Chapter 10

I felt much better after getting all that off my chest, but I did have one small regret. Should I have tried to sound more like a child? It might have felt weird to hear a child speak like an adult. I had grown up walking on eggshells, so now even the smallest of missteps felt like a possible trigger for misfortune. Squeezing the blanket in my tiny fists, I waited for what was to come. I was used to being treated with disgust and contempt, so if that was how they reacted I would be fine. If I were allowed to stay here, I wouldn’t be able to hide my true self for long anyway. The way my body tensed was out of my control, though. My back was stiff, and my hands were sweating.

Suddenly, Chloe began to talk about herself, “I grew up in the same orphanage as you.” I lifted my head, watching her as she spoke. I remembered this part from the novel. “The staff tricked me and sold me off to evil people, and I had to do all sorts of awful things, all before I was even considered an adult. It was terrible.”

Her lips twisted into a bitter smile. “My friends were sold alongside me. Some of them died, and some of them may still be out there, living lives that make death seem preferable.”

That could have been my future.

“And when I realized that it was my friend’s doing, and that he was now the director of the orphanage—that was when I decided to take my revenge.”

I swallowed, my eyes meeting hers. Her red pupils practically glowed with vengeful wrath. “So my plan is to cause misery for anyone who’s involved with him. I can’t allow them to live a comfortable life after they ruined mine.” Chloe’s mouth twisted into a deep sneer. “I refuse to allow it.” I swallowed again, sensing her determination. “The documents you brought me are proof that he’s been selling kids. Were you aware of that?”

“No,” I replied.

The corner of Chloe’s mouth tilted up in a smirk. “Right. You wouldn’t have handed them over to me just like that if you knew what they were.”

“Does that mean you can take the director down using those papers?”

Chloe shook her head in annoyance. “If I spread them now, those who back him will just cover it all up, no doubt.” She pulled out her pipe as if she were about to light it, then hesitated and shoved it back inside her sleeve. “Not just the documents—the estate and I will be buried in the blink of an eye. There will be a time and place for the truth to come out. I just need to wait for that moment to arrive.” I could hear her grinding her teeth with frustration.

“My revenge is not the only reason I live. I want them all to get their just desserts. I don’t care how long it takes to make that happen. So I’m collecting evidence and amassing power for now.” Chloe snickered and then said, “You’re after Duke Heronis, and it’s the orphanage for me. I believe we have similar goals.”

Chloe smiled widely, her expression at odds with the topic of the conversation. “If you want to stay with me, you need to learn how to determine the proper value of things when you’re making deals.”

Everything that Chloe had just said was the same words she had spoken to the hero in the book. But she’d said them to me. That could only mean one thing.

“Are you letting me stay here with you? Are you going to name me your heiress?”

“Things will be much harder for you as a woman in command of an estate. People will constantly disregard and criticize you.” As if to scare me, Chloe said in a low voice, “If you’re good at your job, they’ll hate you for that. If you’re bad at your job, they’ll say it’s because you’re a woman. It may be even more challenging than anything you’ve suffered in the past. Do you still want to take the position?”

“Of course I do.”

Chloe beamed at my answer. “Good. You are now the heiress of Benedito Estate, and your name will be Daphne Benedito, honey.”

“Honey?” No one had ever addressed me so sweetly before, and I flinched in surprise. But Chloe didn’t seem inclined to stop. She seemed satisfied with me, her lips stretching into a wide smile.

“I like how ambitious you are, and I meant to offer you my patronage. But I just changed my mind,” she said.

“Really?”

“Offering you only patronage wouldn’t be compensation enough for the documents you just dropped into my hands. That would be very cruel of me.” Chloe chuckled. “I like your vigor and your spite. Those qualities alone qualify you to be my daughter, my heiress.”

Hearing these words was more satisfying than I had ever imagined. “Me, your daughter? Are you sure it’s okay?”

Chloe could no doubt hear the anxiety in my voice and answered seriously. “It’s more than okay.”

I did it. All my suffering finally amounted to something. The tension melted from my body, leaving me now that I’d earned Chloe’s approval. She really named me her heiress. I never imagined this was possible, but everything is turning out well. My shoulders drooped as I sighed in relief, and Lenox spoke up, as if he’d just been waiting for his chance to question me. “How are you feeling?” he asked.

“I think I’m okay. I don’t think my injuries were as bad as I thought they were.” I decided to let my guard down, knowing that I didn’t have to be so spiteful anymore.

As I answered the question politely with a nod, Chloe barked out a laugh. “Perhaps you weren’t aware, but your condition was quite serious. You were in bed for three days. We treated your wounds and gave you medicine, but your fever refused to break. Your leg was the worst, though.” She glanced at the limb in question and then at my head. “Your leg can be fixed, but...”

