CHAPTER 12

(A/N: Please refer to chapter 5 if you felt lost in this chapter. hehe)

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'Where am I?'

"So you two are the parents of this whore!"

'Who is she? Why am I seeing Allina, Uncle, and Aunty right now?'

"How dare you call my daughter like that you evil woman! I'll call the police and I'll make sure that you'll rot behind bars!"

'Ah, this is that night'

"Let's calm down and ask Allina if she knew this madam, Allina?"

Arabella talked with her eyes full of curiosity. Allina who's in the arms of her parents shivered while looking at the woman who grabbed her hair earlier. Of course, she knew this woman, how can she not? She's the wife of the man she's having an affair with. But how did she know? that's her question right now. Without a second thought, Allina quickly answered.

"I-I don't know her mom, she must be mentally ill!" Allina cried again which made her parents worried and furious at the same time.

"I see, madam, it seems my sister doesn't know you. Can you-"

Arabella was cut off when the woman suddenly shouts.

"You don't know me? Ha! I am the wife of the professor you're having an affair with! You even dare let him in your house and fuck him!" her voice which was completely heard by them, even the neighbors heard it.

'Not bad, I'm acting quite well that night, yeah I remember this night, the night when I got my total revenge on Allina'

"Here! Watch the video of her having sex with my husband inside your house!" Jessica took her phone inside her pocket and showed them the video.

The moment they saw it, it surely is Arabella's room, It's quite dark but you can see their faces clearly and hear their voices calling each other's names while their bodies are intertwined with one another.

'Perks of being an owner of an electronic company'

She knew Allina was always looking for an opportunity to get her beaten by her aunt and uncle. Allina's plan was flawless, inviting Arabella's professor inside the house whenever she's at school and fucking him inside her room. Arabella was also shocked when she reviewed the CCTV footage. Her room was too small, so with just one camera, you can catch everything on the camera.

Arabella watched the scenes unfold in front of her, how the neighbors look at Allina with disgust and how the medical team arrives because Jessica's water just broke because of stress. In the end, she gave birth to a healthy baby and pressed charges against her unfaithful husband together with Allina who's already an adult that can get her in prison.

Since the video was posted on their university website, it garners tons of criticisms, it even gets featured in newspapers.

'How funny'

"Did you have fun?"

"eh? who are you? w-wait, I can talk?" Arabella touched her neck with a surprised face. She roamed her eyes around, but all she can see now are blurry places of where she came from before her soul got sucked into her own novel after she died.

"I just want to see a glimpse of your past, but you've got too many memories for a young woman to have. But, you're not from this world. Who are you?"

"Tsk, how dare you look into my memories! Who are you?" Arabella asked again with a frown on her face. Now that she's having an argument with someone with a voice of a woman she can't see, she realized that she's floating like a cloud and she's surrounded by blurry memories of her.

"Make a contract with me and I'll make sure to protect you and your children."

"What the actual fuck? Are you a devil? Did I made a devil character in my novel?" she asked herself as she scans her surroundings finding the person who's talking to her.

"The body you now possessed is the descendant of those people whom I am fond of. After seeing your memories, the real descendant and the soul, which is you are both pitiful"

"Wait, a descendant of what? Did I forgot something?"

"Tch, how stupid of a descendant you...

They're really not enough, you better get me another meal, or I'll make those children my....."

"HEY WAIT!"

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Blaine and Scarlet are now looking at Arabella with puffy eyes. They've been crying endlessly when Arabella just fainted while hugging them. They were about to punch and kick Ruel when he suddenly barged in to wake Arabella up, good thing he's handsome and he doesn't look like those thugs who were with Lord Wen.

"Whe-When will she wake up?" Scarlet asked Blaine while wiping her nose.

"I don't know, but I'm sure she'll wake up soon. Let's just do our best and take care of mother. You stay here and I'll go tend the garden." Scarlet just nodded and went out together with Blaine to fetch some water and get a towel to wipe Arabella's body.

Arabella's asleep for a week, when the doctor arrived who was called by Ruel. He said that she's just fatigue and stressed out, they were relieved, but when it's already been three days and she's still asleep they became worried and restless that's why they called for the doctor again. But, the doctor said that there's nothing wrong with her and that she'll wake up soon.

That day, Blaine and Scarlet realized that Lord Wen suddenly vanished. They asked Ruel about him, but Ruel said that he didn't saw Lord Wen that night, he just saw Arabella in pain while covering her ears when he arrived together with some mercenaries who were once knights. Luckily that night, those mercenaries were on their way to the town when Ruel met them coincidentally. He asked them for help, which they quickly obliged. They caught three other members of Lord Wen's syndicate.

