TABEHSL 01

◇ Chapter 1 ◇

“We don’t need a daughter like you in our family!”

The shout pierced her chest like a sharp spear.

But to Catherine, those harsh words meant no more than someone telling her to eat. The woman said them so often that she had long stopped caring.

Blinking slowly, Catherine calmly sat down on a chair in the drawing room.

‘Here we go again. I wonder how noisy she’ll be today.’

Soon, her stepmother, Lady Laura, walked toward her with the sound of clicking heels, looking ready to give another long speech.

“Goodness… We still have a guest standing here, yet the eldest daughter of this family sits down first? Catherine, is that how I raised you?”

Laura’s pale finger trembled right in front of Catherine’s face. It was a complete contrast to her face, which was as red as an apple.

‘Raised me? I’d sooner say a passing beetle was my tutor.’

Catherine glanced at the guest who had come to the mansion—Charlos Killholder, the young viscount.

Charlos Killholder.

He was her only fiancé, and now someone even worse than an enemy. They were called an “engaged couple,” but if anyone looked closer, they were no better than strangers.

The moment their eyes met, his shoulders shrank. He looked around nervously before lowering his gaze to the floor.

Watching his timid behavior, Catherine asked Lady Laura,

“So, what exactly do you want me to do?”

As if she had been waiting for that question, Laura answered in a sharp voice.

“Didn’t I tell you? A girl like you has no place in the Orleans family! Instead of feeling ashamed for being caught in such a scandal, you dare behave carelessly in front of Young Viscount Killholder…!”

Catherine held back a sigh and rubbed her forehead.

It had already been ten years since her stepmother, Laura, became the new Lady of the Orleans family.

From the very beginning, she openly pushed Catherine aside.

The Viscount of Orleans had once tried to protect his eldest daughter, who had always been the one suffering. But now, even he had become tired of Catherine’s existence.

Once he stopped caring, Laura’s cruelty only grew worse, and many ridiculous things began happening.

The most ridiculous of all was this—

Charlos’s mistress was none other than Catherine’s half-sister, Anne Orleans.

“So… Mother, are you saying you want me to leave the estate?”

Hearing that, Anne hurried over and grabbed Laura’s arm, looking worried.

“P-Please don’t say that. Those rumors can’t possibly be true, right, Sister? Those terrible rumors must be lies. I… I believe you!”

Catherine let out a quiet sigh.

A moment later, tears rolled down Anne’s cheeks.

She looked like a pitiful white lily.

Seeing Anne cry, Charlos rushed over and gently embraced her shoulders.

“Don’t cry, Anne. Your tears are too precious to be wasted in a place like this…!”

“Ch-Charlos… But Mother…”

‘They’ve completely lost their minds.’

Catherine’s face became colder and colder.

She almost wanted to throw a white handkerchief with the words “Get out.” written on it onto their little stage.

Even a puppet show performed by a street theater troupe would be more touching than this.

She had endured watching this disgusting performance for two whole years.

‘It’s been a long time.’

Two years was more than enough for anyone’s patience to run out.

“Oh, my sweet Anne. How can my precious child be so kind-hearted?”

Laura looked at Anne with pity before glaring fiercely at Catherine.

“Catherine! Your sister is crying like this, yet you don’t even blink…!”

“Fine. I’ll leave.”

The calm reply left Laura, Anne, and Charlos staring blankly.

Instead of feeling satisfied by their shocked expressions, Catherine only felt annoyed.

“Why are you all looking at me like that? I’m leaving, just as you wanted. I’ll take responsibility for all those rumors—that I’m Count John’s mistress who gave him both my body and heart, or that I’m some vulgar woman who plays around with younger men.”

Even the latest romance novels weren’t filled with such ridiculous nonsense.

As the victim of those absurd rumors, Catherine almost wanted to applaud Anne for spreading them everywhere.

She had endured everything for the sake of her late mother.

But now…

She no longer saw any reason to keep enduring.

During the past two years, Catherine had only received ten new dresses.

Just ten.

That was barely one dress whenever the season changed.

And Anne?

From what Catherine remembered, she already owned at least fifty dresses.

She was sure there were at least eighty stuffed into her wardrobe.

Catherine didn’t even ask for expensive jewelry.

When Laura had given her an old-fashioned wristwatch that had been lying around Anne’s room as a birthday gift, she simply accepted it.

The torn curtains in her ugly bedroom were bearable.

The worn-out shoes with uneven heels were bearable too.

“What are you suddenly talking about…?”

“Suddenly? You’re the one who told me to leave.”

But Catherine had finally reached her limit.

Rather than living while being treated like this, she’d rather become a poor farmer.

Or even work in a clock factory.

Laura’s lips slowly curled upward.

She didn’t even try to hide how pleased she was.

She looked like a fisherman staring at a net full of fish.

“Catherine, do you really think simply leaving this family is enough to make up for ruining the Orleans family’s honor?”

