“This red rose is so beautiful.”
The young Sefina crouched in the garden, her gaze captivated by a freshly bloomed red rose.
Its crimson petals were layered over one another, emitting an intoxicating fragrance.
She reached out, preparing to pluck the flower.
*Hiss!*
Not noticing the sharp thorn beneath the bloom, Sefina was pricked, but she plucked the rose anyway.
She put the finger, which was now budding with a small drop of blood, into her mouth and turned to run toward the castle hall.
She wanted to give this flower to her mother so she could see it too.
‘Will she be happy when she receives it? I hope she won’t look so sternly at me anymore.’
Carrying her expectations with her, Sefina ran to the parlor. From outside the door, she spotted her mother’s silhouette.
“Mother!” Sefina’s voice was filled with a joy she couldn’t suppress as she held up the flower in her hand. “This flower…”
“Sefina.”
Before she could finish, she was interrupted by a stern female voice.
“What are you doing, barging in here without permission? Have you forgotten the etiquette the family taught you?”
Madam Drago sat on the sofa, her long, purple, curly hair cascading down like a waterfall. A snow-white dress outlined her graceful figure.
She stared solemnly at Sefina, her expression cold.
Only then did Sefina notice another woman of the Blood Clan, dressed in expensive finery, sitting on the other sofa.
Her mother was discussing business with her.
The family was currently at its peak of prosperity. It was common for many other families to come seeking help or to establish connections.
Sefina immediately bowed her head. “I’m sorry, Mother. I didn’t see…”
The hand holding the rose slowly dropped, and she quietly hid the flower behind her back.
“It’s no matter, no matter,” the visitor said, immediately trying to smooth things over. Her gaze shifted between the two faces before she said with a smile, “Your daughter truly looks like you. She’s practically a miniature version of you.”
Madam Drago glanced at the rose in Sefina’s hand and said coldly, “What’s the use of looking like me if all she likes doing is messing around with useless trifles?”
Sefina bit her lower lip and turned to leave the parlor.
—
After the meeting ended, Sefina was called into the study.
“Give it to me,” Madam Drago said, holding out her hand toward Sefina.
Sefina blinked, then realized what she meant. She immediately and carefully pulled the rose out of her pocket.
“I originally wanted to give it to you, Mother. I forgot because I was in such a hurry. I’m sorry…”
Madam Drago snatched the flower and crushed it in her hand.
The bright red petals scattered and drifted to the floor.
“Stop giving me these meaningless things. I would much rather you show me a side of yourself that is excellent!”
“I really don’t understand. Aside from your looks, why are you nothing like me at all?”
“Have you finished the coursework assigned by the family?”
Sefina didn’t dare look into her mother’s eyes. She kept her head down, staring at her toes. “…Not yet.”
Madam Drago let out a cold laugh. “You aren’t very good at studying, but you’re certainly number one when it comes to obsessing over useless things.”
Sefina’s hands twisted the fabric of her skirt.
‘I should have known better than to give Mother a flower. Now I’m just getting scolded.’
“What are you arguing about now?” Sefina’s father walked to the door. “I need to use the study. If you’re done talking, get out.”
His gaze fell on Sefina. “Did you make your mother angry again?”
“…” Sefina remained silent.
Her father sighed. “The family is busy with missions right now. Why can’t you be more sensible?”
“Isn’t it because you completely fail to educate your daughter?” the mother mocked coldly.
“How is this being blamed on me again? Do you have any idea how much pressure I’m under right now?”
‘They’re arguing again…’
Sefina sighed helplessly in her heart.
She carefully shifted her steps, wanting to escape this suffocating space. But as soon as she moved, the topic shifted back to her.
“Sefina, if you could just be a bit more successful, we wouldn’t have to worry so much.”
“The daughter of the Teppus family next door, Liya, has been performing exceptionally well lately. Every family is praising her as the best successor.”
It was Liya again. This was already the fifth time Liya had been mentioned this month.
Sefina couldn’t help but protest in a small voice, “But I’m not her…”
“You dare talk back? Stick out your hand!”
Sefina didn’t move. Her father walked straight over, grabbed her hand, and raised a ruler.
*Slap!*
Pain flared in her palm.
Sefina grit her teeth, forcing herself to hold back her tears.
She had lost count of how many times she had been hit.
The relationship between her father and mother had always been poor. Although the Drago family was at its peak of power, only those within the family knew about the cracks beneath the glory.
Her parents often argued over family affairs, and Sefina became the outlet for their anger.
‘They are both so strong. Why must I be just as excellent as them?’
To reduce the amount of time she spent being the target of their anger and lectures, Sefina often hid in the castle’s library. It housed books collected by generations of family members from all over the world.
Only when she was immersed in books could Sefina breathe a sigh of relief.
One day, Sefina’s parents had another fierce argument, and her father slammed the door as he stormed out.
Sefina had just come out of the library and was passing by her mother’s room when she suddenly heard faint, shallow panting coming from the half-open door.
