Thought It Was ‘The End’, Only to Return to a Changed Genre - Chapter 13

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 3. The Villainess Resurrects (2)

Edelaine was escorted—no, transported—to the Bertrand Estate.

Having finished preparing to go outside with Genevieve’s help, Edelaine was filled with hope.

‘Still, once I get outside this manor, won’t I be able to escape?’

However, just before boarding the carriage, Shane whispered in a voice low enough for only her to hear.

“Genevieve is in the palm of my hand, Edelaine.”

“You threaten as naturally as breathing.”

“You think I’ll only threaten?”

“…To think you were this kind of person.”

“I told you. You don’t know me at all.”

That, she had to admit.

Edelaine knew nothing about Shane at all.

‘I was blind with my eyes wide open.’

She had finally managed to get outside the windowless bedroom, outside Shane’s manor, but she was still essentially a captive.

It was a devastating feeling.

When Edelaine arrived at the Bertrand Estate in the middle of the night, Gregory spoke to her.

“Edelaine.”

“Y-yes?”

Edelaine tensed up.

Gregory was looking at the startled Edelaine with a strange expression. He seemed both surprised and pitying. Edelaine briefly met those green eyes that resembled her own before lowering her gaze.

It had been so long since she faced her father. Moreover, in the few years before leaving Delmez, she had barely slept, so her memories of time spent with family were hazy.

‘After realizing this world was inside a novel, I was also busy avoiding them to cut emotional ties…’

Gregory gently patted her shoulder.

“You don’t need to worry about anything. We’ll take care of everything.”

“I’m not worried about anything…”

“We’ll put everything back in its proper place.”

Proper place? Where would that be?

Gregory patted Edelaine’s shoulder once more. He was so solemn that Edelaine couldn’t voice any of the questions she wanted to ask.

Patrick spoke.

“How much do you remember?”

“Huh? Oh, that’s, well…”

“Do you remember how you collapsed?”

Of course she remembered every detail. It was a stage she had spent her entire life setting up. When Edelaine affirmed with silence, Patrick spoke through gritted teeth.

“Never do such a thing again.”

“…”

“Never.”

“…I’m sorry.”

Edelaine said quietly.

Patrick was someone with a strong sense of responsibility befitting the eldest son who would inherit the title and estate, and he didn’t express emotions much. Such a person had his eyes and nose bridge flushed red as if he might cry.

“Brother. Father is calling for you.”

“…I understand.”

“You must still be confused, so rest for now, Edelaine.”

Jeff gently patted Edelaine’s head. It was a tender touch.

Returning to her room in the family home after five years, Edelaine closed the door and slumped against it.

“Were we always this close? I’m sure we weren’t?”

We weren’t! Like a proper villain family, you were fucking cold and had that urban chaebol family atmosphere…!

As far as Edelaine knew, the Bertrand Family had a dry atmosphere.

No, rather than dry, it was closer to individualistic. They didn’t have a bad relationship, but they were people who valued their individual lives more.

The eldest, Patrick, was practically attached to the Bertrand estate so it was hard to even see his face, and the second son Jeff was also busy with business, so from a few years before leaving Delmez, she only heard news through letters.

The Marquis and Marchioness Bertrand were equally busy, so even if Edelaine hadn’t consciously tried to keep her distance, there probably wouldn’t have been many occasions to spend warm family time together anyway.

They were people who would grant their youngest daughter anything she wished for… but that wasn’t necessarily proof of being a close family.

In the last few years, as far as Edelaine felt, they were practically like strangers, so when did they become such an affectionate family without her knowing?

“Your standards are quite unique, my lady.”

“…Lloyd…”

Lloyd entered through the door. With his expressionless face and servant’s uniform worn impeccably, he looked like someone who had worked in this manor for over a decade.

“I knew it from when you called that crazy bastard kind.”

“He was kind to me back then.”

Lloyd snorted. Right, my judgment was off. Edelaine changed the subject to avoid this unfavorable topic.

“When did you arrive?”

“I followed the carriage you came in, my lady. I was watching for an opportunity outside the manor where you were confined, and you happened to come out.”

“It would have been nice if you had kidnapped me on the way.”

“By myself? You’re talking nonsense.”

“I know that too…”

Lloyd seemed to be unharmed and safe. Confirming the young servant’s well-being brought some relief.

“You’re not injured anywhere, are you?”

“Yeah. I was just confined. I’m glad you’re safe too.”

