《The Villainess is Happy Today》 Chapter 1 - Prologue Prologue I lifted the champagne glass in my hand high. Above the pink hair of a woman with gentle smile, I poured the champagne. The champagne flowed down from her hair to her face, soaked her white dress. A short silence crossing between her and me, and the noisy crowds begin to fill the party hall. Listening to the sound, I put down the champage glass on the table. Laughter burst out at the sight in front of me. The smiling face was subtly distorted. It¡¯s so much fun to see the daylight flies in a sense of contempt. ¡°Princess Raylene.¡± I can see Iris, the pink haired woman, holding on to her face. Her face, which had been distorted by embrassment, was becoming calm again. The sight made me laugh even more. Don¡¯t you realize that I¡¯m enjoying myself looking at you like this? She soon wore the winner¡¯s mask on her face. I laughed. Today, this was the Thanksgiving party to celebrate the harvest. It was not a mere gathering place for young men and women of society. It was certainly not wise for me to show this at the presence of all the elderly and young aristocrats. I¡¯ll be criticized for being a villain again today. But I only laughed. The standard for a wicked woman is simply to simple. If she¡¯s called an evil woman for such behavior, there is nothing we can do more about her. ¡°You know who I am, don¡¯t you? Miss Iris.¡± ¡°Did you do this because you thought I wouldn¡¯t know you?¡± I waved my fan wide open as I listened to Iris. ¡°Did Miss Iris do that even though she knew who I was?¡± ¡°What is that¡­.!¡± ¡°Did you really dare to say that I¡¯m a vulgar woman, even though you know I¡¯m a princess? You, a daughter of viscount?¡± Iris¡¯s face was reddened again, as it had just turned over the champagne. The winner¡¯s mask collapsed. I covered my mouth with my fan as I watched her collapse. She didn¡¯t speak straight as I said. It was only metaphorically criticized. But the meaning of what she was trying to say didn¡¯t fade. ¡°I¡¯m just saying that Princess Raylene¡¯s clothes are unusual.¡± ¡°You said it¡¯s like a dancer¡¯s attire.¡± ¡°The dress is similar in character, so¡­.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure I know a lot of great designers, and you said their dresses didn¡¯t seem to match the dignity of a Duchess.¡± ¡°I told you that I think there¡¯s a better dress for the princess.¡± ¡°So did you say you would introduce a new designer to me?¡± Even to hear myself, my voice was pleasant and delightful. In fact, I¡¯m happy to be in this position right now. ¡°I just gave you some advice for your dignity. I don¡¯t know how you accepted it as vulgar.¡± After being subjugated several times to the same method, she still seemed unaware of the intentions I was trying to make. ¡°What¡¯s the difference between everything that you said with the meaning of saying that the young lady of the Duke, Raylene, comes out in an undignified clothes?¡± I untie what Iris said in a twirl. I spoke of my own disgrace in front of many people. Rather, she would be ashamed of having been criticized for her clothes. A lady here would never have done that. But I had no reason to do so. ¡°How does Miss Iris, a viscount¡¯s daughter, have the right to judge the dignity of a Duke? I¡¯m really curious.¡± Iris bit her lips, and her broken lips grew tired. Curly pink hair. Pink eyes that remind me of something warm. White skin that makes me wonder if she has ever been in the sun. With all that as a sign of loveliness, she grasped her dress so hard that it exposed the bones of her two fists, and glared at me. I¡¯m curious. Why does she always hate and resent me? Why would she try to get on my head? Iris Ann Conrad, what the hell is this about? But you can¡¯t beat me. A sneer hovered around my mouth. Knowing it, I didn¡¯t lower my fan to cover my mouth. In this world, she was nothing but a viscount¡¯s daughter, and I¡¯m the only blood of the Duke in the Empire. Why are you raising your claws on someone who¡¯s still? I¡¯m going to get out, so I¡¯m just happy for you both. Can¡¯t you let me do that? I didn¡¯t want to do anything. That handsome young baron over there winked at me! ¡°It¡¯s not my intention.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you know yet that you judged the Duke of Kandmion by your own standards, whether you intended it or not?¡± I took my breath for a moment. And looked at her face, littered with anger. ¡°I am Kandmion¡¯s legitimate bloodline. To insult me was to insult the Duke.¡± There¡¯s a murmur of those who had become bystanders inside the party. The evil lady threw a knife again. They will think so. As usual, they gave justification to their actions, not to make a scene at the party and play out evil. Society was not a place where family power was directly applied. Lady¡¯s own personal abilities are far more important. No matter how powerful the daughter of an important person, the one who cannot speak a word and becomes a wallflower will never be the center. However, there were actions that could not be tolerated in such a place. I pulled that figure out by placing them in my mouth myself. No matter how noble and graceful she tried to humiliate me, she recognized that I was the daughter of Duke Kandmion. One of two pillars supporting the Empire is the Kandmion, with golden branches that symbolize wealth. ¡°It¡¯s a misunderstanding. I¡¯m just talking in the hope that you¡¯ll find a better designer.¡± ¡°It¡¯s my decision to judge if it doesn¡¯t matter, Miss Iris.¡± It¡¯s not a matter for you to decide. It¡¯s my decision as a Princess. It¡¯s not just Raylene who had done some wrongdoings in the past. The people were mixed up with this kind of behavior, but there were those who believed in and followed that kind of people even though they were corrupted by evil. And what could be the reason? Money and power are the best in the world. The ordinary lady would have been ashamed to be pointed out, but I¡¯m different. I¡¯ve been living in Korea for 30 years, so I have a very strong mental condition. You¡¯re a real thug today¡­. ¡°What¡¯s the fuss about?¡± He appeared again. The hero in this novel. The law of every novels. If the female lead is defeated, the hero comes to her rescue. Frederick continued to extend his hands to save Iris again today. The crown prince hurriedly took a handkerchief out of his arms and wiped Iris¡¯ face. Iris loosened her white, biting lips. She looked up at Frederick with relief. His eyes were friendly and warm. Frederick turned his eyes and glared at me. The tenderness toward Iris has long gone. As you can see, his face contained disgust. ¡°Raylene. Until when do you intend to cause a commotion?¡± The brilliant silver hair, which seemed to have been drawn by the craftsman by his own hands, sparkled as they reflected the light at the party. My eyes seemed to have dropped red paint onto the water. His facial line, straight nose, tightly closed lips. It all seemed to represent a male lead¡¯s character. However, despite his stubborn face, there was a beauty that caught people¡¯s eyes. This man was showing the image of an absolute beauty. ¡°A commotion? A commotion ¡­ did you say anything to me?¡± He¡¯s handsome. He still looks good even when he¡¯s glaring at me. I think I know why this villainess hang herself on this man. But! So what If he¡¯s handsome! His personality is the worst. Even if he did a hero show for Iris now, I knew what he was like. The fact that he had the audacity to have a brazen affair with Iris when he was engaged to Raylene in the past. The fact that he hated and insulted Raylene, who was his fianc¨¦e. ¡°You¡¯re so arrogant.¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite different to be arrogant and confident about yourself. I hope you know that.¡± You¡¯re the one who turned a Princess into a Villainess. I would have broken my engagement with you, I¡¯ll go through the world and marry a man who¡¯s better than you. Chapter 2 Frederick glared at me furiously. But he seemed to know that their actions were not justified. ¡°So why are you doing this?¡± As always, he spoke like that in front of a situation where he was at a disadvantage. ¡°I was talking to Iris about the law of aristocracy.¡± ¡°¡­.by pouring a champagne on her head?¡± ¡°Yes, so she knows her place.