Chapter 24

At that, Bianca’s cheeks turned red and she lightly tapped Daniel’s arm.

“We’re not engaged yet. We’re just planning to be soon.”

Smiling softly, Daniel took a seat across from Bianca.

Then his expression quickly became arrogant as he asked,

“Where did Matilda go?”

“Matilda?”

“Yes. Wasn’t Matilda serving as your Dedicated Maid as well? From what I’ve seen, there wasn’t a maid better suited to you than Matilda.”

At those words, Diena, who had been quietly lowering her head, looked at Daniel.

“Matilda may have been from a fallen noble family, but she was still a noble. Is that maid perhaps from a fallen noble family as well?”

“Hm? Diena isn’t from a noble family.”

“Then she’s a commoner?”

“Mm, well, yes.”

As Bianca answered, she suddenly felt something strange.

Was Diena really a commoner?

She definitely was, but somehow it didn’t feel that way.

Her natural elegance and the occasional pressure she gave off made her seem like anything but an ordinary commoner.

Just as Bianca fell silent over the sudden thought,

Daniel spoke with a pitying expression.

“Bianca. You’re a perfect person, but isn’t there one thing you’re lacking?”

“Lacking?”

“Yes. House Kardian originally came from a Baron Family, didn’t it? To the point where you were barely exposed to noble culture. Didn’t Matilda help cover that weakness of yours?”

“…”

“Thanks to her, you seemed to improve more and more. Yet you’ve suddenly replaced your Dedicated Maid. Even the Council of Elders is quite concerned about this matter.”

Daniel’s direct words made Bianca’s face flush red.

Because he was exposing her sore spot.

His tone was as gentle as ever, but considering the meaning behind his words, it was no different from a vicious insult.

It was so similar to the way the Duke of Rothwell behaved.

After hearing that, Diena thought,

‘I knew there was something off about him the moment he walked in.’

It was simply a case of the expected person finally showing up.

Diena stared at Daniel’s red hair.

‘No wonder the name sounded familiar.’

House Roche.

One of House Kardian’s vassal families.

The same people who had recommended Matilda for the position of Head Maid.

She had seen it written in a report in her previous life.

‘And they’re also among the people who sided with Uncle.’

In her previous life, they had betrayed House Kardian the moment her uncle’s coup began.

Just then, the door to the reception room carefully opened and the Head Butler appeared.

“Lady Bianca, an urgent letter has arrived.”

“Ah.”

With an apologetic expression, Bianca rose from her seat.

“Please wait a moment. I’ll be right back.”

The moment Bianca left the room and the door closed behind her,

The smile vanished completely from Daniel’s face.

“You’ve gotten awfully full of yourself for a mere commoner.”

As he spoke, he lightly tapped the teacup on the table with his fingertip and looked Diena up and down.

“Just because Bianca’s been entertaining you a little, you’ve started thinking you’re someone important.”

“…”

“But that’s all it is. You’re someone who can be replaced at any time. The moment you fall out of favor, you can be thrown away.”

Diena had expected him to reveal his true colors once they were alone.

So she simply looked at him without the slightest change in expression.

“On the other hand, Bianca can’t do without me. You know how things end for Non-Ability Users, don’t you?”

“And how do they end?”

“They get thrown out of their families in disgrace. Besides me, no one would even agree to become her fiancé. That’s why Bianca is always mindful of me. If I told her to get rid of someone like you, she’d do it without hesitation.”

“Ah…”

Seeing Diena blink with an innocent expression, Daniel assumed she was frightened.

His confidence immediately grew.

“Thinking of tattling on me for saying that? It won’t matter. You’re a commoner. No one will listen to a word you say.”

Diena slowly tilted her head.

She had dealt with situations like this countless times in her previous life.

It happened when she purified high-grade Ability Users in House Rothwell.

‘Especially when I was with the Mercenary Corps.’

The people outside the Purification Zone were rough.

Mercenaries were even rougher.

Diena had dealt with plenty of people like that.

There was no way some young noble brat could intimidate her.

Completely unaware of the dangerous look in her eyes, Daniel curled one corner of his lips upward.

“So in the end, Bianca has no choice but to take my side. Understand now?”

“Not at all.”

“W-What? You’re speaking casually?”

“I don’t see any reason to speak politely to you.”

“What?”

Daniel stared at her in shock.

Diena was looking at him with a face full of ridicule.

At that moment, Daniel felt an inexplicable sense of humiliation.

Because her eyes seemed to be looking down on him completely.

Daniel had met people with eyes like that before.

‘Those people from the Five Great Families…’

Only people with that level of power possessed such arrogant gazes.

He couldn’t understand how a maid standing before him could have the same look.

“Do you think Lady Bianca would throw me out, or break up with you?”

“…?”

“Think about it. There’s literally nothing you’re better than me at. Looks? I’m better. Elegance? I’m better at that too. Wealth? I’ll probably surpass you there as well.”

“H-Hah…”

“I guarantee it. The one getting kicked out soon is going to be you.”

When someone says something so absurd that it goes beyond common sense, people often don’t know how to react.

After all, what she was saying made no sense.

How could a commoner speak to a noble like this?

Could she secretly be some powerful Ability User?

Even commoners could become Ability Users.

If that were the case, her confidence would make sense.

The moment that possibility crossed his mind, Daniel spoke with a slightly frightened expression.

“D-Don’t tell me you’re an Ability User?”

“Hmm… What do you think?”

“W-Well? Maybe you are?”

Seeing how quickly he became submissive, Diena let out a small laugh.

“I’m a Non-Ability User.”

“…You dare mock a noble!”

Daniel’s face instantly turned crimson.

“What, are you going to tell people I said this? Who would believe that a commoner and a Non-Ability User like me said these things to you?”

“Wow…”

“People would laugh their heads off. At best, you’d become a joke. Go ahead and tell them if you want.”

“…”

“Tell them you got completely shut down by a commoner.”

After finishing her sentence, Diena smiled brightly.

Daniel completely shut his mouth.

Because she was right.

Even if he told people a commoner woman had insulted him like this, no one would believe him.

And even if he somehow proved it, he’d only become a laughingstock.

They’d mock him for getting verbally beaten by a commoner.

“What the hell is wrong with you?!”

Unable to hold back anymore, he suddenly raised his hand.

Just then,

“What are you doing?”

Bianca’s cold voice rang out.