Mylia and Chloe returned to their small mansion, went around to the backyard to store the picked lavender, and washed their hands.
There were three woofden pails near the backdoor that were used to store water from the well.
The size of the three buckets was different, and it was decided that the seventh daughter, Mylia; the sixth daughter, Chloe; and the fifth daughter, Penelope could only use the smallest one.
Mylia looked at the biggest one.
It was dirty with mud and blood.
(Blood? Ah, that must be the blood of animals from hunting. So it seems that the muscle-brained father uses it.)
「Come, Mylia. Let's wash-wash and wipe-wipe our hands~」
Mylia was embarrassed to be treated like a little child by Chloe, but she let Chloe wipe her hands in the end.
After that, Chloe brought her face close to Mylia's, and spoke to her with a low voice.
「Mylia, you can sleep after you eat. I'll wake you up after I confirm there is no one in Father's study. You got it?」
「Un. Got it.」
「Good girl. And we can't make Robin onee-sama suspicious of us, so can you return to the laid-back Mylia like before?」
「Okay. I'll try not to be suspicious.」
「Un. What a clever girl. You're really my angel, Mylia.」
「Ehehe~」
Chloe was stroking Mylia's head as usual.
At that momentー
Clapー! Clapー!
They heard a sound of clapping hands from inside the house.
For some reason, it sounded kind of menacing.
When Mylia and Chloe looked inside the house through the opened backdoor, they saw a woman wearing a red dress with her arms folded, standing in a dull wooden corridor.
(Geh! It's Robin!)
She was nineteen years old, had semi-long black hair, sharp eyes, and an upturned nose that made her arrogant face look even more arrogant.
Although she looked arrogant, she had a neat face and body.
Also, she had a hard-to-approach, intimidating aura.
(Uhh… When I look at her like this, she looks so scary…)
Robin's look reminded Mylia of a woman at her part-time job who loved to speak badly about the other staff members including Mylia.
(I have to avoid this type of woman as much as I can.)
「Chloe, Mylia, what are you doing!? How dare you two make us wait! Come quickly!」(Robin)
「I'm sorry, Robin onee-sama. Mylia's hair was dusty, so I was taking time to clean it up.」(Chloe)
Chloe gently brushed Mylia's hair once, and went inside the house.
Mylia followed her nervously from behind.
「I told you to leave this bean-sprout midget alone! You will be Baron Hansen's 25th wife, so you have to maintain a good image. You can't always be with this strange child!」(Robin)
「I'm sorry. But even if people spread strange rumors about me, I don't think it will reach Hamanulle, though.」(Chloe)
Feeling that she was being ridiculed by Chloe's sarcastic reply, Robin raised her eyebrows and made an angry face.
「Don't get cocky just because you can read books! You better prepare yourself to be Baron Hansen's 25th wife!」(Robin)
Somehow, Robin emphasized the '25th wife', and it irritated Chloe.
(This woman… why the heck is she wearing such clothes inside this frugal mansion…?)
On the other hand, Mylia was bugged by Robin's clothes.
She was wearing a beautiful red dress and a jeweled necklace and hairpin.
「What, Mylia? Why are you looking at me like that?」(Robin)
Said Robin after she turned her keen eyes from Chloe to Mylia.
Being looked at with those eyes, Mylia was surprised and trembled her shoulders.
「...?」(Robin)
Robin stared at Mylia with eyes that looked as if saying "I don't understand this child."
Because she didn't like Mylia's attitude, Robin approached her, crouched, and hugged her tightly so she couldn't escape.
「Oh, Mylia, look. There's dust on your butt.」(Robin)
As soon as she said that, Robin started hitting Mylia's butt with strength powerful enough to make a loud slapping sound.
Actually, there was no dust on Mylia's butt.
「Aww! Aww! Onee-sama, it hurts!」(Mylia)
「It's your fault for trying to get inside before you clean the dirt on your clothes completely. I clean it up for you, so be grateful!」(Robin)
「Robin onee-sama! Mylia is in pain! Stop it!」(Chloe)
Chloe tried to stop Robin's hand, but while still holding Mylia, Robin turned around to avoid Chloe, and continued hitting Mylia's butt.
(It hurts! It hurts! Damn it, this woman! My butt! My beautiful butt will be split in half!)
Butts are actually split from the start, though.
She felt like Robin would hit her harder if she made a sound, so she screamed in her mind.
After a momentー
「Robin, Chloe, Mylia, dinner is ready. Come quickly.」(Ella)
Their mother, Ella, who peeked into the corridor, called the three of them with a flat voice.
Robin let go of Mylia and turned away with a smile.
Perhaps she was satisfied enough hurting Mylia.
「Mylia, your butt is clean now. Aright, you two, let's go to the dining room.」(Robin)
Chloe and Mylia looked away.
「What's wrong? I said… let's go to the dining room!!」(Robin)
「...…..」(Chloe)
「...…..」(Mylia)
「…..Don't make me say it again.」(Robin)
「...Yes, Robin onee-sama.」(Chloe)
「...I'm going, Robin onee-sama.」(Mylia)
「Next time, answer immediately. Understand?」(Robin)
Then, Chloe and Mylia followed Robin from behind.
Because Robin couldn't see her, Chloe made a weird face and stuck out her tongue at Robin.
(Fufu. Even with a mocking face, Chloe onee-chan still looks beautiful and cute~)
Mylia also did the same thing but with a weirder face.
Then, the two of them turned their weird faces at each other, and laughed silently.
When they arrived at the dining roomー
「You're late!」(Aaron)
Aaron, who was sitting in the best sit with his arms crossed, yelled at them.
He had black hair, dark-brown eyes, a big nose, a wide forehead, and a beard that was left untouched.
With his scary face and bulky arms, he really looked like a hunter.
Also, he was big. Even though he was sitting, he was still way taller than Mylia who was standing.
(He's big… That scar near his left eyebrow looks painful… According to my memories as Mylia, he seems to be very stubborn… He probably wouldn't cancel my engagement even if I beg him…)
Entering the dining room, Mylia hurriedly sat next to Chloe.
Robin and Ella also took a seat.
(So this is the Atwood Family, huh…?)
The lord, Aaron, sat on the seat of honor. Next to him was his son-in-law, Alex, and his first daughter, Bonnie, who was also Alex's wife.
The rest were the mother, Ella; the second daughter, Robin; the fourth daughter, Jasmine; the fifth daughter, Penelope; the sixth daughter, Chloe; and the seventh daughter, Mylia.
Only the third daughter, Clara wasn't here because she was married and lived with her husband.
The atmosphere was heavy and the air was cold.
Mylia didn't feel like it was a 'family dinner' at all.
Everyone was quietly acting like an aristocrat.
As a matter of fact, it was true that the Atwood Family was an aristocratic family even though the territory was located in a remote area.
Therefore, they must at least have the attitude of an aristocrat because the other aristocratic house might come from other territories.
(Uhh… This pressure… I feel like air here…)
No one turned their eyes to Mylia. She was completely treated as air.
Feeling uneasy, Mylia tried to talk with Chloe at first, but then she stopped after she looked at Chloe's expressionless face.
She erased her expression completely and kept silent, perhaps because she didn't want to draw Robin's attention.
Mylia gave up talking to Chloe, and turned her face to the table.
But then, she was shocked looking at the food.