Miss, It’s Just a Cold

Chapter 55: Love

I tossed the pen aside and stood up from my chair.

In the distance, I could hear slow, steady footsteps approaching.

It was probably Fabian or a servant, coming to tell me that dinner was ready.

A knock echoed through the door.

When I opened it, I found Rin standing there, her face filled with fear.

She looked like someone who knew exactly what was about to happen.

“Hey, Rin.”

“Y-Yes, Miss…”

“Go outside.”

“…Pardon?”

“I said, go outside. Go wait in my room, or head out of the mansion and buy something.”

As I spoke, I rummaged through my coat.

I pulled out a gold coin — the allowance Aria had given me — and pressed it into Rin’s hand.

“T-This is too much! They won’t even have change for this kind of coin!”

“Then buy the most expensive candy you can find.

Now get out.”

Rin nodded hesitantly, then slowly walked down the stairs.

I watched her back until she completely disappeared from view.

Only then did I start moving.

Step by step, I descended the staircase.

Each time my foot touched a step, the floor let out a loud, creaking squeak, squeak.

This sound is disgusting no matter how many times I hear it.

Maybe I should just burn it all down.

It’s wood, after all. It’d burn easily.

Once I reached the first floor, I headed toward the dining room.

My “family” was already gathered, chatting away as if they were the happiest people on earth.

They were probably talking about the outing they’d gone on earlier in the day.

From my pocket, I heard the soft clinking of bullets knocking against one another.

The others glanced at me, looking uncomfortable, but none of them seemed to notice.

“Emily, what are you standing there for? Come and sit down.”

“Yes, Mother,” I replied with a bright, cheerful smile.

The table was already filled with food, but new dishes were being brought out one by one.

I glanced toward the kitchen and noticed that the person preparing the food had changed.

This one had a certain elegance about them — someone with a refined, noble look.

Did they hire someone new?

The dishes on the table were glossy with oil, all made from ingredients I didn’t recognize.

Fabian stared at the food with a strange look on his face.

He was staring at it like it was something disgusting.

There was a slight tension in the air.

Or maybe it was excitement.

How should I put it…

Back then, when this kind of food was served, it always meant something had happened.

Sometimes it was after Mother and Father had made up after a fight.

Other times, it was after they’d done something to trap me, or after something “good” happened to one of the other family members.

Dinner began.

They all started making small talk, but the atmosphere felt awkward.

Then, Mother decided to speak.

“Oh, that’s right, Emily. There was something I couldn’t tell you since you were gone for so long.”

She took a sip from her glass.

Her face flushed slightly, so it was probably wine, not water.

“While you were away, a most charming gentleman came to visit us.

He said he had fallen in love with you.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, he even went so far as to seek our understanding before he met with you.

Such a polite and respectable man.”

“Must be rich.”

“Of course! He’s got enough wealth that you’ll never want for anything.

The mansion he lives in is said to be five times the size of ours.”

Ah, so that’s it. You’re hoping you won’t have to see me anymore.

Even as I threw out that sarcastic jab, Mother didn’t flinch.

She just kept smiling.

“Then what about Ernst?”

“Well, we’re sorry to him, but you can’t let childish feelings control your future.

You have to make the smarter choice.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

I leaned forward, resting my elbows on the table, and smiled sweetly.

“Unfortunate, because I already rolled around in bed with Ernst, and now I’m pregnant.

What should we do, Mother?

Your grandchild is already squirming inside me.”

Father and Daniel spat out their food at the same time.

These are the people who’d lectured me day and night about “manners” and “etiquette,” and now look at them.

Mother’s calm, smug expression cracked like broken glass.

Even Ellie, always so composed, was staring at me in shock.

“When do you think the wedding should be, Mother?

We should probably do it before my belly starts showing, right?”

“…What nonsense are you spewing?”

“But you were the one who said it, Mother.

You told me to offer up my body to Ernst, didn’t you?”

“I never told you to act like some filthy whore!”

Wow, she really has no limits, huh?

Well, I guess she can say that since she doesn’t see me as her “child.”

I tilted my head and grinned.

“Ahaha, if anyone’s a filthy whore, it’d be you, Mother.

After all, you’re the one who slept with another man to give birth to me, right?”

Her face twisted in an instant.

Father’s face did too.

These people, who always had something to say, who always stood beside Mother and tormented me — now, all of them were silent.

They glanced at each other, unsure of what to do.

It’s hilarious.

When it really counts, they can’t say a word.

