Navia was not surprised at all, as it was roughly the picture she had anticipated.
However, Suleiman was furious.
"How dare you act on your own without consulting the head of the family!"
Theorban pulled out a statement from his pocket, expressing his desire to establish his daughter as the successor to Eseled.
"If you have eyes, look at this properly."
Suleiman looked at Theorban with an expression of 'What do you want me to do about it?'
Theorban continued.
"I am willing to make the sacrifice of putting forward my own child as an example. What are we to do if Eseled's line ends because of my foolish younger brother?"
Suleiman said in a voice oozing coldness.
"Which family allows just a family representative to act so recklessly?"
At that, Theorban finally burst out shouting.
"Just a family representative! Just wait and see... Count Geneger, it seems you can't distinguish right from wrong, but since you've volunteered as a vassal, you're below me in rank!"
The moment Theorban's indulgence crossed the line, Navia's eyes emanated a chilling coldness.
Suleiman, though now quietly staying in Eseled's household, was originally a man who roamed battlefields.
"Are you done talking?"
Theorban flinched in fear for a moment, then glared.
"I am acting justly according to our family law, don't even think of persecuting me!"
Navia realized that the family law Theorban was referring to was his trump card. She was curious as to what kind of law it was that caused such a commotion.
Theorban, puffing out his chest, said in a boastful tone.
"According to Eseled's family law, if the head of the family doesn't have a successor by the age of thirty, a child from the direct bloodline becomes the heir."
Suleiman frowned upon hearing this unfamiliar law.
"If you don't like it, we'll just have to cut off the supply of anesthetics."
Currently, Lark was ill, suffering in bed.
His condition must not be revealed.
Before Suleiman could say anything, Navia replied.
"I'll do that."
"Lady Navia..."
"What does a servant's room matter? I am, after all, a prisoner by status."
Navia looked at Theorban.
"As you say, please give me the sedatives."
"Hmph. The room you'll use, I'll have to check myself. I'll leave a servant with you, so don't you dare try to deceive me, Count Geneger."
Theorban, taking his daughter with him, pushed Navia aside and went upstairs.
Water in a large bowl splashed over, drenching the clothes Navia was wearing.
The cold water seeped into her white nightgown, staining it patchily.
"How rude!"
Suleiman, taking out a handkerchief, wiped the hem of Navia's skirt, asking worriedly.
"Are you alright?"
It wasn't a big deal, just her clothes getting a bit wet.
Navia smiled as if it was nothing.
"Of course."
Having said that, she quickly took the bowl to the kitchen and headed to the second floor.
For now, it was best to appease Theorban.
Theorban, who had left Navia's room on the second floor wide open, spoke loudly and clearly.
"Our Masha deserves the best room! It never made sense for that woman to use such a good room. Completely shameless for a mere member of the military family."
Suleiman clenched his fist in anger, but Navia caught the hem of his clothes.
'I'm fine.'
Mouthing the words, Suleiman's expression grew darker.
He wanted to sweep everything away in frustration, but he couldn't.
Those damned sedatives.
Suleiman's expression turned complicated.
"Please take the sedatives to Minerva quickly."
"But Lady Navia alone..."
"I'll be fine. Really."
The urgent matter now was to treat Lark.
Suleiman muttered an apology in a low voice and left the place.
In the meantime, Theorban had checked the room Navia would use and came out, calling to her standing by the central staircase.
"Follow me!"
Navia obediently followed him.
Theorban deliberately chose the worst room among those used by the servants.
"From today, this is your room."
He said, drawing a malicious smile across his lips.
"It suits your lowly stature perfectly. Haha!"
Navia didn't pay any attention to Theorban's words.
"Then I'll move my things."
Theorban, who expected Navia to wail in despair, was infuriated to see her as calm as someone who had heard it would rain.
'She's just a commoner now, no different from any other woman pretending to be dignified...!'
Navia was still in the state of having moved her belongings from the third floor to the second floor yesterday.
That was why she walked to the room that Masha was now occupying to get her luggage.
"Miss!"
At that moment, Charlotte came running breathlessly. She had been preparing lunch for Navia when she heard the unexpected commotion and rushed over.
"The situation isn't good."
Navia said so without further explanation.
Despite the brusqueness of her words, Charlotte did not move her head but glanced around and then quietly followed by Navia's side.
She cleverly realized it was a time to act inconspicuously.
