Chapter 3

Is God merciful, or is he just a son of a bitch?

If he was going to send her back to the past, he could have just sent her very far back to before she entered this damned house. Why did God, of all things have to…

“I said mom is really angry. Are you listening?”

Send me back to when Uncle took my position and to the days Arinel would harass me?

Because Arinel was making such a fuss as soon as she woke up, she was able to grasp the situation faster. And just as fast, she had a severe headache.

‘Is he telling me fuck myself over again by living once more?’

If he really means that then he really is a son of a bitch.

Maribelle recalled her memories slowly as she held her forehead. Her uncle had planned a rebellion and Arinel had betrayed her. Her affectionate heart and all the things she had to bear for them, they had betrayed all of it.

‘How could they do that?’

Maribelle quietly clenched the blanket. It was an effort to somehow suppress the anger that was raging out. However, Arinel thought Maribelle was ignoring her words because she had not fully woken up from her sleep, and so she pestered her as if she was in a hurry.

“She is asking who cut off all the flowers in the vase. To be honest, it was me because I wanted to test out the new gardening scissors. Sister, please go there for me. You just need to go and stand there quietly.”

I can’t tell if you are in a hurry or are having fun.

She was already confused but the image of Arinel urging her to get scolded in her stead was enough to ignite Maribelle’s anger that was piling up like gunpowder.

So what if God is a son of a bitch. All I need to know is that the lovely person in front of me is the true son of a bitch.

Did you think I would suffer the same way again?

Maribelle clenched her molars. She returned to the moment where she died hoping for revenge. Is there another meaning for this? This is an opportunity. An opportunity for revenge.

Then as I thought, the first thing I need to do is…

“If it is something you did then go and beg for forgiveness. Don’t sell me off.”

She was saying what she always wanted to say.

“Wh-what?”

Arinel  looked so taken aback you could tell with just one eye. Maribelle understood why Arinel was flustered.

Of course she would be. Since the sister who would have already gone to Aunt to get scolded with her tail down and with a sullen look suddenly was staring at her and telling her to go herself.

“Sister, why are you like this suddenly?”

“Suddenly?”

As if Arinel was not able to adapt to Maribelle’s change of attitude, she was there with tearful eyes. This was the method Arinel used everytime Maribelle was having difficulties listening to her requests. Because Maribelle could not withstand that expression of helplessness and would answer reluctantly.

But not anymore. Maribelle looked at Arinel with a cold stare and pushed her off the bed.

“Did I say something wrong? You have to take responsibility for the mistakes you have made.”

“Si-sister….How could you to me….”

She should just go on her own if she has enough energy to show such contemptible whining. Maribelle sighed as she swept her hair that had fallen forward.

“I don’t know what I have done to you for you to say that.”

“Don’t you remember how much I took care of you, sister? It would just be nice if you went instead of me this one time….!”

“This is one time?”

Maribelle frowned. Arinel could not be brazen enough today to cover up her wrongdoings and explain how she had taken care of Maribellle.

“Sister, I have given you clothes, introduced you to friends, and helped you everytime Mom scolded you. How could you be like this to me…..”

After rambling for a long time like this, she always ends it with tears. Arinel knows that this method works quite well.

That’s why she was squeezing out her tears like this. In fact, Maribelle was weak to Arinel’s tears.

But Arinel was unaware of one thing. The fact that Maribelle was not turning a blind eye from her lies because she didn’t know about Arinel’s deception.

“What do you mean how could I. You gave me clothes that were out of fashion and asked Aunt to buy you new ones. You introduced me to friends then always talked behind my back with them together. And you always helped when I got scolded by Aunt? Do you not remember why I got scolded by her in the first place?”

“Sister….”

“It was because of you. You. Arinel. I’m talking about you. You always left me with the mess you created. You don’t remember?”

In the end, everything that Arinel claimed she did for Maribelle was all things she did for herself. Maribelle knew but she always said thanks. Because she truly thought of Arinel preciously.

Our relationship would end if I turned my back on you. You should know how to thank me if you lived off my existence.

Maribelle sighed. Just exchanging words with Arinel was uncomfortable. I should end this now. Just when Maribelle was about to turn away, Arinel opened her hesitating mouth.

“That is, because if you say you did it then mom scolds you less….”

What? Maribelle’s head which had turned away coldly turned back just like that. She experienced first hand what it felt like to be so angry that words would not come out.

Since I get scolded less, it’s okay for me to get scolded?

Maribelle glowered at Arinel who was looking at her with tearful eyes and swiftly turned her body away. She did not mean to leave the room like earlier. Maribelle picked up the vase that was on the window.

Shatter!

“Si-sister!”

“Shut your mouth.”

Next was the desk. Maribelle threw the fragile ornaments on the table one by one on the floor. Arinel’s scream mixed in with the loud sound of the object breaking and rang her ears.

Arinel who could not speak due to the confusion at first shrieked as soon as Maribelle picked up the last remaining ornament.

“Maribelle! Really, are you crazy! Aren’t you going to put that down?”

In no time, the thing that Maribelle had been holding was in Arinel’s hand. To word it again, it was taken from her. Arinel was afraid that Maribelle would snatch back what she had taken so she held it high and glared at her with scorn.

