Chapter 2

That’s how we became a family without even having a chance to celebrate. Even Lucellai’s jet-black hair and my light silver hair didn’t make us look like a family at all.

Ah, I guess you could say our eye shapes are similar. Although Lucellai is not my biological mother, she still fed me and raised me with her money.

The problem is that the power will not appear until I become an adult, but I became nervous as the time for my power to manifest soon came.

It would be nice if I could escape before that, but it was close to impossible. Lucellai had a reliable person who supported her, Sir Shubart, who will surely find me.

Although Sir Shubart loves my mother dearly, he remains an acquaintance of my mother. Even from my point of view, Lucellai is a seductively beautiful person.

Her black hair doesn’t get tangled even in the harsh winter wind, and her eyes aren’t bloody like mine but purple like ripe grapes.

Her nose bridge was high, and her lips plump, making her look little fierce.

Perhaps because we are in the North, her skin looked white and glowing, further enhancing her beauty.

She had arrogant and dignified eyes, which didn’t show any hesitation. I would flinch in surprise when she spoke with her commandingly sharp voice, just like what happened now.

Sir Shubart, who loves her, would find me a million times easier than my attempt to escape, so it was impossible for me to escape.

Moreover, I have a desire to bring her to the right path if I can. Likable or not, she is still my mother. Even the piece of meat on my plate is half a span bigger than the meat on her plate.

Lucellai Rudbihi.

No matter this or that, she is my one and only guardian.

“Carbella Rudbihi.”

“Yes?”

“Don’t laugh stupidly while we’re eating.”

“…yes.”

‘It’s true.’

Even though it looks like this, she cares a lot about me.

That’s just the way she expressed it.

“Mother, are you already full?”

“Eat it.”

“Yes.”

Lucellai put her knife and fork on the plate, but she didn’t get up from her seat. It was because I hadn’t finished eating yet. Even though it would be my coming of age soon, she didn’t let me eat alone as long as she was around. Instead, she doesn’t let go of her wine until I finish eating.

It was like that almost every day.

Sometimes she brings a pipe too.

Silence fell again.

The only sound in the dining room was the sound of me slicing and eating. The sound of wind whistling outside could occasionally be heard too.

It had been a long time since my mother’s gaze turned to the window where winter could be seen at a glance.

I don’t leave the windows open often. This is because there are not one or two things to be wary of. But my mother’s gaze is always there when I open the window like now.

The silence continued until my meal was over.

* * *

As soon as I finished eating, I hurried to get ready to go out.

“Mother, I’ll go out for a while and come back.”

“It’s cold. Don’t go out.”

Actually, I didn’t mean to ask for permission, but my mother immediately rejected it as soon as I mentioned it.

“The delivery man is late again. I have to go order firewood. Otherwise, the stove will turn off. I have to warn them this time.”

Now the North was in the middle of a harsh winter.

There are no servants here, so there are times when I have to move by myself. That’s the case with firewood, but it’s been a long time since I placed an order, but they didn’t deliver it.

The delivery man is probably late on purpose.

Even though I warned them every time, they didn’t bring firewood until I contacted them again, saying they had forgotten about it.

It’s not that I’m paying less. I even give them my share. And yet, they’re late because they don’t like my mother and me.

We have never harmed people, whether it is in the North or not. But they are afraid of us because they heard rumors from the capital.

Bad things will happen if you get involved with villainess.

I thought I had already treated them nicely for my mother’s sake. If I make more enemies here, my mother will only get tired.

But they assume that if my mother did something evil like in the rumors, I would do the same things more than she did.

They said that they don’t like red eyes or silver hair. Ah! I even heard someone saying that they didn’t like my facial expression. They said my facial expression, which didn’t contain any emotions, didn’t look like a human being. If I made a laugh, they said it was fake, and everything I did was fake.

It’s not all wrong, but they probably hate the road we took 10 years ago too.

*TL/N: It means that those people will hate them at whatever they’re doing*

Thanks to that, more than twenty pieces of firewood left at most.

I should have placed an order sooner, but the problem was that I still waited for another week, even though I knew it would happen like this. Nevertheless, my mother didn’t allow me to go out, looking out the window rattling in the blizzard.

I looked at the firewood again.

My mother hates winter because she feels the cold easily, but winter in the North make her feel pain rather than cold . That’s why I have to stock up on a lot of firewood.

