VDBO 02

Chapter 02

And just like that, we became a family without even a chance to celebrate. Lucellaire’s jet-black hair and my bright silver strands didn’t exactly make us look related.

Ah, I suppose our eye colors were somewhat similar. Still, even if she wasn’t my biological parent, Lucellaire gave birth to me with her heart and raised me with her wallet.

The problem was that her abilities only manifested when one reached adulthood, and my own powers were about to awaken soon, which made me extremely tense.

It would’ve been nice if I could escape beforehand, but that was nearly impossible. She had Mr. Schwartz, her reliable supporter, who would inevitably find me.

Mr. Schwartz had been a friend of my mother, yet he loved her intensely. Honestly, Lucellaire was stunningly beautiful.

Her black hair never tangled, even in the harsh winter wind, and her eyes were a ripe grape-purple—not as crimson as mine, but equally striking.

Her high nose bridge and slightly pursed lips gave her a somewhat fierce air.

Being in the north, her skin was so pale it almost looked transparent, which only enhanced her beauty.

Her arrogant and confident gaze, her unwavering presence… and whenever she spoke sharply and clearly, almost like issuing orders, I would flinch in surprise.

For Mr. Schwartz, loving someone like her made finding me a million times easier than any attempt I might make to escape. I had to be careful.

Moreover, I secretly wished I could reform her, if possible—for better or worse, she was still my mother. And she always had slightly smaller portions of meat on her plate than I did, even by half a hand’s width.

Lucellaire Ludwig.

No matter how I looked at it, she was undeniably my only protector.

“Carbella Ludwig.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t sit there at the table grinning idiotically.”

“…Yes.”

Really. Despite appearances, she did care for me.

Truly.

“Are you done eating?”

“Finish it.”

“Yes.”

My mother didn’t leave her seat even after putting down her knife and fork. I hadn’t finished yet, and even though I was almost of age, she never let me eat alone when she was around. Instead, she held her wineglass until I was done.

Almost every day.

Sometimes she would bring her cigarette holder, too.

Then, silence fell again.

In the dining room, the only sound was mine cutting my food. Outside, the wind occasionally whistled.

Her gaze had long since returned to the window, where the winter landscape stretched out.

She rarely opened the window, for there were many things to be cautious of. When she did open it occasionally, her eyes always lingered there.

The silence lasted until I finished my meal.

As soon as I finished eating, I hurried to prepare to go out.

“Mother, I’m going outside for a bit.”

“It’s cold. Don’t go.”

I hadn’t intended to ask for permission, but the moment I spoke, she flatly refused.

“The deliveryman is late again. You need to order more firewood, or the stove will go out. This time, I must warn them properly.”

The north was deep in the midst of a harsh winter.

Since there were no servants here, sometimes I had to act myself—like with the firewood. I had placed the order long ago, yet it hadn’t arrived.

The deliveryman was probably doing it on purpose.

No matter how many times we warned him, he would claim he forgot and only show up after repeated reminders.

We didn’t pay him less than his due; he received his full share. Still, he delayed simply because he disliked our family.

We had never harmed anyone in the north. Rumors that followed us from the capital were what fueled their dislike.

They say bad things happen if you cross paths with a villainess.

I thought I had treated them politely enough for my mother’s sake. Making more enemies here would only be exhausting.

Yet, they assumed I would be just as bad, if not worse, than my mother.

They didn’t like my red eyes, my silver hair… even my upturned eyes. They even commented on my expression, claiming it seemed unnatural, that my smile was fake, that everything about me was false.

Not entirely wrong, but they would probably dislike even the path we walked ten years ago. Because of that, only about twenty pieces of firewood remained.

I should have placed the order sooner. Even though I anticipated delays, I had waited another week, which was my mistake. Yet my mother still wouldn’t let me go out, staring at the window rattling in the snowstorm.

I looked at the firewood again.

