...It was me not you...

...(Diana's POV)...

"The days are already getting cold, so when are they going to return?"

"Yeah, it's been quite a while."

"Wait, isn't it around ten years?"

"Has it really been ten years?" "After all, it must have been like that since the great princess left when she was a baby."

"It's the end of a decade. If you get through this winter, it will be 11 years."

The maid's chirping voices could be heard in the laundry room, where the winter wind was bitter.

Until the arrival of a child.

As the child walked to the water's edge with the laundry, the maids who were knocking on the laundry's door turned to look at her.

While they were talking, I kept my mouth shut.

"You've here, ah, lady."

The eldest maid got up from her seat, putting her laundry down as if she couldn't help herself.

Because, as the maid said before, Diana was also the Grand Duke's daughter.

The maids, who stood up in a row after on their own, glanced at Diana with disbelief.

Diana was heartbroken. Diana, who did not come here willingly.

She didn't have somebody to wash her clothes for her, so she had to do it herself.

"Keep doing what you do."

Diana sat a little further away from them on the water's edge.

Her hands were so cold as she picked up one of her clothes from the laundry and placed it in the water that her entire body trembled for a second.

"Sigh."

She rapidly dipped her clothing in water, simply removed them, and blew them into her cold hands.

I can't get used to the cold water that feels like ice in the cold winter wind.

Diana, on the other hand, does not have a maid to replace her since her hands are cold.

And if she wears dirty clothes, they will be angry again.

Diana jumped upon the clothes with a tub twice the size of her hand.

"I am hoping that His Highness will return shortly." How lonely has this Archduke’s mansion become since he went to war?"

"That's right, the Grand Princess misses her father as well."

But what will happen to me if the Grand Duke returns...?

"Oh, Miss."

I felt a stare on me as I glanced.

Gazes mixed with a little sympathy.

It was a familiar stare that developed as the Princess and Diana as they got older.

If His Highness the Grand Duke returns.

Diana's biological father, Crowd Terravita, whom she hasn't seen in ten years, no, she has never seen in her life.

The only younger brother of the Emperor of the Terra Vita Empire, and the strongest swordsman in the empire.

Diana was the illegitimate child of that man.

Her mother was also the maid of the hostess, whom the Archduke loved more than his own life.

Just say this and everyone will know. That Diana is the dark stain of the duke.

One night, the perfect prince's daughter was born by mistake.

The very drunk Duke was believed to have mistaken the maid as his wife and embraced her.

Diana was doomed by a single mistake. From the moment it was made, she was out of luck.

Worse, the moment her mother gave birth to Diana and the moment his wife gave birth to the child was the same.

You can know without stating how much more the Grand Duke would have hated the lady who became her mother as a result of this.

However, the Grand Duchess, the wife of the Grand Duke, did not kill the maid with her husband's child.

In any case, because she is the Grand Duke's descendent, she still gave birth to and raises the child in the Grand Duke's family.

Yes, that would have been fine up to that point.

Diana's misery may not have ended there, since the Grand Duchess died while giving birth to a child.

The child was unexpectedly saved, but the Grand Duchess died as a result of losing too much blood during the birthing process.

Unable to face the pain of loss, the Archduke left the family without seeing the newborn child and became involved in the war.

When the Grand Duke disappeared, the remaining members of the Grand Duke family focused their sorrow and rage over the death of their master and hostess on Diana and her mother, Leah.

The madam is reported to have died as a result of these two unlucky persons.

Diana's miserable life began from that point forward.

Before her mother, who gave birth to Diana, could even take care of her, she was kicked out of the chamber, which the Archduke had given her.

To the cold cottage in the woods behind the castle.

Since then, the Grand Duchy has despised and neglected Leah.

Diana was subject to violence and abuse as a result of the following anger.

Not only do hard work, but also starving without given food.

Diana suffered Leah's torture and lived almost ten years as a result.

She despised Leah for beating her and the duke, his biological daughter, for not saving her in this way when she was younger.

