Why did Mom defend Claude so much? She used to dote on me, but now she defends Claude like he is her favorite son. It's not fair at all. Why does she side with him so much now? No, it's not right. Since when did I become the unfavorable daughter in Mom's eyes? I'm sure there's something wrong with her attitude today, but I don't know what it is.
"I'm so happy that Mio will become my daughter-in-law soon," Dad said with a big grin on his face.
I don't know if it's just me, or if Dad and Mom really changed without me realizing it. I could only nod my head without complaining about anything. After breakfast, Claude took me to register our marriage. Mom and Dad escorted us to the front door with big smiles, and Claude helped me open the car door, protecting my head with his large palm.
'Mom, Dad, do you know who he is? I think he's not Claude Lockheart at all.'
Even though I knew no one would answer my question, I still wondered why he was being so gentle with me. I sat there in a daze as Claude drove the car.
"It's a good day, huh?" Claude said, focusing on the road without glancing at the beautiful girl beside him.
I'd never sat in his car before the time I came back home from the hospital. Claude never liked me touching his things—especially his car—but now, he even helped me open the door. Yeah, this isn't Claude at all. So who is he? This man looks like Claude, but he's different. Even his aura has changed. He used to be so unapproachable, but now, I feel like I can easily talk to him, as if we never had any conflict in the past. But I won't think about this anymore.
"Mio?" Claude noticed Mio hadn't answered his question. Was she angry at him? Claude knew he had made many mistakes toward her, but sometimes he couldn't remember all the things he did wrong. Mio still stayed silent even after he called her name.
"Mio?" he called again, but she was still daydreaming.
"Mio?" Claude felt a little worried about the beautiful girl beside him.
I heard Claude's voice from afar, and it pulled me back to reality. I turned my gaze to him without answering.
"Mio, are you okay? You seemed to be in a daze," Claude said with a voice soft as cotton.
Hearing his soft voice gave me goosebumps. I suddenly felt cold despite the hot weather.
'Seriously, who are you?'
"Mio? Are you sick? Do you want me to take you to the hospital?" Claude asked again since I didn't answer.
I simply waved my right hand to signal that I was fine, without saying a word.
Claude noticed that Mio didn't respond directly and only waved her hand in the air. He felt a little sad at her reaction. Mio used to answer every question he asked, but now, she remained silent more than before. She even looked at him sarcastically—nothing like her usual gentle self. Claude realized that Mio had changed. Before he found out about Mio's biological parents, she never treated him this coldly.
But now, Mio had begun treating him like air. No, it wasn't just coldness—it felt like she didn't even acknowledge his presence, like he was just some insignificant man in her life. I never thought I'd feel so hurt being ignored by her. How did she feel when I avoided her for years?
It hadn't been long since she started acting like I didn't exist, but it already hurt. There was a heavy weight in my chest. I couldn't imagine how unbearable it must have been for her all that time. Claude finally realized that being in Mio's shoes wasn't easy. She still managed to love him when he ignored her, but now that she was doing the same, it was unbearable—it made it hard to breathe. How could she endure so much pain? I'm not strong enough to go through what she went through, even though I was the one who trampled her heart.
"Mio, how about taking a walk after we register our marriage? The weather is so clear," Claude tried to ask her out, but she only glared at him.
I glared at him when he asked me out.
'What do you mean, take a walk on a sunny day?'
'Are you asking me out?'
'Like a date? Like a normal couple does?'
'Since when did I become your girlfriend? I don't remember you ever asking me, and I definitely don't remember saying yes.'
'Is he okay? Or is he insane?'
'I don't even know who you are anymore. Maybe his soul was swapped with someone else. That would make sense. If I can reincarnate in this world, maybe someone else transmigrated into his body as a second chance in life.'
'Why am I even thinking about this? Whoever's living in his body isn't my business. Thinking about some insignificant man is just a waste of my time and energy.'
"Mio, are you sure you don't want to go out? If not for a walk, how about shopping together? I heard the new Unlimited bag drops today," Claude suggested a place to go.
"It's the most popular designer bag in the high circle, and it comes in your favorite color. I think it'll suit you perfectly. You'd look so cute carrying it," Claude added. He could already imagine how adorable Mio would look with the bag. But instead of answering, she gave him a sharp, displeased glare. Claude felt dejected instantly.
"How about we watch a movie together? You used to say you wanted to go, but I never listened. We could make new memories," Claude said, continuing to talk nonstop, but Mio never responded.
Claude suddenly realized how hard it was to face someone who ignored him completely—someone who stayed cold no matter what he said. He couldn't even get mad or sulk, because he used to treat her the same way. His heart felt like it was being stabbed repeatedly. It was unbearable. But he couldn't give up. He didn't want to lose Mio a second time. This was his karma—he had been so cruel to her. Now, Claude was determined never to give up on her, no matter how hard it was—just like how Mio once held him in her heart sincerely.
"Mio, how about—"
Before Claude could finish, I cut him off.
I couldn't stay quiet anymore while he kept asking me to go out with him. Couldn't he understand that I didn't want to?
You're the male lead, and I'm just a cannon fodder character who's destined to sail on Lily's ship.
"I don't want to go out because it's hot. I don't want to go shopping with you, because that would mean I'm using your precious money. I'm only an adopted daughter—I'm not worth spending Lockheart Family's money on.
Yeah, you're right. As an adopted daughter, I should know my place. So I'll remind you, in case you forget my status in the future. Going to a movie is something couples do, but you and I are not a couple. Even if we're married, you're not my husband or my boyfriend. Our marriage is just a piece of paper. In reality, you hate me—you're just forcing yourself to be gentle.
Most importantly, I don't want to spend time with you. Who would want to spend time with their enemy? You hate me, right? Then act like it," I said nonstop, nearly out of breath.
'I don't want to spend my time with you.'
'I don't want to spend my time with you.'
'I don't want to spend my time with you.'
'I don't want to spend my time with you.'
'I don't want to spend my time with you.'
The words echoed in his mind when he heard that Mio didn't want to go anywhere with him.
One kill.
Double kill.
Triple kill.
Quadruple kill.
Quintuple kill.
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