The robin's chirping can be heard from outside, along with the morning breeze that blows through when the window is opened to maximize the morning air and sun entering the room. Rowena pulled her steps toward the princess, who was sleeping on her favorite piano. The tiredness was clearly printed on her face, and Rowena's hand reached out to stroke the daughter's cheek.

“Even if I am a greedy person, I only love one man in my heart. Mr. Aldora asked me to love you as much as my own daughter. I hope you don't mind; even I taught Eleana hard to use her logic in judging the world. You should marry a rich man who can give you whatever you want and also give what his mother-in-law wants. I'm not evil, honey; I taught you to be realistic about facing the world," said Rowena very, very slowly. A sudden movement from Katherine made Rowena pull her hand away.

"Good morning, little princess; today, as usual, I found you sleeping with your piano." Kath got up, stretching from sleeping on the piano and making her whole body sore.

“Mom is going to meet Eleana. You can come with me if you want," Rowena said, but Kath immediately turned her down with a shake of the head.

"I'm going to stay home; go spend mommy time with her—she really needs you." Kath was about to go to the bathroom before Rowena said again that she would go with Peter—the maid Eleana had assigned yesterday to take Kath home would now return to her master's house while escorting Rowena there.

"Mom, I gave my horse to Peter. I thought I should tell you."

"Why? On what basis did you give him?” Rowena was a little taken aback; giving a horse to a servant was really too much. Horses are not something cheap, especially if given as a gift for nothing. Not to mention Rowena hadn't accustom her daughters to that sort of thing as a gift.

"Yesterday I asked her to meet Mrs. Margareth to reveal all the news about Eleana going to the Orva family's residence. I know this case will quickly spread and become the talk of people about our family and the Orva family. I want our family away from scandals. So I gave my necklace to give to Mrs. Margaret. But Peter said that Mrs. Margareth wanted more than that, so Peter let his horse off for us.”

"Okay, okay, it's okay this time. I hope next time someone doesn't underestimate the value of horses," said Rowena, slipping lace gloves on her hands. She had been ready to leave all along before she woke Katherine to announce her departure.

"Yes mom. Be careful on your way,” said Kath. Rowena had already turned to walk away, but a second later she turned again and looked at Kath.

"I will buy you a new horse. Thank you for loving and protecting Eleana like your own sister."

“But, mom—”

"I will buy it not from the results of the men I slept with; just give me this money from our business that is not polluted by me." Unknowingly, this statement made Kath smile.

Even though Rowena and Eleana were greedy and cunning women, they had good feelings for caring for Kath. Sometimes this trivial thing makes Kath want to forget the past rumors that have surrounded Rowena as a suspicious suspect in her mother's death.

For Rowena, the smile on Kath's face was the answer that she no longer objected to her idea of buying a new horse. Rowena then left Kath's room with another smile also etched on her face. Kath herself went to the bathroom to clean herself; a few minutes later she was able to hear Rowena's carriage coming out of their yard—and at that moment Kath realized there was a knock from outside the bathroom.

"Is there anything left, mom?!" asked Kath loudly. She rushed to grab her clothes and get out. But how surprised she was when she saw the person out there actually was a man Kath met last night making love to her mother in the living room. A tall, well-built man with good looks and an appearance that one could guess that his level was higher than that of the Viscount was staring at Kath with a look that was difficult to decipher.

Kath was ready to snap and swear at a man who was presumptuous to enter her room and saw Kath in incomplete clothes, but unexpectedly the man immediately hugged her with one hand covering Kath's mouth so she wouldn't scream for help.

Kath's body bounced onto her bed; her mouth was now stuffed with cloth and tied behind her back. Kath didn't know since when her bedroom door had been closed tightly and since she had been lying on the bed in a sad state.

Kath's hands and feet were tied to the sides of the bed, and what was more worrying was Kath's body, which did not have a single sheet to cover its core parts. Kath kept trying to rebel and scream even though she only heard an indistinct groan that was held back by the cloth. Kath's sweat and tears merged into one, her chest heaving up and down holding anger and hurt over the treatment of the bastard man on top of her body at this time. Everything has been lost; she is no longer whole, like a woman who has not been married, not to mention a man she doesn't love or even recognize.

Kath was crying; everything about her was painful and dirty at the same time. That afternoon, Rowena found her adopted daughter crouching while hugging her naked body, right beside the bed, with her body shaking violently. Katherine Aldora didn't even notice Rowena's presence, who was already in her room staring at her in shock and worry.

Rowena rushed over to Kath and shook Kath's body, who never gave her an explanation. Rowena had tried various ways to get Kath to talk, but there was no response from Kath until Rowena decided to gather the maids and ask them to open their mouths. Kath tugged on the hem of Rowena's dress, holding back the stepmother's movements so as not to embarrass her if only one of their maids knew about the incident this afternoon.

"The man from yesterday," Kath's words floated in the air.

"Yesterday? Who?" Rowena asked confusedly because there were no other men besides Peter and her secret lover that Kath had met yesterday. It was impossible for Peter to do something that scared Kath like this because the man had returned to work this afternoon.

"The one with mother yesterday,"

"Yes? What is wrong with him?"

“He..” Rowena stared at Kath's watery eyes; this time Rowena was able to feel the bitterness in Kath's eyes, which was the same when this girl was worried about her mother when she lay with a mouth full of foam.

A split second when Kath was still stuttering to say it and Rowena realized the word that was hard to say. “Oh my God, Kath!” Rowena called out at last, hugging Kath's innocent body so tightly. “He slept with me,” then Kath's tears broke out, making Rowena tighten her hug even more. "We'll go to Bellshill and get him in charge."