Lady Misfortune: Daddy, I'll Be A Righteous Villainess!

Now, there's a few reasons why Lady likes being called Fallon's twin.

Most of which are already obvious. They're so close that they act more like siblings than cousins, they're always together, they don't do something fun without the other, they trust and rely on each other, they have a mutual understanding of things – and so on, and so forth. But what everyone doesn't know is that it's also because she used to have someone like him in her past life. 

Someone who's there for her all the time. Someone who listens. Someone who's close to her heart. 

However, their time together was unfortunately so short that she could barely remember the memories they made. Heck, she could even barely remember who it was. 

It was only when Fallon got close to her that she was reminded – of the feelings, at the very least. Lady knew it happened but could not exactly recall what happened. 

"Are you alright, Young Miss?" Sylvia called, snapping Lady back to reality.

"Huh? What?"

"You're zoning out."

"Oh, sorry! I didn't know."

"You should probably rest somewhere for now."

"But I just got here. I'm fine. It's nothing to worry about."

The expression she showed just now was kind of worrisome, though. It may appear like she's only thinking deeply, but knowing her, it's hard to believe that she's even thinking at all.   

"Oh, right! The family pic! Where are the others?"

"You and the President are up next. After that, the whole family."

"Okay. Got it." 

Everyone has gathered at the center of some platform in the banquet hall to take a photo. They started off with every side of the family first – right now, it's Fallon's. He's up there with his parents, getting ready. She looks away from the scene and searches around for Maximilian who's still apparently missing in action for some reason. 

To her dismay, who she ended up finding up was her three cousins again.

"Oh, what's this? Looking for Daddykins, are we?" Bryce began, smirking mockingly.

"Ummm… Yeah? Isn't that obvious?"

"He probably doesn't want to take a picture with you. Well, I really can't blame him. I myself don't want to be seen with someone who brings nothing but trouble to everyone," Art piped in.

"Huh. Right."

"Might as well just get out of here. If it weren't for Uncle Max, we wouldn't have invited you. You have no good use to this family, anyway – you're a shame," Travis muttered with a scowl. 

"Excuse me. But aren't you too old to be picking on a middle-schooler? Grow up already." 

They're ganging up on her now that Fallon isn't around, it seems. Lady wonders if anyone can get any more pathetic than this. 

"You're the one who should grow up here…" Bryce scoffed.

"Mentally and physically."

She only shot him a deadpan look. This isn't worth a verbal retort.

"What's with the silence? Thinking of ratting us out to Grandmother and Grandfather? 

"Stop getting all cocky, brat."

"Yeah. Don't think you're their favorite only because they always spend time with you. You didn't do a single thing for this family. A deadweight – that's what you are."

The more she listens, the more she realizes just how jealous they are of her.

They're right. It does sound unfair. She isn't doing anything special, but she still gets pampered all the time. They, on the other hand, have a lot of expectations to meet. Unlike her, they have a certain image to uphold ever since they're born – they don't have the freedom to act however they want to.

Although that's not Lady's fault in any way, she decides she'll just help Bryce, Art, and Travis by letting them take it out on her – she's not a bit least offended, anyway, especially since she herself admits that she's always had it easy. 

"What's going on here?"

Unfortunately for them, Maximilian has finally appeared in the picture. Bryce, Travis, and Art went still and silent almost immediately. Lady turns around – quite surprised to find her hot specimen of a daddy in a sumptuous dinner suit. 

'And here I thought you couldn't get any more handsome than you already were. You've got to thank me for that body, Father,' she thought cheekily as she ran up to him and clutched his arm.

He briefly glances down at her before looking at his nephews once more. Going by the displeased look on his face, it seems that he heard what they've been saying to her.

"Did you just call my daughter a deadweight?" he practically growled, making all four of them flinch.

Luckily, the photographer has just finished with Fallon's side and is already calling for them. But then, just when Lady thought he'd finally spare them, he didn't budge from his spot at all. Maximilian only continued to glare at them. 

