Chapter 19
The gentle motion of the carriage came to a stop, and Ebony opened her eyes.
Through the slightly parted curtains, a familiar sight greeted her.
The grand, dark mansion stood as if to remind her that her happiness was once fleeting.
The momentary freedom she had felt was now tightening around her again.
The coachman opened the door and offered his hand to escort her out.
“It’s been a while, my lady.”
With Gale’s guidance, Ebony entered the mansion. Naturally, no family member had come to greet her in person.
After instructing the servants to bring her luggage and gifts to her room, Ebony was about to head there herself when—
“His Grace has requested to see you.
He asked you to come to his office immediately upon arrival.”
Gale emphasized when she didn’t respond.
“He seemed to have something urgent to discuss.”
“If it was that urgent, he could have come to meet me outside and spoken to me there.”
“…”
“I’ll go now.”
She thought it best to get it over with quickly, including anything related to Edward.
As Ebony headed straight to the office, Gale cautiously asked,
“Are you sure you don’t want to change first?”
She was still wearing simple, comfortable clothes from her carriage ride, something Gale seemed to subtly point out.
“Why bother? His Grace said it was urgent, so I’ll respect his words.”
Throwing a shawl over her plain dress, Ebony made her way to the office.
Knock, knock.
“Come in.”
With permission granted, she opened the door.
Edward, who had been working on some documents, stopped as soon as he saw her. His eyes showed a trace of surprise at her appearance.
His daughter, who always dressed up whenever summoned, was now standing before him in such plain attire.
“…Your clothes are simple.”
“I came straight here after arriving.”
“When I said not to delay, I didn’t mean you couldn’t take the time to change.”
“I wanted to finish this quickly.”
“…”
“You hate wasting time, don’t you?”
Her words were sharp and indifferent.
“What kind of tone is that?” Edward’s voice turned stern, pointing out her impoliteness.
“Am I wrong? You despise wasting time. Isn’t that why you chose to prioritize your work overcoming to greet your daughter, even though I’ve been away for two weeks?”
Her blunt tone carried a sting.
Seeing his daughter’s unfamiliar demeanor, Edward came to one conclusion.
“You’re still angry, aren’t you? Even though I allowed you to travel?”
Ebony Dominique had changed.
Why? The only explanation he could think of was…
Perhaps she was still upset about getting sick after eating shellfish.
“If it’s about that…”
Before he could finish, Ebony cut him off.
“What are you referring to?”
“That incident!”
“Do you mean the time you ignored Herman’s prank?
Or when you left me alone in the carriage, suffering from my allergy?
Or perhaps when you assumed I’d disgrace myself and stopped me from leaving the house? Which one, Your Grace?”
“…”
“Which incident are you referring to?”
Her cold, precise words hit Edward like a blow. The Ebony before him was calmer yet frostier than he had ever seen.
Edward, visibly unsettled, hesitated for a moment. He couldn’t figure out her intentions or what kind of response she was expecting.
Finally, with a frown, he decided to drop the subject.
“…Forget it. There’s no point in arguing with you. Let’s move on. I heard from Leon about your reckless actions—crossing into the northern region without permission. Is that true?”
“Yes.”
Edward had expected her to show some remorse, but her answer was confident and unapologetic.
Biting the inside of his cheek, Edward spoke in a more authoritative tone.
“What were you thinking? If you had to go to Evgenia, you should’ve stayed quietly. Instead, you caused trouble by showing up at the Duke of Magnus’ estate!”
“Are you angry because my actions might have tarnished the Dominique family’s reputation?”
“What?”
“I just assumed you weren’t concerned about my safety.”
“That’s not—”
He faltered. Of course, he had worried. Ever since he learned she was at the Magnus estate, he hadn’t been able to sleep.
But now that she was back safely, wasn’t the time for that concern over?
“I didn’t do anything that would harm the Dominique name, so there’s no need to worry,” she said.
“Still—”
“If that’s all you had to say, I’ll be going. Have a good evening.”
Ebony turned the doorknob without looking back.
“Oh, and please keep your promise to allow me to leave through marriage.”
She left, shutting the door behind her with a small thud.
Leaning against the door, Ebony let out a slow sigh.
“As always, Father hasn’t changed.”
That man, so harsh with her, was no different this time.
Even though she had rebelled for the first time, he didn’t care to consider her reasons. He simply dismissed her as a sulking child throwing a tantrum.
She had hoped, for a moment, that he might apologize. That small hope now felt foolish.
“Why did I even expect anything?”
Walking down the gray halls, Ebony’s eyes wandered to the portraits on the walls.
The painting of a happy family: Herman and Irene, smiling with their arms linked, and Edward standing behind them with a proud expression.
And there she was, sitting to the side, wearing a dull black dress that made her look like she didn’t belong.
“Don’t forget, Ebony. Remember why you came back to the past. Never forget.”
Staring at the portrait that emphasized her isolation, Ebony let out a bitter smile.
She clenched the ring box hidden in her skirt pocket, vowing to herself.
The knife that had scarred her heart—this time, she would wield it against them.
Edward, who had ignored her all her life, Herman, who tormented her, and—
“Ebony!”
Familiar footsteps echoed in the hallway.
The voice that followed felt like a cruel welcome back to her hell.
“I missed you, little sister!”
Light, airy steps approached, accompanied by a sweet, melodic voice.
Irene, her face lit with a bright smile, opened her arms wide and hugged Ebony tightly.
“…I missed you too, sister.”
Ebony raised her arms and gently embraced the person who had once taken everything from her.
There would be no forgiveness.
Just as they had never once shown her mercy.
