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Chapter 17
He didn’t show any interest whatsoever when Sylvia had been desperately seeking his attention.
‘Is it because of what I said back then?’
On the first day I possessed Sylvia’s body, the words I said to the Duke crossed my mind.
“You never ask why, do you?
Even though I’m a disgraceful daughter, I’m still your child.
But it seems like you never ask me why I did something whenever I caused trouble.”
Back then, I was angry at Sylvia for continually putting herself in bad situations.
But as much as I felt negative toward her, no, more than that, I was furious with the Duke.
‘If the Duke had shown Sylvia at least a little bit of attention, if he had ever been genuinely angry out of concern for Sylvia… I thought Sylvia wouldn’t have gone that far.’
That was why I said those words to him.
‘I don’t know how the Duke took my words, but can I consider this question as a sign of small change?’
I took a deep breath to answer the Duke’s question.
Of course, I didn’t intend to kindly explain everything in detail.
“I protected Eileen because I just wanted to.”
After witnessing Eileen getting angry on my behalf when her friend insulted me, instead of agreeing with her, I didn’t want to just let it go.
The Duke narrowed his eyes.
It seemed that he wasn’t satisfied with my brief answer.
He pressed me again.
“… Then, what’s the story behind bringing the commoner boy you met on the street to the house?”
Since I expected him to ask about the reason for bringing Tev to the mansion, I responded smoothly.
“I happened to see the boy being beaten up by some assailants on the street.
I couldn’t leave him injured and homeless, so I brought him with me.
There’s plenty of space in the house for a small boy to stay.”
Having answered all of the Duke’s questions, he quietly stared at me as if he had nothing more to say.
Feeling uncomfortable with his unwavering gaze, I opened my mouth again.
“I have a question too.
Can I consider your order of confining me to the west wing over now since Eileen’s arm is fully healed?”
“…Yes.
But if you get into trouble again––”
“I’ll behave.
I have no intention of tormenting someone or causing trouble like before.”
After hearing my quick response, the Duke made a subtle expression.
It seemed unbelievable to him that Sylvia Atlante, of all people, would say such a thing.
‘Believe it or not.’
I had no desire to clear up his confusion.
“Instead, I would really prefer it if you didn’t call me like this while you were keeping an eye on me.
It feels awful to be watched all the time.”
The Duke didn’t get angry at my bold statement.
‘Well, he seemed to have a personality that holds in anger anyway, though.’
Did he think it wasn’t noble to raise his voice?
Come to think of it, in Sylvia’s memories, the only time Duke Atlante spoke in a raised tone to vent out anger was…
‘Was it on the day of the engagement ceremony between the Crown Prince and Eileen the first and last time he did so?’
I tried to recall other memories of the Duke’s angry face, but nothing else came to mind.
Having emerged from my contemplation, I asked the Duke, who no longer spoke up, “Now that I’ve answered all your questions, do you mind if I leave?”
Even if he said no, I was intending to leave anyway.
***
Duke Atlante was lost in thought, staring at the door where Sylvia had left.
‘She has changed.’
Since that day a month ago, his daughter had completely changed, and it wasn’t only because of what had just happened.
Duke Atlante recalled the report filled with details of Sylvia’s actions and transformations over the past month.
‘In the last month, she’s been too well-behaved.
She hasn’t slapped the servants, nor has she demanded food from the chef day and night or destroyed objects.’
Sylvia Atlante had changed.
That was certain.
‘But I can’t figure out why.’
The Duke tapped his fingers on the table.
There must be a valid reason for an outcome to occur.
Strangely, however, there seemed to be no direct ’cause’ for Sylvia Atlante’s ‘effect’ of change.
‘What could be the reason for god’s sake?’
The wrinkles on the Duke’s forehead deepened.
He hated problems he couldn’t solve.
He had to know everything to satisfy his curiosity, and until now, there had been no problems he couldn’t figure out.
‘But why… Why can’t I find… the reason… for Sylvia’s change?’
Duke Atlante rubbed his throbbing temples and spoke.
“Bent.”
“Yes, Master.”
From somewhere, Butler Bent appeared.
“Go and investigate thoroughly.
Find out what happened around Sylvia a month ago.
Identify the reason why she has changed like someone else.”
At the unusually irritated and sharp tone in the Duke’s voice, Bent bowed deeply.
“Understood, Master.”
“And.”
After a brief pause, the Duke continued, “Move Sylvia’s residence back to the main building.”
Bent’s eyes widened at the statement, which was almost equivalent to lifting her confinement.
However, he quickly responded with a calm expression.
“Certainly, Master.”
The Duke pressed his eyebrows down, suppressing his doubts about Sylvia little by little.
And when he opened his eyes again, he resumed working on his documents with his usual cold, emotionless expression.
***
After leaving the Duke’s office, I didn’t go straight back to the west wing.
“Walking is the best when you’re in a bad mood.”
Especially, I found that my mood improved greatly when I walked and admired colorful flowers around me.
I slowly walked toward the garden connected to the main building.
During my confinement in the west wing, I only had access to the small backyard near it, so the main garden remained only in my memory.
‘I remember it feeling huge and magnificent.’
I thought it was an odd description for a garden, rather than a large building, to be magnificent.
