ILSK Chapter 9

“Tada!”

Cecilia’s hand, which had been covering the figure in the frame, was removed, revealing her fiancé, Noah Ambrose, before Shannon’s eyes.

“Don’t you two really look alike? Just look at the face shape, nose, lips, and brunette hair, it’s believable enough to think Miss Sherwood and he are siblings, right? No, if it weren’t for the eye colour, one might think you were twins!”

It was so much more similar than I had imagined that it was almost hard to believe it wasn’t a mould. Unlike when I saw my grandmother’s photo, Shannon’s silver-gray eyes widened.

Cecilia, who was excitedly explaining how much Noah resembled Shannon, suddenly stopped speaking when she noticed the quiet Shannon. With her head bowed and her mouth covered by her hand, Shannon looked as if she was about to vomit.

“Miss Sherwood? Are you feeling unwell?”

The moment a startled Cecilia reached out towards Shannon’s shoulder, Shannon jumped up from her seat.

“Excuse me, the restroom…”

“Oh, go out and it’s at the very end of the left side of the hallway!”

Shannon, who had almost run out of the parlour and into the bathroom, slammed the door shut and leaned her back against it, taking slow, deep breaths. She had expected to see a resemblance, she had braced herself, but she didn’t understand why she felt so dizzy as if she had been hit by a severe shock. However, she soon instinctively knew the reason.

I was trembling. I was excited. In front of the most obvious and overwhelming evidence that Noah and Cecilia were my parents, Shannon fervently hoped that they had an unavoidable reason for sending their daughter to an orphanage.

‘No, don’t do that. I’ll just be disappointed if you get your hopes up.’

The world has always been cruel to me, hasn’t it?

Shannon, clutching her throbbing head, shook her head frantically. While her peers received love and affection from their parents and indulged in childish whims, Shannon had to learn how to give up. An orphanage where you had to be grateful just for not being starved to death. That was what the orphanage was like. Even the director of the orphanage where Shannon grew up, Mrs. Jenner, who genuinely cared for and treated the children well unlike other cruel orphanage directors, was like that.

The orphanage was always difficult, and there was always a shortage of everything. We had to share what little we had with other children in the same situation, even when it wasn’t enough for one person. We had to give up ample food, new clothes, a quiet and clean room to ourselves, and even our time. And every time we realised we had to give these things up, it broke our hearts.

So from the moment she realised that fact, Shannon expected nothing. She always suppressed and hid her emotions. Was it because that period lasted too long? Even though she became a successful adult to the point where others envied her, could afford expensive food, had a closet full of precious new clothes, lived alone in a spacious new house, and even had time to enjoy leisure activities, she was not happy.

I was just empty. Nothing brought me joy. I didn’t look forward to tomorrow. Nothing could make Shannon’s heart race. Even as a successful adult, just like the orphan girl from long ago, I merely endured and lived through the meaningless days given to me.

But the moment she saw the photo of Noah, who looked astonishingly like her, Shannon’s heart raced. She was so taken aback by how unfamiliar she looked. Shannon covered her face with both hands and bit her lip hard.

‘I won’t listen to excuses like that, even if they are really my parents, what difference does it make?’

The fact that I grew up alone in an orphanage, the fact that they didn’t even contact me until I became successful, doesn’t change…! Besides, if I reveal at this point that I’m still their daughter and not even married yet, won’t they just think I’m crazy?

Shannon, facing reality, struggled to find her composure. However, covering her face with both hands and closing her eyes was not a good choice. The photo of Noah she had just seen vividly resurfaced in the black void of her blocked vision, as if it were a picture.

“Don’t you two really look alike? With our face shapes, noses, lips, and brunette hair, one might almost believe we were siblings!”

Noah Ambrose, he was very tall. Although the photo only showed up to his chest, just looking at his broad shoulders made it clear that he was much taller than himself. Additionally, his oval-shaped face was just like his. No, not just the face shape, but the eyes, nose, mouth, and forehead as well—truly, as Cecilia said, they could be believed to be full siblings. The deep brunette hair was no exception. To sum it up, he was very handsome. Shannon finally realised why she had to be pretty. It was because she was born to a handsome man and a beautiful woman.

The expression that the orphanage kids who bullied her always picked on was just a solemn face. It was a dignified and composed expression, resembling her father’s. It was not the unfeminine and unpleasantly fierce impression that her college peers used to belittle her with. It was dignified, inheriting her father’s majesty.

