Chapter 1 - I Was Abandoned By My Family

Leticia Leroy was ordinary. Her face was neither pretty or ugly, her height neither tall nor short, nothing she could do or couldn’t do particularly well, she was just nice… However, Leticia was the “naughty girl” and “apple of the eye” of the Marquis Leroy family. And if that wasn’t enough, she was the object of comparison with her siblings everywhere she went. Sadly, it was all too common. She was not as pretty as her second sister Diana, not as smart as her third brother Emil, and not as good with a sword as her fourth brother Xavier, and she wasn’t as talented for magic as her youngest sister Irene.

But Leticia never once felt jealous or envious of her siblings. In fact, she was proud of them. And yet, she never knew that her family was ashamed of her. That was, until the moment her family abandoned her.

***

“That’s how I told you to go meet people.”

Leticia’s shoulders slumped at the sharp look and cold voice. Unable to look at him properly, she lowered her head, he shouted even more harshly.

“I told you to stay away from the Duke of Achilles!”

“But he’s really nice…”

“Look how your sister got hurt when you hung out with the Duke of Achilles!”

Leticia raised her head in surprise at Marquis Leroy’s words.

“Diana, what’s wrong…..?”

There was a bandage around Diana’s wrist that wasn’t there yesterday. Before Leticia could approach Diana out of concern, Marquis Leroy stood in front of her. It was as if he was trying to protect Diana from something inauspicious.

“Are you trying to bring misfortune to us by tangling with that ill-fated family?”

[Misfortune is contagious.]

So stay away from the unlucky and the unhappy. That was what Marquis Leroy always told Leticia. She had to be more careful because she was unlucky. But she didn’t know why those words came to her mind now.

It was then.

“Leticia Leroy.”

Leticia stiffened at the sound of the voice calling her name.

It was just a name call. But why was her heart beating so fast and she felt suffocating?

The moment she locked gazes with the Marquis, thinking it was her imagination, Leticia seemed to be driven off the cliff. Her lips trembled at the somewhat ominous premonition.

“You’re expelled from the Leroy family.”

She felt a thud under her feet along with the sound of something large falling on her head.

“Father…”

She felt suffocated as she spoke, barely able to keep her voice together. She hoped the Marquis would tell her it was a lie, but there was no pity in his gaze.

Leticia squeezed her trembling hands and turned to her family. She wished with all her heart that anyone would help her. But there was no one.  It was as if they had been waiting for this day to come. It was then that Leticia realized that her family was always looking for an opportunity to get rid of her. This was just an excuse to kick her out.

‘My family is abandoning me.’

In the end, the tears she was holding back flowed down her cheeks.

In fact, she faintly knew that such a day would come. Her family always thought of her as a troublemaker, or something they wanted to get rid of quickly.

But when she actually faced them in front of her, there was nothing she could say. Her family was everything to Leticia. She loved them even though she knew they looked down on her and ignored her. But what came back was contempt and coldness. Marquis Leroy turned away sharply as he spoke.

“From this day on, you are no longer my daughter, and do not even think of taking another step in this place.”

Leticia sank helplessly. Soon the Marquise and her siblings walked past her. She wept unceasingly at their cold appearance, not even looking back. That was how Leticia was abandoned by her family.

“I feel better now that we have finally gotten rid of this unlucky child.”

The Marquis’s mouth rose gently as he watched Leticia walk out of the mansion.

“Diana won’t get hurt any more, and only good things will happen now.”

Now that Leticia, who was associated with the ill-fated family was gone, only good things would happen in the future. However, on the same day that Leticia was exiled, the bronze shield with the Leroy family’s emblem suddenly fell and broke.

***

For generations, the three children of the Helios Empire were born with special abilities. First, the House of El had abilities related to academics and knowledge, which were now perishable; second, the House of Erebos had abilities in swordsmanship and martial arts; and finally, the House of Leroy had abilities in various fields. However, the eldest daughter, Leticia, had not yet awakened any abilities, as if she was a stranger with no relation to them.

