Chapter 24

“Why wasn’t that Beth girl chosen?”

“Well.”

“Is there any suspicious movement in the Crown Prince’s palace?”

“No.”

“How far has the crown prince’s curse progressed?”

“I don’t know.”

Diana didn’t listen to Gilbert. In addition, she evaded the question by answering a short answer.

As a result, Gilbert never carried out a single order by the Duke of Cassil.

“I think Count Bellacian should pay attention to his children’s education. Why would they ignore their father?”

The Duke of Cassil blamed Gilbert. He announced his eldest son Frank marriage to the Marquis Westin’s family. He reneged on his promise to marry Diana and Frank.

Gilbert was angry and headed to the duchess, but he couldn’t even get inside and was refused on the spot.

‘Diana, you stupid bitch! You had a year! pathetic bitch!’

Gilbert’s anger turned to Diana. Throughout his trip back home, he cursed Diana.

If Diana had listened to him, everything would have been fine. However, the situation reached this point because she was stupid, lazy and did not listen to him.

She’s not as pretty and smart as Ancia! If she couldn’t catch the Emperor’s eye, and couldn’t stand at the center of the society, she should at least listen to her father properly!

The news of Frank’s marriage broke out, and the Empress’s seat was gone forever. Gilbert’s dream of becoming the emperor’s father-in-law and taking revenge on the nobles who ignored him also disappeared.

This was all because of Diana that stupid bitch. If he had known this would have happened, he would have loved Ancia. Diana had been cooperating with Ancia because of her stupidity; he was also not respected as a father.

Come to think of it, Diana was the mastermind of everything.

Gilbert was so regretful even for the times he cared for Diana.

“The sword? Why do you have this!”

Gilbert being full of anger, stormed into Diana’s room and screamed as soon as he found the wooden sword she had hidden. Diana’s shoulders flinched at his harsh shouting.

“That…”

While she hesitated to answer, Gilbert forcibly took the wooden sword from Diana.

“Give it back!”

It is a precious sword that she got as a gift from her sister. She reached out her hand in a hurry. As soon as Diana’s hand reached Gilbert, his expression turned frighteningly scary.

Gilbert grabbed Diana’s hand. Her fingers and palms had hard calluses.

“What’s wrong with your hand! What’s with your hand?”

“It, it hurts!”

“It’s not the problem! You are noble! I can’t believe you go to the Crown Prince’s palace to do useless things like that! Who’s going to take a girl who has rough hands like a maid! A girl who can’t take care of her own hands! You’re going to be a disgrace to our family!”

He was on a rampage. But it wasn’t about feeling sorry for Diana’s calluses or worrying as a parent.

Gilbert was angry that Diana might fall out of the marriage trade. More precisely, he was mad that he would lose face.

The more Gilbert lost his reasoning and became angry, the colder Diana became.

She still thought her father loved her. Although he forced her to do things, she thought it was because he cared about her.

But it wasn’t. For Gilbert, she was just a high-end accessory that could be boasted anywhere and sold at a high price at the right time.

She looked Gilbert in the eye.

“Father, I’m not going to marry.”

“What?”

“I’m going to be a knight. I want to enter the Knights Academy next year.”

When Diana revealed her dream, Gilbert’s face was distorted with anger.

“A knight? What kind of knight is a woman? Are you going to do what a low-class nobleman or a commoner is doing?”

“That’s prejudice. Count Cheyon, the 3rd Knights Commander, is a woman.”

“Old bitch.”

“She’s the one I respect.”

“Respect? So you’re going to be like that woman?!”

“Yes, I will be a knight of the imperial family, and I will protect my sister! So don’t think about doing anything strange to her anymore!”

The moment she uttered what she had endured, her cheeks hurt so much. Gilbert slapped Diana in the face.

“Father…”

It was the first time that he had used violence, although he has shown signs of doing it these days. Diana was greatly shocked. Gilbert, however, did not care about his daughter’s reaction and continued with his anger.

“If you say that again, I’ll get rid of you!”

***

“Ah!”

Diana sank as soon as she’s in bed.

Gilbert, angered by her, hit Diana’s calf to the point where the whip was broken.