“No, stop! Stop thinking about it already!”

Without realising it, Shannon’s eyes widened as she recognised that she was matching her own traits with Noah’s one by one. She had only been curious about why she ended up living alone in an orphanage away from her family. She had resolved once again to leave without any regrets as if nothing had happened, but somehow, it wasn’t easy.

Moreover, Shannon became even more flustered when she saw her reflection in the mirror. The woman with reddened eyes looked like she was about to burst into tears at any moment.

However, an undeniable, faint yet heart-wrenching smile lingered at the corners of her lips.

Please provide the text you would like to have translated.

Knock, knock.

“Ms. Sherwood.”

After knocking several times without hearing any sound from inside, Ella had to call out to Shannon and knock harder.

Yesterday, Cecilia, considering that Shannon was clearly very tired, prepared the guest room and even made the bed early. However, Shannon couldn’t fall asleep easily and tossed and turned all night, finally managing to sleep only in the early dawn. Woken up by a distant sound that seemed to be calling her, she blinked her dazed silver-gray eyes.

“Miss Sherwood, are you awake?”

Once again, the sound of knocking was followed by the maid’s voice. Only then did Shannon’s eyes snap open, and she sat up abruptly. For a moment, she was startled by the unfamiliar room and the strange feeling of the bedding, but as soon as she remembered that this was the Kent mansion, she hurriedly got off the bed and shouted towards the door.

“Just a moment!”

“Yes, take your time to prepare.”

Bright sunlight was streaming through the sheer curtains. With this level of brightness, it was close to noon. Shannon, who was always more diligent than anyone else and never overslept, was slightly taken aback by the time she saw as soon as she opened her eyes. Hastily putting on a nightgown, Shannon quickly approached the mirror, roughly combed her hair with her hands, and then opened the door.

“Good morning. Did you sleep well?”

“Yes, thanks to you.”

The housekeeper Ella, who had shown the guest room last night, entered the room with a gentle smile. She placed a silver tray with today’s tabloid and a cup of hot water on the table. While Shannon rinsed her mouth with the hot water, she drew back the curtains and opened the window to air out the room.

“I brought you some clothes to change into.”

What she politely offered was an indoor dress that noble ladies would wear. Despite being neatly folded, it was clear that the dress was filled with pintucks, pleats, and lace. It was made with generous use of high-quality fabric. Shannon could tell at a glance, without needing to ask, that it was Cecilia’s dress.

“Thank you.”

“A simple morning tea is prepared in the parlour, so please come down and we will guide you.”

Even after Ella stepped back and closed the door, Shannon hesitated to reach for the clothes. This outfit, clearly emphasising elegance and softness, was definitely not to Shannon’s taste, but there was no choice. Even if there had been a choice, for other reasons, she stared at it for a long time before first examining the bodice at the top.

The luxurious green bodice had been freshly laundered, but it still carried a hint of the scent that belonged to Cecilia. Shannon felt a wave of nausea and quickly set the bodice down again. Next, she picked up the skirt. Spreading it out and holding it against her waist, she could tell without even trying it on that the length was just right.

Only then did Shannon realise that her height and body shape were almost identical to Cecilia’s. And that fact made this world, which she had not yet adapted to at all, even more dizzying and confusing.

***

Despite the fact that the clothes fit her perfectly like a tailored suit, for some reason, Shannon kept fidgeting with the hem of her skirt as she descended the stairs. It wasn’t just because it wasn’t her usual style.

At that moment, a pleasant sweet scent brushed against Shannon’s cheek, carried by the gentle breeze. At the same time, a soft humming, reminiscent of an angel’s song, flowed through the crack of the parlour door. Cecilia was gazing out the window, fully savouring the sunny weather. Her lovely blonde hair shimmered with a golden hue, as if blessed by the gods. Shannon slowly opened the parlour door with trembling hands.

“Good morning, Miss Sherwood!”

At the sound of someone entering, Cecilia turned around and, upon seeing Shannon, greeted her with a smile brighter than a fully bloomed sunflower. The morning sunlight was warmly shining beside Cecilia.

“Good… morning.”

Seeing that scene, Shannon felt a lump in her throat and barely managed to respond with her stiff lips. The moment she looked into Cecilia’s kind blue eyes, which were smiling at her, Shannon’s silver-gray eyes trembled. It even felt like her heart was stinging.

As Cecilia said, it was a really good morning with bright sunlight that made me want to cry.