The Ungrateful Daughter

1
My funeral was grand, fitting for a duke’s wife.
As I lay in my coffin, guests whispered of my blessed life—a respected husband, devoted children, a lifetime of honor.
No one knew the truth.
No one knew I had been locked in the cellar and starved to death.
My husband, Duke Alistair, leaned on my casket and sighed with false grief.
“Don’t blame me, Elara. You forced this marriage on me when I was ill. You stole the title from the woman I loved—condemning Liana to be a hidden mistress for decades.
She is kind and gentle,” he continued venomously. “You bullied her for thirty years. Now I can finally make her my wife properly. Consider this your atonement.”
On the seventh day of my wake, he moved Liana into my rooms with bells and celebration.
I died bitter and full of hate.
Then, I was reborn.
This time, I took my dowry and prepared to leave—to let the tragic lovers have their miserable ending.
But when I tried, Alistair tore our annulment papers to shreds and fell to his knees like a madman, begging me to return.
…
I awoke on the night my daughter, Rosalie, planned to elope.
I had just intercepted her, and she stood before me now, eyes red-rimmed and blazing with resentment as she pointed an accusing finger.
"What do you know? Leo is a brilliant man! The only reason he hasn't found success is because lesser men are jealous of his talent!" she spat. "We are in love! You're just trying to ruin my happiness!"
In my last life, I had investigated this "brilliant" man, Leo. I discovered he already had a wife and children back in his village. Worse, he was a petty thief with the morals of an alley cat.
When I presented Rosalie with this evidence, she broke off contact with him immediately. Six months later, I used half of my personal fortune as her dowry, securing her a marriage to the kingdom’s most promising King’s Scholar. She ascended the social ladder with him, becoming one of the most celebrated ladies in the capital.
Years later, when my legs were paralyzed and I was imprisoned in that damp cellar, Rosalie appeared, draped in silks and jewels. I clutched at the hem of her gown, my voice a dry rasp.
"Rosalie, please. I haven't eaten in three days. Can you just… give me a piece of bread?"
Her response was a vicious kick that sent me sprawling.
"You have the nerve to ask for food?" she hissed. "If I hadn't listened to your lies and broken things off with Leo, he wouldn't have been so destitute he had to steal a wallet. He wouldn't have been beaten to death in the street!"
Tears of rage streamed down her perfect face. "Do you have any idea what you took from me? He was the first man I ever loved. The King’s Scholar can shower me with kindness, but he will never be him."
She didn't just resent me for ruining her first love; she hated me for separating her from her "real" mother.
After marrying Alistair, I suffered through nine stillbirths. The ordeal broke my body, leaving me barren. So, Alistair had his mistress Liana’s two children legally registered as my own, for me to raise.
Liana was a mere songstress. I was the only daughter of a powerful Duke, the Queen's own niece. Under my name, Rosalie’s station was elevated beyond her wildest dreams.
And now, she glared at me as if I were her jailer. "If my real mother were here, she would never stop me from being with the man I love! You just can't stand to see me happy!"
A memory of the cellar, of the gnawing hunger and her final, cruel kick, flashed through my mind. A slow, cold smile touched my lips.
"You're right," I said, my voice calm. "It was wrong of me to separate you from your mother. Since I've made you so unhappy, perhaps I should simply return you to Liana's care. It's the least I can do to honor your deep mother-daughter bond."
Rosalie's face froze. "No," she blurted out, the word escaping before she could stop it.
To do so would be to announce to the world that she, Rosalie, was not the granddaughter of a great Duke, but the bastard child of a common performer. Her status, the fawning admiration of the other noble daughters—it would all evaporate in an instant.
"That's enough." The sharp rebuke came from the doorway. Alistair entered, Liana clinging delicately to his arm. "What nonsense are you spouting now, Elara? Rosalie is just a child. You can't hold a grudge against her. If you can't even command the respect of a child, perhaps you should reflect on your own failings as a matriarch."
I looked at Alistair’s face, so much younger than I remembered it, and felt a wave of pure hatred wash over me.
When he had been gravely ill, the old Duke, his father, heard a prophecy that only a union with a daughter of my House could save his son. He knelt before my own father and begged for my hand. Moved by his love for his child, I agreed.
After our wedding, Alistair’s health miraculously improved day by day. He was outwardly grateful, but secretly, he seethed with resentment, believing I had stolen his true love's rightful place.
It wasn't until I was dying that I learned the truth about my nine pregnancies. They hadn't been stillbirths. Each time, I had delivered a healthy, living child. And each time, while I lay unconscious from the ordeal, Alistair himself had ordered the infant to be taken away and drowned.
He did it so I would have no child of my own, so I would devote myself entirely to raising his and Liana's children.
The moment Rosalie saw Liana, she crumpled, throwing herself into the woman's arms with a gut-wrenching sob as if she'd been mortally wounded.
