Refrain from Obsession - Chapter 2

“What was I to you, Mother?”

Erica showed a slightly flustered expression at her question. Quickly composing herself, as usual, she coldly retorted.

“Haa… Do you have to ask that now?”

Erica continued with an irritated sigh, not hiding her annoyance.

“How long do you intend to act like a child?”

Normally, the daughter would have been unable to respond to this, only watching her mother’s mood. So Erica was about to board the carriage without expecting an answer.

If only there hadn’t been a voice holding her back.

“When have you ever treated me like a child?”

“…What?”

“You’ve never treated me as a daughter, Mother. So as your daughter, I’m asking you for the last time. Please answer me honestly.”

This time, she couldn’t hide her surprised expression. The daughter’s expression she saw when she turned back was utterly unfamiliar.

She had never seen her with such cold eyes before…

Aer had always looked at her with an expression of yearning for affection. She always watched her mother’s mood and tried to get her attention to receive even a little bit of maternal love.

“…What was I to you?”

As Aer asked again, Erica pressed her lips together before slowly opening her mouth.

“You were hope.”

Aer couldn’t help but know what kind of hope that was. The last hope to attract her father’s attention, which even her older brother couldn’t grasp.

“But not anymore. I don’t even like having the Bestia surname. And…”

Erica glanced briefly at where her husband might be before continuing.

“Seeing you crave for love, you looked just like me, and it was even disgusting.”

Aer’s hand, which was holding the front of her coat, trembled slightly at the blunt expression.

“Does that answer your question?”

“…Yes.”

The sharp words stung for a moment, but Aer felt rather relieved.

Yes, it’s not like we’ll see each other anymore anyway.

This is right.

Aer bowed deeply to her mother’s back as she was about to leave.

“Thank you for raising me all this time. From now on, I’ll live as if I don’t have a mother.”

Erica, who was about to board the carriage, turned her head again at her words.

As she noticed her daughter’s unfamiliar words and appearance, a strange emotion arose, but it quickly passed.

“I should be the one thanking you.”

Erica, who had spoken sharply until the end, hesitated for a very brief moment before boarding the carriage.

Aer stood still, watching until the carriage with its closed door disappeared from the mansion.

The employees standing with her glanced at the young lady, who was different from usual, and quietly tried to leave.

At that moment, Aer caught one of the passing maids.

“I’m out of water. Bring me some warm tea along with soup.”

Normally, she would have spoken in a subdued manner. But the employees only exchanged glances at her rather cold tone.

Aer calmly walked through them with an indifferent expression.

Returning to her room, she sat on the sofa, rubbing her cold fingertips.

She chuckled, recalling her mother who left for a divorce without a word to her daughter.

“Not knowing I had such parents…”

Like a fool, I craved affection for 16 long years.

It was devastating, but strangely, it didn’t hurt that much.

Perhaps it was because she knew that this place she was living in was just a novel.

As she waited for the maid for a while, the sun had fully risen.

Despite it being a simple errand, the maid who came up after quite some time with only warm tea was not the one she had sent earlier.

The maid poured the tea into the cup with a disrespectful attitude, pouting her lips. Aer watched this and swallowed a sigh.

How had she not noticed their behavior until now?

Proper parents would care for their children, and noble parents would have taught them how to handle employees.

But Aer had never been taught by not only her father but also her mother, and even her only older brother.

Among the many people living in this mansion, only one person cared about her.

Only the mansion’s doctor treated her normally. Even though it was just that, Aer had liked the doctor the most.

She had clearly asked for soup and tea, but the maid only brought tea.

“Where’s the soup?”

“It’s not ready yet as it’s still early.”

It was an absurdly disrespectful attitude for dealing with a young lady who had just woken up after being ill.

Aer let out an incredulous laugh, lamenting that she was only now seeing this disrespect, and asked.

“It seems you all wished for my death?”

“Pardon?”