“If you are going to be crazy, be crazy elegantly! Where are you putting your hands on! Do you know how much this costs?”

“I know. You always bragged about it. You said you got it as a birthday present.”

Maribelle was full of ridicule. The more Maribelle smiled beautifully, the more signs of defeat would be shown on Arinel’s face.

“It is way better now than you always calling me sister so foolishly. To call me with a pretense that doesn’t even work. Why don’t you try to call me with what you call me behind my back? What, do you call me a slut or something?

Smack!

Maribelle’s head swung back. Thanks to the tingling sensation that came a beat late, Maribelle realized that Arinel had slapped her cheek. This ignited the anger that was pressed down in her.

“You just now…”

As soon as Maribelle’s anger was about to explode, the door burst open. There was a noblewoman with a slim figure and hair pushed back neatly with a pin with no loose hair in sight. There was only one noblewoman in this house.

“…..Aunt.”

Before her return to the past, it was her who’s hatred for Maribelle was clearly visible in her eyes, Vittoria Edenberg.

“M-mom…”

Arinel perceived Vittoria’s gaze and lowered the ornament in her hands. Vittoria excused the two maids behind her with a hand gesture and looked at the messy room and looked at the two who were also a mess. Just looking at them with one eye made her head hurt.

“I need an explanation about what this fuss is about.”

Vittoria lightly touched her forehead with her index and middle finger and looked at Maribelle with annoyed eyes.

“You answer. I sent Arinel to bring you over, but what is all the noise about. Is it not enough that you cut off all the heads of my flowers that you have to make such a mess?”

“Arinel did it Aunt.”

Maribelle calmy cut off Vittoria’s words. Maribelle also did not forget to hold her swollen cheek that Arinel had slapped with one hand. She had predetermined that the chaos in the room was caused by Maribelle.

That was actually the truth.

“Arinel said she wanted to try out the new gardening scissors and cut off all the flowers.”

“Si-sister!”

Arinel who had called out to Maribelle in a hurry turned pale in an instance. It was the truth up to here. Maribelle ignored Arinel who was calling her and lowered her trembling eyelids

“I said that I did not want to get scolded by you instead of her but…she ended up doing this.”

Although she pretended to look down, she didn’t forget to check out her complexion. Vittoria looked visibly flustered. As if asking if this was true, her gaze turned to Arinel.

“M-mom. Sister….she is lying. I di-din’t do it.”

“And thanks to that, I was slapped.”

“Mom, re-really. I di…dint do it….sister is lying.”

Arinel brought out her skill, her pitiful tears, but Vittoria’s eyes were already certain. Well, it was also because Maribelle was usually a very calm person. And with the evidence of her swollen cheek, she could not hastily frame her falsely.

‘Even so, she wouldn’t take my side would she?’

Unlike the agitated two, Maribelle’s inner self was cold. In the end, Vittoria didn’t want to scold her daughter for this disturbance. And looking for a chance to scold her in front of Maribelle who she hated so much was a comical situation. In the end, the choice Vittoria made was to remain silent.

“…Arinel. Clean the room. Clean it all with your own hands. You are forbidden from going out for the time being.”

“M-mom…?”

She shut the door coldly leaving behind Arinel’s mournful calls. Vittoria decided to turn a blind eye to this incident. This also meant that Maribelle’s lies worked.

“….ha.”

A deep smile formed on Maribelle’s lips in dejection. It was this easy so why could I not do it previously? It should have been like this from the start.

Maribelle turned her head. The pleasure of victory was brief. She could not consider this revenge. Maribelle, with a friendly smile on her face, spoke to Arinel who was staring at her like she was going to kill her with a teary face.

“You seem to be crying more today than usual. Do you need a handkerchief?”

A sense of dismay and humiliation passed by Arinel’s face. Shame was also mixed in. She chewed her lips then spat her words out while gritting her teeth.

“Crazy bitch.”

“What kind of attitude is that for your older sister.”

“I don’t know what you were thinking, but did you think I would suffer just like that?”

“Don’t you think I’m the one that has to say those words, Arinel.”

Maribelle’s ridicule followed after her words. Arinel’s slim face turned red in a flash and the hand that slapped Maribelle’s cheek also went up again in an instance.

Smack!

However, it was Arinel’s head that swung back this time. Arinel held her cheek that was red with her thin hair cascading down.

If anyone else had seen her they might have though she looked pitiful, but Maribelle found it satisfying. In order to hold back her surging pleasure, she neatly uplifted her lips.

“Oh darn, a mistake. I was only trying to swat your hand away.”

“….you hit me?”

“Such a thing, let’s call it self-defense.”

Maribelle collected back her smile. The smile that looked like make-up disappeared from her face like a dead corpse. The only different was that the hatred she had accumulated so far was revealed uncontrollably.

Maribelle calmly declared.

“I am not going to take it and suffer for you anymore.”

There is no longer the kind and quiet sister you knew. I would rather become a villainess than become a quiet and kind fool.

That’s right, this is for the better. Whether God is a son of a bitch or not. This time, I am going to take everything from you. agg