WDYEHM 23

Chapter 23

[Orte.]

A gentle voice, just like always.

[Sometimes I think about this… imagining myself appearing in front of you.]

A voice whose gender and age couldn’t be guessed.

[I think you would be very surprised. I’m not sure if you’d be happy… or scared.]

Orte realized her lips were moving.

But she didn’t know what she was saying. It felt like trying to speak underwater.

She only knew that the other person smiled happily at her words.

[That’s right. I was very happy that you came to find me again. Ah… is this a story from the future?]

Sometimes, the person would say things she couldn’t understand.

[You probably can’t understand right now, Orte. But with time, you will.]

Most of the time, the person talked about the past.

[Do you remember when you first found me? It’s okay if you don’t. I remember.]

A breeze blew.

[It’s a pity… it’s already time to end.]

There was clear reluctance in their voice.

[Orte, please wait for me just a little longer.]

A warm wind brushed past Orte’s hair.

Then, a voice filled with certainty followed—

[This life will be different. It definitely will.]

Orte opened her eyes.

Wind was coming in through the slightly open window. The warmth she had felt faded, replaced by a chill.

In her hazy state, Orte blinked and tried to recall the dream. Nothing clear came to mind—only the feeling that it had been warm and gentle.

She touched her chest.

It felt strange… as if she was waiting for something.

“Miss.”

“Why?”

Before she could think further, a familiar voice entered her ears.

Orte unconsciously held her breath.

“This is all for your sake, Orte.”

A disgusting voice she once believed was sincere.

“So quietly accept death. It’s the only way you can go peacefully.”

Orte steadied her breathing and turned her head toward the voice. Beyond two or three bookshelves, she could see two figures.

“Is it really okay to do this?”

“What else are we supposed to do?”

At the maid’s hesitant voice, Yosef asked sharply.

“Don’t you remember yesterday? She clearly doesn’t plan to meet me today either. You said she comes to the library often, right?”

“Yes… that’s what I heard from the servants.”

“What about her personal maid?”

“I’m sorry… she’s very tight-lipped…”

Yosef clicked her tongue.

It was disappointing that she couldn’t bribe the personal maid, but at least she had gotten some information.

“I have to get close to the Lady. In the meantime, find out how much status she really has here. Understand?”

Yosef’s voice was always gentle and warm. Orte, who had been desperate for affection, liked that about her.

Whenever she felt something strange, she ignored it and relied on that false kindness.

In the end, it was Orte who broke.

Orte stared at Yosef’s face through the gap. She looked younger than in her memories.

Seeing Yosef’s young face—only thirteen years old—even her small desire for revenge disappeared. Strength left her body, and a sense of emptiness filled her.

Leaving behind Yosef’s voice as she continued giving orders to the maid, Orte quietly left the library without being noticed.

“If Yosef comes again, refuse her. And don’t mention her to me ever again.”

After saying that to Sef, Orte buried herself in her blanket. As soon as she closed her eyes, sleep came quickly.

That was a relief.

The day of the coming-of-age ceremony arrived.

“Young Master. It’s me, Colin. I’m coming in.”

Colin knocked on Ellen’s door earlier than usual. His voice was full of anxiety.

Ellen already had a habit of sleeping late, and on days he had to wake him early, it always caused trouble. And lately, Ellen had been extremely sensitive.

Colin swallowed nervously and opened the door.

“Young Master… are you still sleeping?”

He carefully stepped inside and looked around the dark room.

Thinking he should open the curtains first, he walked toward the window on tiptoe. Just as he grabbed the curtain—

“Leave it.”

A voice came from nearby, startling Colin.

“Young Master? Where are you?”

“At your feet.”

“What?”

Colin quickly bent down and looked at the floor. As he moved, a heavy bottle hit his foot and rolled away.

“No way…”

Colin pulled the curtain open.

The rising sun lit up the room. He was shocked to see Ellen lying on the floor, surrounded by empty bottles.

“Young Master! You clearly went to sleep early last night!”

Colin hurriedly turned Ellen over. A strong smell of alcohol hit him.

“How much did you drink?!”

Seeing Ellen’s face, which looked thinner in just one day, Colin shouted.

Ellen held his aching head and spoke,

“Colin… shut up… my head feels like it’s going to explode…”

“Ah… I don’t care! Get up!”

Colin forcefully pulled him up.

He handed Ellen over to the maids, then rushed to the kitchen to bring honey water for his hangover. When he returned, Ellen had finished bathing and was lying on the sofa, wearing only a robe.

Colin handed him the honey water, still smelling faint alcohol.

“Drink this. All of it.”

After having the maids massage him, Ellen seemed to regain some clarity.

Colin called in servants to help him dress and prepare, while holding back a sigh.

Maybe because things were already going badly from the start, he had a bad feeling that today’s ceremony wouldn’t go smoothly.

Orte only woke up at noon.

Not because she had enough sleep, but because the noise woke her.

She opened the curtains and looked outside. The large greenhouse nearby was crowded with servants preparing for the ceremony.

‘This will be the last day of this noise.’

For the past few days, the constant activity and unfamiliar people had made Orte more sensitive. Especially after unexpectedly meeting Yosef, her heart kept beating faster.

“Ugh…”

She pressed her hand against her chest. Her heart ached.

Closing her eyes, she waited for the pain to fade, then opened them again. She wiped the cold sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand.

She carefully closed the curtains again, blocking the outside view.

Then, there was a knock on the door.

“Miss, it’s me.”

“Come in.”

“Ah, that’s good. You’re awake. If you don’t get ready now, you’ll be late for the ceremony.”

“The ceremony?”

“Yes.”

Orte tilted her head.

“Who said I’m going to the ceremony?”

“…What?”

Sef blinked in confusion.

“I’m not attending the ceremony, so there’s no need to prepare.”

At her gesture, Sef quietly left the room.

Orte lay back and stared at the ceiling, lost in thought.

Thinking back, in her first life, she had attended Ellen’s coming-of-age ceremony.

Even though Ellen clearly disliked it, Orte still went.

But Anna had delayed things, so Orte arrived late. By the time she reached the greenhouse, the ceremony had already ended, and they were holding a banquet.

Of course, Orte couldn’t fit in and quickly returned to her room.

Later, she found out that Ellen had deliberately moved the time earlier so the ceremony would be over before she arrived.

‘Now that I think about it… he really hated me.’

Looking back, he hated her even more than she had realized at the time.

Only Orte didn’t know.

Or maybe she did—but ignored it because she loved them too much.

‘Stupid Orte.’

She mocked her past self.

If effort alone could make them family, it would have worked long ago. If effort alone could make them love her, they would have loved her already.

‘Meanwhile, Yvonne became their family and received love without doing anything.’

Only after Yvonne appeared did Orte finally accept the truth—

No matter how hard she tried, they would never accept her as family or love her.