Chapter 12
Silence filled the room. Vidalia stared at their incredulous faces with a small smile she hadn't even known she was capable of. I was written as a role, she thought calmly, so I will rewrite the script.
"Oh! I—I mean Lady Elysia!" she quickly corrected herself, stopping under the girls' shocked stares. "I'm sorry! I'm going to bed!" she said hastily.
Rubis and Zoé exchanged horrified looks.
"Wait, Vida!" Zoé called out. "What do you mean by stepmother?"
"I'm not supposed to tell anyone. She'll be angry!" Vidalia said, trembling. Am I doing this right? She glanced at Naya, who smirked and gave her a thumbs-up.
Vidalia had never acted a day in her life. Maybe the girls wouldn't believe her—though she wasn't lying either.
"Don't worry, we won't say a word," Rubis reassured her, gently pushing her to sit down. "Why do you say Lady Elysia is your stepmother?"
Vidalia looked at the girls sitting in front of her and smiled faintly. They were certainly curious.
"Because she is," she said, tilting her head innocently. "She's my father's wife, so she's my stepmother… right?" she added, sounding confused.
"Yes… that's true," Zoé agreed, her gaze distant. "So you're the master's daughter?" she asked rhetorically.
"Yes, but it's a secret," Vidalia whispered.
"Vida, what you're saying is disturbing," Rubis said, frowning. "But why the veil? Are you sick?"
"My stepmother and my older sister don't like my face," Vidalia sobbed. "They say I look like a witch."
"Please don't tell anyone," she begged.
"Vida, that's cruel! People need to know!" Rubis exclaimed, appalled.
Maybe this wasn't such a good idea…?
No. It was for the best. Edwin cared about his reputation more than anything, didn't he?
"I just don't want people to know that my father doesn't love me," Vidalia rambled. "Besides, he doesn't even remember me, so…"
"Oh, my dear," Rubis whispered, pulling her into a hug.
"But what if we spread a rumor that the master is cheating on his wife—without mentioning you or your mother?" Zoé suggested aloud.
That's it! Vidalia thought innocently. We need to sow discord in this family. A little drama brings families closer, right?
"But my mother is gone… unlike the others' mothers," Vidalia said enigmatically.
"The others?!" they both cried.
"Nothing!" she said quickly, going to change clothes and leaving them stunned.
Vidalia smiled as she changed. She didn't hesitate—these people had ruined her mother's life and her own. They had to pay. She felt no regret for Angela, perhaps a little for Orion, but her brother would manage in life.
Orion had never been cruel to her. He always tried to distance himself from his parents and from Angela. That was why she hadn't hesitated. Angela was the protagonist—she had nothing to fear for her future.
She didn't have the power to expose them openly, but she would do everything she could to ruin the reputation they held so dearly.
Putting on her sleep mask and veil, Vidalia shuffled along the wall to reach her bed under Rubis and Zoé's sorrowful gazes. She absolutely could not show her face—if she wanted to disappear in peace.
"Good night," she said softly, pulling the blanket up to her shoulder.
A week had passed since her meeting with her grandfather, and it had been a wonderful week. Even Angela's tantrums hadn't managed to ruin it.
After her working hours, she would join her grandfather for tea, getting to know him better. He pampered her as if she were precious. Vidalia hadn't felt so loved since her mother.
During the week, Arzhel had startled her by suddenly appearing in the courtyard while she was hanging laundry. She had been so happy to see him that she jumped on him, and the ashen-haired boy had turned red as a tomato.
She told him everything about meeting her grandfather, and the thirteen-year-old was genuinely happy for her. Vidalia had been deeply moved when her friend made her promise not to forget him. She had sealed that promise with a kiss on his cheek—and just thinking about it made her blush.
She told him about her mother's story and her desire for revenge. He encouraged her enthusiastically and promised his full support. Vidalia didn't know why Arzhel hated the Sullivans so much, but it comforted her to have someone by her side.
She also told him about the rumor she had spread through her roommates. Arzhel had laughed until he lost his voice.
At the beginning of the week, her grandfather had left the manor. Just knowing he was gone made Vidalia's heart ache. After promising to write to her every week, he departed.
Vidalia smiled in front of Angela's bedroom door. The rumor about Edwin's infidelity had spread through high society, and thanks to the girls' promise, Vidalia's name was never mentioned. Women she had never even heard of were now being named as Edwin's mistresses.
Elysia was furious and avoided every tea gathering she was invited to. The household was in turmoil.
Orion, usually impassive, seemed worried about how far things were going—especially since he was about to begin working for the Second Prince the following week. Who would want a guard with scandal-ridden parents, constantly at the center of the capital's gossip? He avoided his parents like the plague.
As for Edwin, that bastard remained silent in his study, avoiding his wife.
It was the first time Vidalia had ever started a rumor—and it was more successful than she had imagined. She felt proud of herself. The rumor kept growing, and more stories piled onto the couple.
The only person who seemed completely unaffected was the protagonist herself. Angela stayed in her room or drank tea in the garden. She greeted her parents as if nothing were wrong. Even though she ate alone in the mornings, the cold atmosphere at dinner never seemed to touch her. Then she would leave for visits to the capital—if Vidalia hadn't already known how familiar Angela was with its streets, she would have been surprised.
Vidalia entered Angela's room and found her already awake. She froze at the doorway, staring at her as if she had sprouted wings. Did something happen on the way to the capital or what?
That arrogant, capricious girl had become almost… noble. Calm. Refined—well, not truly refined. Angela had never paid much attention during etiquette lessons.
"Are you going to stand there like a statue, or are you going to do your job?" Angela spat disdainfully.
Vidalia looked at her, then let out a long sigh of relief. Thank God—it was still her. For a moment, she had thought another soul had taken over Angela's body, like in the stories she used to read.
She quickly began helping Angela get ready. Why did she wake up so early again…?
"Today, I'm going to explore the capital," Angela announced.
Again?!
"And you're coming with me. The others watch me too closely—it's annoying!" she grumbled. "I haven't visited the young ladies' cafés yet. I need to make friends here."
So today, she was her servant again. So much for my break, Vidalia thought with a pout.
"Are you even listening, you little idiot?!" Angela shouted.
Absolutely not. So much aggression in such a small body.
"Yes, big sister," Vidalia replied calmly.
Angela shot her a sharp look. "Don't embarrass me. Stay quiet—and don't call me big sister in the capital." She sniffed disdainfully. "Father has already ruined my other chances with his stupidity." She stormed out, stomping her feet.
Vidalia rolled her eyes. Is this girl really the protagonist? She had been asking herself that for years. Maybe she had reincarnated into the wrong story after all…
Wait. Now that she thought about it—weren't two major early-plot events supposed to happen around this time?
She would know for sure once she saw them.
To be continued.