chapter 03
“Ha….”
Serena opened her eyes again and looked at the familiar ceiling, sighing in self-mockery.
Right, there’s no way a god exists. Even if there is, there’s no way it would help me. My family leaves me like this too.
She had woken up near the entrance where she had fainted earlier.
How can they just leave a child collapsed on the floor?
She couldn’t even muster a laugh anymore.
Why am I even surprised? Disappointment requires expectation, and these people have always been like this.
Today. That is, back in the days when she obediently followed her family without defiance.
Just like before, her family had scolded her to quickly prepare meals even as she barely regained consciousness and vomited water.
Back then, she had foolishly prepared meals without saying a word, sniffling, and similar situations had repeated countless times afterward.
She was terrified of showing even a hint of dislike, fearing they would hate her. If it weren’t for her older sisters’ debut tantrums, she probably would have lived like that her entire life.
It would have been better if I had just died…!
Why, of all times, had she returned to the utterly powerless, worst moment of her life?
Serena looked down at her pathetic body. It was so small and fragile it seemed like it would crumble with a single poke.
Tears welled up in her eyes.
At this point, it didn’t matter whether it was a dream or not.
What mattered was the fact that she had to endure that hellish time all over again just to create the conditions to become independent.
…How am I supposed to survive another eight years of this?
Back then, she didn’t know that the worst could be followed by an even worse situation. Now, she knew all too well.
She had experienced enough to know exactly how much her family would torment her and how much this household could fall apart.
“Talking about money right after waking up…! Money, we can just get it!”
“That’s ridiculous! Where are you going to get money when you have no ability?!”
“Just go to the main house! The main house!”
“…Main house? Did you just say the main house? I only got living expenses from there a week ago. You want to go again?!”
As expected, she could hear her parents arguing.
Her mother sounded irritated to the point of disgust, and her father was furiously ignoring his own mistakes.
She remembered every detail of their conversation—the tone, the loudness, everything.
“What’s the big deal about being the eldest son!”
“Hah…! You sure love the eldest son. And yet this ‘great’ eldest son is having his title taken away by his sibling?”
“Taken… taken away?! What are you talking about?! I handed it over! That title is nothing; it’s just a nuisance! I prefer living freely, like I do now!”
“Isn’t it a nuisance to keep going to the main house to get living expenses?”
“I’m going to my own house; what could be bothersome about that? I go, see their faces, check if they’re doing well—that’s all there is to it!”
Leanna, watching her husband attempt to make the situation seem beautiful, couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.
“Honestly, you should admit it! You were kicked out of that proud family!”
“Damn it! I told you, no! I handed it over to Jeremy! Why won’t you listen?!”
Ashbel’s face turned bright red as he shouted.
One, Leanna’s words were true. He was indeed the first eldest son in the Roselantis Count family’s history not to inherit the title.
However, raising his voice and fighting didn’t change the options.
Even if she hated it, Serena had no choice but to go to the main house and bow her head to collect money.
If I remember correctly, starting with this visit, the living expenses sharply decreased. Mother and older sisters no longer went to the main house, leaving father to get the money alone.
She had never been there, so she didn’t know exactly what had happened, but she had overheard that there had been a serious fight.
Thus, Serena, stuck in the middle, had suffered the most.
Her father often lost money gambling, so they weren’t very well-off, and with even the money they brought decreasing, she couldn’t prepare proper meals.
They fight over things and then scold me about the food…! If you’re unhappy, cook it yourself! Always getting angry while just eating what I make…!
Every time, she wanted to pull her sisters’ hair out, but it was always her hair that got pulled instead.
Not only that, she even had to apologize for not being able to cook properly.
Truly, they were devils. She felt so sorry for her younger self who had only endured it because she was too young.
I should have slapped them hard, telling them to handle their own affairs!
As she vented, Serena suddenly realized something important.
…Wait a minute.
There was no need to regret foolishly from behind.
Because right in front of her, the same events were happening as before.
If this isn’t a dream, if I really have returned to the past…!
Could she change the future by making different choices this time?
Just like she had grabbed her sisters by the hair earlier.
“Mom, are you okay?”
“Dad! Stop yelling! Mom is hurt!”
At that moment, the sisters who were on the third-floor room came down to stop the couple’s fight.
Leanna, holding her two daughters, wiped her tears and said,
“Caroline, Daisy! You must marry a rich man. Understand? You don’t need honor or power. You never know what could happen. Look! At your father, who has nothing!”
“…”
“And above all, he must be responsible. He must have no interest in alcohol or gambling. Otherwise, you’ll end up like me. Got it?”
“Y-Yes, mom…”
Caroline glanced at her father.
As expected, Ashbel, who was just verbally abused, blushed furiously.
“You! Have you finished talking?!”
“Finished? No! I haven’t finished yet! Even a whole year wouldn’t be enough!”
“You…! Selfish…!”
Unable to contain his anger, Ashbel raised one hand.
Reflexively, Leanna shut her eyes tight. At that moment, Serena quickly jumped between her parents.
Slap—!
Crash!
For a moment, there was silence. Ashbel, taken aback by the unexpected interference, stammered.
“Ah, no…! Why—why did you suddenly get in the way!”
Leanna and the children looked at Serena with wide, surprised eyes.
A moment later, Leanna realized that the person he had meant to hit was herself and her eyes filled with tears in disbelief.
“You mean… you were about to hit me?”
“Ah, no, that’s not it…”
“No, don’t tell me it’s not!”
“Ah, I said it’s not! Th-The arm moved and it hit by accident!”
Ashbel desperately denied it, but under normal circumstances, he would have hit Leanna.
It happened only once, but from that point, their marital relationship had deteriorated beyond repair.
Living expenses were insufficient, mother often left the house… and father barely came home… I had to endure my sisters’ extreme torment alone…!
Rather than going through that again, it was better to get hit once now in her place.
Of course, it did hurt enough to understand why her mother had left home.
Even a false concern wouldn’t have mattered; she slightly regretted it.
But that wasn’t the important thing.
This was just the beginning. The root of all the misery in this damn household was still there.
“I’ll go to the main house too.”
Serena stood up as if nothing had happened and said.
Ashbel shouted in disbelief.
“No, what did she eat today? Why is she acting like this?”
“Huh?! M-Mom! Her nose is…!”
At Daisy’s exclamation, Serena wiped under her nose. Red blood showed.
