The World Has Become Kinder to Her

“Lotus.”  

A calm yet cold voice broke the silence. As fear slowly crept in, Lotus’s heart began to race. The voice belonged to her half-brother, Hession Estelle, the perfect young master and heir to the Estelle family.  

Though Hession had never directly insulted or tormented her, he despised Lotus more than anyone else for disgracing the family name, being known in Bahamur’s high society as nothing more than a one-night companion.  

Once, in a fit of anger, Hession had slapped her. It happened when he found her in the company of the infamous heir of a viscount’s family, known for his debauchery.  

Though the viscount’s heir was from a lower noble family, he was wealthy and beloved by his kin, making it difficult for an illegitimate child like Lotus to reject him.  

Hession, misunderstanding the situation and assuming Lotus was willingly involved, struck her. Despite controlling his strength, he was still one of the top five knights in the empire, and the blow left a dark bruise on her cheek. Lotus had been confined to her room for a week after that.  

“I’m coming in.”  

Hession opened the door with ease, as it hadn’t been locked. His stern expression made the tears in Lotus’s eyes spill over once again.  

He stopped in his tracks, noticing her tears. *What cold words will he hurl at me this time?* she wondered. *I’ve tarnished the family’s name again by attempting suicide. Will I be confined to my room for a month this time?*  

“Why are you crying?”  

What had he just said? Lotus couldn’t believe her ears.  

Hession, though loyal to chivalry, had never bothered to show any courtesy toward her, treating her like any common woman of the streets. He certainly wasn’t the type of brother to ask her about her feelings.  

*What is he planning?* she thought. *Could it be that he doesn’t realize I tried to kill myself and is just asking why?*  

“Why… do you care?”  

The bitter words escaped her lips before she could stop them. Immediately, she regretted it and curled her body up reflexively, bracing for a blow. At least, if she was hit this way, it wouldn’t hurt as much.  

But no strike came. Lotus cautiously raised her head, peering at him. Hession’s expression remained impassive, but his eyes—those sharp, cold eyes—wavered as their gazes met.  

“Why…” *Why are you looking at me like that?*  

She wanted to ask, but the words died in her throat. Hession opened his mouth slightly, then closed it before letting out a sigh.  

“…I’m sorry.”  

Lotus’s eyes widened in disbelief. Hession was apologizing to her?  

It was as unlikely as the sun rising in the west. Too stunned, she blurted out something even more foolish.  

“Am I… dreaming?”  

Her words made Hession’s expression twist slightly. Before she could shrink back in fear, he spoke again.  

“If it’s nothing serious, get some sleep. It’s late.”  

“…Okay.”  

Aside from their childhood, this was probably the longest conversation Lotus had ever had with Hession. With his strange demeanor, he left her room.  

Only then did Lotus realize she had been so shocked that she had stopped crying.  

*Maybe I’m already dead, and this is all just a dream,* she thought. Gripping her pillow and blanket tightly, she closed her eyes, praying not to wake again.  

***  

*Knock knock knock.*  

*Who’s that? Who’s knocking so loudly?*  

Half-asleep, Lotus heard the rough sound of knocking. Before she could even permit entry, the door creaked open, and multiple footsteps entered the room.  

*So I really am alive. How dreadful.*  

She bit her lip to force herself awake and opened her eyes. Her still-blurry green gaze caught the sight of the marquis, the marchioness, and a few maids.  

*What on earth is going on…*

*Why have so many people come to see me?* Lotus thought. The marquis and marchioness she knew weren’t the type to be shocked by her attempted suicide.  

*Are they here to scold me?*  

The feeling of resentment welled up inside her. Did they really need to do this so early in the morning?  

But she was a person who had been granted nothing except the permission to breathe.  

Even though they had entered her room without permission, she couldn’t yell at them. If she did, at best she’d hear more hurtful things thrown back at her.  

Lotus quietly rose from her bed and asked, “What brings you here?”  

No one answered. Annoyed, Lotus stood still, like a doll. After a moment, the marquis, looking oddly absent-minded, finally spoke.  

“Uh, are you… alright?”  

“I don’t understand why you’re asking that,” Lotus replied.  

Usually, the marchioness would chime in with a biting comment, but today, she was silent, her face unusually pale. She blinked like a broken doll, then spoke in a voice devoid of its usual sharpness.  

“…Come down for breakfast in thirty minutes.”  

It was something she had never said before. When had they ever cared whether she had her meals?  

Lotus was beyond confused. *What is going on here?*  

After that, the group left the room like a receding tide.  

Lotus let out a sigh and ran her fingers through her hair. If she was going to dine with the marquis, the marchioness, and Hession, she had to make herself presentable.  

“I guess I should bathe first,” she muttered.  

The only bathroom on the third floor, where Lotus’s room was located, was the one shared by the maids attending the marchioness. Being treated like an outsider, Lotus often used it, quickly washing up to avoid crossing paths with the maids.  

Gathering her clothes, she left her room and found a maid standing in front of the door.  

