The Possessed Evil Woman Wreaks Havoc - Chapter 50

Daphne’s diary bounced all over the place, much like her personality. Some days it was entirely about the weather, while others were filled with longing for a wine she had tasted a year ago that had the perfect acidity.

But if there was one figure who occupied an unusually large portion of the diary, it was Ethan Green.

[Ha. Today, Ethan annoyed me again. He carries such a huge inferiority complex about being an ex-slave!

I may be a noble, but my family is so poor that we live no differently from commoners. So, I understand him.

But when I said that to Ethan, he snapped at me. Told me not to dramatize attending social events in an old, repurposed dress as if it were some great tragedy. Called me insincere.

Does he even know what it means for a noble not to have a new dress for the season?!]

At first, Daphne complained about how everything about Ethan was wrong.

But at some point, her attitude toward Ethan began to change.

[We walked through the mountains all day today. There was no village nearby, and we had run out of food, so we were starving, but Ethan somehow found some mountain berries. And they were actually delicious! Then, in the evening, he managed to catch a rabbit by throwing stones.

When I asked him where he learned such skills, he said he picked them up during his time as a slave, learning to survive.

All I know how to do is embroidery and play the organ—useless knowledge outside the capital.

I thought Ethan was ignorant, but that wasn’t true. He just excelled in different areas than I did.

Moreover…

I realized that what I said to Ethan before was rude. He shared a bit about his life as a slave, and it was a tragedy unlike anything I’d ever heard.

My hardships were nothing compared to what Ethan went through.

It might be late, but I apologized to him. He laughed heartily, saying he didn’t even remember it and that it was fine.

Ethan has a better personality than I thought.]

I flipped through the diary pages quickly.

[Ethan may look fierce, but he’s surprisingly gentle.

A few days ago, he found a baby bird that had fallen out of its nest, and despite his large frame, he climbed a tree to put it back.

And whenever we visit a village, he plays with the children, giving them piggyback rides. His stamina is really something.]

[Ethan looked oddly handsome today. I asked Bella if she thought Ethan looked more handsome today too, and she told me to get my eyes checked.

But he really did look handsome! I never liked rugged types before, but…]

I remembered that day too. Daphne had started babbling nonsense, and I simply gave her some friendly advice to fix the source of it.

Honestly, Ethan wasn’t handsome. At best, he looked like a bandit. On the other hand, Daphne was one of the most beautiful women in the capital at the time.

Isabella and Gabby’s perfect looks were largely thanks to Daphne.

I had always thought Daphne and Ethan didn’t get along because they were constantly fighting. But it turned out Daphne felt like this on the inside.

And yet…

The fact that Isabella and Gabby were Daphne’s descendants meant that Daphne had a child.

My heart started pounding rapidly.

Taking a deep breath, I continued turning the pages of the diary.

And then I came across a sentence at the very top of a page that left me speechless.

[I’m pregnant.]

No way.

[I’m pregnant. At first, I was shocked, then I panicked. And then I grabbed Ethan by the hair and shook him.

But from beginning to end, one thing didn’t change. This child is a gift to both Ethan and me.]

My hands started trembling. Daphne was pregnant with Ethan’s child…

After that, the tone of the diary changed drastically. Daphne’s anxiety began to show throughout.

[Zachary’s been acting strange. He wasn’t like this before, but he’s been on edge constantly. And recently, I’ve even caught him talking to someone invisible in the air.

I’m worried about Zachary. The Demon God is sealed, and we should all be happy now, so why do I feel so uneasy?]

[I think Zachary is plotting something. I don’t know exactly what it is, but it feels ominous. Should I ask Bella?]

[Lately, Bella and Zachary haven’t been getting along. At first, I thought Bella was avoiding Zachary, but now I see that they’re both avoiding each other.]

I paused at the next diary entry.

[Ethan died. Why couldn’t I save the one man I loved, even though I’m the saintess?]

The painfully scrawled words conveyed Daphne’s suffering.

And then…

[A healthy baby boy was born. I hope he takes after his father.]

Daphne had to raise her child alone.

…What happened because of me?

Ethan died saving me. I had made Daphne’s child grow up without a father.

It wasn’t my fault, but… even so, I couldn’t help the heavy weight in my chest.

And…

‘Isabella was Daphne’s descendant. One of her last two remaining descendants.’

I was now occupying Isabella’s body. It wasn’t intentional, but it felt like something was lodged in my chest.

I had to find Isabella’s soul. I had to find it and return it to her body. Maybe that would lighten this heavy feeling a little.

I turned to the last page of the diary. There was a short entry written there.

[I heard of Zachary’s death today. I used to curse him endlessly, wishing him dead.

But now that I’ve actually heard he’s dead, I feel strange. Besides, Zachary… they say he stabbed himself in the heart. Just like he did to Bella.

Did he regret it? Or…

Maybe I’m missing something.]

That was how the diary ended. Or so I thought. On the back cover of the book, in small writing, it said:

[Bella. It wasn’t your fault.]

***

I packed my bags and returned to the duke’s estate.

It’s ridiculous, but at that moment, I missed Isabella’s family terribly. Especially Gabby.

“Miss, are we really leaving like this?”

In the carriage on the way back, Jessie kept glancing at me nervously.

When I suddenly decided to leave the temple, the priests tried to stop me. But after Kayden said a few words to them, they quickly changed their attitude and let me go.

Kayden, who was in the same carriage, answered Jessie’s question, “The temple cannot force the saintess to do anything. Wherever she wishes to go is up to her… as long as I continue to guard her.”

I let Jessie and Kayden’s voices drift through one ear and out the other as I stared out the window. My mind was too cluttered to think about anything.

Soon, the mansion came into view. In the distance, I could see someone pacing in front of the gate.

It seemed word had been sent from the temple that I was returning because Gabby was waiting at the gate. The moment the carriage stopped, he came running, his face lighting up.

“Hey, troublemaker!”

Gabby seemed thrilled that I was back at the mansion. I could tell he was trying hard to suppress his smile.

When I stepped out of the carriage, the sunlight highlighted Gabby’s blonde hair.

Come to think of it, Gabby had blonde hair—just like Daphne.

The moment I saw Gabby, I suddenly saw someone else overlapping with him. Daphne’s son, who had to grow up without a father.

Without even realizing it, I pulled Gabby into a tight hug. He stiffened for a moment before whispering in my ear, “…We’re not close enough for this, are we?”

“I’m sorry.”

The words slipped out before I could think.

“Suddenly? For what?”

Gabby pondered for a moment before coming to his own conclusion. “Well, I guess it was kind of hard when you left home, but now you’re back, so it’s fine.”

Gabby scratched his temple awkwardly. On impulse, I let out what was in my heart. “It’s because you had to grow up without a father because of me.”

“Huh? No, that was just me saying I’d kick the old man out of the house if he tried to mess with us. I wasn’t exactly planning to make the two of us fatherless or anything. Honestly, anyone listening would think I’m out to take the old man’s life.”

Gabby seemed flustered and rambled on. Well… even I didn’t know what I was saying right now.

After a moment, I finally calmed down and let go of Gabby’s neck.

And as I realized what I had just done, I frowned.

“Ugh.”

“Hey! I’m the one who got hugged out of nowhere!”

Gabby was about to say more, but then he saw Jessie and Kayden stepping out of the carriage. Jessie glanced briefly at my face before her gaze lingered much longer on Kayden.

“Troublemaker. Who did you bring home this time?”

Gabby’s eyes turned fierce as he looked at Kayden.

I looked between Kayden and Gabby. Seeing Gabby’s face grow increasingly grim, a good idea came to mind to get rid of Kayden.