Published at 23rd of August 2022 10:11:04 AM

It was Charlotte who was more surprised about my unresponsiveness. With her face turning pale, she thrust her finger at me in astonishment.

Anissa! How could you say that?

What? Should I have cursed instead?

I continued, swatting away her finger indifferently.

Revealing the secret behind my birth will change nothing now.

The Duchess is your real mother, Anissa!

Theres no reason for me to believe it, and I dont care even if its the truth.

I stood up from my seat, pushing away Charlotte who was agitated. I didnt want to listen to anything from them anymore.

I heard you can tell the difference between truth and lies. The Duchess assessed me with cold eyes. Are you saying you wont help your family despite knowing that what Im saying is the truth?

I snorted at her words feeling dumbfounded.

Duchess, who the hell are you saying is family with who?

The Duchess pressed on her chest as if she had received a severe shock and had trouble breathing.

I didnt know you would grow up to be a child like this.

You probably didnt even know I lived. I turned away from Dona Euclids face filled with disappointment in me.

You might have thought that I abandoned you, but thats not true. You were kidnapped.

Im not really interested.

......If youre not going to be on our side, then cant you at least stop the Grand Duke of Lagrange, whom you know as your brother?

In the end, youre doing this because you thought youre going to lose.

However, I had only encountered him twice, moreover, we didnt have a good encounter in those two times, so what did it matter to me whether all of Hermanns arms and legs get cut off or not?

Yes, I dont have any thoughts of stopping him. Because were not going to lose.

Dont you feel bad that your brother is hurt?

Whos hurt? Dietrich is fine though?

I turned my back after observing their ashen faces as if they would pass out anytime soon at the current ridiculous situation.

I think youve said everything there is to say, so Im going back now.

Charlotte, who had been biting her lips to the point that they bled, grabbed me a little roughly toward her.

Anissa! Do you know how anxious the Duchess was in coming to the North?

She must have been feeling guilty.

Finding her daughter she had wanted to kill and asking for her help would have been difficult without some level of shamelessness after all.

At my apathetic words, tears dripped down Charls eyes. I felt that she was genuinely hurt by the current situation, so I called her with a sigh.

Charl.

Anissa, youre not this kind of cold-hearted person. Didnt you help me without any strings attached?

Youre right. Im not really the cold-hearted type.

I was someone who couldnt let Dietrich live as a villain because of his useless affection, so I twisted the original.

Thats far from being heartless.

Then, why are you like this to the Duchess?

Charl, she would have known in the capital that I was her real daughter.

Th-that time, she wasnt sure yet!

Then, why is she sure now? Because Dietrich defeated Hermann? I tilted my head at Charls hesitancy. Before she could open her mouth, I asked first, What does Dietrichs victory have something to do with my bloodline?

I simply dont want to see you turn your back on your family, Anissa.

Im not turning my back. Euclid is just not my family. So stop crying now.

As they were talking, Charls face had been dripping with tears all the while, so she quickly turned red. When I rubbed the corner of her eyes with the back of my hand, she staggered backward in surprise.

Dont tell me, you know everything?

Pardon?

.....Anissa, from the start, you wanted the relics of the sun god. Did you know the effects of the holy relics?

I know you can use the holy relics to strengthen your abilities.

If you knew that then how could you take away the power of your real brother?! Charl continued in shock, How could you?

Im so used to her treating me like a villain that Im no longer particularly offended. I shrugged my shoulders swallowing my words and she approached me as if to press me.

Is it because you hate me?

....Excuse me?

Anissa, you hate me for no reason.

She was a person who firmly believed that the world revolved around her. I shook my head as I pondered on how to break Charlottes solid belief.

I dont hate you though.

Liar!

Its the truth. I dont really care enough to hate you, Charl.

Charlotte wrinkled her lovely eyebrows as if she didnt like what I said. But to this day, I didnt feel any hate toward her.

And even if I do hate you, there would a reason. Wasnt I detained because of you?

Then why do you say you dont hate me? And again, it was really not my intention. I have a reason

I know. I know what youre trying to say isnt a lie.

Eredias ability wasnt easy to use all day.

Still, whenever I meet Charlotte, I tended to focus in order to read her intentions, however, I never felt any malice from her.

Of course, all her actions were a nuisance to me, and even if she didnt mean it, she was very tiresome. However, this was a world where people who try to do something with malice would get knocked down.

Like that woman behind Charlotte.

Although I didnt want to think of her as an enemy. Since it seemed like it wasnt only Lagranges children who were trapped in a predetermined role since they were born. And because of that, I couldnt entrust Charlotte with Dietrichs fate.

I already know how painful it is to live a life that someone had already decided.

I dont hate you because I understand you didnt mean me any harm.

Then, why are you abandoning your family and even extorting my relics? Exactly why?!

I rubbed my face with my hands while looking at her uttering lines like that of a protagonist of a play who was facing tragedy.

As Ive told you, Euclid isnt my family, and because I wish for Dietrichs victory.

The North wont get saved that way. I like His Grace, but if the empire falls on his hands, the people will only suffer!

In the first place, Dietrich didnt even have an interest in the empire. He didnt like troublesome things.

You dont have to worry about that. Dietrich doesnt have an ounce of interest in southern lands.

How can I trust those words? How can I believe that the Grand Duke does not want the southern territories?!

Dona Euclid, who had been silently listening to our conversation, asked back sharply. I looked at her and smiled lightly.

Why cant you believe it? Because hes evil and youre good?

Even since I was born as Anissa, I had been struggling to live my life in order for the children of Lagrange not to live as villains.

So to them, I would be like a thorn in their side.

After all, the main characters were the ones who need a villain to stand out.

Its probably the members of the Euclid Duchy who were more anxious than anyone else because Dietrich didnt kill his siblings.

After he became a Grand Duke, I had been working hard to reform the image of the North.

Now, the respect of the Northern people for Lagrange was as high as the sky. Words have no feet so, through word of mouth, the news would quickly spread to the south and capital. And if Dietrich stopped playing the villain, people would no longer support Euclid in the rose war.

Fortunately, we also came back from the capital with no major incidents.

In the meantime, Hermanns nose had been broken during this round, so they must be extremely anxious.

Thats why they even came to me.

...Anissa, if thats how it will be, I will also not stay still.

Charl murmured with firm lips. She clenched her fist as if she had made a decision.

Its my duty to make the prophecy come true. I like His Grace and you, Anissa, but I have no choice.

Do whatever you want.

I opened the drawing-rooms door myself and gestured with my chin. At my gesture of turning the guests away, only then did the Duchess and Charlotte moved their heavy behinds.

As expected, Anissa must be the clown who plays as a god stated in the prophecy.

Charlotte, who came close to the door, looked at me with serious eyes. Noticing that she was trying to draw her courage from somewhere, I coldly raised the corner of my lips.

But, you wont be able to help His Grace that way.

I looked at Charlotte as if she was a pretty glass doll. I had once believed that Dietrich would have been happy if I waited for her, but I had already realized in the past that this world was not that convenient.

Even if they were saved by good people, the evil ones would always be evil.

Whether it be mimicking a god, or destroying a temple, I can do anything that would terrify you, Charl.

!

I will do anything to give Dietrich his freedom.

Thats my way of saving him.

Escort them out, Lancel.

Bang!

As soon as Charlotte and the Duchess left the drawing-room, I closed the door at them, leaving them twitching their lips as if they still had something to say.