A Thousand Years of Separation~Today, I Shall be the Villainess~ Chapter 13

“Oh, no… what do I do…”

It was still high noon when a girl paced back and forth in her room . The room was pretty; decorated with the girl’s favorite white furniture and filled with lots of stuffed animals—they perfectly reflected the girl’s heart .

The girl’s name was Carla Spencer . She was the youngest of Marquis Spencer’s four sons and daughters . She had just turned 16 this year .

Her eyes that bore the same color as her cousin, William’s, showed hopelessness . She held her head in her arms .

“Aah, this isn’t good, this isn’t good at all… ugh, I don’t know what to do with myself… maybe talking with my brother will help…”

Carla left her room while slamming the door behind her . She went to the residence’s second floor, towards the farthest room .

Carla rushed through the long corridors, panting, and loudly opened the door .

“Brother—!!” Carla shouted—

—at the same time, an annoyed voice cursed from the inside .

“Gah—!! Dammit, Carla—!! I told you to knock, didn’t I—!?”

Carla saw the voice’s owner .

It was Carla’s second brother, Edward . He glared at Carla, his upper body leaning over a billiard table in the center of the room . Viridian eyes peeked through between his dark brown bangs . His usually carefree face was distorted with apparent shock and regret . Beside him, Bryan—Edward’s identical twin—grinned at Edward’s defeat .

—no matter how you look at it, this room is just distasteful…

In the room, Edward and Bryan gathered all sorts of gambling related tools for entertainment; dice, chess, darts, roulette, billiards—and bowling, which she didn’t recall being there last week .

Looking at them, Carla was distracted for a moment, but her focus soon returned—

“Brother Edward, this is just unbelievable!!”—she stared at Edward .

Carla slammed the door behind her and walked up to her two brothers .

“William got engaged—!!”

Her pretty face showed an unusual expression . Edward and Bryan looked at their sister’s figure before placing the cues on the table .

“Look, someone is still fond of William!”

Edward leaned against the table and folded his arms . He smirked, making fun of Carla . Bryan shrugged his shoulders and followed suit .

“Just give it up already, Sis… Not once has he ever glanced your way . ”

“Exactly . Sides’, he’s the type of guy who never feeds the fish he’s caught . ”

“Okay, I’ll stop here . Otherwise, I’ll say even more hurtful things . ”

Towards Edward and Bryan’s heartless words, Carla’s cheeks were stained red with anger .

“There’s no such thing—!! William said he would marry me—!!”

Carla was fuming—William was supposed to marry her! He promised her so—back then, during their childhood days .

Edward’s and Bryan’s gazes turned serious .

“…Carla, are you for real?”

“Yes, I’m being 100% serious—!!”

“But… that promise, wasn’t it when you were, say, eight? Back then, you clung on William and keep pestering him to say that…”

“So what—!? William told me, if I become a good lady, he’ll marry me!!”

“…”

Towards Carla’s desperation, the two showed a difficult expressions .

“Well, but that’s, you see, that’s just an empty promise…”

“I expect no less from my twin—whom fully understands its meaning . ” Sneered Bryan .

“…”

Carla became depressed at the sensible words of her brothers .

“Besides, William has already gotten engaged, didn’t he? There, aren’t you satisfied yet?”

“It is as Edward says—there’s nothing we can do about it anymore . Well, unless something happen and they get an annulment…”

“—…”

Carla held the hem of her dress tightly .

She wondered if there was truly nothing she could do .

Was there no choice but to give up?

William proposed to Amelia last night . He was still gentleman and cool, but his smile was no longer directed at Carla .

Do I really have to admit defeat? …No, I don’t want to . I absolutely don’t want to—!

Because I really love William .

Because I’ve always loved William…!

Amelia was truly a great beauty—that much was true . Even Carla couldn’t help but hold her breath before Amelia . But, was that enough of a reason to give up…?

Contrary to Carla’s thoughts, Edward and Bryan continued .

“Even so …that William, since when has he been courting, exactly? And to whom? The daughter of a Marquis? Or an Earl?”

“I, too, don’t know . But man… if only we had known he was going to get engaged, we would’ve prepared a celebration gift!”

“Toads in a box!”

“I want to see that guy’s reaction to receiving that!!”

Carla was envious of her brothers who could still laugh without a care .

“…don’t, joke around like that—!“

Carla grabbed her brothers .

“I… I… towards William, am truly, love…—!!“

—this is real . My feelings are true .

How can they joke like that—don’t laugh at my feelings!

Don’t tell me to give up…!

I’ve always loved him, ever since I first saw him… I couldn’t stop thinking about him!

But now…

Carla’s mind was swirling black .

“…Amelisama…”

Why? Why did that person snatch away her precious William?

…If I had  a beautiful golden hair just like her—

If my eyes had the same color of a deep, cooling, spring—

If I could smile the way she smiles, like a flower in full bloom, cherished with love—

—would William choose me?

Carla’s thoughts were impeded by Edward’s loudness .

“—Ame…lia!?”

Bryan was also gob smacked .

“Amelia, you say…?!”

Their shock aligned .

“The Southwell Family’s daughter! Amelia, William’s marriage partner—is that very Amelia—!?!?”

“No, that’s—that’s just too absurd!!!”

When they realized it was the truth from Carla’s expression, they became even more reluctant to talk .

Chapter end