Chapter 31

In a small orphanage, there was a little girl.

She had dark brown hair and brown eyes.

She sat crouched in front of the dusty playground, watching a line of ants pass by. Her small, skinny body looked fragile.

Catherine recognized her immediately.

That little girl… was Catherine in her previous life.

‘…This is—’

Catherine quickly realized what she was seeing — her forgotten memories from her past life.

“Sister, sister… why don’t I have a mom and dad?”

The young Catherine had asked the nun.

“Family isn’t just about sharing blood, dear. 

A family can be made in many ways, at any time, anywhere. So let’s wait a little longer, okay?”

The sister would always say that while gently patting her head.

What was at the end of that waiting?

Would there be a reward?

Do I have to be good and listen well to get a family? Will they come if I sleep enough times?

The little girl hoped and waited patiently, longing for a family.

“These people will be your new parents.”

She thought her wish had finally come true.

But… It wasn’t a family.

It was another kind of hell disguised as “family.”

“If you don’t listen, you’ll be punished.”

“Cry like a baby again and see what happens.”

“Stop being annoying.”

Her father always shouted at her. He showed only anger like it was as natural as breathing.

Her mother had left long ago.

Every day was painful.

But she could bear it — because her adopted sister was there for her.

Time passed. When she was 17, she found a novel called The Duke’s Daughter Refuses Regret.

The story felt strangely familiar.

Like her, the main character Eleanor was hated by her family after a tragic event.

Though she wasn’t exactly like Eleanor — who was born noble — she still felt a deep connection.

When Eleanor was sad, she felt sad too.

When Eleanor got revenge and smiled brightly, she felt happy and proud.

That night, like always, she was reading the novel in her room.

Crash—!

“Huh?! W-What? …D-Dad?!”

Suddenly, the door slammed open, and something hit the floor near her.

The sound of glass shattering followed. Sharp pieces flew and cut her skin.

It was a broken bottle — her drunk father had thrown it at her.

“I told you not to be seen around me!”

“Ahh! I-I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

“You think I’m a joke, don’t you?! Just like your mother! You’re all the same!”

Slap. Punch. Hit.

Her father beat her again, like always.

But this time, she could take it.

It was the last night of her 19th year.

“If I’d known it would turn out like this… I would’ve never brought you girls in!”

Eventually, the room went quiet.

Her father stumbled to his bedroom, drunk and mumbling.

Snore… groooan… snore…

She wiped her bloody nose and looked at the clock on the wall.

Her sister still hadn’t come back.

“When is she coming…?”

Her sister had gone out to buy a birthday cake — she would turn 20 in just an hour.

‘I’ll go get a cake. Be good and wait for me.’

Outside, the winter air was freezing.

She waited for her sister like always.

She didn’t know… that night would be her last.

When she opened her eyes again, she was Catherine — a baby in a new world.

She was curious. Could she become someone special in this world?

But no, God hadn’t been kind to her.

Slap!

“Useless things.”

“…Mother.”

“If you can’t do it right, I’ll throw you away. If you want to live here alone, do as you wish.”

Once again, she had to try her best to avoid being hated — to avoid being abandoned.

By the time her memories faded, Catherine was 11.

That was when she met Eleanor.

“From now on, I’m your big sister, Catherine! Let’s get along!”

Catherine didn’t like Eleanor.

Was it jealousy? Insecurity?

Maybe both.

“Hmph… Father must hate me.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. He only sends gifts and never comes to see me.”

Eleanor was upset even though she had received a beautiful, expensive teddy bear.

Catherine felt jealous.

It’s so hard for someone like me to get love… and here she is, pouting over not seeing her dad.

“Eleanor isn’t eating?”

“Is she sick?”

“Don’t be sad, my lady. The Duke loves you dearly.”

Even though Catherine tried to avoid Eleanor, she still noticed everything.

The way the servants and her brothers cared for her… Catherine wanted that too.

“You fool! If you’re not better than that girl, what are you even doing?!”

“…”

“You say you want to be loved? Then act like someone worth loving!”

Her mother kept comparing them. Catherine had to be better.

Her anger toward her mother slowly turned into anger at Eleanor.

“C-Catherine? What’s wrong?”

“You’re right, Eleanor. Your family hates you.”

“W-What? Why… why would you say that?”

She looked down at Eleanor. Took out her anger on her.

“No one will ever love someone like you.”

She thought it was normal.

Her mother praised her.

“Well done, Catherine. You made her obey. Good job.”

“R-Really? Did I do well, Mother?”

“Of course. You’re finally acting like a noble. I’m proud of you.”

Her mother’s rare praise made her happy.

The fearful looks from the servants pleased her.

And so, Catherine became the cruel character in the original story — Catherine Valentine.

Drip. Drip. Drip…

Catherine slowly opened her eyes.

Her head throbbed. It felt like waking from a heavy flu.

“Mm… Where am I…?”

She looked around and realized she was in a dark, cold, and damp underground room.

In front of her was an iron gate.

A prison cell.

‘Isn’t this the Duke’s basement prison? Why am I here…? Oh!’

Then it all came back to her.

She had drunk the Pilothes poison instead of Eleanor.

Before passing out, she had seen Eleanor rushing toward her — trying to use holy power to save her.

That glowing white light…

‘So… Eleanor awakened her powers earlier than I thought. And I didn’t even know she had them… ha, how foolish.’

Catherine had tried to save Eleanor and stop her mother’s plans.

But in the end, she was the one locked up.

‘So it wasn’t Mother who got caught… it was me.’

That meant the Duke probably knew everything.

She had done everything to survive in this house — only to end up like this.

She let out a bitter laugh.

At that moment, a thick blanket slipped off her shoulders.

‘…They even gave a prisoner a blanket?’

She looked around.

But all she saw were cold walls and prison bars.

‘What now? If I say I’m innocent, will anyone believe me? I still played a part in what happened… I do look guilty. And I’ve done wrong things before. Ha… what do I do now?’

No matter how she thought about it, she couldn’t see a way out.

If she was in here, it probably meant Eleanor had turned away from her too.

‘Mother must’ve abandoned me. That’s why I’m here.’

That thought made her feel even worse.

She knew Rachel was the villain — the evil stepmother from the story — but she was still her real mother.

Her only blood relative in this world.

‘She was the first real family I ever had…’

While she was unconscious, she had dreamed about her past life — memories she had long forgotten.

‘I was jealous of Eleanor…’

She hadn’t even wanted those memories back.

There was no longing or regret for her past life. She had simply grown used to this one.

She liked being with Alex and Rachel. She liked having a “family.”

Even though she wasn’t born here, this world felt more real now.

But in the end… nothing had changed.

In her past life and this one, she was still just a lonely girl who wanted to be loved.

‘I just wanted to be loved.’

A child longing for the warmth of a family she never truly had.