Chapter 3

Chapter 3

“That’s right, you’re a thief! How dare you steal the director’s ring!”

Telin added aggravatingly as soon as the director called me a thief.

You will be the one receiving those words later, fool.

I quickly turned my pocket inside out when they looked at me suspiciously.

The director’s eyebrows rose up when my pocket turned out to be empty.

“Look at dwis. I did not stweal anythwing. Should I twake my dwess off?”

(Look at this. I did not steal anything. Should I take my dress off?)

Of course, there was nothing in my pocket.

I took my dress off with everyone’s eyes still on me.

My body is so scrawny that my ribs, joints, and bones stick out.

When I was only in my undergarments, everyone was surprised and started to whisper amongst themselves.

“That’s all. There’s nwothing!”

I said, looking around the room with a resentful look.

Ah, it’s cold. It’s not winter yet, but I shivered when I took my clothes off.

After confirming that everyone had seen me clearly, I put my clothes back on, one by one. Telin cried out.

“I-I’m sure I saw her steal it today! Trust me, Director!”

“But…… wasn’t Shuelina with us all this time……?”

“Yeah, we kept working together today!”

Telin, who cried of injustice, shuts her mouth when she hears someone’s mumble.

I purposely cleaned around the other children today.

I was never by myself.

“Th-Then, you must have stolen it before this day!”

Telin insisted in panic. Seriously, how can she be so stupid?

I sighed softly.

“You said you saw me steaw it today. Why does Terin keep chwanging hur wuds?”

(You said you saw me steal it today. Why does Telin keep changing her words?)

All of us stared at Telin with suspicious eyes.

If she didn’t have an excuse, she should’ve just went with that lie until the end.

The credibility of her testimony was bound to fall when she suddenly changed her words.

“You said you swo it in my pwocket. Whe is it?”

(You said you saw it in my pocket. Where is it?)

I asked Telin while deliberately waving my pocket.

Even if I stole it in advance, it wouldn’t make sense to keep it in my pocket.

When I looked at Telin and asked this, she shuddered. It seems like she has run out of excuses.

“Terin was the onwy one who went into the diwecto’s office today……”

(Telin was the only one who went into the director’s office today……)

So the only person who could possibly steal the ring was Telin.

In the first place, the director’s office is not a place that anyone could just enter.

The director didn’t like children going in and out of her office freely, and I, an eyesore, was most especially forbidden from entering.

Only Telin, the director’s foreman, could enter the office from time to time.

She would stop by and accuse the other children of wrongdoings.

“Yes, that’s right.”

The director’s eyes flashed appallingly as she spoke. Her eyes were crazy and full of greed.

Suddenly, the director lifted Telin in an almost reversed position and started to shake her.

Then, from Telin’s pocket, the director’s ring fell.

Telin and the director’s eyes were glued on the ring that fell on the floor.

“N-No way! I must’ve accidentally put it in there……!”

Telin mumbled.

HWIK, HWIK. It was a bizarre scene. Telin’s body was being lifted with her neck bent to its limit, which is why she was able to see the ring on the floor.

“We-Well, it wasn’t me. It wasn’t me! It was because of Shuelina!”

“Goodness, it came out of her pocket!”

“She was stealing and forgot to finish the task? Isn’t she just plain stupid?”

The children, who were watching from afar, snickered at her.

There is no way out of this situation. Telin has already been caught by the director.

“Y……Y……! You’re the worst liar! I can’t believe I dressed you up and fed you like a stray cat!”

“Ah!”

The director’s thick hand landed hard on Telin’s cheek.

Telin immediately fell on the floor and held her cheek.

‘Ow……!’

The sound was so loud that it felt like my own cheek was tingling.

I stared at the two of them while holding my breath.

It has only been a couple of months since I entered Shuelina’s body, but I’ve been hit by that hand a lot of times already.

Because of that, it was as if I could feel how painful it is for Telin right now.

The room became quiet, only the director’s shuffling sounds and Telin’s small sobs were audible.

“Even though I gave you food and a place to sleep, you still dared to steal from me?”

“Hnnggg…… It wasn’t me……!”

The director strode towards Telin, her fists clenched as if her anger was not lessened even after slapping Telin.

Maybe she will blow some steam off with her hands and feet until her anger fades.

Seeing that someone is about to get beaten up in front of my eyes, my body trembled, and my hands and feet moved on its own accord.

Shuelina was beaten up so much that her body reacted on its own.

“Di-Diwecto! What you thwink Terin did…… might not weally be the case……?”

“What? Get out of the way, Shuelina.”

“But I thwink that…… Terin just weally wanted to swet me up because she doesn’t wike me……! Wight, Terin?”

(But I think that…… Telin just really wanted to set me up because she doesn’t like me……! Right, Telin?)

With my hands clasped together, I stared up at the director with pleading and tearful eyes, but she only frowned and pushed me aside.

‘Fine, I’ve done enough.’

I don’t want Telin to get beaten up. However, I’m not willing to go that far for her.

If Telin’s plan worked out, I would’ve been the one who is being falsely accused.

Perhaps I would be half dead by now.

Telin sometimes used the ledger to harass Shuelina so that she would get bruises on her body.

