Reincarnated as the mother of an otome game's villainess?!

Chapter 29. Fade to Black.

(From Carmila)

Sir Uther and Madame Igraine were the only members of the Cygnus clan when I was born. They had the titles of baron and baroness, and both were descendants from families that had been very powerful in the past, Sir Uther was even said to be related to the royal family, but it wasn't completely certain. At that moment, however, they lived pretty modest lives, they didn't even own any land aside from their countryside mansion. They were still respected among society, the lord worked as a judge, and the Madame was the royal palace's librarian. They also only had one attendant, my mother, who they treated almost like family rather than an employee.

They had tried to have kids on their own for quite a long time, but it seemed to be impossible for them. That's probably the reason why they treated me more like I was their granddaughter when I was a baby, and even up to when I was a kid. It was actually the Madame who helped my mother choose my name.

—She always loved the name Carmila —Mother once told me—, I think she told me it meant Orchard or Garden.

This meant a lot for me, since the Madame really loved her greenhouse, and she spent hours taking care of all the flowers and plants that she grew there, as well as those surrounding the mansion. Eventually Mother had to stop them from spoiling me, and set some boundaries between us. People would start spreading rumors about the Lord if he treated the daughter of her attendant as his own, I don't think I need to explain why. It was a bit painful at first, but I think it ended up being for the best. At least while there were other people, I had to act professionally, call them by their titles and show respect. That kind of stuck with me, though, and I started to feel weird calling them by their names even when we were alone.

Still, I wanted to repay the kindness they have shown to us, so I looked for a job as soon as I was old enough. I wanted to gain as much experience as I could, to be the perfect attendant for them. Thanks to their recommendations, I managed to get hired at the house of a colleague of the Lord. He had a higher noble rank, and he had a lot of attendants that performed their duties impeccably. The years I spent there were invaluable for me.

When I was fifteen, a miracle happened back at the Cygnus home; the Madame had gotten pregnant. Arthur was born healthy, and was loved by his parents with all of their hearts. Sadly, he didn't have them for much time. They were already in the winter of their lives when they had him, the Madame died when he was only eight years old, and the Lord got to see him reach twelve. At that point, I returned to the Cygnus estate to help him and my own mother.

I had met Arthur several times before, but that was the first time I really spent time with him. If I had to describe him in just one word, it would be ambitious. Whatever he desired, he would obtain it, though not as a spoiled kid would. He was smart and cunning, and even before he could be considered an adult, he was already opening his way as an entrepreneur and businessman. He became associated with a fellow rising merchant, Christopher Snyder, and they went to start several lucrative businesses. They even went as far as to establish new trading routes with far away countries, bringing exotic products that we had only heard rumors from.

The estate looked full of life once again, he had hired many new employees, Nora and Gabby among them, and he put me in charge of all of them. Mother was allowed to retire and live there, until she too passed away. She was buried alongside Arthur's parents.

I have to admit I was extremely surprised when he announced that he was going to marry the heiress of the Dragonroot clan. We all have heard the rumors about her and her family. They were said to be direct descendants of Lilith herself, each with the power to topple a nation on their own. A walking calamity. Of the Madame herself, I have heard she was a recluse, only coming out of her lair when the Queen herself called for her. Those that have heard her voice said her words were like poison, and everyone who gazed at her eyes was frozen in fear. And she didn't even bow for her majesty or show any manner of respect towards her. Such a prideful lady could only bring troubles to the young Lord.