Those mercenaries were happy when they give those wanted criminals to the knights because they gained some money from it. They also became acquainted with Ruel, which made them friends with Ruel together with Scarlet and Blaine. They were even mesmerized by Scarlet's features because girls like her are called rare beauties in the capital. They even said that she greatly resembled a noblewoman in the capital, but they don't know who she is, but they deduced she must be someone important. After two days, the mercenaries bid them goodbye.

"Blaine! Mother is... Mother's awake!"

Scarlet's voice rang inside Blaine's ears, he quickly threw the shovel that's in his hands and ran towards his mother's room. While panting, he saw her mother hugging Scarlet with a smile on her face.

"M-mother? you-you're really awake?"

"Should I sleep again?" Arabella asked jokingly.

"No!" Blaine shoved Scarlet aside and hugged Arabella so tight.

"Hey! why did you pushed me?" Scarlet who's also crying was making an angry face at Blaine.

"You're taking too much space and besides she's my mother."

Scarlet froze at Blaine's words. When Blaine realized what he just said he stands up and was about to apologize to her when Arabella spoke.

"Who said that you're an only child Blaine?" the two children looked at her with confused faces. Arabella grinned at them.

*knock*knock*

Their conversation was cut off by the sudden knock of Ruel.

"Pardon my intrusion. No one answered when I called earlier, my guess was right, your children are-"

"We're grateful for your help, but stop barging into someone else's house like that Mister."

All of them froze when Blaine suddenly talked while facing Ruel who got speechless because for the first time in his life he got scolded by a kid for barging in.

"I-Pardon me, It was rude of me, I'll reflect on that." with a bow Ruel apologize which greatly surprised Arabella. Because this character of Ruel she just saw isn't what she portrayed in the novel she wrote. Although he isn't a bad character, he's still holding the dignity of royalty, bowing down to a lower-ranked noble isn't something he would do.

"You're forgiven." Arabella got surprised again with Blaine's answer, although she was a businesswoman in her past life where these kinds of interactions aren't that surprising, seeing people who act differently from what she knew makes her speechless for a while.

After a moment of silence, Ruel walks towards her and handed the brown envelope he's been holding all this time. Blaine's eyes never left Ruel, which made the Lawyer/Royal sweat.

"What's this?" Arabella asked, she's still trying to recall what could possibly be inside the envelope. She dismissed the thought of money to bribe her, for her to zip her lips regarding his identity.

"That's the reason we met." with his words, something in her mind suddenly clicked. A smile spread on her lips and with twinkling eyes, she glances towards the direction where Scarlet was standing with her face looking down on the floor. When Arabella saw that, she sighed and nudged Blaine.

"Blaine." with one call, Blaine quickly walk towards Scarlet and put his hands onto her shoulders. Scarlet flinched and looks up and saw Blaine's reddened face, she was too shocked to even asked what he wants. Usually, once their eyes meet another round of argument will take place, but this time she felt like she just wanted to run and cry.

"I-I really don't like you." his words felt like a giant boulder that suddenly fell on Scarlet's head. Her chin quivered and her lips trembled and her eyes are starting to become misty. When Blaine saw that he panicked and continued his words.

"Th-that was before! Just call my mother your mother and I'm sorry!" with panicking eyes Blaine retrieved his hands and look towards his mother to ask for help. Blaine noticed Arabella still in bed where he saw her covering her mouth with restrained laughter. His eyes went to Ruel who's clearing his throat while looking away.

"Mother!" seeing them laughing at his situation made his face redder because of embarrassment.

"I'm sorry."

All of them stopped from what they're doing and stared at Scarlet who's now trying to suppress her tears from falling down. Arabella felt a pang on her chest when she saw her like that, seeing a little girl like that made her remember her past self.

"I-it's all my fault, this was all my plan! Why didn't you gave me to those knights?! I'm the mastermind of this! It's all because of me!" with her revelations Blaine who's keeping his mouth shut from what happened widened his eyes. Although he's one of the victims of Scarlet's plan, he doesn't have the cruel heart to turn her in and let her rot in prison. Blaine knew that Scarlet had a change of heart and she's still a child just like him, he's saving this information for his mother to know and decide. But, Ruel is here.

Blaine quickly blocks Ruel's view by hiding Scarlet behind his back. Seeing this Ruel sigh and was about to clear his reputation in this child's mind, but Arabella got ahead of him.

"Yes, it is partly your fault and you need to pay for your sins, Scarlet." her words made the two children trembled. Scarlet quickly wiped her tears and gently push Blaine aside and seriously stared at Arabella.

"I'll welcome those punishment ma'am." her voice broke but she still stood up straight like a strong woman she should be while facing her consequences head-on.

"Really? Blaine, you decide." with her words, Blaine paled and ran towards his mother with pleading eyes.

"Mother! We're alright, we're unharmed, we shouldn't punish her!" his pleading eyes this time didn't get through Arabella's heart. Because this time, to change Scarlet to be a better person, just pitying her won't do.

