Chapter 3 The Sworn Enemy Returns

A dark look flashed in Lumi's eyes, but her tone turned soft and pitiful.
"Venus, today's my birthday party. All the important people in Zrebert are here. If you really want to make a scene, can't you at least wait until another day?"
"Enough! Stop spouting nonsense!" Harvey shouted, his face red with anger. "Who told you to call the cops? You have embarrassed this family! Haven't you had enough?"
Venus's face stayed calm. "Since your security cameras are just for decoration and none of you believe me, then let the police handle it. I didn't do what I'm accused of, and I'm not afraid to prove it."
Before she entered the house, she had already borrowed that crematorium worker's phone to call the police.
The Burns never cared about facts. They only listened to the servants and Bree, who pointed their fingers. They concluded that Venus had a habit of stealing.
Deep down, they never believed she was innocent.
But this time, she wasn't going to do anything stupid to prove it.
"Enough!" Axel snapped, grabbing her thin wrist.
Venus winced from the pain but calmly twisted her hand and locked his wrist in return. Her steady eyes meeting his.
Axel frowned, startled by the pain. He quickly pulled away.
His face darkened.
"Tonight is Lumi's birthday party. Don't make a fool of yourself."
Venus gave a small, mocking smile. "Right. I've only lost my name and reputation, but Lumi might lose her special birthday party. How terrible."
Axel's brows furrowed.
For the first time, something about his little sister from the countryside felt strange.
Just last night, she had been begging him for mercy.
Now her cold, cutting stare felt sharp enough to pierce through him.
Something about her had changed, though he couldn't say what.
Neil, who had always looked down on Venus, checked his watch impatiently. "Axel, I've got work at the hospital. I'll head out first."
He paused, his cool gaze sweeping toward Venus.
"Family matters should be handled privately. Making a scene won't do your reputation any good."
Of course, his words were meant to protect Lumi.
Even now, all they cared about was protecting Lumi's image, not their real sister's innocence.
Venus had seen through them long ago. She no longer waited for them to believe her.
Unfortunately for them, they were already too late.
Just as Neil opened the front door, the police were standing outside.
The wealthy girls watching from the side started snickering.
"Everyone knows you're a thief, Venus. You've got some nerve calling the cops. Once they find out the truth, you'll be the one going to jail!"
"Yeah, once your record says ‘theft,' your life's over!"
Venus stood tall, calm, and steady while the police gathered evidence.
Soon, the truth came out. Every theft that Venus had been accused of was actually Patricia's doing, and she framed Venus for it. Her action was caught on camera for everyone to see.
The room fell silent. All those who had been waiting to see her humiliated were now stunned.
They couldn't believe it. Venus had been telling the truth. She never stole anything.
On the screen, Patricia was seen sneaking into Venus's room with Bree's Cartier necklace in hand. Axel frowned deeply at the footage.
But even so, he told himself, that doesn't clear her name completely.
She still had plenty of bad habits, ones that ran too deep to change.
Patricia scrambled to explain, "I—I must've put it in the wrong place while cleaning! I thought it was Ms. Venus's necklace—"
Venus's face stayed cold. "Really? You thought I owned jewelry like that? You've seen my room. Do I look like someone who owns expensive things?"
Everyone knew she didn't. She might have lived in the mansion, but she owned nothing—no luxury, no comfort, nothing.
Everyone in the house knew it.
Lumi quickly spoke up, trying to smooth things over. "I believe Patricia just made a mistake. She's worked for our family for years; she wouldn't—"
Venus cut her off. "So after all these years, she can still make such a basic mistake? Doesn't that prove someone told her to do it?"
Lumi's face went white. Her mouth puckered. She looked so hurt it was almost pathetic.
"Lumi is gentle and kind. She'd never do something like this," someone snapped.
Her brothers flew to her side. They formed a shield, glaring at Venus fiercely. Their eyes burned with anger.
To them, Venus wasn't family; she was the enemy.
Venus had spent years in the Hermetic Order. Her heart had turned into stone; nothing pierced it anymore.
When she saw them crowd around Lumi, it didn't surprise her. She felt nothing, as she had long stopped being eager for their attention.
"Now the truth's out. It proves I didn't steal," Venus said, her voice rising. "If anyone calls me a thief again, I'll tear their mouth to pieces."
She walked up to Patricia and slapped her hard—two sharp slaps.
Blood ran from Patricia's nose. She stared in disbelief. "You—bumpkin—how dare you hit me!" she cried.
Slap! Slap!
Venus hit her again, but this time her voice was icy. "You framed me for theft and teamed up with the other servants in pushing me out. Don't you deserve this? If you want someone to hate, then hate the one who told you to do it."
Patricia shrank back and fell silent. She knew who couldn't cross both sides.
Venus walked toward Lumi.
The girl shrank back like a frightened rabbit and hid behind her brothers, expecting a blow.
Venus didn't hold back. She slapped each of the four brothers across their faces.
One hard slap after another.
Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack!
They stood stunned, too shocked to react. No one had expected her to strike them in public.
Venus gave a thin, cold smile. "So this is what a real heiress looks like? I never wanted that."
She took a slow breath and looked at them all. "From today on, I cut ties with this family.
"I won't let you hurt me again. Try me if you dare."
After speaking her mind, Venus ignored the shocked stares and walked straight toward the servants' quarters.
She might've been called the adopted daughter of this family, but in truth, she'd always been treated like one of the servants.
Inside, she opened a small drawer and pulled out the clothes she wore when she first arrived a year ago.
A faded white T-shirt and a pair of school pants patched at the knees.
When she walked back into the living room dressed like that, every pair of eyes turned toward her. The same looks as before—disbelief, disgust, and judgment.
But this time, Venus didn't care. She lifted her chin and strode past them, her back straight, her steps firm.
Her brothers finally realized what she was doing. Anger flared, and they rushed to follow. Harvey's shout stopped them.
"Leave her. She's not worth the trouble. We should take good care of your sister!"
Axel clenched his jaw, his cheek still burning from where she'd hit him earlier. His face darkened.
"What's she trying to pull now? Does she really think throwing a tantrum will make us see her differently?"
To him, it was simple. She couldn't stand seeing Lumi happy.
To Axel and the others, Venus's outburst was nothing more than a tantrum. She had gone wild—hitting, shouting, and wrecking Lumi's birthday party. To them, she just wanted chaos, and she wanted the whole family humiliated.
Her behavior, they thought, was nothing but a ploy. She wanted them to chase after her, to beg her to come back.
"A girl from the countryside, and yet she plays these twisted little mind games."
Axel muttered with a bitter sneer, "So young and already so shameless. Truly disgusting."
...
Outside the Burn Mansion, Venus felt as if she had just broken free from a cage. The air smelled of rain and freedom.
She ran down the street, shouting with excitement, "Mentor, I'm coming for you!"
In her past life, she had endured three long years in that house before finally leaving in despair.
This time, she wouldn't wait another second.
She was going to find her mentor.
A day later, she arrived at the ruins of the old cottage.
Venus stopped in her tracks, stunned. The place that had once felt sacred now stood in ruin; only one broken wall and half a crooked wooden door remained.
It was here that she'd first met her mentor, who had taken her in and taught her the ways of the Oracle.
Back then, the cottage might've been quiet, but it wasn't destroyed like this.
As Venus began to draw a quick tarot reading in the air, a black Maybach rolled to a slow stop beside her.
Two people stepped out.
A middle-aged man helped a tall but frail-looking man to his feet—handsome, sharp-featured, yet with a touch of exhaustion in his expression.
Venus's breath caught. She recognized him instantly.
Drake Frost—the man who had once been her sworn enemy.