¡± Iris¡¯s pink eyes were burning with anger. She glared at me with her eyes. Her body is a reminiscent of a small animal and her slightly dropping eyes give a soft impression. Truly, her outward appearance did not match her eyes dotted with anger. ¡­.you¡¯re not getting stabbed when sleeping, are you? I don¡¯t think so. ¡°Now I think she knows it well, but how about it? Iris.¡± ¡°¡­.thanks to you, I¡¯ve learned.¡± She would have predicted that if she didn¡¯t step out of this position, she would have covered up the crime of contempt. That¡¯s why she backed away even though she still clenched her dress to the bone. I had to stop here, too. She backed away. I couldn¡¯t convict her of simply saying something about the dress. If I do it any longer, I will be treated like a wicked woman who has exercised her authority, not as a noblewoman who taught the fountain of the aristocracy to a lower aristocrat. Well, I think I¡¯ve already shown her that much. I¡¯m annoyed. I want to live happily ever after doing nothing and spending my house¡¯s overflowing money. ¡°What a shame. You seem to have forgotten what I said. We¡¯re not engaged anymore, are we?¡± Frederick stared back at me again as his ex-fianc¨¦e and kept silent. ¡°I sincerely hope that you will not speak informally to me.¡± He did not answer. He pulled Iris out of the party. It¡¯s a bit puzzle to watch that back. ¡°How can a man who doesn¡¯t keep a little courtesy¡­.¡± I felt a sense of humor. I haven¡¯t spoken much, but most of the people here would understand what I¡¯m saying. ¡°Raylene!¡± When I looked back at the sound of my name, the noblewoman who had just taken off their aloof tees were looking at me with their eyes wide open. I proudly drew them a winning V with my finger. Chapter 1: If It¡¯s a Dream ¡°I¡¯m getting married next month.¡± That was what Saerom said at the reunion of high school classmates. I could feel my friends staring at me with a twinkle in their eyes. They couldn¡¯t readily say congratulations to Saerom. ¡°What, you guys! Why doesn¡¯t anyone say congratulations?¡± Would you do it if you were me. In my presence. I pretended to look calm and drank the coffee in front of me. Did I feel relief in my attitude? My friends say congratulations to Saerom one by one. However, the congratulations was if it were a formality and no more words were spoken. We¡¯ve grown older. I no longer wanted to be angry, fight, and bite at something as angry as I used to be. Is that why they seemed to want this meeting to just pass smoothly and comfortably, too? Aren¡¯t we friends of the past you have met after a long time? You may want to share the past pleasant memories and forget the harsh lives we have now. ¡°Thank you for congratulating me. You¡¯re all gonna come to my wedding, right?¡± I sighed a little in my mind. At least I wanted to. But there¡¯s someone who chose this meeting to crush me, so should I do that? She smiled brightly and took out the invitations from her bag, then handed them out. And the invitation arrived in front of me. ¡°Soojin, you must come, too! I opened the invitation. The name of the groom written there was his name, the man whom I dated for eight years. ¡°Kim Saerom, what are you doing here?¡± He was a second year senior when I first met him in my first year of high school. He graduated from high school, but our relationship did not end there. I¡¯ve been in constant contact with him for two years. As soon as I took the College Scholastic Ability Test, our love began. The love that started was very difficult. I ran out of my house at the same time I entered college and he soon joined the army. While having spent a hectic day studying at college, he was an active member of the military. College graduation, preparation for employment, employment, and work abroad. While doing these things, I stayed, and helped him prepare for college and the bar exam. All this eight years. I have been very enthusiastic and supportive. At the age of 29, he apologized to me and said he can¡¯t stand it anymore. I accepted it, and a year later, I heard that he passed the bar exam. I was dumbfounded and angry, but I didn¡¯t resent him. It was my choice to support my boyfriend and my choice to accept the break up. ¡°Huh? What do you mean?¡± Yeah. If I hadn¡¯t heard from you and him after that. ¡°I met Beomjun-oppa after you broke up with him. If there¡¯s anything unpleasant, let it go.¡± ¡°You¡¯re very bold on both sides.¡± ¡°What?¡± Yeah. If only he had met you at the end of my relationship and I hadn¡¯t heard that he chose you. ¡°There¡¯s no secret in this world. One-time friend.¡± ¡°What do you mean by that. I think you¡¯re mistaken¡­.¡± ¡°You know, whether I got you wrong or not, he¡¯s my boyfriend who broke up with me after 8 years together, yet you gave me your wedding invitation and asked me to congratulate you.¡± Saerom kept her mouth shut. My friends around me argue that they should stop me. Many were saying that we shouldn¡¯t fight in our first meeting after a long time, since Saerom was careless. However, no one raised a voice. A friend and two or three others next to me were whispering. ¡°Not to mention that you and I were friends, don¡¯t you usually think about that? What¡¯s this? Do you want to think that you¡¯ve won? Or did you want me to be sad?¡± ¡°That¡¯s because I want to be congratulated by you!¡± ¡°No, did you really have the thought in your head that I would truly congratulate you?¡± ¡°Choi Soojin, stop it. Why do you keep fighting?¡± The man next to me, Jiwoo, grabbed my arm and caught it. That¡¯s right. Normally, you will talk nicely and protect your child. I was relieved at the moment. It was fortunate that I didn¡¯t look like I was being beaten. What¡¯s wrong with me, who has justification, to push my unrighteous friend? On the contrary, it would be more unfair for me to be here. ¡°My dear friend, Jiwoo, I think that¡¯s the problem of someone who is 30 years old and has an empty head?¡± My friend. Under current circumstances, 100% of ashes is a problem. If you post this on an internet community, you¡¯ll get thousands of curses. I brushed off Jiwoo¡¯s hand holding my arm. Jiwoo wouldn¡¯t try to stop me again. ¡°Choi Soojin. Are you jealous? Do you think I took over Beomjun-oppa who passed the bar exam?¡± Wow, the people of the world, look at this bitch¡¯s great idea. She pretended to be nice, and made me a jealous woman who would quarrel with her friend. ¡°Why would I? What¡¯s the big deal?¡± I held the invitation between my index and middle finger, then let it go. The invitation slipped out of my hand and fell to the floor. I looked at Saerom who cast her eyes on the ground. ¡°You know what I¡¯ve been trough since graduated from college? What did I miss? Back up, huh? What money do you take and sleep with him? Why is that? Would that matter to me?¡± After graduating from college, I went abroad and joined a foreign company. Because I missed the Korean rice, I moved to the Korean branch and am living a comfortable life alone. ¡°He passed the bar exam? Does that matter? What does it matter to me that a man is capable? I¡¯ll be able to do it.¡± My friends and Saerom¡¯s mouth closed as if they had eaten honey. Yeah. I know I¡¯m a badass now. You have to understand. My friends. I need to build my self-esteem now. ¡°Kim Saerom. You seem to have forgotten your true nature by pretending to be nice.¡± Saerom¡¯s body quivered. Now I think we have to face the real reality. ¡°You¡¯re the one who stole your friend¡¯s boyfriend, the one who brought her an invitation to her eight years ex-boyfriend and asked her to congratulate you, and you drove her to be a jealous woman to build your own pride.¡± I got up from my seat with my bag. I felt all the eyes were glued to me. I had a choice. To drive out Kim Saerom and remain here, or to stand up and get out. This is because we have become unable to share this space. I chose the latter. Obviously, if I stay in my seat, I will have to swear or listen to someone until I go home, even though I have come here with the purpose of forgetting my current life and making myself happy. Apart from being angry at her, it seemed that it would be a lot of stress to swear or listen to someone for a long time, contrary to purpose. ¡°I can¡¯t figure out where you¡¯re getting old. I hope you will never call me a friend again with your mouth.