Siena entered a private meeting with her father.
Sweat gathered in her palms. She tried her best to stay composed, but the anxiety overwhelmed her, causing cold sweat to break out.
It was impossible for her to act unbothered. She was too fragile and unstable—both physically and mentally…
“Could it be that I’m not his real daughter…?”
Siena pressed her fingertips into the soft skin of her hand, trying to regain some strength in her trembling shoulders.
“I look so much like him.”
When their eyes met, countless thoughts and emotions crossed her mind. From the simple question of how she could resemble someone who wasn’t blood-related, to vague anxiety and an inexplicable discomfort.
Even as she waited for her private meeting with her father, those feelings didn’t disappear. Instead, she felt suffocated by the fear that her identity as Selena Estarion might be shattered.
“It can’t be, right? It can’t be. Right…?”
She clutched her uncle’s hand tightly, murmuring to herself as if to reassure her own thoughts. Naturally, there was no answer from her uncle. Ever since her childhood, he had been lying unconscious in bed.
But that wasn’t important now. Desperately, Siena clung to her uncle once more.
“Help me, Uncle.”
Why can’t I remember anything? Why does she have the memories that should be mine? A flood of questions dissolved into a heavy sigh.
“There you are.”
The door opened, and her brother appeared. Having rushed over after receiving an urgent message from the palace, his forehead was dotted with beads of sweat.
“Selena. What’s going on?”
“They say I might not be… who I think I am.”
She could taste the salt of her tears in the back of her throat. No, that was the scent of her growing anxiety.
“If I’m not Selena Estarion, then who am I?”
Yes. That was what terrified her the most. Not knowing who she was, even to herself. If she denied the life she had lived as Selena, then what would become of her? Her identity, her life, her memories—all tied to Selena Estarion. So if she wasn’t Selena, where was she supposed to go?
Because she had no memories, she couldn’t be sure of her own identity. That’s why she wavered so easily, like a leaf blown by the smallest breeze.
“Of course, you’re my sister, Selena. Who else could you be?”
“But she has the memories.”
I only know I’m Selena because I was told so. I have no memory of being her. But the girl named Siena, she remembers being Selena.
That difference—her lack of childhood memories—was like a missing puzzle piece that weighed heavily on her heart.
“It’s fine, Selena. She’s just a girl who’s picked up some information somewhere.”
Her brother embraced her tightly. The warmth he gave calmed her trembling. Just as she began to regain her composure, Rosie burst in, yelling.
“Miss! The head maid says they’re going to examine that woman’s body! You need to go right now. This is absolutely outrageous!”
Siena and her brother exchanged glances.
A body examination meant the memories she claimed were accurate. In other words, they were about to verify her story by confirming certain physical marks.
Suddenly, her chest tightened, and she couldn’t breathe.
“Ah…”
Her vision darkened, and she grabbed her brother’s arm tightly. His firm grip steadied her swaying body.
“Selena. This must be some mistake. Father must have misjudged things. Let me go ahead. Rosie, take care of her.”
After giving her back a reassuring pat, her brother headed to their father’s study. Siena, supported by Rosie, moved back to her room.
Before long, a message came from her brother, summoning her urgently to the study.
The walk there felt unbearably short. She wanted to run away.
“Hoo…”
She took a deep breath in front of the door before knocking.
“Come in.”
After hearing permission, she cautiously opened the door. Siena was no longer there.
Her brother looked pale, and her father’s face was more serious than she had ever seen. The heavy atmosphere made her eyelids tremble. What was going on?
“Child. Sit down.”
“Child.” Her father always called her that.
As his only daughter and the youngest, her father always saw her as a little girl.
“Father, let me explain.”
“Alright. Go ahead.”
“Selena. That woman… she has memories from her childhood and the time she was kidnapped. Father and I both confirmed it twice.”
Her brother trailed off, but Siena knew what he was about to say.
Fear crept from her shoulders to the tips of her fingers, making her arms tingle. She couldn’t comprehend the situation.
“Child. You were born with a triangle-shaped birthmark on the back of your neck.”
A triangle-shaped birthmark? She had no idea she had such a mark. The back of her neck wasn’t something she could check, and none of her maids had ever mentioned it.
“And that girl has the same mark in the exact same spot.”
“You didn’t check for that when I first came to the count’s family?”
“I did check. You didn’t have the mark, but… I thought you were still my daughter. I considered it just a strange occurrence. I couldn’t believe that one little mark meant you weren’t my child.”
“Then why are you asking to see the mark now?”
“A scar can cover a birthmark. I just want to check for any signs of injury.”
She realized what she had to do.
Her father was looking for reassurance. He wanted confirmation that she was indeed his daughter.