It wasn’t just a day or two that I would almost pass out after entering this body.

As much as I wanted to forgive Telin, I’m not the real Shuelina.

Poor Shuelina. Shuelina is so kind. Shuelina is like an angel.

The children whispered quietly. It seems that everyone felt sorry for me because Telin keeps denying her crime and is trying to frame me.

At this point, the children are all on my side while Telin receives punishment.

“No, no, no! Why are you all looking at Shuelina like that?!”

Telin screamed shrilly. She’s about to get beaten by the director, but she still had the time to get angry because of the praises I’m getting.

Telin seems to have finally realized that the set up has been reversed.

The ring came back to Telin because I took it out myself and returned it to her.

Telin’s bloodshot eyes fell on me.

The situation right now should’ve been me, who stole the jewelry and being treated like shit.

“Follow me right now!”

The director strode out of the dining room with Telin.

She already knows that she would be locked up in a closet.

When the two disappeared with a fearful scream from Telin, the other children came running to me.

While everyone was moving around to clean the floor, a corner of my heart was bubbling with a positive emotion.

I felt relieved that my troubles with Telin, which was the reason why I kept my guard up the whole time, has finally ended.

But can I really say that my situation has improved? If I stay here, I might keep on encountering Telin.

‘The director hates me.’

Shuelina must’ve felt the bitterness of this world while she was being transferred to this orphanage by the empress’ orders.

The empress simply ordered, ‘It doesn’t matter what the situation is when you drain her spirit once every two to four months with only enough left for her to survive.’

Though it would seem like she’s taking care of Shuelina by ensuring that she doesn’t entirely lose her soul, it was still a form of abuse.

Shuelina could only have a little spirit left inside her, just enough for her to live.

The orphanage feeds us, but we aren’t provided with proper education.

The empress harbored jealousy and resentment towards her daughter, Shuelina.

‘And took everything away from her……’

When I first entered this body, I was really shocked to find that her spirit was completely gone.

Shuelina’s soul must’ve struggled to escape from this body’s misery. Then a different soul replaced hers.

When I saw my appearance, I immediately recognized who the character I possessed was.

Why does it have to be her?! This is so cruel! I don’t know how much I cried at that time.

‘They are both princesses…… but Azuela’s life is completely different from Shuelina’s.’

Unlike Shuelina, who was always beaten up and alone, Azuela was the imperial princess who enjoyed the life of luxury.

She was the beloved, youngest member of the imperial family.

The imperial princess, who was above everyone else, was worth a thousand lives.

Azuela’s world was built from Shuelina’s blood and tears.

‘I don’t want to live a life of being used as a stepping stone like the real Shuelina.’

I suddenly felt chills and wrapped my arms around me.

Now that I entered Shuelina’s body, this character won’t be acting the way she did in the original story.

Since I am inside this body, this will be my life now.

I don’t want to live a life for Azuela.

I don’t want to tremble in the cold, afraid of getting beaten up, of feeling the pain, and of losing my life.

‘I can’t change anything unless I get out of here!’

Shuelina, who was tired of these, ran away without a plan, became a beggar, and fell into despair.

Then…… I just have to leave the orphanage with a better plan.

Since I am a five-year-old child who can’t survive by myself, I should find someone to look after me.

‘The grand duke!’

The idea flashed in my mind, as clear as day.

If I get the grand duke to sponsor me…… then won’t my situation change even a little?

I looked straight in the direction where Telin disappeared into.

This time, the lucky child sponsored by the grand duke will be me, not Telin.

I’ll change this life for sure!

* * *

“Ow, this is hard……!”

I knelt near the orphanage’s front door and mopped the floor diligently.

The hem of my skirt inflated when I polished the floor.

This is the consequence of my intention to be the first person to meet the duke by taking the responsibility of cleaning the area near the front door.

It’s a difficult task for a child to do alone, but it’s worth it.

“Wow! What a luxury!”

“Oh my word! That carriage is the size of my house!”

Phew, I breathed. There was a sudden surge of noise outside.

Finally! The grand duke’s carriage must have arrived.

‘This is the start!’

I will make use of the opportunity of being the first one he meets in the orphanage.

Pfooo, I exhaled through my mouth, loosened my lips, and opened the door with a bright expression.

“Who is it?”

“Ah……”

Outside the door stood a magnificent carriage. And right in front of the door stood two people, a man and a child.

The two of them are the most beautiful people I’ve ever seen.

I forgot whatever I had to say and stared at them with my mouth agape.

‘This is the grand duke.’

I’m sure of it. This man is the grand duke.

His black hair, which seems to have absorbed the light, is a symbol of the Vailot family. His perfectly trimmed hair sparkled, even though it’s darker than night.

He was also very handsome. In addition, his cold, violet eyes that stared down at me was dignified.

Even though the grand duke is the head of a villain family…… he doesn’t exude a villainous aura at all.

‘These two must be related to each other.’

With similar black hair and violet eyes, the child standing next to him resembles him a lot. They look like father and son.

“Interesting……”

The boy, who stared down at me for a moment, mumbled. His voice was very smooth.

I came to my senses. I widened my eyes and smiled brighter.

“Bwother, you’we pwetty. I wike you.”

(Brother, you’re pretty. I like you.)

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