Navia arrived at the door and knocked gently.
Click.
Soon, the door opened, and a woman with freckles, who seemed to be Masha's personal maid, appeared.
"What do you want?"
It was an arrogantly posed question, but neither Navia nor Charlotte responded.
They had already had their fill of such treatment in Agnis.
"I'm here to get my luggage."
The maid scoffed.
"Aha. I thought they were things to be thrown away. Were they your belongings? Your luggage seems quite modest."
The maid continued, looking down on Navia with a disdainful gaze.
"Just wait a moment."
The maid entered the room, leaving the door slightly open.
Navia had to remain standing as the maid had left her in the corridor.
'How dare they treat our miss like this, making her stand as if being punished!'
Charlotte stood by Navia's side, forcibly swallowing her anger.
She had become more cautious after recklessly defying Navia's warnings in Agnes and suffering painful consequences.
Voices could be heard through the slightly open door.
"Hmm, this is hers?"
"Yes, Miss. How can this be all of her luggage? She doesn't even have a change of clothes for a day."
"My goodness. Even commoners wouldn't do that..."
"And what about this cloak? Are there still people wearing such old-fashioned clothes these days?"
The people inside the room were talking loudly, making sure Navia could hear every word, not hiding their amusement in their voices.
Navia endured the trivial and lowly torment with an expressionless face, as insignificant as a dead mouse.
Then Theorban approached.
He had come to see his daughter but, upon seeing Navia standing there motionless, he looked at her as if she were some dirty filth.
"What's this? Why aren't you in your room, making my daughter's doorway look unlucky!"
Theorban's behavior lacked any semblance of dignity throughout.
The head of the Alvin family being of such caliber, it was no wonder his daughter and vassals were the same.
'Desperately trying to join the ranks of the great nobility with such low standards. Do they really not realize why they're shunned in high society?'
Not all nobles were well-versed in etiquette or behaved according to their noble blood. Theorban was particularly lacking.
Navia replied with a rough understanding.
"I'm waiting for the maid to find my luggage."
"Tsk."
Theorban clicked his tongue with a disinterested expression and entered the room.
Soon after, the freckled maid came out, holding Navia's luggage in her hand.
Masha was seen watching the situation intently through the open doorway.
"Is this it?"
Thud!
As Navia reached out to take her luggage, the maid deliberately dropped it to the floor.
Then she stepped on it.
"Oh dear! I was trying to hand it over properly when I suddenly felt dizzy. I'm so sorry, Miss. You'll forgive me, right?"
The maid said this, hoping that Navia would burst into tears of humiliation or anger.
That would be much more amusing.
The maid had deliberately left the door open on Masha's order to display this situation.
Pleasing the master brought appropriate rewards.
The maid knew that the more miserable she made Navia, the better her own reward would be.
However, Navia showed no particular reaction, merely looking at the clothes trampled under the maid's foot.
'Is this a tradition in this household?'
The way Benny, Sairen, and now this maid tormented people was similar.
That meant the characteristics of their masters, who controlled them, were similar too.
'Birds of a feather flock together, as they say.'
The behavior of the servants reflected that of their masters.
Navia felt deeply how vulgar they were, lifting her eyes.
Masha was watching Navia's miserable state and smiling contentedly.
"Hehe."
Masha's self-esteem was boosted as she saw Navia, who possessed an otherworldly beauty and an unapproachable aura, being treated so poorly.
"Hmph, no matter how pretty, she's still beneath me. Just a filthy girl, no different from a commoner."
Soon, the maid entered the room with an expression of having completed her task.
Then, Charlotte quickly gathered the clothes and gently brushed off the parts where footprints were left.
"Let's go."
Navia remained silent while moving her few belongings to another room.
If the trampled clothes had been just ordinary clothes, she might have let it be.
But this was a garment personally made by Minerva.
It was a piece of clothing with special meaning, made especially for her. There was also the cloak lent by Margaret.
That's probably why she was quite angry.
Upon confirming that the new room for Navia was just a storage room barely big enough for a person, Charlotte gritted her teeth and asked with fierce eyes.
"Miss, you're not going to let them get away with this, are you?"
Her question was deeply imbued with a strong belief that Navia would surely punish them.
Navia gently replied while spreading the clothes on the bed.
"Of course, Charlotte."
If they had dared to cross her, they had to pay a proper price.
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