“Then should I kill myself here instead?”

Crossing her legs, Catherine leaned comfortably against the chair.

With a bright smile, she looked at Charlos.

Once upon a time, he used to blush whenever their eyes met.

“Charlos, do you think the same? If I hang myself here, will your honor and the Orleans family’s honor return?”

“T-That…”

The young viscount turned his head away, breathing heavily.

Anne gripped his shirt so tightly that the veins on the back of her hand stood out.

“I… I…”

Before he could finish—

Anne rushed over with her fake, innocent expression and grabbed Catherine’s clothes.

“Sister! Please don’t leave! It’s all my fault! Blame me instead!”

‘She clings to people every chance she gets. Does she think she’s a cicada?’

A noisy stepmother.

A foolish fiancé.

And finally, a fake, hypocritical half-sister.

Catherine brushed Anne’s hands off her clothes as if shaking off dirt before standing up.

“I’ll take your silence as agreement. Then I’ll go pack my things. Leaving with nothing doesn’t sound like a good idea.”

Taking long strides, Catherine pushed past Laura and Charlos before walking upstairs.

Once she entered her bedroom, she immediately opened her jewelry box.

She packed every old earring, necklace, and ring she owned.

Then she searched the room for anything that could be sold and stuffed it all into her bag.

Even her late mother’s keepsakes—the ones she had hidden away for this very day.

She packed every last one of them.

Even then, she only managed to fill a single bag.

“What do you think you’re doing, Catherine?! You’re already shameless enough, and now you’re stealing the family’s property?!”

Laura finally caught up and shouted at her.

But Catherine had already stopped caring.

She cleaned her ear with her little finger and answered lazily,

“Since you’re kicking me out anyway, couldn’t you at least make things easier for me? You’re supposed to be my mother.”

“How dare you talk back to your mother…!”

“Enough. Just shut up. You’re too noisy.”

Catherine picked up her bag and walked toward the bedroom door.

It was her first time.

For the very first time in her life, she had shouted at her stepmother.

She felt no regret.

Instead…

She felt refreshed.

All the feelings she had buried for the sake of keeping peace in the family came pouring out so easily.

Laura simply stared at her in shock.

“If you want to keep living peacefully as the Lady of the Orleans family, then let me leave quietly. You know my personality. I’ve kept quiet inside this house, but that doesn’t mean I’ll stay quiet outside.”

“W-What are you saying…?”

“Don’t come looking for me anymore. I won’t come looking for you either. Tell Father whatever you want. Unlike some people, I’m generous enough to leave without causing trouble.”

Pulling her bag with both hands, Catherine shoved Laura aside once more.

Laura stumbled backward like a sheet of paper.

As Catherine stepped into the hallway, bright golden sunlight poured through the windows.

Right there, like a scene from a romance novel, Charlos and Anne were embracing each other.

They quickly jumped apart.

Catherine walked straight toward them.

Smack!

Without hesitation, she slapped Charlos across the face.

“Ugh!”

“Be grateful I’m ending it with just one slap, Charlos.”

“Ch-Charlos! Are you alright? What are you doing, Sis— Ah!”

Not stopping there, Catherine kicked Anne hard in the knee.

Anne stumbled to the floor, clutching her leg in pain.

Catherine had wanted to do that for a very long time.

Looking down at her half-sister, she smiled more happily than ever before.

It was perfect.

The sunlight shining across the hallway carpet was as beautiful as a blessing from heaven.

Even though she was being thrown out of the family, Catherine felt neither anger nor sadness weighing her down.

She simply felt…

Free.

She had finally said everything she had wanted to say.

Smiling brightly, Catherine walked downstairs, passed the whispering servants, and left the mansion.

She was the one being abandoned.

Yet somehow…

She was also the one whose steps felt the lightest.

Without hesitation, Catherine climbed into a passing four-wheeled carriage.

The coachman removed his hat and turned toward her.

“Where would you like to go, miss?”

“Just take me out of Orleans for now. I’ll decide the rest on the way.”

A little later, Catherine unfolded the map she had hidden at the bottom of her bag.

The Iterana Empire covered one-third of the continent.

And at the empire’s eastern edge lay the tiny Viscounty of Orleans.

Compared to the empire’s vast territory, it was no bigger than a handful of land.

Compared to the neighboring territories, it was even too small to be called that.

‘So… I’ve spent my whole life struggling to breathe in such a tiny place.’

The coachman laughed.

“Haha! Going on a journey?”

“…No. I was kicked out.”

“Oh dear! Such a polite young lady? Whatever happened?”

Even Catherine herself didn’t know exactly what had happened.

She had stormed out in anger.

Now, when she looked back, the Viscount of Orleans’ mansion had already become a tiny speck in the distance.

‘I’m sorry, Mother. But I’ve endured everything quietly for years. Please forgive me this much. I have to find my own way now.’

For some reason…

The smile never left her lips.