Blaming the Suffering on You and Me

Both Marissa and Callum evaded Clarissa's gaze when they met along the hallway, and so she decided to run off ahead. She was so angry that Artie had forced Callum to scold her. If the archduchess was obedient, she wouldn't have to take action. Now, both her sister and her intended never spoke to her.

When she discreetly opened the door, she caught Artie and Larkin talking, and the archduchess seemed to be happy. 'So proud of your insolence, aren't you?' Clarissa's grip on her other shoe tightened before she hurled the piece towards Artie's face. She didn't miss; Artie just managed to evade it.

"Hmph, you forgot to collect the other one."

Clarissa puffed her chest as if she had done a great deed. She then walked to one of the single couches and sat down, not paying attention to the other two people in the room.

A gaping mouth… that was all Artie had in response. This bitch… really had no bottom line in her actions. She then turned to Larkin who was only staring in Clarissa's direction. His eyes were cold, but he didn't wish to glare at his daughter. His attention was only diverted when Artie got to her feet and picked up the shoe that hit the wall. She dropped it on the pair of shoes before going back to her seat.

"Are you planning to get even?" He murmured softly, not letting Clarissa hear them in such an empty room. However, he didn't get an answer from Artie. Like before, he decided to leave it be.

"Lord Ellis..." Callum greeted the archduke before glaring at the lady who wouldn't even pay attention to him. Was she ignoring them because he told Marissa to ignore her? He sat Marissa down and bowed to the archduke and archduchess. "Lady Shen, I apologize for Lady Wessel's actions—"

"Lady Wessel's actions are her own, and apologies will be accepted if it came from her." Artie frowned at the knight before turning to the pink sister. "Lady Wessel, I know you don't like your father all that much, but it's very improper for you to act like a braggart. Don't think that respect will come to those who do not know how to give it. Not only me, but you're also waiving respect to the archduke and to the seneschal."

A huff was her answer.

Clarissa then eyed the archduchess. "I'm acting like a braggart? Get used to it. I'm the one with the blood of the archduke here and not you. You're just a half-breed from Kaigansa, a disgrace to the elvenkind. What made you think you have the right to talk me down?"

'Wow, she does have a big attitude problem...' Artie was surprised. Even the worst noblewoman she met in Larkin's peaceful banquets was nothing like this. This girl wanted to harness the power she had been denouncing and would regard the archduke as her father when convenient. 'System, her page please...'

[You have unlocked a new page in Miel's Nobility Cheat Sheet!]

[Clarissa Wessel! Age: 21; Race: Demi-human; Place of Origin: Ellis Plains (Galacia); Affiliation/s: Larkin Ellis (father, biological), Miel Ellis (brother, biological), Marissa Princesley (twin, biological)… (more)]

[The older of the Ellis twins. Clarissa Wessel was passed around from one family to another before being bought by the daughterless House Wessel. Her street life had been washed off completely through the efforts of House Wessel, but their favor had turned her into an extremely proud noblewoman. Her most treasured heirloom was her demon blood that could be used as a bargaining chip to own a duchy of her own.]

Artie frowned at nothing in particular. 'No wonder her breeding was so bad. Then again, she should be taking steps to better herself than to continuously fall into the cycle of being a rude person, right?' She only sighed and turned to the other daughter.

[Marissa Wessel! Age: 21; Race: Demi-human; Place of Origin: Ellis Plains (Galacia); Affiliation/s: Larkin Ellis (father, biological), Miel Ellis (brother, biological), Clarissa Wessel (twin, biological)… (more)]

[The younger of the Ellis twins. Marissa Princesley was a beautiful child that Lord Princesley had confiscated from criminals who traffic children. Learning that she was the daughter of the archduke, she had been placed in utmost care as the bargaining chip of the Princesleys to both the Crown and the Archduke. However, regular checks with the demon emperor confirmed that she didn't inherit her father's demon blood.]

'...really? Am I supposed to be compassionate to those two little devils?' Artie cleared her frown before leaning against her seat. It seemed that everything had gone awkward because of Clarissa's hostility. Moreover, Larkin wasn't even doing anything to correct her attitude.

"There are still days before the wedding. Is there any place that you'd want to go to? You're not planning to spend all that extra time in the castle, are you?" Artie decided to ignore Clarissa and asked Marissa instead, but the other twin refused to answer. The archduchess then eyed Callum who was also lost as to what to say.

"They must still be tired from their travels, Lady Shen. Give them a day, and perhaps they might think of an itinerary." Miel didn't prepare an itinerary for them either; it's not like Clarissa had ever used what he had prepared for them. "The last time they visited, they stayed in the castle for three days before walking and hunting with the archduke."

Artie's eyes then widened in interest. "Hunting? They can hunt?"

Clarissa's eyes then glistened and huffed very arrogantly. "The elves are the most superior race when it comes to technological advances and medical sciences. It's a little disappointing that you have no idea how to hunt. Hmph, where did the archduke pick up such a worthless person?"

'Since when did my worth come from knowing how to hunt?' Artie's smile froze as she ended up rolling her eyes inwardly. She didn't even regard Clarissa with a gaze and only waited for Marissa to do something alike. However, the younger twin didn't say anything as if her lips were stitched sealed by Callum. Artie blinked again. "Lady Princesley, are you sick? You just… stopped talking..."

"She doesn't want to waste a breath on you." The older twin got to her feet and went to walk around as she spotted the shoes next to Larkin's seat. However, she was stopped by Miel as he discreetly grabbed her arm. She was about to growl at him, but the seneschal only glanced at her. The pink sister then turned to Larkin who was eyeing her like an eagle deciding whether she was a worthy prey or not.

Larkin then got to his feet and moved away. "Let them rest for today. I'll see you at dinner." When he exited the waiting room, Miel and the knights had bowed down to him. Artie had also gotten to her feet and hurriedly caught up with the archduke. The archduchess would have stayed, but she caught a glance from Larkin as if he was asking her to come with him.

The two then trod the hallway on their way back to Larkin's room. He spoke first, "The older they become, the less restrained they behaved. The last two times they had come here, they were capable of controlling their mouths and gazes. Are you disappointed?"

"Very… but learning about how they live…? I have a feeling that they're blaming their sufferings on you… and me inevitably." Artie only shrugged her shoulders, but Larkin stopped walking. She noticed his pause, and she figured these pauses were not good. A smile curled her lips to hide her apprehension. "Larkin?"

"They… suffered?"