Chapter 173: It’s all lies!

Stay calm.

Rushel pressed down on the intense emotions in her chest and tried to calm herself. There was no point in getting worked up in this situation.

“I think there’s a misunderstanding, Erina.”

She slowly rose, cupping her throbbing cheek.

“Misunderstanding? What exactly are you saying is a misunderstanding?”

“The child lied. I never asked them to do such a thing.”

She had always thought the child was quiet and gentle, but she had no idea why they would do something like this.

But it didn’t matter.

The child had picked the wrong person to cross.

They had told an outrageous lie, and now they would face the consequences. They would fall from grace here and eventually be cast out.

“So the child lied?”

Erina let out a hollow laugh, as if in disbelief.

“Yeah, would I ever do something so despicable? If I had, I would have dealt with you a long time ago.”

There was no lie in those words.

Rushel felt the same injustice.

“Despicable? Yeah, well said. I heard that you took the child in on the condition that you’d receive everything the Black Rose gave them.”

“…Did the child say that?”

“Yeah, crying the whole time.”

The atmosphere around them started to stir. Especially Shirley’s green eyes, which were sharply drilling into her.

“…Sigh, how far is this child going to try and slander me?”

“Slander?”

“The one who made that suggestion first was the youngest. They pretended to be in a romantic relationship and entered the mansion, but I caught them. They must be guilty of something to say such things.”

Once again, there was no lie in that.

It was indeed Tina who had suggested giving everything up first.

Of course, up until then, Rushel had applied some silent pressure, but…

There was no need to mention that. If she started talking, it would only damage her own reputation.

“Is that so? But I heard that you went to see the child this morning and told them to pretend to be sick on purpose.”

“…”

Tina, that child, was starting to get on her nerves.

What kind of kid was this, spilling everything?

To think that this foolish girl would snitch. It seemed that the child wasn’t very bright after all.

“I never did that. Erina, are you really going to believe that child’s ridiculous lies?”

Two truths, followed by a single lie.

But it didn’t matter. In the end, people would believe what she said.

“I have built trust here for a long time.”

“There’s no way you would believe the words of someone who’s been here for less than a month.”

“Stop lying!”

Shirley shouted and stepped forward.

It was the first time she had ever stepped forward like this, someone who always followed the seniors’ words.

“I… I heard everything Rushel-senpai said. She threatened her to not even show her face in front of the Black Rose for a while!”

“…What?”

“I was with the youngest in her room this morning.”

Her heart sank.

Her mind began to race in confusion at the unbelievable situation.

She was in that room? But there was no one there.

“I heard your voice, and the youngest hid me in the closet. She said she couldn’t let the blame fall on me.”

The atmosphere suddenly changed with Shirley’s normally quiet voice.

A sardonic smile crept across Erina’s face.

“Say that again. You’re calling me a liar, Rushel?”

“…”

The flow of the situation changed.

Her heart started trembling.

Two truths, and then followed by a single lie.

But once that single lie was exposed, the earlier truths became tainted by it.

Should she have been honest from the beginning?

But how could she have expected that Shirley would be hiding in the closet?

She was really out of luck. Of all the things, this had to happen to her.

‘…Shit.’

Should she now claim that even Shirley is lying?

But Shirley was someone who always silently followed the seniors’ words.

In addition, unlike Tina, she was someone who had built trust here over a long period of time.

And Erina, who was now lighting the fire in front of her, would not simply stand by and watch this.

Click…

Rushel swallowed a bitter lump in her throat and stared with wide eyes.

“It seems like someone is deliberately trying to frame me.”

She didn’t lose her composure.

At the moment, there was only Shirley’s testimony.

There was no actual evidence that those words were spoken.

Therefore, she glared firmly at the surrounding women, more confidently than ever.

“Yes, I did say some harsh things to that child. But that was simply advice from a senior, not any kind of threat or vile act.”

She quickly continued, not allowing Shirley to interrupt.

“But a threat? Taking her property? Do you all seriously believe this nonsensical lie?”

The women’s eyes clearly showed signs of panic. It seemed like they hadn’t fully grasped the situation yet.

Just a little more, and the atmosphere would soon shift back to her side.

“It’s no use. We need to go to the youngest’s room right now.”

She couldn’t afford to lose momentum.

If she showed even the slightest opening, that damn Erina would immediately barge in.

With steady steps, Rushel ascended the stairs. The destination was Tina’s room.

Whatever whim had taken her, that child had always been a timid and shy person by nature.

If you made eye contact and applied pressure, she wouldn’t even dare to argue—she was a completely insignificant being.

The child had lied. She could use that to corner her.

Thinking back on the youngest’s fragile nature, she couldn’t have had the audacity to lie to her face.

It was simply a matter of digging through the lies the cute thing had told and uncovering the truths hidden beneath them.

If that didn’t work, she could always secretly threaten her life.

If the little pup didn’t know the fear of the wolf, then she should show her the appropriate way to deal with it.

***

“Little one, are you inside?”

