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Chapter 123
Nyoha!
The black hand shot up in an instant.
‘What is this?’
A chilling sensation enveloped my entire body. In the blink of an eye, my surroundings were filled with darkness. A shiver ran down my spine as I hugged myself with both arms and looked around. I could feel my eyes gradually adjusting to the dark.
“Where in the world is this…?”
The black hands that had assaulted me transformed into various shapes and began circling around me. Whether it was fortunate or not, I wasn’t being attacked immediately. But I had no idea when a sudden attack might come.
‘At the very least, this isn’t my art studio. I’ve been moved somewhere else.’
I tensed my entire body and drew upon the fairy energy within me.
Groooan—
As if reacting to the fairy’s power, the black space began to ripple. Like a stone thrown into a still lake, a wave pulsed out, and the surroundings changed again in an instant. My whole body stiffened involuntarily.
My mouth became parched, and my limbs trembled with fear. It felt like I might faint at any moment.
“Why is this suddenly…?”
The familiar faces of two people appeared above me. The stunning beauty with brilliant red hair, Duchess Rosaria Libertan, and the blond, gentlemanly Duke Damian Libertan.
‘There’s no way these two are really here.’
The Duke and Duchess Libertan were killed by Johan. So, this situation meant I was either seeing the past or hallucinating.
‘Why am I trembling so much? Get a grip.’
Even though I tried to steel myself, I crumbled as easily as a helpless child.
Those eyes.
Just looking at those eyes that despised me as less than an insect rendered me incapable of doing anything. I gripped the hem of my skirt in fear. Now that I looked, my hands were much smaller than they were a moment ago.
‘Don’t tell me… I’ve become a child?’
Rosaria strode over, her mouth stretching open like a vicious ghost.
“Bring my daughter back to life!”
Rosaria’s rough hands grabbed my shoulders and shook me violently.
“Bring my daughter back, I said! How dare you bring this pathetic thing calling it a daughter, why can’t you bring my daughter back to life!”
“I-I’m sorry. It’s my fault. Please forgive me.”
“Don’t give me that nonsense, just bring my daughter back! It’s because of you that my daughter died! She died and couldn’t come back alive!”
My head spun from her sharp, spear-like screams. The Duke Libertan, pretending to stop her, pushed me to the floor.
“Dear, I’m sure this child has reflected on her actions.”
Duke Libertan looked at me with scornful eyes.
“Estelle, it seems your mother is very hurt because of you. Don’t you think so too?”
“……”
“What kind of punishment do you think you deserve to win your mother’s favor?”
The Duke was someone who pretended to be fair while in fact despising me more than anyone else. At first, I was fooled by his seemingly considerate demeanor, but later I came to dislike him the most.
While Rosaria occasionally treated me like a daughter, which made her treat me even more harshly, Duke Libertan held no such affection for me.
“My, my. It seems you still haven’t learned to reflect properly.”
As my younger self hesitated, Duke Libertan spoke coldly.
“Then there’s no choice. I’ll teach you the manners you owe your parents.”
The Duke grabbed my arm firmly with his strong hand and pulled. I knew what came next better than anyone.
‘I’ll be locked up and starved.’
Leaving me in a dark place where I couldn’t tell how much time had passed was one of Duke Libertan’s favorite punishments.
Just as Duke Libertan was dragging me by the arm through the hallway, I intentionally kicked a nearby vase, sending a whole row of them crashing down.
Crash!
“You, what on earth—”
In that moment of surprise, the Duke let go of my arm. I picked up an intact vase and swung it at him. Perhaps it was because I had played the part of the obedient daughter too well until then.
“Ugh, you!”
Duke Libertan staggered back and looked at me with an utterly astonished expression.
“Dear, what was that sound— That wench!”
Rosaria, who had followed belatedly, screamed and called for the guards. But I quickly turned away from the Duke and started running.
‘If this is the Libertan Ducal residence, I can escape.’
I had lived here almost my entire life. I knew the layout of this place like the back of my hand.
“Find her!”
“Where on earth did she run off to?”
“She’s just a little girl. She probably hasn’t managed to get out of the mansion yet!”
The knights of the Libertan Ducal family were searching for me. I slipped outside, room by room, hiding in places a child could hide, like wardrobes or behind statues.
‘Can I get out like this?’
