Chapter 34

After returning to the mansion, Angela stared blankly at the closed door.

Though she wished to stay by her side, Angela forced herself to pull away, hoping to be alone.

Unable to say anything to her, even though she wanted to help, she didn’t know how to act.

At this moment, even from outside the door, the aura of her innate sin felt thick and palpable.

“The sense of original sin has become clearer.”

Original sin is an indicator of the harm one might bring to the world.

The fact that it has become clearer suggests that today’s encounter will have a significant negative impact on her future.

If left alone, she will surely reign as a greater evil than I anticipated.

Considering that, drawing my sword here would be the right thing to do, but Angela decided to endure for now.

Though Jeremiah was born with immense sin, those who serve her are, in contrast, individuals with pure hearts.

“Angela. I believe evil is not born but made.”

He said.

No one is born evil.

Though it was a statement that denied the concept of original sin, Angela felt strongly persuaded by his words.

“No one commits sin willingly at first. It’s just that, in their ignorance, there’s no one to correct them, and they are pushed by circumstances to commit sin. And those who are tainted eventually resign themselves, thinking this is their fate, and that they must live this way.”

Not knowing it’s a sin, or having no choice…

If evil truly arises from external factors rather than the individual, then blindly punishing those born with sin may not be the right approach.

“If original sin is indeed shaped by one’s environment… Then doesn’t that mean that by changing the environment before one strays onto the wrong path, it’s possible to correct them?”

Yes, it can be changed.

Just as innate original sin can grow stronger, guiding someone onto the right path can also eliminate it.

“Is it possible?”

But even that has its limits…

Despite believing in him, the lack of solid evidence left her with a vague unease about the future.

Even now, the lingering aura of original sin emanating from the room urged her to execute her.

“Can someone with such immense original sin truly be guided onto the right path?”

How long had she been waiting by the door, feeling this conflict?

Before she knew it, the sound of the front door opening echoed, and someone approached Angela.

The man she trusted implicitly, holding a bag full of goods bought from the market.

“Ah, Sebastian.”

“Is the lady in her room?”

“Yes, she said she wanted to be alone…”

Perhaps it was wrong for her to stand here helplessly.

Passing by Angela, who was anxiously watching, he stood before the firmly closed door and quietly spoke.

“Angela, why don’t you go back and rest?”

He offered to approach her in her stead, something she couldn’t bring herself to do.

“…Are you sure?”

“I’m sure.”

His answer was unwavering.

Yet, his action of opening the door was bold and decisive.

“Caring for the lady is my duty.”

As he entered the room and quietly closed the door, he took in the scene before him.

On the bed, dimly lit by a lantern, a woman gazed out the window into the darkened night.

The clothes she wore were as gloomy and dark as the night sky outside, as if representing her rotten and festering heart.

“My lady, are you feeling better…”

“It’s about my childhood.”

Her voice, still focused on the window, cut off his concerned words.

Yet, he didn’t reprimand her.

Listening to what she wanted to say was also his duty.

Maintaining his silence, she began to share the story she had kept inside.

“My family always had swords everywhere. Whether for decoration or training… Naturally, as a curious child, I often had the chance to hold a sword.”

It’s only natural for a child to be curious about what they see and want to play with it.

Sebastian understood this. Understanding it, he felt deep sympathy for her.

Her environment was one that thoroughly denied such natural curiosity, a rigid place.

“But one day, my father saw me and harshly scolded me, ‘Do you think you can wield a sword properly? A woman should learn to be modest and proper. Just you holding a sword brings disgrace to our family.'”

Yes, that was the last time she held a sword.

Recalling this, she closed her eyes for a moment, then continued her story.

“While my brothers trained, I learned dance and makeup, adorned with jewelry from a young age, and wandered social gatherings. And at the end of it all, my father said to me, ‘You must live your entire life for this man. That is the reason you were born and the reason you will live.'”

Silence fell.

An unbearably quiet and suffocating silence…

In that moment, her weakened voice began to speak again, devoid of energy.

“But the man I was supposed to marry said to me, ‘I don’t love you. I never will. The bond our families arranged is merely a formality.'”

Her hands clenched the bedsheet, and as if expressing her emotions, the fabric began to crumple.

