A World Where You All Are The Villains - Chapter 112

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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112.

The Awakening that never came, even after my first menstruation.

― The General’s only child is defective?! How utterly humiliating!

To my Father, the unawakened were “defective.”
It wasn’t my fault that I failed to Awaken.
My Biological Father began treating me like garbage from that moment on. He hid me from the world as much as possible.
Arguments between my parents became frequent every night.
My Mother, who had always been fragile by nature, couldn’t endure my Father’s sudden change in attitude.
I was fine with it.
At least I could bear it because Mother was there.

― Sol. No matter where you go, don’t lose heart. Life is something no one can predict—it can turn around at any moment.
― Look at your father. Who would have thought a mere officer could become General just by making one good marriage?

She had smiled brightly as she said those words.
The next day, Mother greeted me as a cold corpse, hanging from the ceiling.
Was that when it began? When my life plummeted into the abyss?
Contrary to Mother’s words, my circumstances only worsened with each passing day.

― Say hello. This is your new sister.
― Do-un is two years younger than you, so don’t fight and get along well.

After Yu Ji-han came Yu Se-hwa, then Yoo Do-un….
After Mother died, my siblings multiplied in the blink of an eye.
Surprisingly, the four of us got along well.
Perhaps it was because we each fulfilled the other’s purposes.
Though not a drop of blood was shared, we formed a harmonious, complete family.
Everyone except me.
The scene shifted.
We were back in the Kitchen.
This time, I was seated at the dining table bathed in bright sunlight.
I looked strange to myself in a school uniform, as if I had become a high school student.

― Se-hwa, I hear you’ve been promoted this time. You’ve worked hard. I’m proud of you.
― Do-un, your training results are quite promising. Soon you’ll be ready to enter the Gate alongside your older siblings without any shame.

My biological father praised his adopted children one by one.
Then his gaze fell upon me, sitting quietly in the corner.
My cheeks were swollen red from another beating, my lips split at the corners—and I could see the contempt settle in his eyes as he looked at me.

― Tsk. When will you ever grow up? You’ll be an adult next year. Don’t you know your sister is going through a sensitive time right now? Why do you keep entering her room?
― Come now, Father. Don’t be too harsh. Se-hwa was a bit rough this time.
― I’m sorry, Father. I just woke up from sleep and mistook her for a burglar.

