Chapter 4

"What are you doing here?" Regina frowned, glaring at the door.

The woman was staring irritably at the door, anxious not to open it for Doctor Nin.

"Of course, I'm here to treat you," Nin replied.

Doctor Nin remained standing at the door, the man waiting to be let in.

"No need! I want to rest now!" Regina dismissed him coldly.

Regina didn’t want to see Nin. She was too disappointed, especially since the man had just passed by without even looking into the room.

"If I don’t go in, I’ll be fired, Miss! Please, let me in!" 

Regina started to feel sorry for him—she was the type to always feel sympathy for others. However, she hesitated to let Nin in.

"I should just let him in," Regina thought.

There was no way she could refuse Doctor Nin entry. She feared that people might think she was strange or even suffering a mental breakdown after the fall.

Regina was also worried that what others might say would push her stepmother even further, making Elisabet’s plans easier to carry out.

"Just come in!" Regina relented.

Doctor Nin slowly opened the door, then remembered to close it behind him.

"Why is the door closed?" Regina furrowed her brow.

"Doesn't Miss usually ask to close the door?" Nin asked instead of answering.

"Whatever! I hope the inspection is quick!" Regina turned her face away.

She didn’t want to look at Nin anymore. Unable to control her expression any longer, she decided to focus on another direction instead.

"Thank you, Miss! I will do it quickly, as you wish!" Doctor Nin said.

He quickly took out his equipment from his bag to perform the examination. He hurried as instructed, not wanting Regina to become angry with him.

"Your condition has improved quite a bit. Just take the medicine regularly, and the pain in your head should subside soon." Nin handed Regina the prescription.

She took the paper and looked at it closely.

"Would you like me to buy it for you?" Doctor Nin asked.

"Yes, you buy it!" Regina replied.

"Then I’ll take my leave. Miss, rest well." Doctor Nin packed his things and left.

Regina looked at the prescription again, noting the name of the medicine Nin had written. It turned out to be just painkillers.

"Looks like she didn’t do it, or not yet," Regina muttered to herself.

Regina got out of bed and decided to get some fresh air on the terrace. She needed to clear her head.

"This is definitely going to be very difficult," Regina thought as she supported her head with one hand, gazing up at the clear sky.

Regina decided to rest, feeling a dizzy spell from her head still not being completely healed from the push Selina, her half-sister, had given her. She also needed to rest so she would be healthy enough to put an end to her stepmother's plan. After all, she didn’t know what Elisabet was thinking.

It was possible that the woman’s plans might change later, as she began to manipulate events that should have unfolded today—like when Selina was forgiven for the mistake made by her daughter, Elisabet. Of course, this was all being covered up by Count Deptian, Regina's father.

A knock sounded at the door. Regina, who had planned to close her eyes, couldn’t do so because she thought it was Nin, coming to bring the medicine. She was surprised, though, since the man had brought the medicine so quickly. "If it's not Nin, then who could it be?"

"Just come in!" Regina called out, not wanting to waste time guessing who was behind the door.

It turned out to be Elisabet, carrying a plate of food and a glass of warm milk for her stepdaughter. Elisabet had come to try and persuade Regina to lessen the punishment for her own daughter, though she still made sure to prioritize Regina.

Nevertheless, she spoiled Selina, giving her money and the freedom to play outside. This was no coincidence—Elisabet had purposefully encouraged her daughter to make connections that would benefit her later.

Regina glanced at her stepmother coldly, but quickly adjusted her expression to her usual neutral one, not wanting Elisabet to grow suspicious or wary.

"Regina, you haven’t eaten since you woke up?" Elisabet asked.

She placed the tray with food and milk on the small table next to Regina’s bed.

Regina suddenly realized she hadn’t eaten all day. She hadn’t even noticed the hunger until now, which explained the weakness she was feeling.

"Mother, you’re so considerate of me, even though I’m just your stepdaughter, and despite the fact that I caused your biological daughter to be punished." Regina wiped her eyes as though trying to hold back tears—though they were fake tears, of course.

She was pretending to feel guilty, but inside, Regina felt quite pleased with herself.

Elisabet stared at Regina for a long moment, her silence making Regina uneasy. Then, without a word, Elisabet turned away, leaving Regina confused about her stepmother's intentions.

"Aren’t you going to feed me?" Regina asked, her expression pained.

She wanted to see Elisabet’s reaction, but when her stepmother turned away, Elisabet smiled faintly.

Elisabet bit her lower lip, seemingly lost in thought. "It doesn’t matter. You’re right. It’s all my fault that I spoiled my daughter too much, and that’s why she treats you this way." Elisabet gently rubbed Regina’s head.

Elisabet turned to pick up the tray she had set down earlier. She handed it to Regina, who was still sitting on the bed.

"I'm sorry, Mother! I haven’t eaten anything, so I can’t hold onto anything properly," Regina said quickly.

Elisabet sighed and picked up the broken pieces of the plate and glass, which were now in pieces.

"Ow!" Elisabet cried out as a shard of glass pierced one of her fingers. She stared at her injured hand but made no move to clean it.

"Mom, you hurt your hand!" Regina cried out, her voice filled with feigned concern.

"It’s nothing, just a small cut," Elisabet replied, dabbing at the blood with a handkerchief.

"Don’t be so careless, Mother! Even a small cut should be treated, so it doesn’t get infected. A tiny injury can grow into something bigger!" Regina said, her words tinged with sarcasm, though Elisabet didn’t seem to understand her true meaning.