Chapter 5 – I Possessed the Villain’s Daughter
I buried my face in both hands.
Darkness. Darkness. Endless darkness…
My whole body felt stifled. Even though this room was so spacious, filled with glittering gold, ceramics, and jewels, it felt like my body was still trapped in a damp, dark closet.
Tears welled up and blurred my vision.
“Ugh…”
I was so scared. The thunder, the pouring rain, the lightning…
As the lightning flashed again before my eyes, I clutched the blanket tightly.
Krrr-booooom!
The thunder roared as if it was going to swallow me whole.
I was terribly afraid of thunderstorms.
It had been pouring rain like this on the day my parents and older brother died in a car accident.
I still remember. The black, muddy water overflowing. The road that was filled with puddles. The broken umbrella spokes and dead birds being swept away by the current.
The thunderstorm was so intense that maybe my mom, dad, and brother couldn’t even make it to heaven.
It was a childish thought, but I had been serious at the time.
I cried a lot. But whenever I cried, my aunt and uncle would snap at me in irritation, so I used to hide in the closet and cry in secret. No one comforted me anymore, but if I didn’t let the tears out, I felt like I’d drown in them.
I’m scared.
I’m frightened.
It hurts.
I’m lonely.
So lonely I felt like I might die.
“Dad… Mom… Brother…”
I groped blindly in the darkness. I wanted to call the maids, but I couldn’t see the cord on the bed. Probably because my eyes were blurred with tears.
Why… Why only me?
Why only me?
Why did they all leave me?
Was it my fault?
I cried and cried, in this cold, empty room.
If I could, I would have rather died with them back then.
But I couldn’t.
“Please… anyone will do…”
Please, hold this hand. Save me from this horrible dream that keeps repeating. Don’t let me keep thinking I’m alone…
I reached my hand out into the void, and as always, I grasped nothing but cold air.
My tears overflowed, and my heart turned black with despair—
Then the door burst open.
Because of the bright light from the hallway, I couldn’t see who it was at first. But they could surely see my tear-streaked face.
Their silhouette overlapped with the long-forgotten image of my dad.
“Lyla!”
“…!”
My lips parted wordlessly.
Though the name they called was different, the warmth of the hug was just as comforting as it had been long ago.
As I caught my breath in his arms, two more people came running through the door.
“Lara!”
“Are you okay?!”
It was Edwin and Light. Their faces were filled with such deep concern, like the whole world had collapsed.
As I trembled, Esat gently stroked my head, looking at me with a sorrowful gaze.
“Shh, you were scared, right? It’s okay… We’re here now. That’s just thunder and lightning. It’ll pass soon.”
“Hic…”
Esat kept soothing me gently.
Just like a child who scraped her knee and finds her guardian only after the pain sets in, I finally broke into full sobs in his arms.
Their warmth, like candlelight, wrapped around me.
“Shh… it’s all right. Everything’s okay.”
“Don’t cry.”
“Lara… don’t cry…”
Surrounded by their warmth, I cried even harder.
That night, I cried myself to sleep and ended up fainting.
Whenever I opened my eyes, either Esat, Edwin, or Light was always by my side, holding my hand tightly.
Because of that, I was able to fall asleep again, even with the rain pouring down like a waterfall.
The next morning, the weather was crystal clear.
The scent of fresh grass drifted in from the window, and the sky was bright blue.
It was hard to believe such a heavy rain had fallen the night before. Only the puddles left in the estate, glistening with rainbows, remembered that storm.
As I looked at them, a thought occurred to me:
Maybe… ending up in this world was actually a blessing for me.
I don’t believe in God.
If there were a god, they wouldn’t have been so indifferent to me.
But if this world had a creator, that creator would be Yeeun.
And that girl always wished for my happiness.
So this time, I didn’t want to just watch that happiness through a glass wall.
I wanted to leap in and make it mine.
What I’d always wanted was right in front of me. When I reached out, kind hands reached back.
The truth is—I wanted it so badly.
Family.
Love.
I wanted it so much. I had always turned away from it because I thought I couldn’t have it.
But deep down… I had always wanted it.
A family who loves me.
A world that smiles back when I smile.
So now… I felt like hesitating would only be a waste of time.
