacher.

But for that, Mrs. Themis would need to make a serious mistake, and she was flawless.

Suddenly, a fundamental question occurred to her.

‘If Mrs. Themis makes a mistake, will Cain change the teacher?’

Cain didn’t care about Jane’s treatment.

Given his attitude so far, there was a high chance he would dismiss even Jane’s legitimate complaints.

Realizing this, the fighting spirit that had risen in Jane flickered like a candle in the wind and went out.

‘I want to rest.’

After just a few days here, Jane’s will had hit rock bottom.

Jane sighed. The only thing that had increased since coming to Somnium House was her sighs.

She hadn’t been able to breathe freely since arriving here. Even in her bedroom when alone.

Jane desperately missed the small house on the hill.

As she considered making an excuse to visit briefly, Jane’s face darkened.

“Don’t think about leaving Somnium House until the wedding. I hate things getting noisy.”

Those were Cain’s words in the carriage on the way to Somnium House.

It was obvious that rumors would spread if Jane Whitney entered the Hastings family.

Yet he was the one who told Victor and Hamlin that Jane was the future duchess.

‘Did he use money to silence them?’

Victor and Hamlin would pretend to be dead for money, and Cain had enough wealth to easily resolve things with money.

Jane predicted Cain’s actions and marveled at his thoroughness.

Jane picked up the shoes lying on the floor and held them in her hand. Her feet were too swollen to wear shoes.

Knowing it was against etiquette to walk around barefoot, Jane covered her feet with her long dress and left the education room.

Seeing the long corridor, she couldn’t help but sigh.

Somnium House felt like a large birdcage to Jane. Prison was a more fitting description.

Jane chuckled humorlessly, imagining her dress turning into a prison uniform.

She had to imagine something ridiculous to endure the pain in her feet.

But even such imagination couldn’t resolve the tightness in her chest.

She desperately longed for fresh air, to breathe freely again.

Reaching the stairs, Jane hesitated, holding the railing.

There was a place in Somnium House where she could breathe.

‘He said not to go outside, but he didn’t forbid walking in the garden.’

Jane lowered her foot that she had raised to the stairs.

She headed for the bench in the back garden that she could see from her room.

* * *

Joseph hugged his knees.

“Joseph, this is your father. He’s a truly wonderful person. He’ll give you a big house, nice clothes, lots of toys. Isn’t that great, Joseph?”

No, Mom.

I don’t like it.

I don’t want to go.

“Joseph! Why are you being like this? Do you want to keep living with a tumor like me? I’ve raised you until now, what more do you want!”

Mom grabbed Joseph’s frail shoulders and shook him.

“Your mother is dead. Forget about her and live. Listen well to your father. Understand? If you say even one word about me, I’ll kill myself. Don’t come looking for me. If you want to kill me, do it then.”

She roughly removed Joseph’s hands clinging to her collar. Then she pushed Joseph into the Hastings family carriage.

Joseph reached out his small hand through the carriage window, but his mother turned away resolutely without even looking at him.

Joseph helplessly watched his mother fade into the distance.

And he came to the Hastings house.

“You’ll be happy. Everyone will love you.”

Those were her words as she tried to comfort Joseph who didn’t want to go to the Hastings house. Joseph believed those words absolutely.

The big house, delicious food, nice clothes, and many toys were tempting, but what Joseph wanted was the affection he never received from his mother.

“This is your room. Behave so as not to bring shame to the Hastings name.”

But what awaited him was indifference by another name.

The first and last time Joseph saw Cain, who was called his father, was the day Joseph arrived at the Hastings house.

And a few days later, Joseph was sent to a boarding academy.

The dormitory room he had to himself was bigger than the house he lived in with his mother, and the blankets and bed were soft. The clothes fit him perfectly and were comfortable, and life was abundant with three meals a day and snacks on schedule.

But there was no one there who treated Joseph warmly either.

“You’re saying you’re the young master of the Hastings family? This scrawny thing?”

“I, I, I…”

“What’s this? You’re a stuttering idiot too. Are you really the duke’s son?”

“I am Heis-, Heis-, Heis-…”

“It’s Hastings, you idiot. Can’t even pronounce your own family name properly.”

At the academy, family name couldn’t act as a shield. Things would change in middle school, but in elementary, you had to survive on your own strength alone.

Stripping away rank and living together was seen as a talent, and raising those children to be pillars of the kingdom was the purpose of establishing the academy.

So the elementary division of the academy was a thoroughly dog-eat-dog world.

The way to survive here was simple.

Display superior skills, bully others more viciously, or cunningly fulfill others’ desires.

Unfortunately, for Joseph who had been a poor child in the slums wishing for just one full meal, there was nothing he could do.

So the children’s bullying intensified, and on the day Joseph finally snapped and headbutted a boy who was insulting the Hastings name, he was expelled from the academy.

Cain didn’t say a single word when he saw Joseph return from the academy. Joseph found that even more upsetting.

Because the indifferent gaze seemed to hold not even expectations.

Afterwards, Joseph lived only in his room. There were no inconveniences. The maids treated Joseph respectfully, and Joseph ate good food.

But he was lonely.

When alone in his room, he couldn’t tell the difference from when he used to wait for his mother to return from work in the slums.

“It’s because you act like that that you’re not loved. Sigh, it’s really pathetic.”

At those times, he would hear his mother’s voice.

“It’s because of you that I have to work such dirty jobs. Why did I even give birth to you?”

He didn’t quite understand what she meant, but whenever he heard those words, Joseph’s heart ached terribly.

He felt exactly like garbage abandoned on the street.

So Joseph left his room aimlessly.

‘Would anyone even care if I disappeared? They might even be happier.’

Joseph walked hard, looking for the main gate. But the Hastings family garden was too large and complex. Joseph soon lost his way.

He was hungry from skipping lunch, and a headache was coming on from crying.

And he was scared.

‘I, I didn’t mean to leave. I just wanted… a short walk… *sob* What if no one looks for me? Mom said she’d kill herself if I came looking. What should I do? Where should I go?’

The blood drained from Joseph’s face. He wanted to go back to his room. But he was lost and had no way to return.

All Joseph could do was wait for someone to find him. So Joseph looked for a place to sit.

Fortunately, Joseph found a spot where he could rest his small body.

It was a white bench under a huge tree.

Joseph sat on the bench and curled up his body. Desperately praying for someone to find him.

Translation complete. 100% of original text translated.