Chapter 58

Indeed, as Gerald said, before my body was taken over, I was involved in charitable activities with my mother.

My mother has always valued the spirit of noblesse oblige.

Still, I can't seem to recall the memory of meeting Gerald when I was a child.

"I'm sorry. I don't remember you..."

"Don't apologize, it's only natural. I only met you twice, and when I was young, I had Pyrokinesis, a condition that made me look unrecognizable. I was a completely different person back then."

The moment I heard those words, I gasped.

Of course, I knew about that disease. It's a rare and serious illness caused by incompatibility with magical power, accompanied by severe pain.

Healing mages are already few and far between, and the illness can only be cured by a healing mage whose magical power is compatible with the patient's.

Therefore, the chances of a complete cure are extremely low.

I never imagined that Gerald had such a past.

"No one would come near me, as I was covered in bandages and oozing pus, emitting a foul odor. Besides, the treatment for orphans was below the minimum. They probably thought I would die soon since no compatible healing mage would ever appear."

Gerald apparently lived in an orphanage attached to a hospital, where he had been abandoned as a baby, suffering from the disease since birth.

He said he spent his days bedridden, receiving treatment that could hardly be called medical care.

"I often wondered why I was born. I was always in pain, lonely, and there was nothing good about being alive."

"......"

The suffering he endured is beyond my imagination. It must have been far more painful than spending time as a slave in that place.

"But one day, I met you."

He continued in a detached manner, as if talking about someone else.

"You found me in a terrible state because I was always given the lowest priority for treatment and meals. You immediately spoke up about my treatment."

"..."

Gradually, vague memories began to resurface.

I remember being worried about a child who was bedridden and suffering, covered in dirty bandages, and pleading with the hospital staff nearby.

However, my mother was not there at the time, and the staff, thinking I was just a child, only replied, "We're busy, so it can't be helped."

So, I insisted, "Let me do it." I thought that even as a child, I could at least change the bandages and soak them in medicine.

"You were so kind, changing my bandages very carefully. You didn't make a single unpleasant face, even though my appearance was something that would make most people run away, and you didn't mind getting dirty yourself."

"......"

"I was so happy, it made me want to cry. It was the first time in my life that I was treated like a human being."

All I could do that day was change the bandages clumsily and speak to him.

Just that small act made me realize how much Gerald must have suffered in his life, and my vision began to blur.

"Later, the kind Sadey came to check on me again. I was so happy that you remembered me and came to see me, even if it was out of sympathy or pity."

– That's right, I was worried about that child and visited again a month later.

It seems that my actions, as the daughter of the Arclight family, who made large donations, became known to the higher-ups, and the staff at the hospital were severely reprimanded.

As a result, I remember feeling relieved to learn that his treatment had significantly improved.

"To me, you were the most beautiful and radiant person, like an angel. I always wanted to thank you."

"Gerald..."

"Thank you so much, Sadey."

I couldn't tell if the child, who was covered in bandages and couldn't move a finger, was a boy or a girl at the time.

Learning that it was him, I felt a surge of indescribable emotions.

"I didn't do anything..."

Tears overflowed from my eyes, and I bit my lip tightly, shaking my head.

Seeing this, Gerald's eyebrows drooped.

"Later, a healing mage who was compatible with me appeared miraculously, and I was cured. After my appearance changed, people around me became surprisingly kind."

Gerald laughed bitterly, but his eyes were filled with sadness.

"Then, I was taken in by the Findlay family because I looked exactly like their deceased son. In the Findlay family, I was treated as the deceased 'Gerald,' and they didn't need the real me. All they needed was this face."

"Such a..."

In the end, even after being freed from the long-suffering illness, Gerald's life was to live as a replacement for a dead person.

That's why, when Gerald explained the situation and returned to his original body, the Findlay couple didn't even show a hint of sadness.

All they needed was someone who looked like their son, and the inner person was a trivial matter.

His tragic life story left me speechless.

"But, you are different."

Gerald said this and gently took my hand.

"Sadey was kind to me even when I looked like that. You were worried about 'me.' To me, you are the light."

His gaze, as if looking at something dazzling, conveyed his genuine feelings.

"Besides, I didn't care about family. I didn't want to be loved by a family I wasn't even related to."

"......"

"The only thing I wanted when I was taken in was to be in a position where I could meet Sadey again."

I gasped at Gerald's words.

As he said, it would have been impossible for me to meet and talk to a noble lady like me if he were a commoner, let alone an orphan.

"That's why I worked hard to replace Gerald and learn the manners of a noble. After all that blood, sweat, and tears, I finally managed to attend a party for young nobles, where you were also present."

It was when I was seven and Gerald was nine, about a month before my body was taken over.

"Finally, when I saw Sadey, you were so beautiful and radiant that I wanted to cry. ...But, beside you was Rufus Langridge, your fiancé."

Gerald said this with a sneer, raising one corner of his mouth.

"Just being able to see you again was enough, and I just wanted to thank you. But at that moment, the emotion that welled up inside me was undoubtedly 'jealousy'."