Chapter 1. I was abandoned by my family
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5 Advanced Chapters
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***
Ever since they’d returned to the Leroy residence with nothing to show for it, the conflicts had been constant. Marquis and Marquess Leroy, in particular, had been fighting to the point where even the passing servants were amazed.
Even today, the Marquess was shouting at the Marquis.
“What are you going to do now? She’s saying that she won’t come back no matter what!”
The situation had worsened for them when the Emperor recognized Leticia as a member of the Aster’s household, making it more difficult for them to have Leticia returned.
When the Marquess glared at him resentfully, the Marquis shouted fiercely in frustration.
“And you’re blaming me?”
“Of course I am! Who kicked her out without even doing a proper investigation!”
“Do you think I did that on purpose? You also said it would be good if I excommunicated her.”
“I couldn’t help it because everyone was saying they wanted her kicked out.”
“Don’t you remember that you were the first one to bring it up?”
Xavier, who couldn’t bear to see the two of them snapping at each other, stepped in to stop them.
“There’s no time for this right now. We need to think about how to bring my sister back first.”
They needed to think of the best possible way to convince Leticia to change her mind and return to them.
However, the Leticia he’d seen at the audience chamber had firmly and thoroughly let them go. No, she’d thrown them away.
‘Who could’ve guessed that her ability would be luck?’
He sighed, and bit the inside of his mouth.
If he’d known about Leticia’s ability, he wouldn’t have ignored her, or mistreated her from the very start. Rather, he would’ve been nicest and more supportive out of all of them.
‘How did we only just find out about her ability?’
There was a time when he’d hated Leticia, even though she’d done nothing wrong.
All of a sudden, the surrounding atmosphere suddenly became strangely quiet. Xavier felt it right away and felt confused as he met the Marquis’ gaze.
The way Marquis Leroy’s face had brighted was eerie.
“Hey, Xavier. Why don’t you go and talk to her?”
“What?”
“As a parent, there’s a lot she must be feeling disappointed about. So wouldn’t it be better if you, her brother, go and talk to her?”
In fact, Irene would be the best person to go and persuade Leticia or shake her resolve. Among her younger siblings, Irene was the child she cared for and looked out for the most.
However, Irene was currently staying at his brother-in-law Kerron’s territory, and wasn’t currently here. It was a little disappointing, but it could still work with her younger brother Xavier.
“It’s important for you guys.”
“Father…”
The expectant look in his eyes made it very difficult for Xavier to tell him that he’d already tried.
At that time, when he was at a loss for what to say and could only bite his lip, a servant approached Marquis Leroy. When he heard that there was a guest waiting for him, the Marquis told him they’d continue this conversation later, and walked to his office.
He found Marquis El sitting in a chair and leisurely drinking tea.
“What brings you here?”
When Marquis of Leroy asked with a puzzled expression about the sudden visit, Marquis El reacted in confusion
“I sent you a letter saying that I’ll visit you soon.”
When Marquis El said this, the letter he received a few days ago came to mind.
“Ah… I’m sorry, I’ve been a little busy.”
Only then did he remember the letter he’d received. Marquis Leroy glanced at Marquis El as he sat across from him.
Was it because bad things continued to happen so many days in a row? He felt like nothing good would come out of Marquis El’s mouth.
“You sent me a letter about an engagement with your second daughter.”
“Yes, I did.”
Maybe it’s because things had been so hectic recently, he’d forgotten that he’d decided to get Diana engaged to Levion. As expected, it didn’t seem to be a big deal, so Marquis Leroy breathed a sigh of relief.
However, his expression hardened almost immediately at the next thing that Marquis El said.
“That engagement, I’d prefer if it didn’t happen.”
“What?”
He’d been relieved, but unfortunately those words struck him like lightning,
“Why on earth not…?”
They’d already discussed it, so he thought all that was left was to set an engagement date. He couldn’t understand the sudden wish to withdraw the engagement.
Marquis Leroy’s eyes were asking him to explain himself. A sigh escaped Marquis El as he awkwardly explained.
“My son said he didn’t want to.”
“….”
“I can’t force my son to do something he doesn’t want. What parent can win against their child.”
Marquis El acted as if it couldn’t be helped, and was asking for understanding. It was so shameless that Marquis Leroy couldn’t even laugh.
However, there were more shocking words to come.
“But… If he were to get engaged to your eldest daughter again, then it might be possible?”
“Marquis El.”
“In fact, wasn’t the engagement original with that child?”
“….”
