139 - Pieces of the Broken Glass Slipper
Shattered Glass Slipper Shards Episode 139
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Her confession was simple. It seemed like she was elaborating on something, but there was nothing of substance. It was all just that she was jealous of the baby in Mother's womb. Yet, Roena wore a devastated expression as if the world was collapsing and sobbed incessantly.
"I should be congratulating her, but why do I keep having such petty thoughts?"
The people around her were moved by her confession as if they were witnessing a sacred repentance. I wondered if I was the only one who felt disgusted. Some of the maids even clasped their hands together and sniffled as if they felt sorry for Roena. It was a comedy.
"The loneliness she has suppressed all this time has burst out at once."
The old family doctor whispered in a voice as low as possible, so only Father and I could hear. According to him, the shock of losing Mother at a very young age had resurfaced due to this incident. Therefore, he added, we should stabilize her as much as possible without hurting her feelings.
Father frowned and asked, "Is that so?" Then, he began to discuss how to comfort Roena. A mixture of anguish and guilt spread rapidly across his face. I seemed invisible.
No, even if I was visible, he probably wouldn't have attached any meaning to it. Because how I might be feeling right now was already not a consideration.
Their main concern was only the ailing Roena. The problem was how to heal her fragile heart. So, if I hadn't pointed it out like this, unable to bear it any longer, they would have continued to unintentionally inflict wounds.
"Then what about me?"
I said to the doctor in a calm voice. The old doctor blinked slowly as if wondering what the problem was with my words. I felt like sighing at his stupid reaction. It seemed he would only understand if I spelled it out for him.
"I'm saying, how do you think I feel, standing here and watching Roena sob about being jealous of a baby who deserves to be blessed?"
Father and the doctor opened their mouths in surprise, looking taken aback. The word 'embarrassment' quickly flashed across their faces. As if they had finally realized my situation and position. And also that calling me to her room was a wrong choice.
In particular, Father, who hadn't known that Roena would be in pain for this reason, couldn't even make eye contact with me. His face flushed red with shame, and he even stuttered in front of me for the first time in his life. He was acting clumsy, as if he didn't know how to apologize.
"My, my dear..."
If I were his biological daughter, I would have screamed and yelled, asking how he could do this. I would have raged, saying that the baby in Mother's womb was of the Bishvarts Family bloodline, and how dare she have such thoughts and get sick.
Or, I might have grabbed her by the hair and shaken her up and down, saying that I had treated her with sincerity, but she was stabbing me in the back like this.
However, no matter how much Father felt sorry for me, there was nothing thicker than blood, and in the end, his heart leaned towards Roena, who was lying on the bed.
Look at her now. Her tearful eyes are sparkling sadly, as if asking why he isn't comforting her. And the great Countess of the Bishvarts Family is even more at a loss because of that sight.
It was fully expected. That's why I didn't feel resentful or upset. I was just disgusted. Nausea rose, and my stomach felt queasy.
At the same time, I felt very sorry for myself, who had to retreat submissively like a tail-wagging dog, unable to even express my emotions properly. Truly, I was the only one who deserved to receive words of comfort filled with pity in this place.
I said to Father with a pathetic smile.
"May I return to my room?"
Father couldn't say anything. After a brief silence, he barely moved his head to indicate his permission.
As I moved my feet, Roena's gaze followed like a shadow. She was looking at me as if she couldn't understand why I was trying to leave the room without saying a word to her. The maids standing around also opened their mouths wide and wore dumbfounded expressions.
Especially Margo's expression was a sight to behold. The old fox didn't even seem to notice that Father was staring intently at her face, and she was sending me a sharp glare. Her eyebrows, raised high like a beast full of anger, were quite menacing.
Before twisting the doorknob to open it, I turned my head and looked at Roena. As if I had forgotten something, I deliberately made a sound like 'Ah.' Perhaps expecting something from my actions, she wore an even more pitiful expression and only looked at my mouth.
Comfort me quickly. Tell me I'm pitiful.
It felt like I could hear such hallucinations.
But I had another reason for opening my mouth. I felt it would be too unfair to back down meekly like this. It was also a waste to miss the only opportunity to lash out at Roena in front of Father. So, as if I had suddenly remembered, I said.
"It's a pity you're sick. But I hope you don't tell Mother the reason you got sick. She cares about you, doesn't she? How upset would she be if you told her the reason you were sick was because you were getting a sibling?"
Then Margo made a face as if to say, 'So what?' and tried to step forward. It seemed she had keenly realized that it was a malicious remark disguised as a suggestion.
But Father was faster. He rubbed his dry face with his hands as if ashamed and said weakly.
"I promise. Everyone here will do that. So don't worry."
Since the head of the family had stepped up and promised, no one could object. Even Roena seemed to have thought about how her actions would hurt Mother, and her face was frozen pale.
The maids who had been sending me accusing glances were now busy avoiding my gaze as if they finally understood my actions. Only the head maid was holding Roena's hand and repeatedly offering words of comfort, saying, "It's okay."
"Yes, I hope you will."
I replied in a quiet voice.
