Chapter 35

He had taken in another man’s daughter and sold her off for a handsome price, and now, even after all that, he sought to use her once more. Still, she had believed there might remain some faint sense of affection for raising her, for she had considered him her father for so very long.

But Anais realized, all too late, that it had been nothing more than her own foolish hope.

“Heh, heh. The day is near when the Viscount’s house will rise again. I thought you and your mother would be left to rot after her death.”

Nectar Orelcian rubbed his hands together like a man about to enjoy a sumptuous feast. The corners of his mouth twisted up in a grotesque grin. Within that greed-drenched smile, there wasn’t a trace of concern for her happiness, only endless calculations for the sake of his own house.

“….”

Because of this, even Anais, who had always shown a sliver of warmth to everyone, felt her violet eyes grow cold. The man in front of her no longer felt like her father. She could only pity herself and her mother for being tossed about by his selfish desires.

When she gave no reply, Nectar scowled. Glancing furtively at those nearby, he lowered his voice and barked.

“Why aren’t you answering? Don’t tell me you can’t even do this much. After all I’ve done for you, sending you to the grand ducal house and paying for your education on a pauper’s income, you owe me that much.”

She neither wished nor needed to hear any more from him. Anais met his gaze, her violet eyes colder and more desaturated than ever.

Her voice came out, steady and flat.

“The price for raising me, I believe my marriage has paid it in full.”

She looked at the man who had once been her father, her tone glacial.

“You’ve received as much as you ever could.”

“What?”

Nectar had always hidden the fact that he received a large sum of money in exchange for agreeing to the marriage. Even when she called him out on it, he scowled and spoke.

“Did the Grand Duke say so? Whatever you’ve heard, it’s not like that. It’s nothing you need to trouble yourself over.”

A lie sprang forth at once.

Anais, watching his reaction, could only marvel at him. She had no intention of retreating as she once might have. There was strength in her voice as she replied.

“His Highness the Crown Prince mentioned that you were handsomely rewarded by both the Empire and the Grand Duchy.”

Even though it wasn’t exactly what the Crown Prince had said, the nuance had been much the same. She continued on, undeterred.

“He even wondered aloud if I was truly your daughter, since you seemed far more interested in the money than in my marriage.”

She spoke plainly, leaving him no room to evade. Nectar’s face contorted in fury.

“How dare you question me, as if you cannot even trust my word? How ungrateful you are.”

Breathing heavily, he stepped closer, raising his hand as was his habit.

Anais’s voice was cold as she responded.

“This is the Imperial Palace. For the sake of the viscount’s future, you’d best control yourself.”

At those brief words, for the sake of the viscount’s future, Nectar flinched. He lowered his hand and glanced warily around. Seeing that, a hollow laugh slipped from Anais’s lips. Then, face hardening with chill resolve, she spoke quietly.

“Don’t expect anything more from me.”

Her voice was as firm as tempered steel.

Though Nectar’s face began to flush with rage, she didn’t so much as flinch. She only looked at the man she had once called father with cold, indifferent eyes.

To her, her father had been an object of fear since childhood. Whenever their eyes met, her gaze would instinctively drop to the floor. When he raised his voice, she would tremble with fright. On the days when his hand was lifted, she would grip her own hands so tightly her fingertips turned white, bracing herself.

But now, it was different. Nectar was a stranger to her.

With that thought, the man who had always seemed so towering now appeared clearly for what he was—nothing more and nothing less than a man consumed by his own greed. Beneath the table, her fists were still clenched tightly enough to turn her knuckles pale, but the old terror was gone. She no longer wished for a father’s love from him.

With no more expectations, there was nothing to tiptoe around, no one left to fear.