Until then, Marquis Leroy really thought that Levion didn’t want to become engaged to Diana. It may still be true, but as Marquis El tried to have the previous engagement reinstated after he’d broken it off originally, he knew that everything he’d said until now was a horrible excuse.
‘I’m sure that he knows what Leticia’s ability is.’
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have suggested that the two should be engaged again.
‘I can’t believe that others have noticed already.’
Marquis Leroy quietly clenched his hands. He could feel it all around him. He felt ashamed for only just realizing it, and gritted his teeth.
However, he had no intention of giving in to the Marquis of El’s wishes at this point.
“You’re correct. At first, Leticia and Levion were engaged, but there was a misunderstanding and it was broken off.”
“Then the two of them should be engaged again…”
“I would love to, but as you know, she is considered Count Aster’s daughter now.”
Marquis Leroy gently cut off Marquis El’s words, and calmly explained the situation.
Marquis El quietly listened to him, and nodded sympathetically.
“I heard that Count Aster accepted Leticia as his adopted daughter, but she’s still your biological child.”
“Then I’m going to have to ask you for a favor.”
“Oh?”
Marquis El frowned, as he worried that it would be something unusual. He already knew that it wouldn’t be easy to reinstate the engagement, but he had a bad feeling.
Marquis Leroy continued to speak in a soft voice.
“If you can help me get that child back, there’s nothing I can’t do to get your son engaged or married to her.”
Marquis El became quiet, as he agonized over the attitude that he’d do anything asked of him. He didn’t know what kind of request it was, but he thought it wouldn’t be difficult to do that much.
“So, what is your request?”
Marquis Leroy smirked, even though he’d just said he would only listen.
He knew better than anyone else that he would have no choice, but to act after what he heard.
In the private room, where it was just the two of them, Marquis El frowned after he heard Marquis Leroy’s conditions. However, he thought it would be a pity to miss out on a chance to obtain Leticia, who was said to bring good fortune.
“Well… It shouldn’t be that difficult to find the girl.”
“Then I’ll trust you.”
Marquis Leroy smiled gently, and thanked him for accepting his request.
Even before that, the two had no idea that someone was secretly listening outside.
***
‘What? They’re going to get engaged again?’
Diana had belatedly heard that Marquis El had arrived, and she’d gone to her father’s office to greet him. However, the conversation she’d heard through the slightly open doors shocked her.
[You sent me a letter about an engagement with your second daughter. That engagement, I’d prefer if it didn’t happen. If he were to get engaged to your eldest daughter again, then it might be possible?]
Diana returned to her room, because she thought she would scream if she kept eavesdropping, but the conversation between the two still bothered her.
However, it was Marquis Leroy’s words that dug into her chest and caused the most pain.
[If you can help me get that child back, there’s nothing I can’t do to get your son engaged or married to her.]
‘You’re going to marry her, and not me?’
Marquis Leroy had clearly said that he would get her engaged to Levion, then suddenly he changed his mind. She couldn’t help, but feel angry and betrayed.
‘If I had that ability…’
Diana bit her lip, and squeezed the skirt of her dress.
As the rumors spread that good things happened when Leticia was around, people began to look at Diana strangely, who’d been the symbol of luck throughout the mansion. She pretended not to know, but recently she couldn’t stand it anymore because she was being openly ignored by Emil and Xavier.
She was annoyed by this, but held it in. When Leticia said she wouldn’t come back, the anger she’d been holding back finally reached it’s limit.
‘I’m sure she’s dragging it out because she wants to see us squirm.’
She pretended to be nice, but in the end she refused to come back out of vindictiveness.
‘How dare you!’
She didn’t want to see her holding her head high, just because she had some skill.
Diana heard a knock on her door as she was gnashing her teeth fiercely. As she shouted that they could enter, the door opened. Emil and Xavier then walked inside.
“What do you two want?”
She knew that they would say something horrible, so her voice came out sharp.
However, Emil showed no sign of displeasure and approached Diana.
“I have something to say.”
“What is it?”
“I want you to apologize to our eldest sister.”
“What?”
She looked at Xavier, wondering what this was all about. He just nodded, as if he felt the same way.
“You treated our eldest sister the worst out of everyone. Apologize to her and bring her back, even if you have to stay on your knees until they hurt.”
Diana was so taken aback by the words he said so casually that she couldn’t even laugh.
“What? You want me to get down on my knees and apologize? The two of you are crazy!”
She didn’t even know why she should be apologizing, and couldn’t hide the incredulous look on her face at their demands that she should get on her knees.
Emil looked at Diana seriously.
“Go and say something nice, then apologize.”
“Why me?”
