The Knight Who Broke Off Our Engagement and Told Me to Never Show My Face Again Still Clings to Me Today, Even Though I Was Possessed and Turned Into a Villainess for Ten Years - 2 - Sadie Arclight 1

“F-Father… Mother…!”

After ten years, I stepped into my home again and walked straight to the hall, tracing the memories of the distant past.

There, I saw them—my parents—without a doubt. Before I realized it, tears were overflowing from my eyes.

All these ten years, whenever things were hard, I always remembered my beloved parents and endured. I wanted to see them so badly, so very badly.

“Sadie? What’s wrong, all of a sudden… And your appearance…!”

Soaked to the skin, I had suddenly rushed into the hall and started crying loudly. My parents looked terribly shocked and confused.

“I-It’s me… I’m Sadie.”

“Yes, we know. You’re our daughter.”

“N-No, it’s not that… Since that summer ten years ago, someone took over my body… I just got it back…”

I had planned to explain everything step by step, but once I stood before them, happiness, sadness, loneliness—so many feelings got all mixed up that I couldn’t speak properly.

But the moment I said “that summer ten years ago,” their eyes opened wide in shock. Maybe they had some idea of what I was talking about.

As they rushed over to me, looking worried, I saw how much older and more worn-out they looked compared to how I remembered them.

I realized again that it had truly been ten years since that day. Thinking of all the time that could never be recovered made my tears fall even harder.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Gerald Findlay.”

“Could you be… from the House of Marquis Findlay?”

“Yes. Actually, I’m also one of the victims of the same incident. While she’s getting changed, would you listen to what I have to say?”

Gerald had come with me all the way here, and now he spoke in my place because I was crying too much to talk. He must be confused too, just like me, and yet he was putting me first.

His kindness made me cry again.

“Understood. Please, have a seat. Sadie, you can take your time getting ready.”

“O-Okay… Gerald, th-thank you…”

“It’s alright. You dug lots of potatoes every year to make up for my bad back.”

“T-That’s not something you need to thank me for…!”

He had always been kinder than anyone. And we’d always helped each other and struggled to survive. There’s nothing to thank each other for.

But right now, soaked and filthy as I was, I gratefully accepted his kindness. I hurried to take a shower and change my clothes.

◇◇◇

“…So this is what I look like.”

After finally stopping my tears and removing the ruined makeup from my face, I looked into a hand mirror while soaking in the bath. A beautiful woman stared back—so beautiful, I was taken aback.

The last time I was in this body, I was only seven. Now, at seventeen, I had grown much more than I imagined.

Still, why had I worn such heavy makeup until just now? I looked much better without it.

Even though I knew it was my body, I had been in that body for so long that I still felt like I was looking at someone else.

“Phew…”

When was the last time I soaked in a warm bath? It felt so good I could float away. The maids who helped me get ready had already stepped out.

I just really wanted to be alone for a while.

As I slowly stretched out my arms and legs, I suddenly heard a knock.

“Excuse me, Lady Sadie.”

“Ah, yes.”

As I answered and turned toward the door, a maid stepped into the bathroom.

Her dark brown hair and gentle eyes of the same color were very familiar.

“…Could it be?”

“Yes, my lady. It’s Hara.”

Hara had been with me since I was born. She was my personal maid. I had always adored her like an older sister.

I was so happy to see her again that my vision blurred with tears once more. When she saw me crying, she too welled up with tears and took my hand.

“It’s really you, my lady…”

“Yeah, it’s me…!”

It seemed she had been told a little about what happened before coming here. I was so glad she believed such an unbelievable story.

While she helped me get dressed, she told me about my parents and about myself.

“S-So I was the worst kind of person?”

“…Yes. People called you a wicked woman of rare evil.”

“A-a wicked woman…”

The more I heard, the more I realized I had been terrible these ten years. I treated people of lower status like they weren’t human, wasted the family’s money, and even though I had a fine fiancé named Rufus, I kept flirting with other men.

I also lashed out at the servants and even raised my hand against them. That’s why the staff changed so often.

If even a maid knew all this, I didn’t want to imagine what the gossiping nobles in society thought. I never wanted to show my face there again.

It made sense now, the way Rufus and the others at the party earlier had acted. It was a natural reaction.

“What am I supposed to do now…?”

Unlike my family or Hara, the rest of the world would never believe something like, “Actually, I’ve been possessed for the last ten years! That wasn’t the real me!” That’s way too ridiculous.

Would I have to live the rest of my life with the label of “wicked woman”? Even though I’d suffered so much these past ten years… It was just too cruel.

And there was one thing I couldn’t stop thinking about.

“So… about all that flirting… um, did it include… everything…?”

“You don’t need to worry about that. You often said in front of Lord Rufus, your parents, and even us servants, ‘I’m saving my first time for Rufus, so don’t worry.’”

“Uwaaaaah…”

I couldn’t even put it into words, but Hara understood exactly what I meant. Even though she had a fiancé, she cheated so boldly, and still said that in front of everyone… Unbelievable.

The more I heard, the more dizzy I felt. That girl from yesterday was definitely not in her right mind.

“Hey, how did Rufus treat me through all of that?”

“…He always said, ‘Please stop already,’ just once… then looked down as if holding something back.”

“I see.”

“Yes. He was very kind and always cared about us too.”

Hearing that from Hara made my chest hurt, even though I wasn’t the one who had done those things. How much had I hurt him over the last ten years?

Even if I tried explaining everything now, he probably wouldn’t listen to me. He wouldn’t believe me.

And he had told me never to show my face again. All I could do now was quietly wish for his happiness.

“All done. As I thought, my lady, you are the most beautiful in the world.”

Hearing Hara’s voice, I looked up and faced the mirror. There I saw an even more beautiful woman than before. Like a real princess.

I couldn’t believe it was me. Just yesterday, I had dark, sunburned skin, a freckled face, and narrow, sharp eyes—in the body of a middle-aged woman.

“Hara, thank you so much. I’ll go back to the parlor now.”

“…Yes, you’re welcome.”

Then I lightly slapped both cheeks to get motivated and headed toward the parlor, where my parents and Gerald were waiting.