The faint clinking of utensils against porcelain was the only sound in the room as Lady Vera and her daughter, Sienna, began their usual dinner.
Proud and stoic, Lady Vera sat at the center of the table, facing Duke Rohane's empty chair, chewing with effortless grace. Sienna occupied the seat to her mother's right. Every movement she made was precise, almost unnaturally so, as if she had been trained for this table all her life.
"The time for that celebration is drawing near again," Lady Vera said. "But this time, it may not be the same as before."
"What do you mean, Mother?" Sienna asked. There was something different in her tone—something strained. For the first time, she heard a trace of bitterness in her mother's voice. Lady Vera had always been a figure of unwavering confidence, at least in Sienna's eyes.
"I mean His Grace will likely invite the high-ranking noble households this time… especially now that that girl has become the chosen bearer. She has been the talk of the empire since the emperor's birthday. At this rate, she may rise far too quickly."
Sienna fell silent. She understood at once. She had failed to secure the position that would have elevated her. Instead, the duke's daughter had claimed it, despite all the effort they had poured into obtaining it.
"Do you understand what I'm saying, Sienna?" Lady Vera's voice cut through the quiet.
Startled, Sienna swallowed and nodded. "Yes, Mother. I will do my best to turn the favor back to my side."
"No. Your best will not be enough," Lady Vera said. "You must surpass everything that girl has gained. Only then will the world look at you again."
The words carried a quiet threat. There was a sharp desperation in her voice—one Sienna was not used to hearing. Her mother could be severe, yes, but this was different. It pressed down on her chest until she felt she could hardly breathe.
"I shaped you into what you are today," Lady Vera continued. "Everything I did was for our future. I have sacrificed too much for this life for you to waste it now. If you do not wish to return to that filthy past, then you will do whatever is necessary."
Sienna's graceful mask cracked. Her eyes narrowed with determination. "Yes, Mother. I understand."
Only then did Lady Vera relax. "What we are doing now is merely the beginning. Remember this: a pretty face may draw attention, but it is how you carry yourself that earns respect."
Then why does she behave however she wants and still receive everyone's favor? What makes her so different from me? Is it because she is a duke's daughter… and I am not?
Sienna wanted answers. She even wanted to ask Yulianna herself. But she knew her mother would only call it a distraction, so she kept silent.
"You have three days to secure Vien's schedule," Lady Vera went on. "He is the most renowned designer in the empire. It will not be easy, which is why I will request His Grace's assistance—using his daughter's birthday as an excuse."
Sienna hesitated before speaking. "We already tried that once, Mother. Won't His Grace find it suspicious? And… Yulianna has been acting strangely lately. Ever since that incident, she feels like a different person."
Lady Vera paused, her gaze sharpening. "Do you intend to manage this without my help? You seem far too concerned with irrelevant matters."
"No, Mother. I didn't mean it that way." Sienna bit the inside of her cheek. As always, her thoughts were never allowed a voice.
"Do not let that girl deceive you," Lady Vera said quietly. "The only reason she commands so much attention is because she is His Grace's daughter. People cling to those who already have everything for one simple reason—"
"My, my, my… you two are already here," Yulianna's voice rang out unexpectedly in the dining room.
She was dressed in a velvet violet gown, her playful smile lighting up her face, lively and beautiful at once. "I was just about to invite you to join me for dinner. But it seems there's no need, since you've already started without me." Her grin widened when she noticed Lady Vera's expression stiffen.
"You've never joined a family dinner before. What's with this sudden interest?" Lady Vera asked, cold and sharp.
Family?
Yulianna's lips curved mischievously. "Because there's no family to dine with, to begin with. Father has always been too busy," she added.
Lady Vera's brow shot up. If looks could kill, Yulianna would already be lying cold on the floor. Her grip on the fork whitened her knuckles.
