Cornelia Alway arrived at the Alway Ducal Family Villa with the resolve to end everything.
She thought it was over when the mansion was surrounded, but after being extricated by Dolf Ein, she was handed a short sword. It was likely meant to signify that she should settle everything with this.
At that moment, Cornelia’s resolve was set.
She understood she had lost everything when she saw her husband, whose sweet side was usually prominent, become serious and lead soldiers, Waalthe, and the hateful Jared Murphy, who sided with Hannelore and her child, to capture her.
She realized she had lost everything because of Hannelore.
However, she thought this might also change depending on her own actions, and she firmly gripped the hilt of the short sword.
She should have done it herself from the start. Things had turned out this way because she had used untrustworthy people.
Cornelia cursed the useless people in her heart.
She continued to utter curses at her daughter who had betrayed her, her son who still hadn’t come to help his mother, and her brother and family who had abandoned her.
But the most unforgivable was Hannelore Alway.
If only that woman hadn’t existed, everything would have been hers.
She had liked her husband first. But her husband was infatuated with Hannelore and never noticed her feelings.
She had rejoiced upon becoming a consort, but when she learned it was due to Hannelore’s intercession, her enmity turned into hatred.
Her childhood friend, knowing her feelings, had offered her kindness for her own good—but it only made Cornelia feel pathetic.
Later, she learned that her friend had only offered advice to her husband, who was hesitant to take in someone he had doted on like a younger sister, as Cornelia was to become his consort due to ties between their families. But the hatred she once harbored never disappeared.
She resented Hannelore’s blissful life with her daughter, despite her inability to bear a son.
She had given birth to a son, yet the thought of her husband’s affection being entirely poured into Hannelore and Olivier almost drove her mad.
Therefore, she acted.
If she hadn’t acted, she couldn’t have maintained her sanity.
But what was the result?
The adventurers she hired were all crushed by maids, and even the continent’s top assassination organization was thwarted by Olivier’s fiancé.
That fiancé, she heard, was arranged by her husband for the supposedly lagging Olivier.
Her husband again. Harald Alway would do anything for Hannelore and Olivier. In contrast, he did nothing for her or her children.
“Unforgivable… Hateful, hateful, I hate Hannelore. I hate Olivier.”
Surely, she couldn’t go on living if she didn’t kill that mother and daughter.
But it was almost there. Thanks to Dolf Ein, the troublesome people were being held back at her family home. If she missed this chance, another would never come.
If only Hannelore and Olivier were gone, her beloved husband would surely come to his senses.
“You’ve come, Cornelia.”
Cornelia Alway’s eyes widened in surprise.
This was because her hated Hannelore Alway had turned her back on the mansion and come to greet her.
Hatred welled up for her childhood friend, clad in a pale green dress, who still possessed beauty even as she aged. Beside her, Olivier Alway, dressed in blue, glared.
“Wh-why?”
The question stemmed not only from the fact that her hated mother and daughter were waiting, but also from the two boys standing beside them.
“Why are you two here?!”
Jared Murphy, Olivier’s fiancé, a tall boy with deep-set eyes of the same color as his black hair, which likely flowed from eastern blood. And Pfeil, a boy from the assassination organization Waalthe, whom she had once hired but who had failed, moved towards her, his light blue hair swaying, drawing his bow.
“You managed to escape that encirclement, Cornelia Alway. Honestly, I can only say I’m impressed. But it’s over now. As long as I am here, I will not let anyone harm Hannelore-sama and Olivier-sama.”
“Jared Murphy!”
“The Duke will be here soon as well. You are finished.”
“Hah—Hahahahaha! Hahahaha!”
Cornelia laughed. She laughed as if mocking everything.
Grasping the short sword, she ignored Jared’s words and tried to approach Hannelore when an arrow struck the ground at her feet.
“Next time, I’ll shoot your leg.”
“…It was you, Pfeil. I never imagined you’d side with Hannelore. A mere lapdog bowing to someone you failed to kill? Or were you nicely charmed by Hannelore?”
“I have no words to exchange with you.”
“Nor do I wish to speak with an assassin.”
She clicked her tongue in annoyance.
Pfeil had also been hers at first. She had hired him. But now, he pointed an arrow at her to protect Hannelore.
There was no greater humiliation than this.
Hannelore stepped forward, signaling Pfeil, who was glaring at her with eyes that seemed to pierce her, to stay his hand.
“It is deeply regrettable that it has come to this.”
“…Lies. You’re probably laughing inwardly, thinking ‘serves her right’!”
“No, but I am angry.”
“Because I tried to kill you? Or because I targeted your beloved, foolish daughter?”
“That is not it. I feel strong indignation towards you, who thought only of yourself, abandoned your daughter, neglected your son, and abandoned your role as a mother.”
Cornelia’s vision turned red with anger.
“You—you’re saying that, Hannelore! If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have done this. I was the one abandoned. Emilia betrayed me, and my son, whom I poured so much time and effort into, still won’t come to my aid! If anyone should feel indignation, it’s me!”
“You are pathetic.”
“What did you say?!”
She glared with bloodshot eyes, never expecting Olivier to call her pathetic. However, Olivier didn’t back down, meeting her gaze head-on and speaking.
“Emilia betrayed you? Certainly, that may be how it seems to you. But I will say this one thing. Emilia Alway confessed everything, knowing she would be held responsible, to stop her mother’s wrongdoings and to help her. I will never let you call that a betrayal!”
“That’s what betrayal is! If she were my daughter, she should have obeyed me until the end. To suddenly falter like that, frankly, I’m disappointed.”
“You—”
As Cornelia spoke, Olivier, revealing her anger, moved to step forward, but Jared, standing next to her, grabbed her arm.
“Have you said all you wanted to say? I never cared for a daughter like that. What I must do has always been decided. I will kill Hannelore, and you, and become number one. I will have everything!”
Cornelia cried out and lunged forward with her short sword, but Pfeil, as he had declared, mercilessly shot her leg.
A searing pain shot through her right thigh, and she lost her balance and fell. Unable to withstand the pain, a scream unlike her own burst from her lips.
Cornelia writhed in pain, spewing her hatred for Hannelore.
She continued to pour out her malice, as if to vent how much she hated her, how miserable she felt.
“Enough, be silent.”
Pfeil, his madness showing, gagged Cornelia with a cloth to prevent her from uttering any more hateful words and to prevent her from biting her tongue, just in case.
“Surely… no matter how much I try to convey my feelings to you, it will be impossible now. It is a shame.”
Hannelore lowered her eyes sadly, but the cloth covering Cornelia’s mouth prevented her from voicing her hateful words.
“I will take care of Emilia and the others. I will love and raise them as your substitute, for you who abandoned your role as a mother.”
Hannelore declared this, then averted her gaze from the groaning Cornelia and nodded to Jared.
Jared approached the fallen Cornelia and extended his right hand, imbued with magic power.
“I will hand you over to the Duke. With this, your wicked deeds are over. Your malice will never reach the people I cherish again.”
Then,
“Should you ever attempt to harm them again with malice, I will show no consideration for the Duke’s family and will kill you without mercy.”
Met with emotionless eyes and a killing intent, Cornelia let out a short scream.
In an instant, Jared’s arm touched her neck, and a slight shock ran through her.
“Farewell.”
As her consciousness slowly faded, Cornelia, terrified by the fear Jared instilled, fainted.
