Until The Real One Shows Up

Avelin Hazel, or Scarlett, who lived by that name, had been a very greedy child since childhood.

She may have been raised by a poor peasant, but she was a glutton and wanted lots of things.

Among them, Scarlett’s greatest wish was for her to become a noblewoman, so that she would not bow down to anyone and live a noble life surrounded by all kinds of jewels.

“You have a pretty face, so you definitely have a chance. If you can, lure an old nobleman and get a position as a second wife.”

It was the will of her mother, who died after Scarlett was nineteen years old after a long illness.

One day she waited for her to become an adult in order to support her mother’s will.

~~~~

– Tick Tick Tick.

Scarlett, who had been sleeping at her desk was startled at the sound of a knock on the door, and woke up. Then, after wiping the dry saliva from the corner of her mouth, she went outside.

“Who is it?”

“It’s me, Scarlett.”

Hearing a cheerful and friendly voice, Scarlett opened the door without hesitation.

“Hello, good morning!”

A girl with blazing red hair and blue eyes like a midsummer sea greeted her with a rattan basket about her size.

Despite the smile of the other person being as warm as sunlight, Scarlett called out her girl’s name with an expressionless face.

“Avelin.”

A childhood friend of the same age who lived next door to her since childhood. She, like herself, had only her mother in her family, but, unlike herself, she was a child with an elegant and well-educated mother.

Of course, she didn’t even have that uncultured mother anymore.

“What’s going on, since morning?”

“I made a sandwich this morning. Have you had breakfast yet?”

At first glance, she looked inside the basket and saw that there were sandwiches piled up like a mountain. The four or five juice bottles next to her made Scarlett lose her words momentarily.

After her mother passed away, Avelin and her mother often provided food to her, who was alone.

It was sometimes embarrassing to receive that much food as that overflowing affection, but it was good for Scarlett, who was alone anyway.

“Come in.”

“Thank you, Scarlett!”

Avelin smiled broadly and hurriedly walked into her house. Soon after, Avelin, who had found Scarlett sleeping on the desk, asked.

“Did you fall asleep while sewing yesterday?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“I think it’s too much. After your mother died, you never slept properly because of her work…”

“Well, I don’t have a wealthy mother like you. I have to work hard to make a living by myself.”

At her sharply protruding words, Avelin was momentarily stunned, unable to continue her words. Then she soon asked cautiously.

“Scarlett, if it’s okay with you, would you like to live with me at my house?”

“What are you talking about?”

“Actually, I’ve been trying to tell you since your mother died… My mother also said it was a little dangerous for a young girl to live alone. I thought it would be nice to live with you too.”

“…”

“What do you think?”

It was an offer that was difficult for Scarlett to refuse, and there was no reason to. However…

“Then will I become your mother’s adopted daughter?”

“If you want to proceed legally, we are willing to go through that part too…”

“No, it’s okay.”

Scarlett quickly interrupted Avelin’s words.

“I think it would be nice if I lived with you too, Avelin. But I don’t want to be your mother’s legal daughter. My mother, who passed away, might be sad.”

It was a lie. If necessary, Scarlett could be someone’s adoptive daughter at any time.

There was no reason for her to understand the feelings of her mother, who had never been able to help her in her life, and her mother was also already dead.

However, if Avelin’s mother becomes her adopted mother, there may be a setback in her plan to become part of a rich house as a second wife.

Avelin’s mother was a noble and upright person. If she knew that she married for money, not for love, she would never allow the marriage. And in Rosenberg, you couldn’t get married if your parents were against it.

Therefore, Scarlett was willing to enjoy only the convenience that the Avelin’s family would offer her until she became an adult and married.

“Ah, you are right…”

But Avelin, who had no idea of her dark thoughts, was embarrassed and took Scarlett’s hand and even apologized.

“I’m sorry, Scarlett. I didn’t mean to hurt you that way. Of course, you don’t have to be my mother’s adopted daughter. The important thing is that you live with us.”

Scarlett smiled awkwardly and nodded her head.

Avelin’s smile, without a single impurity, was sometimes too suffocating. She was very different from herself. 

‘Oh my God, a good girl like this is my childhood friend. What luck.’

But apart from that, Scarlett was the one who was ready to smack her mother and daughter in the back of her head if she ever had the chance.

~~~~

Scarlett immediately packed up her little things and went to Avelin’s house.

“Welcome, Scarlett.”

Avelin’s mother greeted Scarlett with the same smile as Avelin’s.

