Episode 5

The silence that followed her declaration was so dense it could be cut with a knife.

The Archduke looked at her in disbelief. The Archduchess pressed her lips so tightly that the corners turned pale. And Agatha... Agatha rejoiced. Inwardly, of course. Her stepsister had just sealed her fate. Perfect!

"What did you say?"

"I said I won't marry him," Avery repeated in a firm voice, her gaze held high like a raised sword.

A tense silence spread through the room. Only the ticking of the pendulum clock hanging on the wall could be heard, like an imperturbable witness to the inevitable.

"You will," declared the Archduke, with the serenity of someone who knows they own another's destiny, "whether you like it or not."

"You can't force me."

"Of course I can," he said, folding his hands behind his back. "As long as you live under this roof, you will do as I command. Or do you want me to throw your mother and you out on the street?"

Avery felt a tremor run down her arms, but she contained it. The impulse to shout at him that she would leave that very instant was intense, almost physical, but she couldn't afford that luxury. Not with her mother in the middle. Eliana had already endured too much. She couldn't be the one to drag her to the last rung of misfortune.

"For now, I'll pretend... but when I leave, I'll do so with my pockets full and my dignity intact."

"All right," she replied with a perfectly placed mask. "If I have no other choice, I will, Archduke."

He raised his eyebrows. That distant, cutting treatment was like an unexpected slap. When had she stopped calling him father? Where was the submissive and compliant daughter of weeks ago?

"If that's all," Avery added, fixing her eyes on his, "I'll retire. I've lost my appetite."

She turned on her heels, leaving behind a trail of contained pride and silent rage.

But she didn't go straight to her room. First, she diverted her course towards the kitchen.

As soon as she crossed the threshold, the conversations ceased. The maids and the cook watched her with a mixture of mockery and surprise, as if an intruder had desecrated a space that did not belong to her. The contempt was palpable. Avery felt it on her skin, like a cold current.

"So low did they hold Avery? Not even the servants considered her part of this family. Pathetic."

With a determined step, she approached the shelf, took a plate, and headed towards the pot. The maids who were eating at a table stopped with the spoon halfway to their mouths. They couldn't believe what they were seeing.

"What do you think you're doing?!" exclaimed the head cook, frowning.

"Serving myself food. Isn't it obvious?" Avery replied, without looking at anyone, in her icy tone.

The silence grew thick. The cook, a robust and strong-willed woman, raised her eyebrows. It was the first time that young woman had spoken like that. Her gaze was no longer that of a submissive girl: now it was icy, determined... different.

"Dinner has already been served. No one informed me that we should double portions. If required, the Archduchess must authorize it."

Avery slammed the table with an open palm. The blow resonated like a gunshot.

"Are you denying me a plate of food?"

The cook swallowed. The young woman's authority had become imposing in an instant.

"Aren't you going to answer me? Isn't it my father who supplies this kitchen?"

"He... he is."

"Then, do the obvious. Or should I remind you of your place?"

"But..."

"But nothing!" Avery interrupted. "From today you will respect me. I am the eldest daughter of this house. And if I want to serve myself a triple portion, no one will stop me."

The cook lowered her gaze, defeated. "Understood, miss."

Avery finished serving herself. The portion was generous, symbolic. A small victory. She placed everything on a tray and withdrew, with a barely curved smile, but full of strength.

Her steps were light, sure. She felt something inside her awakening. It wasn't just Katerina in Avery's body... it was a new woman being born from the ashes.

In a corner of the hallway, a familiar figure caught her attention.

"Fania?"

The young maid startled, hiding something behind her back.

"What are you doing here? And why weren't you eating with the others?"

Fania stammered, nervous.

"You... in the kitchen? Was it for food?"

"Fania, you're not answering me. What are you hiding?"

"No-nothing, miss..."

But her trembling voice betrayed her. Avery left the tray on the floor and approached with determination, gently taking the object she was hiding.

A plate. A spoon.

"Were you going to eat in secret?"

Fania lowered her gaze, ashamed.

"Forgive me. I didn't want to hide it from you... It's just that... I can't eat with the other maids."

"Did they forbid you?"

"No. It's my own decision," she said softly.

"Fania, tell me the truth."

The young woman raised her head. Her eyes were full of tears that refused to fall.

"They insult me... and they hit me. For serving you, miss. For having chosen you when no one else wanted to."

Avery felt a pang in her chest. The fury, that fire that was already burning inside her, grew stronger. It was unfair. It was cruel. And she wouldn't allow it anymore.

"I know," she whispered, her voice tense. "But that will change. I promise you."

"Don't do it!" exclaimed Fania, terrified. "We can't win against the Archduchess... or against Agatha."

"Fania... I won't die. And if that means destroying this house, I will. I will make every wall fall, every stone turn to dust if necessary. Come on."

Fania followed her in silence. Not fully understanding her words, but with her heart pounding with emotion. Her miss... was finally waking up.

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