Their Mistake, Her Rise - Chapter 1: Chapter 1

Two major events shook the whole country when they happened in Jelonsburg.
First, the world's top mercenary, Firefox, took on a mission to assassinate Shawn Ludwig, the war legend of Clusia. Rumor had it she had already gone undercover.
Second, Zoe—the daughter of the Evans family who had been lost in a poor village for thirteen years—had finally returned home.
No one thought the two stories were connected.
At the gates of the Evans residence, Zoe stood in all black, wearing a simple tracksuit. Her long hair blew in the wind as she stared coldly at the grand house, her eyes unreadable.
"Evans family... It has been thirteen years," she muttered. "It's time you paid me back."
Just then, her phone beeped. She looked down and saw dozens of messages popping up in the Crimson Blaze group chat.
Warhammer: [@Firefox, today's the big family reunion, right? Boss, how's it going? Anyone giving you trouble?]
Kestrel: [Come on. We should be glad she didn't roll in with a rocket launcher. Who's gonna mess with her?]
Medusa: [Let's be real. Boss doesn't care about her family. She's in Clusia to kill Shawn Ludwig.]
Medusa: [Also, fun fact—his bounty's ten billion dollars. And word is, he's a total heartthrob in his early twenties. Boss, at least sleep with him before you kill him, will you?]
The messages only got worse from there. Zoe had no doubt—if someone handed Medusa a pen, she could probably write a whole smutty novel about her and Shawn in an hour.
Shawn Ludwig. Just thinking about him gave Zoe a headache. He was the only man who had ever fought her to a draw.
On the battlefield, generals fought to the death for power and glory. Zoe, queen of mercenaries, had led 89 missions—won them all, no exceptions. She left fire and victory wherever she went.
Except when it came to Shawn.
She remembered what he'd once had his men tell her before she returned home: "Swear on the battlefield—if I beat you again, you'll marry me."
Zoe, who had always stood above the world's most powerful men, had never been so insulted.
Marrying him? No way. She had sworn to kill him with her own hands.
Zoe didn't come back just for family. She planned to use her identity as the long-lost daughter of the Evans family to get close to Shawn—and finish him.
As for her past with the Evans family, she would deal with them along the way.
"Are you Zoe?" The cold voice of Alfred Grant, the butler, suddenly rang out ahead.
Alfred, who had come to greet Zoe, sized her up and down. She was stunning, but dressed in a way that screamed bargain bin—the total value of her outfit likely didn't crack 70 dollars.
Just as the files said, she looked like a country bumpkin not fit for polite society. That explained why Clara, her mother, wouldn't lift a finger to welcome her home.
Alfred's tone turned careless. "Ms. Evans is in the living room practicing piano. She's got a big competition tomorrow—can't be disturbed. Mrs. Evans said to take you in through the back door."
His words were all too familiar. Thirteen years, and the Evans family's digs at her were still the same. Whenever Eunice was involved, Zoe had to step aside.
Zoe scoffed. She and Eunice were twins, but they didn't look a thing alike. Eunice was the younger one.
Zoe had always been reserved and quiet; Eunice, on the other hand, was the crybaby. She knew just how to play the "poor me" card in front of Clara, and she was also the one who was always obedient.
The crybaby always got the candy. One tear from Eunice, and Clara melted. And since Eunice took after Clara in looks, it only fueled Clara's favoritism.
Every time they fought, Clara would smooth Eunice's hair and scold Zoe. "You're the big sister. Stop all the fuss. Can't you just let Eunice have her way?"
In the end, Zoe not only handed over her candy and pretty dresses but even lost the affection of her brothers to Eunice.
Yet, despite being the apple of everyone's eye, Eunice still feared Zoe would steal the family's love. So, when they were kids, Eunice tricked Zoe into the woods, leaving her to wander for thirteen years.
Those thirteen years were a blur of homelessness. To survive, Zoe had scavenged food from dogs, licked grease from gutters, and been chased by beggars—treated worse than an animal.
She'd settle that score someday.
A dangerous glint flashed in Zoe's eyes. She lifted her cool, menacing gaze to Alfred, as if looking at a corpse on the battlefield.
"So what?" she said icily. "I'm also Ms. Evans. Thirteen years away doesn't mean I can't use the front door, does it?"
Alfred's heart skipped a beat at her stare. "Well..."