My mind was agitated again. I don’t want to freeze to death.

“After using it for today, there’s really nothing to use for tomorrow.”

“Then do it tomorrow.”

My mother left those words behind, put on her flowing shawl again, and disappeared into her room.

“… ”

I feel colder at her cynical response. I took off the fur gloves, which I had worn countless times.

What can I do if my mother tells me to do it tomorrow? If the delivery man doesn’t come by today, I really have to turn them over.

I was about to take off my coat, muttering to myself, when someone knocked on the door from outside.

“No one should be coming here.”

I walked up to the front door, raising my eyebrows. This is why it’s hard to live in a house without a servant.

‘I can’t believe anyone can knock on the front door.’

It was something I had never thought of when I was in the capital.

“Who are-”

“Carbella! Uncle Shubard is here!”

“… ”

A loud voice was heard from outside. When I heard a familiar voice, I felt a little relieved.

‘So that’s why Mother told me not to go out.’

I was still covered with fear at the thought of being in my mother’s palm.

Sir Shubard, who is now in his mid-thirties and approaching forties, often calls himself an uncle.

“Are you going to brag about it?”

I opened the front door and greeted Sir Shubard.

He was looking at me with a bright smile in his black clothes. Snowflakes stuck to his hat like old dust.

“Huh? Brag about what?”

“The villagers said you’re close with the villainess mother and daughter. Come on in.”

I opened the door a little more so he could come in.

“I might sell my soul to be close like that.”

It seems that Sir Shubard was hit by a lot of snow when he came here. That’s probably why his mind went crazy.

He almost died after barely saving our lives, but how can he say something like that as if he really wanted it?

“What if your soul price is so cheap?”

“The price will change from time to time. Then won’t there be any possibility?”

“If I were you, I would never do that.”

“Carbella, don’t say such sad things.”

He took off his hat and turned inside with his clothes. Light silver bangs were messed up. Even though he had long hair that reached his waist, there was no tangling anywhere.

“What brings you here in this cold weather?”

I know how dangerous he is, so I’m not comfortable with his fussy personality or excessive kindness.

Still, I think he is much cooler than the male protagonist, the Emperor, whether I judge it from appearance or personality. The personality of the Emperor I’m talking about… It’s not a standard of a standard, especially his attitude toward us.

I think Sir Shubard would look better with glasses, but he has very healthy eyes. He is faster than anyone else, to the point of seeing something that ordinary eyes couldn’t catch up with. Still, I don’t know why he can’t get away from my mother and me and keep doing something like this.

Risking his life, even taking charge of money laundering.

Other than that, he had a lot of work to do. Perhaps he could have made a better living if it weren’t for my mother and me.

‘He’s still young, so he could get married normally.’

That was just my thought.

“Why aren’t you happy seeing me?”

“It’s nice to see you.”

“Isn’t that a very unwelcoming expression?”

“This is the expression I make when I’m in the happiest mood.”

I only raised the corners of my lips.

He smiled big and hung his coat on the hanger by the front door. At the same time, he didn’t forget to put his hand on my head and ruffled my hair roughly.

The expression that I lifted up collapsed automatically.

“You seem taller.”

“It has been two years since I stopped growing tall.”

“Really? Then why did you look taller?”

“Sir Shubard might have shrunk.”

“Pft- You’re really Lucellai’s daughter.”

He chuckled.

I straightened my messy hair and completely locked the front door.

“What about Lu?”

“I already told you not to call me like that.”

An elegant voice scolded him sharply.

Our eyes were focused on one place simultaneously. At the sound of a guest, my mother came out to the living room again.

“Lucellai.”

I could feel the change in his smiling eyes a little. I decided to quietly leave them alone.

“Don’t even think about going out because it’s windy.”

As I was about to go up to the second floor, my mother warned me once more.

“I’m not going anywhere.”

She must have thought that I would go out and get the firewood if there was a chance. But I didn’t have a plan like that.

Sir Shubart always looked around the living room as soon as he came here to see if anything was missing. And it continues until he leaves. It was actions he always did, just like breathing air.

As Sir Shubart is here, he will fill up the firewood. He will also warn the delivery man who didn’t bring the firewood. In the meantime, I would enjoy my laziness to the fullest.