The security personnel were concentrated outside and throughout the garden. So, I headed out towards the kitchen, which was far from there, and wasn’t easily spotted.
‘It’s a good thing I often sneaked into the kitchen because I was hungry.’
Just as I was running alone towards the back door, I saw a girl standing in front of it.
The girl, who was standing as if she had been waiting for me, looked at me and smiled sweetly. Then, she twisted her bright golden hair around her finger.
“My, my, the insect is struggling.”
It was Estella, more vibrant and lively than she was in the portrait.
“Don’t be stupid and keep running away. It’s not like you can escape anyway.”
Strangely, the moment I saw the young Estella, my legs gave way and I collapsed as if all strength had left them. Estella started giggling as she looked at me.
I asked that Estella.
“Wh-why are you doing this to me? What did I do so wrong?”
“Wrong?”
The young Estella, who had been laughing cheerfully, tilted her head.
“Why are you curious about that?”
“Of course I’d—”
“You’re living a life of luxury because of me. So why are you talking about being wrong? Instead of being grateful, why are you being such a nuisance? Is that how stupid people are?”
The young Estella’s expression held not a hint of malice. Even though I knew this Estella wasn’t real, I trembled helplessly. Because I felt a cheerful madness emanating from her.
The young Estella clapped her hands as if she had realized something.
“Ah, right.”
She looked me over as if I were hilarious and whispered as if doing me a great favor.
“You seem to know nothing, so I’ll specially teach you your place.”
“What on earth are you…”
“It’s a miracle I found out. Others can’t see it, but for you, who’s suffering as my sacrifice, I’ll specially let you know your fate.”
The young Estella viciously grabbed my hair. In that instant, my head throbbed, and many things flashed rapidly before my eyes.
It started with the Libertan Ducal family.
The story of me, an adopted child brought in to replace the biological daughter who died unluckily from an incurable disease. And then how that me was killed tragically, getting revenge from a man named Johan.
“See? Isn’t this enough to understand?”
The blue eyes I met sparkled with joy.
“That you’re a fake who exists for me, the heroine?”
Looking at the cruelly cheerful young Estella, I realized once again.
‘The story I thought was the original.’
That was the story Estella had shown me at this time.
‘But I only remembered the original right before I went to marry Johan, didn’t I?’
Until then, I hadn’t recalled anything about an original story at all. If I had seen it at this time, I should have known about it from the beginning.
“Oh my, Lady Stella! Lady Stella is alive! Someone, fetch the Master and Mistress!”
A passing servant screamed in surprise. Hearing that, Estella frowned irritably.
“Ah, this is getting bothersome. Thinking about it, if you know I’m alive here, things will get troublesome.”
Without hesitation, Estella choked my neck and spoke as if bestowing mercy.
“This won’t do. I tried to teach you the truth, but it seems it was too much for you. Since you’re just a fake who exists for me, consider it an honor to have met me today and forget everything.”
My vision was dyed with darkness.
Betty was waiting for Estelle below the room leading to the art studio.
‘I wonder if the Madam liked the gift the Master prepared?’
This time, Johan had sought Betty’s advice, saying he wanted to make Estelle happy. Betty, who wished for Estelle’s happiness, had helped with the event with all her heart.
‘I hope Madam was happy.’
Many things had happened at the Blanchett Ducal estate recently.
It was revealed that the Saintess, who had been tormenting the Madam, was the biological daughter of the Libertan Ducal family. Betty didn’t know how shocked Estelle had been by that.
‘But now all her crimes have been exposed, one by one.’
They were planning to end it all by revealing to the world the crimes Estella had committed while wearing the mask of the Saintess at the upcoming trial.
‘And like this, the revenge against the Libertan Ducal family will also be concluded…’
The Master and Madam loved each other and were happy.
For Betty, it was a perfect conclusion where she could ask for nothing more.
“Miss Betty! It’s terrible!”
“What’s happened?”
Another maid ran towards Betty with a frantic expression.
“The young master! The young master, Master Run, has suddenly disappeared!”
“What did you say?”
Betty clenched her fist tightly.
“How can the young master, who is so little, suddenly disappear?!”
Beeeeep—
A loud alarm sounded throughout the mansion. A chill ran down Betty’s spine.
‘Something has happened to the Madam.’
A maid nearby was surprised by Betty’s cold, hardened expression. It was a stern face they had never seen in the mansion before.