But this was only the beginning of Yulianna's carefully plotted revenge. Her heels clicked across the marble floor as she approached Duke Rohane's empty chair. She sat with effortless grace, crossing her legs, and took quiet pleasure in the expressions frozen on their faces.
"Well," Yulianna said, "receiving the saint's blessing at the temple changed my mind. I'll be joining dinners from now on—strengthening our bond as a family."
"Don't get ahead of yourself," Lady Vera said, her voice icy. "A simple contribution to the empire does not earn you that right. Anyone could have done it."
Yulianna's grin only widened. "That's why I'm being considerate now. After all, I couldn't have done it without both of your efforts."
Her words did not produce the flustered response she expected. Instead, Lady Vera and Sienna looked confused, caught off guard.
"Stop dreaming, child," Lady Vera said flatly. "Helping you would be the last thing I would do."
"Really?" Yulianna raised an eyebrow. "Because the last time I saw you at the capital, you seemed rather thrilled watching me in the hunt competition."
Lady Vera scoffed. "Of course. Who would've thought you had the audacity to join? Perhaps the incident rattled your mind and made you reckless. I was only there to see how far you would go in tarnishing His Grace's reputation."
Yulianna laughed, dry and sarcastic, meeting Lady Vera's deathly glare with utter boredom. "Come on. Stop pretending you care about this family. I had no intention of joining that competition myself."
She paused, scanning their unguilty expressions.
"But some desperate people, eager to see me gone, placed my name there anyway. Ring any bells?"
"Are you accusing us?!" Lady Vera barked. "Do you even think straight?"
Yulianna's hand clenched into a fist. No matter how she looked at them, they seemed genuinely unaware. Lady Vera showed no trace of denial, and Sienna appeared nothing more than a puppet, awaiting her mother's cues.
If not them… then was it, Celeste? That woman had always seemed suspicious. Damn, did I bark up the wrong tree?
Sighing inwardly, Yulianna raised a corner of her mouth. "No need to get defensive. I was merely asking if it rang a bell."
"And why would we know?" Lady Vera snapped. "We barely cross paths in this house. Why would I waste my time on trivial matters?"
"There have been incidents," Yulianna said, her tone serious, "that made me cautious of those around me. Desperate fools will always try to climb higher, by any means necessary."
Her gaze flicked to Sienna, who remained focused on her plate, eating with the same precise grace she always exhibited—as if she were a doll programmed to perform perfectly.
"You should have realized that from the start," Lady Vera said bitterly. "If you don't want people targeting your life, stop being reckless and act like the noble daughter you are."
Yulianna chuckled and crossed her arms. "Excellent advice, ma'am. You should consider applying it to yourself."
That time, Lady Vera's temper finally flared. "Hah! Do you even hear yourself? I pity His Grace for having to raise a reckless daughter like you. I can't even imagine how he must feel knowing he raised a delinquent."
You evil stepmother.
"My, the feeling's mutual," Yulianna said, her smile annoyingly sweet, though inwardly she could have punched the woman without hesitation. "It seems you haven't realized how you sound either." She glanced at Sienna. "I pity your daughter for being raised like a puppet by her own mother. I can't imagine how she must feel once she realizes she was molded by nothing more than an opportunist."
Her words hit like a hammer. Lady Vera's expression faltered, cracks forming around her carefully maintained composure. Sienna froze, stunned into silence, unable to utter a single word.
Well, the game is almost over. Might as well make it more interesting.
Yulianna seized the moment. She stood, her heels clicking sharply against the marble floor as she turned to leave—but then paused mid-step, looking back at Lady Vera with a sly smile.
"If you don't want me pestering you," she said, "then you should start acting like you belong where you are. Stop sticking your nose into someone else's business."
She leaned in just slightly, her voice dropping into a playful yet dangerous murmur. "Don't poke around in a viper's nest if you don't want to get bitten."
With that final threat, she strode out of the dining hall, leaving Lady Vera and Sienna behind, stunned, their faces a mixture of disbelief, anger, and shock.