When Violet couldn’t say anything back, Aileen giggled as she ran towards Roen, who was passing by not so far away from them.

“Brother!”

As she said the single word, how was it possible that it contained such loveliness?

He’s not your brother. Violet had to hold back these words lodged in her throat.

In the midst of so many whispers around her, the only thing Violet could do was to be a ‘perfect ducal lady’.

She used her nobility as a shield so that nobody could criticize her—so that she could be beyond Aileen’s reach. She was determined to become that kind of elegant and refined person.

She thought it would be okay as long as she remained superior to that girl.

“But people have such cunning minds. Rather, the more I did that, the more I was held to such higher expectations.”

The late duchess had acted better under the same circumstances.

She had been charismatic and generous at the same time.

Even if she was generous, she made sure not to let it damage her authority.

But how could a child and an adult reach the same results? The more Violet imitated a dignified adult, the more other people’s contradictory words were hurled at her, constricting her so much.

And meanwhile, her heart truly became twisted in earnest.

It was because of the steady accumulation of false accusations, even if they’re only small, and the cold provocation that Aileen did to her once in a while.

Violet hated Aileen. She despised the girl. But at the same time, she was jealous of her. She violently loathed her.

It was a miscalculation for her to think that she was going to be okay as long as she was superior to Aileen. The only thing it did was accelerate her isolation.

“Look at the sight of you. Do you truly call that a proper walk? No matter how I look at you, you shouldn’t be called a Ducal household’s esteemed daughter.”

“…What you’re wearing is practically a rag. Do you not even consider how much your actions will bring down the Duchy’s reputation?”

“You’re a hypocrite. You keep acting according to your whims, but can’t you think about how much trouble that will cause?”

Sometimes, Violet’s own words sounded too harsh even to herself. But those words slipped through her lips regardless.

In an attempt to smear Aileen’s standing, all Violet achieved was the destruction of her own character.

Perhaps out there, there’s one or two people who admired Violet’s actions. Well, it was only during those days.

Fourteen years old and twelve years old. Both girls were still young, but Aileen was younger than Violet, and Violet’s standards of etiquette were much too high.

Whenever this happened, Mikhail, Roen and Cairn would all criticize Violet for her harsh words. However, Aileen would dissuade the brothers. She even cried.

The people around them praised Aileen’s kind heart for defending her older sister.

Never once did Mikhail listen to Violet.

He always just told her the same things.

You should be more understanding of her younger sister because you’re the older sister.

Why can’t you be more understanding of your younger sister?

The onslaught of harsh words made Violet, at some point, turn into a narrow-minded, petty person.

Mikhail started thinking of Violet as a liar, and he considered every word that came out of her mouth to be false.

As for Roen… Since when was it.

Unlike the other two brothers who openly despised her, Roen did not stop smiling at her.

“…So, there was a time when I hoped that Brother Roen would listen to me.”

Violet smiled lightly. What was it that Roen said in response?

“But you shouldn’t act like that. If you try acting differently, people will believe you, too.”

What he said was abominable, pretentious and hypocritical.

Violet asked back.

“But until what point should I be good?”

The fourteen-year-old Violet was already doing the best that she could as she was at that age. After being poured with such malice, she didn’t know how to act anymore.

Nobody listened to her story.

All she heard from others—from those outside the barriers she had erected—was a bunch of hypocritical words. You can change, they said.

Despite Violet’s retort, Roen just spewed more hypocrisy.

Your actions are wrong, so you’re to blame. That’s why you have to be good.

“…It’s not that there was absolutely no one who listened to me.”

Violet made friends with young noble ladies of her age. One of them deeply sympathized with Violet, but at some point, she started keeping her distance. Then, she started hanging out with Aileen.

Aileen always compared herself to Violet.

“I’m not good enough compared to Sister.”

“Unlike Sister, I’m just…”

“Other people will like someone like Sister a lot more than me.”

As she continued to say such things, more and more people were cutting themselves off from Violet.

Aileen’s way of comparing herself to Violet was quite peculiar.

Whenever she did so, it was always framed in a way that Violet was a ‘villainess’.

Aileen sometimes told stories about things that Violet didn’t do as if she really did.

To be misunderstood for things that she didn’t even do… Was there anyone else who knew best?

If Violet couldn’t trust anyone, then she had no choice but to stay alone.

After trying, struggling, fighting to be acknowledged, finally Violet became perfect.

But no one acknowledged her.

She had already been stigmatized as a bad child, and so the moniker of ‘villainess’ gradually blossomed.

Thus, as the ducal lady had nowhere left to lean on, she finally gave in to that title.