But there was no way for her to provide that reassurance. She had grown up believing she was Selena because that’s what her father and brother told her. The lack of memory meant she couldn’t have certainty in herself.
“I am your daughter, Father. That’s all I know.”
She had grown up as his daughter, and that’s all she knew.
If they wanted proof, the only thing she could do was offer up her neck for them to check, to confirm whether she really was Selena or not.
So, she swept her long hair forward and exposed the back of her neck.
And…
“Father… There is no mark or scar.”
Her brother’s voice, filled with despair, echoed as he looked toward their father. The fear she felt was beyond words.
“I’m not… your real daughter.”
She could still recall that moment clearly. Her brother took a deep breath and quickly spoke up in her defense.
“This has to be a mistake. How could a mark just disappear?”
For a long time, her father remained silent. Though it wasn’t cold, Siena felt a chill run through her body, making her jaw tremble. She couldn’t bear to look her father or brother in the face. Everything was so confusing.
“If I’m… not Selena…”
Who am I?
She couldn’t bring herself to ask the question. Instead, a tear quietly fell. She wiped it away silently. The ground beneath her feet crumbled, and she began to fall into a deep, dark void.
Her father ran his large, weathered hand over his tired, ashen face.
“What on earth is happening…”
Siena had no idea what to think or feel. They didn’t know what to say either, so they all stayed in silence. After what felt like forever, her father finally spoke again.
“When we rescued you, the mark was already gone.”
“……”
“But you were Selena. You had the same face, the same voice as Selena.”
“……”
“And you had no memory. That hasn’t changed, has it?”
“No. That’s right.”
With an appearance that mirrored Selena’s so closely, and without any memory of her name, it was only natural to mistake her for the real Selena. They had been desperate, and the resemblance had been undeniable.
“A parent not recognizing their child is impossible. This is not your fault. It’s mine. You are still my beloved daughter and Sion’s sister. That will never change, so don’t worry.”
Siena let out a sob. They were a family.
At least for now, she was still their daughter and sister.
It was laughable. The fake was using the name Selena, while the real Selena was using a different name.
“Siena, if there’s anything that makes you uncomfortable, feel free to tell me.”
“The fact that the blanket is this soft is more than enough for me!” Siena said energetically. Hearing her words made me realize how hard her life must have been, and it pained me.
It was hard to accept the reality that I was the fake, but I had to. She had plenty of evidence to prove that she was the real one. From the day it was confirmed that she was the real daughter, Siena had been accepted into the Estarion Count’s family.
“It’s been a while since I’ve felt this kind of softness.”
Siena muttered as she touched the silk pajamas. She remembered her childhood. She remembered the time she was kidnapped. Not only that, but she also had a birthmark on the back of her neck. There was more than enough proof that she was Selena Estarion.
“……”
I wanted to say, “I’m sorry,” but the words wouldn’t come out. I wasn’t even sure if I had the right to apologize. In the end, I fled the room. The thought that I had stolen someone else’s life made me loathe myself. Even in this moment, I hated myself for having no memories.
I felt ashamed. I felt disgraceful. I hated Siena for making me feel this way, but more than that, I hated myself.
As I passed by my brother’s room, I overheard him giving orders to the family knights.
“Bring the friend of the woman who raised Siena.”
Due to the trauma of the kidnapping, Siena had lost her memory and grew up believing another woman was her mother. That woman had passed away a few years ago, but it seemed my brother intended to investigate the kidnappers by tracking down people connected to her.
Pretending not to hear, I returned to my room and collapsed onto the bed. I was utterly exhausted.
“Miss, are you alright?”
“My father and brother must be more exhausted than I am.”
“Miss….”
“How can two people who aren’t family look so alike?”
Was Selena Estarion a twin? Or was I my father’s illegitimate child? My head throbbed with pain.
“No, Miss! They look alike, but they’re also very different!”
Rosie exclaimed urgently.
“You seem more composed, and she seems more casual! And even though I’ve only overheard it, their voices are different too.”
“…..”
“You’re calm and gentle, while she’s more lively and energetic! If you close your eyes, you can tell the difference in their tone and voice!”
“I want to be alone.”
“Miss….”
“Rosie. Leave.”
“Yes, miss. Please take care. Call me if you need anything.”
Rosie left the room with a somber expression.
I thought it was ridiculous—a fake pretending to be the real Selena while the real one lived as a fake, all under the same roof.
‘Do I even deserve to be in this house?’
But my father and brother were my family. They were my everything.
Though I could give everything else back to Siena, I was selfish enough to want to keep sharing my family.
I strained my mind, trying to recall the childhood memories I didn’t have, and fell asleep.
Looking back, those were peaceful times. My father and brother were still kind to me, and despite the confusion, I could endure it.
It was about a month later when Siena’s scheming began.
