Banished Villainess

77 : Darck Sereknight Part 3

After Chloe had been condemned and banished, the talks about House Sereknight adopting Momo into the family had resurfaced. After returning to the house, I immediately went to father to talk about it, but he responded with a grim-looking face. Which was understandable given that all the desperate efforts that he had spent into making his daughter the next queen, as well as Chloe’s foolish endeavors, herself, all amounted to nothing. Still, the Ducal House should regain its stability after welcoming Momo as its own.

The only thing on my mind is that, by doing that, the two of us will become officially siblings. Of course, that still feels like a dream come true, but now I’m having second thoughts after realizing my true feelings.

“Be glad, mother. That evil witch has been banished from the capital.”

Walking along the premises of the house knowing that you have gotten read of its most annoying nuisance truly gives a refreshing feeling. I approached my mother Clara, who despite having become the duchess, is still baking cookies in the kitchen on her own accord. My mother only gave me a fleeting gaze and immediately turned her attention towards the oven.

“Are you so elated in driving your younger sister away?”

“What do you mean, mother? The only sister I recognize is the one that is about to come to this house. I’m sure mother would also…”

“That’s enough!”

My mother struck the table interrupting me mid-sentence. Why does she have such a melancholic expression despite being on the receiving end of Chloe’s ill words and harsh treatments? Why won’t she celebrate with me in driving her away?

“Lady Yona had asked me to take care of Lady Chloe before she passed. Now I don’t have any face to show her and neither to her highness, the queen.”

Lady Yona was Chloe’s mother and father’s previous wife. As her words implied, Lady Yona’s house had taken guardianship of her when she was determined to be accepted as the second wife allowing her to become a full-fledged aristocrat. But they should’ve not had a single interaction, so I’m sure she was just using her name. Still, why would the queen be brought up? When I asked her, my mother only said that she is not permitted to talk about it until permitted by the queen herself.

Still, didn’t Lady Yona and my mother had a bad relationship?  As I was flustered by my mother’s lamentation, I noticed and pointed to her that the cookies had been burnt, which she took out of the oven in a rough manner.

“Now that it has come to this, we have no choice but to take Miss Momo in. That lady is a victim, in a way too. But Darck, I’m begging you, please do not do anything foolish too.”

“Of course not, mother. I’m not as foolish as Chloe.”

“I’m talking about his highness, Leddorio.”

My mother’s words unnecessarily implied that his highness is a fool. Flustered, I took a glance within our surroundings to make sure no one had heard her. She may be my mother and the current duchess, but her words were too foul. As I was about to complain to her about it, my mother merely pushed the burnt cookies towards me which was puzzling.

“Mother, please stop. These are no longer edible.”

“You were able to eat Lady Chloe’s baking, didn’t you? You should be fine. After all, I was the one who taught her.”

My hands that were about to shove away the plates immediately stopped. What did she just say just now? Did she just say that Chloe studied baking from her? That cannot possibly be right. Chloe despises the two of us.

“Indeed, our relationship was far from that of a daughter and a mother, but although she was rather difficult to understand, I know that our relationship had slightly changed over time. Lady Chloe is awkward with her feelings. As she fought with the fear of having her place stolen away by these sudden home invaders, she still tried to communicate with us in her own way. At that time when his highness Leddorio was deeply engrossed with Miss Momo, Lady Chloe approached me to help her in making the prince turn her way. She told me that she wanted to make better cookies than her.”

Chloe? The same ever-arrogant Chloe who never acknowledged mother? The motive might’ve been questionable, but that same Chloe relied on mother of her own accord? No way, Chloe said at that time that she had learned how to bake from a maid. Perhaps from her perspective, she only did it not as a pupil who bows asking for tutelage but rather as a mistress who asks for her employer’s aid. Regardless, I cannot just put a blind eye to all things she had done.

During our observation conference, I spoke bitterly of Chloe as I watched over her circumstances. All of which, is just my way of venting my annoyance. I do not wish for a younger sister at all. In truth, I did not want to have Momo as my younger sister either. Judging from my mother’s circumstances, it’s likely that she’ll get ostracized within the ducal house too. I must protect her from that.

As I pondered about that, I was notified that a letter from Lady Shiela of House Whitey arrived. She said that she had found the book she was looking for and will send it over. Although she wasn’t a bad marriage partner, just seeing her favorable attitude makes me feel painful guilt. I’m being unfaithful despite having a fiancee.  Although I’m aware that the marriage between his highness Leddorio and Momo is emphasized, she had yet to specifically pick a partner among us. This makes it hard to give up on my feelings. I cannot be having an engagement with another lady while being burdened by such thoughts.  With that in mind, I took a single page out and wrote a response to Lady Shiela.

After that, it brought forth so many problems that I was entrusted to General Shogun’s house and was put under immense reformation as result. The waves of problem that it caused had soon reached his highness Leddorio too, robbing him of his succession right. He spat his grievances lumping me in the same category as Chloe. However, I can no longer see Lady Momo as a sister. No, it was impossible to do so from the very beginning. Even if I have to compete with his highness himself, I can never throw these feelings away.

However, I was told to take responsibility for my actions. Margrave Whitey had also let everything slide which allowed the engagement to continue in the end.

After that, Momo spoke about the possibility of Chloe becoming a witch which made sense to me. As per her wishes, we had to spend our days honing our skills by capturing intermediate dungeons.

Then suddenly, one day, I was contacted by Margrave Whitey to secretly come to their manor.

But one day, I was contacted by Margrave Whitey to secretly come.