"Blaine, you and I, we're nearly killed. I can't turn a blind eye to this kind of action, especially to the child whom I came to love as my own."

Scarlet's face darkens and turned sullen, because of the hate she felt for herself. All this time Arabella and Blaine treated her like she's one of them, like a family, but what did she do? She planned on robbing them from the start. Although she's just a five years old kid, she already knew the cruelty of the world. Being called a daughter of a witch is something she loathes at first but when time passed she felt glad, because of these rumors going around, men never had an intention to sexually abused a child like her, because they thought they'll be cursed.

"B-but mother-"

Arabella cut him off by lifting her hand to silence him and looked at Ruel and winked at him. When she saw his eyebrows meet, Arabella rolled her eyes. It seems like portraying him as a very intelligent character isn't too effective.

"Then if you can't decide, I'll decide for it. Ruel is a lawyer here and we'll make a contract."

The two children faced them with confused expressions, Arabella shrugged off and took out the paper that's inside the envelope which Ruel handed over earlier. Arabella laid it on her desk that's just beside her bed and ask Ruel for a pen which he gave immediately.

"Sign here and I'll make you work for me, that's your punish-" before she can even finish, Scarlet quickly took the pen from her and signed the paper without a second thought.

"I-I'm done!" Scarlet's face looks sad but at the same time happy. The punishment is something she doesn't care, being a maid here means she doesn't have to leave and she'll be able to see them for a long time.

"Why did you sign without reading it? That's dangerous Scarlet" her lecturing but concerned tone made Scarlet happy, no matter what she says to her she'll accept everything. Whenever she hears Arabella talking and singing and whenever Blaine argue with her, all she felt is 'Home' that she had never felt before.

In the past, all she knew is that she needs to be crueler than the world to survive, but she dismissed that mindset now. Scarlet promised herself that she'll be someone who'll protect and will never go back to the way she acts in the past.

Arabella sighs and massaged her temples, having children is really hard especially taking care of children who aren't ordinary. Although she doesn't know Scarlet's origin it'll be fine, if she really is a daughter of a witch she'll train her to control her own mana and avoid problems that might arise in the future. She's the author of this novel so she knew how this world works, but all she has is intelligence and she's too weak physically. This body of the character Arabella Maguire isn't that bad, but she might get blown by the wind any time.

"Ruel, please explain the content of the contract," Arabella said while looking at Ruel who's frowning at her.

"What contract are you talking about? It's an adoption paper Baroness" after correcting Arabella, she slaps her own forehead, she thought Ruel already got the reason why she winked earlier, but he didn't. She was supposed to tell Scarlet that it's a contract for her punishment but Ruel just blows it off and told them the real content of the paper.

"A-adoption paper?" Blaine asked, he's the first one who regained his composure and asked his mother to confirm what he just heard.

"Tsk, I went out yesterday night to process Scarlet's adoption paper. Hayst, it's supposed to be a surprise!" Arabella glared at Ruel who only realized the reason she winked earlier.

"Oh, I'm sorry hahaha" Ruel laughed while apologizing, although Arabella knew he's royalty she didn't change her attitude towards him, he felt refreshed by this kind of treatment.

A sob escaped from Scarlet's lips and it turned into a loud cry.

A sigh escaped from Arabella's lips, she took off the blanket covering her lower body and stood up, and walk towards Scarlet. Without a word, she hugged the trembling child who's too overwhelmed to even talk. Blaine joined them and hug the two important women in his life.

Ruel who's used to concubines neglecting their children once the emperor starts to withdraw his favor to their children, made his heart felt squeezed by the sight before him. He gently walk towards the door after going out he closed the door without a sound leaving the three still hugging one another while crying. This family is something that made him felt more motivated to execute his plan soon.

When he was about to step out of the mansion, something caught his eyes, something that's shining at the corner of the door. Ruel bent down and pick it up.

"A ring?"

Ruel squinted his eyes when he saw a familiar emblem.

"Lord Wen?" a realization struck him. This ring was the one he used to sign the papers to bail Scarlet/Max out when she was about to get executed. This just means one thing, he really came here, but the question is....where is he? He's the person that won't leave just like that without robbing a place naked.

He tried to recall the event that happened a week ago and remembered the Baroness standing two meters away from the place where she found Lord Wen's ring. Ruel pondered and became suspicious of the Baroness's face at that time, she looks like she's in pain while holding her head with her nails digging into her temples.

"Cleo"

With his name being called, a shadow guard appeared behind him with his head bowing down.

"Your highness."

"Go and look for Lord Wen's whereabouts."

"Yes, your highness"

Without a sound, the shadow guard disappeared again leaving Ruel still thinking about the mystery that lingers around the Baroness.

Ruel stood up and went out of the door with the ring still in his hand.

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A/N: Hello everyone, thank you for reading my work. The first semester just ended, pardon me for the late updates. I'll do my best to update more.