“This isn’t the time for you to be yelling at me like that.”
Somehow, she could feel a sharp meaning behind his words. Even before Diana could ask what he meant, Emil said.
“Wasn’t I injured because you pushed me down the stairs?”
“Emil was hurt because Diana pushed him?”
Xavier, who’d been quietly listening to the conversation, was surprised and looked alternately between the two.
Diana only stared at Emil with clenched fists.
“…So?”
“Wouldn’t it be difficult for you if Father finds out?”
“That…”
Marquis Leroy used to care about Diana the most out of all of his children, and would talk about all the good things that happened because of her. However, it turned out that it was all thanks to Leticia, and now her situation was completely different now.
“If you don’t want to look bad in our father’s eyes, then go and apologize.”
Diana didn’t want to hear his firm words, she made an angry noise, and turned her face away from him.
She didn’t want to go see Leticia and apologize to her. Diana was upset that Emil was trying to coerce her into begging their sister to return.
“I don’t want to.”
When Diana persisted with her arms crossed in a posture of absolute refusal, Emil smiled crookedly at her.
“I guess you didn’t understand what I meant. This wasn’t a request, but a threat.”
“What?”
“If you don’t, I’ll immediately go see Father and tell him it was all your fault that I was injured.”
“Emil!”
At his openly threatening words, Diana jumped up from her seat and glared at him bitterly, but Emil was adamant until the end.
“Go and apologize.”
“You…”
“That’s if you don’t want to be kicked out.”
After saying that, Emil left the room with Xavier in tow. He hadn’t forgotten to threaten her to apologize before he left.
She watched the two of them leave the room, and screamed angrily as soon as the door closed.
“How dare you threaten me?”
She still vividly remembered Emil’s expressionless face as he browbeat her. She wanted to rip him apart and kill him right now.
‘If I was lucky.’
If she was, they wouldn’t be able to ignore or intimidate her.
Her eyes eventually began to sting due to her anger.
“You said I was lucky, but I wasn’t…”
She felt suffocated because it was so unfair and miserable.
“I am lucky…”
Her family always said that about her. They said it was all thanks to her that Marquis Leroy’s business, which had been failing, started to do well and caused their status to rise again.
“I have to be lucky.”
Her dress was crumpled mercilessly in her hands. Diana clenched her teeth so hard that her jaw trembled, then she ran to the prayer room in the mansion.
.
.
.
There was a story that she’d heard a long time ago. The myth was that God had heard the prayers of her family and was so moved that he granted them abilities. Everyone knew the story, but Diana never really believed in it.
But at this moment, when she had no one to lean on, all she could do was believe in that ridiculous prayer.
“Just give me that power.”
She said, while she looked up at the statue that rose high above her, as if it was piercing the ceiling.
“I deserve that ability, so give it to me.”
If she had the ability to call good luck, then her family would be revived, and everyone would be happy again. There would be no Leticia in that happiness either. She knew that her family didn’t actually want Leticia back, but her ‘luck’.
‘If I had that ability.’
It shouldn’t have been like this.
She could feel her stomach burning, as she clenched her teeth.
“Why am I the only one who you gave a useless power to?”
The more she thought about it, the angrier she felt. Her voice was so loud that it couldn’t even be called a prayer anymore.
“Why did you give me that ability!”
It was unfair.
Emil was given high intelligence, Xavier received the swordsmanship ability, and Irene had the ability to use magic. All she got was the ability to summon flower petals.
However, Diana never felt discouraged. Her parents always told her that it was thanks to her that everything was going so well now.
Out of all of the siblings, she ignored Leticia the most because she hadn’t awakened to an ability yet. With Leticia around, Diana was able to hide her jealousy and inferiority complex. Sometimes she felt pity, and sympathy for her, but it was always short lived.
Then it turned out that all of the happiness she’d enjoyed was because of Leticia’s ability.
What made her even angrier was that her younger brothers turned their backs on her as soon as they found out. Emil ignored her, as if her flower rain ability was a joke, and Xavier didn’t even pretend to look at her.
‘Those abominable things!’
When she thought of her brothers, who’s attitudes changed so dramatically, as if they’d just been waiting. Her eyes burned with anger at the injustice.
‘I’d rather your abilities disappeared.’
They’d enjoyed them for their entire life, so she thought they wouldn’t need them anymore. Then she wouldn’t need to be jealous, and her heart wouldn’t be so twisted.
Diana fiercely clenched her teeth and stared at the statue. Then she angrily turned away, and slammed the door of the prayer room as she left.
That night, there was a sudden commotion as lightning struck the Leroy residence.