Chapter 20
Episode 20
Of course, my aunt's brazen lies didn't fool my grandfather. He already knew my situation well from the letters I had sent.
Besides, it was obvious to the naked eye that she was lying.
Unlike my chubby cousins, I was pitifully small and skinny.
"I'll take her and raise her now."
At my grandfather's words, my aunt revealed her dark intentions.
"Oh, I've grown so attached to her, I don't want to let her go. I've raised her like my own daughter. It cost a lot of money to raise her too. Are you only taking her now that she's old enough to earn her keep?"
My grandfather frowned and glared at my aunt and uncle.
"I legally have primary custody. Do you want to go to family court to determine what's right and wrong?"
Then my uncle, whose face was always red like a persimmon from drinking every day, made a venomous face.
"This child's father hasn't sent a single penny in child support for years. We've been raising this child with our own money!"
"I also know that you've squandered most of the child support I've sent on your luxuries, alcohol, and gambling."
In the end, I was able to go to a new home in my grandfather's arms.
However, it was in a neighborhood not too far away, and it was a rural area with few educational facilities. As a result, I had to attend the same school as my unpleasant cousins until adolescence, facing them every day.
"Did you know Mia Fortuna was an orphan? Our parents fed her and raised her, but she didn't know how to be grateful and followed her grandfather. My mom says he might not even be her real grandfather. He might be someone who takes children and makes them pickpockets."
Emingard made up stories and led the bullying, and Georg harassed me with his gang.
On top of that, my aunt and uncle would come over whenever they felt like it, demanding the child support from the past few years and causing a ruckus. To me, my aunt's family was a disaster and a demon.
Fortunately, I was a tough person. I endured all kinds of humiliation and graduated from school.
After graduation, I planned to move to the capital with my grandfather, but in the year I turned twenty, my grandfather collapsed.
"Mia, my treasure. Don't be too sad when I'm gone, and don't be too lonely."
My grandfather kissed the back of my hand as if giving me a blessing before his death. I cried and held his hand tightly.
"Grandfather, don't go. Then I'll really be alone. You promised to go to the capital with me."
"You're not alone. Someday, precious people will appear and be by your side."
That's how my grandfather passed away, but strangely, I didn't feel anything.
No, I wasn't sad, angry, or happy, just an empty void.
My aunt and uncle attended the funeral with shameless faces.
Thinking they could do whatever they wanted with me now, they told me to come back home and recommended a marriage with a man known to be a thug.
"Mia, we're family, aren't we? How are you going to live in this harsh world alone? Come into our house. I'll take good care of your grandfather's inheritance."
"There's a good groom. He's a wealthy landowner with a Count title, and he's the eldest son of Karl, a member of the House of Lords. He has a good personality and is handsome. You have a red necklace among your grandfather's belongings, don't you? You can take that instead of a dowry."
At that, the emotions and thoughts that had been stopped as if broken began to return to normal. Only then did I realize that it wasn't broken, but that my heart was empty because the fuel had run out.
Filling my empty heart with resentment, I resolved to live again. To do that, I had to escape from those demons.
"Don't talk nonsense. Aunt, Uncle."
I had been sick of them for a long time.
My biological father, whose whereabouts were unknown, didn't even come to my grandfather's funeral, and according to my grandfather's wishes, I fled to the capital.
I felt like I would be completely ruined if I got involved with them any further.
That's my unpleasant past.
* * *
"Mia, aren't you happy to see your brother? I played with you a lot when we were young."
Georg, whom I didn't even want to call my cousin, had become a disgusting adult. The sight of his freckled face and red hair made me nauseous.
"Played with me?"
At my question, Georg chuckled and raised his hands.
"Yeah. Or was I the only one having fun?"
I glared at him with cold eyes. My heart was beating fast, and I couldn't control the trembling. It wasn't fear or dread, but anger like a curse wishing for the other person's violent death.
"Pushing me down the stairs? Or putting tacks in my shoes? Oh, the best one was throwing me into the frozen lake, right?"
"Isn't that the kind of prank everyone plays at least once when they're young? Why are you so angry?"
He didn't realize his mistake. I was just that weak as a child, and it was something that was naturally okay to do to me.
My stomach was churning, but I couldn't curse in front of a child.
