When the official arrived, I had already poisoned my foster family.

I thoughtfully hung each one of them in the corridor, including the recently found true daughter of the family.

My foster parents treated me, their fake daughter, exceedingly well, and my foster brother cherished me more than his real sister.

The official was my childhood companion.

"You killed them all, why?" he asked me, having a mental breakdown.

What went around came around.

All the filth couldn't escape my eyes.

1

I was covered in blood, my clothes still stained.

Silas Conway stared at the row of bodies in the corridor, his face pale with fear. He drew his sword, pointing it at me in disbelief.

"Did you kill them all? Cecilia, say something!"

Silas, my childhood companion, was once betrothed to me—or rather, to the true daughter of the Stanley family.

The people surrounding me feared I would go on another killing spree, terrified by the scene.

"Tell me, why? Your parents treated you so well, even when they knew you weren't their biological daughter."

Silas lost control, never imagining that the seemingly gentle and obedient me could commit such acts.

Today was supposed to be the day the Stanley family welcomed back their true daughter, Susana Stanley. My foster mother started preparing early in the morning.

She worried I might feel sad, so she told me in front of the servants, "Cecilia, you will always be a daughter of the Stanley family, just like our own."

She said everything that was mine would remain mine, and I wouldn't have to give up my room to their true daughter.

Everyone in the household praised their kindness. We stood at the gate, waiting for Susana.

When she stepped out of the carriage, she was dressed simply. My foster mother's eyes reddened instantly. Holding back tears, she said, "My dear, you've suffered."

"Though you are my biological daughter, you were raised in the countryside. The capital is full of noble ladies, so you must stay indoors to avoid embarrassment," said my foster father, Matthew Stanley.

With that, he walked away.

Susana approached me timidly and called me sister.

I noticed a butterfly birthmark on her collarbone. It was glaringly red. My head ached, and fuzzy memories surged.

Seeing me dazed, my foster mother, Marlene Stanley grabbed my hand, comforting me, "Cecilia, what's wrong? From now on, you and Susana are both my daughters."

I tried to pull my hand away, but they took my actions as displeasure.

My brother stormed in from outside, not even asking a question before accusing Susana. "Did you bully Cecilia the moment you came back? Don't you dare throw your weight around! Cecilia is my sister!"

They protected me, fearing I'd be upset by Susana's return.

Onlookers praised Matthew and Marlene for their generosity, treating me, the fake daughter, as their own.

The Stanley family welcomed Susana but abandoned her in the back courtyard. The maids and servants, following their masters' lead, treated her poorly.

"Don't worry, everything is still yours, even Silas," my brother reassured me.

"Really?" I sneered, meeting his gaze.

Susana was the true daughter, and the betrothal was between the Stanley and Conway families.

The bride had to be the blood of the Stanley family, and I was not.

That evening, they hosted a banquet for Susana.

I smelled a unique rose scent on her. It was the finest fragrance in the capital, more valuable than gold.

It was heavy on her. The atmosphere was tense, but my brother instinctively gave Susana a piece of meat.

"My hand slipped. Cecilia, have a drumstick," he said, putting a large drumstick in my bowl.

I said nothing, and they were all worried about my discomfort.

In the next moment, one after another, they collapsed. The poison from the black market worked quickly.

They were poisoned within moments, slumped over the table.

I stood up and started cutting off Susana's butterfly birthmark right in front of them.

Her pupils dilated, and blood spurted out.

"You ungrateful wretch, what are you doing?"

"Shut up!" I said, coldly smiling as I brought the knife down. "Why bring back a daughter who should have died? Father, mother, brother, don't you agree?"

I killed them all and thoughtfully hung each corpse in the corridor.

This scene was something I had seen when I was eight.

I laughed.

Silas and the others were terrified by my laughter, breaking down and asking why.

"Silas, a person who killed her mother and sister is naturally evil. Why do you ask?" I looked at him, my eyes filled with complex emotions.

When I was eight, my father changed drastically, often arguing with my mother. The current hostess of the Stanley family wasn't my biological mother. She was my father's mistress.

After my father brought her back, my mother became strange, treating me coldly.

She often cursed me and tried to abandon me in the mountains several times.

Marlene, on the other hand, was extremely kind to me, giving me whatever I wanted.

On one rainy night, I saw my mother hanging in the corridor, dressed in red. It was horrifying.

Matthew claimed she had an affair with the stableman and hanged herself out of shame.

I was scared stiff, and it was Marlene who comforted me all night, promising never to abandon me.

Later, Matthew married her, making her the new lady of the residence, and she treated me very well.

When I was twelve, I played by the water with her daughter, Debora Stanley. She slipped and fell in. I tried to save her but ended up nearly drowning.

When I woke up, I was accused of killing my mother and sister. Debora's body had a faint butterfly birthmark on her collarbone.

Marlene cried, accusing me of pushing Debora into the river.

Matthew was furious, sending me to a girls' academy for three years. When I returned, I was obedient, excelling in all skills.

I was no longer capricious.

Matthew was proud and praised the academy.

Marlene treated me exceptionally well, gaining praise as the best stepmother in the capital.

But then, it was revealed I wasn't the true daughter of the Stanley family, just a swapped child.

The midwife wanted her daughter to live a noble life, and that was me, who actually came from lowly origins.

...

When they took me away, Silas took off his coat and draped it over me. He walked quickly, his face cold, and didn't speak to anyone.

That's just how he was—tight-lipped and reserved.

People on the street pointed at me.

"See? They have raised a thankless wretch. Heartless, she killed them all just because Matthew brought his real daughter back today."

"Yeah, I saw Marlene taking her to buy sweets and the latest clothes this morning. She doted on Cecilia."

"Alas, Matthew was such a kind-hearted man."

I walked down the long street. The townspeople threw rotten vegetables and eggs at me. They called me a murderer, demanding my immediate execution.

I never defended myself, not even once.