A heavy silence was strangling them. Their fidgeting, as if they couldn't bear it any longer, was as ridiculous as watching a comedy. I felt like bursting into laughter at their pale faces.
But I held back and bowed to Father again. If I stayed with them any longer, Roena would surely blurt out the word 'sorry,' so I was running away in advance. Because I knew that the moment I received an apology, the public opinion of pity for me would disappear. Hadn't I experienced it enough already?
'Isn't it enough that she apologized? Why are you being so petty? How much more sincerely does she have to apologize?'
I didn't want to experience the situation where the victim had to understand and accept even the perpetrator's feelings. Because being judged arbitrarily and being called a 'bad bitch who doesn't even accept an apology' was enough for the past Sissae.
So, I quickly left the room as if I had no regrets. Before the door closed, a voice that was clearly Roena's—What if Sissae hates me?—leaked out, but I deliberately pretended not to hear it.
Back in my room, I had Marie inform Mother's maid—especially one who was known for gossiping—about what had happened in the room just now. There was no need to say it outright; it was enough to lightly mention that such and such had happened.
It didn't matter where this information came from. All that was needed was this incredible situation where everyone would eventually find out, no matter how much Roena and her people tried to keep it a secret.
"That one is a real blabbermouth. If she fell into the water, only her mouth would float."
Marie, who had completed her task admirably, said to me with a triumphant expression. It meant that she would tell Mother about this within a few hours.
Blan teased from the side, "There's no one with a lighter tongue than you," but Marie shrugged with a "So what?" expression.
"Well, I didn't easily believe that Miss Roena said such things. So I just said that I accidentally heard it through the open door."
"Well done. I thought Mother should know too. But I didn't have the courage to openly see her upset face, so I created this troublesome situation."
Everyone shook their heads at my words. Their faces were deeply etched with pity for me, who had tasted misery in Roena's room.
I pretended to be nonchalant and asked for a cup of warm tea to calm my mind. And in my heart, I began to count the numbers, wondering when Mother would call me.
Had I counted to 300? Mother's maid called me. Marie was smiling brightly as if to say, "See?" I briefly praised her for her hard work. And I went straight to Mother.
"Sissae, do you know too?"
She shouted as soon as she saw me. Her face was already a mess with tears. She had cried so much that her handkerchief was already soaked and difficult to use.
"H, how could that child say such things?"
There is no case where maternal love is more maximized than in a woman who has a child. Mother was already anxious as if Roena had directly threatened the baby in her womb.
If you were someone who had been in social circles and watched the excesses and downfalls of aristocratic ladies, it was a possible thing. There was no way there wouldn't be a story of a woman who miscarried her child due to a family member blinded by jealousy.
You can tell just by the way Mother's one hand is defensively gripping her stomach as if to protect it. Perhaps if I weren't Mother's biological daughter, she wouldn't have allowed me to come this close.
"That's why I told you. Mother needs me. Look. I'm the only one who came running right away to comfort Mother."
I said in a low voice, as if whispering. Adopting a tone that was as gentle and soft as the devil tempting.
"But you didn't tell me right away."
"Father told me to keep this a secret. So I couldn't tell Mother."
Mother gasped. She asked me in a trembling voice.
"S, so was that child scolded?"
"She received comfort. Because she got a mental illness."
Mother bit her lip tightly with a shocked expression. She had always said, 'Someday Father's love will fade and the treatment will be poor,' but now that this had happened, she couldn't believe it.
"What if she does something bad to me out of jealousy?"
Mother was already acting as if she had forgotten that Roena was a good girl and had been kind to her. Ironically.
Ah, the fickle heart of a person!
It seemed that the trust in her stepdaughter was only this much after all. It was so thin that it crumbled with just a few words. If you were to weigh it, wouldn't a feather be heavier?
So, it's worth touching Margo, who glared at me, at this point. If it's Mother now, she'll be wary of everything about Roena.
I took a handkerchief out of my pocket and gently wiped Mother's cheeks, saying.
"It's possible if Margo encourages her. If she's the head maid who cares so much for Roena, there's no way she wouldn't do anything for her. Above all, Roena listens to everything Margo says, right?"
"T, that's right. She's the problem. Then what should we do?"
Mother, terrified, was trembling without even being able to think properly. Her unique weak and fragile heart, combined with the desire not to lose her life as a Countess, made her suddenly frightened.
"The head maid is old. She should have retired at that age."
Mother's eyes sparkled at my words. It was something she would never have dared to think of in the past, but she was already full of protective instincts for her child, so she was making a face that showed she knew what she had to do right away.
"Yes, you're right."
After a while, Mother grabbed my hand and made a determined expression. Then she kept whispering to me, "I'm sorry all this time, dear."
"I don't know why I didn't believe your words. In the end, it's just the two of us. Why was I so stupid?"
I felt like laughing at the surprisingly quick change of heart. But I pretended to be nonchalant and responded.
"You know now, so that's enough. Oh, and don't ever tell Father that I comforted Mother."
Mother smiled the same smile she had when she hated Roena in the past and replied to my words.
"What does that matter now?"
I realized that she had completely returned to me because of that attitude of Mother's. Also, that this hand holding me would never fall off even after giving birth to the child.
