She was being watched.

Usually, Rachael was used to being watched. But those eyes looked at her with contempt and disgust for being an illegitimate child, and she was used to those looks.

But these looks? These were news, and they made Rachael uncomfortable.

Sometime between last week and Rachael, she was not sure what she had done to deserve these looks of sympathy and caution.

If these looks had come from strangers, Rachael would have understood and let it go. But the ones giving the pitiful look were her younger step-sister and older step-brother.

These two had been the source of half her torment for as long as she could remember. They had taken every chance to remind Rachael that she was not welcome in their home and asked her to leave. That left a lasting impression on Rachael and shaped her life.

And now, when she had finally turned eighteen and wanted to leave, her siblings had changed. Had it only been a small change, Rachael would have understood and let it go. 

But that change was making her life more challenging to live. The freedom within her grasp was being forced out of it by her siblings and her family. 

And it was all because of this 'change' they went through.

According to her sister, Rachael was a future villainess while Rose was a Saintess from another world tasked with saving the world. She had traveled to this world to do this and now wanted to make up with Rachael.

Then there was her brother, who swore he traveled back in time to ensure the world's protection. That story continued, and his report portrayed Rachael as a villainess.

According to him, a substantial world-ending dungeon would open in the future, and Rachael would be responsible for opening it. He wanted to stop that future from happening, but he also did not want to kill Rachael.

Rachael thought they both had lost their mind during the last dungeon raid and were under a spell. They would soon go back to normal.

"Here, you should try this. I am sure that you would love this candy. You used to love this flavor and…"

"No, try this one. Adrain is giving you a bitter candy, so I know you like this sour one much better. Here, take it."

Rachael looked at the bowl in front of her with disdain. She neither likes bitter nor sour. She preferred the creamy and sweet ones, but neither person in front of her seemed to know.

That made Rachael doubt their claims and put her guard up even more. She could tell these people wanted something from her, but they wouldn't tell her what they wanted. It was an annoying conclusion for her to reach.

She thought it was better for her siblings to speak up and tell her what they wanted.

"This is enough. Are you both here because you heard the rumor about me? There is no need to beat around the bush. If you have a wish you want me to fulfill, just say it. There is no need for all of us to get along."

Rachael reminded the pair in front of her, and they both bit their lips in worry. They realized that things were not going as well as they had planned.

Forget believing them. Racheal's expression said she had not even considered their words the truth.

"Rachael, maybe you should give your siblings and us a chance to repent for all we did to you. Our emotions blinded us and did not mean to burden you."

Rachael looked at Sherry, the matriarch of the Chlorance family, and she could not help but laugh at the ridiculousness of the situation. Rocx, the head of the family and who resembled Rachael the most, nodded.

These people who were now acting as her parents never accepted her. They had ignored her for about 18 years of her life.

"This is getting ridiculous. If you have nothing more to say to me or ask me a favor, I will leave. I need to grant many more wishes to gain money for my school fees."

Rachael stood up to walk out. She had a business to run, and time was money for her. Her last client had asked for a blue diamond from the Remis ruins, and Rachael wanted to head inside.

She noticed how the four people in front of her panicked as soon as she started to walk out. They looked at each other and tried to grab Rachael's hand. 

It had only been a week since they all changed their attitude toward Rachael, but she was not ready to forgive and forget.

She slipped away from all their grasp.

Today was terrible for Rachael, where everyone was playing with her. So, of course, when she finally thought she had gotten away from all the chaos, she was hit with the reality.

"Are you alright? You seem to be in a bad mood for someone who just apologized to her family for all she went through. Shouldn't you look happy?"

Ely, or rather Elias, asked Rachael as soon as she left her home. How he even knew where she would be was still a mystery to Rachael.

As far as she could remember, Ely had been asking her for forgiveness and acceptance. He had been there when Ely was young and was there throughout her life.

But no one knew of his existence because he did not show himself to people often. It was almost as if he was ashamed to be seen with Rachael.

For that reason alone, Rachael did not believe anything from Elias's mouth.

"Go back home. Last time, I clarified that I did not want to be associated with you. If you are doing this to ask for forgiveness, then I forgive you. Now, please, leave me alone."

Rachael made things very clear. She was sure that her words and her actions could not be more straightforward than this.

But for Elias, something needed to be clarified. He grabbed Rachael's arm and twisted her around until her back hit the wall, and he towered above her.

There were so many emotions in Elias's eyes that it was hard for Rachael to be able to look at him. So, instead of looking at the elder man, she looked at the side.

"So, you still do not remember our shared past and how I wronged you. That's why you can easily say words like 'I forgive you'. But Rachael, I would rather have you mad at me to ensure you think about me. This indifference is foul play."

Elias rested his head on Rachael's shoulder, and his eyes seemed wet.

Rachael wanted to say that she understood him and wanted him to feel better. But that would be a lie they both would not believe.

As for comforting Elias? Rachael did not have enough emotional capacity for that. Her soul was tired (it had been exhausted since birth), and now she wanted to rest.

It would not be possible for Rachael to rest if all these people were around her—especially Elias and his obsessive self. Looking at him made Rachael feel a pang of loss and inexplicable anger.

Flashes of memories passed through her mind, but she was not able to make anything of it.

"Please, hate me or curse me. Do anything but go away this time. I do not want to lose you a third time."

Elias whispered, and Rachael felt that these words were not meant to be heard by her.

The world was tiring for Rachael, and her story was one she would not want to repeat. It all started when she was young and began to discover the world.

Maybe it was when she encountered this lunatic who was obsessed with her.

Or maybe it was when she was born and then abandoned in front of the family, which would never love her. There was no way to tell when this cursed fate of Rachael started, but he wanted an end to it all.

Being more intelligent and observant than the people around her was a curse Rachael had been born with. It tired her and led her to the point where she could not trust others, no matter how much they pleaded or begged her.

To know what happened, you would have to see the start. The day she was abandoned at the door of the Chlorance family.