Just Leave Me Be

Chapter 3

We really do look alike.

Frankly, even Adele was a little surprised as she looked up at Karena’s portrait. They had been born to different parents in entirely different worlds; she would never have imagined there could be someone who looked so similar to herself.

“I also never thought I’d turn out to be his actual daughter.”

Adele held back a scoff. The more she thought about it, the more a lot of things had been strange.

Like how effortlessly the duke had found her—Karena’s look-alike. Not only did they have the same eye and hair color, but the shape of their eyes and lips were also quite similar.

That was to say nothing of the peculiar sense of sadness and déjà vu she had felt when she first met the duke.

If only she’d used her brain, she could have sensed something was off.

Deep in thought, Adele pulled her pillow close and buried her face in it.

She’d gone back in time, but strangely, she didn’t feel happy about it. She felt no joy at the idea of being alive again, but she also didn’t have any intention of repeating the life she’d lived before. She no longer craved love, and she was no longer going to try so hard to win their affection.

She had made this resolution the moment she’d accepted that she had gone back in time.

“I can’t sleep.”

After tossing and turning for a while in bed, Adele finally just opened her eyes.

Knock, knock.

Adele raised her head.

“Yes?” she answered.

“Lady Karena, it’s Bella.”

“Come in.”

Adele sluggishly pulled herself up straight. The door opened and Bella entered.

I thought I told her I would be sleeping.

She wasn’t particularly annoyed. For the veteran servants, orders from the family were always the highest priority. Adele’s requests always came second, if that. At least the regular servants treated Adele like a real lady.

Looking back, they had all just been playing their parts in a ridiculous play. And in this absurd play, everyone was dutifully ignoring the elephant in the room.

“What is it?” Adele asked.

“My lady, I forgot to tell you that Lord Fellis is graduating from the academy and will be returning home today. If you’re not going to the tea party, you may have to make an appearance in the hall to greet him when he arrives.”

“All right.”

Deciding not to argue, Adele nodded obediently. Bella nodded, too, as if she had expected Adele’s response.

“My lady, is your fever very serious?” Bella asked.

She was probably asking because Adele wasn’t smiling or answering warmly like she normally would.

Adele slowly lowered her gaze.

“Why? If it’s serious, will I be permitted to miss greeting my brother?”

“No, it’s... That’s not what I meant,” Bella said.

“I didn’t think so. I need to get ready,” Adele cut Bella off and slowly stood up.

Bella was clearly disconcerted, but she obediently helped Adele bathe and get dressed.

How long do I have to play this game?

Nobody in this household was ever genuinely glad to see her. Right from the start, all they ever wanted to do was deceive and use her.

And then they killed me.

It was one more injustice to cover up yet another injustice.

She did not have a single memory of being shown the affection she so longed for. Now that she knew how it would end, she no longer wanted anything from them.

One year. I’ll play along for just one year.

Right now, Adele had no power to speak of. She just had to find the right time to run away. She knew the best time would be right after Selena’s birth. Nobody would pay any attention to her once Selena was born. It would be easy to escape then.

“All set, my lady,” Bella said.

“All right.”

Adele was now in familiar attire, feeling a stuffiness she was quite accustomed to.

She was expected to tighten her corset and wear her best dress—all for just a fleeting moment—so she could pretend to happily greet someone she knew would only return her excitement with cold contempt.

“Fellis, my brother! It’s been so long.”

She knew her warm welcome and bright smile would never even reach him.

The first son, Fellis Viphta, had ignored her completely, and the second son, Quaren, had bullied her so severely that she’d wished he would ignore her, too.

Recalling her past, Adele rubbed her arms. She felt ashamed of the way she had behaved.

What was wrong with me then?

Once she came to her senses, she was so mortified she could hardly hold her head up.

That’s right. All they wanted was for me to act like Karena in public.

There was no reason for them to love her in the privacy of their home.

Desperate for attention, Adele had learned foreign languages—including ancient ones—and pored over countless books to expand her knowledge. She had even read books on pharmacology and medicine in case they might help.

Of course, all of her efforts had been utterly in vain.

I wish I could erase my past self.

The more she thought about it, the more she couldn’t understand why she had been the way she was. She’d always gotten so worked up and restless over nothing; it was embarrassing.

Sighing to herself, Adele followed Bella down the curved staircase. Each step was lined with a plush red carpet that kept her from slipping as she descended.

The duke and duchess were waiting below—her adoptive father and mother.

