The Listener is the Reincarnation of the Villainess

An Ordinary Life

   Although, I am the middle child of my family, that doesn't mean I'm their biological child.
   And that doesn't necessarily mean that my family is in the same sense, the same type of family you would find normal.
   I was abandoned at an orphanage at the time of my rebirth.
   The orphanage was actually just an old temple in favor of the Mountain God. It was fixed up by my adopted parents who had taken in every single orphan for many years.
   Therefore, while I did say I was the middle child, I am the middle child of forty orphan children, at the age of ten.
   All the elder siblings aided our parents in taking care of the younger siblings and everyone was taught on how to support themselves.
   In the future, I would think to myself in exasperation that our parents didn't teach us a wit of normalcy and common sense.
   With the exception of myself, all my elder siblings were a bit too... overpowered.
   They all somehow got the scholarships by themselves into high school and left our home so that they wouldn't burden us.
   Some of them are even in university and sending money to us.
   At that time, I thought, Mother, Father, you taught them a bit too well don't you think? Are you trying to kill their fellow classmates' moral and confidence by sending them OP students?
   Well, considering the personality of our parents, it wasn't exactly wrong to say that, this was to be expected.
   Mother and Father are not married. Rather, they are in actuality, siblings who were disowned by some rich and overly strict family.
   It really is a cliche scenario, or so they say in Japan.
   Father was a lighthearted man. He was tall and strong and gave everyone a sense of security. He was the gentlest person we knew.
   Mother was also incredibly carefree, yet her demon training was strict. Her health and body was frail and she was often bedridden.
   Even now, I often wonder why she kept taking in more children even when it started to become more detrimental to her health.
   I, born with memories of my past life, was embraced by this gentle warmth once more.
   Therefore, I did everything I could to be a good child. I cleaned and washed and aided my siblings. I properly trained, did my homework and became independent faster than anyone.
   One day, they told me, "You don't have to be an adult you know. A child should act like a child when you are still so young."
   I had cried.
   Maybe, I had unconsciously started to fear that they would leave me because I was a child who hadn't done good to them. If I were to be condemned once more, I wouldn't be able to keep my sanity and keep my heart whole.
   God, Please forgive me. I am greedy. I want to live even though I was meant to die.
   Okaa-sama, Otou-sama and Freya. Forgive me for making you suffer.
   And Chante Von Lorraine. My other self. Even though I am you, I am also not you. In your stead, I want to repent but I also want to live.
   And be happy.
_______________________________________

   With the feeling of being refreshed, I will introduce myself.
   I am Kanon. When I become older, I will find a last name for myself, Mother said.
   Here, the temple and shrine are dedicated to the Mountain God, Yama-No-Kami.
   It seems strange and suspicious but surprisingly, not a single child that lives and lived here experienced sickness and illness. It was like we were blessed by the Mountain God. Really cool right?
   Our home was entirely made of stone and wood. There was no internet nor computers. An old fashion telephone is placed in the front near the door. Our kitchen is outdoors, shielded by a large roof and surrounded by an earthen oven and stove.
   A garden of herbs surrounded the kitchen while the vegetable garden sat behind the temple. Tatami mats and bamboo furniture, floors, and roofs are completely normal to us.
   The cheerful laughter of children and the sounds of nature intermingle. It brings me waves of peace as my parents watch over us with a gentle smile.
   This is my world. Waking up, eating breakfast, playing, learning, and love. My dreams do not seek me often now and only on cloudy days do they appear to stab me with guilt.
   So I hate cloudy days.
   However, it never disheartens me for long. This embrace that covers me like a warm blanket will keeps me safe and strong. They are the ones I will now protect.
   When I told Mother that I would protect her, she had only laughed and shook her head. She had called me her "Sweet Kanon" and then requested me to play a song on the violin.
   In my past life, I had persistently pursued my skills in playing a similar stringed instrument because my mother loved music. I was more than happy to discover that they had a similar instrument and once more, practiced, polishing my rusty and worn skills as well as improving using this world's way of music education.
   I would play her my own compositions and arrangements as well as the song I was named after, "Kanon". She would clap and smile with joy, her dimples showing, making her look very pretty.
   "One day, you will walk your own path, and spread your song to touch a person's heart," Mother had said warmly. At that time, I was only bitterly thinking that I was selfishly not wanting to leave this beloved home of mine and sulking at her words a bit despite her pride in me. However, the words she said next comforted me.
   "But until then, I will watch you and fill you with love, and we will always be your side."
   Her words that resounded in my heart, made me jump into her hugs that had the scent of honey, herbs, and nature. This hand, I will not let go.
   That day, I had not known, the impending and tragic fate that would befall us all.