Chapter 4: From now on, I will absolutely avoid them all!

“…Da-dad…” her voice was hoarse and dry, which makes others a little uncomfortable.

Melissa was surprised. She wanted to ask the identity of these strangers but when she suddenly laid her eyes on the mature handsome man, she knew he was her father more specifically the father of the body she woke up in. Maybe, the memories of that child have completely been merged with her.

Looking at the crying De’Rosa family, Melissa thought she needs to accept the fact that she is Quinlynn sooner or later yet even with merged memories she could not find herself accepting that she is Quinlynn Irsiavel De’Rosa.

How can she easily accept these people as her parents and family? After all, her 26 years worth of memories spend with her actual family cannot even compare to a child’s incomplete memories…she just cannot accept this life at all and she feels so lost and lonely. 

“My little Queen…Thank God, you finally woke up…” a sobbing voice woke Melissa out from her gloomy thoughts. Looking up, she saw a beautiful well-groomed women looking around 5os crying on the shoulder of a handsome tall man looking in his 60s or 70s. Melissa could not tell their real age. 

“Grandma…” her hoarse voice whispered softly. This body remembers them so well that Melissa could not accept it…she could not accept her current identity at all. She feels guilty stealing someone else’s body…a child’s body yet when this body that has been in a coma for almost 8 years responds to these people…her heart throbs with such longingness that it hurts.

Crying, old madam De’Rosa came forward…hands shaking, she carefully took her granddaughter’s hand and said, “Thank God, you're alright now…thank god, you’re here with us.”

Melissa could not help but to comfort this poor woman. Even though her throat hurts when speaking, she softly said, “…it’s okay now, I am here. I am not going anywhere.”

‘Although I am not your actual granddaughter, I can only impersonate her.’ Melissa thought as she hugged this woman, feeling guilty.

Old Master De’Rosa looked at his wife and his granddaughter hugging each other. Lamenting over the cruelties his granddaughter has faced at the tender age. Sighing… He looked over his silent son who has been sitting on the leather chair for the past few hours. He knows his son too well, on the outside he looks indifferent and calm as deep as the sea but his eyes tell a different story. Complex emotions swirl in his eyes and his hand clutching the armrest yet he never got up or spoke any words. He has such a boring son. Not even crying for once, alas I wanted to see him cry.

‘Tsk…tsk…this brat takes after me too much.’ He thought dryly.

Standing up, Duke Autumus went forward to hug his daughter right after his mother let her out of her embrace. Amused, Old Madam De’Rosa also joined the father and daughter pair for a family hug.

Face dark, Old master De’Rosa grumpily murmured, “ I take it back…Brat is quite an action taker unlike me who is always forgotten from the family activities. It's not my fault that I can't express my emotions well. ”

“Husband dear, come over here…” Laughing, Old madam De’Rosa waved him over for a group hug.

Speechless, Duke Autumus looked at his father with disdain.

Mary Lin and other servants cried watching this family of four hugging each other.

‘I wish Miss Lilith was here…’ Mary thought wishfully ‘…but it’s okay now that the young lady has awakened and for that, I am truly happy.’

Melissa stayed stiffly without even moving her muscles. 

Staring at her now small hands belonging to a child. She frowned.

Unlike the warm happy atmosphere in the room, Melissa’s thoughts were gloomy and dark. She felt she does not deserve this love. This love from this family is so pure…so beautiful that she felt she was robbing the real Quinlynn’s happiness. And she could not accept this overwhelming love. She wanted to tell them that she is not the real Quinlynn but she is scared…terrified even. How could she possibly tell them that she is a 26 years old woman who is currently residing in their 13 years old daughter's body? How can she tell them when there is a certain possibility of her killing off the real Quinlynn? How can they believe her that they are just characters in paper created by someone else? In the first place, would they believe this weird situation? Maybe they might send her to asylum or even worst…they might get her killed. Either way, both the outcome sounds very bad for her.

She should just pretend as Quinlynn Irsiavel De’Rosa until she figures out how she ended up in this novel. 

Duke Autumus noticed his daughter’s stiff body and frowning face. With the look of enlightenment, he called Dr Josh over to check her body. Worry written all over his face, he asked, “Doctor, What’s the condition of her body?”

“Don’t worry, Duke Autumus. Young Lady’s condition is stable for now.” Answered the middle-aged looking doctor with glasses “Once she gets proper nutrition and gets physiotherapy. She can get back to a normal and healthy person.”

“Doctor Josh, Thank you for coming all the way from Balas City. You even cancelled your important meeting.” Old Madam De’Rosa thanked him with a kind smile. Turning back to the servants she said, “Okay everyone, it’s getting late. Please move along, Quinlynn needs her rest.”

“Doctor Josh, shall we go?” she asked while giving her hand to him for an escort.

“After you, Madame” bowing slightly, he politely took her hand and left the room.

Face gloomy and dark, Old Master De’Rosa followed after them grumpily murmuring about his wife cheating right in front of him.

Duke Autumus watched these people finally leaving his daughter’s room. Turning back towards his daughter, he saw her blankly staring at her hands.

Softly he asked, “Quinlynn, Do you want to rest?”

Seeing her nodding slowly, he tucked her into bed. Reading a book for a while, he watched her breathing becoming more regular. Seeing her asleep, he slowly stood up. He silently walked out of the room with light footsteps and turned off the lights leaving only darkness in the room.

Melissa slowly opened her eyes and adjusted to the darkness around her. She watched her so-called father going out of the room. 

Staring at the ceiling for a while, she contemplated her next actions.  

Melissa can pretend to be Quinlynn…no! She has to be Quinlynn after all she can’t guarantee her survival. No one would doubt her after all the original Quinlyn died in such as young age. She can be Quinlynn at least until she finds out the real reason why she was brought here?

Yes, from the beginning, Melissa never believed this so-called luck of getting a second chance in life. She believed there might be some reason that she woke up in this body. There is no evidence that she died in her previous world. She only assumed that she died from overworking. This does not add up to anything. All the information she knows about this world comes from that retarded novel and it does not help her at all. She does not have any information regarding the De’Rosa family apart from the incomplete memories of the original Quinlynn and three lines from the novel. But she is sure that they are not closely linked with the protagonist and the novel plot. For this, Melissa is thankful.

From the De’Rosa family, only Quinlynn is linked to the novel as irrelevant cannon fodder meant to die. If she can avoid this ending, Melissa can survive till she finds the truth.

Melissa…oh wait, she is Quinlynn now…clenched her hand as she made her mind to avoid all the novel related character especially the heroine and her harem members at any cost.

‘From now on, I will absolutely avoid them all!’