Orall’s words were cruel and insulting, dragging Selitia and her mother through the mud.
No wonder Luna looked so furious.
But they had zero effect on Selitia.
Not the slightest sting—she didn’t take any of it to heart.
You don’t argue with dogs.
Right now, she wasn’t strong enough.
If she tried to kick the dog, it’d only bite her.
Let him bark all he wanted.
Selitia didn’t even look at Orall.
She turned to Luna and said, “Luna, I’m heading back.”
With that, she stepped around Orall and began walking away.
“Stop right there!”
Noticing he was being completely ignored, Orall was pissed and stepped in front of her again.
Selitia tried to go around him, but Orall was determined to pick a fight.
No matter which way she turned, he blocked her path.
“What do you want, Orall?”
Selitia finally lost her patience and spoke, her voice heavy.
Orall couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
In the past, no matter how he mistreated his sister, Selitia would only smile weakly, speaking in a timid, flattering tone, always begging for a sliver of his kindness.
And now—she dared to ignore him?
“Feeling better from your illness?”
Orall lifted his chin with a smug look, deliberately stressing his words.
“Better be careful next time. Don’t want to accidentally slip into the pond again.”
Just a few days ago, he had used words just as vile to insult the girl’s late mother.
In a fit of rage, the girl had shoved him. Orall, furious, had thrown her into the freezing pond.
She’d fallen gravely ill afterward.
Orall had lied to Viscount Herbert and his wife, claiming Selitia had simply slipped.
And of course, the doting parents didn’t punish their precious son—instead, they scolded the girl harshly.
Heartbroken and humiliated, her condition had worsened.
Had it not been for the miraculous fusion with Sersis, that faint spark of life would’ve gone out for good.
“I’m much better now.”
Selitia smiled lightly.
“Speaking of which, I should actually thank you, Orall.”
Orall blinked, thinking he’d misheard. “Thank me?”
“Yep. Falling in like that helped me think a lot of things through.”
Before Orall could react, Selitia raised one hand and pointed at her own head with a single finger, teasing.
“Wanna try it? Maybe if you soak in the pond for half an hour, you’ll actually grow a brain in that empty skull of yours.”
“Not much, of course—but even a little would be an improvement. Don’t you think so, dear brother?”
It took Orall a moment to process his usually weak sister’s sarcasm.
“SELITIA!!”
Realizing he’d been mocked, Orall exploded in rage.
He lunged at Selitia, veins bulging in his arms as he reached for her.
They were standing right by the pond.
If he managed to grab her, she’d definitely be thrown into the water again.
Even though her body was completely void of Battle Aura or magic, Selitia wasn’t afraid at all.
She knew exactly what kind of pathetic coward her hot-headed brother really was.
Before Orall could grab her, Selitia stepped lightly back and spun aside, neatly dodging his arms and slipping around to his rear.
Before he could figure out where she’d gone, Orall felt a sharp jolt along his spine—someone had bumped into him.
His forward momentum couldn’t be stopped, and he stumbled a few more steps.
“Ahhh—!!”
He stepped on a stone near the edge of the pond.
The moss was slick, and he instantly lost his balance, falling headfirst into the freezing water.
With a loud splash, Orall’s panicked cries rang out right after.
“Help! Help me!!”
He couldn’t swim!!
“Ow… my leg hurts a little.”
Selitia bent down and gently pressed her sore calf.
Most of what she’d just used were leverage techniques—nothing that required much effort.
But that final dodge from Orall had taken some actual strength.
With this untrained body of a young girl, she’d ended up pulling a muscle.
Luna stood nearby, completely stunned. Her mouth hung open, and she even forgot to call for help.
Selitia tilted her head adorably and gave Luna a soft, fragile smile.
“I’m heading back now, Luna.”
With that, she used her broom as a makeshift cane and limped away, not sparing a glance for Orall, who was still splashing and shouting in the pond, as if he didn’t exist.
Because of Orall’s plunge, the entire Herbert household was thrown into chaos—like the roof might come off the place.
Orall, fortunately, wasn’t seriously hurt.
After gulping down some water, he was quickly pulled out by a passing servant.
“Achoo!”
The weather had turned cold, and getting shocked by icy water like that—even Orall, with his strong constitution, caught a bit of a cold.
“Mother, it’s all Selitia’s fault I ended up like this! You can’t let her get away with it!!”
In the main hall, Orall had changed into dry clothes and sipped some hot soup made by the servants, but still didn’t forget to tattle to Lady Herbert.
“My poor baby! How could that wretched girl be so cruel, to lay hands on her own brother?”
Lady Herbert was crying from how distressed she was.
This son of hers was her only child.
She pampered him like fragile glass.
How could she tolerate anyone bullying him?
“Charles, she’s your daughter! I’ve always been lenient with her out of pity since she lost her birth mother!
“And now she dares to treat Orall like this? If you won’t discipline her, am I going to have to do it myself?!”
Lady Herbert unleashed her rage on Viscount Herbert.
Her shrill voice grated on his ears, giving him a splitting headache.
Viscount Herbert knew this daughter of his well—timid, sickly, never dared to speak up.
That she’d somehow pushed the always-strong Orall into the pond?
That caught him completely off guard.
“Someone—where is Selitia? Bring her here right now!!”
A servant was sent to Selitia’s attic room and found her there.
She had barely been lying down for half an hour.
The pain in her calf had only just begun to ease when she was dragged off to the main hall.
As soon as she stepped through the door, Selitia saw the three of them:
Her smug younger brother, her furious stepmother, and her clearly agitated father.
All waiting for her.
Selitia gave a cold smile in her heart, but on the surface, she walked over obediently and curtsied to the three of them.
“Good morning, Father, Mother, Orall. You called for me?”
Looking at her innocent expression, as if she had no idea what was going on, Viscount Herbert’s face darkened.
He barked at her in a sharp voice:
“Kneel!”