I Become the Villain's Bride - Chapter 83

Chapter 83

The moment she recalled my first kiss, she shook her head without realizing it.

Honestly, their first meeting was a disaster. No matter how she put it, it’s not the kind of story she could tell her sister in a good light.

“Why are you suddenly asking about that?”

“He kept smiling and just staring at my face the whole time. Is he a bit… slow? He wasn’t like that in Alster’s book.”

The moment she remembered the stories Lily likes, a headache started creeping in. 

The stories that suited impatient Lily’s taste usually had all their history unfold in a single night after the characters first met. 

“It wasn’t quite like that for us.”

“This is so frustrating.”

“…What is this conversation about?”

Madame Benoît looked like she wanted to jump in, but Lily hesitated briefly before speaking cautiously.

“To be honest, he’s not 100% my type.”

“And?”

“But when I thought, ‘Well, he’s going to be mine anyway,’ he started looking kind of cute. But the maids kept glaring at me…”

What on earth had happened? Freesia opened her mouth slightly but decided to listen to her sister instead.

“What kind of person is His Highness the Crown Prince?”

“He’s not exactly handsome.”

“Huh?”

“And he’s shorter than your husband. I mean, he’s still young, so he might grow a bit more.”

“You said he’s turning nineteen soon, right?”

When the new year comes, Lily will be twenty-one. To Freesia, they both still seemed young.

Lily’s face darkened with serious contemplation.

“Could it be…?”

“Whatever you’re thinking, forget it. It’s not that.”

Faced with her sister’s rather radical views on romance, Freesia felt at a loss about where to begin teaching her. Anyway, it was only an engagement for now, with the preparations in the hands of the adults.

After brushing off that troublesome matter to Madame Benoît, Freesia made her way to Rose’s office for the first time in a while. Luca, leading the way, curiously looked around.

“So, this is Lady Rose’s office.”

“Yeah. It was really shabby at first, but now she bought the building and even expanded it.”

Her sister, who had started buried in debt, used her experience as a knight to venture into the military supply business. Although many mocked her for falling from a knight-captain candidate to ruin, the armor and gear she designed using her on-field expertise quickly earned acclaim, and her sales kept rising.

“The place looks a lot fancier now.”

“She didn’t want to bring shame to your name, Lady Freesia.”

“She’s really something.”

During her sister’s hardest times, all Freesia could do was support her from behind.

Their bond, which had deepened beyond sisterhood into camaraderie, remained strong, even though Rose constantly gave Freesia headaches. To her sister, Freesia was still everything.

Carrying a box full of the brownies her sister liked, Freesia carefully climbed the stairs. Yet, the second-floor office was oddly noisy.

“What are you planning to do? This has nothing to do with either of you.”

“Hiding the fact that Freesia became the Duchess of Crowford, and now Lily is becoming the Crown Princess? And you didn’t even tell us? Are you human?”

“Of course! So selfish. Just selling off your poor sisters to live comfortably on your own?”

“Selling them off? Who did I sell off? Why are you saying such things!!”

At last, the long-buried wounds seemed ready to burst open.

Freesia silenced the assistant, then quietly watched Rose as she took the verbal abuse without a word.

“If you need money, ask me. Just don’t even think about going to Freesia or Lily.”

“Who said anything about money? You excluded us from the wedding and then lied to us on top of that.”

“Who lied to you!”

“As the eldest sister, you should behave properly.”

“You can’t even take care of yourself.”

Who were they to speak like that?

Standing before the sister who gave up her dreams and ran to handle the disasters they caused, their parents showed no shame as they hurled cruel words at her.

Yet, even as those hurtful words piled on, Rose didn’t utter a single word that could wound her parents’ hearts.

Family makes everyone vulnerable. Neither Rose nor Lily could escape that truth.

“Lady Freesia.”

“Luca, open the door.”

“I’ll go first.”

Fieldram, who had followed them out of boredom, stepped forward.

To clear up the lies from before, Freesia opened her fan with a snap and bellowed for everyone to hear.

“Enough.”

“Perfect timing.”

Rose’s face turned pale at the sight of Freesia’s entrance.

Her sister must have intended to bear everything alone again, but Freesia had no intention of allowing that.

“If the Duke found out, you’d be fooling around with a wretch like him, you fool.”

“…Fools? Do you even know who I am to talk like that?!”

“I apologize for the late introduction. This is Fieldram, my knight protector.”

“Fieldram…”

Even their parents, who lived in the countryside and were out of touch with current events, had heard of Fieldram—infamously known as the ‘Mad Dog’ of Crowford.

“Not that it matters, since you wouldn’t believe me anyway. He’s assigned as my guard, so if you have complaints, take it up with him.”

“Is this how you talk to your parents?”