The maid had thick, lustrous brown hair and was none other than Giselle, the fallen daughter of Baron Nevit. Out of all the maids, excluding the head maid, who was fiercely loyal to the marchioness, Giselle was the one who had tormented and looked down on Lotus the most.  

“Miss,” Giselle said, her tone unusually polite.  

But Lotus wasn’t quick to lower her guard and simply stared back at her.  

“What do you want?”  

“M-May I help you prepare, Miss?”  

“Did the lady of the house instruct you to?”  

If the situation wasn’t formal, Lotus referred to the marquis and marchioness as *the lord* and *the lady of the house.* Since her childish years, she had never dreamed of calling them *father* or *mother.*  

“I-I was instructed, but… it’s also something I want to do.”  

*What is this supposed to mean?* Lotus couldn’t help but let out a bitter laugh. What kind of scheme was this woman up to now?  

“I managed to bathe by myself just fine as a child. What makes you think I need help now that I’m grown?”  

It was a mocking response, delivered with a smirk. After all, receiving help like this was something reserved only for formal occasions. The fact that Giselle was offering assistance now was ridiculous.  

“I’ll wash and come down on my own, so you don’t need to worry,” Lotus said, feeling somewhat lighter as she walked into the bathroom.  

But when she looked into the mirror, her heart stopped.  

“What… what is this?”  

The reflection staring back at her was younger—much younger. She looked like a teenager.  

The situation was too shocking to comprehend. Lotus closed her eyes and opened them several times, even splashing her face with cold water to snap out of it.  

But the face in the mirror didn’t change. This wasn’t a dream or a hallucination.  

“What… what’s going on?”  

In her panic, she fumbled with the clothes she had brought in, and they fell to the floor, getting soaked.

Giselle was no longer in the hallway. Lotus felt relieved that she hadn’t revealed her confused state in front of the maid. As she returned to her room, she scanned the table and saw a calendar labeled with the imperial year 672.  

*This is… the calendar from seven years ago!*  

Seven years ago meant she was seventeen, the year she made her debut into society. Her heart pounded wildly. She tried to think through it all, but her thoughts scattered, unable to form a coherent conclusion.  

*Was it all a long nightmare? Or did I die and somehow return to the past? Or… something else?*  

No matter the answer, it was horrifying. The shock overwhelmed her, and she collapsed onto the floor, dazed.  

It took her over thirty minutes to gather herself again. When she didn’t come down in time, the marquis and marchioness sent another maid to fetch her.  

“Miss! You still haven’t bathed…? Oh, I-I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to… I’ll help you get ready.”  

Even Jane’s attitude, the second maid, was surprisingly polite.  

Half out of her wits, Lotus allowed the maid to assist her, and after a quick grooming session, she found herself being gently pushed toward the dining room.  

To her astonishment, the marquis, marchioness, and Hession were all seated at the table, waiting for her. None of them had started their meal yet.  

It wasn’t until Lotus sat down that they all picked up their utensils. Still dazed, she heard Hession speak.  

“…Aren’t you going to eat?”  

The tomato soup with shrimp gave off an appetizing aroma, and only then did Lotus realize she was hungry. *Might as well eat,* she thought.  

Coincidentally—or perhaps not—it was her favorite soup. The rich, savory taste brought some comfort. Though still overwhelmed by the confusion of her situation, she managed to eat a few spoonfuls. She didn’t notice, but the marquis, marchioness, and Hession occasionally glanced at her, their eyes sharp like those of watchful cats.  

“Do you usually eat this little, or… is something wrong with the food?”  

It was the marquis who asked the question, startling Lotus into dropping her spoon.  

*Why is the marquis acting so strange today?* He seemed almost like a different person.  

Normally, he resented her deeply, blaming her for the misfortunes in his life. They never shared meals together, and he wouldn’t have cared whether she ate or not.  

*This is all so odd. Why is he acting like this?*  

Before she had gained the reputation as a one-night companion in Bahamur’s social circle, had he ever shown even a glimmer of kindness? Had there ever been a time when he wasn’t indifferent or cruel to her?  

Lotus searched her memory, but the vivid, painful memories of recent years clouded her thoughts.  

*I don’t know… I can’t tell if what happened after my debut was a dream, or if this moment now is the dream.*  

Either way, it was a nightmare.  

“I don’t feel like eating much,” she muttered, biting her lip. She expected to be scolded for dropping the spoon, but no one rebuked her.  

Normally, she would have been criticized for being vulgar, unrefined, or lacking manners. But now, there was only silence.  

A maid quietly brought Lotus a new spoon, and the meal resumed.  

The dining room felt unnervingly quiet, and Lotus couldn’t help but feel that the oppressive atmosphere was her fault.  

*This stifling mood must be because of me, an unwanted presence in this place.*  

Her discomfort grew, and she couldn’t even finish the bowl of soup.  

“By the way, your debutante ball is in three days, isn’t it?”  

The marchioness finally broke the heavy silence.