I Thought I Was The Real One

 

I, Selena Estarian.

I was the only daughter of the Count’s family in the Empire and the fiancée of Crown Prince Phillip Martinson. At least until this morning.

“That’s enough. Leave, Selena.”

My brother, who had his hands behind his back, spoke with a frown. This was more of an order than a recommendation.

He was the little master of the Estarian Count’s family and the faithful heir carrying out his father’s orders.

“Brother…”

What was in my brother’s gaze was a terrible hatred. And it was understandable.

I was a fake. The real Selena Estarian was kidnapped in her childhood, and the daughter of a lowly maid took her place as Selena Estarian.

The real Selena, whom my mother risked her life to give birth to, grew up as a maid named Siena.

She grew up wretchedly, covered in soot, without proper food or education, and became a maid just like the woman she thought was her mother.

In contrast, the maid’s daughter who was switched grew up enjoying every luxury, so how could they not be angry?

It might be natural for them to hate me.

“It’s raining.”

Drip. Drip. Pitter-patter.

Although to my brother I am the wicked maid’s daughter and the fake sister who has taken the place of the real Countess Selena, he is still my only sibling.

So what saddens me more than having to give up my position is the fact that I can no longer be a family with the loved ones.

“What’s that got to do with anything? Surely you’re not trying to make an excuse not to leave because it’s raining?”

“That wasn’t my intention.”

“If you’re trying to be cunning, it’s best not to. I’m restraining myself from ordering you to be thrown out into the rain, you who have coveted someone else’s life.”

As I lowered my gaze, I saw that my brother had clenched his fists. He must be thinking of Siena, that girl.

A few months ago, Siena was registered as the Countess, and she was a pitiful child.

Her bony body protruded from not eating enough, and her nails were full of dirt.

She didn’t know how to read properly, and there was no sign of refinement.

Preoccupied with the struggle to survive, she couldn’t afford to worry about things like dignity and cultivation.

So it’s easy to imagine how much hardship there was in her upbringing.

And yet, she was bright and cheerful. Is that a misfortune or a blessing for me?

‘Hello, I’m Siena! I have many shortcomings, but thank you for accepting me.’

Seeing the smile of the unfortunate young lady who had her life stolen, I felt a sense of relief that I hadn’t stolen her laughter too, and my father and brother wept in sorrow.

It must have been more pitiful to see her maintain a bright appearance, having lived as a lowly maid who had grasped all the misfortunes of the world.

The indescribable anger of the two of them led them to compare Siena and me.

‘The spotlessly clean hands, the dignified speech, the knowledge gained from extensive education – all of that should have been hers!’

I can’t quite recall whether it was my father or my brother who said that.

I was also so overwhelmed with guilt and remorse that my memory is unclear.

What is clear is that my beloved family has come to resent and hate me.

‘In fact, it was my own birth mother, a maid, who orchestrated all of this…’

She has been dead for a long time. So the arrows are pointed at me, her daughter.

“I’m sorry, brother. I was just reminiscing about playing in the rain as a child…”

My brother’s face twisted even more.

“That should have been a memory shared with Siena.”

“I’m truly sorry. I didn’t mean to make you angry.”

The memories I shared with my brother became a time of regret for giving affection to the fake and being sorry to Siena.

All the time my brother and Siena shared was before she was switched, when she was ten years old.

“Now, just go. My patience is running out.”

“But before I go, can I see Father one last time?”

“Father?”

My brother gritted his teeth. His green eyes shone fiercely.

Whenever I heard the knights say my brother was a fearsome man, I thought they were mistaken.

My brother was the second most kind-hearted person after my father.

But the brother in front of me now… was not the sibling I knew.

‘Scary…’

I trembled with fear, as if a tiger was in front of me. I was breathless at the cold, sharp gaze I had never seen from him before.

I suddenly realized how much I had grown up in a warm greenhouse.

“That man is someone you cannot even mention. How dare a daughter of a lowly criminal call the Count her father?”

“I-I’m sorry. I’ll be more careful.”

“Your name is no longer Selena Estarian. Your name should no longer be accompanied by the Estarian surname, and your status is no longer that of a noble.”

“I’ll remember… Can I at least see Father, the Count, one last-”

“Are you still not coming to your senses? Take her away!”

At my brother’s command, the servants in the house grabbed my arms.

They had been obeying my orders and serving me just a few days ago.

“I’ll go on my own.”

“No. You’re probably trying to stay here with some wicked tricks like your mother.”

“No, no. Please believe me.”

“What are you all doing! Take her out immediately!”

The servants roughly dragged me out. The maids who had been serving me watched my state.

My brother didn’t seem to want to send me off nicely. Ah, he must want to vent his anger.

Humiliation and shame made my face burn. But what hurt more was the fact that the sibling I trusted and relied on had turned his back on me.

“I’ll go on my own.”

“Do you still think you’re the young lady of this house?”

Simon, the servant pulling me, snickered and whispered.

I knew he was an opportunistic character, but I didn’t expect him to change his attitude so abruptly.

Jerome, the other servant pulling me, scoffed.

“As a commoner, you have no authority to order us!”

