The Forgotten Daughter
Did the afterlife truly exist, or had God answered Mathias’s prayer as he begged for her peaceful rest like a devout priest in her final moments? Or perhaps that horrific nightmare had been nothing more than a dream from the very beginning?
Yet the sensation of cold metal piercing her heart had been far too vivid to dismiss as mere fantasy. The sharp, searing pain that spread from her chest like a burn remained painfully clear.
“Then…… did I survive?”
The thought she had voiced unconsciously took shape as sound and filled the silent space. Something felt wrong, however. The unfamiliar voice startled her; even after speaking, she wondered if someone else had answered beside her.
The ceiling looked ready to collapse at any moment. A foul stench stung her nose, and with every creak of the wooden walls, a biting wind swept through, numbing her skin.
Only after realizing she lay upon a pile of what appeared to be animal feed did she push herself upright and properly survey her surroundings. The room was filled with bloodstains, dried excrement, and refuse. Fist-sized rats scurried beneath her feet, while centipede-like insects crawled through the filth.
A stable?
Yet the space was far too cramped for a stable, and no livestock—not even smaller animals—could be seen. Even if it were a stable, the filth made it unsuitable for keeping any creature.
While she struggled to determine whether this was reality or the afterlife, a painfully thin arm entered her field of vision.
Along with the alien sensation that this body was not her own, a small hand and long, curly white hair that reached her chest gradually filled her sight. As she shifted in confusion, she discovered that one leg had no sensation at all and refused to move.
At last she saw both legs clearly—uneven in thickness, skeletal and deathly pale like twigs. Now it was undeniable.
She had not died. And……
This is not my body.
She had awakened in a stranger’s body, in an unfamiliar place.
This body could not use one leg. Judging by the difference in growth between the two limbs, the disability appeared to be congenital.
Furthermore, this was not a stable but a storage shed. The maids who brought meals three times a day—morning, noon, and night—led her to suspect she now inhabited the body of a noble family’s daughter. The medicine provided alongside the food suggested she suffered from other chronic ailments as well. For some reason, she had also been locked inside this filthy room, worse than any stable.
Those were the facts she had pieced together over three full days.
If only the maids showed even a little kindness, it would be easier to gather clues.
The maids who delivered her meals simply set the food down and left, ignoring her whenever she tried to speak. They neither washed her filthy body nor provided fresh clothes. The door remained locked at all times, preventing any escape.
As a result, this body had been completely neglected. Despite her chronic illness and crippled leg—conditions that demanded constant care—she received only the bare minimum of food and water necessary for survival.
She finally understood why the body was so emaciated. The meals consisted solely of rock-hard bread and watery soup without a single piece of meat, and her limited mobility made even basic exercise impossible.
In short, the situation was dire.
Unable to move freely, she lacked the means to escape the room, and the maids were too cold to offer any cooperation.
After accepting that she lived worse than livestock and enduring three more days, a change finally broke the monotonous routine. Instead of the usual maid, several others burst into the room.
With urgent expressions, they carried her to the bathhouse and began scrubbing her with such force it felt like a battle. After the violent washing, they dressed her in freshly pressed new clothes, applied scented oil to her tangled hair, combed it thoroughly, and even adorned her with modest jewelry.
Once the preparations were complete, the maids carried her from the room—not to the stable-like space she had been confined in, but to a clean, well-arranged, spacious chamber.
“I thought she was done for. If the telegram had arrived even a little later, it would have been disastrous.”
“How many years has it been this time?”
“Three years. The last visit was when I was seventeen.”
“Are they coming to check if she’s still alive again?”
“No, the visitor this time isn’t the master and mistress. It’s the second young master. He returned just the day before yesterday.”
“……Ah, the second young master has always been especially devoted to Lady Odeliana.”
“Only he is. The rest of the family acts as though she doesn’t exist, yet he alone treats her with such care.”
“Is he back for good this time?”
“That’s what I’ve heard.”
From the maids’ conversation, she learned that the body’s owner was named Odeliana, that she had been abandoned by the rest of her family, and that the man called the second young master held her in deep affection.
“He will arrive soon. Everyone, take your positions and wait.”
After the maids scattered, a middle-aged woman she had never seen before approached.
“Lady Odeliana, all you need to do is remain quiet as usual. If the schedule proceeds smoothly, I’ll allow you to enjoy the walk you like so much.”
“……A walk?”
“Yes, a walk.”
“……”
“I’ll say it once more—you have no need to open your mouth. Simply nod at my words. Do you understand?”
“……”
“You must answer.”
“……Fine.”
“Good. Remember that good behavior brings rewards.”
Her tone was deeply unpleasant. The fact that she used the respectful title “Lady” suggested Odeliana belonged to a highly prestigious household. Yet this woman, merely a maid meant to serve her, behaved with such arrogance that it felt as though the world had turned upside down.
So they’re preparing so frantically because the second young master is visiting? Normally they leave her in that filthy room without washing or changing her clothes, only making her presentable when family members come.
The maids’ practiced efficiency suggested this was not the first time. They likely dressed the space up only for visits, then abandoned her again once the family left. In the end, the conclusion was clear: the servants themselves were abusing their master.
Whatever the case, this is far from a smooth situation.
A woman born disabled, abused even by those beneath her—what an unfortunate fate. Did such a wretched destiny follow one even after death?
“He’s arriving soon!”
At the maid’s cry from the window, everyone moved in a flurry.
The sound of hooves approached from nearby, followed by the unmistakable rumble of a carriage. Lerusha, who had raised herself on the bed to peer outside, was inwardly surprised by the sight of an extraordinarily luxurious carriage.
This was no ordinary middle-class household. A carriage of that caliber belonged only to an immensely wealthy family or high-ranking nobility.
Just what kind of family was this? As she watched the carriage draw nearer, she spotted a familiar crest emblazoned on its side and held her breath.
That crest……!
It belonged to the Grusewald ducal house—the rulers of the north, the great lords who possessed vast territories. It was the family of Princess Orldet, the mistress of the husband who had driven her to her death.