I knew that something must have happened to my head because she trailed off, seemingly not wanting to say more. Now that I thought about it, Lenox had also seemed surprised by the same thing in the forest. I brought a hand to my head as Chloe watched me, but I couldn’t feel anything out of place. The only thing that was all that different was that it didn’t hurt anymore. What’s the problem, then?

When I tilted my head inquisitively, Chloe sighed. She snapped her fingers. “Daphne, take a look in the mirror.” Lenox held out a mirror that was as big as my face.

“Oh.” A familiar face greeted me. I saw my round eyes with their slight upward slant and my golden pupils. There was a bandage on my cheek. It was uncomfortable but not unusual given the terrible state I was in. But something else had changed. “My hair is white.”

“I heard that your hair will turn white if you suffer from immense shock,” Ricarda said, though he didn’t sound very confident.

I fidgeted with the pale strands, nodding. Ricarda looked depressed as he explained that he couldn’t do anything about the color of my hair. Nothing could be done even if I mourned losing the purple. The result of my trials was the loss of my purple hair and its replacement by the white.

“My eyelashes are white as well. It just looks like they’ve always been this color. The color my mother gave me is gone.” The purple of my hair was the only thing my mother had ever given me. Feeling a little sad, I sensed the stillness in the room. Could it be that they care about how I feel? Chloe didn’t try to hide her crumpled expression, and Lenox’s hands were bunched up into fists. He looked angry. Ricarda apologized, looking very guilty. “I’m okay. I’m still alive. If the price I had to pay was my leg and hair, I’d say I was very lucky,” I spoke, trying to be pragmatic. But this only seemed to send them deeper into gloom.

To lift their spirits, I changed the topic. “My mother must have wanted me to have a new life. She took away the purple and gave me white hair.” I pointed to Chloe’s hair. “My hair is as white as yours now. Doesn’t the white suit me well?” I could only really say this because Chloe had white hair just like I did.

Hm? I thought this would lift their spirits, but all three of them only scowled more fiercely.

“Yes, honey. Now no one will doubt that you are mine.” Chloe stroked my hair gently. I knew it couldn’t be real, but feeling the affection in her touch made me feel much better.

“So what do I do now? What should I do? I can do anything!” Enjoying the feeling of her stroking my hair, I felt like I had no time to waste. I had to quickly prove my value and secure my place as heiress.

However, the three of them stiffened once more. Chloe frowned, sighing deeply. She stubbornly said, “I know you’re quicker and more mature than most kids your age, but I don’t think a kid should be acting like such a grown-up already.” She sounded worried. “What you should focus on now is doing nothing but relaxing until you’re all better.”

“But— ”

“I’m still healthy and alive, aren’t I? That means you can take your time learning what you need to learn.” Chloe wore a bitter smile as she withdrew her hand from my hair. “You might say I’m cruel. Only a few days ago I made you undertake such a vicious trial, and now I’m treating you as my child. It probably feels like I’m teasing you.” She laughed at the situation she had created. “I know it’s my attitude that’s making you feel rushed.”

“I don’t think that you’re teasing me.” It might have been a challenging, savage mission for a child, but it didn’t matter anymore because I’d succeeded. Chloe might have named me her heiress because she felt guilty, but it was the result I’d wanted. So everything had turned out fine.

A smile blossomed on Chloe’s face upon seeing my stubborn expression. Her eyes were still apologetic, but the look on her face told me that she was relieved. Seeing these soft emotions from her was bewildering since I’d grown up only ever being regarded negatively. “I told you that you’re my child now, and I mean it. We had a peculiar start as a family, but I’m sure we’ll make it work.” Her words were full of hope. I blinked, nodding to show I understood what she meant.

“We’ll take our leave now so you can relax and rest. It will be nighttime soon. You must be tired.” Chloe tucked me in. The blanket felt warm and cozy. “Everything else can wait for now.”

“Okay.”

Chloe smiled in satisfaction and addressed Lenox, “Daphne must be hungry. Get her something to eat, and then let her rest.”

“Yes, Mother.”

“See you tomorrow, my little sister.” Ricarda bid me good night, and the three of them left.

I looked around the quiet room, just taking in everything. It looked and felt so different from the orphanage—the clean, soft pajamas I was wearing, a cozy room that wasn’t a storage room, the thick, warm blankets that kept me toasty… I sighed and looked down at my hands, then covered my face with them. The opportunity Chloe had given me, Lenox’s kindness, the purple butterfly’s guidance, and Ricarda’s treatment had brought me back to life.

My death day had passed. I burst into tears, unable to hold them back any longer. I had survived. I had escaped death. And now I could live my life. With a storm of emotions swirling within me, I could no longer fight back my tears.