Chapter 1
Dark-colored furniture, plain-patterned silk curtains, and old ornaments decorated the room.
“This place always feels so dreary.”
Melody slowly glanced around before plopping down on a chair.
Her younger sister’s cold remark left Estelle feeling bitter all over again.
It was true that the place was far too shabby for the daughter of the Winchesters to reside in. But Estelle had her reasons.
“Estelle Winchester. Your attire is excessive.”
When Estelle was a child, the Duke of Winchester had frowned at her yellow frilled dress.
Since that day, the fear of being labeled extravagant had made her adopt a habit of keeping everything around her modest.
“Oh, right. You said you don’t like anything too bright. My bad. It suits your taste, though, doesn’t it?”
Melody gave Estelle a once-over, taking in her dark green dress.
It was a lie Estelle had grown accustomed to—claiming she preferred simplicity—so she forced an awkward smile.
The crackling of the fireplace logs broke the silence, filling the still room.
“Tea. I’ve brought some tea.”
Anna, Estelle’s personal maid, entered with a tray. She set down two teacups before quickly leaving the room.
‘What’s wrong with her today?’
Estelle’s eyes followed Anna, puzzled by her unusual haste. Melody noticed her lingering gaze.
“…Sister, what’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
Brushing it off as her imagination, Estelle shook her head and shifted her focus to the teacup Anna had placed.
The fresh scent of rosemary softly tickled her nose.
Taking a sip, she felt as though she had stepped closer to spring, lightening her somber mood just a bit.
“It’s snowing a lot. I wish winter would end soon, and spring would come.”
Estelle stared out the window, where a fierce blizzard raged, clutching her teacup tightly.
Though the warmth of the teacup heated her palms, she couldn’t shake the chill that seemed to settle over her.
“You’ve always hated winter, haven’t you, Sister?”
Melody remarked, watching Estelle shiver as though she couldn’t understand her.
“Winter is cold.”
“I guess I like it because my birthday is in winter. It’s my favorite season in the world.”
Melody’s cheerful comment drew a soft smile from Estelle, who brought the teacup back to her lips.
‘I just want spring to come already…’
Imagining flowers blooming vibrantly under the sun, Estelle felt as though she could almost smell the season in the air.
But as she savored the moment, Estelle noticed something odd—Melody wasn’t drinking her tea.
“Melody, the tea smells wonderful. You should try it.”
“I had too much strawberry cake earlier. I’ll drink it later.”
Melody declined her offer, fiddling with the top button of her dress, as though it was too tight for comfort.
‘She hates anything constrictive, so why is her neck covered?’
And come to think of it, she wasn’t as talkative as usual. Today, she seemed uncharacteristically quiet.
“Are you worried about something? Did something go wrong with your coming-of-age ceremony preparations…?”
Estelle’s gentle inquiry was cut short.
Gulp.
A crimson streak of blood spilled from between her lips.
Raising a trembling hand to her mouth, Estelle stared in shock as her pale palm turned red.
Her stomach churned violently, and her heart began to race.
“Pfft.”
The sound of quiet laughter came from above her.
Slowly lifting her head, Estelle froze in terror at Melody’s satisfied smile. A shiver ran up her spine, the hairs on her arms standing on end.
“One, two…”
Melody looked at the clock, counting softly.
“…Melody?”
“Three.”
At the count of three, Estelle collapsed forward. Her body felt utterly drained, unable to move.
“Poor Sister. It must hurt a lot. They say snake venom is agonizing, twisting your insides. How does it feel? Does it hurt a lot?”
Crouching down to meet her gaze, Melody whispered in a sweet, tender voice.
“You… It was you…?”
“Do you really have to ask? Do you still trust me? Sister, there’s a limit to how naïve you can be. Can’t you see what’s happening?”
Her words were merciless. Though she looked at Estelle with disdain, Melody’s touch as she stroked her cheek was impossibly gentle.
‘It can’t be. It must be someone else…’
Estelle wanted to believe it wasn’t her, but the lavender scent clinging to Melody confirmed the truth.
Melody was the one who poisoned her.
“If you die, all my problems will be solved.”
“……”
“So, Sister, I wish you would die. You can do at least that much for me, can’t you?”
Suddenly, the day Estelle first met Melody flashed through her mind.
It must have been when she was around ten years old.
