Chapter 3

‘Sylvia, who had never received any attention, felt that the treatment she was receiving was unfair, but if she considered all the misdeeds she had committed so far, it was natural for others to treat her that way.’

But the problem was that Sylvia couldn't accept that as a natural consequence. While Sylvia was feeling wronged, Eileen was carried away. As the quarrel between the two sisters had resulted in Eileen fracturing her arm, the party could not continue.

After her birthday party had ended in chaos, Sylvia had locked herself in her room and cut off contact with the outside world. In other words…

‘She had been staying like that and not even apologized to Eileen for breaking her arm.’

But hiding in her room alone didn't make the wrongs she had done disappear. Rather, the more she hid, the bigger the problem became.

“The gossip has spread even around the streets. Our family name has been dragged through the mud.”

There was nothing to say. It was a fact that Sylvia Atlante had done something pathetic, and it was also true that the Atlante ducal family had become the subject of gossip because of it.

“Stay quietly in the annex until Eileen's arm is healed. Don't even think about coming out until I call for you, and just stay there without causing any disturbance." the Duke warned coldly. “If our family's name is tarnished again because of you… there will be no forgiveness, no matter what.”

As soon as his words ended, a fierce and chilling energy emanated from the Duke. It was a spine-chilling, intangible vibe––a killing intent. The clearly displayed murderous atmosphere from the Duke directed straight at me.

“…”

I swallowed hard and tried to think calmly. The Duke didn’t release his murderous atmosphere as an intent to actually harm Sylvia. I knew as that much.

‘If he intended to harm her, he might have unleashed something much stronger and more violent.’

But the untrained, frail body of Sylvia Atlante trembled. As it seemed like I would collapse any moment, I gritted my teeth.

‘Darn it. This feels terrible. It's not just bad, it's disgustingly bad.’

I took a deep breath and tried to suppress my boiling anger.

‘Phew.’

After my emotions had settled, I spoke up.

“I understand. As you said, Father, I will stay in seclusion and have time for self-restraint for a while.”

Then the murderous vibe that had been emanating from the duke was gone. It looked like he was satisfied with my obedient response.

Having withdrawn his threatening atmosphere, the duke seemed to have lost interest in me as he shifted his gaze back to his documents. It was a clear indication that I should leave now since he had said what needed to be said.

‘He really just called me in to warn me.’

Things like why I had done it, was there another reason, or was it a mistake… He didn’t ask me those questions.

‘This wasn't the only time.’

No matter how much I retraced Sylvia’s memories, Duke Atlante had never asked her such questions before, not even once.

It was the same when she first started to go astray. The day Eileen burst into tears for the first time because of Sylvia––that day, the Duke had merely forbidden Sylvia from leaving her room for a week, as the mansion had been disturbed. And he never asked why Sylvia had made Eileen cry.

‘Back then, Sylvia was waiting. She was waiting for the Duke to ask her why, after scolding her. She had been pondering her answer to that question.’

Young Sylvia waited repeatedly, wondering how to respond so that her father's anger would be appeased.

“When Father comes, I'll tell him this. 'Eileen played with my bunny without asking. The one you gave it to me, Father. Since that doll is mine, I just took it back. But then Eileen cried. Did I do something wrong?' But then, what will Father say? Will he scold me?”

But the Duke never came, no matter how long she waited through the night. He didn't visit her even after her confinement had ended. It was a perfect display of his indifference.

And it wasn't just that day. From that day until now, the Duke never showed any curiosity about the countless misdeeds Sylvia had committed. He simply meted out punishment emotionlessly as if doing his duty whenever he received reports on her actions.

‘Could there be a reason?’

Perhaps the Duke had circumstances that I wasn’t aware of. All I had were the memories of Sylvia's experiences and feelings, so there could be something Sylvia didn't know.

‘But even so…’

It didn’t justify his neglect of his child all this time.

‘Surely, the previous Sylvia was mean, nasty, and committed things difficult to forgive. There are many people she should apologize to. But can all of that be blamed solely on Sylvia?’

She had never received proper loving care from a very young age. The Duke was indifferent to his children; the duchess was absent from the mansion. Nannies and maids favored her sister Eileen, who was one year younger than her, but showed no interest in Sylvia.

Thus, Sylvia had no one beside to tell her what was right or wrong, and why she shouldn't do certain things.

‘I'm not trying to justify all of Sylvia's sins. I'm just saying that there are others who should bear the burden of her sins as well.’

And if there was someone who should share Sylvia's burden together, it was only the mastermind who let her go astray. I turned to that very person and spoke up.

“But Father.”

The Duke gave me a look as if to ask if I hadn't left yet. His eyes still held only a slight annoyance instead of any questions about his daughter's unexpected behavior. And that look strangely twisted my insides.

'Seriously, seeing that makes me feel sorry for Sylvia.’

I didn't hold back my frowning expression and continued, “You never ask why, do you?”

“What?”

"Even though I'm a disgraceful daughter, I'm still your child. But it seems like you never ask me why I did something whenever I caused trouble.”