The maid was severely flustered when the young lady, who would have normally responded with a resigned “I see,” pressed her with a trembling voice.

“Otherwise, there’s no way soup wouldn’t be ready when there’s a patient in the house.”

“…That’s not it.”

“Don’t lie and say it’s not. I can tell just by the fact that only you came in when I, who had been suffering from a high fever for a long time, finally opened my eyes and called for an employee.”

“Young lady, you’re mistaken. How could that be? You’ve just woken up, so you must be confused.”

That same old ‘mistaken’!

They always answered like this whenever Aer raised any doubts. The head maid did so, and the butler did so.

Naturally, all the maids and servants below them answered Aer in the same way.

There’s no gaslighting quite like this gaslighting.

A sigh escaped her, feeling too sorry for her past self. Aer waved her hand as if annoyed and said,

“Enough, just call the doctor.”

“…Yes, young lady.”

The maid hesitated at Aer’s unusual behavior before going out.

The doctor came running as if he had been waiting.

“Young lady. You’re awake. We were worried as you didn’t wake up for over ten days.”

The doctor, who took great pride in his profession, was someone who treated her with proper etiquette, unlike the other employees.

Aer asked him as soon as he arrived.

“Am I seriously ill?”

Although she hadn’t manifested as a Healer yet, she was worried about potentially having a terminal illness.

“It’s natural to have a high fever after falling into water in this cold winter. It’s a great relief that you’ve woken up. It’s still a period to be careful, so you need to rest well for a while.”

“I see, understood.”

Aer, who had been pondering how to deal with the employees, thought of resolving her hunger differently for now.

It didn’t seem necessary to go out of her way to change the employees. If you don’t like the temple, the monk can leave.

Briefly recalling the academy she would soon enter, Aer casually mentioned to the doctor.

“I’m very hungry. But I shouldn’t eat just anything, right?”

“Oh my, that would be terrible. You should start with easily digestible foods and gradually return to a normal diet.”

“I’m feeling weak, so could you stop by the kitchen for me?”

“Yes, I’ll do that. I’ve prepared some medicine good for energy, so I’ll send that along as well.”

After the doctor left, Aer continued to review the current situation and future events.

A while later, having filled her stomach without issue thanks to the doctor, she immediately called for the butler.

“You called for me.”

The old butler with neatly combed white hair bowed politely. But that was all.

He showed no concern or worry for the young lady who had woken up after ten days.

Aer felt her situation acutely as she received this unfamiliar sentiment. It felt as if she had opened her eyes to a new world.

She took a sip of the now cold tea before speaking.

“Has Father woken up?”

She had never asked about her father before. If Mother was difficult, how much more so would Father be?

“The Marquis has not yet risen.”

“I see.”

“Forgive me, but may I ask why you’re inquiring?”

At the butler’s question, Aer leaned back on the sofa and turned her head. She made eye contact and remained silent for a moment before finally answering.

“Does a child need a reason to ask about their father’s waking?”

“…That’s not the case, but.”

“Then, why ask such a question? Ah, did you perhaps misunderstand that I had something to say to Father?”

“……”

The maid who had just left must have been chattering away. The probing words were clearly felt.

If she hadn’t recalled her past life’s memories, she would still not have known.

She would have thought he was just a polite butler.

What use is outward politeness? He’s a cold-blooded person who doesn’t even say a word of concern to someone who’s been ill.

“There’s nothing to worry about, just let me know when Father wakes up.”

“…Yes, understood.”

Aer stared intently at the butler’s back as he left, then returned to her bed weakly.

Although her body hadn’t fully recovered and she wanted to sleep again, she had to meet her father before he left the mansion, so she pondered about the future while covered with a blanket.

She planned to receive some assets in her name before the family went completely bankrupt.

She needed to prepare for what would happen after receiving the money. Without money, she might die young like in the original story.

“I absolutely won’t die.”

She had already lived unhappily enough. She didn’t want to suffer any more injustice.