Favored by the Family That Will Become the Strongest! - Chapter 11

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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To do that, she had to first earn the trust of Princess Bianca.
It wouldn’t be particularly difficult. She’d already read the reports, and thanks to what Barcan had told her in his past life, she knew Bianca’s preferences well enough.
And fortunately, that would be—
‘Me.’
Barcan had always said it with a bitter expression, as though it were a habit.
“If Bianca had seen you before she died, she would have loved you tremendously.”
“Really?”
“Bianca and I always liked the same things from when we were young. You might even have been the reason we fought so often.”
“Truly? But you can’t be certain of that.”
“No, I’m sure of it.”
Barcan never spoke carelessly. The fact that he’d said it so firmly meant he was certain.
‘This time, I’ll heal Princess Bianca with my own strength.’
* * *
At the end of the corridor in House Kardian Mansion, the door to the head housekeeper’s quarters opened carefully.
The maids entered with downcast eyes and submissive expressions. Their hands carried pouches heavy with coin.
“Here it is, Matilda.”
“Yes, leave it.”
At her terse response, the maids bowed deeply. Matilda examined the amount they’d brought and smiled with satisfaction.
“Why are you still here?”
When her gaze lingered on them, the maids hurried away in confusion.
The moment the door closed, Matilda’s lips curled into a smile.
‘I made the right choice coming here.’
She was of noble birth. But she had failed to awaken an ability and was cast out from her House.
When the Duke Rotwell found her and asked if she’d like to become a maid for House Kardian, Matilda had initially recoiled. Even if she were powerless, she despised the thought of serving a House without proper lineage.
But perhaps because they lacked that proper foundation, they were ignorant of how noble society truly operated, making it easy for her to commit various embezzlements in their stead.
Matilda surveyed her surroundings with satisfaction.
Bianca’s chambers remained quiet as always—the result of Matilda confining her indoors under the pretense of her fragile health.
‘It’s fortunate that Miss Bianca is so fixated on aristocratic bearing.’
Recently, Bianca had been allowed only meager portions of food that hardly deserved to be called snacks. Any physical exertion was forbidden, lest she fall ill.
“To become a proper noble lady, one must restrict one’s diet. Fat would be unbecoming of a lady of standing, you understand.”
“Exercise is much the same. Muscle is unfeminine. There’s no need to exert yourself at all. A muscular frame is utterly without charm.”
As a result, Bianca’s health had visibly declined. She remained entirely unaware that she was slowly wasting away.
Matilda had earned Bianca’s trust while keeping her ignorant, and now held complete control over her.
There was only one thing that annoyed her: the Kardians refused to give up, persistently sending new people to attend to Bianca.
Each time, Matilda subtly sowed discord between them and the princess.
“The other young ladies look down on you because you came from a baron’s house.”
“They clearly think you’re a social climber with no sense of propriety.”
A few words were all it took.
Bianca began treating the visiting ladies coldly, and they soon grew tired of her behavior and departed.
Matilda let out a contemptuous laugh.
‘I’ll use the lady’s hand to drive away this wretched little thing too. How dare she try to enter my domain?’
That was precisely why she’d recommended Diena as Bianca’s maid.
She already knew the outcome.
Thanks to her relentless education, Bianca was exacting about protocol—more so than anyone.
‘There’s no way that common-born girl could meet the standards of the fastidious Princess Bianca. She’ll keep listening only to me.’
Matilda stepped outside and summoned the maids.
“Make her presentable and bring her here. I’ll introduce her to Princess Bianca.”
* * *
Matilda tilted her head with a displeased expression. Now freshly washed and dressed in new clothes, Diena carried an unmistakable air of nobility.
Though the garment was plainly a maid’s uniform, it seemed tailored for her, complementing her lustrous black hair perfectly.
As if the dress had been made for Diena from the very beginning.
‘What is this? Why does she look so aristocratic?’
The grimy girl from before was nowhere to be seen. Moreover, despite her youth, her every gesture carried an inexplicable grace.
Matilda watched as Diena smoothly swept a lock of hair over her shoulder—even that movement possessed an eerie elegance.
Matilda forced out a scoff.
‘Pretty as she may be, she’s still just a commoner in the end.’
With that thought, she led Diena to Bianca’s chamber door.
“Attend to Princess Bianca’s tea service.”
“Yes, of course.”
“Normally I would handle it myself, but as you can see, I’m quite occupied.”
Though she appeared quite at leisure, Diena simply nodded along.
“So you’ll take over today. You can manage that, yes?”
“Yes, I understand.”
Matilda narrowed her eyes. Diena clearly hadn’t grasped what she was truly being asked to do.
It was obviously a setup for humiliation, and yet the girl showed not a trace of worry.
Diena seemed utterly unperturbed. Matilda merely sighed and spoke again.
“You’ll need to impress the lady. Fail, and you’ll be dismissed on the spot.”
“Don’t worry. I’m quite certain she’ll take a liking to me the moment she sees me.”
Watching Diena’s unshakeable confidence, Matilda’s face twisted. From their very first exchange, the girl’s manner of speech had grated on her nerves.
“Will she indeed?”
At that remark, Diena only offered a faint smile. The sight was irritatingly presumptuous.
With a shove—Thump—Matilda pushed Diena forward into Bianca’s presence and withdrew.
She positioned herself at a distance to observe the two of them.
She merely watched, offering no instructions on what Diena should do. After all, the girl was just an ordinary commoner—she would naturally be intimidated and lost.
That’s how it should be.
And yet, Diena stepped before Bianca, bent at the waist with perfect composure, and executed an impeccable curtsy.
“It is an honor to make your acquaintance, Princess. My name is Diena.”
Her posture was beyond reproach.
It was flawless etiquette that would have made even the highest nobility weep. Matilda watched with mounting dread.
‘There’s no way Miss Bianca would approve of her after seeing that.’
But contrary to her hopes, Bianca pouted slightly and murmured.
“Well, she’s not bad.”
Matilda stared in shock at the scene before her.
* * *
Diena exhaled quietly with relief as she watched Bianca. The princess seemed to have taken a liking to her, just as she’d anticipated.
It was exactly as Matilda’s report to House Kardian had stated.
[I have conditioned Bianca Kardian to value aristocratic bearing. She approves only of those with proper noble standing—nothing less than a Great House will suffice.]
Diena was a member of one of the Five Great Noble Houses.
Protocol and grace came to her as naturally as breathing.
Her etiquette was so refined that even the other members of the Five Great Houses would marvel at it.
Cassian Volkov, once her close friend, would blush whenever he saw her and ask:
“Diena, your etiquette is truly astounding. How do you make it so perfect?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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