A Stepmother’s Marchen

Chapter 10

I was sad over it, but I didn’t do anything.

I think it was a little too much, even if it was good to say that I didn’t care what others were saying about me. I didn’t explain the misunderstanding, and I just hugged myself and cried.

Although I was hated by people, the children were different. They wanted to be with the children, but I rejected them and never thought of explaining or trying to resolve any misunderstandings that come from what they heard about me. In the end, as they hoped, I became an outsider and public enemy that couldn’t fit anywhere.

Looking back now, there were still a few who were friendly to me.

Those who had more years of experience advised me, but I was the one who closed my ears and eyes to the advice and help they offered.

A child who used to isolate herself by saying, “I don’t need advice,” and that I can do well on my own.

Had it not been for the dignity of the family, I would have been buried by the society. To be exact, it was because of the young children. The children were the ones who made me turn into the witch of Neuwanstein Castle, and they were the ones who made me not fall to the ground.

I thought that the children would one day understand my sincerity. It was all my wishful thinking, an illusion. That damned wedding shouldn’t have happened.

Gosh, maybe it’s better to leave. In the past, I couldn’t leave until the children abandoned me.

It may be good for me to leave early for everyone’s sake….

Thinking of all kinds of issues, I arrived at the center.

In the center of the backyard, there were flowers with various colors and a small fortress piled up with soil. I’m sure the twins made it.

I once built a snow castle with the twins.

While I was stacking up walls and columns, Rachel folded colored paper into a flag and Leon tried to make people and animals.

It was a pretty good atmosphere until Elias, who popped out of nowhere, saw the castle.

However, as soon as the castle collapsed, Rachel started to cry, and make a fuss as she vent her anger on me.

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At the end, we were all throwing snowballs at each other.

I sat on the floor with a shawl over my shoulder, captivated by the rising memories. Then I grabbed a handful of soft soil with my bare hands and placed it on an unfinished tower of fortress.

As I touched all the uneven roofs, fences, and the soldiers standing on guard, the bluish dawn had faded and the whole place was brightened.

I don’t know how long I’ve been doing that.

It took me quite a while to realize that the knights passing by were gazing at what I was doing.

Neither the waitresses, who had been diligently carrying ingredients from an early hour, nor the butlers who came out to find me, were thinking of turning away their vague gazes while stopping at the spot.

It was an unexpected person who finally stopped me from playing in the dirt like a child.

“Are you a kid?”

Who is the person with this arrogant voice? Isn’t that the second son, the troublemaker?

I sprang to my feet. There was, as expected, Elias standing there staring at me.

Not the twenty-year-old young man that I remember, but Elias, the little boy who is thirteen years old.

He shouted, “My siblings made it, so why were you touching it?”

Is that the only thing you’re going to say? You haven’t changed much.

I swallowed a bitter smile and wiped the dust off my hands. Then I smiled, “Good morning to you, too.”

With the strange response that didn’t sqound like me, Elias started to flinch, and then looked closely at my face with a search-like look.

“Who’ll play with this?”

He came up and kicked the castle with his feet.

Whirrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

Ah, why did I make an effort if it would collapse in vain?

Smelly boy, how could you and your brother have such a bad temper?

If it was in the past, I would ask angrily what happened, but now it’s hard for me to be angry with a 13-year-old kid.

Well, isn’t my mind of a 23-year-old woman who’s been through all that?

So, I was just showing a sloppy smile, but this guy was looking for a fight.

“Wow, did my father leave you a will to do such a useless thing?”

That’s an extremely unattended and impassive remark. Let’s say this is the kind of person you are, but why are you stuttering while getting angry? It’s like…

“I’m sorry.”

“What?”

“I’m sorry.”

I quietly recited my handkerchief and pressed it around my eyes. I was just wiping my sweat, but it seems that the boy misunderstood.

“What? Why all of a sudden?!”

It seems that he has misunderstood that I am crying and his face started to get red in conflict.

Come to think of it, he was unexpectedly weak to tears. But even though he was at a loss, he didn’t even change his attitude.

“What did I do to you?! Don’t cry!”

“Sorry, I’m just…”

As I shrugged my shoulders and used the handkerchief again, Elias’s face transformed into a volcanic shape just before the eruption.

Haha, it’s been a long time since I saw that face.

“Don’t cry, stupid! What’s great about playing with mud like a child…”

“Elias!”

That wasn’t my voice. Of course, my voice isn’t the same as that of a boy.

It was Jeremy, no other than him, who intervened.

It seemed that he had been training with other knights since early in the morning, and the beads of sweat on his temples and necks were shining in the morning sun.

“What have you done?”

“I, I didn’t do anything! All of a sudden, she started to cry on her own.”

Elias’s only opponent was Jeremy, who is no less than his younger brother, or maybe even more stubborn than him.

Even the twins with their bad temper would get docile because of him.

“So what I saw over there was a dream?”

“It’s because she touched Leon and Rachel’s castle! What are you…?”

“Are you a kid?”

No matter what Elias was trying to say, it was sad that Jeremy’s ferocious look with a distant expression stopped him.

“…… I’m terribly hungry.”

Elias, who was moving in a really awkward way, soon paused again and looked at me for some reason.

In the end, he mumbled some ugly words, and finally got away.

Let’s look at the really bland background.

Oops, I’m sorry. I almost forgot about you.

“Well, are you okay?”

Like the morning sun, under the dazzling golden hair, his sharp dark green eyes stared at my face. I just silently stared back at him, although a little nervous, but I decided to face him in silence.

Is it because of the damned wedding that happened before going back in time?

I feel very nervous facing this young guy.

The silence between us continued, and by the time I finally felt that I couldn’t bear it anymore, Jeremy finally opened his mouth in a cautious tone, “What were you thinking?”

“What are you talking about?”

“I mean, my aunt.”

… This seems like a new method of arguing.

Your aunt wants to be here.

Why are you arguing all of a sudden?

Hey, you little boy, if I didn’t do that, you’ve blamed me for it later!