As they mocked me and dragged me through the first-floor hallway, the door at the end of the hallway opened. It was Father’s study.

And there, Father and Siena came out.

“Father!”

That was my father. The father who raised me until I was twenty, the father I loved and respected, Alvaro Estarian, the Count.

At my call, the servants’ hands stopped.

“Father…”

Even at my call, Father did not respond, only furrowing his brow. Father turned his face away with a deep sigh, almost irritably.

No, he even turned his body away with a sigh.

“Ah…”

At that moment, a small figure emerged behind Father. It was Siena.

Dressed in the dress I had been wearing, Siena stared at me with wide eyes.

‘That scarf…’

That scarf was definitely the one I had packed separately in my bag…

“Siena, could you please take off that scarf? It’s mine.”

Siena can wear my dress, since it was originally hers.

But the scarf is different. That scarf was a gift from my fiancé, the Crown Prince.

A gift given to ‘Selena’, not the ‘Estarian’ woman.

“Do not covet what is no longer yours, Selena.”

My brother, who had followed behind, spoke in a twisted tone. I involuntarily shrank back at his icy voice. Father affectionately wrapped his arm around Siena’s shoulder.

“Siena, you don’t need to return it. If you like it, feel free to keep it.”

“But she asked for it back…”

“You don’t need to speak politely to her. You are the Countess Estarian, and she is just a commoner.”

“But…”

Siena looked quite troubled, glancing at me from the corner of her eye.

Seeing her being cautious made me feel like a shameless person for demanding something that was rightfully hers.

I had stolen Siena’s life, and yet I was making her feel uneasy over just a scarf… It made me feel like a despicable person.

Still, I couldn’t easily give up. The scarf was something the Crown Prince, whom Siena loved, had given me. I couldn’t let that be taken away.

“But there’s no ‘but’. Siena, Sion, what are you doing? Settle this.”

“Yes, Father.”

At Father’s command, my brother gestured to the servants. Before the servants could drag me out again, I quickly broke free from them.

“I’ll go on my own.”

I tried to hold my shoulders high and maintain my dignity and pride. I continued speaking politely but not servilely.

“I will take my leave. Please allow me.”

Although I am now just a commoner, the habits of my past life, which was built on theft, are not easily discarded.

Even though I have nothing and being defiant is of no comfort, since self-respect is the only thing I have left, I must at least preserve this. The few pieces of clothing I’m taking with me are all I have.

“Siena, that wasn’t bought with the Estarian family’s money. Can I have the precious gift back?”

“Ah… I’m, I’m sorry, I’ll-”

Cutting off Siena’s words, Father roared.

“No, Siena, you don’t have to give up even a speck to that girl. You have no reason to yield or show consideration. Selena, I don’t want to make you blush any further, so just leave now.”

In that way, Father drew the line. He didn’t even see me off and went back into the study.

The sound of the door slamming shut hit my heart.

Even if we weren’t real father and daughter, this might be the last time. I wanted to at least thank him for raising me.

I understood their resentment towards me, but the coldness stung, and tears welled up in my eyes. To hold back the tears, I bit the tender flesh inside my mouth and swallowed the sorrow.

My brother spoke.

“Father is right. Go now.”

“I’ll go.”

Carrying the luggage bag the maids had brought, I went out into the rainy outside.

“Could you please tell Father that I always loved and was grateful to him?”

“…”

My brother went upstairs without answering. Even though they are no longer family to me, Father and Brother are still my beloved family. Their attitude made my heart feel like it was being torn apart.

‘Let’s go now.’

And so I stepped out the door, into the rain.

The relentlessly falling raindrops kept slapping my cheeks. Just as I was about to leave the estate’s gate and enter the outer gate-

“Wait!”

It was Siena. She had rushed through the rain towards me.

“What’s wrong?”

“The scarf, I want to return it to you.”

“Ah… Thank you.”

“Well, I can buy dozens more scarves like this in the future, so…”

“Huh?”

Before I could finish, Siena smiled brightly and tossed the scarf, not placing it in my hand, but letting it fall to the ground at my feet.

The silk fabric soaked up the puddle of rainwater. I quickly bent down to pick up the scarf, trying to prevent it from getting too dirty.

That’s when her shoe stomped on the scarf.

“Siena! What are you doing?”

I heard a snort from her. Wondering what was going on, I looked up to see Siena’s malicious smile and cold gaze.

“Ah, sorry, my mistake. A mistake.”

Siena withdrew her foot, but the scarf was already stained with dirt.

“If you stay out in the rain too long, you might catch a cold, so I’ll be going now. And Selena.”

Siena’s eyes crinkled in a mocking way. An obvious sneer flowed from her nose.

“Hehehe. Actually, you know, I’m the fake one.”

“What on earth are you-”

“That’s right, I’m not the real one. But from now on, I’ll be the real one, so you can be the fake one.”

“Huh? What do you mean-”

“Go ahead and try to live diligently. I think the maid’s life suits you well, so I’m looking forward to it.”

Leaving those words behind, she slipped away to the servants who had come with an umbrella to fetch her.

What on earth was she talking about? That I should be the fake one while she becomes the real one?

Amidst the terrible confusion, I was left alone.