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Episode 38

“You don’t have to answer right now. Think about it for a few more days. Then maybe your head will clear, and you’ll realize there’s no other option for this family but to marry into the Marbo family.”

Mom didn’t budge. In her mind, I was already married to Leo.

And that marriage? I already knew how it would end. I’d slowly lose my mind from dealing with a guy obsessed with his ex. My self-esteem would hit rock bottom.

I held the mermaid’s tear tightly in my hand.

Suddenly, I thought this mermaid must’ve had incredible courage.

She cried even knowing it would kill her—and gave her tear to the one she loved.

I wondered if I could ever be that brave.

I had taken over Delphine’s body, and I had no real connection to her parents. But still, I didn’t want to cut ties completely.

They had raised this body, after all. And who knows—maybe someday the real Delphine might return. I didn’t want her to come back to an empty life.

Also, back when I lived as Joo-hee, I learned something from experience:

Background really does matter.

Having a strong family or support system made a huge difference. The life of someone with a powerful background versus someone without one? It was like night and day.

That’s why I wanted to keep Delphine connected to the Flerain family. Even if the family was in decline, they were still nobles—a duke’s family.

Especially in this world. No matter how rich Frederic was, because he came from a baron’s family, he couldn’t even access duke-level dress salons or salons.

If I left the Flerain family, I’d be cast out socially.

But right now, I have two choices: stay with a fake family and go insane next to Leo… or live alone and be free.

Just thinking about it made my head spin.

“……”

Seeing me deep in thought, Mom smiled, satisfied.

Of course she planned for this. I know her too well. She’s a master at calculating what benefits her the most.

Now it wasn’t a question of what I wanted—it was which kind of suffering I’d choose.

Suffering with the ex-obsessed Leo… or struggling alone but staying true to myself.

Either way, it was a tough call.

I glanced at Mom’s face.

Did she ever have to make a choice like this?

I asked her,

“Mom, why did you marry Dad?”

She was a little surprised by the sudden question but answered right away.

“For the same reason as you. Marriage is between families. That’s why you need to stop being stubborn and accept Leo’s proposal.”

So if I accept Leo’s proposal, I’ll live like Mom. And one day, will I end up saying the same things to my child?

A life where family status and wealth mattered more than personal happiness. A life where joy was all about showing off to others.

That’s how I saw my mom’s life.

But I didn’t want to live like that.

Sorry, Mom. Your time and mine are different. I can make a different choice.

I looked her straight in the eyes and said,

“Mom, I’m not getting married.”

“Delphine, you don’t need to decide right now—”

“I’m not marrying him. Whether I think about it tomorrow, or next week, my answer will stay the same.”

“……”

“I can’t live with Leo. I will never go through with this wedding.”

“Everyone lives like this. I did too—”

“I’m sorry, Mom.”

That’s when she finally realized how serious I was. She saw that there was no chance I would marry Leo.

“……”

Tears welled up in her eyes. Her lips trembled as she tried to speak, but no words came out.

“Then get out of this house.”

Her voice shook. Not just her voice—her hands and body were trembling too. I pretended not to notice.

“I will. I’m rejecting the proposal knowing full well what it means.”

“I don’t have a daughter like you. Get out now.”

“……”

I looked out the window. The night was pitch black.

But staying in this house would make my future even darker than this night.

“Okay, Mom. Take care.”

“You… Delphine, I can’t believe… ngh…”

Mom turned away, covering her face with both hands as she started sobbing. I saw her shoulders shaking but… there was nothing I could do.

“Goodbye.”

Leaving her by the mermaid statue, I walked up the central stairs.

“Delphine! If you walk out like this, you can never come back to the Flerain estate! I mean it! You’ll lose your title and be expelled from the family!”

Mom’s final warning echoed coldly through the banquet hall.

“…Haah.”

I turned my head slightly and looked at her. She glared at me, her face soaked in tears.

“I’m ready, Mom.”

I went upstairs to my bedroom and started packing a coat and a few essentials.