‘What is that sound? Who is Mother with?’
Sefina held her breath and crept toward the door on tiptoe.
Through the small crack in the doorway, the scene inside the room came into view.
Her mother was sitting in a chair, holding someone in her arms.
The person had long black hair and was dressed in simple, plain clothes, but her face was exceptionally fair.
The person was petite and was being held tightly in her mother’s embrace. She was tilting her head up, meeting her mother’s passionate kiss.
The sound of their breathing mingled together, reaching Sefina’s ears.
Sefina felt as if she had been struck by lightning. She stood frozen in place.
‘Mother is… kissing someone else?’
‘That person… is a girl?’
She didn’t dare breathe as she slowly turned around.
After walking a few steps on her tiptoes, Sefina finally dared to break into a run. Once she was back in her room, she quickly shut the door.
“Ha… ha…” She panted heavily, her heart pounding wildly in her chest, unable to calm down.
That image had dealt a heavy blow to Sefina’s young heart.
She silently buried this matter in the depths of her soul, but something began to quietly sprout within her.
The next day, Sefina learned that the person was a human maid her mother had bought.
‘A human?’ Sefina was confused.
The Demonic Race had always viewed humans as inferior creatures. Humans who survived under the Demonic Race lived as slaves.
But her mother’s attitude toward that maid was completely different. She had given her a private room and often embraced her in corners.
Sefina caught them together more than once. Every time she did, her mother always had a bright smile on her face.
‘So Mother can actually smile like that.’
Later, her mother even commissioned an artist to paint a special portrait of them.
While the painting was being made, they huddled close together, their smiles full of a happiness they couldn’t hide.
‘Maybe humans aren’t as despicable as the other Blood Clan members say?’
Sefina thought silently as she walked into the family garden.
Her mother walked toward her, followed by that human maid, who bowed respectfully to her.
“Mother, your hands are dirty,” Sefina reminded her. “Why do you have to plant flowers yourself? Wouldn’t it be better to just leave it to the maids?”
“That’s different.” Her mother’s voice was unexpectedly soft as she looked at the maid beside her. “Doing something with someone important to you is different. That flower will have a special meaning.”
“Is that so?” Sefina murmured, trying to understand the meaning behind the words.
“Sefina, did your father talk to you?” Her mother’s tone shifted, returning to its usual sternness.
Sefina looked at her mother in confusion.
“The Demonic Race has officially declared war on the Sacred Race. Your father and I are being sent to the battlefield.”
“Eh?”
Her parents were leaving. Sefina’s first reaction wasn’t one of sadness, but relief.
Finally, she could escape those suffocating arguments and accusations.
“The family will be handed over to your aunt for management. From now on, you will follow her and learn how to handle family affairs properly.”
“I hope that when we return, we will see you standing on your own.”
Her mother walked past her with the human maid, leaving Sefina alone to process this sudden change.
After that, her father and mother left the manor. To her surprise, her mother took the human maid with her.
‘They really are inseparable…’ Sefina thought.
Aunt Sian took over the Drago family as planned. However, several months later, terrible news arrived from the battlefield: Sefina’s parents had been killed in action.
The memories of the funeral were a blur. Sefina only remembered that the rain was very heavy that day.
Sefina personally locked her parents’ room, along with the human maid’s room, sealing them away.
‘Let all the unpleasant memories remain behind these doors.’
Sefina stared at the closed door for a long time before turning to leave.
The Drago family had forever lost its two major pillars, and some of their original partners began to leave one after another.
At the same time, the strength of the Teppus family became more and more prominent.
“This can’t go on.” Aunt Sian paced anxiously around the study. “The family has already spent a massive amount of funds to support the supplies for your father and mother’s expedition.”
“How about we transfer part of the family’s assets to the Teppus family in exchange for their support?” She stopped walking.
Sefina frowned. “Do we really have to do that?”
“I am the head of the house now. Do as I say. If you have any objections, we can talk about them later.”
The first request for help brought a brief moment of breathing room, and the pressure on the family did indeed ease. But after tasting the benefits, Aunt Sian became even more reliant on the Teppus family.
The concessions grew more and more frequent, and the family’s strength plummeted.
Gradually, rumors spread throughout the Demonic Capital: the once glorious Drago family had now become a dog under the Teppus family.
‘No, it shouldn’t be like this,’ Sefina screamed in her heart.
The family hadn’t been like this before.
But she had no real power. All decisions were in Aunt Sian’s hands.
One day, Sian called Sefina over.
“The Teppus family is hosting a salon event. You will represent the Drago family.”
“By myself?” Sefina was startled.
She rarely attended formal occasions alone, but then she thought that this might be an opportunity to build connections.
Sian looked up and glanced at Sefina, saying, “The eldest daughter of the Teppus family, Lady Liya, has summoned a human familiar. Did you know?”
“You might get a chance to see them this time. Go and see a bit more of the world.”
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