The familiar view of the McGregor manor finally came into Yulianna's sight as the carriage arrived at the estate. Somehow, the exhaustion from the long ride melted away. Seeing the magnificent landscape of her home lifted her spirits—reminding her that she truly lived a wealthy life after all.
"My, all that tiredness I felt just disappeared at the sight of this beautiful scenery. What a life, indeed…" she murmured, stretching her arms and yawning contentedly, when someone suddenly cleared their throat.
"You look at peace, my lady," Mira commented, forcing a smile that made her look almost foolish.
Yulianna had almost forgotten her existence throughout the ride, since she hadn't said a single word until now. She knew very well why her maid was staring at her like that, smiling as though she were some kind of criminal who had forgotten her crime.
"Of course, Mira. There's no place like home," she replied in a playful tone, chuckling. "I can finally rest in peace and eat everything I want after being starved for three days. That's my reward for completing the blessing ceremony so well."
Her maid laughed half-heartedly. "Of course, my lady. You did a great job finishing the ceremony." Then she paused, her expression filled with disbelief. "But why punch the saint, though? What if he makes a fuss about it and it reaches His Grace? Do you think he'll still regard you as his daughter who loves punching people in the face?"
And we're back again.
Yulianna remained silent as she listened to her maid's never-ending sermon. She wondered why Mira hadn't said a thing back when she saw her punch the saint in the Holy Hall. Now it all made sense—she'd been holding it together until now.
"I was so glad and hopeful when you were chosen as the bearer, my lady. I thought this time you would finally come to your senses and start acting like His Grace's daughter, with the temple's guidance. But to witness how you landed your fist on the saint's face—you never fail to amaze me."
"Well, you don't look amazed," Yulianna replied, watching as her maid's face fell.
"You're unbelievable, my lady. I can't even imagine what will happen next once the duke finds out about it." Mira surrendered, shaking her head.
Laughing softly, Yulianna tapped Mira's shoulder. "Come on, don't worry. He won't tell a thing to anyone," she reassured, making the maid raise a brow.
"You sound confident, my lady. Give me a good reason why he wouldn't tell anyone after he got his face punched by a noble lady."
Yulianna's lips stretched into a broad smile. "Well, I punched him so hard that he may not be able to see anyone to talk about it for the meantime."
Mira's face went from utter disbelief to complete speechlessness. She tried to open her mouth, but no words came out. In the end, she let out a heavy sigh, as though it were the end of her. "You're hopeless, my lady."
"Come now, don't say something like that. You know I'm not the kind of person who just beats people up without valid reasons."
"Of course, my lady. I already came to realize that recently."
Her face lit up as she looked at her with the same broad smile. "Right, Mira? I'm not—"
"I also realized that you're very good at turning a bad reason into a good one," Mira cut in, her voice carrying quiet resignation. "So, it doesn't matter whether it's valid or not, my lady. You'll punch people whenever you want, whoever they are. That's the kind of person I'm starting to see."
Silence. Yulianna hadn't expected it. And Mira's voice hadn't sounded like a scolding meant to get under her skin. It was as though the maid had somehow seen straight through who she truly was.
Have I overdone it?
"But I'm glad, sad, and wary at the same time, my lady," she added unexpectedly.
"I'm glad to see you grow into someone strong, someone capable of defending yourself. But it also makes me sad I could no longer see the gentle version of you—the one who would run to me for a hug when things got tough. And it makes me wary of the consequences your actions might bring upon you, my lady. Being a duke's daughter can't save you all the time when the world gets dangerous."
Wow. She's a softie.
Yulianna cleared her throat, caressing her back as a comfort. "I've always been chased by troubles since I can remember, Mira. Avoiding it like a plague won't change the fact that there are people out there trying to endanger me. You said it yourself; I'm not the same person I was anymore. Maybe that incident in the river was a blessing in disguise—it changed me for good. It may not look like it to others, but it is for me. Because no matter what happens from now, I'm going to protect myself and fight till the end."
Mira sniffed, turning to hug her. "You really turned into someone so bold and unpredictable, my lady. I'm just worried about how His Grace would react if he sees you in this intimidating appearance. He might even freak out over why you dyed your hair red."
"Ah, that… well, that's another consequence I'm about to deal with for acting so boldly," Yulianna replied, scratching her nape. "I'm fine with whatever punishment he will bestow, as long as he doesn't disown me."
That would be a waste of fortune.
Shaking her head, Mira seemed to get hold of herself and was back to her usual self. "Of all the things you could change about yourself, why did you choose your hair, my lady? His Grace prefers that straight, silky hair."
"Speaking of, when is that duke coming home?"
"Your nineteenth birthday is coming up this week, my lady. So His Grace might be returning any day now. It's just a matter of time," Mira replied.
Dang. I almost forgot that birthdays still exist in this world.
Sighing, Yulianna massaged her temples. "I can't seem to remember how I celebrated my previous birthdays. Can you enlighten me?"
"Even you forget about that?" Mira replied, deep in thought as if recalling everything in the past. "Well, His Grace always lets you decide how you wanted it in your birthdays. And you always wanted a simple one. But the last two were arranged by Lady Vera. I know she's doing it so expensive and grand to showcase Sienna at the same time. She made it like her daughter was the one having birthdays, and not you."
"Hm…" Yulianna pondered. "A typical Cinderella's stepmother, I see."
"My lady?" Mira asked, her expression confused.
Yulianna smiled at her. "Well, Cinderella's life isn't different from mine. The only thing that differs was she's a princess, and I'm a nobleman's daughter. But both of our mothers died at such a young age, and both our fathers remarried, and we both acquired a stepsister in the end."
Nodding, her maid seemed interested in her story. "That's too much of a coincidence, my lady. Don't you think?"
Of course, not. But will I ever tell you it's only a story?
"There's no coincidence, Mira. Cinderella's life and mine aren't different at all. Come to think of it, we even both have the same evil stepmother." She continued, chuckling. "Well, I may share the same life as hers, but it doesn't mean we're going to have the same fate also. Cinderella and I are way too different when it comes to our personality."
"What made you say so, my lady? I didn't know Cinderella, but I pity her life."
She's not real, idiot.
"Well, she used broomstick to clean floors, but I used fist to clean dirty faces. She has a golden voice that attracts people and animals, but I cursed boldly and attract troubles everywhere."
Mira blinked twice, slowly nodding her head. "That's a big difference, my lady. Indeed…" She answered, then paused. "But His Grace didn't marry Lady Vera though…"
Oh?
Confused, Yulianna's attention shifted to her. "What do you mean my father didn't marry her? Then how did she become my stepmother?"
"Well, that…I didn't know about it, my lady." Her maid answered, shrugging. "All my mother told me when she was still in the manor was His Grace brought Lady Vera along with her daughter. But there's no wedding at all."
Instantly, Yulianna's lips curved into a smile. "Now that's a big revelation, Mira. I may have forgotten about it also, but that just sparks my interest."
"What interest, my lady? You never were interested in Lady Vera's affairs. In fact, you avoided asking about it."
"Oh well, not that much interest. Just something I wanted to return to them for making my life hell for the previous years." She answered, almost giggling in excitement.
I'm going to return the favor tenfold.
Seeing this, Mira's expression folded. "Please don't smile like that, my lady."
However, Yulianna was lost in her own world, plotting what strike she could make at the moment. Once a brilliant idea popped into her head, she turned to her maid with a bright smile.
"I'm going to surprise them tonight, Mira. A family dinner, just us." She paused, mid-air. "I wonder if they'll scream, run… or regret it."
Mira's eyes widened, her face went pale. Uh-oh. Trouble.