Wait a second…

This might be my last moment in this house. I thought hard about what I should take with me.

I considered bringing some valuables, but they were all gems that would lose value if I sold them.

“……”

I looked around my room. I had lived here for over 20 years, yet there was nothing I felt attached to.

“Ah.”

Then I remembered the one thing I absolutely had to take. I left the room to go get it.

9. Living Together Again

—Chaa!

—Neighhh!

The carriage stopped in front of the Frederic estate. The coachman opened the door and said goodbye.

“Miss Delphine, stay healthy.”

“Thank you, sir. Please don’t tell my mother you brought me here. It’s for your own safety. And here, this is a thank-you gift.”

I pulled out 10 luc and handed it to him.

“Oh no, miss. I didn’t do this for money. You were the only one in that house who ever treated us kindly. It’s sad to see you go like this.”

“……”

I gave him a small smile and handed him the money anyway. He took off his hat and got back onto the carriage.

“Wherever you go, I hope you’re happy, miss.”

“You too, sir.”

—Clip-clop, clip-clop…

The sound of hooves faded into the dark night. I looked up at the Frederic estate.

I never imagined I’d be coming here tonight. I hope the door isn’t locked…

Praying silently, I pushed the heavy iron gate. Thankfully, it was open.

Huh? The dining room lights are on? Did someone forget to turn them off?

Thinking someone left them on, I opened the door to turn them off.

“…Oh?”

Inside the dining room were the maids and Ecor. Even though it was quite late, they were still cleaning up the table.

“Miss Delphine!”

Ecor put down the plate he was holding and came over to me.

“Mr. Ecor, what’s going on? Why is everyone still awake and cleaning at this hour?”

“Today is Young Master Frederic’s birthday. We held a small celebration.”

“What? Why didn’t I know about it?”

Ecor looked a bit embarrassed.

“Master Frederic doesn’t like others knowing about his birthday. This time, he specifically told us not to tell you.”

“What a coincidence. We have the same birthday.”

For a moment, I wondered if all side characters in the original novel just happened to share the same birthday. The author did have a habit of focusing everything on the main leads, after all.

“Still, Mr. Ecor, if you’d told me, I would’ve come earlier.”

Ecor looked very awkward.

“To be honest… it’s more of a celebration for us—the maids and me. The young master never attends dinner on his birthday. He never has.”

“I see. Honestly, this sounds way more fun than my own party. Maybe I can join next time.”

“I’d love that.”

Ecor smiled warmly.

—Grrrowl.

Oops. That was my stomach.

Wow, I must really feel comfortable at the Frederic estate. I couldn’t eat a thing at the Flerain house…

Ecor glanced at my stomach and smiled brightly.

“We made roast duck tonight. Would you like to try some?”

“Yes, please! I barely ate anything today.”

Ecor smiled gently.

“Oh, and Mr. Ecor—this.”

I handed him the large travel bag I was carrying.

“What is this?”

“Crème brûlée. It’s all I could bring from the Flerain estate. Since the young master likes it, please store it and give it to him little by little. It’s even better if you warm the top before serving.”

“Thank you, miss.”

Ecor called a maid to carry the bag and stepped out of the dining room.

* * *

A light dinner was quickly prepared. Ecor brought out food and a bottle of wine.

“Please try this wine. It’s an excellent one.”

The sound of wine pouring into glasses filled the room.

I picked up my knife and cut a piece of roast duck. It was so tender it melted in my mouth. The hint of herbs lingered deliciously.

“This is amazing!”

I took a sip of wine.

“This wine pairs so well with the food!”

I usually didn’t drink wine—it was too bitter, made me dizzy, and left a bad hangover. But this one was different. It had just the right amount of tartness and enhanced the flavor of the meat.

Ecor refilled my glass.

“I’m glad it suits your taste, miss.”

I stared at the beautiful color of the wine and said,

“Mr. Ecor, I have something to tell you. You’ll find out soon anyway, but I want to tell you first.”