My mother was sensitive to cold and despised winter. In the north, cold was not just unpleasant—it was painful. So we needed a substantial stockpile.

Anxious, I thought of freezing to death.

“If we use it today, there really won’t be any left tomorrow.”

“Then do it tomorrow.”

She left the room, draping her shawl over her shoulders again.

“….”

Her sarcastic reply made me feel even colder. I reluctantly removed my fur gloves.

If she said to do it tomorrow, then tomorrow it would be. If it didn’t arrive by then, I would have to confront the deliveryman.

As I muttered to myself and began to take off my coat, someone knocked at the door.

“No one’s coming.”

I raised an eyebrow and went to the entrance. Without a garden, anyone could knock on the front door. Something I never worried about in the capital.

“Who’s th—”

“Carbella! Mr. Schwartz is here!”

“….”

A booming voice came from outside. Hearing a familiar voice brought a bit of relief.

So that’s why mother didn’t want me to go out. I was still firmly in her protective palm, and that thought added another layer of fear.

Now in his mid-to-late thirties, approaching forty, Schwartz proudly referred to himself as “Uncle.”

“Going to brag to the whole neighborhood?”

I opened the door to greet Mr. Schwartz.

He was dressed in black and looked down at me with a bright smile. Snowflakes clung to his hat like old dust.

“Huh? Brag about what?”

“That we’re in cahoots with the villainous mother-daughter. Come in.”

I opened the door further so he could step inside.

“If I could become an accomplice, I might even sell my soul.”

It seemed that being in the snow had muddled Mr. Schwartz’s mind.

After barely saving our lives at the risk of his own, could he so casually speak as if he truly wished it?

“How can your soul be so cheap?”

“The price changes with the times. Is it possible?”

“I would never do that.”

“Carbella, don’t say such hurtful things.”

He took off his hat, tossing it along with his coat, and stepped inside. His pale silver bangs were disheveled. His long hair, reaching his waist, was entirely tangle-free.

“What brings you out in this cold?”

Knowing how dangerous he was, I felt uneasy with his overly dramatic personality and excessive kindness.

Yet, I thought he was far cooler than the male lead emperor—both in appearance and character. By character, I meant the way he treated us, not normal societal standards.

He probably would look even better with glasses. His eyesight was incredible, fast and precise—able to see things invisible to others. Yet he kept hovering around us, and I didn’t understand why.

Risking his life, even handling money laundering…

He had many responsibilities. If not for us, he might be living a more comfortable life. He was still young enough to marry normally.

Just my thoughts.

“Why do you look so unwelcoming?”

“I’m glad to see you.”

“You don’t look glad at all.”

“This is my happiest expression.”

I simply lifted the corners of my mouth slightly.

He laughed heartily, hanging his coat on the rack by the door. At the same time, he ruffled my hair roughly with his hand.

My carefully maintained expression collapsed.

“Seems like you’ve grown taller.”

“I’ve stopped growing for two years already.”

“Really? Then why do you seem taller?”

“Maybe Mr. Schwartz has shrunk.”

“Ha! Definitely Lucellaire’s daughter.”

He chuckled.

I tidied my disheveled hair and locked the door completely.

“Where’s Lu?”

“I told you not to call her that.”

Her elegant voice sharply scolded him.

Our gazes met as mother came back into the living room, responding to the visitor’s voice.

“Lucellaire.”

I noticed a slight change in the gleam of his eyes. I decided to stay quietly out of their way.

“Don’t think of going out; it’s windy.”

Mother warned me once more as I headed upstairs.

“I’m not going.”

She probably assumed I would try to sneak out to get firewood, but I had no such intention.

Mr. Schwartz always inspected the living room for what was lacking as soon as he arrived. He continued this until he left, as naturally as breathing.

With him here, he would stock up the firewood and scold the deliveryman who hadn’t brought it.

So, I intended to enjoy a few lazy days while the firewood remained.