***
“Don’t get me wrong. I didn’t mean to be cold-hearted just because Charlotte’s back. You’re my daughter, too. I can swear on that.”
My father quickly added an excuse and looked at me.
“So, what do you want me to do?”
I stared silently at my father.
“Charlotte ……”
“Just be honest with me. I’m not a fool.”
I had to make my debut later than the other Young Miss because my father wanted me to appear perfect to people. That was his reason and I believed it at that time. But now I know.
It was for the sake of the real Charlotte that my father delayed my debutante. He thought it was a vain hope, but he had left the room at the end for a daughter who might possibly return.
“I don’t want you to misunderstand me because I said that.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“I want you to give Charlotte her name back.”
Why was I still sad about a situation I had already experienced? I didn’t know what to make of the sad look on my father’s face.
“It’s just a name. That’s the only thing that will change. It will not change the fact that you are my daughter, nor will the things you’ve been enjoying.”
I held my breath for a moment. I knew enough not to believe my father’s consolation. It was not only the name that would change.
“…… What if I don’t like it?”
“Charlotte.”
I glared at my father, my mouth tightly shut. If it had gone according to plan, I would have done the same. But when I saw that he was thinking only of Charlotte, my anger soared.
“Yes, I’m Charlotte too. It was you, my father, who gave me that name, and it was you who brought me up to be Charlotte. But now you’re telling me not to be her?”
“I know you are angry.”
“If my father ever thought about me, he should have at least told me about my name sooner.”
He was at a loss for words and could not say anything. I took a short, deep breath and then filled in the words.
“You shouldn’t have made me Charlotte in the first place.”
“I’m sorry, but you must understand,” my father said, taking my hand in his.
“Do you understand?”
“….”
“I feel sorry for her.”
“You feel sorry for her?”
I twisted my lips at the sight of my weeping father. Poor Charlotte. Everyone thought so, and so did I. I felt sorry for her. But Charlotte was not like that. I remembered Charlotte falling down the stairs on purpose to get me in trouble.
I remembered what Charlotte did in the past and it was not at all like a poor girl. She could get whatever she wanted. She could do whatever she liked, even if it meant trampling on the people around her.
“You have lived without lacking anything, but you’re not that child. She could not enjoy all those things.”
“Of course she did. Everything I have enjoyed belongs to her, and I am a substitute to take her place.”
“Don’t say that.”
“It’s the truth.” I laughed in vain.
“Charlotte.”
“Don’t call me by that name. That’s not my name anymore, is it?”
I lifted my head straight up and said clearly. I knew that what my father was doing was a favor. I knew that he went away for a few days to restore Charlotte’s status. I had no idea at the time, but it was only after everything had been sorted out that my father approached me. I had already been officially deprived of the name Charlotte.
“Please give my achievements to Charlotte.”
I tried to smile in the face of my father’s wavering gaze. I had been involved in the family’s major affairs as a successor of the Tiodurop, although I was not visible to the outside world. The achievements I had made were never small.
“I couldn’t even have the debutante properly that day anyway, because everyone was too busy to look at me properly. You must officially open the debutante for Charlotte and announce that she is the true heiress of the Tiodurop family.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes,” I nodded without hesitation.
I would be lying if I said I didn’t want to lose the results of my best efforts. But even if I had forced myself to hold on to them because they were a waste, I had no power to protect them now. In the future, I was going to die with all my achievements taken from me by Charlotte, and I was going to suffer the consequences of her misdeeds. It would be better to give them to her early and profit from them than to have them taken away.
“You have made a great decision,” said my father, squeezing my hand with an emotional face.
“I have no wish to rebel against my father. I’ll do whatever he wants.”
I murmured the words with a bitter smile.
“Thank you for understanding.” He said.
Understanding? No, this was not understanding. It was just a realization. I knew why my father had suddenly regained Charlotte’s identity. It was a touching story, the return of a daughter he had lost so long ago, but there was more to it than just the beauty behind it. Especially because she’s a woman, she was bound to be involved in worse rumors. In order to prevent this, my father tried to make it seem that me and the returned Charlotte were the same person. If I were to disappear, she would become the perfect Young Miss of Tiodurop.
“Please do me a favor. If you listen to it, I’ll leave the mansion quietly without anyone knowing.”
“Yes?”
“Please, give me the Malata territory.”
With Charlotte back, staying at Tiodurop Manor would only make things worse.
I’d rather get what I need and leave the mansion forever.
“Malata…? That’s…”
My father slurred his words with a confused face.
“I know what the land is like,” he said, “but you want Malata?”
“Yes, it’s beautiful. It shouldn’t be such an unreasonable request even for you, father.”
“Are you sure that’s all you want? You can tell me if you need anything else.”
“Yes, that’s good enough for me. I don’t need anything else.”
What I needed was the hidden treasure in the Malata, and I had to have it in order to receive the help of Archduke Mona Chareuteu.
“But…”
“If I stay in the capital, I’ll be a nuisance to you, father.”
My father never told me to leave. But it was my wish that I should leave.
“I’m sorry,” he said cautiously, looking at me. Funny enough, his expression was much calmer than before
“Don’t be sorry, because we are finally going back to our original positions.”
I swallowed my insinuations and avoided my father’s gaze. I didn’t know if I said that so that my father would reconsider it or not. But I knew that if the words had come from Charlotte’s mouth, it would have been the greatest wound to my father.
“Thank you for saying so. I’ll make sure that everything you ask for is ready as soon as possible.”
I smiled as I realised that he really did want me to leave as soon as possible. I thought that there was a slight bond between us, but it seemed that a fake was no match for the real.
****
“Take it. It’s what you asked for.”
The document my father had given me was full of details proving Malata’s ownership. I paused for a moment to examine the contents of the document. Instead of Charlotte, the name “Symphonia” was written on the document.
I was no longer Charlotte.
“Thank you for your kindness.”
I put the documents in order and held them in my hand.
“No, I’m more grateful and I’m sorry,” he said and went silent for a while. There was so much emotion in the way he looked at me that I felt strange.
“So…..when are you planning to leave?”
“There’s no need to delay, I’ll be leaving tonight.”
It was all so emotional. Neither my father nor I had forgotten the reality.
“I sent someone to the villa in Malata to fix it, just in case. It won’t be any inconvenience for you there.”
“Yes, thank you. But please don’t do it again. You don’t have to help me anymore. The more help I receive, the more I’ll become dependent on it. The more support I receive, the more I’ll rely on it, especially if it’s from you, father.”
“Charlotte.”
“Please don’t call me by that name. I shall have nothing to do with you anymore.”
Unknowingly, my hands were tightened and the documents were crumpled, but I succeeded in maintaining my facial expression. I stared at my father, trying my best to look as calm as I could. Nevertheless, the heartache was inevitable.
“If anything happens, call me right away. If you need my help, I’ll be happy to help you.”
“It won’t happen.” I shook my head firmly.
“I know you’re upset, but can’t you just understand me?”
“I’m leaving because I understand. This is the last gift I can give you, father.”
I was hurt. I didn’t mean to deny what my father gave me. It was true that I enjoyed a lot as the Young Miss of Tiodurop.
“…..”
“Take care, father.”
Then, as it was my habit, I was going to say I love you, but I stopped immediately. The words were no longer suitable for us. That’s when it happened. The tightly closed door of the office was opened.
“I’m sorry! I thought you were alone… “
And then the voice that followed right after quickly made me strain.