Then Ezekiel spat out a brutal curse on my behalf.
"You're crazy. Should I half-kill you as a prank too?"
Ezekiel's expressionless face and golden eyes, staring at the other person without blinking, were coldly frozen.
Georg, who was looking down at him with a dumbfounded face, let out a hollow laugh.
"This kid has no manners. Kids who are raised like that need to be hit once to come to their senses."
I quickly stepped in front of Ezekiel and frowned.
"Get lost. I want to live without seeing your family forever. I'm saving up money to hire an assassin right now, so behave yourself."
"Hmm, I'm disappointed. You're repaying us for taking in an orphan like this. My father even found you a good marriage prospect, didn't he? You can marry into a rich family with that necklace, and I can get a recommendation to the Royal Windster Academy. It's good for each other."
So that's how they were trying to use me. I was so angry that my jaw was trembling.
"So you're going to use my necklace as a dowry and sell me off as well."
Georg sneered and tilted his head.
"This isn't exploitation, it's a trade. Besides, they even said they'd help Emingard make her social debut in that family. You have nothing to lose, so are you just jealous that we're doing well?"
I clenched my fist, holding the necklace in my hand. Why are they so greedy? I closed my eyes tightly, suppressing the hatred and disgust that felt like cutting through my whole body.
Then, when I opened my eyes again, feeling a small, soft hand covering mine, Ezekiel, who was holding my hand and looking into my eyes, said.
"Ignore him. He's a bug who can't do anything on his own."
Georg, hit in the bone by Ezekiel's criticism, shouted.
"Do you think I'm a joke because I'm being nice?"
At that, Ezekiel covered his mouth with his hand and snickered derisively.
"Hey, even if you brought a recommendation letter written by the Emperor, they wouldn't accept a bug like you."
"You little brat, do you want to die?"
Georg, whose personality was as bad as his parents, raised his hand as if to hit Ezekiel.
Unpleasant memories of the past overlapped with his appearance. A tingling fear permeated my chest, and my vision shook dizzily.
Just because it's familiar doesn't mean it's not scary. In particular, I can't stand the situation of a child being hit.
"You crazy bastard! Don't hit the kid!"
I desperately shielded Ezekiel. Georg, seeing me cowering, laughed as if it was funny.
"I was just trying to scare him, but your reaction is really funny. Are you going to take the hit for the kid?"
Ezekiel, who was held tightly in my arms, looked up at me with bitter eyes.
"Why are you doing that when you're weaker than me?"
"I'm older than you, so it hurts less if I get hit."
"You're really making me worry, you."
He frowned deeply but didn't push me away.
I calmed my trembling hands and steeled my heart.
"Ezekiel, I'm really okay. I'm so okay that I'm really okay."
"You don't look okay at all."
I couldn't say anything more, stung by Ezekiel's words. Georg, who was standing with his arms crossed, looked back and forth between Ezekiel and me and said.
"Is all you're doing in the capital working as a nanny? Or did you secretly become a mistress of a wealthy man and have a child? If not, there's no reason to refuse a good marriage."
Yes, that dirty bastard always resorted to such personal attacks. Just as I was about to pour out harsh words, a calm, low-pitched voice was heard from somewhere.
"What's going on?"
A tall, dark-haired man in a white shirt, dark gray vest, and dress pants was visible.
It was Dante, holding a cake box in one hand.
I looked at him with surprised eyes.
"Dante? Weren't you going hunting? How did you get here..."
"I was passing by and thought of you. I heard you like strawberry cake."
He held up the cake box.
It was the strawberry cake that I had been sad about not being able to take out from the emotional cafe before. As soon as I saw it, the emotions I had been suppressing burst out.
"Mia?"
Ezekiel's golden eyes widened as he saw the tears welling up in my eyes.
Dante also quickly approached and bent down to meet my eyes. Even though his eyes were the cold color of a winter lake, the look in his eyes as he looked at me felt warm.
"Would you tell me. Are you so happy to see the cake that you're crying, or-"
It was a kind tone as if soothing a child. Dante, who handed me the cake, turned his head, revealing his straight jawline.
He paused and continued in a sharply lowered voice.
"Is that bastard the problem?"
I Accidentally Hired a Mastermind as a Housekeeper
