Rebirth Of The Duke's Daughter

Chapter 83

Leo felt a surge of protectiveness as he looked at Mila, her sad gaze fixed on the cold tea in front of her. He hadn't expected her to find out about Ambrose's deployment, and now he was determined to find out who had let the news slip. "Where did you hear such a thing?" He asked, his voice laced with concern. He couldn't bear the thought of Mila carrying this burden of worry. Not that he could do much since she was not one to really listen.

Mila opened her mouth to respond, intending to tell him that it was common knowledge in the town, but she was interrupted immediately.

"She heard it like anyone else," came a cold voice from behind them. Vita, accompanied by their other two half-siblings, approached with smug expressions. "It's no secret now that the war is imminent. It's not surprising that a disfigured young man would be sent off to war. After all, he's portrayed as useless." Vita's words dripped with disdain, and it was clear that she had no intention of being kind. Kindness was good to a certain level.

Mila looked up briefly, her gaze meeting Vita's before returning to her tea. She remained calm despite the venom in her half-sister's words. 'They're just trying to provoke me,' Mila thought, deciding not to give them the satisfaction of a reaction.

Darren, ever the cruel one, sneered at Mila, his eyes narrowing as he took in her appearance. "Oh, your face may have gotten uglier since the last time I saw you," he said, eyeing the mask and the way her hair fell to cover the left side of her face. In his mind, Mila's value had diminished entirely, and he believed she would soon lose any favor she held with their father.

Elsie, smirking, added, "Why don't you show your face more? It would make quite the story. We could even tell it for you when people ask." She only tried to add more wood to the fire.

Mila, unfazed by their taunts, took another sip of her tea. "What brings you three here at this time of day? Did you come to greet me and welcome me back?" She asked, her tone light, almost playful, as if their barbs were nothing more than idle chatter. "You three haven't greeted me since I returned home. Are you here to do that now?" She knew they couldn't resist taking the bait.

Vita's face twisted in anger at Mila's calm demeanor. "You should be the one greeting me for coming back! A lowly commoner-born child like you should have been abandoned at birth!"

But Mila remained unruffled, her expression cool as she responded, "Of course, I am of low birth, but you can't seem to part from me. You keep visiting and talking to me after my return. Do you secretly favor me, dear sister? Why would I leave behind such a great sister of mine?" Her words were laced with mockery, cutting deeper than any of their insults.

Vita's patience snapped, and she lunged at Mila, her hand outstretched to strike. But before she could get close, Leo intercepted her, his grip firm on her wrist. His expression darkened as he looked at her. "Shouldn't you be attending a tea party right now? Why don't you hurry along and meet your lady friends before things get out of hand here?" His voice was low, a clear warning in his tone. Leo never got along with his other siblings; there were times of attempt, but it never worked out.

Vita's words cut through the air like a blade filled with venom. "You're an idiot!" She spat, storming off in defeat. But before she left, she hurled one final insult over her shoulder, a bitter truth meant to wound. "I can see why your mother tried to kill you as an infant!" Vita had no filter, so she chose to blur it out.

Leo tensed, his hands clenching into fists, but Mila remained unmoved, her expression calm as if Vita's words were nothing more than an annoying breeze.

Luce, however, was shaken. She had never heard this part of Mila's past. The idea that her mother had tried to kill her as a baby was horrifying, something she could hardly comprehend. 'What kind of mother would harm her child?' She thought, her heart aching for Mila. But Mila's reaction—or lack of it—showed how accustomed she had become to such cruelty.