Matthew’s face darkened, his expression as black as the bottom of a pot, filled with seething anger. He thought, "Athena, how dare you?"

"Athena has some nerve," he said, his voice low and sharp with fury.

Alta flinched, lowering her head in fear. "Lord Joseph, please don’t blame Lady Athena. She didn’t know you were back at the manor."

Joseph, with a mocking glance, shot her a skeptical look. "You’re still covering for her? What did she promise you? If she hadn’t returned, Mother would’ve given you to Willow. So why, as soon as she’s back, does a maid who once belonged to Willow suddenly become her maid?"

Aliza lowered her head even further, too afraid to speak.

Her pitiful demeanor only confirmed Matthew’s suspicions. Fury rising within him, he stormed into the courtyard to confront Athena.

The servants and maids in the courtyard saw him coming and tried to block his path, but with a sharp command, Matthew dismissed them. "Get out of the way."

None of them dared to challenge him, only watching in silence as he kicked open the door to Athena’s room.

Inside, Athena stood quietly in plain clothes, her frail figure and pale face startling Matthew into stillness.

He instinctively glanced around the room but saw no one else. Only then did he turn back to her, his voice unsure. "You… are you really Athena?"

The Athena he remembered had been healthy, vibrant. The woman before him, however, seemed as though life had drained from her entirely, reduced to a mere shadow of herself.

The once lively, cheerful Athena was now a world apart from the person standing in front of him.

A sharp pang hit Matthew’s chest. Something wasn’t right. But he couldn’t put his finger on it. He thought, "Three years of hard labor can’t have changed her this much, can it?"

Athena gave a faint smile, but there was no warmth behind it.

Her tone was so indifferent, so detached, that Matthew almost felt as though he was speaking to a stranger. "Lord Matthew, what brings you here, making such a scene in my courtyard?"

Matthew frowned, his mind struggling to comprehend. "What did you just call me?"

He knew Athena had changed, but he never expected her to be so cold and distant. To her, her elder brother wasn’t worthy of the simple courtesy of being called by his name. He had always been the one who spoiled her.

As a child, he never allowed anyone to get close to his horse except Athena. He trusted her to care for it, and she always did so perfectly, keeping his beloved horse in top condition. His favorite bow and arrows had been entrusted to her.

She had always been the one person he trusted, his most cherished confidante. But now, she couldn’t even call him "Lord Matthew."

"Athena, have you lost your mind? You’re calling him Lord Matthew?" Joseph’s voice dripped with mockery. "Are you going to deny me too!"

Athena didn’t acknowledge Joseph’s words. Out of all her brothers, he was the one she liked the least.

She focused on the small space in front of her, speaking in a calm, almost detached tone. "So, you’ve come here today to seek revenge for Willow?"

It wasn’t a question, but a statement, because this kind of thing had happened too many times before.

Every time Willow was wronged, the two brothers would storm in without hesitation, holding her accountable for everything without even knowing the facts.

Sometimes, Athena couldn’t help but wonder what kind of sins Henry had committed to father two such foolish men.

Already frail, the commotion from the two brothers was starting to wear Athena down.

She sat down on a stool and poured herself a cup of coffee, taking small sips. As she lifted her arm, her sleeve slipped down, revealing scars on her skin.

Though she quickly tried to cover them, Matthew had already seen them. The sight of them was so shocking, it felt like a burning pain in his chest.

“How did you get these injuries?” Matthew asked, his voice thick with concern.

Athena smiled faintly, her expression unconcerned. "Lord Matthew, are you asking about these scars because you plan to avenge me?"

Matthew paused, momentarily taken aback. While he felt for Athena, he also understood that life in the military meant hardship—it was inevitable.

He thought, "If it hadn’t been for that, how could she have become so well-behaved? We were doing this for her own good, but she refuses to see it."

Suppressing the ache in his chest, Matthew forced a stern expression. "Why do you always target Willow? Haven’t we treated you well? Why do you insist on competing with her for that small bit of affection? All it does is make us more disappointed in you."

"Affection?" Athena’s eyes flashed with sarcasm. "Tell me, was that tiny bit of affection something you gave me?"

Matthew blinked, confused. "What do you mean?"

"After I came back, I tried to win your favor. I willingly fed your horses, cleaned the stables, and when you loved archery, I even went to the mountains to gather wood for your bows, getting scratched and bruised in the process. But my efforts only earned a glance, and you handed my bow straight to Willow…"

Athena had hoped that by now, talking about the past wouldn’t stir her emotions. But bringing it all up again, the old hurt rushed back, nearly drowning her in frustration.

She had poured her heart out, offering everything she had, only for it to be trampled upon.

Joseph muttered, clearly irritated, "You did all that willingly, so why are you making such a fuss? Besides, Willow is our sister. We let her have some things—what’s the harm in that?"

"So, I’m just supposed to be ignored?" Athena took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm. "To you, my efforts mean nothing, so you think it’s fine to trample on me. But if it were Willow, would you treat her the same way?"

Matthew and Joseph both fell silent. In their hearts, they both knew the answer. They wouldn’t treat Willow that way—she was their little sister.

When Willow was a child, they cherished every scribble she made or every clumsy little pouch she stitched. They kept them as treasures, proof of her love.

But Athena’s efforts, her scribbles, her pouches—those had been tossed aside, even mocked.

"Athena, do you even know what it means to copy someone else badly?" Matthew could still hear their taunts ringing in his ears.

His brow furrowed, as if he felt something was off.

He didn’t deny Athena’s sacrifices, but Willow was different. She had no one but them.

“So, this is why you resent Willow?” Matthew quickly found a way to justify his attack on her. “Even so, you shouldn’t be so hostile toward her. If you had an issue, you could’ve spoken to us directly. Why go behind her back with these underhanded tactics?”

Joseph nodded in agreement. “Yeah, if you’re upset, why not just tell us?”

As she faced their questioning gazes, Athena’s smile grew colder. “From the start, you’ve never respected me. I’m just a country girl with bad habits, and Willow is precious and refined. That’s the difference between us.”

Matthew flinched, guilt momentarily flaring up, but he quickly shook it off. “That’s nonsense.”

“Have you forgotten, Lord Matthew? Every time you came back, when I went to greet you, you’d always look at me with disdain. You’d scold me for not being ladylike, for having bad habits. I can still remember that look in your eyes.”

Matthew froze, his chest tightening. “I didn’t.”

“Those were just careless words from when we were children. And you still remember them?” Joseph, clearly baffled, raised his voice. “Is it really necessary to bring this up now? Just because you’ve been mistreated a little, you’ve grown so distant from us?”

Athena looked up at him, her gaze calm and steady. "Lord Joseph, what right do you have to lecture me? If it weren’t for me covering for you every time, I’m sure your legs would’ve been broken by Lord Henry long ago.”

Her words hit Joseph like a slap. His face turned pale, and he hurriedly retorted, “Athena, you’re talking nonsense.”