He's really getting more and more unpredictable these days. Back then, he wouldn't hesitate to call her a deadweight too – he'd even add a few more insults if he's feeling extra irked. But he appears to have changed. She's kind of glad that he's no longer as insensitive as before, yet at the same time, she hopes she can understand what's going through that head of his. 

"L-Let's go, Daddy! Everybody's waiting!" 

Lady tried to pull him away. Much to her relief, Maximilian eventually complied. They took off, leaving Bryce, Art, and Travis behind. 

"Why weren't you defending yourself back there?" came his question, which she didn't quite expect.

"Well, it's their night tonight. I thought I'd let them be just this once," she reasoned sheepishly.

He looks at her then. Not wanting to get caught lying, she averts her gaze. He didn't turn away up until they reached the center of the platform. Curious about what expression he's making right now, she slowly turns around to take a peek.

But before she did so, he suddenly patted her on the head. She slightly jolted in surprise. It took her one more moment to realize that he really was patting her. She fully looked at him then.

"You're my daughter. You don't have to be that nice," he said, voice barely audible, earning a flabbergasted look from her. 

Despite how out of the blue and somewhat uncharacteristic that was, Lady couldn't help the smile that formed on her face, thanking Maximilian silently for his unique way of being supportive.

---

"May I have a word, Ms. Lady and Mr. Weiss?"

Ms. Mirabella is at her desk in the faculty office, clutching a few report folders conspiratorially. Weiss hears Lady grumble underneath her breath as they approach her. 

Morning classes haven't started yet when she called for her students. Her reason, they have no idea.

"Ms. Mirabella, I'm sorry, but I have to decline whatever report you want me to write about this time-"

"No need to worry, dear. I'm not here to give you any more assignments," their class adviser cut in, giggling.

"Oh, thank God," she breathed in relief.

"What do you need us for, Ms. Mirabella?" he chimed in, quirking a brow at their exchange.

They both watch her bolt up from her chair and strike a dramatic pose. Then, histrionically, she announces, "I need you both for the school publication! Our words shall take over the academy!"

"Huh? But I'm already in the drama club," Lady blurted out, baffled. 

"Well, you can always join one more club~" Ms. Mirabella cooed flippantly. 

"Excuse me, Ma'am. But I don't think I'm in a position to accept such an offer," Weiss said with a hand raised.

"Oh, but you are! You will be the Editor-in-Chief, and little Ms. Mireille here will be one of our main writers! I'm hoping that the two of you will work very closely in the months to come~"

Weiss is suspicious of her choice of words. Lady, on the other hand, starts to get ecstatic.

"Great…!" she enthused. 

"I thought I'd be going into this alone, but I'm glad you're going to be with me, Weiss!"

"Wonderful, wonderful…!" their class adviser cheered, clapping her hands excitedly.

"I'm sure the two of you will have astounding ideas together! Now, listen here, I've gathered a newspaper team, a magazine team, and a literary folio team. We're going to be publishing three major things this year, and I want to do it right! So, I need ideas. Fresh ideas! Original ideas! Ideas that will engage the wretched community of this wretched school! I want you both to come up with something like that – a little project the two of you will handle in the spirit of journalism."

"Uh-huh…" he hummed thoughtfully, crossing his arms.

"Why the special treatment?" 

Ms. Mirabella grinned impossibly wider. Lady and Weiss tried not to be unnerved.

"Because both of you are amazing students! Both of you are special students!" Ms. Mirabella exclaimed. 

"I'm not that special, Ms. Mirabella. But alright. We'll try our best to give you a good idea," Lady replied. 

"That's the spirit! You should take a page out of her book, Weiss."

His face is impassive. She scowls.

"Anyway, that's it! I expect a proposal from you both tomorrow! Now, shoo! Off you go!"

With that, Ms.. Mirabella ushers them out of the faculty office before either can utter another word.