The Eldest Daughter Walks Down The Flower Path

“W-What did you just say?!”

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Margaret’s mouth was agape.

“You, you…! Is that how you treat your mother?!”

“If you say that I need to be qualified to be called older sister, shouldn’t it be the same for a mother?”

“You, youuu…!”

The carriage had only been filled with heavy silence thus far, but right now, the atmosphere turned sharp, and tears eventually burst from Yurhi’s eyes.

“Stop it!”

Yurhi shouted at the top of her lungs.

“This is the worst! Whose fault do you think it is that nothing’s going right?!”

Radis sighed.

If the carriage hadn’t arrived at Marquis Russell’s mansion at this time, one of the three would have exploded.

Then, Margaret made a fuss and soothed the crying Yurhi.

“Yes, Yurhi! You’re right.
A single loach truly turns an entire pond into mud.
Oh, my daughter! Stop crying now, your makeup will come off.”

Yurhi stared at Radis with bloodshot eyes, biting her pink lips tightly.

But Radis only shook her head as she watched Margaret take out a handkerchief and carefully wipe Yurhi’s eyes.

It’s always been like this.

Her family always blamed all their problems on Radis.

Because this was what she heard all the time, at some point she also thought the same—that the cause of the family’s problems was really her.

Radis thought she wasn’t loved because she was lacking.

She thought that she was the cause for her family’s downfall, for the discord between Margaret and Jade, for David’s poor swordsmanship, for Yurhi’s constant complaining and whining…

That’s why she always tried her best.

Even though she did nothing wrong, she had to struggle to make up for these shortcomings.

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‘I won’t do that anymore.’

Radis hardened her resolve as she got off the carriage along with Margaret and Yurhi.

Seeing them appear, the attendant announced the names and positions of the guests with a clear voice.

“Tilrod’s Madam and the family’s two Young Ladies have arrived!”

Radis opened her eyes widely and watched as the huge door to the banquet hall opened, unfolding a new world from within.

The attendant ushered them in, but there was no significant reaction to their entrance.

The nobles inside the banquet hall expressed their indifference to people from low-ranking households who did not even have status.

However, Margaret and Yurhi had bright smiles on their faces as they jumped straight into mingling.

“Then, Radis.
Enjoy your first banquet.”

Margaret’s dim green eyes held within them an indescribable sense of victory as she whispered to Radis.

Margaret certainly didn’t bring Radis here so that her daughter could have a good time.

She was here to be humiliated.

She was dressed in clown-like clothes.

What kind of position would she have in this world inside a banquet hall?

Margaret wanted to drive it in deeper that she wanted Radis to despair.

Alone.

Margaret left Radis alone and left, hugging Yurhi’s shoulders preciously.

“Oh, Viscountess Anton! It’s been a while!”

And she attracted many people’s attention by greeting them loudly.

When both Margaret and Yurhi disappeared, Radis was left in the spotlight.

Even those who expressed only indifference to low-ranking families were flabbergasted by Radis’ dress.

At this, Radis smiled.

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‘Indeed, I couldn’t take my eyes off the mirror because I was also amazed.’

Margaret’s goal of humiliating Radis in this way was done quite efficiently.

Having not ever worn pink so far, Radis was able to realize through this experience that it was not her color.

The glossy pink silk made Radis’ dark skin look even darker.

And apart from that, the dress’ gaudy embellishments accentuated not her good points, but the bad sides to her appearance.

Her unconventional shoulders were exposed, along with the many small scars on her back that were accumulated from sword training.
And the ruffles on the ugly skirt of the dress wrapped around her body in a way that she looked like a sponge.

Even Irene, who didn’t like Radis at all, was at a loss of what to say when she saw the dress.

‘Don’t pay attention to people’s eyes, Radis.
They’re people you won’t meet again after this day.’

Radis comforted herself and received a glass of champagne from an attendant, who looked at her in the same way that Irene did.

A sip of the bitter champagne made her agitated heart calm down a little.

Radis turned back from those people’s gazes and headed to the corner of the banquet hall.

Fortunately, the birthday celebration of the Third Prince was extravagant and wide-scaled enough that one young lady with a strange outfit wouldn’t be too much of a distraction.

Not only the nobles in this region, but nobles from across the country had flocked to this banquet.