She realized she was useless after a year of resentment. Even if she closes and reopens her eyes, the fact that she is an illegitimate child who has been abandoned remains.

So I tried to survive on my own from then on.

To avoid upsetting Leah's mood, she cleans her up and washes her laundry herself, and she avoids her and secretly eats her food.

That is why her hard work has decreased somewhat these days.

They still don't offer her good rice, but she now has bread secretly eaten by the chef working in the garden behind the prince's room or at the maid's kitchen, so it was worth it.

To stay in this manner until you reach adulthood and then go out on your own. Diana had planned it this way.

No one will catch you if you go out on your own. I think I'd like it.

You must get out of here before the Archduke returns.

As they say, I wonder what would happen if the Archduke returned before I reached the age of majority, but everyone knows the Archduke will not return.

When she hears the maids and servants from time to time, the Archduke walks around the battlefield like a lunatic, looking for a place to die.

He's like a man who can't forget his late wife and attempts to follow in her steps.

So, the Grand Duke will not return to the Grand Duke's residence until he dies, and there will be no situation when the Grand Duke returns, so things will be fine.

The voice that had stopped was heard again the moment she nodded her head in agreement with herself.

"Don't you want to see the Princess? She's 10 years old now, and in 5 years she'll be conscious... He's been gone for ten years, but he's not coming back... "

"I see, they say the royal family's ceremonies are very important, but I hope they will return before the ceremony."

"They'll be back by then. You still have five years left in your contract. Don't be worried."

"I'd like him to return sooner. When I see the great princess alone, she is heartbroken…"

Diana's head tilted more at the word "consciousness" than at any other story.

I'd like to be talking about gender recognition because I'll be an adult in 5 years, but seeing the word royal family made me think of something else.

She looked at the maids for a moment after hearing the first thing she heard.

The maids had lost interest in Diana and were banging on the laundry with her pity on each other.

"The Princess must be sad."

"Yeah, you're still a soft-hearted person."

Diana frowned at the words she heard, wondering what the ‘consciousness’ they were talking about.

The princess has a soft heart.

She still has a blue mark on her cheek from being beaten by her princess. How can a child's hand still be so hot?

The princess saw Leah's daughter as the unpleasant child of the Grand Duke, based on her hard touch.

It was clear that she was not like the Grand Duchess, who stated that the princess was gentle.

"Diana!"

Diana, who was muttering to herself and squeezing out the almost-finished clothes, jumped at the piercing voice.

I hope I heard it wrong.

"Diana!"

But, as if she hadn't done anything wrong, the voice came closer to the laundry.

The hem of the blue dress flew from a distance. And she knew who the lace-studded blue dress belonged to.

Diana stood from her seat, and Leah got her place in front of her.

"Mom…"

Slap!

The laundry was filled with a sound that was worse than the cold wind.

Leah's body, which had been hit in the cheek, stumbled suddenly and fell sideways. Her eyes went blank for a brief moment as a result of the force.

She could see the scattered laundry on the dirt floor with her vision.

She should have prepared by strengthening her body. At the very least, she would not have fallen. She hasn't been beaten in a while, so she's on high alert.

But why is this woman so angry again? Before she could even think of what she had done wrong, Leah's voice rang out loudly.

"Diana, did you take bread from the maid's kitchen without telling me?"

'Oh, no.' 'How did you find out?'

Her body retreated automatically as she raised her hand again.

But, to survive, she knelt on her dirty floor.

"I'm sorry, Mom."

I didn't make such excuses because I was hungry. The more she made excuses, the more Leah bragged about, and the tighter her grip.

She stated, "I'm not a beggar, so tell me why you sneak bread from the maids’ diner! Really, you're undermining your mother's reputation like this?"

"Sorry."

Leah, who was going to swing her hand again, stopped and took a look around. I could see the maids who were still at the laundry, checking on what was going on here.

Leah lowered her hand awkwardly and sighed heavily.

"Get up right now!"

