Mother

After taking another rest, Cialme felt tired though she had been resting all day long. She slowly rose, leaning her back against the headboard of her bed.

I slept for terribly long and now it makes my head very heavy, she said to herself. Cialme was pressing her aching temples when a couple of person arrived on her room. Elisha was tailing behind them.

Silver hair and blue eyes were their noticeable features. A middle-aged couple was looking at her with worry-filled eyes. The name popped out on her memory after she recognized the familiar faces.

Count Danil Luvain and his wife, Countess Marianne Luvain. The couple who absorbed the princess from a fallen kingdom to be their adoptive daughter. The kind pair who had offered many things that Cialme did not deserve.

Cialme felt a sudden sadness sprang in her heart. The former princess did not return their kindness, she remained rude and ungrateful. Despite her wickedness, the couple did not banish her from their place. She loved her as if she were a child that came out from the countess' womb.

If she's really Cialme now, then there would be no mistreatment anymore as she would repay their kindness in the original Cialme's stead. She had been given a chance to change her fate, allowing not only her but also people around her to be genuinely happy.

Tears pricked her eyes. The heat rose on the surface, making her complexion turned in beet red. Cialme let out a single sob that made the two couple flinched.

"Oh dear!" The countess said as her feet took her to where Cialme is. She scurried hastily and the count followed her, carrying the same worried expression on his face.

"Is it still hurting bad?" Countess Marianne checked on her forehead before tearing her gaze away to call someone's assistance. But she was stopped when Cialme clung onto her arm like a child.

Countess Marianne's eyes then darted at her.

"Sweetie, what are you really feeling right now, tell me," she urged. Her hand moved on top of the young girl's hand, caressing it soothingly.

"Please stay..."

Cialme swallowed her breath that flushed down the lump in her throat before calling her,

".... Mother."

Countess Marianne's eyes quivered as shock surfaced on her features, melting her already soft expression and turned it into mellow one.

It was her first time hearing that word since the original Cialme had only called her as 'old lady.' The moment the word passed on her ears, it touched her heart swiftly that even moved her to tears.

Her teary eyes blinked happily.

Mother.... Such a pleasant sound.

"Of course, Mother will stay with you."

Though Cialme could not get any sleep as she had only wake up from the second rest, she closed her eyes in relief. Her mother sent the maid away and her husband stayed in the room, smiling because of what had occurred. Is she finally accepting us?

This went for a week as Cialme's injury was very serious that it needed her to stay in the bed for a whole week. Her parents whom she had accepted were visiting her often. Her mother had been accompanying her in her sleep. Cialme was determined to make the characters who were destined to fall into misery to give the happiness they deserve.

It's enough that they had experienced it in the book, but she wasn't going to let them go through it again. This time, you'll have the happiness the lead characters have, Cialme swore.

Of course, her sudden change was not easily accepted by everyone. The people doubted her sudden change of attitude, and it intrigued them greatly.

One morning when Cialme was finally allowed to leave her bed, she went downstairs where she met a couple of maids staring at her differently. From the looks given, they were also baffled on why she's acting nicely now.

When they met her purple eyes, they immediately bowed in fear that they would be punished for gazing upon her.

Cialme sighed at the gesture. She must have been doing her role properly as the villainess.

She went by them. Turning her head, she reminded in a soft tone.

"Please clean my quarters. My maid is on her dayoff today." A gentle smile perked on her lips, a kind of smile that was not capable of hurting a person. The maids suddenly looked up on the soft approach, their eyes oozing a look of befuddlement. What on earth did happened on their mistress?

Cialme did not wait for a response and continue going to where she was headed. The maids bowed their head curtly, but in their mind, they had been panicking.

In reason of fetching a breakfast had her going towards the kitchen. On her way, the servants bowed at her as she approached the destination.

But before she could step into the kitchen, she encountered a person who's carrying refreshments in a tray. The glasses quaked until it lost its footing on the tray, spilling the bright red liquid on her dress.

The servant gaped until it reduced to a simple trembling lips. He immediately bowed his head apologetically before pulling out a clean handkerchief for the young lady to use.

"I apologize, milady. Punish me as you see fit."

The man reached out his hand, a clean cloth was offered. Cialme's shock gradually subsided and took up the kind offer. She used it to wipe the stain which was about to dry. The servant's head was still lowered, would remain lowered until his mistress had bestowed him a punishment.

Cialme noticed how the man fixed his gaze on the ground. It made her sigh again. Of all characters, why a villainess? She would surely do a major cleanup that will take a long duration of time.

"Your neck will gone sore if you don't lift it up." Came out sweet and gentle, that sparked the interest of the servant. Though he was a bit reluctant, he raised his head slowly, breaking his eye contact on the floor.

"That's right." Cialme beamed at her softly.

With his eyes fixed on the woman's face, he witnessed how a gentle smile appeared on her lips. The servant blushed on her kind gesture. Warmth sprang on the surface, making her cheeks flushed in beet red.

Coincidentally, Kirton was walking around the area when he had stopped at once upon the sudden bash of glasses that reacted violently on the marbled floor. As he went closer to check the happening, his feet froze on the spot when his eyes caught a glimpse of her sister on the area.

The simple glimpse turned into lengthy stare.

Kirton was one of the person who doubted the change of her sister's attitude. Now that he has no need to effort to confirm his doubts, he watched as he anticipated her sister would raise a hand to hit the servant's face.

But what could possibly happened? Her sister did not hurt nor reprimand the servant for spilling the drink on her dress. Cialme had let the servant off the hook just as easy as breathing. Kirton couldn't believe, continuously tilting his head in disbelief.