“I think it’s your child.”

Marquis Leroy looked at Leticia with a disgruntled look on his face. Next to him, his wife comforted the Marquis.

“But I’m glad there are other children.”

“I’m sorry, Father, Mother….”

Whenever they said this, Leticia couldn’t look her parents in the eyes, as if she had become a sinner. As she bowed her head deeply, the Marquis’ deep voice descended from above her head.

“Are you sure there is none? Not even something useless?”

“I’m sorry….”

“Can you stop saying sorry?”

“Honey, calm down.”

“It is frustrating to look at the ashes. Frustrating!”

Leticia didn’t know how she came to be inferior to her siblings.

“Please be patient for tomorrow.”

His wife gently wrapped her arms around him, and he nodded with a more relaxed look on his face.

“My wife is right. Our second daughter’s birthday is coming up soon, so we have to be patient.”

Marquis Leroy and his wife loved Diana the most, even though her abilities were far more unsightly than those of their other children. It was because as soon as Diana was born, everything mysteriously fell into place at a time when they were poor and went through hardship that they had to lower their titles.

“I’m going to go see if everything is ready for the party.”

“I’ll come with you”

When his wife rose from her seat and the Marquis naturally followed her. Leticia, who was left alone, could only stare silently at their backs.

“My birthday has passed and yet…”

Leticia cared so much for her brother’s and sister’s birthdays, but not even a single small gift was given to her on her birthday. Not only that, they forgot about it every year and looked at her pitifully when she told them it was her birthday.

[How old are you already to talk about your birthday?]

Her father’s voice rang in her ears that her birthday was not that big of a deal. Beside him, her mother didn’t complain, but she didn’t say anything, as if she felt the same way as her father.

“A disaster….”

Now, she stopped expecting any gifts. She just wanted to hear them say ‘Happy birthday’.

However, her parents and siblings never congratulated her. It was as if even that was a luxury. If her ability had awakened, her parents wouldn’t have disapproved of her, nor would her siblings have ignored her. So this was all her fault. Leticia then let out a shallow sigh and was about to head back to her room when a presence came right in front of her eyes. Diana stood there with a frown on her face.

“Can you please move out of the way?”

“Huh?”

“Do you know you’re blocking the way?”

Hearing Diana’s annoyed voice, Leticia quickly stepped aside with a panicked look on her face.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

But Deanna didn’t even pretend to hear her. Suddenly, Diana stopped abruptly and approached Leticia again. Before Leticia could ask if she had anything to say, Diana spoke first.

“How long are you going to embarrass us?”

“What?”

“You know how embarrassed we are because of your incompetent?”

“Diana….”

“You should live in shame.”

The only stain on the prestigious Leroy family, Leticia Leroy.

No matter how good the other children were, the incompetent Leticia Leroy always dragged the family down.

The nobles admired and envied the Leroy family, but ridiculed them behind their back because Leticia’s ability did not awaken. Rumors circulated that she was an illegitimate child, a mutant, or a cursed child.

“Do you really have no ability?”

“I….”

“You’re pathetic.”

Diana, who stared at Leticia, walked away as if she was speechless.

Standing still for a moment, Leticia trudged back to her room.

“Huu······”

As soon as she came into the room, she took a long sigh and lay down on the bed. She just wanted to fall asleep, but the words she heard today kept ringing in her ears.

[Are you sure you’re not capable of anything, even something useless?]

[We have to make sure the party is perfectly prepared.]

[How long are you going to embarrass us?]

Just as she was about to cover her ears, she heard someone knocking on the door.

“Come in.”

As soon as she spoke with a drooping voice, the door opened and someone approached her.

“Miss.”

Leticia turned to the soft voice. There stood Mary, looking at her pitifully.

Mary quickly brought the tray of food near the bed, but Leticia shook her head.

“I want to go to bed early today.”