Leah had never hit in a crowded place before.

She lowered her raised hand this time, as though embarrassed about the gaze.

But for a little moment, Leah grabbed her by Diana's arm. She thought for a minute that her arm would fall off, so she rapidly pushed herself up.

"Follow!"

Diana was dragged ragged by Leah like a dog. She hasn't gotten this angry in a long time.

In intense fear, she looked around her, but everyone turned away from her.

It was shortly after she had quickly left the laundry room with people.

I didn't see any workers wandering around the mansion as dinner time came.

"I'm going to fix your habit today."

Her heart pounded with panic as she bit her lips in response to the sound of Leah's words.

The entrance to the hut-like annex that wishes I hadn't arrived at suddenly opened, and I was thrown to the floor.

"Ugh."

The red sky with the setting sun behind Leah seemed to foresee the horror of what was to come.

"I'm sorry, Mom."

Still, she clasped her hands together and looked at Leah, but Leah locked the door of her hut with a horrifying expression.

***

Growl, growl.

The quiet hut echoed with a loud snore.

Diana's stomach clenched as the sound echoed loudly.

‘I’m hungry.’

Diana crouched in the corner close to her old fireplace, looking suspiciously at Leah, who was sleeping on the sofa.

Are you sleeping deeply?

Leah doesn't wake up well once she's asleep, but when she was sleeping, she would sometimes wake up quickly at the slightest disturbance.

Growl, growl.

Her snoring echoed loudly in the quiet hut.

And that was resonating hard even in Diana’s stomach.

‘I’m hungry.’

Crouching down in the corner next to her by her old fireplace, Diana looked cautiously at Leah asleep on the sofa.

Is she sleeping deeply?

Leah does not wake up well once she falls asleep, but sometimes when she sleeps in a nap, she wakes up quickly at the slightest noise.

The quiet hut echoed with a loud snore.

Diana's stomach clenched as the sound echoed loudly.

'I'm hungry.'

Diana crouched in the corner close to her old fireplace, looking suspiciously at Leah, who was sleeping on the sofa.

Are you sleeping deeply?

Leah doesn't wake up well once she's asleep, but when she was sleeping, she would sometimes wake up quickly at the slightest disturbance.

<3><3

...It was me not you...

...(Diana's POV)...

I hugged my knees and curled up as much as I could, looking at the back of my arms through the window's moonlight.

This time, the bruises on the back of the arms, where the spear marks were clearly visible, seemed to last a long time.

It wasn't just the arms, either. Her entire body ached.

She was beaten so mercilessly that she had to block it as much as possible to avoid hitting her head and face.

As a result, the wounds on the back of her arm were extremely serious, but there were almost no places where she didn't get hit.

'It hurts.'

Even with his body in pain, she couldn't be calm, no matter how calm she appeared to be.

She just bit her lower lip to keep from crying.

If you cry, you will be hit much harder.

As she endured her hungry stomach, she turned her head between her legs.

It seems that sneaking away tonight would be too dangerous.

It would be more true if Leah awoke and discovered she had gone.

I'm not sure if I was sick or hungry initially, but she was upset since she had just been hit.

A scarlet light, not silver, flew through the window and glided over the floor as I bowed my head.

'What exactly is this?.'

I raised my head to gaze out the window. And I noticed a torch shining brightly from the Grand Duke's main house not far away.

'Why the torch…?'

I'd never seen anything like it before. She stood up and carefully examined Leah's condition as she lay on the sofa.

I tried to keep the sound of footsteps to a minimum and approached the window one step at a time.

Diana's head was practically touching the window. By holding on to the window frame and raising the clip, I was able to see the scenery outside the window in its full.

When she lifted her hands, she was taken aback by the sight and let out a little gasp.

"...Ah."

“Umm.”

Leah's groans startled me for a second, and I quickly covered my mouth, but I couldn't take my gaze away from the window.

Because she had lived at the Grand Duke's residence for ten years, but she had never seen an order of knights in black armor before.

