At the sound of Elize crying, Lady Ash abruptly stood up and harshly grabbed Aelfrie’s hair, who had been standing with her head turned.

“You should have given her to even a leper on the street! You raised this abomination only because she was on the noble list, and now she repays our kindness with enmity? You did it deliberately because you’re jealous of your sister!”

Lady Ash shook Aelfrie violently and then threw her to the floor.

“Ugh…”

A heavy pain spread from the shoulder that hit the ground.

She remembered her childhood, which she had almost forgotten because such events were now rare.

Those days of constant beatings in the midst of shouting, those days when she had been forced to kneel.

Preparing for the impending violence, Aelfrie defensively lifted her arms to shield her head. One wrong hit could be more than just a minor pain.

Just then,

“Madam! A guest has arrived!”

“Tell them I can’t receive guests today!”

Rushing over with a poker from the fireplace, Lord Ash shouted at the arriving servant.

“But, but… you really should see him.”

Normally, the servant would have taken the hint and turned them away, but strangely he hesitated.

“Who is it that you’re making such a fuss?”

“That would be…”

The servant answered with a flustered expression.

“The imperial man who brought a gift last time has returned.”

“What? Why him?”

“He said he wishes to meet you and your eldest daughter…”

“That one?”

Lord Ash looked down at Aelfrie, trembling on the floor. Her face was red from the slap, her hair and clothes a mess.

She couldn’t be presented in this state.

‘But still, I don’t want to ignore that imperial man.’

His gifts and imposing manner indicated he clearly held a high position in Ash Trading Company. Recalling the previous visit, Lord Ash asked the servant another question.

“Did he bring something this time as well?”

“Yes, it appears he has brought another gift.”

Lord Ash’s eyes sparkled at the servant’s reply.

If past experience was any indicator, the gift wouldn’t be a trifling matter.

He wasn’t the only one who had been pleased last time.

Lord Ash remembered the fountain pen on his desk. It wasn’t a perfect fit for him, but it was enviable to all.

‘I don’t know why he’s back…’

If he’s offering, better to accept. Lord Ash told his wife.

“You’ll have to look after her for a while.”

“Wow, look at this run-down place.”

In the shabby reception room, Ino whistled as if amazed. He had been to several noble houses in Denerthum, but this was his first time in such a decrepit place.

It wasn’t just because the house was old.
Even an old house can emanate a unique atmosphere that allows others to feel its charm, provided it is lovingly cleaned and maintained by its residents.

Ino was certain of it. The owner of this house not only lacked funds but also showed no love for their home, even lacking a sense of taste.

“It’s almost surprising that the entrance is clean.”

Aelfrie sweeps the entrance morning and evening, but the reception room is a different story, as Jajak hadn’t allowed Aelfrie to touch it. Unaware of this, Ino couldn’t comprehend the strange imbalance within the house.

“Why does it feel so unwelcoming?”

He internally grumbled while looking at the excessively lavish sofa that he had no desire to sit on.