Lady Invincible

Chapter 5

Hilise POV

The two had their mouths fall open when they saw the mess on the table, and me sitting alone in front of it.

"...What on earth is going on here?"

Father finally came to his senses. His expression changed into a cold look and spoke.

Ricardo's pace increased as he walked to me and grabbed my arm.

He then whispered in a low voice, low enough so that Father won't hear.

"Hilise, what the hell are you trying to do?"

I snatched my arm from him and faced the table again.

"I know I don't come here often, but I can't see why you're making such a big deal of it."

Ricardo's eyes narrowed at my dry response.

"Who said it's because you're here? I'm trying to point out your rude behavior."

After putting up with everything that happened today, his patience seemed to have finally reached its limit.

"I just let you off earlier, but now it's too much. What's wrong with you? If you're going to dine here, you should've waited until Father and I arrived!"

Before I knew it, Ricardo was already admonishing me. It was like a brother scolding his spoiled sister.

However, no matter how he acted, he would never be a brother to me again.

"I'll just lose my appetite if we eat together, so why should I?"

Ricardo had a  stupid look on his face as if he never imagined that I would say such words to him.

"Hilise! What's with that attitude?"

A voice resounded behind Ricardo.

"I didn't say anything about it since Ricardo told me to leave you alone because you must've been very surprised by the events today, but I can't let this go now!"

Ah, Ricardo said that?

Though I don't think he did that out of concern for me.

He just wanted to ease the guilt that's been eating him up since he left me alone in the middle of the garden earlier.

"You've been acting up towards me and your brother since earlier...! Is that what I taught you?!"

I tilted my head at the sight of my furious father.

(Is that what he taught me? That's quite an interesting question.)

"No. That's not what Father taught me."

I stared at him and answered with a flat tone.

"That's right, but how come your preposterous behavior right now..."

"To be precise, father has taught me nothing in his entire life."

"What—What did you say?"

My father froze right on where he stood. He looked like he couldn't comprehend what he had just heard.

Ricardo and the servants held their breath. All this drama right now makes me feel like I'm watching a boring play by some third-rate actors.

I continued speaking.

"You've never been a father to me, so I'm sure you know it yourself."

My father neglected me the moment I was born. He ignored me as if I wasn't his family, and he would look at me with unpleasant eyes as if he was looking at an old stains on a wallpaper.