Mistaken for a Wicked Woman! - Chapter 4

“Oh.”

I was a little surprised by what my self-proclaimed father had said. It was quite unexpected that grandfather opposed the marriage not due to the difference in status or ideas but because he wanted my mother to be a General and not a housewife. However, recalling her ability, it was understandable.

For a long time in the Empire, only men could be knighted. The world has changed since and women can now become knights, though, there are still some discrimination.

It was fine for unmarried women to become knights. However, there are social restrictions placed on a woman knight if she’s married.

Unless a married woman becomes a housewife or has a male heir, she could not openly display her skills even if she’s a knight. It would have been the case with my mother. I’m certain people must have only seen her as Marchioness Bright.

“Wendy, who has a carefree and unrestrained personality, couldn’t adapt to the reserved aristocratic life. She found it cumbersome. Then after you and Arche were born, Wendy suffered severe depression.”

“Depression after our birth…?”

“Yes.”

Postpartum depression, that was unexpected. The mother I knew is a far cry from being depressed.

“Then one day, Wendy disappeared with you, leaving behind the divorce papers. I found Wendy after asking around. At the time, you were at the Sabrina estate, while Wendy, like before, was roaming around as she had done when she worked as a mercenary.”

“I see…”

That does sound like my mother. Although she isn’t a bad person, she fell short as a mother. Like my self-proclaimed father said, she couldn’t settle down in one place.

‘Young miss, please forgive the master. Romani blood flows through her.’

‘What’s Romani’s blood?’

‘Romanies by nature want to roam freely and be one with nature their entire life. Master was born with such strong Romani blood.’

The steward often asked me to see it from my mother’s perspective. But I couldn’t understand it at all.

What does Romani blood have to do with it? In any case, the fact is, my mother failed her responsibilities as a mother. It couldn’t be excused completely just because of her bloodline.

That’s right. She was never a good mother to me. It was the nanny and steward who raised me, not her.

‘I’ll be right back.’

My mother would come back to the estate every few months then leave again. She was such an elusive person that she would be gone before I can even speak to her. Even now she probably doesn’t know that I’ve gone to the capital.

“I tried to persuade Wendy one way or the other, but she was adamant. She took out the marriage vows when I came for her.”

“Ah.”

“In the end, I had to turn around, leaving Wendy and you. But I didn’t give up. I visited the Sabrina estate many times, as well as Wendy, who was roaming the empire as a mercenary. However, I couldn’t change her mind.”

“That…”

“I’m ashamed to say that I haven’t been the same ever since Wendy and you left. I’ve been living like a shadow of my former self.”

My self-proclaimed father smiled bitterly.

“My father became furious when he saw me like this. He was angry at me and Wendy. He took this up with His Majesty on my behalf and had me banned from seeing her. And so that’s how we divorced.”

The more I listened to the story, the heavier my heart felt. It didn’t seem like my self-proclaimed father was lying. The timing and details all match.

“…Is it because of the marriage vows you just mentioned that my mother took me with her?”

“Yes. Since I’m the only child of house Bright and your mother is the only child of house Sabrina, a marriage vow was written to bridge the two families.”

“I see.”

It is common to write a vow because the marriage between aristocrats would concern the families’ lineage. The marriage vow between aristocrats was something that even the Emperor couldn’t intervene in. If my mother had designated me as the heir to the family, even the Bright family couldn’t stop it.

I looked at my self-proclaimed father with a troubled look. I’d prefer it if it wasn’t true, but given the many evidences, it appears that he’s really my father.

Then, where did the real Lady Bright go? From what the old man said earlier, it sounds like she ran away from home after an incident.

“Then…”

As soon as I was about to ask about Lady Bright, the steward came into the drawing room with a worried look.

“Master, there’s a person from the royal palace.”

“This is…”

At the steward’s words, my self-proclaimed father looked at me apologetically.

“I’m sorry. I left my duty when I heard you were caught by the guards earlier. Looks like someone is here because of that.”

“Don’t mind me, go do what you have to do.”

As I beckoned him up, my self-proclaimed father hesitantly spoke.

“Well, baby. Er, if it’s okay, you can stay here if you don’t have a place to stay…”

“Yes, I will.”