Rushel knocked on the door.

No response came.

So now she was going to ignore her words as well?

There was no way she didn’t know that her words were power in this place.

“I’m coming in.”

She roughly shoved the door open.

The girl must have been terrified.

She was probably trembling on the bed, overwhelmed by the guilt of having stabbed her in the back.

She would calm her down a bit first, and if that didn’t work, she’d have to resort to secret threats—

“AAAHHH!”

The sharp scream instantly shattered Rushel’s thoughts.

Rushel reflexively lifted her head.

And then she blinked in disbelief at the scene before her.

“…Huh?”

The sharp, pungent scent stung her nose.

Blood was splattered everywhere.

And at the center of it all, there was a girl crouched down, trembling.

“Youngest!!”

Shirley rushed to her, helping her up.

Blood was dripping from the girl’s wrist, staining the floor.

“W-what… The youngest… did this to herself?!”

“W-what is this…?!”

The women’s faces were filled with horror.

Even Erina was shaking, her face pale with shock.

Shirley quickly wrapped her hand around Tina’s wrist and began to apply a bandage.

Only then did Tina slowly raise her head.

Her blurry eyes wandered around before meeting Rushel’s gaze.

Her blue eyes trembled violently.

And soon, fear began to fill them.

“I’m… I’m sorry, R-Rushel… I’m sorry…!”

Tina staggered, blood spraying from her body, and collapsed to her knees in front of Rushel.

With her pale face, trembling hands touching the ground, she lowered her head deeply.

“Ah, what is this…?”

Rushel was at a loss for words, unable to understand what was happening.

“I’m sorry for saying this… but… it’s just so hard… I… I thought about… wanting to die… I’m sorry… h-huuu…”

Tina’s voice cracked with sobs as she spoke.

Rushel instinctively took a step back.

An ominous feeling, as if something had gone terribly wrong, gnawed at her.

Just earlier that afternoon, the eyes of those who followed her were full of loyalty, but now they were slowly beginning to turn to disgust.

“Kid… I don’t know what you’re talking about…”

“I should have hidden it… I’m sorry. Please… don’t hit me. Please…”

Tina curled up, sobbing, her desperate voice permeating the air.

“What the hell are you—”

Rushel’s words never reached completion.

In that moment, Erina ran over and slapped her hard across the face.

The sharp impact rattled her head.

Rushel collapsed to the ground.

A bitter pain spread, but she blinked, forgetting the pain as she stared blankly.

The scene before her eyes felt strange.

“Y-You crazy bitch! What the hell did you do to her?!”

Erina’s voice no longer carried mockery.

The only emotion left in her voice was pure contempt.

“I’ll tell Black Rose about this, so you better be prepared, you bitch!”

With hurried footsteps, Shirley rushed over, carrying a medical kit.

She carefully tended to Tina’s wound. After finishing the first aid, Shirley looked up at Rushel.

Her green eyes swirled with deep resentment.

When Rushel met those eyes, she realized.

No words would reach them anymore.

“I… didn’t do that…”

Rushel’s feeble excuse slipped from her lips.

She had certainly made threats before.

But she never forced anyone to put bugs in the soup.

She had never abused anyone.

At least, I had never pushed that girl to the point of breaking like this.

But…

What on earth is this girl in front of me?

Her skin, pale and sickly, her body trembling like a aspen in fear.

It was the face of a person consumed by perfect terror.

For a moment, even Rushel wondered if she had truly abused Tina.

Her actions, her expression, were so vivid.

“I… I never did that…”

A denial, spoken once more.

Rushel looked at Tina, who was trembling uncontrollably.

In that moment, Tina briefly looked up at her.

Those eyes.

Those blue eyes.

A gaze so calm, with not a hint of wavering, eerily still.

Even though her skin was torn and blood was flowing, her eyes seemed to show no sense of pain.

The moment their eyes met…

A chill ran down Rushel’s spine.

Her breathing became shallow.

Her heart raced.

Everything she had built until now was crumbling into pieces before her eyes.

Her reason began to fade.

Rushel ran forward.

She desperately shouted at the women around her.

“It’s all lies! That woman is just putting on an act!”

But no one listened.

The gazes toward her were cold.

Their eyes had already lost all warmth.

“Is it because of the cut on her wrist!? Damn, if that’s all it takes… I can do it too!”

Rushel, still agitated, approached Tina and snatched the knife from her hand.

Then, without hesitation—

She clenched her teeth and pressed the blade to her own wrist.

“To create a scene like this… It’s nothing—!”

Her hand trembled.

Her breath became ragged, her chest tightening.

It felt like her breathing had frozen.

Death.

As that possibility drew near, a cold fear slowly consumed her.

“I could do this anytime…”

Rushel’s face turned ashen.

In the end, she couldn’t cut her own wrist.

Clink.

As her hand lost strength, the knife fell to the floor.

Rushel gasped heavily. Her pupils were covered with fear, and her body was frozen, as if unable to move.

How did…

How did it end up like this…?