¡± Hush! Look! It¡¯s this season¡¯s new bag! Because Kim Saerom comes out today, it was useful to have this thing with me. My designer bag. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I ruined the mood. I¡¯ll buy a big meal later.¡± Holding up my bag to make sure the designer logo is visible, I turned around without hesitation. The back of my head ached. Today, I think I¡¯ll have to take a bath and live longer. Chapter 3 When I got home, I lay right on the sofa in my living room. Words and actions have been made to act confident, I pretended to be all over the world, but actually ¡­ I felt bad. If Kim Saerom was thinking of making me down, her plan today was a success. That¡¯s what I am. I always pretended to be cool, but my inner side hurt. It¡¯s annoying to lie down and be depressed at all kind of miscellaneous thoughts, so I moved around. After thinking about it, I picked up my phone and turned on the web novel that I used to read. Today, I wanted to read a novel that would help me feel better. I carefully studied the introduction of several novels. I also read the comments. The title of novel that made me stop my hand is ¡®Let Me Be Rich¡¯. The story is about a daughter of a desperately poor viscount who lives a hard life, but a steady stream of men surrounded her. What I found particularly appealing is the introductory phrase [Cider water/Sprite shower]1 and the reader¡¯s comment, ¡®This is a work of a Villainess¡¯. Okay. Today, I¡¯m going to take a look at this and wash down the sweet potato2 in my heart. So, I decided to go along with the novel Let Me Be Rich. *** ¡°What the hell! What are you doing, Villainess!¡± I¡¯m furious. My anger is burning. Reading the novel, I felt like I was swallowing sweet potatoes without water, rather than washing them down. Of course, the novel was cider-materials, like the author¡¯s introduction. Only for this truly unrealistic woman. She is the only daughter of a Duke, the one of two pillars supporting the Empire, who runs the top of continent and very wealthy. She¡¯s also good looking. Smart. Her body is great. Unlike the author¡¯s introduction, the all-in-one villainess was doing nothing in the novel. She was begging for love by hanging herself on a handsome and talented Crown Prince, the male main character. She¡¯s excited about sarcastic goodness and doesn¡¯t run out of the way. She¡¯s being defeated by a sub-character, when it should be easy enough to beat the main character by eating up her family who touches her father¡¯s business! Although she did a great deal of evil in the novel, but there is nothing in Korea like that. If you have money and power, there¡¯s nothing you can¡¯t do, Sis! Grab her hair, get her dress dirty, blackmail her, and ask the assassin guild to¡­ No, is there any way to torture a woman except doing bad things? Why were you born in such a good environment and act like a man is everything? She¡¯s not thinking about living well for herself. Why were you born with that huge diamond spoon in your mouth when you couldn¡¯t wield it properly! I prayed that the villainess will do her best with her power, and I keep pressing the next chapter, but I don¡¯t see what I expected. ¡°No, you were born in a rich, powerful house so why you¡¯re just being beaten by the heroine!¡± Before I knew it, I began to be more concerned with the villainess who was going to receive sweet potatoes instead of the heroine walking on the cider flower path. ¡°What kind of man is she crying about!¡± I was annoyed. To see a man who was engaged to the villainess but still clinging to the heroine. I don¡¯t know anything. I¡¯m naive. I¡¯m glad you helped me. The princess was angry at the sight of the heroine holding the prince¡¯s hand. I felt like the couple who had just bothered and smothered me in anger were showing up and putting up the medicine. The 30-years-old Kim Saerom, who smiled innocently as if she didn¡¯t know anything and handed me an invitation, looked like the heroine. Han Beomjun who met another woman in the middle of dating me, and the Crown Prince who met the heroine even though he had a fianc¨¦e, also seemed to overlap. The villainess Raylene and me also felt similar. Is that why I¡¯m more concerned about her? I didn¡¯t see it until the end and pressed the home button on my cell phone. No longer read it, the villainess seemed to be beaten by the heroine without even using what she had. And isn¡¯t her fate was going to end up on the death row like any other villainess? I got up from the sofa, took off all the clothes I wore when I went out and headed for the bathroom. What if I were the Villainess? I¡¯ll kick that man¡¯s ass for sure. How dare you disregard the villainess, a woman of the family who supporting the Imperial Palace. When people behave carelessly, they are not worth looking at. And then I would tell them to play nice with each other, and I¡¯m going to live happily with the excess money. I want to try. Spend my money to the fullest. Especially I wanted to try it. I¡¯ll pay everything for there to here. Should I meet a guy? A guy who listens to me carefully, who¡¯s warm only to me, and he¡¯s kind and doesn¡¯t yell at me. Most of all, someone who doesn¡¯t betray me. You must have power, wouldn¡¯t it be possible to get someone with a good face and a lot of money? ¡°There¡¯s no way in the world that such person exists.¡± After bathing, I lay down on the sofa again. I didn¡¯t have the mood to do anything. I fell asleep, still leaving myself in the towel. Sleep was deep and sweet. I felt like I was sinking. As if never to wake up again. *** Today, the texture of the bedclothes felt so good to me. The mattresses seem to be exceptionally fluffy, too. I don¡¯t want to get up. I thought I would feel so crushed on the sofa, but I felt like I was getting a lot of sleep. I don¡¯t want to get up because it¡¯s so warm inside the blanket. Suddenly, I felt a sensation of alienation in it. Wait, why am I in the blanket? I¡¯m sure I was on the sofa. I live alone in my house, so there¡¯s no way anyone would have taken me to bed, and no one would have come and gone by because my parents were already died¡­. I¡¯m scared of this. I opened my eyes carefully and took a quick look at the surrounding. ¡°Where am I¡­.¡± Who kidnapped me while I was asleep? What is this luxurious interior? Where is this hotel? The bed is so big! My hair dropped over my body as I scrambled to get up. It¡¯s a black hair. This hair was different from my brown hair, which always stuck to bobbed short. As if dyed, the color is deep and rich in quality. My hair isn¡¯t this long? This is a hair that¡¯s been growing for years? I crept out of the bed, terrified. Once there was no one in the room. I don¡¯t know what kind of people who took me to this luxury place, but that person must be quite a pervert. I have a shiny wig on my head and a sky-blue princess¡¯ pajamas. I looked around to see if there was an escape hatch or something I could contact. However, no matter how many times I looked around, I could only see that this room was a replica of medieval European style. As I stepped forward to explore more in earnest, I saw a large full-body mirror. The pervert didn¡¯t do something weird again, right? I looked around and approach the mirror to see if I miss anything. And I could see it. A gorgeous black-haired beauty, who looks completely different from my face, was looking at me. The woman in the mirror was beautiful with a long hair like ebony and mysterious violet eyes. They have large yet unburdened eyes. It seemed attractive to have a slightly raised end of long eyelashes. Neither the features on her face were excessive nor lacking. This face moved my most ideal face in my dream to ideal position. It looked even more beautiful. It was the image that I imagined when I made a character in the game. It has perfect features and figure that can never be found in the real world. The question is, why is that goddess beyond the mirror I see? Is she the mirror girl? Looking behind the mirror, there is only a support, and the wall is empty. When I came back to the mirror, the woman in there is looking at me with her palm out above her eyes. No, that is what I¡¯m doing right now. T/N: I have not learned how to do footnotes yet, I¡¯m sorry. So this is the explanation: 1. [????