Her toes were strengthened as a result of her efforts. She drew her neck up and clenched her fists on the window.

On the black armor was a golden hawk-like bird.

‘Oh, I know that.’

Anyone who resides at the Grand Duke's House is likely to be aware of this. That pattern was the Grand Duke's guardian spirit.

In reality, it was the imperial family's guardian spirit.

A guardian spirit guardian with whom the empire's first ruler signed a contract.

Although the details of the story are unknown, it is stated that three people in the current empire may use the power of spirits.

The Emperor, Grand Duke, and First Prince are members of the Imperial Family.

Diana enjoyed the story of the spirits, which she could only hear for a few moments if she was lucky.

Because she could forget the filth when she heard mystical stories.

There was, however, no one who could tell Diana the legend in detail.

In fact, she has yet to learn the letters. It was her true absurdity, even if she was the illegitimate child, but Leah never told her about the letters.

She had earlier received a writing book from Kunta, the chef of the maid kitchen where she had secretly gotten it, but it had been burnt on fire before Leah could catch her.

It'd be great if I could learn to write.

Then you can read books on her favorite legends at the Grand Duke's library, which has all the books in the world, and hopefully, it will be useful when you leave this place later.

Rumble rumble.

Leah's snoring, however, echoed loudly from behind her, as if her wishes were useless.

Diana let go of the window frame she was grasping to see the black knights outside the window.

It appeared to be quite noisy late at night, but whatever happens to the Grand Duke is none of my concern.

Diana quietly set her feet on the floor and turned her back to the fireplace corner.

I wanted to go to my room and stretch out, but if Leah woke up, I'd get beaten again if I wasn't there.

I'd rather just come in the morning. Then I will not be beaten.

I noticed a large wooden stick fall beneath the sofa where Leah was sleeping.

Leah beats her with her own stick.

'Are you going to break that?'

I had an idea for a moment, but of course, I couldn't put it into action.

'When will I grow up?'

Today, I'm unhappy because I'm sick, sad because I have a little body, and sad about everything.

She pulls up and hunches her body. She saw the torch's shadow on the floor as she bent her head.

A torch that brightens the Grand Duke's night, which hasn't been lit in ten years.

Diana closed her eyes carefully, praying that the crimson glow darting between her legs wouldn't bring her any more pain.

***

"... Ugh."

'Cold.'

A wave of cold air swept through her body. It's as though the skin's hairs are standing up. Despite my poor physical condition, I forced myself to open my eyes, since it was so cold.

Maybe it was because I cried the night before that I noticed my puffy eyes. I pulled my eyes open and took a glance about her.

The first thing I noticed was an empty sofa.

'… Where have you been?'

Leah, who had dozed off while snoring, had no idea where she had gone. She might be at another place. Diana took a deep breath and held it for a time. She might have gone to the bathroom or cooked in the kitchen.

But she held her breath and listened, but she didn't hear anything.

Isn't it strange…? Gradually sprang, Obviously, Leah is not going to disappear in this way.

Leah must have started her day by waking her up with her feet.

Nevertheless, fortunately, the terror of being in an unfamiliar situation was more intense than the relief.

Then I noticed a wide open window. I believe the cold was caused by the window.

Diana looked around the kitchen and dashed to the window.

Oh, no!

She lifted her hands and held out her hand to close the window, but the handle was too tough to grasp.

She climbed atop a tiny box she had taken with her.

"Huh…"

I had to close the door by holding the handle, but I stopped when I saw Leah's back, who was heading towards the castle of the Grand Duke in the distance.

‘Why go to the castle?’

Leah did not go well with the castle. She wasn't an acquaintance, but it was because the servants of nature were so angry that they would kill Leah when Leah appeared.

That's why I never went unless it was something really special, that is, I went to the butler once a month to get my living expenses.

Was today the day the living expenses came out?

A calendar hung on one side of the wall, but I couldn't see it since I hadn't yet learned to read.

No, Leah went to the market 11 days ago, so today is not a shopping day.