“B-Betty, Miss. What kind of alert is this?”
“It’s a Level 1 alert. It means there’s a problem in the art studio where the Madam is. You, go find the head butler immediately and report about the Madam’s safety.”
Betty looked up at the art studio with a determined face.
“I will contact the Master right away.”
It felt as if my whole body was sinking endlessly into a black swamp.
As I recalled Estella’s words and the original story’s content, the strange inconsistencies that hadn’t made sense before suddenly fell into place.
‘No wonder it felt like such a bad ending.’
Moreover, Estella, who hadn’t even appeared in the original, and the way she seemed too interested in Johan…
‘So the latter part of the story was about the love story between Johan and Estella.’
Strangely, I felt a sense of rotten, crumbling disgust.
‘The reason I suddenly remembered the original story in the carriage on my way to the Blanchett Ducal estate.’
That was probably because my fairy power grew stronger as I moved further away from the Libertan Ducal family.
‘Then what happens to me?’
I had struggled to change the original story. To survive, unlike the original, I changed quite a lot. And I exposed the crimes of Estella, who was supposed to be the protagonist of the latter part, and brought her down.
‘Let’s just accept that I’m not the real one.’
I was long past the stage of being hurt by words like ‘fake.’
‘So, what does that change?’
Even though I had now learned a truth I hadn’t known, there was nothing in my actions that needed to change. Everything was the same.
‘Then why do I feel so helpless?’
I found myself unintentionally picturing Johan standing side by side with Estella. Estella, looking at Johan with ardent eyes and clinging to him.
‘Only I can make him happy.’
Estella’s arrogant voice echoed around me like a curse.
‘For someone who’s just borrowing her place…’
I didn’t want to have such weak thoughts, but strangely, my heart kept weakening.
‘Does Johan really love me?’
Johan was too wonderful and amazing. It wasn’t even a question that needed to be compared to Estella.
He was in a position to choose a better, more amazing woman than me, and I was in a position where I couldn’t choose any man but Johan.
‘I hope Johan loves me and doesn’t regret it.’
The moment it was established that his original heroine was Estella, only negative thoughts filled my mind, making me feel helpless.
Crack!
In that instant, the darkness shrouding my vision rippled violently. A stream of light poured down from above. Just as I was squinting from the brightness, a familiar voice pierced my ears.
“Estelle!”
“… Mr. Isidore?”
“Come out, quickly. You mustn’t stay there long.”
Mr. Isidore grabbed my arm with strong force and pulled. Then, I was finally able to escape the all-encompassing black space.
“How are you here, Mr. Isidore?”
“I was able to appear in response to your power.”
Mr. Isidore looked behind me with a serious expression. Behind me were the black masses that had been trying to swallow me whole.
‘Disgusting.’
The black masses, having lost me, shrieked and squirmed. Fortunately, they weren’t immediately reaching out for me.
“What are those?”
Mr. Isidore frowned and answered.
“The entity that killed the fairies.”
Bang!
“Estelle!”
Johan hurriedly returned to the ducal residence. A crowd of doctors and servants had gathered around Estelle, nursing her.
“Master, you’ve arrived?”
“How is Estelle’s condition?”
“Her entire body suddenly became feverish. The problem is, no matter what we do, the fever won’t go down…”
Henry, the doctor, spoke in a voice heavy with helplessness. Johan pushed aside the surrounding people with rough movements and approached Estelle.
“…My wife.”
Estelle was only letting out faint moans.
“I’m here.”
Johan placed his hand on Estelle’s forehead. A hot fever and a bizarre energy coexisted there. Wincing at the prickling sensation, Johan frowned.
‘Her constitution rejects magic, so I can’t use it. Should I use a holy relic?’
Betty spoke to Johan, who was lost in thought.
“Master, there is one thing that concerns me.”
“What is it?”
“Right before the Madam went up to the art studio, Prince Phaesis came to visit, saying he wished to see her.”
“Liandro Phaesis?”
It was too coincidental to ignore and move on.
“Eung-cha!”
Just then, someone tugged at Johan’s trouser leg. Johan looked down. The spirit baby, who had grown a little more since he last saw him, was frowning and pulling on his clothes.
“Run?”
“Nyoha! Here!”
The spirit baby showed Johan something, shaking it like a rattle. It was the holy relic Johan had secured.