Both of them cast their gaze toward her. The duchess’s face hardened as soon as she spotted Adele, her eyes cold and contemptuous.

She might have been careful to behave when the duke was around, but she treated Adele worse than a pebble on the streets when he wasn’t looking.

Like their mistress, most of the estate staff similarly disrespected her.

Adele swallowed hard.

Both the duke and duchess were the embodiment of beauty. She could see why their son, Fellis Viphta, would soon come to be the most sought-after bachelor at court.

“Good morning, Father. Mother.”

The words sent shivers up her spine, but Adele kept her composure.

She just had to put up with it for one year. One year, and that was it.

Plus, there were too many eyes on her now for her to do anything rash.

She paid her respects as nonchalantly as she could. She didn’t bother remarking on the weather or asking after their health as she normally would have. She knew they wouldn’t answer anyway, so she had decided to put a stop to her own foolishness.

Adele turned her head away, her expression cold.

The duke stared at her, startled by her curt greeting, and averted his eyes.

The duchess’s face, on the other hand, twisted unpleasantly. Next to her, Bella’s mouth gaped open.

Meanwhile, Adele watched the entrance to the mansion with indifference and waited for its doors to open.

Let’s get this over with so I can catch up on my reading.

There happened to be quite a number of books she hadn’t yet read. Now that she had extra time, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to read all the books she wanted before she left.

Adele folded her hands politely in front of her, careful to follow the proper etiquette, and silently stared at the door.

Come on, open already.

Thankfully, as if to grant her wish, the large navy-blue doors swung open. Light streamed in through the crack between the doors.

“Fellis!”

The duchess stepped forward first, wearing a tender expression that she would never show when looking at Adele. Duke Viphta followed after her. Only Adele remained at a distance.

“I’m glad to see you’re looking healthy,” the duchess said. “How have you been?”

“Good, Mother. I’m happy that you’re also looking well.”

“Oh, you know me, I’m always in good health.” She flashed a bright smile and pulled Fellis into an embrace, which Fellis quietly returned.

“I hear you were the top of your class,” the duke added.

“Yes, indeed I was.”

“I’m proud of you, son. Welcome home.”

The conversation between father and son was a little more clipped than it had been between mother and son. Nevertheless, it was how the two men expressed their affection for one another.

Adele kept her distance and waited for them to finish.

As Karena Viphta’s stand-in, Adele should have rushed forward for her turn. She should have beamed at him, waiting to hear a warm reply. Adele had heard that the real Karena Viphta was extremely fond of her older brother. She had put in every effort to become Karena Viphta; so much so that she actually felt some genuine love for Fellis even though they weren’t even related.

Well, maybe they could have been related if the duke had made it known that Adele was an illegitimate daughter and welcomed her properly into the family. It appeared that nobody but the duke and duchess knew that Adele was his bastard child.

Not that she expected anything different now.

What’s taking them so long?

Adele silently stood in her place, watching Fellis.

He had exotic purple hair and golden eyes, the same as Adele’s. However, her hair was a different color from his—a deep emerald green, similar to the color of the duchess’s hair.

It was what made Adele the perfect substitute for Karena Viphta.

“Let’s catch up inside,” Fellis said before he turned and finally met Adele’s gaze.

Adele wordlessly looked up at him, then held up her skirt for a brief curtsy.

“It’s been a long time, Fellis.”

“Yes... it has,” Fellis answered reluctantly, frowning as if he didn’t want to be bothered.

Adele straightened her back.

Well, my work here is done.

The reason Bella had brought her out was so that Adele could fulfill her duties and greet him.

She had done what was expected of her, and now there was nothing more for her to do.

The old Adele would have probably fought to sit at the table, even knowing she wouldn’t be able to contribute a single word to the conversation.

“I think I’ll head back upstairs since I’m not feeling well. I’m sorry I won’t be able to join you for lunch.” Adele bowed again to pay her respects.

Fellis’s eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly in surprise at Adele’s unexpected announcement.

Even the duke and duchess looked like they had seen something bizarre. As did Bella.

Adele was the only one who remained perfectly calm. She was simply returning things to the way they were supposed to be.

Adele didn’t wait for an answer; she hadn’t been asking for permission in the first place. She turned and wearily trudged up the stairs to the second floor.

Is this a dream, or have the past three years been a dream?

She couldn’t tell which was which. The only thing that was for sure was that she was absolutely exhausted.

Fortunately, nobody called for her or held her back. Halfway up the staircase, Adele finally relaxed a little and slowed her pace.