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Chapter 5
Instead of her physically frail and soft-hearted mother, Ayla had helped take care of the family from a very young age.
There were times when I cried myself to sleep. There were also plenty of situations where I had no choice but to be cold-hearted.
The reason the household servants had turned on Ayla so quickly after learning she was a fake was because she had always been an exceptionally strict mistress.
“Father surprisingly dislikes bitter tea and prefers sweet cakes. Make sure the refreshments are prepared accordingly.”
“Brother Kedrick likes tea from the southern provinces, and Brother Gerat is sensitive to the temperature of his tea. Be careful when serving them.”
“Mother looks much better in bold, vivid colors than in the delicate pastel shades currently in fashion. Assist her properly when helping her choose dresses.”
“I heard the newly appointed head maid has been taking bribes. What’s the meaning of this? Investigate everyone involved, including those who paid her.”
The things Ayla had done for her family over the years were not always obvious.
But that only made them all the more important.
That was why Kalios had wanted Ayla to teach Rosia before sending her away.
In the original story, I even completed the handover perfectly.
The original Ayla had been far too accommodating.
She painstakingly taught Rosia everything about managing the household.
She even organized a complete instruction manual for the handover before leaving.
The thing Father was about to ask earlier was probably for me to help Rosia before I left.
But because Ayla had taken the initiative first, he had been unable to bring it up.
As she reached that conclusion, a smile slowly spread across her lips.
From now on, every tea time and every encounter with the mansion’s cunning, slippery servants would probably give her father a headache.
Let him experience firsthand how inconvenient daily life becomes.
* * *
Just before leaving the estate, Ayla went to see Kedrick and Gerat.
Finding them wasn’t difficult.
They had been family for well over a decade.
She knew exactly where they would be and what they would be doing at any given time.
They’re probably talking in the garden right now.
The three of them had always gathered there after meals.
At least, until Rosia arrived and I stopped being included.
A bitter smile touched Ayla’s lips.
As expected, Gerat and Kedrick were alone in the garden.
That was fortunate for Ayla.
The proposal she wanted to make could only be made when Rosia wasn’t present.
“Brothers.”
At her call, Gerat and Kedrick turned toward her.
Kedrick frowned when he saw the way she was dressed.
“So you’re really leaving.”
“I said I would, didn’t I? I came because there’s one last thing I want to ask.”
“Ask?”
“Could you use the bloodline-testing artifact one more time? Just when it’s the three of us.”
The moment she finished speaking, Kedrick’s eyes sharpened.
Her suggestion had clearly offended him.
“You want us to use the bloodline-testing artifact again? Alone?”
“Yes. You never know. The results might be different.”
It was a faint hope.
Using the artifact while Rosia was present would be meaningless.
Rosia is a powerful mage capable of tampering with magical artifacts.
But if they tested it when Rosia wasn’t around, it would surely reveal the truth.
If that happened, everything Ayla was currently trying to do would become unnecessary.
No one would have to get hurt.
They could return to being the close and loving family they once were.
All it would take was a single act of trust from her brothers.
But Kedrick’s response was ice-cold.
“Do you really think that’s something you should be saying right now?”
She had expected resistance.
Even so, his reaction was far harsher than she anticipated.
“You just told Rosia to be confident. And now you’re asking us to repeat the bloodline test? What happened to you?”
Ayla’s eyes widened.
“I’ve changed?”
“Yes! Do you have any idea how worried Rosia is about you? And yet here you are talking about the results changing and trying to accuse her of something—”
Unable to contain his anger, Kedrick abruptly turned away and fell silent.
Gerat nodded in agreement.
“He’s right. Even if we did test again, it wouldn’t change the fact that Rosia belongs to House Blanche. Accept reality, Ayla. Stop clinging to false hope.”
“…”
“I don’t think you intentionally deceived us. So let’s leave it at that. Focus on living your own life from now on.”
Right. I expected as much.
As someone destined to become the heroine of a regret novel, Ayla had never really expected things to work out so easily.
Immediately switching to Plan B, she bit down hard on her lower lip.
Fortunately, the moment she remembered all the savings she had painstakingly accumulated in her previous life going up in smoke, her mood darkened instantly.
“You’re right… I’m sorry, Brothers.”
“Sorry?”
“You’re right. I should have thought about Rosia’s feelings too… I was having trouble accepting my situation, so I ended up saying something ridiculous. But… the thought that we won’t be family anymore just made me so sad…”
As she spoke, Ayla covered her mouth.
Gerat’s expression stiffened.
Ayla knew him well.
On the outside, he was rigid and prickly.
On the inside, he was surprisingly soft-hearted.
Seeing the once-proud Ayla lower her head so miserably was undoubtedly making him uncomfortable.
Ayla squeezed her eyes shut.
“But please believe this much. I never intended to frame her.”
As soon as she finished speaking, a single tear rolled down her cheek.
Privately, she couldn’t help admiring her own acting.
She had perfectly portrayed a younger sister hurt by her brothers’ refusal to trust her.
If this leaves Gerat and Kedrick feeling guilty, all the better.
Just as she expected, Gerat felt his chest tighten.
Ayla… crying? That proud girl?
The sight of her looking so pitiful was enough to stir guilt within him.
After all, the Ayla they had grown up with would rather die than tell lies to frame someone.
“Ayla, that’s not what I meant. I wasn’t saying you’re no longer family—”
“No, it’s okay. You don’t have to comfort me. I understand how you feel now. I’ll focus on living my own life from here on. That’s probably for the best.”
Inside, Ayla scoffed.
You idiots. Just wait until later and cry your eyes out in regret.
I’ve already seen your future in the original story. After I die, both of you practically turn into broken shells of yourselves!
Just because their actions no longer hurt her didn’t mean they were innocent.
The original Ayla had been deeply wounded by their betrayal—so deeply that it eventually led to her death.
Ayla hoped they would one day regret everything, to the same degree as the pain they had caused.
Without hesitation, she turned her back on Gerat, who looked as though he wanted to explain himself.
Ah, but if I’m acting, I should commit to the role.
As she walked away, she even remembered to stumble slightly, as if overcome by grief and loss.
* * *
After being summoned by Kalios, Gerat and Kedrick headed side by side toward the duke’s office.
The entire way there, Gerat couldn’t stop thinking about what Ayla had said.
“I understand how you feel now. I’ll focus on living my own life from here on. That’s probably for the best.”
The expression on her face when she had said those words looked genuinely heartbroken.
Maybe… we should have just done it.
The thought slipped into his mind before he realized it.
But then Rosia’s face surfaced in his thoughts, interrupting him.
Gerat shook his head.
His eyes looked strangely hollow.
After everything that girl has suffered, I can’t doubt her. No matter how pitiful Ayla looked, the one who deserves more sympathy is Rosia.