He felt Zoe wasn't the same girl the files described—the one who'd been missing in a poor village for thirteen years.
As soon as Zoe entered the living room, she heard the melodious sound of a piano.
She saw Eunice, in a princess dress, playing the grand piano in the center of the luxurious living room. Clara, dressed in luxury, sat on the sofa.
Alfred, behind Zoe, was sweating and kept whispering, "Ms. Zoe Evans, please walk quietly. Don't disturb Ms. Eunice Evans's piano practice."
Zoe ignored him and strode forward, immediately catching the attention of the two in the living room.
Clara saw Zoe, who looked stunning but nothing like her younger self. She frowned in displeasure and scolded Alfred, "What's the meaning of this? I told you not to disturb Eunice's practice."
"Tomorrow's the city-wide piano competition for Zoe. What if she makes a mistake? Can you take the responsibility?" Clara's words were a thinly veiled complaint about Zoe's return.
When she saw her mother being so mean to her, Zoe's eyes turned cold. Before she could speak, Eunice's soft, sweet voice cut in, "Mom, it's fine. I'm confident about tomorrow's competition."
"And today's Zoe's homecoming day. We should be happy, shouldn't we?" Eunice paused her playing and approached Zoe, battting her eyelashes playfully at the onlookers, embodying the perfect image of innocence.
Eunice's words put Clara at ease. If she won the competition, it'd be a huge feather in the family's cap. She gently tapped Eunice's forehead, her voice dripping with affection. "Confidence is good, but practice makes perfect."
"Don't let yourself look like you've just come from some poor village. A young lady must carry herself with grace," she added, clearly hinting at Zoe's lack of polish.
As Clara continued, her expression soured. Turning to Zoe, she coldly instructed, "You should learn from Eunice and let her teach you piano. At least when you're out in society, you can showcase a talent instead of being a laughingstock for Jelonsburg."
Clara was ashamed to have a daughter who'd returned from a poor village, as she felt it tarnished her image as a lady of society. She wanted her daughter to be as elegant and talented as Eunice.
"Alright, Mom. Though Zoe didn't have a proper upbringing, I believe she's smart and can learn anything," Eunice forced a smile. Though she was sticking up for Zoe, she clenched her fists so hard her knuckles turned white.
Though Eunice and Zoe were twins, they didn't look alike at all. Zoe had always been the prettier one, which was why Eunice hated her.
She hated how people would always say when they saw them, "Zoe's so pretty. She got her dad's good looks. I've never seen such unalike twins. What a pity for Eunice."
Seeing that Zoe had become even more of a stunning beauty than she was in childhood, Eunice felt miserable. She didn't want Zoe home and didn't want her to steal the spotlight like before.
Fisting her hands, Eunice tried to soften her voice. "Mom, if you don't believe me, I'll teach Zoe to play the piano right now."
Without asking if Zoe was interested, she marched to the piano and started teaching like her teacher. "See? Zoe, this key's do, this is re, this is mi..." she said. "Zoe, I'll teach you a simple tune, 'Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.' Like this..."
Piano playing was one of Eunice's strong suits. She figured Zoe, just from a village, had never even touched a piano. She wanted Zoe to embarrass herself and realize the gap between them.
After playing quickly, Eunice raised an eyebrow at Zoe. "Zoe, got it? Now play for Mom and prove you're not the loser everyone says you are."
Eunice kept mentioning Zoe's rural background. Plus, her fast playing wasn't for a novice. She clearly wanted to see Zoe fail.
Zoe smiled. If she refused, it would admit she was a loser. If she agreed, given how fast Eunice taught, it'd be hard for a first-timer to play coherently.
Eunice waited for Zoe to fall into the trap, but she was in for a disappointment.
Zoe, a mercenary for over ten years, had learned many instruments for diverse missions and undercover work. She was good at piano, drums, guitar, and many foreign instruments.
Therefore, Zoe gladly said, "Sure."
With Eunice eagerly watching, Zoe walked to the grand piano. Seeing Zoe sit before it, Eunice was thrilled, her superiority complex showing. She imagined Zoe panicking at the keys like any country girl.
Eunice was sure the maids would compare them, praise her, and Clara would favor her more. Then Zoe would know her place. After all, a country girl couldn't match a genius.
Zoe had already placed her hands on the piano keys. As Eunice smugly anticipated, the next second, she witnessed the unexpected.