Your sins

"His Grace has decided to take some time off and cool off at the villa, My Lady."

From the window where she was standing, Selah could see her father's carriage moving away from the window where she was standing. "Can I believe your words, Jeremiah?" she quipped.

"There's no reason for me to lie, My Lady," replied Jeremiah. "The piling up of tasks and also... the recently circulating news seems to have tired His Grace."

"Did Father leave a message or something?"

"He only asked that I take good care of the house."

Selah smiled contentedly. "I didn't think Father would accept my decision so easily," she said, amused.

After taking a step, she was about to go to her office.

Jeremiah immediately followed behind her. "Don't you want to stop this news?" he asked anxiously. "I think you'd better think about His Grace's feelings."

"Why should I stop him? I really did break up with Crown Prince Blair," Selah said. "And, I've talked about it with Father before. Well, maybe it's time for Crown Prince Blair and I to break up."

"My Lady," sighed Jeremiah. "My apologies if I got too involved. But His Grace–"

Selah stopped in her tracks and turned to look at Jeremiah. "If you already know you're interfering, why are you still continuing?" she asked. "Duke Dulcia is not present. That means I am in control of this house. So shut up and get back to work, Jeremiah."

"Pardon for my impudence, My Lady," said Jeremiah obediently. "Then I'll excuse myself."

Selah watched Jeremiah leave. Until the very end, Jeremiah remained loyal to Archibald Dulcia. Whatever Duke Dulcia did to Selah, Jeremiah would think was right–unless it was as bad as the beating that time. Jeremiah was definitely not someone Selah could work with.

"Thinking about his feelings? Huh," Selah muttered in disgust as she continued on her way.

Selah didn't feel like she had to think about how her father felt because she didn't think about how her daughter felt.

Never, not even once.

***

"Are you crying?"

"Your Grace, sorry to interrupt. But it's only natural for Her Ladyship to cry from the wound–"

"Shut up! Did I ask your opinion?! Selah, get back on your feet and get your arrows!"

Little Selah was shocked to hear that and immediately obeyed her father's orders.

Her right palm felt sore and hot. Just below, her thumb was swollen and bruised. Selah actually wanted to stop archery. Little Selah wanted to quit everything.

But now her father was huddled with a hideous face, waiting for Selah to shoot his arrow.

"My Lady, wait until it's ready. Your target won't be running anywhere."

Calm down, thought Selah as she started to get into position to shoot. The handle shook uncomfortably, slightly out of focus.

Calm down and wait.

Selah's arrow hitting the target echoed throughout the practice field. The arrow hit right in the middle of the target point.

It was the first time Selah had shot so well. She turned to his father, hoping only to get a smile.

But all she saw was a cold face.

"Next time, I want to take a look without you needing to be guided," Duke Dulcia said and then left.

"Well done, My Lady. What was just now was the most beautiful arrow I have ever seen."

Little Selah nodded sadly. She wanted to hear those words from her father, not from his family's knights.

"Now get some rest. You failed earlier because your palm was injured, right?"

"How do you know?"

"My Lady." The knight, Hacket, asked for Selah's tiny hand and opened his palm. "A kind person is one who can see the wounds of others. It doesn't matter if you are not great at some things, but knowing the feelings of others and treating them well is a must."

"Like you, Sir?"

Hacket only smiled in response, then took Selah to treat her wound.

It was the first time Selah had received attention from someone. She was stunned and shocked, apparently there was someone like that knight nearby.

But apparently, the attention given by Hacket was considered excessive. Duke Dulcia thinks that Selah doesn't need it, and Helena believes that attention will only spoil Selah.

"She's my daughter, Sir Hacket. You don't need to bother giving her attention. Just teach her what His Grace ordered," Helena said one time. Selah accidentally heard that time.

"With all due respect, Your Grace. I didn't mean to act disrespectfully or ill-intentioned. It's just–"

"What you did to my daughter made her weak," said Helena sharply. "Selah is the daughter of a duke. You can't compare her to other girls her age who can play in the flower fields every day. Moreover…"

"Yes, Your Grace?"

"If you keep doing it, it's not impossible that His Grace will punish you. Be careful. I'm telling you because you've been nice to my daughter."

Unfortunately, it was all too late. The knight and Selah were already too attached to each other. They find it hard not to love one another. And sure enough, according to Helena's words, that little attention was disastrous.

One day, at the age of 12, Selah was summoned to the practice field of her family's residence. There all the knights gathered, lined up neatly. But one knight stood tall before his father with a face full of obstinacy.

"I gathered all of you here for you to see the bad example your comrades have set," Duke Dulcia announced. His voice echoed across the field. "And you will see the result."

Suddenly Duke Dulcia gave Selah a whip. That slight movement Selah quickly understood.

"F-Father…" Selah's hand was trembling, holding the whip. She immediately knelt on the ground wet from the rain earlier. "Please forgive Sir Hacket. He's innocent!"

It was that cold look again that Duke Dulcia gave her. "You dare defend that lowly knight?" He walked over to Selah and raised his hand.

Selah had already closed her eyes and prepared to take a beating from her father. But then, all he heard was another thump.

Hacket steps up to protect Selah.

"Hah! How dare!" Duke Dulcia hissed. "So all this time, you dared to look at my daughter with that look?"

Hacket shifted in place. Selah could see his body shaking. "Sorry for my… impoliteness, Your Grace. I… do deserve to be punished. So, please. Please don't hit Her Ladyship."

"You heard what he said, Selah?" Duke Dulcia glared at him. "He who voluntarily bears your sins. So punish him."

Selah's eyes began to water, holding back her fear.

She looked at Hacket with a bleary gaze. The marks from his father's punch just now looked terrible. If Selah amplified it with lashes…

Even now, even though all these years had passed, Selah still remembered how those brown eyes stared at her stoically. It's okay, said those clear eyes.

So for the first time in her life, Selah raised her hand to someone who already loved her. And really, the pain is immeasurable.

She remembered what her father had said after that, "If you dare to make a mistake or disobey, I will make sure that someone else will bear your sins and that you will have to punish them. Bear in mind that."

But now Selah has changed. She wasn't a little girl who would cry again when she was hurt. She can fight her father.

Selah was even able to get rid of her father if necessary.

"Now you are the one who has to bear my sins, Father. So I will punish you."

Selah opened the safe in her father's study, exchanged something, and left it there.

It's his own fault for leaving the house without a word.