# Chapter 17: 17
—My… lady, please enjoy… your… food…!
Even the discouraged Irene's voice sounded cute.
With only the bricks of the outer wall for support, Radis scaled the outside of the mansion and jumped back into his room through the same window.
She had already seen it several times, but Irene closed her eyes as if she had seen a ghost.
Irene's attitude was still as haughty as ever, but at least she had some sense of self-preservation in her.
She brought today's meal, which consisted of boiled pork, blanched vegetables, and a large slice of bread.
Irene shook her head as she disdainfully watched Radis sit in front of the table smelling of sweat, but at the same time, the maid did not forget to butter Radis' bread.
—Young Master David eats less than this.
Radis looked at Irene, but the maid immediately bowed her head.
"I say you are eating well, my lady."
-Shut your mouth.
—I will remain silent.
And so, the silence stretched between them.
The only sound in the room was the sound of cutlery hitting the plate.
But it was only a moment.
"Oh, by the way, my lady..."
Radis grabbed his fork and looked directly into Irene's eyes.
“Oh my lord.”
Under the strong pressure of that gaze, Irene was forced to close her lips and swallow for a moment.
“Why did I act that way… towards the Lady before…?”
It was natural for her to ask that question.
The Radis before David's academy acceptance celebration and the Radis sitting in front of her at that moment were two completely different people.
The girl's haphazardly cut hair was now neatly combed.
Standing taller than most girls her age and having a strong body that was trained over a long period of time, she no longer hunched her shoulders or stooped like before.
What changed the most was the look behind his eyes.
All this time, Radis had lived with his head down while avoiding making eye contact with other people.
Even if she looked up and somehow met someone else's eyes, she would flinch and quickly look away.
His eyes trembled constantly, never stopping at anything and always looking away.
But at that moment, Radis' gaze was like a sword that pierced everything he looked at.
Irene, who had always made fun of Radis, now couldn't look her in the eyes.
As the maid bowed her head as if she were old Radis, Irene spoke.
—...the Lady will come looking for you soon, Milady.
-Because?
Irene looked up slightly.
—I think the Lady will forgive you, Milady!
Radis returned to focusing on his food, cutting the meat while smiling.
"That's very kind of you."
-TRUE? And it seems that he has already prepared a gift.
-Gift?
—I saw the box by chance. My lady, you can look forward to it!
Irene smiled widely, trying to please Radis.
But Radis did not reciprocate that enthusiasm.
She only frowned slightly, picked up a piece of meat with her fork, and then put it in her mouth.
“Will you let me out now?”
In her previous life, she was often punished by confining her to her room.
Margaret, who considered Radis a thorn in her side, preferred to keep her locked in the small room, pretending that she never had any other daughter than Jurich. That's why Radis was confined for long periods of time without knowing when she would be let out again.
It had been less than a week since Radis was grounded, but it seemed like she would be allowed out soon.
“I think it's much better to remain confined for now.”
This unexpected compassion seemed more sinister than the usual harsh treatment.
“And there is also a gift?”
It was hard to believe.
Radis never received any gifts in his entire life in the past.
Not even on his birthday did anyone say “Thank you for being born.” He never received a birthday cake or gifts.
“Of course, for David and Jurich it was different.”
Radis put down his fork and knife.
—Oh my God, has it been filled yet?
My chest felt heavy and I couldn't seem to eat any more.
"By no means."
Had her voice, her persistent cries, finally reached her mother?
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—I am truly weak-minded.
Margaret sighed softly.
—You are the only person who could help your younger brother, the pillar of this family, and yet you threw dirt all over the house and counterattacked to disturb the family peace. After all that, here I am with a dress bought especially for you.
And with that same dress in front of her, Radis laughed out loud.
Even if Radis didn't have a good eye for fashion, he could tell how dated the dress was.
The dress, made of light pink and dark pink silk, had a brilliant sheen.
The skirt of the dress was full of tacky ruffles that seemed to have been popular about a hundred years ago, and there were many large, strange purple ribbons added here and there.
“People don't change that easily.”
Radis could only laugh.
She laughed at herself for even thinking that her mother had changed.
Valiz