Chapter 1.1 - Kind and Cruel (1) (2/2)

…. No matter how much I heard this, it just sounded like he was telling me to go to the battlefield and die. No, that was not it. In fact, how could there be a family that would send a thirteen-year-old kid to the battlefield without hesitation in the first place!

The second sister even started to help them next to me. “Yes, Fiona. Cain Dell has to be in the family to continue, and I’m about to get married. Our third brother, Jen, is about to get engaged to a beautiful and lovely young lady. How can you send the family’s limbs, legs, and arms to that situation? You’d better go.”

….What! I wasn’t even taught magic properly since I am an illegitimate child. They locked me up in the attic every day, and then beat me up.

Well, even so, I was familiar with magic. I learned by watching them from the side and practicing secretly. So, fortunately, I already knew the basic way to use magic.

“I’m…”

The second I opened my mouth, everyone stared at me with their stiff face. I was not so foolish to not know the meaning behind those venomous sly looks directed at me.

‘You think you can refuse?’

The realization came after I finished my judgment about the situation. It was already decided. The thing was I never had a choice in the first place. If I were to refuse, they would forcibly throw me into the middle of the battlefield like a beast being dragged to the slaughterhouse. In the first place, there was no one on my side in this mansion. No one was going to feel sorry for me either.

“I’m….”

There was only one line of past settings for Fiona, who was not even the main character. ‘As an illegitimate child, she grew up tormented by her family.’

That was exactly what was shown to me in front of my eyes. A family who would casually send a thirteen year old into the middle of the battlefield to die. A family who would order a death sentence on an innocent, without batting an eye. For the villainess in her childhood phase, there was no dream or hope.

I managed to swallow a sigh and spoke slowly. “…. Yes, I understand. I will go”

What if I refused and forcefully refuted them? If I rebelled against them? Even if I were to act like that, getting rid of this sly family in front of me, my dark future would still remain the same.

Naturally, even in this world, the punishment for the murder of relatives was heavy. Even if I were to escape the situation right away, I could be put in jail for the rest of my life, or, the life of the fugitive remained open.

So if I had to go unconditionally, I should go with two feet like a person rather than being dragged like a beast. At least, this was the way to keep my pride.

My family cheered pretentiously at my words.

“That’s a very good choice, Fio.”

“I’m very proud.”

“You are finally doing your part.”

From the beginning, this was the reason why they called me to go here. They didn’t usually treat me like a human being, so I thought they’d lock me up in the attic and not call me to the family gathering. I wanted to wipe those fake faces away.

“….”

Somehow I felt sad. Even a year ago, when I realized that I first possessed Fiona’s body, I wasn’t so sad. Did Fiona, the villainess herself who I created, feel this way?

I was deeply sorry for some reason. Fiona, who had never been truly loved by anyone in her life, resented the world. One wrong decision led to another. In the end, her choices lead her to a pitfall. The outcome of her future, irreparable.

But, unlike her, I didn’t feel like blaming anyone easily.

Right here, because this is the world I wrote.

***

*Rice Worm: a Korean term; a person who only eats and sleeps all day/ a person who doesn’t do their duty properly and just gets their wage in a lazy way like the worms that eat rice in storage as a parasite.