The Duke furrowed his brows, making a face as if he didn't understand what I was saying. Seeing his expression, my imagination that there might be a reason behind his indifference shattered.

‘Right. What should I expect from him?’

When even the slightest hope for the Duke disappeared, my sarcastic tone slipped out.

“Well… You probably have no interest in what a disgraceful daughter, who only causes trouble, has in mind. I’m sorry for asking something so unnecessary,” I said with a grin to the still unresponsive Duke.

“Don't worry. As I have been doing so far, I will live like I'm dead, not meeting anyone.”

‘At least for a while.’

Before the door closed, I found the Duke staring at me with a stiff face. Seeing his absent-minded expression, which I had never seen before, made me feel as if ten years’ worth of frustration had been washed away.

***

When I went outside, the butler was there wearing a strange look on his face.

‘Did he hear our conversation inside?’

However, the butler didn't ask about what happened in the room. Instead, he professionally did his job.

“The annex where you will stay for a while has been prepared.”

“Oh, really? Thank you.”

My response made the butler pause for a moment.

‘It seems like my use of honorifics is really making others feel awkward.’

Well, I felt uncomfortable too. Precisely, I experienced a sense of physical unease.

‘Whenever I answer without thinking, I naturally talk down––it just slips out of my mouth.’

Due to the body’s original owner, who rarely had to use honorifics with others, I spoke with proper manners only when I paid attention.

‘Even though it's not a problem to speak informally to the butler, it doesn't feel right to talk that way to someone who is much older than me.’

If I kept trying, I would eventually get used to it, so for a while, I would have to make an effort to speak in a polite manner.

While I made this resolution, the butler, who had calmed down his surprised emotions, returned to his usual calm appearance and asked me a question.

“Do you have anything you would like to take with you?”

“Um… just some clothes to change into, I guess. Ah! If there are any pens or papers, those too.”

“I will make sure to move everything in your room without missing a thing, my lady.”

“Then that's fine.”

“Shall I lead you to the annex now?”

“Yes.”

I followed the butler who offered to usher me.

The Duke’s mansion, as befitting a wealthy ducal family, was vast.

The main building, where the family lived, was the size of a department store, and there were two other buildings, slightly smaller but still the size of a school building: the east wing, where the servants stayed, and the old west wing, which was built a long time ago and was no longer in use.

Judging by the direction, it seemed like the annex I would be staying in was the west wing. As we crossed the garden connecting the main building to the west wing, someone called me from behind.

“Sylvia!”

It was Eileen.

‘…I didn't want to see Eileen for a while.’

It was only a day ago that Sylvia broke Eileen's arm.

Although it wasn't me who actually did it, the memory and feelings were vividly left in this body. I wanted to pretend not to know Eileen because of my mixed emotions of guilt and faint resentment.

But since the butler came to a halt as he saw Eileen running from afar, I had no choice but to stop too.

Eileen, who had come up close, asked me with a worried expression, “I heard you’re going to stay in the west wing. Are you okay?”

‘How did she find out that I was being confined to the west wing?’

How could Eileen know the fact that I had just learned about myself? I tilted my head in wonder, then remembered that Eileen was always quick with information.

Eileen, with her sweet personality, also got along well with the maids. Perhaps because of that, the maids always confided various stories to Eileen, so she was the first to hear news within the mansion. And that was also why it wasn't too surprising that she knew about my confinement.

‘Still, she's really quick with news. Very impressive.’

As I silently admired her, I replied to Eileen, who was quietly waiting for my answer, “Yeah, I'm fine. What could be not okay? There's not much difference between the west wing and the other buildings, you know.”

What I just said was all nonsense.

‘Not much difference? Everything is different from top to bottom.’

Unlike the luxurious and tidy main building, the west wing was old and plain.

The main building had countless servants sweep and clean every day and also rush over when needed, whereas the west wing barely managed to maintain its appearance with few servants.

Above all…

‘The main building is a symbol where the direct descendants of the Duke stay, while the west wing is where people are confined when they fall out of favor.’

If one had even a little common sense, they could understand how terrible it was to be expelled to the west wing. Eileen wasn’t lacking in intelligence either, so she probably knew that and asked me if I were okay.

"But, Sylvia…”

Kind Eileen hesitated, unable to explain why staying in the west wing was ‘not okay.’ She seemed worried that her words might hurt my feelings. No wonder people loved her, being so innocent like this.

Seeing the girl's pure eyes, the discomfort I had felt just moments ago subsided.

It was still uncomfortable, though. After all, even though ‘I’ didn't do it, ‘this body’ had tormented Eileen and broken her arm. But I couldn't keep ignoring such a kind-hearted girl.

‘Even if we can’t become extremely close, it’s better to be ordinary sisters.’

To do that, then first…

“I'm sorry.”

“Excuse me?”

Eileen tossed the question with an expression that seemed to wonder if she had heard an auditory hallucination.

‘Of course, it’s strange for a sister who always insulted her, picked fights, and was jealous to suddenly apologize.’

But I persisted with my words.