The Villainess Who Accidentally Stole Their Hearts - Chapter 35

Chapter 18.1

︵‿୨ ₊‧꒰ა ୨ৎ ໒꒱ ‧₊ ୧‿︵

A few days later, at the Grand Duke’s residence.

Today was the anniversary of my mother’s death.

It was the day all the siblings of the Delosif family visited her grave. Behind me, Alice, clutching the bouquet I had chosen, hurried to catch up. Just as I finished descending the stairs, another maid approached, cradling a white bouquet in her arms.

“These are from Lord Cleas.”

My face instantly twisted into a grimace, as if I had bitten into dirt.

‘Now he’s pulling all sorts of stunts.’

He had been doing strange things since our last encounter. Since when has he ever sent flowers for my mother’s death anniversary?

‘No, wait. He did send them once.’

Through Mikarin’s hands.

He had used my mother’s death anniversary as an excuse to secretly meet with Mikarin. However, before I could think more, another maid arrived with yet another bouquet.

“These are from Lord Ulysses!”

What was wrong with these people? Had they lost their minds? I didn’t want to see flowers from Cleas, and I certainly didn’t want flowers from Ulysses, one of the adultery five.

Just then—

“Aren’t you coming?”

Akain’s voice rang out.

“The carriage is here. What are you doing?”

“My carriage hasn’t arrived yet.”

“Why go separately? There’s still space.”

He then glanced at the three maids trailing behind me, each holding a bouquet.

“What’s with all these flowers?”

At his question, the maids quickly stepped forward, each presenting their bouquets.

“These are from Lord Cleas!”

“These are from Lord Ulysses!”

“This is the bouquet the lady picked herself.”

Without a word, Akain snatched the bouquet from Alice’s hands.

“This one is enough.”

He then took my bouquet and carried it to the carriage.

Alice came over to me, smiling cheerfully.

“Isn’t this the first time the young master is going with you, my lady?”

“…Yeah.”

“He’s been much kinder to you lately.”

“…Does it seem that way to you too?”

“Of course! I think it’s really—”

“Could it be that he’s sick with some terminal illness?”

“Pardon?”

I stared at Alice with a stern expression. No one just changed like that overnight, unless they had come back from the future like me.

While I was seriously pondering this, Akain, who had already boarded the carriage, shouted.

“What are you, a snail?!”

‘…Hmm. Maybe he’s not dying after all.’

Feeling slightly relieved, I made my way to the carriage.

Inside, I found not only Akain but also Zerno.

“….?”

‘…Why is Zerno here?’

He usually rode alone in the carriage reserved for the successor.

I tilted my head in confusion, glancing out the window.

‘The sun didn’t rise in the west, did it?’

—That was exactly my thought.

The inside of the carriage was mostly silent. The only sound was Akain grumbling, “Feels cramped in here today because Zerno’s riding with us.”

Zerno quietly shot back.

“Then you get out.”

It was the first time the three of us were traveling together to visit Mother’s grave, but strangely, it wasn’t as awkward as I thought it would be. The sanctuary was crowded with people, mostly vassals of Delosif and those from allied families. As I made my way to the door to step out of the carriage, Akain, who had already gotten down, reached out a hand to me.

“Why?”

Akain looked at me incredulously.

“What, you want something?”

I asked again, this time a little more insistently. He frowned in response.

“You really can’t act normal, can you?”

Tsk. He clicked his tongue, stepped back from the carriage door, and only then did I finally get out. Even as I stepped down, Akain kept mumbling to himself, and Zerno followed behind me.

“If a man holds out his hand in front of a carriage, what do you think that means? Geez… Ah, look, they’re doing it over there too.”

I turned to follow Akain’s gesture and saw another carriage nearby.

A man who seemed to be the coachman was holding out his hand to the door. A woman in a black dress took his hand and stepped down.

“See? That’s how people normally—wait, what…?”

Akain suddenly went stiff.

“Brothers! Sister!”

…Because it was Mikarin.

︵‿୨ ₊‧꒰ა ୨ৎ ໒꒱ ‧₊ ୧‿︵

The atmosphere in the sanctuary was chaotic, all because of Mikarin’s appearance.

The vassals knew about the Emma incident. Zerno’s close aides had witnessed it firsthand, and others had probably heard about it through rumors.