Freesia had long grown tired of her father’s hypocrisy—acting so kind outside the house, only to raise his voice as soon as he stepped inside. He made her wonder if she was even truly his child. If this was what having parents was like, they were better off without them.

But unlike Rose, who couldn’t bring herself to say harsh things because they were family, Freesia felt no guilt and spoke her mind without hesitation.

“Have some decency. You ran off, taking whatever valuables you could when the family was about to collapse, and now that my sister has rebuilt it, you come crawling back to leech off her?”

“Your language is so crude. Is this how your sister raised you?”

“Freesia.”

“You must be envious. I bet you wanted to boast about your brilliant son-in-law. Did the Viscountess of Naphier put you up to this again?”

“Th-that’s…”

Wherever money gathers, flies are sure to follow. And there was no easier prey than her naive father and gullible mother.

Freesia knew better than anyone why Rose had given up on marriage.

Two sisters to care for and hopeless parents to shoulder.

Rose had returned home at only twenty-two, giving up both the person she loved and her brightest dreams.

The moment she saw her parents shamelessly berating them despite having ruined their children’s lives, Freesia understood why Wilfred had never wanted children.

Praying that these words wouldn’t reach the child in her womb, Freesia clenched her teeth and delivered her final blow.  

“Give up on your useless dreams. Both my sisters and I have already decided to live as if our parents were dead.”  

“What did you say?”  

“Don’t even think about showing up in the capital. My sister might have treated you with some respect as adults, but I have no intention of acknowledging you as people anymore.”  

“Oh, I see. Now that life is going well for you, you’re throwing your parents away, is that it?”  

Their cruel, deliberate words left her wondering how to handle such wickedness. Her father raised a hand in anger but, upon seeing Fieldram standing before him, swallowed his rage and stepped back.  

“We didn’t ask for much, did we? As parents, we at least deserve basic courtesy and respect.”  

“On the day of Lily’s engagement, we—my husband and I—will act as her guardians.”  

“With her parents still alive? What nonsense is this!”  

“Do you still not get it? The whole world knows just how awful you two are.”  

Even the Crowford’s household avoided asking about the former Devlancs because their incompetence was common knowledge by now. What once stung had eventually become a relief.  

“What does it matter what anyone says? You never believed us anyway.”  

“Well, that’s—”  

“Don’t think you can coast through life this way. People need to have shame.”  

Fieldram swatted away her mother’s grasping hand. The feigned tears, meant to elicit pity when convenient, wouldn’t work on them anymore.  

“Ma’am.”  

“…Take them away. If they don’t work properly, don’t feed them. Put them in the most rundown room available.”  

This was a line Freesia had never wanted to cross, but they had left her no choice.  

“There happens to be an open spot.”  

“Freesia…”  

“We’ve taken over an orphanage in Crowford, the very same one Lily and I would’ve ended up in if you had abandoned us entirely.”  

“This is—”  

It seemed only fair. If they had shattered their daughters’ dreams, the parents deserved to have theirs crushed as well. Even if Freesia and Lily rose to become a duchess and a crown princess, their parents would spend the rest of their lives doing laundry and cleaning under the supervision of other staff—helping the children they once could have been.  

“Since you discarded your children, this is how you’ll repay that debt.”  

“Freesia…”  

“You can’t do this. How could you!!”  

Ignoring their parents’ bitter cries, Freesia reached out to Rose, whose spirit had been broken long ago. Watching their parents behave so disgracefully had likely brought Rose’s anger to a boil.  

“Sister.”  

“I’m sorry, Freesia.”  

Rose’s life had been stuck in the moment she gave up everything—her dreams, her love—just because she was born a few years earlier and had to carry it all.  

“You’ve done so well, Sister.”  

“I… I don’t know.”  

“So now, I’ll be the one to protect you.”  

Having witnessed her sister survive on her own without anyone to lean on, Freesia knew Rose had borne far too much. Embracing her weeping sister, Freesia gently patted her back, swallowing her own pain.  

“Hey, kiddo, let’s give them some space.”  

Sensing the mood, Fieldram left the room with Luca in tow. Though Luca said nothing, his eyes were brimming with tears.  

“You seem more like an adult than I am.”  

“I’ve actually been meaning to tell you something.”  

“I know. You’re pregnant, right?”  

“…How did you know?”  

“Your husband told me.”  

Though she’d been planning to break the news herself, Rose’s reaction wasn’t bad—if anything, it seemed comforting. Freesia smiled as she cupped her sister’s cheek.  

“If it’s a girl, I’ll make sure her middle name is Rose.”  

“Are you sure you won’t regret it?”  

“Not at all. Having a daughter like you would make me feel incredibly secure.”  

At those words, Rose wiped her tears and gave a radiant smile.  

“I’d be honored.”  

Seeing her sister, as familiar as ever, filled Freesia with pride. Smiling warmly, she felt truly content.