/???????] it¡¯s a slang for satisfying feeling. ??? is originally a word for ¡®Sprite¡¯ in Korea. You know, when your stomach feels heavy, sprite helps you to be relieved and feel refreshing. Just like this, when you have something that makes you uncomfortable and feel pressured, if you say your complaints straight forward or make an action, you call it ¡®???(cider).¡¯ 2. ??? / Sweet potato = frustrating situation. It it because when you eat sweet potato, it makes you thirsty and stuffy. Chapter 4 As I moved my hands, the goddess¡¯ hands moved in the same direction as mine. Then, when I put my face closer to the mirror and looked inside, the goddess rapidly approached and gazed back at me. No, Goddess! Why are you following me? Looking at her reminded me of the Villainess in the novel that I saw before I fell asleep. A wicked woman with long black hair and violet eyes, described as all kinds of beauty. The look of the Villainess depicted in the novel matched the goddess in the mirror. ¡°Hahaha¡­.¡± This kind of situation I¡¯ve only read about? Is this realistically possible? The goddess in the mirror decided to understand the situation by laughing like I did. Yeah. I was too absorbed into the novel that I had a dream about it. ¡°My lady? Are you already awake?¡± The Villainess¡¯ maid opened the door and came in. Usually, I struggle to wake up from a dream, but I decided not to do so in this case. It¡¯s a dream where I can enjoy and experience a life in a diamond spoon, so why would I? I¡¯m going to enjoy myself until I wake up from this dream! What am I supposed to do here from now on? Ah, let¡¯s escape from the eyes of the main characters first. I will spend the excess money of the Villainess¡¯ family while letting the two of them have a romantic relationship. ¡°Just in time. You had to get up early today because you¡¯re going to attend Count Aswen¡¯s party, my lady.¡± ¡­.I¡¯m screwed up. Becky, the maid, stared at me strangely. Her master was holding the mirror and muttering something to herself since the morning. I¡¯m screwed up. I¡¯m totally screwed up. If you¡¯re going to dream about it, do it before she bothers the heroine! Why did you come here after she made enough fuss? I read this book mainly because of the Villainess, but I was able to remember the story because I read it right before I went to bed. A party hosted by Count Aswen. At the party, the Villainess had grabbed Iris by hair. Why did Raylene grab her hair? ¡°Lady, let¡¯s go wash up.¡± When I was dragged by the maid, I rolled my hair for a while. Was it because their clothes were in the same color? No. She did that before. Knowing that Iris had a secret meeting with the Crown Prince? No. She slapped her. Oh, yes. She called Iris a woman who lives by parasitism to a man, even though she doesn¡¯t have to. Let me know, sister! Why did you do that? You just went ahead and got into a fight, right? Nah, if you stand still, the heroine won¡¯t touch you, right? I¡¯ll just stay quiet and spend some money before I go back. Since this sister has a lot of money in her house, I¡¯m sure no one will be able to tell even if I use it. After finishing the bath, a cream with a good scent was applied to my body. I felt tired at the touch of the maid who massaged my body. It¡¯s awkward to have someone wash your body and get a massage naked, but when will I enjoy this kind of luxury? Let¡¯s enjoy it! I¡¯m ready to admire the power of a diamond spoon! ¡°Beautiful.¡± ¡°Yes. Of course. You¡¯re the best flower in the society, lady.¡± Becky replied with a grin when I looked into the mirror and admired my reflection. Guided by the maid, I made my way to the carriage waiting at the mansion¡¯s gate. The scenery of the mansion as I walked on had made me happier. No matter where you look, the word the best or top quality can be found anywhere. The painting and the statues in this mansion were all like that. All I saw was a touch of elegant art. It was the same when I first encountered the carriage. The carriage linked to four white horses was different from the image I had thought. The carriage, not square but in circular shape, was adorned with beautiful onyx stones. Filled with anticipation, I took the driver¡¯s hand and boarded the carriage, but my expectation was immediately broken. The ride on rough ground and unpaved road was not very good, I¡¯m getting motion sickness. How many times is my butt popping up and down?! Hang in there. Hang in there. I¡¯ll go to the party and watch the handsome guy and talk to him. I¡¯ve got a pretty face, I¡¯ve got to wear a gorgeous dress, and I must enjoy a flaming summer night. The carriage promptly stopped as the house of this Villainess¡¯s sister and the Count were close to the street. I was guided into the party by one of the Count¡¯s maids. As I entered the party hall, all eyes focused on me. Some turned their heads, clicking their tongues, some of them were looking at me with funny eyes like the eyes people throwing at animals at the eyes, and some came to me. ¡°Raylene! I was worried that you won¡¯t come because you missed the last Marquis¡¯ birthday party.¡± ¡°I heard you¡¯re sick. Are you okay?¡± ¡°You¡¯re pushing yourself too hard today, aren¡¯t you?¡± I instantly figured out who they were. They must be Raylene¡¯s followers. Those who hate her but stay by her side to cling to the Duke¡¯s power. I could under enough from their appearances just now. Saying they were worried but no one came to visit her, they were just trying to get Raylene out of the party. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Thank you for your concern.¡± When I answered with a smile, I smiled face to face, and their faces trembled. They tried to get Raylene¡¯s sweet fruit, but they seemed to be adept at hiding their emotions because they were still girls in their mid to late teens. The Villainess ¡­ who cares about her followers, why did you do that? Then a woman leaned out among the followers. A woman with pink curly hair down in a gold-colored ivory dress. I could guess her identity at a glance. If this dream is in the world of the novel, wouldn¡¯t there be only one woman with pink hair to encounter Raylene? ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Princess Raylene.¡± In the original novel, there is a law that allows a Villainess to meet the Heroine only when she makes moves. Why does she approached me now? Was there something like this in the original story? I tried in vain to remember the contents of the novel. Haha. I can¡¯t even remember because it was too late. Damn it. ¡°You don¡¯t even accept my greetings anymore.¡± A small and slender body with lips that was bitten similar to its own hair color. A sullen, hurt face. The sight made it look like I was doing something very wrong even though I didn¡¯t say anything. ¡°I knew you wouldn¡¯t like it, but I thought I¡¯d have to answer the question that Princess Raylene asked me last time, so I took the liberty of speaking to you first.¡± Oh, I remembered. About the reason why she grabbed the heroine¡¯s hair. ¡°How¡¯s my dress today? I wonder if Princess Raylene¡¯s eyes were stained¡­.?¡± That¡¯s it. The dress. Here we go. Dang. She came to see me. At the last tea party, the Villainess asked the Heroine, ¡°The miss from Viscount family wears that kind of poor dress? Even my pajamas are better. I guess it can¡¯t be helped.¡± When the Villainess went to the tea party, she wore a dazzling dress decorated with diamonds. She¡¯s gorgeous. I love her ability to wear that kind of dress to tea party. The tea party was hosted by a daughter of Count, one of Raylene¡¯s followers, who was immediately said, ¡°I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a good idea to let you join our tea party with those clothes, Iris.¡± She kicked the heroine out. The plan was successful because it was originally meant to humiliate Iris. However, after that incident, for Iris who was shaking at the fountain square, a sub-male character¡ªI don¡¯t know how many sub characters are there¡ªwent to a famous designer who only makes clothes for Dukes and Marquises. He gave the dress as a present for Iris. At that time, the sub-character said, ¡°This time, don¡¯t be discouraged.¡±. Iris blocked me today to carry out her mission well. ¡°Princess Raylene?