Chapter 2 (1/2)

Translated Novels

Translated Novels

”Are you hurt somewhere?”

”No.”

”Then why all of a sudden…?”

To ask why I was suddenly doing this… I looked away from her confused eyes. Well, my father Olden is a crazy and selfish person. I was afraid of making the wrong choice in front of him.

”Sigh, I want to sleep more.”

I want to take a break now. After Nanny Obera left the room, I took off my cramped mask. Even when I was sleeping, the mask that I wore everyday felt as uncomfortable as ill-fitting clothes. Or maybe it was because it was inconvenient.

I took off my mask and opened the window. A cool breeze blew into my room that was on the 4th floor of the house but I could barely register the wind on my face. In that memory that seemed like a dream, I took off my mask and yelled at people. I cursed people as horribly as I could.

It didn't feel accurate to call what I experienced earlier a dream or reality. However, the unpleasant anger that I felt was stuck in my heart. It was so strong that I couldn't get rid of it.

I slowly turned my body away from the window.

“Huh?”

What was that strange pearly thing in the window? Something feels different… I looked at the window again. My face was reflected from the gla.s.s but it wasn't exactly accurate. I gently pinched my face with my hand. Slowly, slowly. Warm skin touched the tip of my fingers. There was nothing else and I didn't know what to make of it.

I pursed my trembling lips and turned towards the mirror. I rushed to one that was hanging on a wall and looked at myself. What I saw…

“Is the spot …?”

I touched my face with my fingers, there were no spots covering my face. I would like to have been mistaken, but I kept looking at the small gla.s.s mirror that reflected my image.

”Ah…”

I wanted to say something, but nothing came out of my mouth. The spot on my face that had always given me h.e.l.l. The face with red eyes and spots covered since birth were a symbol of evil to others. People who have seen my face would never fail to scorn me because of these spots, but the thing that has tormented me in the past have disappeared.

”Why?”

For a moment, my joy gave way to doubts. Why did the spot disappear all of a sudden? What did I do? I haven't used any magic or medicine. No matter how hard I tried to fix it, nothing worked so I thought I would live like this for the rest of my life… I was naturally embarra.s.sed to have it disappear so suddenly.

I felt that I was going to be sick as my whole body trembled, then my hands felt empty.

‘Seves Ruddin's ring is gone.

Seves Ruddin, he was a centuries old sage who asked me to carry the ring with me at all times because it will protect me. Of course, the ring had no special ability or any magic inside of it. It was supposed to be similar to a charm.

I wondered where I left my ring as I ma.s.saged my other fingers. The ring always stayed on me even when I'm taking a bath, so why is it missing now? Where is it?

I went back to bed and lifted my pillow, but the ring wasn't there. Where the h.e.l.l did it disappear to?

‘You are wrong.'

A scene came to my mind of the moment right before my death. In the end I hated him, scorned him and said he was wrong… So did he take the ring? Or was it really a just a charm? I took a breath and tried to adapt to my new situation.

First, I don't know what exactly happened, but it seems like I returned to the past because Nanny Obera is still alive. Second, the spots on my face and my ring are missing. Those are what I know with certainty.

What else is there. Another change…

While I was pondering, I heard loud and violent footsteps. I sighed at that familiar sound and quickly put my mask on. The door immediately pushed open.

”Aeryl!”

I was a very foolish person before to the point I was desperate for my father to call me by my name and not curse it. This man who was the head of the Brixia family and the one who I wanted to receive love from and be recognized, was looking at me in anger.

I faintly bowed.

”What brings you here?”

”What are you doing? Are you sick?”

”Yes. I'm not feeling well…”

“I am surprised that even monsters like you can get sick.”

Was the man who insulted his daughter without a hint of remorse really considered a father, I wonder?

People have considered Olden, the head of the Brixia family, a considerable humanitarian. A man who wasn't seduced by authority and a man who treated people with warmth. Their opinions were far from the truth.

He was arrogant and insane who hid his incompetence by taking from others. He was lucky he didn't have to fight for his position because he didn't have any brothers, because if he had, he wouldn't have been the head of the Brixia family because he lacked the ability.

If you evaluate such a man as a great duke, I will laugh at you behind my mask.

”I am human.”

”It's not my preference to hear you complaining in the morning. You know what your father wants from you, so why are you disobeying me?”

I stared at him. Right, I once tried to do everything to be recognized by this man. But sadness, sickness or even pain… Not even a fragment of what I endured touched him. He never smiled at me and only saw me as a tool. A burden.

Nevertheless, I thought that someday he would acknowledge me, but…

After 24 years, I realized that it was nearly impossible.