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As Rosia blatantly revealed her discomfort, Irene's face turned pale.
But soon, she shut her mouth like a clam.
“I’m Mother’s real daughter, not Ayla! And I’m being treated so unfairly right now. If Ayla really used the Monsters' egg to improve her Magic skills, it’s the same as having my top spot unfairly taken away.”
“……”
“Am I not even Mother’s daughter?”
Just then, people around them were spewing all sorts of accusations towards Ayla.
“Did you see her shamelessly denying it even after the Headmaster said it was a Monsters' egg?”
“The truth will be revealed soon anyway. If it’s confirmed that she raised a Monsters' egg, she’ll be expelled from the academy in no time.”
“I wondered how she overcame Mana insensitivity, but it seems she used some wicked trick using a Monsters' egg.”
Irene believed that Ayla wouldn't commit such a bad deed.
But now that the matter had become public, it was inevitable that Ayla would be criticized.
People are usually drawn to sensational rumors.
Soon her daughter would be left unprotected by anyone.
The thought made Irene's heart beat so fast it hurt.
Rosia's sharp words subtly stimulated her guilt as well.
She was aware that even though Rosia had been revealed as her biological daughter, she couldn't bring herself to feel affection for her.
It wasn't that she didn't feel sorry for her, but Ayla, who was right in front of her eyes, was too pitiful.
She kept worrying about that child who had been abandoned by everyone and left alone.
My poor daughter, Ayla.
Although she had left the Blanche Noble house of her own accord, Irene always felt sorry for sending that fragile child to the academy as if she were being chased away.
She hadn't been able to sleep properly since Ayla left.
But recently, after learning that Ayla had taken the top spot at the academy, she slept soundly for the first time.
She had seen hope that her daughter would be able to live well without the help of the Noble house in the future.
But that was before the Monsters' egg was discovered in Ayla's Greenhouse.
‘Someone must have set a trap.’
Soon, Irene grabbed her heart as a pain that made it hard to breathe rushed in.
Cedric supported her as she staggered from the shock.
“Mother!”
He hurriedly looked around, then quickly found a doctor and left the ballroom with her.
Calios also clicked his tongue and followed them.
Gerard, who had been restless watching this, asked Rosia.
“Rosia, what did you say to Mother just now? She seemed to be fine until she talked to you, and then she suddenly became unwell.”
“I don’t know. Maybe she was greatly shocked by Ayla’s matter?”
Even after Irene left, the situation did not subside.
People continued to talk about this shocking situation.
Prince Darian stepped forward to calm the murmuring crowd.
“Since nothing is certain yet, please be quiet until the results are out. There’s no need to ruin the atmosphere of the ball by adding unnecessary words.”
Only after he finished speaking did people stop talking about Ayla.
And there was one person who was watching this with displeased eyes.
It was Freya, who was attending the ball.
She had failed to find a partner she liked and was participating in the ball with any of the upperclassmen.
But her gaze never left Darian.
It was to approach the First Prince and talk to him whenever there was an opening.
Although there were talks of engagement between the two behind the scenes, nothing had been confirmed yet.
‘If I can win his favor at a time like this, the story will move much faster.’
Darian had never shown interest in any woman until now, so she was relatively relaxed.
But her thoughts changed as she watched Darian approach Ayla, talk to her, and praise her highly.
‘…He seems strangely favorable towards Ayla.’
Not only that, Prince Darian even tried to smooth things over, as if to silence the group that was criticizing Ayla.
Freya shook her head in denial.
There was no need to take it too sensitively.
He was probably just curious for a moment because a commoner with poor grades had suddenly taken the top spot.
She frowned as she recalled Ayla being dragged away by the soldiers a while ago.
‘I hope she gets completely kicked out of the academy this time.’
The cultural festival ended earlier than planned due to the Monsters' egg commotion.
This was because the Headmaster had to report the incident directly to the Imperial Palace.
After the cultural festival was cleaned up, the academy immediately entered winter vacation.
Irene returned to the Blanche Noble house and immediately fell ill.
The shock of witnessing Ayla being dragged away by the soldiers was still vivid.
As a result, she had not shown up for meals with her family yesterday and today.
The atmosphere in the Blanche Noble house was heavy.
The servants watched the masters' every move, holding their breath and moving carefully.
But Rosia was different.
She was in such a good mood that she couldn't help but hum.
Her appetite had returned, and she was able to enjoy her meals as before.
‘It’s so much more comfortable at mealtimes now that the Duchess is lying down.’
Rosia couldn't stand seeing Irene all this time.
Every time she sat in the seat Ayla used to sit in, Irene would always look at her with a strangely gloomy expression.
Whenever that happened, Rosia would not avoid her gaze, but rather smile brightly at her as if to show off.
Then Irene would always turn her gaze away with a lonely face.
‘I don’t have to be conscious of that anymore.’
Soon, when Ayla's disposition is decided, Irene will come to her senses.
All that remains is for her to take the top spot and be recognized by the Noble house people as their only daughter.
Yes, if only her disposition is decided.
Rosia's face contorted as she arrived at the dining room on time.
‘Why do they still look so tearful?’
Gerard and Cedric, who had arrived earlier and were enjoying dinner, seemed quite depressed.
If it had been revealed that Ayla had used the Monsters' egg, shouldn't they be comforting her now?
She was, after all, a victim who had her rightful place taken away through illegal means.
Rosia's mood became even more unpleasant when she thought that perhaps those two's unsatisfactory reactions were also a trick that Ayla had played.
Her pride wouldn't allow her to stay still like this.
Rosia decided to say a sharp word to the two of them.
She was going to ask them if it was right to worry about Ayla more than her, who had been unfairly deprived of her top spot.
But before she could say anything, the Duke entered the dining room.
As soon as Gerard saw him, he hurriedly stood up from his seat.
“Father, what happened?”
It was a somewhat impolite act, but Calios did not scold him.
Instead, he simply let out a light sigh.
Calios had just returned from meeting the Headmaster at the academy all night.
Currently, Ayla had no proper guardian, and he was paying for her tuition, so he naturally took on the role of temporary guardian.
Calios loosened the cravat around his neck and said with a tired face.
“I’ve come to hear what Ayla’s disposition will be.”
At this, Rosia hurriedly asked Calios.
“Is she going to be expelled right away?”
Calios shook his head.
“No, that’s not it. It seems that it hasn’t been clearly revealed yet that the egg is a Monsters' egg.”
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