3 Chapter 3: You Call This a Family? Blemish!

Philadelphina paused, frowning, and turned her head to face her fuming father.

"Philadelphina Rustochile! Is your dignity still intact? Why are you hurting your own family???"

Delphi rolled her eyes.

"Family?"

She echoed, sticking her hands on her hips.

"What kind of shitty family is this? Does your ideal type of so-called 'family' starve and abuse their first child? Shall I report this to Lorealis's father?"

Lorealis's father was hugely against child abuse and poverty, so he donated a lot of gold to many charities and orphanages, and also the reason why Lorealis was raised spoiled.

Viscount Rustochile frowned, clenching his fists. He took a deep breath and sighed heavily, as if dealing with the anger in his head.

"I know," he finally said, surprising Philadelphina and causing Avry and Avani to jump up. "I've been wrong, Philly dear. Please stop doing this and come back to us-"

"DAD!" Avani screamed like a banshee. Parts of her head were bald and reddened, and her nose was bleeding. "Y-you! How could you, she's an illegitimate! It's just depriving us of our honor by accepting a low-life like her-"

"SHUT UP, AVANI! LOOK AT THE STATE YOU'RE IN!"

Viscount Rustochile snarled through gritted teeth, and Avani shrank with disbelief, her hands shot up to her hair, sobbing. She looked at Avry pleadingly, asking for help.

Avry understood the signal and automatically scrambled up, grabbing the viscount's arm and pulling it close. "Honey~ Don't be angered by that terrible brat. She's just throwing a fit, and as you see, I'm fine," she cooed, leaning in seductively.

Rustochile remained unfazed. "Pfft," Philadelphina laughed, causing Avry to snap.

"What the hell are you laughing at, bitch," she barked.

Philadelphina, who completely ignored her, continued laughing. "You should see your reflection right now. It's so hideous!" Avry looked clueless, which only made Delphi laugh harder. She pointed at Avry's mossy hair which was messy and dirty, resembling a bird's nest. "The only reason why Father married you was for your looks. It's only natural that he wouldn't want you now." Philadelphina paused. "But since you're so experienced in seducing Father, who knows how many men you've tried it on before Father…"

The muscles on Viscount Rustochile's face twitched, and he shook off Avry's arm violently. Avry landed on the floor with a thud and yelped, not from the fall, but the pain from the lash she received earlier.

"Ah, yes Father. Some time ago, I remembered seeing stepmom getting into the Baron's carriage from a corner street in front of our estate, several times actually," Delphi said. She had read in the novel before that the Viscountess was cheating on her husband with a baron when Lorealis turned 14, but forgot when exactly. Since Philadelphina's birthday was in January and Lorealis's was in March, the dates seemed to match. "My attic window was coincidentally facing in that direction, and I managed to catch a glimpse of them making love." Avry shook her head vigorously. "N-no, that wasn't me…" Philadelphina threw her hands over her eyes, as if to erase the disgusting scene from her mind. "Oh my, I couldn't watch any longer. It was too obscene, and if I had told anyone, I fear being beaten up like before!"

Delphi managed to fake sob, and the viscount flinched.

"You whore," he said slowly to Avry. "After everything I've done for you, you go and meet another man?! DO YOU HAVE A DEATH WISH??!!"

Beneath Philadelphina's silver bangs hid a smirk so devilish that it almost made Avry coward.

The viscount snatched the whip from Delphi's hands, which she happily gave up, and stormed over to Avry, who was cowering on the ground. Now it was Avry's turn to beg Avani for help. "A-avani, my sweet daughter. Help your mum out for once, darling…" she asked desperately. Avani turned away and bit her lip, not being able to look at her mom, who was already on the viscount's hate list.

A whip crashed lashed out at her and struck her in the arm. Avry gave a loud shriek and gripped the bleeding injury.

Delphi snorted, looking down at Avry with a sneer on her face. "Heh, mother," she said with an innocent smile. "You're steeping so low before me, a "wench", so what does that make you, mother? A lowlife whore?" The stepmother bit her lip and dipped her head down, ashamed and angry. Viscount Rustochile sighed in frustration, throwing the whip onto the ground. Delphi frowned, arguing, 'Why didn't he beat her up some more?'

Then a small smile creeped up from the corner of her mouth. 'Or is he going to...?'

"Get out of here, wench! Don't ever let me see you again! Guards, drag her out!" (Viscount)

Delphi lowered her head and began shaking as Avry wrestled against the tough armored guards. Avani looked over helplessly and began to tremble, while Andor ran over to help her up. The viscount ignored Avani and Andor, and began frowning at Delphi's shaken figure. He was about to curse her out for making a ruckus as well, but remembered the bargain he had made with the Earl of Sevrulius. His anger died out as he thought of all the riches he could gain from such an ordeal, and so he straightened his neck tie and marched out the door without looking back at Delphi's joyous expression.

Delphi whipped her head towards the step-twins, smiling sinisterly. The sight of Avani's hair, which used to be pampered by maids everyday, now gone was amusing.

But she was not going to stop there.

"Now... what shall I do with you guys?"