"But dear. To be educated again at this age... Isn't it a little bit...?"
Mother once again expressed her concern.
Noble children receive formal education until the age of 15. Young lords are until 18 years old, but young ladies have to take bridal classes to at least learn the basics before their marriage.
But she will have to do it again because she didn't even have the basics. I could already hear what sorts of gossips will be coming out of people's mouths.
Mother was quite worried about this very matter.
"Wouldn't it be more embarrassing to behave in front of others like what Cecilia just did? If we cover up Cecilia's flaws for fear of her getting hurt, things will definitely escalate before long.”
I spoke a little softer than I did earlier. Because I will be leaving room for them to distort my meaning if I say it too strongly and I don't want that.
Fortunately, when I looked at my father, he had the face I expected.
Father made creases between his eyes, apparently worried about his future. His expression was seriously hardened that he was probably wondering why he had brought her here irresponsibly.
So you're only worried about this much?
Of course, Cecilia's expression was way worse, and in fact, I don't want to offer her an education at the expense of my family's money.
But while she's educated, she's bound inside the mansion.
Whatever I do outside, she can't do anything to interfere.
Also, the tutors who will teach her will not be able to understand Cecilia. Cecilia Saint is a noble lady yet she didn't have any sense of proper etiquette.
I don't know much about the Saints but I do know they're extremely low in finances. It was clear that she didn't learn any proper education because of it.
She pretended to be cultured, openly imitating my speech and behavior, but she was no different from a commoner in reality. I could tell with just a bit of careful observation.
Will the tutors leave her be with the way she is? It was clear that she would not be allowed outside the mansion until she'll become the perfect example of a noble lady.
"Hmmm, apparently Rose is right. Cecilia, it's not that we don't trust you. I'm afraid you'll be hurt by fools who don't know you very well. You're my daughter too, so I'll provide you with the best talents of the empire, the ones who taught Rose."
My father said with a satisfied-looking smile. Somehow he looked as if he had done his job as a father with those words.
"I'm honored, Father. Now that I think about it, I'm really not good enough. From now on, as a Hailon, I will hold my head high and behave in a way that is true to myself."
Cecilia smiled brightly and seemed to blame herself for her shortcomings, but what she meant was that at the end of the day, she's still a member of House Hailon.
The worried young lady, who asked if she could bear the name Hailon, said she was inadequate but would still behave as she wants while bearing the name Hailon.
"That's great, Cecilia. You truly become a real young lady—Ah, I mean a Hailon now.” I said while smiling a bit sheepishly, purposefully made a slip of the tongue. However, I meant it literally.
In the end, Cecilia decided to get an education.
I smiled relaxingly as I put my lips on the chilled teacup.
At this place in the past, I was forced to swallow my endless sorrow.
Cecilia's presence made it difficult for me to behave as a good daughter and a dignified noble. I thoroughly expressed my contempt for being here that my actions were naturally frowned upon by my father.
Cecilia's flaws were overlooked due to my misconduct. If I'd just been careful, everyone would have noticed. All of my past efforts have been tainted.
I wanted my parents to know what I really felt. Because they're my family, not anyone else. But no one recognized my ordeal, so I ended up being jealous of a new family member and forgetting my manners.
On that day, I sat alone in the dining room crying while my father stood up and left the room, then I was shunned by my mother and ridiculed by Cecilia.
I changed the events of that day.
However, seeing Cecilia's face was excruciatingly hard. Every time I saw her, I kept myself from lunging at her and claw every single piece of flesh from her face.
But every time I saw her hardened expression, it stirred me off of my wild thoughts.
If she suffers in any way, each and every single one of them is a pleasure to me.
In the past, Cecilia took away everything from me. My friends, my family, and my fiancé.
She stole my fiance even though she already had one.
There was a time when she came into this house and talked about her engagement. My father chose her fiance carefully because she was almost sold off to an older aristocrat to clear her family's debts.
Her fiance's name is Lyssen Martiers.
My father informed Cecilia of her engagement, but Cecilia was greatly disappointed because Lyssen Martiers was only a Viscount's son. What's more, he's not even the heir of the family since he's the third son.
He was even famous for being anti-social and a recluse nerd.
A man of that age would have gone to every social function and approached noble ladies, but he was only known by his name and no one actually saw him.
Perhaps my father liked that sort of a man more and made him Cecilia's fiance. He must have thought it was better than a nobleman who would only think of women.
Even if Cecilia bears Hailon's name, everyone knows she's only a foster daughter.
He took a grown woman without a single drop of Hailon's blood and made her a foster daughter, which would make everyone avoid her.
Also, most of the properties will be given to the real daughter, so there was little expectation on the foster daughter. They all thought affection would be showered on their real daughter.
Contrary to their expectations, I was neglected.
Also, there was even a strange rumor spreading for a while that my father loved Cecilia as a woman and wanted to keep her by his side so he made her into his foster daughter.
It was rumored that he wanted to live with her, but he brought her in as an adopted child because he was wary of his wife and daughter. He brought a woman who was almost of marriageable age as a foster daughter.
However, despite that nasty rumor, few marriage proposals came in for Cecilia.
Some fell in love with her appearance and occasionally wrote a letter of love, but most of the time it was written only to have an intimate relationship without commitment with her. He'll make her his lover, but he won't marry her.
In the end, my father had to choose from one of the few marriage proposals that came in, and the best of them was from the Martiers.
He was from a low-rank aristocracy and had no money on his name, but he befitted Cecilia since he was about the same age as her and didn't seem very interested in women.
Aware of this, Cecilia was not happy with her fiance so she coveted my fiance, Peter. She acted fast the day my fiancé was decided.
I was caught helplessly. Peter also betrayed me for he couldn't resist her temptation.
This time she'll have no choice but to suffer. Because I'm the only one who knows about the future.
She won't know what kind of big fish her fiancé will be. He's an influential person that can't even compare to Peter. She must have regretted it in the future, thinking she should have married this man. It was her only wrong choice.
So I'm going to steal her fiancé, just as she stole mine so that in the future, she would madly regret what she did.
I'll take away everything she has. All of it.
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