“Have you been well…?”

Mikarin asked Akain. Since he was the person who cherished her the most, it must have been easiest for her to speak to him first.

But—

‘Wow, I’ve never seen him wear such an openly uncomfortable expression before.’

Akain must have felt a deep sense of betrayal, considering how much he had cherished Mikarin.

“Why are you here?”

“Brother Akain…”

“We only took away your right to enter the main house. Do you think it’s fine to show up anywhere else?”

“That’s not what I…”

“Leave.”

After saying that, he walked over to me.

“Let’s go see Mother.”

But just then—

“No…!”

“Goodness…”

“Ahem.”

The vassals and members of the allied families gasped, clearly taken aback, as Mikarin dropped to her knees on the dirt floor in front of everyone. It was unthinkable for a noble lady to sacrifice her dignity like this. Even Akain, who had been pulling me along, stopped in his tracks.

“I’m not here to ask for anything else. I didn’t come to explain myself or clear up any misunderstandings…”

Huge tears rolled down her round, deer-like eyes.

“I just want to see Aunt… Please, that’s all I’m asking for…”

I almost felt like applauding.

She managed to shift the atmosphere in an instant.

‘No wonder she’s at the center of the Adultery Five.’

If Akain’s usual phrase was, ‘Mikarin, you’re way too kind for your own good, seriously,’ then Mikarin’s was, ‘On Aunt’s behalf…’

“Since Aunt is no longer here, sister must be so lonely. Please understand her small mistakes…”

“I’m here in Aunt’s stead. I’ll cherish sister for her and love my brothers as she would.”

Words like these had always bewitched the Delossif family.

Akain had been the first to fall for it completely.

So, the word ‘Aunt’ was practically Mikarin’s ultimate weapon. Look, the soft-hearted vassals were already tearing up, sniffling, ‘Oh, how admirable…’

‘As for Akain…’

His face hadn’t completely relaxed. Probably still hurt from the betrayal, he didn’t immediately send her away.

And then—

“Alright.”

Zerno nodded.

Mikarin turned to Zerno with a surprised expression.

“R-Really? Ah… I was afraid that Brother would be so disappointed in me that you wouldn’t even let me see Aunt…”

Then, she pressed both hands over her mouth like she was struggling to hold back tears before she quickly stood and walked after Zerno.

“Thank you, Brother!”

I nearly let out a disbelieving laugh.

Anyone watching would think she was the real daughter.

‘Meanwhile, I, the actual daughter, wasn’t even allowed to visit my mother on her death anniversary.’

It all started after I married Cleas. Mikarin blocked me every time I tried to visit my mother’s grave.

“What do you think you’re doing? Cleas said you can’t leave the house.”

“But today’s my mother’s death anniversary. Just for today, let me see her…”

“Sister, how can you be so selfish?”

The face that had once been kind before my marriage to Cleas now twisted coldly.

“Today is the sorrowful anniversary of Aunt’s passing. How do you think the brothers would feel seeing you here on a day like this?”

“….”

“You deceived the empire with the lie that you were an Awakener, caused all kinds of incidents, and tarnished the family’s honor.”

“….”

“Stop hurting the family already.”

And just like that, I was dragged back by the maids and locked in my room. From the moment I married Cleas, I was never allowed to visit my mother’s grave again.

Meanwhile, Mikarin visited regularly.

When she returned, she wore a very familiar hair ornament.

‘It was my mother’s favorite when she was alive.’

The memory made my fists clench involuntarily. It was truly a shock. No matter how much my brothers hated me, how could they give my mother’s keepsake to Mikarin?

That was when I realized:

‘I’ve already been erased from this family.’

That was why I couldn’t ask them for help, even as I watched Mikarin flaunt my mother’s keepsake while rolling around with Cleas.

“Do you like it, Cleas?”

“It fits you perfectly, as if it were made just for you.”

“I’m so happy. Mmm, kiss me again.”

Just thinking about that scene still made me nauseous.

And now, Mikarin was still clinging to Zerno, chatting away like nothing had happened.

“These are the Iplea flowers Aunt loved. I’ve been taking care of them every day. Do you think she’ll like them?”

The vassals, moved by Mikarin’s ‘devotion,’ smiled approvingly.