The screen showed countless scenes of the mother berating Seera:
"Put down that abacus! Pick up the embroidery!"
"No man wants a wife smarter than himself! You're ruining your marriage prospects!"
"Why can't you be gentle and soft like other girls?!"
"Your brothers are embarrassed by you! Stop showing off!"
The Marquis, caught between his wife's traditional expectations and his daughter's undeniable competence, grew increasingly distant from Seera.
He never defended her. Never acknowledged her contributions. Just withdrew into uncomfortable silence.
---
''[Act Three: The Discovery]''
The breaking point arrived when Seera, now seventeen years old, was reviewing the estate's financial records.
The screen showed her sitting in the library late at night, oil lamps burning, scrolls and ledgers spread across multiple tables.
And then her brush stopped moving.
Her eyes widened as she traced a pattern through the accounts.
