"You dance very well, Miss Lara." Praised by an elegant woman. Her raven black hair, styled in a tight bun and piercing black eyes with a sharp intelligent glint that misses nothing, expresses a sense of strict discipline and control.
"You taught me well, Madam Vela." Lara said with a smile.
Hearing her words, Madam Vela felt a sense of satisfaction, then she looked at karen with a strict and dissatisfied look and said, "Miss Karen, you haven't learned a single thing from my teaching, and your father ordered me unless you learn all you should learn. I will leave if not, even if it takes forever I will teach you. So be like Miss Lara, graceful like a swan."
A few days later...
Karen was in her bedroom, sitting at her vanity table, planning what devious scheme she would unleash on her enemies.
Then suddenly the door opened.
Then a maid entered and said anxiously, "Eldest Miss, the master called you downstairs."
Karen followed the maids, as they arrived at the reception hall.
Seeing her father and everyone else in the room look so serious, she felt uneasy.
"Father, do you need me?" She asked
"In fact, there is. I know I'm not a perfect father, nor are you a perfect daughter. As you were growing up, I wasn't by your side, but even though I was far away, I always think of you, day and night. Despite the little time we have spent, my affection for you is no less than my affection for myself."
Hearing her father's words, she felt immense panic growing inside of her and a premonition something is slipping away from her.
Seeing karen silence..
Her father sighed and said, "You are not my blood related daughter."
"What! Impossible, Father tell me it's not true, it's not true." Karen anxiously waiting for his words but his silence is all she received. Then the door opened, she saw her birth mother, behind was a girl, with blond hair and blue eyes, exactly alike her father.
Karen who was standing fell to the ground. She saw how the girl walked towards her father, and sat on an empty chair beside him, while the birth mother she identified, stood near the window looking at her with hostility and a mocking look.
"I want you to meet, camillia, your sister."
After that day onwards, Karen saw how her father, treated that girl with utmost care and affection.
Her heart is filled with hatred and outrage. Even in her dreams, she wanted that girl to disappear, because of her appearance, the noble blood she was proud of became a joke. even the maids and most of all, the mother and daughter, are laughing behind her back.
Having sick of the life she lived after that girl appeared, Karen smiled, planning something big in her mind.
But, unfortunately for her, her enemies are one step ahead of her.
A few days have passed...
In Karen's quarters, Camillia and Karen are having tea. The scene looks harmonious, as if they're quite close to each other. But the two know that behind their smiles, each has their own little thoughts.
Camillia: Big Sister, I thought you're mad at me for reclaiming what truly belongs to me.
Karen: No..no.. it was just your imagination
Camillia: Maybe, your right, big sister.
Karen: I am very happy that you accepted my invitation
Camillia: It was you, big sister, I am happy to.
Behind the door, the maids are eavesdropping on their conversation.
Once they hear something off inside, they will barge in and they are not disappointed, hearing the noise inside, the maids barge in.
Seeing the eldest miss, lying on the ground, with white foam in her mouth and the third miss, looking so panicked.
They hurriedly called their master.
An hour passed by, inside karen bedroom, everyone is present.
"Don't worry my dear, a female mage already looked at her, she just fainted but due to the poison she drank, she lost the qualification to be a mother."
Hearing her words, he clinched his fist and thought. What if she succeeded then camilia will be the one to suffer.
"My dear, I've tolerated enough of her. Moreover, just last seven days, she pushed camillia into the lake, fed you something you're allergic to, and made lara almost get hit by a carriage. And this time, she planned to poison Camillia. If it succeeded...
This is the last time. If she won't change, then I won't care about the affection between us, father and daughter." He said to the gentle woman beside him.
A minute later, they left the room except camilia. Knowing karen is already awake and just pretending to sleep. Camilia walked near karen bedside and said,"Did you hear that, Big sister."
Karen opened her eyes, and looked at her with hatred,"It was you who put that."
"No, you're wrong, it was you, because I just switched our cups." Camillia smiled at her
"Youuu!" Karen said with anger
"You're no match for me. My dear older sister." Camilia smiled and walked away.
As days passed, karen hatred and jealousy fueled her to do something drastic.
As she felt her father had become a different person since that girl's arrival. The only way to make him the same again is to make that girl disappear.
Moreover, she was fed up with being belittled and mocked by her enemies. So karen devised a plan. At the banquet, she will reveal the ugly side of that girl and provoke her father into kicking her out of the house.
Unknown to her, the plan she made is her fate and she didn't even think about whether her plan would work or not. Instead, she smiled, as if she'd already won the war that hadn't even begun.
On the morning of the banquet day, Karen sat at her vanity table with a glorious smile on her face. The maids serving her were perplexed, wondering to themselves if the young miss had lost her mind. They knew how much the eldest miss hated the third miss, so it was strange for them to see Karen smiling as if she'd accomplished something great.
As the hours passed, the banquet started smoothly, with no troubles occurring halfway. Everyone present wore gorgeous gowns, and each was a member of high society. They mingled with one another, discussing the latest rumors and recent events.
Bystander 1: Everyone knows my family doesn't have noble blood. Because of the late emperor's grace bestowed upon our family due to my grandfather's heroic service in the war, we were granted a title and land. She mocked my origins and showed off her noble blood, but now she doesn't even have half of it.
Bystander 2: She's just a peasant pretending to be a phoenix.
Bystander 3: Moreover, have you all heard the rumors? It's not an accident that they were swapped, but a calculation by her real birth mother. Her mother threw the real daughter of Count Herot into an orphanage. In addition, to keep the secret hidden, she became one of her daughter's nannies. To conceal what she did, she instilled some brilliant ideas in her daughter's mind, but her teachings ultimately brought the truth to light.
As they were chatting, they saw the host, Count Herot, walk to the stairs and say, "Everyone, I want to announce my third daughter, Camilia Herot."
Hearing his voice, Camilia walked down the stairs wearing a gorgeous yellow dress and a tiara on her head.
Sensing Karen was behind and obviously wanted to go down the stairs with her. Camilia smiled and looked back. She held out her hand in an inviting manner and said, "Big sister, walk with me."
Karen smiled harmlessly and thought in her mind. A perfect opportunity.
As they walked down the stairs, the crowd's attention followed them with burning curiosity.
Suddenly, Camilia rolled down the stairs. Everyone gasped with shock except all those who knew in advance. It was so sudden that everyone present was stunned and bewildered.
"Camilia! Mage, where is the mage." The voice of Count Herot made them recover from their shock.
Then, a mage hurriedly ran to Camilia and cast a healing spell. Beside him, Count Herot watched anxiously, "How is my daughter's condition, Mage William."
Mage William: Don't worry, Count Herot. Although the third miss, badly rolled down the stairs and is now in a semiconscious state. Once my spell takes full effect, she'll be fine, just like before.
Karen saw her father looking at Camilia with overflowing concern. She felt envious and a sense of injustice. Trying to explain her innocence, she hurriedly walked down the stairs, but her father slapped her hard. Karen was shocked by her father's sudden action, and his following words pulled her out of her trance.
His voice boomed like thunder as he declared, "My daughter, I am disappointed of you. I thought you would change but you prove me wrong. Everyone here will be my witness. I, Count Herot, banish you as from now on, you're no longer my daughter nor my responsibility. You may keep the things I've given you over the years, but you must leave this mansion instantly. If I find you still here by sundown, you'll leave with nothing."