Chapter 1
“You filthy illegitimate brat.”
Stars flashed before Grace’s eyes. She lost her balance and collapsed. As her head hit the ground and everything spun, she forced her eyes open.
Four pairs of eyes looked down at her, filled with a mix of contempt and disgust. The atmosphere was even worse than usual, and Grace trembled.
“Look what you did—my clothes are ruined.”
“Oh no, I’ll have to change right away. I can’t do anything like this,” Diana said with a fake, worried tone as she stood next to Benjamin, who growled while brushing the dirt from his sleeve.
But it wasn’t Grace’s fault.
That late afternoon, they had called her out to the garden and made her play “puppy.” They ordered Grace to crawl on all fours like a dog.
With her hands on the dirt, Grace did as she was told—lifting her head toward the sky when instructed, or barking like a dog when told.
Then Benjamin told her to hold up one arm and one leg. Grace tried to keep the pose, but her limbs began to shake from exhaustion. As she lost her balance and flailed her right arm, she accidentally grabbed Benjamin’s sleeve. The dirt on her hand smudged his white clothes.
“You’re still lying there? What, do you think you did something right?”
“Ugh…”
Jeffrey kicked her in the back. Pain surged through her body, making her groan.
“She’s so lazy.”
“Hnn…”
Grace barely managed to lift her upper body. Her whole body ached from hitting the ground, but if she didn’t obey quickly, things would only get worse.
“She’s like a slug.”
Sarah, who had been watching from a step away, lifted one corner of her mouth in amusement. She never directly hurt Grace herself, but she enjoyed watching her suffer.
“Well, you caused trouble, so now you need to be punished.”
Benjamin crouched down on one knee in front of her.
“So what are you going to do?”
He leaned his face in close, his twisted smile just inches from hers. Grace’s heart sank as she stared into his cold blue eyes.
“I… I’m sor—”
“Saying sorry is enough? Does that make everything disappear?”
“I… I didn’t mean to…”
Grace’s lips trembled. She had no idea what Benjamin was planning.
“You need to be punished, don’t you? What kind of punishment would be good?”
He tilted his head innocently, pretending to think, which only made Grace more afraid.
“Oh, I’ve got a great idea.”
Benjamin suddenly stood up and walked toward the bushes.
“Hey, where are you going?” Jeffrey asked.
“Just wait a second. I thought of something fun.”
Benjamin rummaged through his pocket and pulled something out—a packaged biscuit.
“What’s that? Are you giving her a treat? That’s not a punishment—that’s a reward.”
“Just watch.”
He unwrapped the biscuit and dropped it to the ground. Then, he crushed it under his shoe, grinding it into the dirt. Dust, mud, and moss stuck to it as it crumbled.
“Get on the ground and lick it all up. Every last crumb. Then I’ll forgive you.”
“…!”
Grace’s mouth opened in shock. Meanwhile, Jeffrey burst into laughter, clapping his hands. Diana and Sarah wrinkled their noses in disgust, but they crossed their arms and watched, intrigued.
“No… I can’t…!”
“Why not? You said you were sorry. This is the least you can do. Words aren’t enough, Grace. Now eat.”
“Ah… ahh…”
Grace whimpered, drawing back in horror. Being treated like an actual animal and told to eat that… it was unbearable.
“Jeffrey, hold her down.”
Following Benjamin’s order, Jeffrey moved behind Grace. He forced her down until her face was nearly touching the ground.
“Ah… ahh… ahhh!”
Grace screamed and shook her head.
“No… please… no!”
“You’ve got no conscience. Trying to get forgiveness without paying the price. Jeffrey, give her a taste first.”
Benjamin had no trace of mercy. At his command, Jeffrey pried open her mouth. Benjamin picked up the largest piece of the biscuit with his fingers.
“Here it comes.”
As the dirt-covered biscuit entered her mouth, Jeffrey finally let go.
The gritty dirt and slimy moss touched her tongue. Grace squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her teeth. The taste was bitter, but she didn’t even have time to spit it out. She had to chew and swallow. As her jaw worked, tears began to fall from her eyes.
There was no way to escape. Resigned, Grace lowered herself and began licking the ground. With a damp, sticky feeling, the crushed biscuit and dirt slipped into her mouth.
“Wow, she’s really eating it. Why’d she resist at all?”
“Eat the rest too.”
The four half-siblings chuckled as they saw dirt around Grace’s mouth.
“She really is like a dog—eating whatever she finds.”
“We don’t need to feed her. Just toss things on the ground.”
Grace swallowed the crumbs and dirt together. Her vision blurred with tears, making everything look foggy. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand.
“Good girl. You’re forgiven. Aren’t you grateful?”
Benjamin smiled and patted her head. Grace lowered her gaze. If she met his eyes, he might accuse her of being defiant and hit her again.
“Oh, our family’s little stain. I’m too kind, honestly. Forgiving you for just—”
“I’m hungry, brother.”
Sarah cut him off and pulled a pocket watch from her coat.
“What time is it?”
“Three. It’s almost tea time. Let’s go.”
“Right. What snacks are we getting today? Heard anything?”
Chattering away, they left the garden. Grace remained behind, like a discarded toy, staring at the ground.
It was finally over. Her body sagged with exhaustion. She forced herself to stand. Relief didn’t come—just crushing fatigue.
The bullying from her half-siblings never stopped. She’d thought they might leave her alone for a few days, but of course, they came up with some ridiculous excuse to torment her again.
No matter how much she cried or begged, they never stopped until they were satisfied. They felt no guilt—because to them, Grace’s very existence was a crime. She was nothing but a stain.
“Hh…uh…”
Grace took one shaky step forward. Her cheek throbbed from where Benjamin had struck her.
“…Haa.”
Her knees ached from being crouched so long. She let out a heavy breath and tried to walk again.
…
She felt someone approaching. Instinctively, she lifted her head.
A woman walking from the opposite direction met her gaze.
Grace’s heart dropped.
It was the Duchess of Reinhardt—the mistress of the household. She rarely left her chambers at this hour, yet here she was.
The Duchess’s blue eyes swept over Grace. Her brows furrowed as she took in Grace’s dirt-covered appearance. Clearly, she found it repulsive. Grace froze in place and sucked in a sharp breath.
She must not upset the Duchess.
After a moment, the Duchess turned her gaze back ahead and walked past, as if Grace didn’t exist. Only then did Grace’s trembling body begin to settle.
The Duchess had always been a cold presence. She never shouted or struck Grace, but her icy gaze felt like a needle stabbing straight through. If nothing else, it was clear—she didn’t like Grace.
“…Haa.”
Taking a deep breath, Grace began slowly walking back to her room.
