Chapter 39

The Circumstances of a Trivial Villain (1)

When I saw the Rainfield’s dressing room in the distance, I felt a sense of tension.

I never thought of them as part of my family, and I had no idea how to treat them.

When I thought about going into the dressing room, my mind went blank.

‘If I had known this would be the case, I would have asked Ian what to say.’

Ian, who was very exemplary, would have told me the right answer.

It was when I was hesitating as I stood in front of the dressing room door and took a slow, deep breath, suddenly the door swung open.

“Oh my god!”

I too was shocked to the point that my heart dropped, but the other party shouted out in amazement as well.

Aaron, who was about to open the door and come out, said with his eyes wide open.

“Annabelle… No, sister!”

I looked into the deep blue eyes of the same color as mine.

Sister… It was awkward, but it was a label I had to get used to.

He said with an awkward smile.

“Anyways, I was just about to go look for you myself, wondering if I had sent Ian for nothing. I thought you might be fighting with him.”

After looking at me for a moment when no one was there, he sighed and added.

“Seeing that you came alone, it looks like you two were fighting. Actually, I expected it.”

“Oh, no. I just said I would come alone.”

I sighed and said.

“I’m like a puppy scared during the day.”

“Let’s not be a scared puppy, but more like hyenas. Although, why didn’t you come in to chat?”

“Uh… Well.”

I avoided his eyes and replied shyly.

“I didn’t know…what I should say…so I was thinking…”

Aaron opened his eyes and shouted.

“You just have to say what’s on your mind!”

What’s on my mind?

I glanced back at Aaron.

The first time I thought I could get along with him was earlier.

His talking nature always seemed interesting, and I had seen him around for a long time…

“Well…”

So I really confided my truth.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know. Were you very upset?”

“What? Upset?”

“Yes.”

“Why would I be?”

When I had dinner with Robert at Rainfield’s restaurant, I remembered him hurriedly saying hello as the representative since Oscar and Marilyn were away, and I continued to speak in a complicated tone.

“Unexpectedly, we now share the inheritance rights… And a person like me…”

Aaron’s mouth widened.

So, as soon as I saw Aaron’s face, that thought came to mind.

“…Would then take the inheritance.”

Coincidentally, Aaron and I listened to Elburn together before the ceremony.

“We didn’t grow up together, we didn’t spend time with our family, but it’s all because we have mixed blood, why?!”

At that time, I thought that what Elburn said was very valid.

That’s because I had been educated by Caitlyn and Reid all this time.

We shared the same blood, so there was a right to inherit. Since they never wanted to lose money to me, I had to take the title on my own…

And they were the same.

When I was very young, Caitlyn made me write a memorandum of renunciation of inheritance in the name of ‘education’.

She said that I had to be aloof from such things to concentrate on swordsmanship.

“Annabelle, it’s not the time for you to be interested in inheritance. If you start paying attention to such things, there will be a crack between Reid and you. We have to unite instead of having unnecessary thoughts together.”

It was difficult for me in the past to refute Caitlyn’s words.

Reid also continued to encourage me from the side.

“If you win first place in the swordsmanship competition, I’ll hand all of this over to you. Promise me. You have to set things up in advance so that we don’t hurt each other.”

I thought it would be fun to chat with Leslie, but I didn’t think this day would come.

Of course, shouldn’t I feel bad because I suddenly appeared out of nowhere into this family…?

Marilyn, who was running from inside the dressing room, stopped.

“Oh my god.”

Aaron was also too embarrassed, Marilyn muttered while blinking.

“Caitlyn… Abandoned her child… How can the first thought from you even be about inheritance…?”

I realized it once again.

They were people who grew up righteously despite some harsh conditions. But that was not me.

“Uh… Umm…”

When I heard the remarks of “a child abandoned” from my biological mother after 22 years, I showed no expression, so I politely gathered my hands.

“Sorry for growing up like this…”

So the first picture of our family reunion was ruined for now.

~*~

My collapsed father was still unconscious.

He came to his senses for a moment and said, “My daughter…only ate frozen meat…” And he lost consciousness again after repeating that.

“He’s usually a bit weak.”

My mother sighed and said.

Of course, she wore colorful clothes and thick makeup, so she never looked weak.

“But he was popular at the nursery because of his looks.”

“I see…”

Except for my father, the rest of us sat around the table.

I quietly said.

“Speak comfortably.”

“Like I said last time, I’ve actually been watching you for a long time. Few people in the capital do not know Miss Annabelle.”

I suddenly felt ashamed of my past behaviors.

I never cared about my reputation for being negligent, but now that this was happening…

In the meantime, I was overwhelmed with anger that I hadn’t thought of what then came flooding in my mind next.

Maybe it was because I was their daughter. Anyone would be ashamed.

They were all good and hard-working people, but until I remembered my past life, I was a villain who conspired in crimes.

It was not like I had done something really great after I remembered my previous life either…

On the surface, I just lived as an idiot who constantly harassed Ian.

‘Having a daughter like me… Who would like it?’

I was worried that they might be in a bad mood because they now have a daughter, and they were living well before and now everyone went crazy.

It was then that my mother spoke slowly.

“As I confessed at that time, while watching Miss Annabelle, I always thought of my dead child. She was a girl born on the same day and in the same hospital.”

“Ah…”

“So it was a pity that you wore only gray clothes…I couldn’t believe that I never recognized you all these years…”

My mother bit her lower lip and swallowed her tears.

“…I don’t deserve to be a parent.”

“Then I don’t deserve to be a child if you’re that ashamed of me…”

“You do!”

As I spoke bitterly, my breath hitched as my mother yelled.

Marilyn already had a very strong impression, but when she screamed, my body shuddered.

Even the makeup stained with her tears was still the same, making her a little scary.

“It’s true that it’s a little strange, but you are still my child. But how can you say that?”

She grabbed my hand and talked.

Suddenly, my head went blank and I felt like my body was floating.

“Aaron is kind of weird anyways.”

“Ah, yes. If you are concerned about your strange deeds, it is futile to worry.”

Aaron intervened quickly.

“I also spent my childhood in the indifference of my parents, and decided that I would become crooked if I continued, so I crawled toward the Duke of Wades.”

He opened his eyes wide and explained intently.

“Thanks to that, I have lived my life as a human being.”

To be honest, I didn’t know the Rainfield people very well.

There was not much information from the original story about them, but thanks to Leslie, it was all slightly entangled.

So, of course, I thought that it could be awkward with each other, but it was strangely comfortable.

“Yes, Annabelle. I am proud of you. 2nd place in the swordsmanship contest.”

My mother smiled slightly as her face was smeared with her eye makeup.

“But I would’ve been proud regardless. You’re breathing right now.”

“That, that…”

“I’m just glad you’re alive, and I am grateful for you just being here.”

Tears began to form in my eyes as well.

I had never heard anyone say they were proud of me.

I was always a child lacking for Caitlyn and for the Marquis of Abedes.

I was an object of ridicule for many in the capital, and a nuisance to the Knights of Wades.

Even I acknowledged  that I was a cowardly and insignificant villain.

But as soon as we met like this, my existence was recognized.

“Our precious baby, you’ve had a hard time wandering among bad people.”

My heart ached like it was being squeezed.

Tears dripped down as my mother’s hands brushed my cheeks and shoulders.

“I’m so sorry I didn’t recognize you. Please forgive me.”