“…I have a lot to say, but I’ll hold back for now.”

If she listened to Lloyd’s nagging now, she might really cry. Lloyd, reading Edelaine’s complexion, quietly took her outer garment to hang it up and began tidying the bedroom.

Edelaine buried her face between her knees, listening to Lloyd’s familiar presence and the sounds of daily life.

‘What is all this?’

She was so tired.

It wasn’t because of the week-long sea voyage, nor because she had been kidnapped. It was mental fatigue.

Everything was a complete mess.

‘I just didn’t want to die.’

She just didn’t want to die miserably as the world desired. How did everything become such a mess from the single choice of her survival?

Was wanting to live such a great sin?

What more should she have abandoned for ‘survival’ to be forgiven?

It couldn’t have been easy for Edelaine either.

The times she endured trying to survive by abandoning, running away, and turning away couldn’t have been painless.

“My lady. Lie down and sleep.”

“…I don’t want to sleep…”

She felt like she would have nightmares again.

Even at Edelaine’s tearful voice, Lloyd dragged her and threw her onto the bed. He was a merciless younger brother.

‘I need to find a way.’

Whatever the genre, Edelaine never wanted to become a ‘device’ in any story again.

Even if Shane resented and hated her terribly, even if she felt like crying from guilt toward her family.

She had resolved to survive in this world that hated her.

*

It was truly swift and decisive.

Edelaine’s ‘resurrection’ occupied the morning headlines of every newspaper company in Delmez the next day.

Edelaine had only closed and opened her eyes, but the world had changed. It was completely turned upside down.

‘With money and power, nothing is impossible, damn it.’

Money and power were amazing.

How amazing? Amazing enough to bring back the dead without any trouble.

【The Saint’s Miracle, Resurrects Her Benefactor!】

【The Bertrand Family’s Daughter Opens Her Eyes After 5 Years】

【The Lion’s Revival, The Goddess’s Miracle】

Edelaine let out a dry laugh. She wished revival and resurrection would just shut up already. Adding resurrection to an already confusing genre situation was like pouring jjamppong broth over a cake made with coriander.

【The sister-like figure, no way to repay the debt…】

【The irreplaceable value of life: The duty of one who is not a Saint】

【On using the goddess’s power for private wishes: A high noble’s privatization of the Saint?】

With the expression of an experienced Saint, Genevieve mixed in professional terminology and plausibly spun nonsense about how Edelaine Bertrand had been maintaining a comatose state on the verge of death, and after five years of prayer, God had finally answered.

‘The old Genevieve was a child who had neither skill nor interest in media manipulation!’

When did she get corrupted like this? This was definitely all Shane’s influence.

As soon as dawn broke, dozens of different morning papers were spread throughout Delmez. At this point, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that every newspaper company with a sign in Delmez had been bought off.

This world didn’t have the internet like her previous life, so she couldn’t know people’s reactions in real time.

But Duke Blancarde and the Saint had always been keywords that drove people crazy with excitement. By now, they must be chattering away excitedly.

【Duke Blancarde, “Edelaine is the only woman of my life”】

【Love of the century!】

【Five years of firmly believing his fiancée would return】

“What bullshit…”

Edelaine muttered coldly without realizing it.

Just reading the headlines, he seemed like some eternal lover.

But the reality was a madman who kidnapped his ex-fiancée because he was pissed off at being deceived.

People of the world, there’s a fraud here! She briefly thought it sounded like a self-introduction, but Edelaine stubbornly focused on her criticism.

“That’s too much. To your fiancé.”

“What I see before me isn’t a fiancé, but a kidnapper.”

“Well. That’s also true.”

Shane grinned.

His handsome face sparkled in the morning sunlight. For the first time, she found the handsome man with flawless smooth skin, black hair, and deep blue eyes like the ocean utterly disgusting to look at.

‘No matter how good-looking, he’s still a kidnapper and blackmailer.’

As soon as dawn broke, Shane had come to the Bertrand Estate. The Marquis and Marchioness Bertrand and her siblings were very cooperative with this handsome blackmailer.

Even after leaving the locked room, the world was a prison and her family were the guards. The entire world was a trap.

Dragged here by Shane, Edelaine was reading the terrible newspapers plastered with fake news while waiting for an old friend.

An old friend she wanted to meet just as little as Shane.

“You really were alive, Edelaine.”

It was Edwin, the Crown Prince who couldn’t stand curiosity and was a control freak.

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