Chapter 5

Regina was content, though, to say this knowing that Elisabet wouldn’t grasp the underlying message. It was her subtle way of reminding the woman that she shouldn’t underestimate small problems. Regina wasn’t going to let a small issue, like Elisabet, grow into something that could hurt her. She wasn’t about to let the woman who had taken her in and provided her with so much comfort take advantage of her.

Although Regina wanted to take revenge on both Elisabet and Selina for everything they had done to her and her father, she still loved her stepmother. She had not forgotten the kindness Elisabet had shown her when Regina had nowhere else to turn.

"Servant! Servant!" Regina called out.

"What is it, Miss?" the servant responded.

"Clean up these shards, and take care of your wound!" Regina ordered.

The servant helped Elisabet to her feet, but Elisabet quickly refused the help.

"No need! Just clean up the mess. I’ll take care of the rest myself." Elisabet stepped back, then turned to Regina. "When you’re done, bring some food and a fresh glass of warm milk for Regina."

Once Elisabet left the room, Regina’s expression returned to its usual coldness. She waited for someone to help her stepmother, but when the servant left, she gave a sharp order.

"Like you said, get me some food!" Regina snapped.

"Okay, I’ll get the food first," the servant said, excusing themselves.

Meanwhile, Regina daydreamed as she waited for the servant to return with food and drink.

Although she had no appetite, she knew she had to eat. She couldn’t afford to not eat when her stepmother had done so much for her and her father. Regina had to repay Elisabet for her kindness, no matter how complicated things were between them.

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The day passed quickly, and today was the day Regina had been waiting for—the day her father, the Count, returned from his duties. It had been so long since she’d seen him.

"You look very happy, don’t you, Regina?" Elisabet asked, breaking her thoughts.

"Of course I am. I’m very happy to spend the day with Father. I’ve missed him so much," Regina replied.

"Then would you like me to dress you as nicely as possible today?" Elisabet asked.

"Um, I guess so. But please, not too many accessories on my head—I’m still feeling dizzy from my injury," Regina said. She didn’t want to cover up her wound with jewelry or too much decoration.

She wanted people to see that she had been hurt by someone who didn’t know her—like Selina.

Even though Regina had been given a noble life and all the comforts that came with it, she still didn’t understand how someone could be so cruel to a person who had saved her from poverty.

Elisabet fell silent at Regina’s words, though she absentmindedly stroked the young woman’s hair as she worked.

"It hurts!" Regina moaned in pain.

"I’m sorry. I wasn’t paying attention while combing your hair. I’ll be more careful," Elisabet apologized. "Well, you look beautiful now," Elisabet added as she finished dressing Regina.

"Thank you, Mother. I’ll wait outside for Father." Regina stood and walked toward the door to meet her father.

Elisabet watched Regina until she was out of sight, staring at her stepdaughter’s back as she left the room.

Regina had arrived at the front of the house, a spot she had always loved to wait in when she was a child. Every time her mother had left, she had eagerly awaited her father’s return.

Finally, Count Deptian’s carriage arrived, and Regina stood there, anxious, as she watched for him. Her heart raced as the carriage approached. She missed her father so much.

When her father passed away, Regina had been unconscious for several days and hadn’t been able to see him. She felt guilty for not being there, so she resisted the urge to run toward the carriage.

The carriage stopped, and she stepped forward, eager to greet her father. But just as she moved, someone ran in front of her, causing her to stumble and fall.

Regina screamed in pain as her hand scraped against the ground. She looked up to see who had bumped into her. It was Selina. Her half-sister was now hugging their father tightly, her face beaming with joy. Elisabet was standing next to them.

Regina quickly got up and rushed toward them, her emotions running high.

"Stop running around, Selina!" Regina scolded.

"Sister Regina, have you just arrived? We’ve been waiting for you! When I saw you, I couldn’t help but run toward you because I missed you so much," Selina chuckled, still clinging to their father.

Selina held onto Deptian tightly, unwilling to let Regina, his biological daughter, have a chance to embrace him. A faint, almost mocking smile crossed Selina’s face, making Regina’s hands clench into fists.

"Wasn’t I the one who waited for you all this time?" Regina snapped. "After Mother dressed me, I came straight here to wait for him!"

"Is that true?" Selina asked, feigning surprise. "I didn’t know you were waiting for your father."