Chapter 7 Wrong From the Start

• Seraphina ascended the stairs with Linara.
• Linara escorted Seraphina to the far end of the second story and pulled open the door, revealing the room she had occupied in her past life.
• Much like today, Linara had greeted her warmly as she led her upstairs in her past life. When she first saw this space, she felt a mixture of excitement, nervousness, and joy.
• The room before her was bright and spacious, with a faint aroma hanging in the air.
• This room had only existed in her imagination.
• But now it was hers.
• She no longer had to live in a dim, damp room, worry about the house being swept away in a storm, or deal with rain seeping inside.
• There were no more mice and insects jostling for territory in her bed.
• She no longer feared heatstroke in the summer or the invasion of bugs.
• This was the room she'd longed for.
• Back then, she felt satisfied and grateful. She appreciated Linara's thoughtful gestures and her parents' kindness.
• Even after learning later that this was the tiniest and most isolated room in the home, she harbored no bitterness or displeasure.
• Even when she saw Linara's large bedroom, which dwarfed her own by more than three times, and the walk-in wardrobe that exceeded the elegance of her bedroom, she was not envious.
• That was because she only had one small wish back then: to have a place to sleep peacefully.
• Perhaps that moment sealed her fate.
• Her non-confrontational demeanor made her appear naive and easily deceived, leading Linara to regard her as weak and useless. That allowed Linara to continue usurping what belonged to her while she lived her life as the Whitewoods' eldest daughter.
• Fearing that her parents would disapprove of her and not wanting to be a bother, she didn't resist.
• Her modest and easily satisfied heart kept her from fighting back.
• In her previous life, her concerns and concessions earned her a negative reputation.
• It's possible that she was wrong all along.
• Why should she give up what is rightfully hers to an outsider?
• Linara grinned and asked, "Do you like it? Mom and I took great care to prepare this for you."
• Mom and I... How sweet.
• It was a strong urge to tell Seraphina that even if she was not born into the Whitewood Family, their parents still loved her.
• It was an implied assertion of her position in the Whitewood Family, a continual reminder.
• Seraphina smiled quietly.
• Linara thought Seraphina was happy, but she noticed a strange disagreement in her smile.
• "Would you like to see the other rooms? Don't you like this room?"
• Seraphina grinned silently.
• Linara understood; she was not satisfied.
• "You can select your preferred room later," she replied softly.
• "Can I choose to stay in any room I like?" Seraphina queried, tilting her head and smiling.
• "Absolutely. You can live in whichever room you like. This is your home, after all."
• Seraphina's lips formed a slight smile once more.
• Linara, eager to take on the role of a caring older sister, enthusiastically guided her around each room.
• "This is Mom and Dad's room; this is the study. Dad dislikes visitors, so please do not enter casually in the future, or you will be disciplined. That is Dylan's room. Dylan is Mom and Dad's adoptive child; he is now studying abroad as an exchange student and will not return for another month."
• They wandered about, but strangely, Linara deliberately avoided revealing her own room.
• "Whose room is that?" Seraphina pointed at the door diagonally across from them.