“Noah.” I smiled like a radiant sun. “Anyone looking at you would think you’re a caring brother.”
“L-let go of me!”
I didn’t let go. Instead, I gripped tighter. “If Danae’s soul had been in this body, she would have said this to you.”
“What?”
“Don’t pretend to be a caring younger brother now. It’s hypocritical.”
“…!” Noah’s eyes wavered.
I continued softly. “If you really saw Danae as your older sister, you would have visited her at least once.”
“You…”
“Danae spent 17 years in the sanctuary for treatment. Not once did any family member visit her.”
“!”
“Abandoning a sister with Doll’s Disease in the sanctuary, treating her as non-existent.”
Noah’s face turned pale. His lips trembled as if his conscience was tearing him apart.
Yes, I have hit the mark.
“Now that she’s moving and talking, you’re upset?”
The former Duke Windsor sent his daughter, Danae, to the sanctuary. Not just Danae. All Windsor afflicted with Doll’s Disease ended their lives in the sanctuary.
Doll’s Disease. A peculiar disease in the Windsor family, where one is born with a body but no soul. Occasionally, a Windsor would be born with this disease. The head of the family would send them to a distant sanctuary for ‘treatment’. In reality, they were abandoned, out of sight.
Right. It was as if they had thrown you away. But why did I ignore this fact?
For 17 years, Danae’s empty body lay in the sanctuary, ‘cared’ for by priests, unseen by her family. In other words, she is being treated as if she didn’t exist.
“Treated as non-existent when this body was empty. Now, acting like a loving brother…” I held back my laughter. “It seems a bit deceitful.”
At that time, Noah was completely speechless. He seemed to be shocked by my words.
I should have done this sooner.
I emotionlessly released his finger.
“Now, please leave my room, Noah Windsor.”
I’ll be leaving this body soon too.
* * *
“Carl, how could you!”
Upon returning to their room, Sandra Windsor screamed. “How could you do that!”
Her body trembled with rage as if her world had collapsed. “How could you take Danae’s side in front of me!”
Her daughter, Allice, was beaten. In front of her parents, no less! And yet, he sided with the girl who committed the violence?!
“Danae’s guardianship is at stake. I had no choice.” Carl, seeming embarrassed, couldn’t meet Sandra’s eyes. “Just endure for one year, Sandra. One more year.”
“You really…”
“One year later, Danae’s inheritance will be ours. You know how immense my older brother’s wealth is enormous.”
His older brother’s wealth. At that word, Sandra bit her lip.
“You know, Brother Damien’s discovered treasures were legendary,” Carl whispered seductively, holding her shoulder. “It was those treasures that made the Windsor family the wealthiest in the continent.”
“But still!”
“Half of the treasure found on that island went to Danae as inheritance. Can you imagine how much that is?”
Sandra glared at Carl but couldn’t refute. He was right.
Originally, the Windsor family was a respected military lineage. And soldiers don’t make big money. But now, Windsor was wealthier than the imperial family, thanks to the treasure island. The gold discovered there by Carl’s brother, Demian Windsor, transformed their fortunes.
Of course, his son, Viego Windsor, is also thriving in business… But without the gold from that island, such a scale of business wouldn’t have been possible. Now, half of that treasure― an unimaginable amount― was inherited by Danae.
“Just one year, then Danae’s inheritance will come to me, Honey.”
“I know! Who doesn’t understand that?!”
“Please, just bear with it. I’m doing all this for our family.”
Gradually, Sandra’s anger subsided. Not just for the inheritance. Another reason was…
Why is my husband so handsome!
Her husband, Carl, ten years younger than her, was excessively handsome. Who would think Carl, in his 30s, looking like he’s in his 20s, was a father of two? And he was one of the most popular gentlemen in society.
I can’t stay angry looking at that face! Although it was vexing, her anger had long melted away.
“Still, you didn’t have to go that far with Danae.”
“Huh?”
“Abandoning your own daughter and coddling your niece is too much. Wasn’t talking enough? You can just say it with words, just talk!!”
“Alright. I won’t do it again, so calm down, Sandra.”
Trapped in her husband’s lake-like gaze, Sandra felt a deep sense of powerlessness. Yes, that’s the penalty for having a handsome husband.
“One year. I’ll only wait until then.”
Carl sighed in relief, thankful his wife understood.
“But what about Allice? Where did she go?”
“She went to see the crown prince,” Sandra muttered with a face full of resentment. “Hopefully, the crown prince will understand Allice’s plight.”
* * *
Allice shivered with misery. How could Dad do this to me? She knew, vaguely, about Danae’s guardianship. But even so.
And how could Sister Dana do this to me? She even knelt and begged. How could she not forgive me? ‘
I thought Sister Dana would surely understand.
Dana always empathized with Allice. When they liked the same dress, Dana always let her have it; when she found pretty jewelry, she would gift it to Allice if she showed any interest. Always. Not once did she act differently. So Allice thought Dana would understand this time too…
But instead, Dana threw water, slapped her, grabbed her hair, and even manipulated her father to whip her! Dana, usually so forgiving, was so petty!
“Sob, sob, sob.” On her way to meet the crown prince, Allice cried in the carriage. Her situation felt unbearably pathetic. Her tears didn’t stop even after meeting the crown prince.
“Allice, why are you crying?”
“I’m sorry, Your Highness…”
“What happened? Tell me.”
“No, it’s all my fault.”
“What?”
“Just… I feel so sorry for Sister Dana. How hurt she must be to do such things to me…”
At that, Raios’s face hardened. “What did Dana do to you?”
“Yes? No, she didn’t do anything!” Allice panicked, shaking her head. That would make it seem like she was tattling! She never wanted to make Dana out to be a bad person. “
“N-n-no, not at all!”
Ah, but she’s so bad at lying. Stuttering like a fool.
“No, really, it’s not like that, hic…”
Crying like a fool.
“What exactly happened, Allice?”
She really didn’t want to tell. She wanted to cover for Dana’s bad deeds. Really, she did…
But it’s wrong to deceive someone who trusts me. So, for Raios, who trusted her, she had to tell the truth.
“Actually…”
Thanks for the chapter!❤️🔥
It’s wrong to deceive someone who trusts you? omg what a b*tch