Diana listened over her maid's shoulders, even though she didn't understand the letters, and she learned to count knives and count to fifty.

Leah would always go out to the market to play on the day she received her living expenses. She and she had purchased a large amount of stuff.

Clothes, for example, or delectable bread and cookies.

Of course, nothing came to her.

As she recalled the bread and cookies that Leah had bought, a roar echoed from her hungry stomach.

"I'm hungry…"

Diana left her box after closing the window. On my empty stomach, I felt a tingling feeling.

I was leaning back, gripping my stomach, when I heard a knock on the door of the house.

Although she had spotted Leah walking towards the mansion, her body shivered in the horror of whether it was Leah.

A familiar voice came from beyond the door as she was unable to speak.

"Miss Diana, this is me."

Kunta, the chef who worked at the maid's kitchen, was the owner of the low voice.

The only person in this harsh situation who can help her.

Diana headed towards the door, frowning.

"Wait a minute."

She had to raise her hands to reach the doorknob. She strengthens her toes.

She had only just unfastened her ring.

"Diana, sweetheart, what is this…"

Kunta frowned and clicked her tongue as she entered the house and spotted Diana's disheveled hair and wounds on her arms and legs.

Diana admires her personality, and when she sees Kunta, who usually smiles, wrinkle her brow, she thinks to herself, "I don't think it's just me."

This was the first time she'd been hit so many times.

Diana's uncomfortable movements straightened her tangled hair. Her face was still undamaged, so she had a small grin, but the Kunta's frown lines had become much more prominent.

His dark brown eyes were filled with worry and regret as she let out a heavy sigh.

"Ha, Ayu, how can She hit this small body… Miss, how about this one?" No, no matter how much your mother can do to you, you must still be the grand duke's daughter."

Kunta paused, a sad expression on her face, as if she couldn't say anything further.

"So all right."

She said that since her look was so sad, it appeared to make her even sadder.

Kunta bowed her head and gazed at her with guilt-ridden eyes.

"I'm sorry, miss. I can't help you."

"No, Kunta is the one who helps me the most."

After Kunta entered the castle, the number of boating was reduced, and it seemed to take a breather.

Diana waved her hand as she spoke, and Kunta raised her head.

Her eyes were still filled with guilt.

"Yesterday, after hearing about you from the maids at the laundry room, I thought you might not have eaten anything, so I brought some food."

She handed it to Diana, the little basket she was holding in her hand.

"Thank you, ... ah."

Her arm throbbed with pain as she tried to lift it to receive her basket.

Seeing her like that, Kunta closed her eyes tightly and opened them.

"Oh, I'll set it up for you."

"Thanks."

Following her into the kitchen, Kunta put the food in the basket on the table.

The maids ate only thin soup and crunchy rye bread, but the empty boat rushed as if it had been waiting.

Diana dipped the bread Kunta gave her into the soup and ate it in a hurry.

"Miss, take it slowly…"

"Thank you, Kunta."

As she chewed on her bread and gave a clumsy answer, Kunta said, looking at her with her pitiful gaze, and kicking her tongue.

"Who told Leah that I was going to feeding you that damn girl… This all happened because I wasn't careful. I can not see you."

Diana swallowed the bread while looking at Kunta.

"No, I am really fine. Do not say that. Even now, if it wasn't for Kunta, I'd be starving."

"How could the young lady of the Grand Duke be like this…"

Kunta muttered, wiping the corners of her tear-filled eyes with her hand, and let out a loud, short cough.

She said something to Diana with a different face.

"Still, the situation for the young lady will be different now than it was before."

"Yes?"

What do you mean things are going to be different?

She looked at Kunta with her face that she didn't know.

There was an unknown certainty on his face.

"Until now, everyone has been pretending not to know about the lady's situation, but once they master the grand duke returns, he won't let this ridiculous situation go away."

Kunta even shook her head alone, as if it had to be.

But when Diana heard the words, time moved slowly.

<3<3