‘How incredible.’

If she was the Third Prince, would she want her birthday to be celebrated like this as well?

Radis scoured with her eyes the banquet hall that was crowded with hundreds of people.

The hall was dazzlingly decorated, and at the center, mountains of gifts from the nobles were piled up.

As she scanned the first floor with curious eyes, she turned to the second floor.

The staircase leading to the second floor was guarded by armor-clad knights engraved with the insignia of the Marquisate of Russell.

‘They’re not soldiers from the Imperial Family.’

The guard knights of the Third Prince here seemed to have come from the Marquisate instead.

With an inquisitive look, Radis stared at the tight security around the stairs to the second floor, and she watched the silhouettes of the high-ranking nobles overlooking the banquet hall from their balconies.

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‘I’m sure there was a birthday party for the Third Prince in the past as well, right?’

As she recalled her previous life, Radis admitted that she was a fool.

She had no idea what was going on in the world outside the Tilrod family.
She belonged only to that small world.

This was because nobody told her about the outside world, and she lived without having any curiosity or the drive to wander out.

Radis opened her eyes to the world only after she was already twenty years old, when she went hunting in the enchanted woods.

‘The Marquisate of Russell was one of the few families who spared no expense in supporting the Imperial subjugation.’

Money was needed for subjugation.

Food, workers carrying supplies, carriages, steeds, cooks, weapons, armor…

The subjugation that she participated in was called an ‘Imperial’ subjugation, but the support of the Empire itself was minimal.

It was of no wonder.
The capital of the Empire was far from the enchanted woods, so they did not feel any danger from the demonic creatures from there.

Rather than the far-flung woods infested with these creatures, what’s important to the Imperial family was to keep other countries in check, and to maintain the rich territories they had.

Therefore, it was the nobles nearby the woods who spared support for the subjugation because their territories were directly threatened.

A forest that constantly emitted demonic energy would give rise to demonic monsters.

The creatures usually dwelled in the center of the forest, but because of their hunger, they started chasing after blood.

In winter, when the number of animals inside the forest gradually decreased, hungry monsters would wander out of the forest in search of food.

For this reason, the noble families adjacent to the forest set up subjugation troops and supported them.

The most generous of the noble families was the Marquisate of Russell.

That’s why Radis came here despite wearing this tacky pink sponge dress.

‘I know nothing else but hunting for demonic monsters.
If I could just join a subjugation somewhere…’

Radis looked up at the balcony of the second floor with desperate eyes.

 

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* * *

 

“She did such a cute thing just because she was jealous of her younger brother.”

Just as she worried, when Margaret arrived, news of the cancellation of David’s admission became a hot topic.

People peppered Margaret with questions, a mixture of derision and curiosity in their voices.

Margaret was busy covering up David and the Tilrod family with her teeth clenched.

“David didn’t do anything wrong.
But if David retakes the test and proves that his skills are real, what would that make of Radis? The whole family wanted to kick her out for this, but because my son David is so soft-hearted, he would rather smooth this all over by giving up his admission.”

Those who gathered for gossip nodded as though they were convinced by Margaret’s words.

However, only Viscountess Anton, who wore a large wig on her head, asked cluelessly, like she really didn’t understand.

“Why did she do that?”

“It’s because she’s jealous of her brother!”

That’s just what she said.

However, Viscountess Anton knew that no matter how young a child was, there was always a reason behind someone’s actions.

As soon as she was about to open her lips again, the middle-aged Madame Hamel spoke in a slow tone.

“That child, did you say her name was Radis? So there’s a child who has that much jealousy.
Before she becomes a bad influence on her younger siblings, you’d better send her off somewhere.”

Margaret furrowed her brows.

‘If it’s the same advice over and over, just don’t say it anymore!’

However, Margaret couldn’t refute Madame Hamel.
They were currently in the Third Prince’s birthday banquet, and even more so, Madame Hamel had a strong influence in high society of the countryside nobles.

Instead of showing her inner thoughts, Margaret put on a pitiful expression.

“If there’s a better place for the child, then I’ll have to send her away.
She’s too much for me.
If you all know any good places, please let me know.”

There was no family that had only one or two headaches.

All the women here had suffered from the troubles brought about by their own family members.

Therefore, they could sympathize with Margaret’s worries.