Yu Ji-han smiled smoothly and made a show of trying to calm him down, while Yu Se-hwa shamelessly spun her lies.
‘Ah. I remember now.’
It was the day I’d run into her the moment I came home from school, and she’d suddenly slapped me across the face.
Something about the way I was looking at her bothering her, or whatever.
My father, his face twisted in displeasure, had hurled insults at me one after another.
The old me, with my head hung low, had stood there like an idiot, unable to say a single word.
Watching that scene from a step away, I let out a hollow laugh.
‘This way… I’m no better off than Edith Blake at all.’
It wasn’t even close.
My circumstances were far more wretched and pathetic than hers.
At least Edith Blake was ignored by her father—she wasn’t beaten by her step-siblings as she grew up.
‘Or is it? In the end, they all pretend not to know and let you die anyway, so maybe it’s all the same.’
I was listing meaningless comparisons with a hollow laugh when it happened.
Knock, knock.
Suddenly, I heard a knock from somewhere.
At the same moment, the scene unfolding before my eyes crumbled away.
I’m waking from the dream.
That intuition struck me instinctively.
Knock, knock.
The knock sounded again.
I opened my eyes slowly.
My mind was sharp and alert, as if I’d never fallen asleep at all.
Yet my body felt heavy as lead, as though I’d come down with something.
I exhaled a quiet sigh and opened my mouth.
“Who is it?”
“Miss, it’s the Butler.”
“Come in.”
As I gave my permission, the door clicked open and the Butler entered.
I couldn’t be bothered to get up and greet him, so I simply lay there and rolled my eyes to look at the Butler.
“What is it, Butler?”
“The Duke has asked that we gather as a family for dinner this evening to celebrate your return, Miss.”
“I’m rather tired. Could we not do this tomorrow instead?”
“You skipped lunch as well, Miss! Moreover, the Duke has gone to the trouble of bringing in the Chef from the Imperial Palace….”
The Butler launched into a tirade about how I ought to greet the Duke properly and thank him for my safe return.
Perhaps it was because I’d just awakened from that dream of the past.
Truthfully, I had no desire to face either the Duke or Ethan.
But postponing it to tomorrow would only delay the inevitable encounter.
“Fine, fine! I’ll go down!”
“I shall inform the Duke that you are preparing yourself and will be down shortly.”
As I waved him off irritably, the Butler smiled as though he’d never nagged me at all.
“Oh, and while you were sleeping, someone from the Security Bureau came by.”
“From the Security Bureau?”
“Yes. They asked when you might be available to visit, so I told them I would inquire and send word.”
Not even a full day had passed since my return, and they were already pressing me. I couldn’t help but click my tongue.
The previous Purifier, who had been absent for so long and caused such unease, was finally dead—no wonder they were in a panic.
“Very well, I understand.”
“Then I shall see you shortly, Miss.”
The Butler darted from the room as though afraid I might change my mind.
As if on cue, Nancy entered in his place.
“You’re awake, Miss?”
“Yes. Nancy, help me with my clothes.”
With her assistance, I changed into a sky-blue indoor dress and made my way down to the First Floor.
Upon entering the Dining Room, the Duke and Ethan were already seated.
“How have you been, Father?”
“Well enough. And you—nothing troublesome happened?”
After exchanging pleasantries, I took my seat, and the courses began to arrive.
“No, nothing.”
I nodded casually, but the Duke, who had been sipping his aperitif, furrowed his brow.
“Nothing? You didn’t even send word to your father immediately! What on earth were you doing?”
His disapproving gaze lingered only briefly.
Soon he broke into a broad grin and asked with barely concealed eagerness.
“So you’ve awakened as an Awakener, then?”
“Yes, well… it turned out that way.”
“The Imperial Palace is already abuzz with accounts of your deeds! They say you purified the Magic Barrier in a single breath! Even the dead Purifier never accomplished such a feat!”
The Duke spoke in rapid succession, his excitement palpable.
I’d already sensed his pride from the earlier comment about my “proper awakening,” but he seemed far more delighted than I’d anticipated.
Watching his beaming face, my emotions grew complicated.
Part of me wondered if he could truly be so pleased, yet it was bittersweet knowing that the person sitting at this table was not truly his daughter.
“This is what it means to live long—to witness your awakening in this lifetime. Now I can face your mother when I pass on without shame.”
As I listened silently to the Duke’s rambling, a sudden question occurred to me.
‘Come to think of it… even if Edith purified the Awakeners, how did she purify the Magi? And the Erosion Infected?’
No matter how much one could manipulate minds, it would have been impossible to summon the Princess to the Gate Site every single time.
I furrowed my brow in thought when the Duke continued speaking.
“When are you planning to go for your rank assessment?”
“The Security Bureau already sent someone. I think I’ll have to go tomorrow.”
“Shall I accompany you?”
“No.”
At my refusal, the Duke’s expression grew dejected.
But it was only momentary—he soon brightened up as if nothing had happened.
“My intuition tells me you’re definitely S-rank. The fact that you accomplished in one go what even the dead Purifier couldn’t do is proof enough. And after you left, I had the strangest dream about a dragon appearing!”
“…”
“Once the assessment results come out, I’ll send word to have it posted prominently throughout Acarna. Or better yet, I could have flyers printed and distributed everywhere?”
Acarna was a duchy in the south.
Watching him excitedly scheme to himself, I grimaced.
“Please don’t do that! And take down the ones already outside.”
“Why? What’s the problem with that?”
“It’s embarrassing.”
“Embarrassing? What’s there to be embarrassed about? Those loudmouths need to know clearly—that Darius Blake’s daughter has awakened as an S-rank Purifier!”
“Father.”
I hadn’t intended to bring this up now, but I couldn’t hold back any longer.
I voiced what I’d been thinking about the entire way back.
“Even if I were an S-rank Awakener, it wouldn’t benefit the family in any meaningful way.”
“…What?”
“I have no particular desire to marry. Now that I’m an adult, I’m thinking of saving up some money and becoming independent.”
At my sudden words, the Duke’s eyes widened.
Even Ethan, who had been eating quietly, looked at me in surprise.
“What are you talking about? Independence?”
Finding my words amusing, the Duke burst into hearty laughter as if it were absurd.
“Where would you even go, leaving a perfectly good home? Tsk. You need to go out and suffer a bit to come to your senses.”
“There’s no particular reason for me to stay.”
Despite the Duke dismissing my words as nonsense, I spoke calmly.
“It won’t make any difference if I leave. After all, you already have another child you’ve chosen as your heir.”
“…”
“I’m not joking. This is something I’ve been thinking about constantly since I came back from the dead.”
“…You.”
The smile gradually faded from the Duke’s face.
Now my words seemed to be registering as sincere.
He asked in a heavy, subdued voice.
“You’ve been living well all this time—what brought on such a sudden thought?”
“I don’t want to stay in this house anymore.”
“Why.”
“It’s uncomfortable.”
“What is.”
“Being treated like a burden, having my every move scrutinized—I’m tired of it. Just because I’ve Awakened, suddenly we’re supposed to act like a close-knit family? That doesn’t make sense, does it?”

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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