So why did they always have so much to say to me?

“Ah-CHOO!”

I sneezed. It was kind of cute-sounding.

But what came out wasn’t cute at all.

Blood.

Blood came up.

Maybe it’s because I only ate painkillers before coming here, but my insides were wrecked.

The blood wasn’t bright red.

It was almost black.

Whatever.

Like hell I’m going to lose to some disease now.

Not when I’m finally about to break free of these chains.

“Mother, sit down.

Do it while I’m still willing to call you ‘Mother.'”

The person who’d been about to yank me by my hair stopped in her tracks.

Instead of moving, she just stood there, looking at me with a face full of disbelief.

“How much did you sell me for?

I’m still from a noble family, even if it’s not the most prestigious, so I bet the price was pretty high, huh?”

“You… What kind of tone is that to use with your mother?”

Daniel jumped in, his voice sharp.

But I wasn’t looking at him.

I was staring directly at Mother.

“How much did you get, Mother?

You must’ve made quite the profit.

Go on, tell me.

How much is a ‘daughter’ worth these days?”

Her eyes narrowed like a snake’s.

But I didn’t look away.

I ignored her.

Mother, too, ignored me.

Father rubbed his temples like he had a headache and let out a long sigh, as if everything was too much trouble for him.

For a moment, I thought, “Maybe I should feel sorry for the two of them.”

But then I remembered — these bastards were just like Mother.

They sided with her to torment me.

No, I don’t have to feel sorry for them.

I’m under no obligation to.

“…How long has it been since you conceived the child?”

What nonsense is she spouting now?

“About a month, I guess? We had so much fun after dancing together in the garden, you see. Ehehe.”

“A child born out of sin will never be accepted by society.”

Ellie looked at me, her face full of concern.

But she didn’t need to worry.

If anything, she should be the one worried.

I didn’t ask for her pity.

It wasn’t pleasant to receive it, either.

“Sin? What sin?

If a child is born from the love of a man and a woman, how could it be considered ‘sinful’ at all?

If you want to talk about illegitimacy, I suppose it’s me who’s the real proof of it.

After all, I’m the only one here with white hair and red eyes.

So, Mother, who’s my real father?”

I reached into my coat and pulled out the gun.

It was obvious from the look in her eyes that Mother was about to charge at me.

But I was already prepared for that.

No one else noticed because I was sitting under the table.

This was all I could do.

This was all I had left.

This was all I’d ever been able to do.

You’re the ones who drove me to this point.

I’ve done nothing wrong.

Not a single thing.

What else was I supposed to do?

What else could I have done?

Father and Daniel began shouting at me.

I glanced at them, but I didn’t bother responding.

Neither of them dared to approach.

They were counting on Mother to handle it.

How pathetic.

How thoroughly disgusting these people are.

It’s astonishing, really — that people like this can even exist.

Their voices soon blurred into ringing.

Beeeeeeep.

The world turned red.

My eyes itched.

I wiped them with my hand and felt something wet.

Blood.

Tears of blood.

I used to think “tears of blood” was just a metaphor people used.

But it turns out it’s something that really happens.

This wasn’t the first time, after all.

“Emily, it’s clear that having you was a mistake.”

“Ahaha, if I’d known I’d be born into this trash heap of a house, I would’ve stayed a clump of blood in your womb.”

“Get up right now and head to the punishment room.”

“Screw that.

Did you think I’d follow your orders forever?

Even force has its limits.”

“GET. IN. THERE. NOW!”

Mother’s voice was sharp as a knife.

She leaned back against her chair, legs crossed, and glared at me like I was a misbehaving dog.

“Don’t make me drag you there by your hair.

Get up and walk on your own two feet.”

…Was I afraid of this?

“Mm, no thanks.

I don’t take orders from a whore who sleeps around with other men.”

“You wretched brat! Your filthy illegitimacy is—”

Mother stomped toward me.

Her eyes burned with rage, and she was shouting so loud that spit flew from her lips.

I shifted my aim.

Daniel, who was standing next to Mother, was glaring at me with bloodshot eyes.

He was yelling something, but I couldn’t hear it.

I aimed the gun at him.

And I pulled the trigger.

BANG.

No, not “bang.”

It was more like an explosion.

A loud, boom-like sound.

I couldn’t hear it properly because the ringing in my ears was still going strong.

The world was quiet and muffled.

“Ugh.”

That was the only sound I could hear.

Children love their parents, right?

Isn’t that how it’s supposed to be?