I turned away from the window. The maids were tidying up my room. I called out to one of them.
“Emma.”
“Yes, young lady?”
“Starting today, I want to eat in the hall.”
Emma paused. All my maids knew I had always used the excuse of being sick to eat alone in my room.
“So that means… I need to be dressed nicely, right?”
I gave a bright smile.
That morning, four family members gathered at the dining table: the Duke, the two young lords, and the young lady.
As if nothing had happened the night before, they were still just as warm and cheerful.
Light tossed out silly jokes, which Edwin gruffly countered—but still responded to. Esat, smiling gently as he watched them, occasionally chimed in with sharp but affectionate remarks.
As I ate, I looked at each of their faces in turn:
Esat.
Edwin.
Light.
My father, and my older brothers.
In the end, I decided to accept them.
“Father, I have a request.”
“Oh? What is it?”
Father looked at me with affectionate eyes and a smile that said he’d grant anything I asked.
I glanced around at everyone at the table and declared:
“I want to go on an outing!”
Rain puddles still lingered.
But a rainbow had risen.
The sun was shining bright.
In the novel, Esat is later executed as a traitor after a civil war. Edwin loses both eyes and goes missing. Light is killed by an enemy general.
I absolutely didn’t want to let that happen.
I would uncover the secret of the rebellion—
And protect them.
Even if some people saw me as a villain, even if they said I was wrong… they were my family.
So I would protect them.
Behind
“Oh, and there’s something else I wanted to say.”
Esat lovingly looked at his adorable daughter, his silver fairy, his one and only Lyla.
Lyla was chirping away like a little silver bird. That this girl was his youngest daughter—how lucky was he?
“Go on, tell me.”
Esat thought: even if she asked for a dragon’s heart, or the two eyes of the legendary giant from the north, or even the stars in the sky—he’d get them for her.
If Lyla requested it, he’d dispatch a dragon-slaying team and a giant expedition on the spot, and build an advanced astronomical observatory, no hesitation.
But what she actually said was completely unexpected.
“From now on, I want to exercise in the morning like Brother Light.”
“…What?”
Esat shot up in his seat. Lyla continued casually.
“I think I’m a bit chubby… and they say exercise makes you healthy, right?”
Lyla was calm, but Esat was outraged.
“What nonsense! There’s nothing to lose from your body. You’re already so thin I worry the wind might blow you away. Wait—did someone tell you you’re fat?”
If anyone had dared say that, he’d torture them until death—and then some.
What could possibly be lacking in his daughter? In Esat’s eyes, Lyla truly looked like a fairy, a goddess, the very sun itself.
But Lyla was indifferent.
“I’ve got plenty to lose, though?”
“…”
“And honestly, Father—aren’t you the one who hired ten patissiers just to manage my desserts? I was really shocked when I heard they rotate to invent new sweets every day.”
“That’s because you like sweets.”
Esat could feel himself shrinking. Lyla was firm.
“No matter how much I like sweets, too many are bad for a growing child’s health. You don’t want me ruining my body, right?”
“O-of course not!”
Esat nodded. Lyla gave him a bright smile.
“Then I’ll take that as your approval for training at the sparring grounds.”
“…”
It was a perfect defeat.
Edwin, seemingly indifferent from the start, simply sipped his tea.
As for Light—
“Wow! You’re going to train with me? Lara! Just trust this big brother. I’ll teach you everything step by step!”
He grinned brightly.
But Lyla’s expression… said, “Can this genius really teach me anything?”
Esat just chuckled.
These innocent, lovely children were his sanctuary.
Yes. Somehow, everything would work out.
Esat was the happiest man in the world.
He had two beloved sons, one precious daughter who could do no wrong, the Empire was peaceful, and he was healthy.
As he watched Light and Lyla chatting happily, he took a sip of his tea.
But…
Esat smiled dangerously.
“That rascal Light…”
He couldn’t help but just a little—no, a teeny-tiny bit—worry whether his second son had planted strange ideas in Lyla’s head.
If his beautiful daughter got hurt rolling around the training ground, Esat’s heart would be torn to shreds.
He smiled sweetly, resolving to have a long talk with Light after this meal.
Thus ended a very meaningful breakfast.