Liana embraced her, her own eyes misting over. "Oh, my darling. If only I had the right to decide for you, I would never let you suffer so."
They clung to each other, a portrait of tragic, maternal love. Alistair’s heart visibly ached for them.
He turned on me, his voice lashing out. "I should have known. You can’t truly care for a child that isn't your own. I was a fool to think you would treat her well." He gestured angrily at Rosalie's hand. "Look! You've even injured her!"
The tiny scratch on Rosalie's hand was from when she had hurled a vase at my head moments earlier.
The three of them stared at me with matching expressions of disgust, as if I were the villain who had torn their perfect family apart.
I was too weary to explain. Instead, I looked at Rosalie and said evenly, "Since your birth parents feel so strongly, I will grant your wish. You have my permission to be with your Leo."
I remembered the fortune I'd spent, the favors I’d called in, all to secure her marriage to the brilliant King’s Scholar in my past life.
Rosalie didn't deserve the future I had built for her.
Her eyes lit up with triumph, but the color drained from Liana's face. She had never approved of some penniless scholar she wouldn't normally spare a second glance for. She had only supported Rosalie’s infatuation because she was certain I would forbid it, creating a rift between me and the girl. It was her favorite tactic. She never imagined I would simply agree.
Liana’s face was a mask of fury. She wanted to object, but couldn't find the words.
Just then, a hulking shape barreled into the room and slammed into me, sending a sharp, radiating pain through my side.
It was Liana's son, Gideon.
He glared at me, his eyes burning with malice. "You're bullying my sister and my mother again! You think this will make us call you 'Mother'? Dream on! We will never accept you." His voice rose to a childish shriek. "When I grow up, I'll make sure the whole city knows what a wicked, evil woman you are! You stole us from our mother just so you could torture us every day!"
I frowned, almost failing to recognize the boy who now weighed nearly three hundred pounds.
In my past life, I had been told that his obesity would affect his health and his ability to produce an heir, not to mention the ridicule he would face. So, I forced him to exercise daily and personally oversaw his portioned meals.
Because of this, he grew into a strong and powerful man. His physical prowess on the battlefield earned him the title of 'General of the Realm,' securing him a future of power and glory.
The first thing Gideon did upon his triumphant return was to order his men to deliver me a single bowl of dog's food every other day.
I could still hear his gleeful laughter. "You tortured me, starved me! Now you get a taste of your own medicine! You claimed it was 'for my own good,' you venomous snake. My mother told me the truth: the fatter I am, the stronger I'll be! If you hadn't forced me to lose weight, I would have been a general years sooner!"
So that was it. My constant care, my meticulous planning, my every waking concern for his well-being—it had all been twisted into hatred.
A sharp, familiar pain lanced through my heart, mingling with the fresh burn of resentment.
The people I had poured my entire soul into caring for had become the very daggers that ended my life.
I lifted my gaze to meet Liana's. She was hiding behind Alistair, a triumphant smirk playing on her lips.
Before I could speak, Gideon's massive body blocked my view again. "What are you planning now?" he demanded, his voice laced with suspicion. "Are you thinking of how to hurt my mother? You touch her, and I swear, I will make you pay when I'm a man."
My heart felt like a frozen lake. I looked from him to Rosalie, my voice devoid of all emotion.
"From now on, you will no longer have to exercise. You will no longer have to eat those 'terrible' meals."
I let the words hang in the air. "From this day forward, you have only one mother, and her name is Liana. You are nothing to me."
The two of them, who had been glaring at me with such pure hatred, simply stared, momentarily stunned into silence.
Without another glance at any of them, I turned and walked out of the room.
After leaving the estate, I went directly to the royal palace to request an audience with my aunt, the Queen. The last time I had seen her was just after my wedding, when she had gifted me a treasure trove of priceless heirlooms.
This time, I came with only one request: a royal decree to annul my marriage to Alistair.
The Ducal estate had been bleeding money for years, a fact I had hidden by constantly supplementing its accounts with my own dowry funds. If I asked Alistair for a divorce directly, he would never let me leave with my fortune intact.
The Queen was taken aback. "Elara, are you certain? You cannot bear children. Do you know how many women in this kingdom envy you for Alistair's devotion in spite of that?"
A bitter taste filled my mouth. She didn't know. She didn't know that to ensure I would raise Liana's children as my own, Alistair had personally murdered nine of ours.
I closed my eyes for a moment, then met her gaze, my voice unwavering. "I am certain. And I will not regret this."
"Very well," she said, her expression hardening with resolve. "I will speak to the King on your behalf."
When I returned to the estate, Rosalie was already happily choosing fabrics for her wedding dress. Liana stood beside her, her smile strained. She didn't want to anger her daughter, but she was silently cursing me for not intervening.
Rosalie saw me and rolled her eyes as if I were a bad omen. Then, a thought occurred to her, and she spoke with undisguised impatience.
