Chapter 1

This is a new work. I hope you will enjoy this one as well.

【Summary, "a certain ability" → "a certain ability"] On a chilly day that hinted at the arrival of autumn.

In the garden of the detached house on the Earl Hager's estate.

"It's a feast tonight."

Amelia's eyes sparkled at the handful of weeds.

Her body was not just thin, but emaciated overall.

Her hands were covered in scars, and her skin was generally sallow.

Her red-tinged hair, which reached her back, was tied up, but the ends were frayed.

She embodied what it was like to be severely malnourished and chronically sleep-deprived—this was Amelia Hager.

Despite her ragged appearance, her eyes shone with light.

"Hehe... I wonder what I'll prepare for tonight's menu."

Dandelions, mugwort, fuki buds, and hakohebi.

Weeds that most people wouldn't even notice were precious sources of nutrition for Amelia.

Dandelions and mugwort could be made into salads, fuki buds into stews, and hakohebi into blanched dishes.

Combined with the meager meal delivered by the maid once a day, this would last for three days.

If only she could get some meat or fish, but movement outside the detached house was strictly forbidden without permission.

Thinking of the rare occasions when fish bones or tough, sinewy meat were added to the menu, Amelia's stomach growled.

"It's gotten quite late."

She had been gathering food since midday, and it was already dusk.

The western sky was dyed a deep orange.

A cool autumn breeze ruffled Amelia's sallow red hair.

The scent of flowers mixed with the smell of earth, and Amelia's stomach growled again.

"But just a little more."

She had gathered enough food.

Next, she needed to collect herbs to make the antidote.

Her stock was running low.

She had been gathering and eating flowers and weeds for years and could now tell which were edible and which were not.

However, occasionally, a plant she had never seen before would grow.

Seeds carried by the wind from outside the estate would sprout new plants.

For Amelia, who was always hungry due to poor meals, this was a stroke of luck, but it also carried risks.

With a long history of eating weeds, one can usually tell if a plant is dangerous by its appearance and smell, but there is no guarantee of never making a mistake.

If she did, it would be a serious matter.

Numbness, dizziness, and fever were the better outcomes.

In the worst case, it could be life-threatening.

Going to the main house without permission was forbidden, and the detached house was usually occupied only by Amelia.

So, she had to rely on the antidotes she made from the weeds in the garden.

(Erin and my stepmother might prefer if I just died out here...)

She was sure of it.

Amelia smiled wryly.

"Alright, this should be enough."

She nodded in satisfaction, filling her homemade basket, woven from branches, with weeds and herbs.

Her thin, worn hands and mud-covered dress were no longer a concern.

She wouldn't go hungry for a while.

Her heart was full of the desire to skip, but she lacked the energy.

Instead, she slightly lifted the corners of her mouth and was about to head back to the detached house when—

"Are you playing in the mud again, sister?"

Her shoulders jerked at the voice.

The corners of her mouth dropped like a waterfall.

"...Erin."

Turning around, she saw a delicate, lovely girl standing there, worthy of being called a flower.

Her face was as finely chiseled as a sculpture, with clear emerald eyes.

Her golden hair, which reached her waist, was as beautiful as silk, and the dress she wore was clearly of the highest quality.

Amelia was once again struck by the stark difference in their appearances, despite being sisters.

Amelia's half-sister, Erin, immediately twisted her mouth into a smirk upon seeing the basket Amelia held.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Ah..."

The basket was struck by a white hand.

With a strange sound, the contents were scattered on the ground.

The food and herbs, which she had carefully separated, were now mixed together.

"Excuse me, my hand slipped."

Erin laughed maliciously.

Amelia sighed inwardly.

Kneeling to put the weeds back in the basket, she was suddenly kicked.

"Excuse me, my foot slipped as well."

The well-muscled leg, encased in clean white socks and strap shoes, trampled the weeds she had spent a long time gathering.

They were crushed and no longer edible.

Amelia bit her lip.

Rebellion was easy, but her situation did not allow it.

(It's always like this... always like this...)

She repeated this to herself, stood up, and spoke.

"...What do you want?"

Erin's expression froze.

She seemed dissatisfied with the reaction she had expected.

As if to vent her frustration, Erin stomped on the basket lying on the ground.

A loud crack echoed, and Amelia instinctively stepped back.

The poorly reinforced, handmade basket broke easily.

This time, she showed no remorse.

After giving a satisfied glance at Amelia, whose fists were trembling, Erin spat out her words.

"Father is calling you. Go to the main house quickly."

(Father...?)

Amelia felt a bad premonition.

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