¡± Someone tell me the right answer. It¡¯s the Villainess¡¯ fault. I understand that she¡¯s being humiliated and retaliated, but why should I be punished? No! I want to play! ¡°That¡¯s alright.¡± ¡°¡­.What?¡± You look at me like you heard something wrong. I don¡¯t want to mess with you and I don¡¯t have time to fight you. I¡¯m planning to play confusion. Chapter 5 Chapter 5 In the original novel, right after Raylene saw the dress that Iris wore, she realized that it was the clothes made by the same designer. And, she remembered that it was the dress that needed to be reserved in order to be worn in the next imperial palace¡¯s party. Raylene was angry. She thought without the slightest doubt that the prince gave it as a present. That¡¯s why she violently grabbed Iris¡¯ long hair and cursed her saying, ¡®a woman who doesn¡¯t own a single thing became parasitic to a man and lived on while selling her body. I understand, Eonni. I would be angry as well if there was something I¡¯ve been worried about buying or not, and what had been put within my shopping bag was sold out. Anyway, being angry or not. Of course, I would be worried when I saw the price. Regardless of how I was a woman in a modern city who lived her life wealthily while receiving a monthly wage, if I were to compare myself with this Eonni, it would be like a firefly in front of the Sun. Originally, rather than salaried people, those who were born with a silver spoon were the best. ¡°I said it¡¯s fine.¡± ¡°¡­?¡± ¡°It¡¯s pretty, huh.¡± ¡°¡­Yes?¡± ¡°It seems like it¡¯s a dress from designer Rosemary, the dresses from her are excellent. It fits you just fine, Iris.¡± ¡­Why are you looking at me like that? Iris¡¯ expression was like ¡®did she talk nonsense because she ate rat poison?¡¯. No, when someone lives their life, they can give compliments and the others can just pass by it, but what¡¯s up with her expression? Glancing to the side, Raylene¡¯s followers¡¯ expressions were more ridiculous. It was an expression that questioned my existence. ¡°Then, I hope you will enjoy the party.¡± Whether it¡¯s Han Beomjun or the Prince, those kinds of horny men, just take them all you want. Bad habits die hard, they would always say. The next time she sees him cheating, she would have to cry and squeeze her runny nose, so she could come to her senses. Live your life full of regret while babysitting brats like him all your life. I would live this dream using lots of my mountain-like piles of money and say, ¡®Oh my? The money still remains like a huge mountain, huh? Hohoho¡¯. I would live a life like this. ¡°It¡¯s a relief. I was worried Your Highness would dislike it.¡± Because I was looking at a party hall, thoughts of pulling my childhood friends¡¯ hands and going to a nightclub came up in my head. Is it similar to this place? If we met people we like, we would approach them and ask for a phone number, no, write a letter and ask for their home address¡­right? I was worried about it when Iris was holding me. ¡°What do you mean by this?¡± As Iris formed a smile that seemed kind no matter who was looking at it, she opened her mouth to reply to my question. ¡°If the designer was the same, the dresses¡¯ style would end up similar anyway. There are many ladies who dislike those things, that¡¯s why I am worried.¡± Iris¡¯ words seemed to explain the reason why I need to be mad. Ah, she was an audacious female lead. She got humiliated by the villainess but still returns the favor, that kind of character. ¡°Is that so?¡± Then does this mean that you need to get revenge on villainess Eonni? ¡°They say a lady¡¯s dress is her pride you know? Even though I don¡¯t really understand it.¡± She looked innocent and lovely as she put her index finger on her cheek and tilted her head sideways. ¡°Princess Raylene and I share the same thoughts, right?¡± It was obvious that Iris wanted to hurt my pride while looking at that dress. Realizing that it would be humiliating for a princess like Raylene to wear the same dress as someone from a mere ordinary clan like Iris. She must have wanted me, whose pride has been hurt, to go on a rampage here, right? Just like the original story. ¡°Whoa¡­So shameless.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Because I was so taken aback, I thoughtlessly spoke what was in my mind. It was a relief that I didn¡¯t curse here. How can someone who had an affair with another person¡¯s fiance be that shameless? If you think about it, it¡¯s not Eonni¡¯s fault! If she wasn¡¯t hitting on another person¡¯s fiance in the first place, everything would have been fine! So, is the fact that you¡¯re the female lead everything? Since you¡¯re the female lead, you can just enjoy a love affair with another person¡¯s fiance? What nonsense. I will punish her for Eonni. Justice will prevail. O, those romance fantasy novels that I had been spending my money on to read, please give me strength. ¡°I am not that small-minded, Iris. If I dislike it that much, I would have bought and gathered every dress from every designer in this continent.¡± Iris¡¯ gentle face stiffened and soon loosened again. It seems like that woman understood my words. With the noble family of Kandmion¡¯s wealth, it¡¯s possible to do that right? I¡¯m not bluffing an impossible thing, right? ¡°It¡¯s pretty, Iris. You don¡¯t know when you will have another chance to wear Rosemary¡¯s dress, so I hope you will enjoy this party.¡± After going through hardships to acquire the same dress as I have, don¡¯t show off anymore. Just wear it and go on your way. ¡°Oh, right. I hope you would not make the same mistake of showing up with the same dress for the second time due to your excitement. Goodbye.¡± I walked past that woman and went inside the party hall. I saw the woman clasp her dress tightly. It¡¯s a shame, right? Originally, Eonni would grab your hair, and even though she was furious, she would still fling her money around that she had been earning like crazy. ¡®Where did you put the dignity and pride of a noble! Please, Princess, don¡¯t forget the noble family¡¯s reputation that had been vigorously protected.¡¯As I thought of it, I destroyed Raylene, the female lead who has been showing a hostile behavior towards me. That¡¯s why I went out of the party hall with my head held up high. It¡¯s a relief. If I opened my eyes at that time, it would be obvious that I would be rolling by a couple of meters on the party hall¡¯s floor by now. To be honest, isn¡¯t it because Eonni rolled like crazy that it¡¯s no longer a situation to play a game? No matter what Eonni does, she would still be superior. No matter what Iris does through money, social power, clan¡¯s history, or lady¡¯s position, and even through justification, Eonni would still win. Well, even if I just shoved one card, I could scratch her pride deeply. I wondered, why was Raylene, who was said to be the flower among flowers of the high society, got called as the silly villainess and got people pointing their fingers at her. I wonder why Raylene, who was said to be the top flower among the flowers of the high society, got called as the silly villainess and made people point fingers at her. I began to see the light from the writer¡¯s perspective. Because when someone crossed the line and had what they shouldn¡¯t have, it could trigger the people¡¯s catharsis. If Raylene wasn¡¯t silly there was no way that Iris could win. ¡°How was Lady Iris able to wear a dress designed by Rosemary?¡± ¡°It is indeed expensive, but they also wouldn¡¯t sell it to a family that doesn¡¯t have great authority.¡± The words from the followers behind me were heard. Come to think of it, right after I came into my dream, I almost got involved in a quarrel, right? ¡°Maybe the Princ¡­¡± ¡°Feira.¡± It seemed like Raylene¡¯s guess wasn¡¯t wrong. I realized that those people were also thinking of the Prince when they saw that woman¡¯s dress. Miele hurriedly shut Feira¡¯s mouth who wanted to mention the Prince and looked at my face, but I didn¡¯t care that much. I didn¡¯t want to give the slightest bit of attention to a brat like him. Now, should we take a look around? I was worried about my expression because I may look awkward when I open the fan and sway it but I had become so skillful to the point where my body was familiar with it. As I think about it, a few designers¡¯ names that weren¡¯t shown in the novel came into my mind. I could remember the ladies¡¯ names right away as well. Because it was a dream, it seemed like I received lots of buffs ¡°Hm?