My Fiancé Fell in Love with My Older Sister. After Locking Myself in My Room for Five Days, 500 Years Had Passed. - Chapter 8

As soon as I returned to the estate, I went straight to my father’s study.

When my father heard what I had to say, he nodded calmly and spoke.

“Then, I will proceed with the annulment of the engagement. As for the future, I will discuss it with His Highness and Agnes. You are to explain this to Patricia.”

His words were brief and to the point.

Hearing them, I thought—

(I’m sure that in the past, I would have been hurt by my father’s words.)

After all, the only one my father truly loves is my sister, Agnes.

Patricia—that is my mother’s name.

My sister and I are half-sisters.

Her mother had already passed away, and for a long time, she had been my father’s mistress.

I heard she was once a famous songstress.

The name ‘Jennifer the Songstress’ was known by everyone in my father’s generation.

With her delicate beauty and enchanting voice, she possessed an almost otherworldly charm, as if she were standing under the moonlight itself.

Her singing captivated people of all ages, and many gentlemen from across the country and beyond sought her favor.

And among them all, the one who managed to win her heart was my father.

Back then, my father was the son of the Duke of Frenzel. It is said that he pursued Jennifer with a passion that surprised even those who knew him well.

My mother, on the other hand, was the daughter of an earl and had ties to foreign royalty. Naturally, her marriage to my father was political.

There was no love between them.

Even now, my mother has not forgiven my father for keeping a mistress for so many years, and my father, in turn, finds her presence bothersome.

It’s the kind of story you hear in many noble houses.

(My mother… how unfortunate she is.)

And so am I.

Jennifer, my sister’s mother, passed away shortly after giving birth to her.

She had always been fragile and delicate, so it’s likely she couldn’t endure childbirth.

Just by looking at my sister, I could imagine what her mother must have looked like.

She must resemble Jennifer a great deal.

After all, my father constantly says so.

The ones my father loves are Jennifer the Songstress and her only daughter.

As for me, he does not care.

And he sees my mother as nothing more than a nuisance.

Lowering my gaze, I murmured softly.

“…How exactly should I explain this?”

“…What?”

He probably hadn’t expected anything other than my agreement.

My father raised an eyebrow and looked at me.

Only now, after I had entered his study, explained what had happened at the royal castle, and stood before him—only now did he finally look at me.

I didn’t matter to him.

That was why my future was an afterthought, while his mind was entirely focused on my sister.

As if I was merely a bother, my father leaned back in his chair.

“Are you incapable of even explaining this? And you were once the Crown Prince’s fiancée?”

It seemed he had already decided that my engagement to Felix was a thing of the past.

I could feel my heart growing colder and colder.

For a long time, I had feared my father.

Not because he didn’t love me.

But because he was indifferent.

He had no interest in me at all.

He had no expectations of me, nor did he wish anything from me.

As long as I caused no trouble and lived quietly, that was enough.

That was the kind of father he was—and it terrified me.

Even as a child, I had already realized that nothing was expected of me.

And yet, back then, I still wanted my father to acknowledge me.

I wanted him to recognize me.

But all my efforts were in vain, and in the end, he would only look at me with icy cold eyes.

Rather than disappointment, his gaze held irritation.

That look alone was enough to instill fear in me.

(But now… I think differently.)

I stared at my father.

People say that children cannot choose their parents.

But no matter what kind of parent they have, a child will still seek their approval.

They will still long to be acknowledged.

(…What kind of life is this, where I must seek approval from someone like him?)

Does he really have the right to dictate how I live?

At the very least, now that I have regained my past life’s memories, I have no intention of clinging to him just because he is my father.

Since remembering my past life, I feel like I’ve gained a new sense of resilience, boldness, and my own values.

My eyes must have spoken louder than my words.

My father suddenly stood up, kicking his chair aside.

“What is that look in your eyes?! If you have something to say, say it! You really are just like your mother…!!”

And so, he continued to say more thoughtless words.