She was an elegant and noble person at a glance, and she heard that from the first time Avelin’s mother came to the rural village, everyone was suspicious of her origin.

However, she was quiet when it came to that topic, and at some point, everyone got tired and stopped asking questions.

In any case, she knew as much as she looked cultured, so teaching the children of aristocrats and wealthy families was her main source of income.

Avelin also made Scarlett learn a lot about this and that, saying it would help later, even wearing shoes was one of them. She should have doubted from then on how the heck a commoner knew the new language.

In any case, the studying was painful for Scarlett, but she persevered in the thought that it would later help, or perhaps help her become an aristocrat.

“Thank you for taking me in, ma’am.”

“Thank you. How many years have we known you? Make yourself at home.”

But the problem arose right after that. Avelin’s mother, who was healthy, suddenly collapsed, and then rapidly became ill.

She swore, it wasn’t Scarlett herself that did it.

But she couldn’t be ignorant as she lived in the same house, and Scarlett kept her troubles in check and took turns nursing Avelin’s mother.

Nevertheless, Avelin’s mother passed away soon after.

‘After all, I will soon become an adult.’

Scarlett was not so sad that she lost her sanctuary. She immediately thought of entering as a maid in the Euroc mansion, where the baroness was bedridden.

“Scarlett, I have something important to tell you.”

Until she heard the unexpected truth from Avelin.

~~~~

“… So.”

Scarlett heard the story and asked with a trembling voice.

“Your mother said in her will, that you are the High Priest’s real daughter?”

“Yes. She said he would know if I showed him this locket and talked about my mother.”

What Avelin showed her was a locket with a portrait of her mother inside. Scarlett swallowed dry saliva without realizing it.

“Then… What if you go to the capital and tell the High Priest that you are his daughter? It is against the doctrine for a priest to have children.”

“I have no intention of revealing that I am his daughter either. After all, my father didn’t even know I was born.”

“What?”

“I just want to see my father’s face. Anyway, now that I have nowhere to go, I wondered if I should go in and work as a maid in the Great temple…”

… What was she talking about now?

Scarlett felt confused.

So, she was going to keep it to herself for the rest of her life that she was the daughter of the High Priest? She didn’t want to use that fact to change anything?

‘How can she just throw this great opportunity away?’

Was she crazy?

“Would you like to go to the capital with me? Because we both have nowhere to go… If you work in the Great Temple, at least you won’t be hungry.”

“…”

“Scarlett?”

“Uh, huh?”

“Would you like to come with me?”

Scarlett woke up late and looked at Avelin.

Eyes that trusted her completely. She had no doubt that she would do nothing wrong.

The look of those innocent eyes gave her a bit of guilt, but then Scarlett quickly buried it away.

‘First of all, I have to survive.’

Scarlett smiled awkwardly and nodded her head.

“Ok, fine. I’ll come with you.”

“Really? Wow!”

Avelin smiled broadly and hugged Scarlett tightly.

“Thank you, Scarlett. To be honest, I thought it would be a little lonely and scary if I went alone… I was worried, but I’m so glad you’re going with me. We can continue to be together in the future!”

“… Of course, Avelin.”

Scarlett smiled weakly at Avelin as she lied brazenly.

“We will always be together forever.”

~~~~

So the two of them went to the capital together. There was no shortage of travel expenses, as Avelin had all of her property.

And that day was the second day after they came to the capital.

With Avelin going to stay at the inn and unwind, Scarlett went out alone to explore the streets.

‘Wow, I’ve only heard that the capital city was nice, but I didn’t expect it to be this glamorous…’

Scarlett was hesitant to see everything in the capital city. A huge market of merchants selling all kinds of goods, and all the sweet and delicious smells from all directions.

And a bunch of crazy people that you wouldn’t see in rural villages. Scarlett was completely fascinated by the sight she had never seen before.

Then, one day, Scarlett’s eyes caught a beautiful ring worn by a young woman walking down the street.

‘Isn’t that a ring that fits my finger better than that piggy girl?’

Scarlett approached the woman wearing the ring without any particular thought. She pretended to accidentally bump into her and was thinking of stealing the ring from her finger.

She always stole anything she wanted in this way. It was overcrowded, so she wouldn’t even think it’s weird.

“Ah, sorry…!”

“Hey! what?”

However, contrary to her plan, the woman who she bumped into screamed sharply and grabbed Scarlett’s wrist.

With that recoil, the stolen ring from Scarlett’s arms rolled down to the floor.

Damn, in an unexpected situation, Scarlett mumbled swear words to herself.