¡± I saw every single one of people¡¯s faces who were staring at me curiously, wondering if I would cause some kind of ruckus today look disappointed I saw each of the people¡¯s faces who were staring at me curiously, they were wondering if I will cause some kind of ruckus today. They look quite disappointed since nothing happened. What¡¯s more important is the star that shines among them! In comparison to my eyes that needed lenses for it to function properly, Raylene¡¯s body has such good eyesight that I don¡¯t even need to use those anymore. As she realizes this, she was able to see a man¡¯s face who was standing while zoning out near the wall over there. Because it was a party hall, I was wondering if handsome men actually existed. I was going to look around searching for those, but I didn¡¯t expect that I would easily find him in one attempt. ¡°Miele, do you know who that is? It seems like this is the first time I¡¯m seeing that person.¡± I asked while looking at Miele who stood beside me. But why are all their expressions like that? The expression they¡¯re showing makes it seem like they came into a famous tasty restaurant. After they stood in line for an hour, they would say, ¡®this is heaven!¡¯, but would finish the food in a hurry. Then, in the last course of the meal, it¡¯s as if they spotted a cockroach. Aah, so their mood changed because of what I said earlier. They also weren¡¯t daughters from families who were that great. It was because they requested help from Raylene¡¯s noble family that they stayed with Raylene. ¡°He¡¯s Lord Cassion.¡± Lord Cassion? I looked at him closely as I heard Miele¡¯s introduction. Chapter 6 Chapter 6 A man who had brown hair and black eyes. I knew how that brown hair made him so handsome. That, of course, would be seen as dark blond if it was illuminated by the sun, and if it was dark, it would be seen as black. Brown was a common hair color, but it was uncommon for a brown hair to be that pretty. And look at that face! It is such an excellent face that even Hollywood actors cannot compare to it. It was no doubt that he would receive hundreds of casting proposals if he walked in the street right now. If that man showed up in a club, lots of women would stand in line for him. The thing that stands out the most is his expression. If I were to take a picture, title it ¡®Corrupted beauty,¡¯ and upload it to the community blog, thousands of people will be crying ¡®take me¡¯ in the comment section. ¡°He isn¡¯t a person worthy of your attention, Raylene.¡± ¡°¡­Why?¡± He is that handsome! How can you say he¡¯s not worth my attention! If he had a fan club I¡¯d want to be the president. ¡°He¡¯s a worthless, ordinary knight. His skill isn¡¯t that outstanding either. Count Aswen is the leader of 12 knights, but instead, it seems like he received an invitation from the other knights.¡± So what if he¡¯s an ordinary person or a noble. To be honest, as a Korean citizen, I lived in a world where everyone was equal and had the right to learn. Although not everyone can be equals. But if an ordinary person became a knight, doesn¡¯t that mean his skills are good? If he¡¯s a knight, it means he¡¯s a very strong person. A wave of information started to flow within my head. A knight who had the lowest rank between the 1st and 12th rank in knighthood. A knight who helped the soldiers with patrols or gate inspections in the outskirts of the capital. Usually, there were knights who stayed uninvolved and usually had no connection, skill, or status. ¡°He¡¯s handsome.¡± You¡¯re that handsome, what does having no ability and low status have anything to do with it. If you were born in South Korea, you would have been first in rank already. Why do you have to be abused here¡­ ¡°Yes?¡± Miele was looking at me with a startled expression. Of course, I was always looking at the Prince, no, she must be confused, because Raylene, who acted like the Prince¡¯s stalker, was complimenting a man¡¯s face that she saw for the first time. ¡°Hahaha.¡± Laughter was heard somewhere. It was a laugh that came from Raylene¡¯s followers. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Raylene.¡± Anastacia-Acia, hurriedly waved her hand and apologized. As she swung her hand in the air, she let me know that she was really embarrassed. ¡°No. It¡¯s okay. But did I say something funny?¡± ¡°No, it¡¯s just¡­ I was surprised that Raylene would speak to us¡­¡± ¡­What kind of person was the Villainess Eonni? She must have treated people with low status like how she would treat bugs¡­ It must have been like that. Did she think of ordinary people as livestock? If someone said a line like, ¡®If there¡¯s no bread, you can just eat snacks¡¯? it must be this Eonni who said that. ¡°So Acia understands my words!¡± So what. Now, I am inside Villainess Eonni¡¯s body. If people on the internet were looking at the golden spoon Eonni who dated the top class looking actor, they would think that they should live their only lives like that! They¡¯d think that, ¡®Whoa, that Eonni is very cool.¡¯ ¡°Yes? Yes¡­¡± As Acia¡¯s embarrassed face stiffened, she looked at her hand that I held with a puzzled look. ¡°To be honest, other ladies had their attention fixated on him as well. It¡¯s because he¡¯s ordinary, but very beautiful.¡± Sarah, who had the most cheerful personality among the followers, approached my side and babbled. Just like that. Beauty standards were different wherever you go, but everyone would pay attention in front of an absolute beauty. It had been a fact that since the early times, beautiful looks would attract both women and men. ¡°Ah¡­ of course, he can¡¯t be compared to the Prince.¡± Sarah added weight at the end of her words while looking into my eyes. ¡°It seems that they have different types of beauty. The Prince is quite radiant and beautiful, while Lord Cassion is¡­umm.¡± ¡°Right! It seems like he would loosen his shirt¡¯s buttons, approach us, then mess with my¡­Oh my, oh my!¡± So they were humans too. To think that noblewomen would enjoy this kind of conversation as well. It was nothing different to the conversations I shared with my friends in high school in my past. Ah, their ages were similar as well. Sarah giggled. Round face, round eyes. This face, that was covered with a couple of freckles, made her seem like a pretty tomboy. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that Raylene would use words such as corrupted beauty.¡± ¡°I am someone who¡¯s able to find a characteristic well.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing Raylene can¡¯t do.¡± It seemed like I felt more familiar with their reactions. The other followers had smiles on their faces rather than the unpleasant expression that they showed not so long ago. It seemed like I felt more familiar with their reactions. The other followers who had a rather unpleasant expression not long ago, now had smiles on their faces. Despite being noblewomen who were forced to be ladylike, they were still teenagers. ¡°You are right. Raylene, you might get criticism as well.¡± Ah, so a Princess can¡¯t dance with a commoner? ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± When can I ever hold the hand of someone that handsome again? But how do you ask for a dance? Can I just approach him and hold his hand then say, ¡°Let¡¯s dance! With me! Dance!¡¯ forcefully like that? ¡°Just let Raylene do what she wants. The Prince isn¡¯t here right now anyway. Since it¡¯s also my dream to dance with him just once, please make that dream come true instead!¡± Sarah¡¯s words made me shocked, and I looked at her. How come there¡¯s someone this kind. What was so wistful for you to stand by Villainess Eonni¡¯s side while hearing harsh words from her? ¡°I will do that.¡± At that time, a memory flashed in my head. The way for a lady to request a dance to the partner she wanted to be with. It seems like women in this place are really locked up inside a mold called ¡®lady¡¯, huh? In order to request for a dance, I need to send him a signal with my eyes? Why? Why can¡¯t I just go to him and ask him to dance with me? ¡°¡­I¡¯m asking this just in case, how can a lady ask for a dance?