The Duke of Winchester had brought home a little girl wandering the streets.
Perhaps it was because she had the same pink eyes as the late duchess. The duke immediately began the process of adopting the girl as ‘Melody Winchester.’
Melody.
The name the Duke and Duchess of Winchester had planned to give their daughter if they ever had one.
That name—’Melody’—should have been Estelle’s.
With that name, Melody took so much from Estelle.
She claimed the western room, reserved only for the eldest daughter, because it got the most sunlight. She snatched up rare jewels and dresses without a second thought.
Even the love and attention of their father and brothers were stolen away.
Despite losing everything she was entitled to, Estelle could never show her displeasure.
Melody’s frail health meant she needed to stay in a warm room. If Estelle didn’t give her what she wanted, she would get scolded.
Estelle had given up so much to Melody that she became accustomed to yielding.
“What… didn’t I… give you?”
“There’s nothing you didn’t give me. You’ve always given me everything. But you see, if you’re gone, I can have even more.”
What more could she possibly want? What else could she take from here?
Tears streamed down Estelle’s face as she recalled a lifetime of being robbed by Melody.
“Do you know why I’m telling you all this? The poison you drank doesn’t have an antidote. You’re going to stop breathing soon anyway.”
“……”
“Does it feel unfair? But if you had managed your servant better, this wouldn’t have happened. You couldn’t even stop someone from betraying you for a mere pouch of gold coins.”
She smirked darkly, her words slow and deliberate.
“I prepared thoroughly so I wouldn’t even be suspected if you died.”
“Yes, I’ve been preparing for a very long time—carefully, meticulously. It started when I saw you so happy while planning your wedding. That’s when I decided I had to kill you.”
Estelle was too exhausted to dwell on the betrayal of those she trusted. Dying like this seemed preferable. She had suffered enough.
“Father hates you so much that he might even remove your name from the family registry.”
Melody twisted the knife further, forcing Estelle closer to despair.
“Don’t you remember? No one loves you. You’re the sinner who killed the kind-hearted duchess by being born.”
‘The sinner who killed the kind-hearted duchess by being born.’
There was no phrase more fitting to describe Estelle.
She had heard it so many times that it didn’t even hurt anymore. The wound had festered, never healing, only oozing pus.
“I hated how you pitied me, as if you were better than me. What made you think you had the right to pity me?”
‘I didn’t pity you. I cared about you.’
‘If only this were all just a bad dream. I can’t believe you’ve been waiting for me to die.’
‘My little sister was supposed to be sweet, kind, and innocent…’
Words welled up in her throat, but they wouldn’t come out.
Though she couldn’t say she had never resented Melody, she had never hated her. She had loved her until the end.
“If you’re gone, I’ll finally be perfect. Your existence highlights the fact that I’m not truly the Winchester family’s daughter. But if you die, my worth will skyrocket. I’ll become the only true daughter of the Winchesters.”
Ah, truly, could there be a sharper blade than her words?
It was as though Melody intended to shred Estelle’s heart so thoroughly it would never beat again.
“Sister, do you know what Prince Leonov said to me in the glasshouse?”
Her voice was lively, filled with joy.
“He held me in his arms, kissed my neck, and told me he loved me. He said he regretted being forced to get engaged to you because of the empress’s wishes. That he wanted to break off the engagement immediately and get rid of you.”
Melody’s cheeks were flushed a peachy pink, her face alight with excitement as she spoke of Estelle’s death.
She began unbuttoning her dress, pulling it down to her shoulders. Her pale neck was covered in faint pink marks.
Leonov. The man Estelle had loved for so long but who had never returned her feelings.
She could understand that she couldn’t force affection in a marriage of convenience, but this was too cruel.
Perhaps if the other woman had been someone else, it wouldn’t have felt so devastating.
Melody’s smile was the brightest Estelle had ever seen.
“It was never yours. It was mine all along.”
It wasn’t that Melody had stolen anything; she acted as if it had always been rightfully hers.
Estelle’s eyelids grew heavy, and her vision blurred. Even if she wanted to speak, her words wouldn’t come.
Each slow exhale tightened her chest. She knew the end was near.
She hadn’t chosen to be born into this world, and her death was no different.
Estelle Winchester, who had longed for the warmth of spring, died trembling in the cold.
It was the bitter end of the winter she had always despised.