"Leo has already sent the betrothal gift. You need to prepare my dowry. I heard that when you married Father, your dowry was five thousand acres of land, countless properties, and chests of silver." She looked me dead in the eye. "Mine can be no less than that."
I almost laughed out loud. The sheer audacity. My grandfather was the Royal Treasurer, a man whose wealth rivaled kingdoms. I was his most beloved granddaughter, and he had nearly emptied his vaults for my dowry.
Rosalie was the daughter of a songstress, marrying a penniless, two-bit scholar. And she dared to make such demands.
Just then, a servant entered, hesitantly holding a sickly-looking goose and a small pouch. "My Lady, the betrothal gift from the young miss's fiancé has arrived." The pouch clinked with the sound of ten silver coins.
A snort of laughter escaped me before I could stop it. Rosalie instantly exploded.
"I told Leo not to worry about a grand gesture! It's not his fault he's a scholar and has no money! My dowry will be more than enough to support us both!"
Liana seized the opportunity to chime in. "That's right, Your Grace. Rosalie is your daughter now. You can't be stingy with her dowry. Think of the family's reputation."
In my last life, I had given her nearly half of my entire fortune. Even with her reckless spending, it would have been enough to ensure her comfort for the rest of her days.
But things were different now. I had no connection to this house, and she was no longer my daughter.
"You've never acknowledged me as your mother," I said slowly, letting each word land. "You've only ever wanted Liana. It seems only right that your real mother should be the one to provide your dowry."
Liana panicked. "Why should I have to pay? I have no money!" She realized how quickly she had refused and bit her lip, her eyes welling with crocodile tears. "I know what you're doing. You're trying to force me away from my own daughter. But I only want to see her happy." She dabbed at her eyes. "If you don't want me here, I'll go. Just please, don't take your anger out on poor Rosalie."
She turned to run, weeping, and collided perfectly with Alistair's chest as he entered the room.
He wrapped his arms around her, frowning at me in displeasure. "What is this now, Elara? Haven't you pushed Liana far enough? You're deliberately trying to provoke her. Your cruelty knows no bounds. Apologize to her at once."
Gideon had appeared from somewhere as well, planting his bulky frame in front of Liana like a shield. His tiny eyes, nearly swallowed by his fleshy cheeks, glared at me as if I were about to strike her.
They looked at me as if I were a monster, the sole obstacle to their happy family of four.
A humorless smile touched my lips. "If my presence is so distasteful to all of you, then I will simply leave."
"What madness are you on about now?" Alistair snapped, his patience wearing thin.
"I am not mad, Alistair. I want an annulment."
I let my gaze sweep over all of them. "You blame me for stealing Liana's rightful place? Fine. I'm giving it back. Rosalie, Gideon—you want to be with your real mother? Your wish is granted."
For some reason, my declaration was met with a stunned silence.
After a long moment, Rosalie scoffed. "Do you really think she'll leave? She's just trying to scare us." She turned to me, her expression dripping with scorn. "You're a barren old woman. The moment word gets out, you'll be the laughingstock of the entire city. Who do you think would possibly want you now, Elara?"
Gideon seemed to relax at her words, a mocking smirk replacing his tension. "You throw this household into chaos every day. Father is merciful enough not to cast you out entirely, and you're still not satisfied? What more could you possibly want?"
I ignored them, tossing a thick ledger onto the table in front of them.
"I will not touch a single thing that belongs to this house. But my dowry—everything I brought with me—I am taking it all."
"You wouldn't dare!" Rosalie shrieked, her voice high and piercing. "I'm getting married! That's my dowry! I'm telling you, if you want to leave, then go! But you're not taking a single coin with you!"
Liana grew anxious as well. Their extravagant lifestyle was funded by me subsidizing the estate's ledgers. If I took my fortune, the well would run dry.
Alistair’s brow remained tightly furrowed. "You have been my wife for over a decade," he said, his tone severe. "You're still drawing lines between what is yours and what is ours? It's clear you never once considered this your home." He waved a dismissive hand. "Go, if you must. But don't come crying back to me when you regret it. And the contents of the treasury have nothing to do with you. They belong to this house."
Seeing me remain silent, he must have thought his threats had worked. His voice softened. "Alright, that's enough. If you apologize properly, I will allow you to continue raising the children. They may not accept you now, but with time and proper care, they will eventually come to see you as their mother."
A cold laugh echoed in my mind. What a perfect plan.
In my last life, I had cared for them, schemed for them, spent my fortune, and ruined my health for them, only to be murdered by their own hands.
I couldn't wait to see how this life would turn out for them, now that they could no longer feed on me like leeches.
Rosalie would marry her beloved scholar. Gideon could indulge his every gluttonous whim. And Alistair could finally have his precious Liana.
Let them have everything they ever wanted.
Alistair was about to say more when a servant burst into the room, his face pale with panic.
"My Lord! A royal decree has arrived from the palace!"

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