It was a tiring and depressing day and she wanted to forget it if she fell asleep. As Leticia turned to her side again, Mary gently sat on the edge of the bed.

“Did something happen, Miss?”

Despite the worrying question, Leticia kept silent and closed her eyes tightly.

However, the voice that she was trying to ignore stuck deeply in her ears.

[Pathetic.]

[Pathetic.]

Leticia buried her face deep in the pillow. But it didn’t stop her from crying.

“Mary.”

“Yes, Miss.”

“Why don’t I have any ability?”

“Miss….”

“Diana, Emil, Xavier….and even my youngest sister, Irene. Why am I the only one lacking it?”

She always wondered. Why was she the only one without the ability? Why, of all people, she was the odd one?

“Diana said I’m pathetic.”

“How could she say that?!”

“But I couldn’t say anything.”

“Miss…”

Mary tapped Leticia gently on her shoulder, but her deeply submerged mind was hardly lightened.

“I’m pathetic too.”

“…”

“I was born this way not because I wanted to… I couldn’t choose to be born with or without abilities…”

She was sad, but no one understood how she felt. And she couldn’t say anything because she felt like she was to blame for all of this.

“Yes, It’s my fault.”

Leticia bit her lips and curled up further, ‘If I had the ability, none of this would have happened.’

Mary, who was watching her from behind, spoke cautiously.

“You may already have it, Miss. Maybe you just can’t see it.”

“You think so?”

“Well, I mean…”

It didn’t occur to her to think that far, and Mary gave her a troubled look and fumbled with her words. Leticia couldn’t help but chuckle at the sight.

“How is your brother, Mary?”

“Oh, he….”

Mary, who paused for a moment, answered with a bitter look on her face.

“He doesn’t get better or worse. They say to use another medicine, but it’s too expensive.…”

Leticia, who was quietly listening to Mary’s words, went over to the dressing table. Mary, who noticed that she was picking up the most expensive jewelry, grabbed Leticia’s arm.

“The Marquis will be very angry if he finds out.”

“It’s alright.”

“I’ll take your sincerity, Miss.”

Last time Leticia was scolded badly by the Marquis for something similar. So Mary shook her head more firmly and refused.

“It really is fine, Miss.”

Mary put the trinket in Leticia’s hand back in place and poured the tea. But, Leticia’s eyes were still on the trinket.

“I wish money would fall from the sky.”

“Mary.”

“Then I’ll pick it up right away.”

Leticia smiled, realizing the joke was meant to change the subject.

“I think it would be faster to pick up the money on the street.”

“I know. I’d like to pick up some money on the street.”

Leticia drank all the tea that Mary poured and before she knew it, it was evening.

When Leticia saw that the sky was getting dark, she said to Mary,

“You’d better get going before it gets any darker.”

“But there is still time.”

“I’m worried about your brother.”

Mary had to take care of her sick brother and was commuting to work. It wasn’t time for her to leave, but Leticia wanted her to.

“Thank you, Miss.”

Mary bowed her head and was about to leave when Leticia called her. When Mary turned back, their eyes met, and Leticia smiled and said,

“Mary, I hope you’ll pick up money on the street.”

“Oh, Miss.”

Mary chuckled and closed the door behind her.

****

When she had finished all the preparations for going home and left the house,

Mary gave a long sigh when she left the mansion ready to go home.

“My poor Lady…… “

She had never seen anyone as kind and thoughtful as Leticia before. However, Marquis Leroy tended to ignore her, and it was always heartbreaking.

“Tomorrow I will prepare a sweet dessert.”

As she was walking home, reminding herself, Mary saw something sparkling in front of her.

“What is it?”

She picked it up carefully with her hands.

“Gold coin? Gold coins in the middle of a road like this!”

Mary blinked several times to double-check that she wasn’t looking at the wrong thing. By all accounts, it was a gold coin.

At that time, Leticia’s cheerful voice crossed her ears.

[I hope you’ll pick up money on the street.]

“….?”

***