The Villainess' Son is Innocent - Chapter 4
Chapter 2.2
“I had a bad dream, but I’m okay now. In the dream… You and Daddy left me and died in an accident… I was so shocked and anxious… but when I saw your face, I realized it was just a dream, and I feel better now.”
If my mom had also gone back in time, she would’ve likely picked up on the nuances in my words. But her response was different.
“My daughter, would you like a hug?”
Flinching, I was about to refuse, but then I approached her and hugged her tightly.
“Don’t you worry, Mommy and Daddy are strong and sturdy. Dreams say the opposite of reality. Are you feeling overwhelmed because of the birthday party?”
“No, I’m not.”
“If you’d like, you can cancel it, but if you don’t want to, then don’t be afraid to say so.”
Contrary to my expectations, there were no signs that my mom had gone back in time like me.
Nonetheless, I was relieved. The warmth of being held was so comforting… My heart skipped a beat as I wondered if it really had been a dream. Maybe I wanted to deny my memories, to confirm if what I’d experienced was real. Or maybe I just needed someone to lean on.
“Is it because of the dream that you’re not in a good mood today?”
“…Is it that obvious?”
“You’ve always had the strength to endure things on your own. If it’s because of the party, we can cancel it. But dreams are something Mommy can’t erase… Instead, how about we take a walk after breakfast to lift your mood?”
Her kind tone made me smile faintly.
“Okay.”
As my mood improved, Mom gave me a gentle smile.
…But why does everyone seem to think I care so much about my birthday celebration?
Well, maybe it’s reasonable. After all, tomorrow’s banquet is the first event I’m officially hosting. I initially thought of it as just a children’s birthday party, but it turned out to be more grand than I expected, making me feel a bit embarrassed. Next time, I’ll try to convince them to have a simple family gathering. Otherwise, similar situations will keep repeating every year.
When I left my mom’s embrace and returned to my seat, my dad, dressed in uniform, walked in.
“Happy early birthday.”
It wasn’t even my birthday yet, but his early congratulations came naturally, making my mom chuckle.
“You do realize that you’ve been doing this for a whole week, right?”
“It would seem so.”
“I get that you’re over the moon, but would you stop making a fool out of yourself? It’s very clear you’re the most excited out of all of us.”
With a cup of tea in hand, Dad remained in silent denial. But I also had to agree; Dad was the most excited.
‘He had gifts piled up like a tree for the actual day.’
And then, he got so carried away that he began sharing painfully embarrassing stories about me with the nobles and the children. I couldn’t bear to listen…
‘I’ll have to go through that all over again.’
I wanted to stop it as much as possible. But rather than stopping it, my mom seemed to subtly encourage it.
‘Even though she appears gentle, my mom has her cunning side.’
So, she sometimes played along with my dad’s enthusiasm while watching him. I used my knife to pop the poached egg artfully arranged in front of me.
What’s important is that I’ll meet Emil tomorrow. A good chance to figure out where things went wrong.
‘And I should meet Duke Calixt as well.’
Duke Calixt was unsettling, having raised the most suspicion in various ways.
Lacking attachment to his own son, he was a key figure in allowing Emil to grow up neglected and left him to be openly mistreated by those around him. I poked at the egg yolk a few times before setting my fork down.
Since I had last seen nineteen-year-old Emil just before my death, my memories of him at age ten were fuzzy.
A friend who killed my family. Honestly, I felt a considerable amount of betrayal. But at the same time, I want to believe in him just as much.
Emil couldn’t have been at fault. I hid my conflicting emotions behind a bitter smile.
* * *
The day passed by in the blink of an eye.
“My lady, you must get ready!”
Today, Mom, Dad, and Isana were the most excited. Isana woke me up early in the morning, and with the help of the maids, they worked hard to prepare me for the day.
‘Please save me…’
How could I forget? I always had at least twenty dresses prepared for each of my birthdays. Seeing all these dresses fitted on mannequins and filling the dressing room drained my energy.
As I quickly scanned through the design of each dress, I spotted the one I wore in the past. It was made of layers of white fabric adorned with lace and golden thread.
I liked that dress a lot back then. But I don’t want to wear the same dress as last time. It felt ominous.
“I like that one best.”
“The one with the subtle sky-blue color?”
When I pointed out my favorite dress among them, the two maids brought it over.
“It’ll suit you well, my lady. It’s an elegant fabric with silver and white embroidery.”
“Is that so? I want to go with this one then.”
Even though I’d picked the dress quickly, Isana still examined the other dresses.
“Shouldn’t you try on a few more, just in case?”
“I’m going to wear this one anyway. It’ll be a waste of time.”
Shaking her head, Isana reluctantly agreed.
“Well, considering you’ll be busy all day, you should try to make it a little less tiring for yourself, my lady.”
True. Since I had to be with the children all day, I needed to save as much energy as possible.
After putting on the dress, I arranged my short hair, tucking one side behind my ear and putting on a headband. I didn’t forget to use a sparkling topaz pin to secure it in place. Even after preparing diligently, I still looked a bit tense in my unfamiliar, younger appearance.
‘I need to do well. Otherwise…’
Suddenly, I became afraid, wondering if I could change the future. I shook off the anxiety and shook my head.
First and foremost, I needed to establish a closer relationship with Emil faster than before.
‘That way, I’ll have fewer constraints no matter what I want to do.’
Setting aside my fears, I calmly left the room to find my dad waiting for me.
“Today won’t be an early congratulations.”
“You don’t say?”
“Happy birthday.”
Had he been waiting to say those words?
I burst into laughter. My anxious heart that had been pounding just moments ago had disappeared.
“Thank you.”
Uncontrollable delight crossed my dad’s usually cold expression.
‘Huh?’
When Dad extended his hand towards me, he flinched, so I quickly grabbed his hand. It was twice the size of mine.
The hall was not far away. As soon as Dad and I entered, all eyes turned towards us, accompanied by applause.
‘It’s even grander than I remembered.’
Truth be told, I wasn’t much of a social butterfly. When I received invitations, I would attend only the necessary events and usually stayed focused on managing the inner affairs of the estate, secluded in our domain.
I arrived at my seat and greeted everyone with a slight smile.
“Thank you all for accepting my invitation and for joining me today, on my birthday.”
It was my tenth birthday.
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