Chapter 7: Trust Issues

“Tsk. Why do I need to serve a bastard daughter of the duke?” The maid mumbled as she entered Sera’s room. “If she didn’t arrive, I wouldn’t be assigned here in the annex!”

Sera pretended not to hear her rants. It had been a week since the duke’s weird way of treating her and after he left, he didn’t visit again. She knew it just happened on a whim but she still felt disappointed about being unnoticed once more.

But that would be okay! That would be better than dying earlier than expected.

She tried to console herself so she wanted to distance herself from any negative remarks. Ignoring them would be better for her rather than overthinking and drowning herself in misery just like what she did before.

“Hey, Miss. Eat this.” The maid forcefully put the meal on the table in her room.

Though she heard what the maid said, she didn’t feel like eating so she just ignored her.

“Hey!”

Sera felt a hand that slightly but forcefully pushed her. Was she trying to wake her up? She almost laughed. How could she forget that only Mary cared for her in that house? Since she had been with Mary most of the time, she forgot about the contempt that the other servants of the Fiore Manor showed towards her.

“Hey, I told you to wake up!” The maid pushed Sera with a bit more force and they were both shocked when Sera came rolling down the floor.

“My lady!” Mary, who just entered the room shouted when she saw what happened. “Why did you push her?” She turned to the maid who went pale after seeing how Sera fell from her bed.

“Mary, lower your voice. People might think that I am overreacting from falling off a bed.”

“But my lady—”

“See? The lady didn’t mind it so don’t make a mess out of a trivial situation.” The maid suddenly acted so proudly when she thought that Sera was just a powerless bastard who wouldn’t budge even after being mistreated.

“What’s your name?” Sera asked the maid as soon as she recovered herself from the fall.

“My name is Bella, Miss.” The maid said with a smirk.

Sera could laugh at how insolent Bella was. Did she think that she could get away after disrespecting a noble lady?

The law of the empire cared about the nobles more than the others. Did she think that she wasn’t counted as a noble just because she was an illegitimate child?

“Mary?” She turned to Mary with gentle yet authoritative eyes.

Though she had been imprisoned in the annex during her past life, Sera had been taught about noble etiquette, culture, and laws. She knew just how to carry herself as a noble lady of a ducal house.

“Yes, my lady?”

“What was the reason that you came here?” She asked when she remembered that her maid would bring a piece of important news that day.

“Yes, I almost forgot.” Mary’s face lit up when she realized what she was talking about. “I came here to bring you the papers about your legitimacy. The Duke already added you in the family registry, so you are officially Seraphina von Fiore from today onwards.”

Bella’s eyes grew wide but she clenched her fists, signifying that she wouldn’t back down. “So what? Do you think the people in this manor would acknowledge you?” She shouted. “No matter what your name will be, you are still a bastard child!”

Sera was about to say something but the door opened loudly and it showed an angry Alexandrei. His brows were furrowed as he walked towards them.

“What did you just say?” Andrei said with a serious yet deadly voice.

“Y-young master… I was just telling the young lady to know her place since she was acting arrogant.” Bella tried to reason out but her hand trembled at the presence of the duke’s second son.

“Who’s teaching who about whom’s place, maid?” Andrei smirked. “Did you just teach my sister, the duke’s noble daughter her place?”

Sera didn’t expect him to take her side. She sighed when she thought that the issue would be bigger because Andrei intervened, but she somehow felt relieved because she wouldn’t have to punish the maid herself.

“Y-young master…”

“Hah!” Andrei let out a gasp-like sigh. “I couldn’t believe that the maids here are so arrogant to spout such nonsense to my sister.”

Sera wanted to scoff. Was it a noble’s pride? He couldn’t bear to hear people talking bad about his family that he would be willing to take her side even though he despised her?

“What are you standing there for?” Andrei looked at the maid who was dumbfounded by Andrei’s attitude.

She thought that the young master would take her side but she was wrong. She immediately bowed and left the room before Andrei could think of something worse to punish her.

“You didn’t have to do that…” Sera paused as he looked at her brother. “…I could handle it myself.”

“Handled it yourself?” Andrei scoffed. “You couldn’t even earn the respect of your own attendants. I’ll tell father to bring in a teacher for you.”

“There’s no need for th—“

“Seraphina von Fiore.” Andrei cut her off. “From now on, that’s your name. As a member of this family, you too must uphold the dignity of this duchy.”

She knew those things very well and she wouldn’t even refuse it. She just didn’t want to hear that she was a demanding child who sought a teacher as soon as she was added to the family registry. Just what would the duke think if Andrei suddenly asked for her to be educated right after she received the news?

She knew that everyone had the mindset that she should be grateful to the duke for taking her in, but she couldn’t. She lived her life as a caged daughter and she died right after being accused of murder. Anyone in her shoe would feel the same thing. How could she be grateful to the people who didn’t only reject her but also killed her?