¡± For a moment, there was a pause among Raylene¡¯s followers. ¡°¡­ It seems that Raylene has forgotten how to do it because you have only been dancing with the Prince ever since you were a child! You can just send an eye sign to the person you want to dance with.¡± At the end of the short silence, Miele offset the awkwardness and spoke in a loud voice. It seemed like they were trying hard to cover up my behavior that wasn¡¯t ladylike according to their standards. No, you don¡¯t have to do that. I won¡¯t be able to live like you anyway. I just want to have fun, how come there are lots of suffocating things to consider! ¡­They did say, ¡®When in Rome, do as the Romans do. Well, I need to do it. Is there any other choice? ¡°If Raylene just looks at him, he will surely come to Raylene. You are the flower of the high society.¡± At this moment as well, they were praising me a lot. No, even if that wasn¡¯t it, Villainess Eonni¡¯s looks are overwhelming. Even though I come from a country with a developed medical technology, this face is a miracle. ¡°Good! I will try it once.¡± Sarah was looking at me with a happy face, Miele was at a loss, and Acia was just dumbfounded. The other two followers, Ros¨¦ and Feira, showed an excited face. Why do I feel like I¡¯m the subject of an experiment? Are you guys currently having some vicarious satisfaction in my stead? As I waved my fan and took a leisure pose, I started looking at him. How do you send him a signal using your eyes? Can you just look directly at his eyes? It¡¯s really hard to dance with a handsome man. After a while, it seemed like Lord Cassion felt my stare and was looking at me. ¡°Oh my, he turned his head this way.¡± ¡°It¡¯s because he¡¯s quite far, I can¡¯t see him clearly. ¡°Ah! He turned his head.¡± ¡°He looked again! He is looking here again!¡± I¡¯m honestly curious, you guys are enjoying this, aren¡¯t you? These women who covered their mouths with a fan, became commentators for his actions. I can feel their excitement in their conversations. ¡°Oh? He moved!¡± ¡°It seems like he changed his position.¡± ¡°He¡¯s looking here again.¡± Yes. Enjoy it. I¡¯ll sacrifice my body. According to them, if he felt my stare and turned to me, that¡¯s the first step. The second step was to check if there was someone else standing beside me, and the third step was to attempt to walk from his spot. Did he feel my stare that was following his movements? As I was thinking of this, he frowned. Whoa¡­ Corrupted beauty overload¡­ ¡°He¡¯s approaching us!¡± ¡°Oh my, really!¡± He approached us while frowning. Chapter 7 Chapter 7 Nervousness was hovering around us. The followers¡¯ lips that used to chatter were also closed tight. When he approached me until he was right in front of my nose, we got so nervous that we could already hear our heartbeats. Because I looked at him closely, I can say that his appearance was no joke. My jaw naturally dropped. It seemed like I was drooling. My goodness¡­ Is it possible to have a face like that in reality? Those dark eyes are a work of God. Those eyes did his corrupted beauty justice. He opened his ruby lips. ¡°Why do you keep looking at me?¡± Underneath the words that came out, lies a hidden meaning of ¡®What the heck are you looking at?¡¯ Ah, my burning heart cooled off painfully. My ideal type is a soft and calm man! Why! Why are you this tough! I turned away and raised my eyebrows as I looked at my followers. What kind of result is this! You told me to send an eye sign! Oh¡­ The followers were dumbfounded and couldn¡¯t say a word as they stuttered. Right, judging from Villainess Eonni¡¯s memories, usually a lady¡¯s stare always had a meaning of ¡®I have an interest in you. Come here, baby¡¯. It was unusual for a man to ask about it frankly like this. ¡°I didn¡¯t look at you.¡± He formed a displeased expression because of my words. ¡°I felt your stare, though.¡± I¡¯m embarrassed. I¡¯m so ashamed. Because when you looked at Villainess Eonni¡¯s face, she was a very beautiful woman, I thought the romance of the century would happen. What kind of situation is this, my amorous glance was thrown in vain. ¡°I told you I didn¡¯t look at you.¡± As I slightly looked at him beyond my fan, his dark pupils met mine. Ah, how can a face have a quality this high? Can¡¯t you just coincidentally go to my home and be the knight to guard me? Noona will give you lots of food and annual income. I will take care of your welfare, and is there also insurance here? Even though there isn¡¯t any, I will create one and make you a member. ¡°Are you saying my eyes were wrong?¡¯ ¡°Ah! I told you, I didn¡¯t look at you!¡± How come this situation¡­ It was as if a drunk man approached me in a pub and asked me to join the table and go for a second round persistently while clinging onto me, why. ¡°Do other people have the same thought as this person?¡± As I assertively maintained the attitude of ¡®I don¡¯t want to join the table. Ah, please go.¡¯ This time, I held my followers and dragged them along. ¡°Because you are handsome, she looked at you a little bit.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± ¡°Because you are handsome, I thought maybe you¡¯d want to dance with me, that¡¯s why I looked at you.¡± In the end, I had no choice but to tell the truth. He might not know about the lady¡¯s stare that wanted to request a dance. Thus, my thoughts went crazy. It was because they said a commoner knight didn¡¯t go to party halls that often. That would make my mood worse, but I should be honest, what can I do anyway. Lord Cassion showed displeasure because of my words at first, but then it became something like an ¡®aha¡¯ expression. He had a poker face but it was surprisingly easy to read his expression. ¡°So, I was impolite. I apologize.¡± ¡°No. Today is the first time I saw you, so it seems that you are not someone who attends a party often, I might have made a mistake.¡± He looked at my eyes for a moment and then let out a low chuckle. Whoa, to think that I can see that ¡®chuckle¡¯ in person¡­ So the popular chuckle that showed up in many novels looks like that. Whoa¡­ ¡°Excuse me. Then, please have fun.¡± After he excused himself, he left just like that. He didn¡¯t even look back ¡°Oh¡­?¡± This brat. When I read the novel, handsome men would be crying, telling me, ¡®I love you!¡¯ as if they¡¯re possessed, but why did you dump me right away just like that! I did meet a handsome man, but I couldn¡¯t even talk to him properly. That man seemed uninterested even though he looked at this Villainess Eonni¡¯s pretty face. He, who walked back to the wall he stood before, twisted his body and looked at me. Right! There¡¯s no way he didn¡¯t get the slightest bit of interest! ¡°He just¡­ left, huh.¡± Like Sarah¡¯s words, Cassion, who turned his body for a little while, firmly turned his back again and headed to the wall. ¡°You are right¡­¡± I got rejected, right¡­? If it¡¯s come to this, let¡¯s just have lots of fun using Villainess Eonni¡¯s money! Today is that situation-a vacation where I don¡¯t need to worry about money. ¡°He¡¯s a rather impolite person, huh.¡± ¡°It seems that he¡¯s like that because he doesn¡¯t attend parties often.¡± ¡°Well, he¡¯s a commoner so it¡¯s obvious that he doesn¡¯t know the basic party etiquettes.¡± As soon as he came back to the wall, the followers opened their mouths. ¡°Ah, but because he¡¯s too handsome, I couldn¡¯t say a word when he was near me¡­¡± ¡°Me too¡­¡± ¡°Raylene is awesome. You spoke directly to him. I was nervous, though.¡± ¡°No. I was nervous as well, but it seems like I got rejected.¡± I was nervous too, but because his character doesn¡¯t fit well with me, my heart got colder. Maybe if he was kinder and asked me to dance with him, he would have rode Villainess Eonni¡¯s carriage and we would have gone home together. ¡°To think that he rejected Raylene¡¯s offer. As expected, that commoner¡¯s eyes are strange.¡± ¡°He can¡¯t help it. He has been used to looking at common women; how can his eyes look at Raylene¡¯s beauty properly?¡± ¡°Oh my, it seems like that¡¯s most likely the case.