Fortunately, her face was fine, but it was hard to walk because her legs hurt.

The maid applied ointment to her legs and said Gilbert was looking for her.

“Have you applied any medicine?”

Gilbert asked in a cold voice as soon as Diana entered the office.

“Yes.”

“I shouldn’t have hurt a girl who hasn’t even gotten married.”

“…..”

She thought he was genuinely worried, but Diana’s heart froze cold at her father’s subsequent words.

“Did you reflect?”

“No, I’ll be a knight.”

She was going to say it before the end of the year anyway. She didn’t mean to talk about it in such a harsh atmosphere, but she had already gone this far.

Gilbert’s hands flinched. Diana closed her eyes tightly, thinking that he would hit her with his hand.

Soon there was a sound of ‘tak’ and things rumbling out. She opened her eyes carefully again. On Gilbert’s desk, there was a mana stone for recording video.

“Install this in the Crown Prince’s Palace.”

“Father! I told you I didn’t want to do that!”

“Don’t be immature! This is all for you and your family!”

The eldest son of Duke Cassil and Westin’s young lady are engaged, but they have not yet married. Besides, the Duke of Cassil had two more sons.

Of course, it’s not worth considering Richard, who received the blood of slaves, but if she marries the youngest, Neon, she will be the Duchess.

There’s still a chance. If Diana does the job well, the Duke of Cassil will be relieved.

“No! I don’t want to do that!”

“Then marry Count Cornwell.”

“The Count of Cornwell?”

Diana doubted her ears. Count Cornwell is one of the richest men in the Empire, but he is old.

“I don’t need a child who doesn’t listen to her father. If you can’t set that up, marry Count Cornwell!”

“Father, I’ll be a knight…”

“If you don’t set that up today, I’ll send you to Count Cornwell tomorrow!”

Gilbert cut off her words and spat out coldly.

***

In the carriage on the way to the Crown Prince’s palace, Diana constantly looked at the mana stone that her father forced onto her.

‘Should I be honest with my sister? No, I can’t.’

Diana was hit by her father for the first time yesterday and was shocked. However, for Ancia, such things were routine. Her older sister was forced to marry the cursed prince without even thinking of having her dream.

Fortunately, the two are doing well.

‘I can’t ask her to help me with this. I’m being punished. I couldn’t help her when she was having a hard time, so I’m getting punished now. It’s all my fault.’

The carriage reached the Crown Prince’s palace. Diana put the stone in her pocket. Maybe today will be her last day to meet her sister.

If her father really wanted to marry her with Count Cornwell, she was thinking of leaving home.

***

The first snow fell all night. It is still in mid-November, but it is also very early.

After all, the year has passed without finding a way to lift Blake’s curse. Looking at the accumulated snow with a complicated mind, Diana, sitting next to her with a gloomy face, caught her eye.

“Diana, what’s wrong?”

“No, nothing’s going on!”

Diana shook her head. She denied it so strongly that it was even more suspicious. Come to think of it; her cheeks were swollen red.

“Diana, you…”

The moment I tried to touch her cheek, Diana got up from her seat.

“Oh! I want to have a snowball fight! Your Highness! Let’s have a snowball fight!”

“Huh? I can fight a little—“

Blake shook his head, but before he could finish talking, Diana’s snowball hit him in the chest.

“Hey!”

Blake started to get angry, but this time the snow flew to his face.

“Haha! Your face looks like a snowman!”

Diana ran away with a laugh. Then Blake got angry and chased after her.

Eventually, the two began to have a fierce snowball fight. Looking at the images of them, recalling memories of the original story, Melissa gently said.

“Your Highness, why don’t you join them?”

“I’m okay.”

“It’s important to keep your dignity, but it’s the first snow today. Let’s put the burden off your shoulders for a moment.”

Melissa felt sorry for thinking that I was trying hard to suppress the child in me. It’s not like that…

“I don’t like snow very much.”

“You don’t?”

“Yes. It’s hard to clean it up. And my hands are cold.”

“Pfft.”

Melissa burst into laughter, covering her mouth suddenly.

“Why?”

“When I see Your Highness, I sometimes feel that way.”

“What way?”

“That you’re not 12 years old, but someone my age.”

Cough.