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.

Because of my vile deeds, they threw me into a dungeon. The oppressive surroundings forced me to hunch, even with my small stature.

Breathing was hard. I looked at Silas' coat on me, the sleeves still embroidered with the pear blossoms I had sewn.

It was pure white, like snow.

I touched the sleeve gently.

Soon, Silas came in, his face stern. He couldn't understand why someone who seemed so obedient would commit such a heinous act.

"We investigated the black market. You bought the poison. Why did you do it? Tell me, why?" he said.

His eyes were red, tears streaked down his face. He was truly worried about me.

I opened my mouth, but I didn't know where to start.

"I admit I did it. Does a born villain need a reason to kill?" I said.

I looked at Silas, hoping he wouldn't get dragged into this mess. Just like the pear blossoms on the sleeve, they shouldn't be stained with filthy blood.

He lost control, saying he didn't believe I did it, even though he heard me confess.

"Silas, you must remain impartial when handling cases. You can't let personal feelings interfere. Though we grew up together, you should avoid suspicion," I advised.

I was determined to die, which confused Silas even more.

As we argued, one of his subordinates rushed in.

"Miss Susana Stanley is still alive. She didn't die. We found a doctor to detoxify her. She's awake now."

She was so hard to kill. My heart trembled. I had given her a lethal poison and drawn her blood first, yet she survived.

Silas ordered his men to bring her in. If she identified me, my guilt would be confirmed.

I should have just cut off her head.

When Susana was brought in, she looked extremely weak, her face deathly pale.

She pointed at me, screaming angrily, "It was her. She killed my whole family!

"Father and Mother treated you so well, and Brother doted on you more than me. Why did you do such a cruel thing? Why? They raised you for so many years, and you remained a thankless wretch. I'll kill you."

I felt utterly calm, looking at Susana with a sinister smile.

"Susana, no, you should be called Debora."