“Yes, we didn’t love each other. Yet, part of me wished I could love him. I was taught that my life existed solely to be with him, and I had spent my entire life striving for that.”

Her throat tightened with emotion.

Yet, her voice, squeezed out with effort, gradually gained strength, trembling as it emphasized her feelings.

“All that effort was negated in an instant.”

How could she accept it?

The gentle smile she had longed for was directed at a stranger she had never met before.

“A smile I had never seen, a kindness I had never received… The more I saw it, the more anxious I became.”

She didn’t want to lose it.

The place by his side that should have been hers.

She couldn’t accept that losing it would mean losing her own worth.

“I couldn’t admit it, so I pushed her away harshly. I used every means possible to slander her, torment her, and didn’t hesitate to physically harm her if necessary.”

Yes, she was destined to be that way.

She had never had a will of her own.

Following the family’s orders, being ignored by the one she was supposed to love…

Always pushed by her environment, she was constantly forced to become a villain.

“And as I repeated this, those who followed me gradually disappeared. With fewer supporters, even the academy sided with her…”

By the time of her judgment, there was no one left to defend her.

The one she was supposed to love chose someone else, and even those who had followed her exposed her sins to avoid being implicated…

Expelled from the academy and disowned by her family, she was left alone in this desolate mansion, all her efforts negated.

“…Did I do something wrong?”

The world calls her a sinner.

Someone who committed unforgivable acts.

Even though there were reasons, the world didn’t consider them and placed her on the execution stand.

“I wanted to be loved.”

Her voice, filled with resentment, echoed through the room.

“I wanted to be acknowledged. I tried to love the man who didn’t love me. No matter how cold his gaze was, I tried to earn his love!!”

Her voice, filled with desperation, began to resonate, sounding all the more pitiful.

“But why… Why didn’t he acknowledge my efforts and played around with another woman? Clearly, they were in the wrong, so why did everyone take her side and only scold me!!”

And such feelings would later sharpen into resentment towards the world.

Though such a future was inevitable, in this moment, her emotions couldn’t turn into malice and instead collapsed.

“Did I really do something wrong?”

Facing those she should resent, she couldn’t do anything.

“Am I truly an unforgivable sinner?”

Seeing how they scolded her, she began to think that perhaps she was the one in the wrong.

Such self-loathing tore at her heart, and the butler who served her watched silently for a while.

If something is bottled up, it’s necessary to let it out.

No matter what words are said, emotions must be emptied before new ones can fill the space.

“You’re not wrong…”

In that silence, her voice broke into sobs… Even that faintly changed as calm returned to her heart.

Turning to her now composed mistress, the butler spoke.

“If you say that, many people would deny it. No matter the reason, it’s true that you oppressed Neya.”

Words that might drive a stake into her heart.

But words that couldn’t be denied, carefully delivered.

“No matter how unwillingly you acted, the world doesn’t consider personal circumstances. Regardless of the process, if the result is the same, you can’t deny that you are a sinner.”

Though hearing such words made her chest ache, she didn’t blame him.

If it was him saying it…

The man who had always sworn to care for her, even if his words were painful, she felt she had to accept them.

“But that doesn’t mean you have to be unhappy.”

The butler spoke to his silent mistress.

Even if the world doesn’t understand her, even if she is a sinner.

That doesn’t mean she has to suffer alone like this.

“At least, I think so. Even if the world has no obligation to understand you, there’s no rule that I, as an individual, shouldn’t understand you.”

“…Sebastian.”

“I believe you deserve to be happy.”

It wasn’t something she chose to do, was it?

To a woman who had never known happiness, to deny her the chance to be happy would be too cruel.

“To seize that chance, you must be given the opportunity to correct your past mistakes.”

Having expressed his thoughts, he approached her and handed her what he held.

A bag from the market.

Looking down at it, Jeremiah turned to him with curiosity.

“…What is this?”

“A dress I bought privately after you returned. I didn’t consider your taste, but personally, I thought it would suit you.”

Slowly, the dress inside the bag was unfolded by his hands.

What appeared was a pure white dress, starkly contrasting with the black clothes she always wore.

“Lady Jeremiah.”

Holding up the dress, he whispered his wish to her.

“Would you please wear the dress I prepared for you, here and now?”

Please, break free from your unfortunate life.

Seize your happiness with your own hands.