Born Into Villain's Family: I Have a 200% Rebate System

Aurora felt something inside her break, a small crack in the armor she always wore.

Her chest ached, and for a brief moment, her eyes turned moist.

But she forced them back. Instead, she patted Emily's back a little more firmly.

"Sometimes, courage is very important," Aurora said softly. Her voice carried a gentleness and wisdom.

"Otherwise, life will continue to make you suffer without mercy. Courage doesn't mean you have to be reckless. It means taking steps, small ones, with more caution. Maybe… this time, the outcome will be different."

Emily paused, her eyes still closed, but her heart trembled hearing Aurora's words.

How long was she planning to stay, coward? A coward can never be happy in their life.

Aurora's words floated in the air like seeds dropped on hard ground. Gradually, they started to grow.

Emily opened her eyes and looked at Aurora; her voice no longer carried heavy pain but a little hope.

"Are you advising me to find someone again?" she asked, her words were laced with reluctance.

Aurora shook her head, smiling softly.

"No," she replied. "I don't want you to go looking for someone. I don't want you to search for love the way people look for treasure. What I'm saying is… just let others enter your life. Maybe one day, without you even realizing it, things will change."

Emily closed her eyes again, as if letting Aurora's words settle deep inside her heart.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

The quiet of the corridor surrounded them like a blanket, neither cold nor warm, but full of space for thought.

Then Aurora spoke again, her voice gentle but holding a clear intention.

"If you feel so empty, Emily… Why don't you adopt a child?"

Emily froze. Her eyes opened slowly, staring at Aurora as though the suggestion was something foreign, almost impossible.

Aurora continued without hesitation.

"Even though you lost your child, that doesn't mean you can't adopt one. Maybe after adopting a child, you would slowly learn how to live again."

Emily's eyes remained on Aurora's grey ones, still as if trying to process the idea.

Aurora's voice grew softer, as if coaxing a child.

"After pouring your love into another child, perhaps your own child's soul will feel blessed," she said, "because you didn't think only about blood. You didn't close yourself off. Instead, you opened your heart to giving love to others."

Emily's lips parted slightly, as if she wanted to speak, but nothing came out.

For a long moment, there was silence. Then, a single tear slid down Emily's cheek.

"I… I will think about it," she finally said, her voice low yet tinged with certainity.

A small flicker of hope had appeared.

Aurora smiled gently, feeling relief wash over her.

Her suggestion had not been rejected.

Emily continued in a softer tone, as if confessing to herself,

"Maybe… I should visit an adoption center. Maybe… I should try to adopt a child."

Aurora nodded, her smile growing warmer.

A human always desires warmth.

Yet the place brimming with this kind of craving for warmth is an orphanage.

Emily had the courage to love, only... not the right person to project it on.

Maybe if she found someone who needed her attention and love... she would realize that love itself wasn't a problem.

It was a beautiful feeling... teaching a human to live other emotions.

"Yes, Emily," she said calmly. "Take it one step at a time. You don't have to rush. Just open your heart slowly and let things happen."

Emily wiped her tears with the back of her hand and stood up. Her face still looked pale, but there was a faint light in her eyes.

.................................

Adriana felt her chest aching as she sat in her classroom, her pen frozen above her notebook.

Usually, by this time, she would see Peter standing outside her classroom window, waiting with that calm smile of his.

Every day, he arrived at the same time, five minutes before the lecture ended.

It had almost become a habit for her to glance at the door near the end of class, expecting him to be there.

But today, there was no one.

The lecture ended, and students began packing up their bags, chatting about lunch and the heat outside.

Adriana, however, did not move.

She stared at the door, waiting for Peter's tall figure to appear.

But the longer she waited, the colder her heart became.

Something felt terribly wrong.

Her first thought was not simple worry. Instead, it was doubt.

Was Nexi really Peter's sister?

If Nexi really was his sister, then maybe Peter had gone silent because of her.

Maybe Nexi had said something behind her back, twisted the truth, and poisoned Peter's parents' minds, making them punish Peter...

The thought made Adriana's stomach twist.

Her confidence wavered, and the anxiety creeping in her heart made her stay seated on the bench.

Her hand trembled as she pulled out her phone.

She quickly searched Peter's number and pressed call.

The line rang, but no one answered.

She tried again and again, only to hear the dull, endless ringing each time.

It felt as if Peter had vanished from the world, leaving her alone in the middle of the crowded university.

Her heart sank, and her eyes grew moist.

Was he alright? What did Nexi even do that Peter wasn't even ready to receive her calls?

She was about to try one more time when a light tap on her desk startled her.

"Hello," greeted a sweet but nauseating voice.

Adriana's head snapped up, and there stood Nexi.

Cheerfulness and brightly lit eyes, her lips curled into a polite smile, but her eyes carried mockery.

Adriana's face turned ugly at once.

Her voice was filled with anger as she demanded,

"What happened to Peter? Where is he?"

Nexi tilted her head, chuckling lightly as though Adriana's panic amused her.

"Well, you are not as dumb as you look. You figured something was wrong, and I was the reason."

Hearing those words, Adriana's fists clenched tightly on her lap.

She felt like a time bomb ready to explode.