FMFR Chapter 3

Chapter 3 — I’ll Give You a Death You Deserve

“……Elize. It seems you haven’t seen each other in a long time…… and Medeia has apparently lost all her memories from childhood. Don’t be too hurt by it.”

At Baron Bellosi’s words, the Duchess of Heidel suppressed her disappointment and twisted her expression.

“Mother, please don’t worry too much. She’s probably just still unfamiliar with everything. Besides, Medeia can’t understand Serenier yet.”

Daphne, who had slipped into the conversation, smiled sweetly.

“So why don’t we call her by the name she used in Aragon for the time being? Medeia, what did they call you there?”

Her tone was kind, but she was clearly trying to erase Medeia’s presence as the “Lady of the Heidel Duchy.”

Rose.

That was the name Princess Charlotte had given Medeia when she took her in.

“I was called Rose, but it was the name of a puppy that Princess Charlotte once raised and that later died, so I’m uncomfortable being called that.”

In the past, Medeia hadn’t been able to say this, so even though everyone called her Rose for six months, she had been unable to show how she felt about it.

When the Duchess of Heidel heard how the name Rose had come about, her face filled with horror.

It was as though she could hardly believe Medeia had been treated that way in Aragon.

In truth, that had only been the beginning. Princess Charlotte had come to cherish Medeia afterward.

But Medeia deliberately left that part unsaid.

She wanted Daphne to leave the impression that she had been the one to bring up an unpleasant memory for Medeia.

“Please call me Medeia. This isn’t Aragon. This is Serenier, and I am the daughter of the Heidel ducal family.”

When she finally spoke in Serenier, everyone looked astonished.

Especially Daphne.

Her pink eyes trembled.

Behind her face, Medeia’s silver hair fluttered in the breeze.

Everyone was surprised—except Baron Bellosi, who already knew.

“Ha-ha! Medeia, you little prankster.”

Baron Bellosi looked immensely proud, as though he were watching a child take their very first steps.

“……You should have told us sooner that you could speak Serenier.”

Daphne pressed her lips together, her expression stiffening for an instant before she quickly smoothed it out.

“Oh. You’re Daphne, right? I think I heard about you from Uncle. You’re the same age as me. I’m not sure how I should address you.”

Daphne twisted and played with her light golden hair, which had been braided to one side.

It was a habit she displayed whenever she was in a bad mood.

“……My birthday is a week earlier than yours. Wouldn’t it be better if you called me ‘Sister’? Even Vinoa calls me ‘Sister.’”

Medeia regretted every year she had spent calling Daphne her older sister.

They had never been family to begin with.

So how could one have been an older sister and the other a younger sister?

“It’s only a week’s difference, so I’ll just call you by your name. Daphne.”

“After all, everyone will remember me as the lost daughter of the Heidel ducal family who returned…….”

“…….”

“Wouldn’t it be strange for me to call someone else ‘Sister’ when I was the only daughter?”

Sister.

Just as you did to me, I’ll give you a death that is utterly miserable.

“From now on, I need to establish my position in high society as the daughter of the Heidel ducal family.”

Medeia smiled at Daphne as she gazed at her with red eyes.

“……All right, Medeia. Have it your way. Like you said, I’m nothing more than an adopted daughter. I was just so happy and excited when I heard you were coming…….”

Daphne lowered her head.

Her shoulders slackened, deliberately provoking sympathy.

“I suppose, without realizing it, I came to think of you as my younger sister and wanted to hear you call me ‘Sister.’”

Medeia suppressed a laugh inwardly.

Daphne still knew exactly which reaction would benefit her.

She also knew that looking pitiful was far more effective than getting angry.

“That’s understandable. People naturally long for and become greedy for the things they don’t have.”

Daphne quickly lifted her chin and twisted the corners of her lips.

“……What do you mean by that? Are you saying that because I’m adopted, I coveted your position?”

As expected, she immediately reacted to those words.

Being an adopted daughter was the subject Daphne was most sensitive about.

“Daphne, Medeia.”

Before the Duke of Heidel could step in to mediate, Medeia simply mirrored Daphne’s earlier reaction.

“Is that how you interpreted it? That wasn’t what I meant.”

“…….”

“I meant that I understand why you would want to be called ‘Sister,’ since you’ve never had a younger sister until now.”

She looked at Daphne with an innocent expression, as though she could never have imagined Daphne would interpret her words that way.

“I must have rushed into learning Serenier, so I suppose I failed to convey my meaning properly. I’m sorry.”

“…….”

“Daphne. From now on, perhaps you should refrain from belittling yourself by calling yourself ‘nothing more than an adopted daughter.’”

Daphne slowly narrowed her brows and clenched her molars.

“When you pity yourself, everything other people say starts to sound like pity. And I never said I was ‘nothing more than an adopted daughter.’”

“……Medeia.”

Medeia shrugged, subtly implying that having such a strong inferiority complex wasn’t good either.

She made sure Daphne would understand the implication.

“See? I didn’t mean it that way, but you misunderstood me. We’re going to be living together from now on, so we shouldn’t let misunderstandings cause trouble between us……”

“Yes, Daphne. Dea is still unfamiliar with Serenier. Don’t take everything she says so seriously.”

The Duchess of Heidel spoke with a slight reprimanding tone, and a look of bewilderment spread across Daphne’s face.

Cough!

At the same time, the Duchess of Heidel struck her chest and burst into a violent fit of coughing.

“Elize! Are you all right?”

The Duke of Heidel was startled and immediately supported her.

Because of her poor health, she was extremely frail.

Even a little time outside was enough to make her start coughing like this.

“Mother! Are you all right? I think you should go inside immediately. You’ve been staying outside waiting for Medeia to arrive all this time, so I suppose that’s why you’re feeling this way.”

Daphne spoke in a worried voice.

But to anyone listening, it sounded as though Medeia was somehow responsible.

The Duke of Heidel’s gaze immediately changed, becoming noticeably displeased.

“Elize, go inside and rest. Even though it’s spring, the wind is still cold. That must be the reason.”

Baron Bellosi stepped in, shielding her by blaming the chilly weather instead.

“Dea, it isn’t because of you. It’s because this mother hasn’t been taking proper care of herself. ‘Cough!’”

The Duke of Heidel slipped an arm beneath her knees, lifted her into his arms, and carried her inside without delay.

Daphne turned her head to look back at them.

The corners of her eyes softened.

She looked relieved that the family’s attention wasn’t lingering on Medeia for too long.

Soon, Daphne turned back to Medeia and gestured toward the house.

“Let’s go inside. I’ll show you the room where you’ll be staying.”

Watching Daphne speak as though she were the mistress of the house, Medeia couldn’t shake the feeling that she was a guest.

No.

She wasn’t even a guest.

More precisely, she felt like an outsider.

Someone who belonged nowhere.

‘You still get a sense of superiority from things like this.’

It didn’t matter.

Medeia was still the legitimate daughter of the Heidel ducal family.

Daphne had merely been standing in her place until now.

All Medeia had to do was teach her that, little by little.

So Medeia answered gently,

“I’d like Uncle to show me around. I was so tired on the way here that I slept the entire time, so I didn’t get a chance to talk with him.”

“……It almost seems like you’re avoiding me. Is it because I said earlier that I wanted you to call me Sister?”

“Of course not. Even if our birthdays are only a short time apart, it’s understandable that you might want to hear it.”