Nodding my head obediently, my self-proclaimed father’s face brightened. Ah no, shouldn’t it be just father now?

Well, it should be fine since there are still things I wanted to ask. I don’t have much money left anyway, so if not here, I would have had to look for a cheap inn.

“Then, may I take a rest? I have a headache and I’m tired.”

“Of course! Aiden, show Iris to her room so she can rest.”

Said my self-proclaimed father, standing up with a smile. He seemed very pleased with my decision.

“Miss Iris, this way please.”

I followed behind the steward while messaging my temple. I was exhausted after coming from the fief to the capital, and in large part it was due to the troubles caused by being mistaken for Lady Bright the whole day.

Maybe that’s why as I laid on the soft bed trying to organize my thoughts, my head gradually became more and more vacant as I dozed off.

In the end, I couldn’t overcome my fatigue and fell asleep.

“Did you have a good rest?”

I don’t want to get up even though I slept so well. It’s been a long time since I had a good night’s sleep or felt this refreshed. The sheets, which were as soft as a feather, put me in a good mood as I wriggled like a newborn baby. While wriggling, a girl with distinct freckles brought in a washbowl.

“My name is Sophie and I will serve Lady Iris from now on.”

Sophie didn’t call me Lady Bright even though she saw my face. My identity as Iris must have been passed onto the employees while I was asleep.

“The steward told me to make sure you’re comfortable while staying here. I’ll serve you wholeheartedly.”

Sophie was very enthusiastic. I was still half asleep as she washed me earnestly and brushed my hair. After she tied up my blue hair, she cautiously asked me.

“Is everything okay?”

“It’s good. Thank you.”

Sophie widened her eyes at my words, then let out a giggle. Her idle talk seems to be more skillful than the nanny at my estate.

“Lady Iris’ personality is very different from Lady Arche! It’s really amazing!”

“Well, is that so?”

“Yes. Speaking of which, I was really surprised when I first saw young miss’ face.”

She didn’t look surprised at all. I guess she’s good at keeping a straight face. Her future is promising.

Sophie must have relaxed a little bit because she was comfortably speaking to me.

“If the steward hadn’t told me you were Lady Iris, I’d have thought you were Lady Arche.”

“Ar…che and I look very alike, huh?”

My voice cracked when Lady Bright’s name left my mouth because it felt awkward thinking we might be twins. Fortunately, Sophie didn’t notice.

“Yes! You two look completely alike! I’d even believe it if you told me you were playing a prank.”

Sophie, who nodded fervently, suddenly asked with an anxious look.

“You’re really not Lady Arche…?”

“No.”

I wonder how similar our appearances are. I’ll have to ask for a portrait of her later. After I gave Sophie a clear answer, she breathed a sigh of relief.

“Oh, sorry for asking something strange. You two look so much alike…”

Come to think, my self-proclaimed father, no, for the time being, Marquess Bright, asked me if I was pretending to have memory loss again yesterday. Sophie was also weary.

“Has Arche ever pretended to be someone else?”

“Pardon? Ah, yes. Several times. She would act like she had lost her memory or pretended to be Lady Iris…”

“What?”

My voice rose at the unexpected remark.

“She pretended to be me? Arche knew of me?”

“Uh…Yes.”

Answered Sophie, with her eyes fluttering. I can’t believe Lady Bright already knew about me when it was only yesterday that I learned she is my sister. My mood suddenly soured.

“That…Everyone who has worked for the Marquess for a long time knows about you. We often overhear it from His Highness the Duke when he scolds Lady Arche or when the Marquess is drunk.”

Ah, mother. Why the hell didn’t you tell me anything?

The more I listened to Sophie, the more my nose itches. I couldn’t help but resent my mother.

“Hmm.”

Maybe it’s because I had a good night’s sleep, but with a clear head, I was able to recall one thing after another that I wasn’t able to yesterday.

No wonder the name sounded familiar.

House Bright is so famous that I don’t know how I could have forgotten. In particular, the short tempered Duke Bright from yesterday, is one of the heroes that helped end the war 30 years ago. My mother was probably working as a mercenary in that very same war.

Organizing the new information and the ones that I had forgotten, the questions I had as a child were naturally solved.