Chapter 9
Helen acted like me stepping outside the mansion alone was some kind of suicide attempt.
“You just woke up yesterday after ten days, and now you want to go somewhere alone!”
“I’m not going far.”
“You can’t even put on a dress by yourself. How are you going to button it all up…?”
I wanted to say, There are plenty of maids who can help me, not just you.
But I couldn’t speak. My throat felt blocked.
Instead of answering, I just looked out the carriage window. Seeing my sad face, Helen spoke.
“…You fought with the master, didn’t you?”
“…No, that’s not it…”
“You don’t have to say anything. I already know. I know everything.”
What do you know? I lowered my head so she wouldn’t see me smirk.
“Lady Florence only gets this quiet when she argues with the master. Honestly, you’re going to your family because you’re upset with him, right? But if the master comes to say sorry, please forgive him. It must be hard to stay angry forever.”
“…”
“Alright, Lady Florence?”
“…Okay…”
If Linus truly came to say sorry, then maybe I could accept it.
I couldn’t forgive him—but I could take his apology.
And then I could ask for a divorce. Ask him to let me go.
Even if he didn’t want to give me up, I might still be able to make the divorce happen.
To get divorced, I needed support from my family.
Just like marriage isn’t a decision one person can make, divorce also needs help and agreement from others.
In my memories, Father seemed to love me deeply. He didn’t even like Linus very much. He once said I could break up with him if I wanted.
If one spouse is determined, the other can’t ignore a divorce request—not even for the sake of appearances.
If I can just get their support without getting caught…
Maybe I could really get divorced.
Last night, I pretended to be Jang Hyunji to avoid being raped by Linus.
I thought over how powerless I was.
How could I escape this man who could kill or hurt me at any moment, or worse?
Divorce, escape, or hiding.
But if I stayed in the country, I could never get away from Linus.
He had power. If he put out a search order, I’d be caught before I even left the border.
I didn’t even have money.
The little bit of inheritance Grandmother left me was in the name of “Florence Love Seymour.”
If I ran away, I couldn’t touch it.
I couldn’t even access it.
Even if I forced a divorce, I didn’t know if it would protect me.
But it might make running away a little easier.
More than anything, I hated this name: Florence Love Lindquist.
Who gave me that name? Not me.
I had to take back my name.
It was the only thing Grandmother gave me that was truly mine.
“…Yes, Florence. You are Florence. My daughter.”
“And our little sister, too.”
I decided to pretend to be Jang Hyunji again.
One foolish act was enough.
Last time I cried out because the pain was too much.
This time, I had to hold it in.
If they didn’t know I was really me, maybe…
Maybe…
“Lady Florence?”
“I’m going to rest a bit, Helen. Wake me when we arrive.”
“Yes, Lady Florence.”
I was so angry with myself—for hoping even a fake smile would make me feel better.
Jang Hyunji once said that the side character she possessed was always unhappy and twisted.
The more miserable the original character was, the brighter her life seemed after possession.
And the more twisted the person was, the more even small kindness would shine.
It was just a trick to make the “main character” look better.
In that sense, I was perfect for Jang Hyunji to possess.
I was already a side character.
Whether it was Lila Green’s world or Jang Hyunji’s world, nothing changed for me.
What makes a person truly miserable?
The author who wrote the story with Lila Green as the main character wasn’t very original.
They added all the usual sad clichés to the unlucky character.
First, no parents, or a broken family.
That kind of sadness is common. Like something out of an old story.
A perfect mother who died giving birth. A useless daughter. A cold family.
They didn’t abuse me, though. Nothing so obvious that others would point fingers.
Father truly loved my older brother and sister.
He wasn’t someone who didn’t know love.
He loved our dead mother so much he never remarried.
He would do anything for his children.
Except—I was never really part of that family.
Like a vase in the hallway, or a picture on the wall.
Or maybe worse.
Something annoying, something that got in the way, but couldn’t be thrown out.
And I often ruined things by causing trouble… how much must they have hated me?
Still, from the outside, the Seymour family looked warm and happy.
They acted like good people who forgave their flawed child.
No one cared about the truth.
Even if someone found out, they didn’t do anything.
They’d say, “Be thankful. They’re so kind, keeping you even though you’re such a burden.”
Second, I was useless.
My mother had been a great spirit user.
And I was born a weak fool who killed her.
I couldn’t use magic. Not even simple spells.
Not having power isn’t a crime—but when your parents and siblings are all gifted, it becomes one.
I was the only one in the family with no talent.
Of course, that made me a target.
On top of that, I was sickly since childhood.
I didn’t have a specific disease, so there was no cure.
I fainted easily, caught fevers, got hurt.
Third… maybe a bad personality?
I laughed as I counted on my fingers.
This is the part Jang Hyunji hated most about me.
She said, “Even if you were no good, if you had just begged sweetly, they might’ve loved you a little.”
But I couldn’t do that.
I couldn’t admit I was worthless.
I was jealous of those who had what I didn’t.
Even when I cried and begged, I couldn’t hide the unfairness I felt.
But when a cruel person is unhappy, people just say it’s what they deserve.
It becomes a joke.
No one ever answered, no matter how much I screamed into the walls.
“Florence!”
The carriage stopped suddenly, and the door swung open.
The person who opened it was my brother, Blake.
He smiled brightly and reached out, picking me up in his arms.
I was so shocked I couldn’t even scream.
“I heard you woke up, Florence. I wanted to run to you right away, but I couldn’t get away. Please forgive me.”
“Ah…”
“Look at your skinny cheeks. Well, you were asleep for ten days.
You cold-hearted girl—didn’t you miss your brother?”
His big warm hand gently touched my cheek.
Ah… that smiling face I longed to see all my life—
It was looking at me now.