However, once I arrived at the garden, those thoughts disappeared.
“Wow…”
Sculptures and fountains were placed throughout the vast garden; tall, slender trees lined the neatly arranged paths.
‘It truly is magnificent.’
Astonished inwardly, I slowly walked along the path.
Plod plod.
My footsteps flowed over the sounds of birds chirping and leaves rustling in the wind.
As I spent this leisurely time, a melodious voice came from nearby.
“Lord Kedrick!
Look at this.
It’s really beautiful, isn’t it?”
Soon, I came across two people who were taking a sweet stroll.
The two men and women with stunning facial features and lake-like blue eyes were Eileen and Kedrick.
“Sylvia!”
“…”
Eileen greeted me with a broad smile while Kedrick turned stiff with an unreadable expression on his face.
They seemed to have been taking a walk together.
‘They are really close brothers and sisters.’
Even a stranger would be able to see how close the siblings were.
I tucked my curly brown hair behind my ear and waved at Eileen.
“Are you taking a walk too, Sylvia?”
“Yes.
The weather is so nice.”
Um… Would you like to spend some time together?”
Her large eyes, filled with anticipation, looked at me.
As I looked at Eileen’s eyes, which seemed to be shouting, ‘Join us, join us!’ I hesitated for a moment.
It wouldn’t be a problem if it were just Eileen, but the presence of Kedrick by her side bothered me.
‘I’m fine with walking with Eileen, but having Kedrick too is a bit…’
The first and last time I saw him was on the day I began my confinement in the west wing.
He suddenly showed up and lost his temper, asking if I had made Eileen cry, so I confronted him.
Even though it wasn’t my fault, I was unfairly treated as the perpetrator, which annoyed me and made me react emotionally…
‘Kedrick’s face at that time was hilarious.’
I chuckled inwardly, recalling his dumbfounded expression, but then Eileen spoke with a sullen look.
“If you don’t want to, I understand, though… I’m sorry if I bothered––”
“No.”
I gave Eileen a warm smile and then said to Kedrick, laying my eyes on him, “It’s not me, but rather you or…”
What should I call Kedrick?
Should I call him ‘Lord Ked’ like Eileen did?
But it felt awkward and cringy to call him that way.
Kedrick was only eighteen years old, younger than me in my previous life and even younger than the memory of Sylvia.
Besides, we weren’t close enough as siblings to call him ‘Ked’ endearingly.
I pondered for a moment and decided how to address him.
“… Kedrick might feel uncomfortable.”
As I finished my words calmly, Eileen replied in surprise.
“No, Sylvia!
We are never uncomfortable.”
Eileen, anxious and concerned that I might be upset, urged Kedrick, who was standing silently next to her.
“Right, Lord Ked?”
“…”
Kedrick didn’t respond immediately.
But as Eileen impatiently whispered, “Lord Ked…”, he slowly opened his mouth.
“… Between siblings, a brief walk together shouldn’t be awkward.”
Somehow, it seemed like he was emphasizing that we were siblings.
‘Is he stressing our relationship… because of what I said to him sarcastically last time?’
I quietly observed him, wondering if he was trying to start an argument, but Kedrick simply closed his mouth and stood straight again.
With Kedrick agreeing as well, Eileen looked at me with an expectant expression.
‘There’s no need to refuse when they’ve gone this far.’
I shrugged my shoulders lightly, approached Eileen, and said, “Then, let’s walk together.”
Eileen took the lead for the walk that followed.
She found everything so fascinating and enjoyable that she was even delighted by a butterfly fluttering by.
“The butterfly is so beautiful!”
“It is.”
It was indeed pretty.
‘But it’s always the poisonous ones that are pretty to look at.’
The blue wings of the butterfly contained a type of poison that could cause irritation upon contact.
‘I remember Sylvia from my memories catching a butterfly and tormenting it, which led to her suffering a lot.’
We shouldn’t have ill intentions and torment small creatures.
The previous Sylvia, who tormented not only small creatures but also humans, didn’t know this fact.
Well, even if she was aware of it, she probably wouldn’t have cared and would have acted as she pleased…
Anyway, Sylvia in my memories happened to overhear Eileen talking about the blue-winged butterfly with her friends while walking alone in the garden.
Even at the time, Eileen admired the beauty of the butterfly, and Sylvia secretly caught one to show off to her, but…
‘The outcome was very, very bad.’
The itchiness that started from her hand spread throughout her body, and she suffered for over a week, having to take bitter medicine.
‘Because of that memory, I can’t admire it like Eileen does.’
The butterfly, fluttering its blue wings, turned its head in the opposite direction as if it heard our voices.
Seeing this, Eileen let out a disappointed sigh, and Kedrick, who had been quiet all this time, opened his mouth.
“Should I catch it for you?”
“… It’s fine.”
Eileen hesitated for a moment before shaking her head.
“It’s pitiful for the butterfly.”
It was a very Eileen-like response.
However, Kedrick took big strides toward the butterfly as if he wanted to do what pleased Eileen.
And just as he was about to reach out to it…
“Hold on for a moment.”
“…?”
Kedrick’s frown suggested that he was wondering why I was interrupting him, and for a moment, I considered leaving him alone.