¡± As I listened to their words, I scanned the party hall once again. My eyes that got higher standards because of Lord Cassion were looking at other men and¡­ Let¡¯s just turn my head away. Right, don¡¯t give up today. I am the reserved crown princess anyway, what¡¯s the use of me hunting menfolk? It¡¯ll be only me who will be at a loss if a lousy gossip were to form about it. Looking at Villainess Eonni¡¯s memories, in this aristocracy, men can look at other women and get away with it. But it seems that if women do the same thing, they would have to bear with all the fingers pointing at them. Because of that, the bratty Prince within the novel was able to act like a casanova. Dear writer, how many settings did you put to make this setup possible? You put a lot of effort just to justify the female lead who seduced the Prince. Really. At this time, Lord Cassion kept lingering in my mind. After I got ignored once, I can¡¯t stop looking at him¡­ Seriously, why don¡¯t you try coming into my home? Who knows? Maybe you can acquire benefits if you are being taken care of, despite the lack of skill you currently have. ¡­I need to hurry and break my engagement. Let¡¯s find a proper excuse this time. *** I looked at the sign of the building in front of me. ¡®A delicious cake shop.¡¯ A restaurant name that¡¯s made very simple, huh! Because it sounds fake, let¡¯s try to eat the cake to ascertain whether it¡¯s true or not! No, no, I didn¡¯t come here for this reason. If I didn¡¯t remember, I would definitely end up buying a cake, right? I stopped looking at the sign and came in after opening the door. Then, as soon as I went into the shop, a couple of cakes were displayed. It might be because the cakes were truly delicious, but the reason why I wanted to try them is because there were lots of varieties to choose from. Moreover, the figures of the cakes made them look beautiful. But shamefully, I did not come here for the cakes. ¡°Welcome- How can I help you?¡± A woman with orange hair that stood on the counter asked cheerfully. ¡°A takeout of steak cake.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°Steak cake!¡± After the orange-haired woman exchanged glances with me, she grinned. ¡°How would you like it done?¡± ¡°Well done. Until it¡¯s cooked well.¡± ¡°Yes, dear customer. Please wait for a moment because I need to escort you to the second floor.¡± The woman grabbed a paper. After she jingled the bell a couple of times, a slender man came out from the side door connected to the kitchen. I was escorted to the second floor. Once I reached the second floor, there were a couple of arranged tables where the customers could eat cakes. Perhaps it was a normal business after all. The man reached the second-floor wall, tapped a pattern, then a door deftly opened and guided me inside. There was a middle aged man sitting there. ¡°What information do you want to get here? In our information lounge, we collect the deposit separately, listen to the request, and then pay us an extra¡­¡± Clink I threw the coin bag containing gold coins to the table without a hitch. And gave him the biggest smile that I could ever create. ¡°Get the guild master.¡± Chapter 8 Chapter 8 Unlike Villainess Eonni, who had a lot of fun until the end of the party, I came home early in the middle of the party. It might be that Raylene¡¯s followers would play more comfortably without me, but they didn¡¯t stop me. ¡°Becky.¡± ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡± I took a bath and came out¨Cmy body was washed lavishly again¨Cand called Becky, a maid who combed my hair and dried it. ¡°I want to spend my money. Who should I talk to?¡± No matter how much I searched the memories of Villainess Eonni, I don¡¯t remember her sprinkling around gold coins. ¡°Is there something that you want? Shall I go to the shop and take it for you?¡± If someone heard that, they would think you¡¯re a thief, Becky. When I looked into Raylene¡¯s memory, I couldn¡¯t remember buying or calculating anything at all. It seemed like Becky was the one calculating all the small bills or the bills from the stores that were sent to the family. ¡°No, I¡¯m not trying to buy anything. There¡¯s something I want to know, so I¡¯m going to the Information Guild, but to go there, I need money.¡± ¡°The Duke¡¯s family¡¯s sources also have an outstanding skill, why would you have to go there?¡± It was a place that collected the continent¡¯s money for business and had spanned for generations, so the information wouldn¡¯t ever go down Of course, if the information were related to money, it would be supported by an excellent source, and any information would be available soon. But that¡¯s not what I want to know! ¡°I need to find out without my Dad knowing, that¡¯s why.¡± ¡°A few days after going to the Information Guild, I bet he will know what kind of information you found out, right?¡± ¡­ What on earth can¡¯t you do in Eonni¡¯s house? ¡°But, there¡¯s a thrill in doing it secretly.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s for sure.¡± Becky¡¯s laughter was heard at the back of my head. Maybe she thought it was a secret of an adolescent girl. It¡¯s not like that though. I will do something a little bit more brutal! I¡¯m going to do something very scary, you know? ¡°I know that the head maid is in charge of Raylene¡¯s allowance. Should I tell her to bring it to you?¡± ¡°Right. If she gives it, then I¡¯m thankful.¡± ¡°How much do you need?¡± I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know the prices here. I¡¯ve never seen Villainess Eonni spend her money so I couldn¡¯t make a standard. ¡°I don¡¯t know how much my allowance is, so I¡¯ll have to look at it first and get some.¡± ¡°Yes. Then I¡¯ll prepare the documents for you when you wake up tomorrow.¡± ¡°Ah! Please tell me where the Information Guild is.¡± The hand that was combing me stopped for a moment, and soon I heard the sound of laughter. I know that very well. If you were to find out about it, it¡¯d immediately reach Duke Kandmion¡¯s ears. * * * The next morning, I learned about the location and how to use the Information Guild through Becky. I could also see with my eyes how much my allowance was. ¡°How much is this?¡± ¡°A little less than 50 billion jennies.¡± ¡°No, I mean, how much is this worth?¡± Becky pondered and replied shortly. ¡°You can build a castle with it, right?¡± Has this Eonni been thrifting and saving her money for 18 years? How is this money an allowance? Based on what Becky said, I can build a skyscraper in Korea using this, right? ¡°Are you disappointed because it¡¯s too small? Don¡¯t worry too much about how much you use because the Duke usually pays through your family name, not your allowance.¡± So it means that those really are my money¨Cmoney for Raylene to play, eat, and be luxurious without a single thing left, right? ¡°¡­ That¡¯s small?¡± ¡°Pardon? No, for me, this is massive money, of course! But I don¡¯t think it¡¯s a lot of money for the Duke of Kandmion.¡± ¡­ Long live diamond spoon! Long live! Long live! The scale is so different. This isn¡¯t even an installment savings account, and it¡¯s given to me for when I want to use cash, or when I want to have fun spending it. But that¡¯s worth a building, you say? How much money does this house really have¡­ I was so touched that I teared up. ¡°Becky, how much would it cost to buy a house here in Maswellan district?¡± ¡°My house is a two-story house in Comowell, and I think it was about 2 billion jennies. Wouldn¡¯t a mansion in Maswellan district be five times more expensive?¡± The Maswellan district was the central part of the city, inhabited by high-ranking aristocrats or wealthy aristocrats above the count. Comowell district was about the size of a small land inhabited by viscounts, barons, or counts who were short on money. Both of them were aristocratic zones formed around the Imperial City, but they had differences in their value, so what Becky said was right. ¡°If I spend about 2 billion jennies today, it won¡¯t be that apparent from my allowance, right?¡± ¡°Of course. Are you probably going to buy a mansion?¡± Becky asked with her eyes wide open. ¡°No. Just helping the needy?¡± ¡°Yes?¡± ¡°I signed the documents here. Take it to the head maid and receive my money.¡± ¡°Yes. I understand.¡± Having received 2 billion jennies, I gave Becky money for her hard work on the errand¨CI gave her 10 million jennies. It seems like I won¡¯t forget Becky¡¯s emotional expression after receiving the money for a while. I put the remaining 100 million jennies in a separate leather pocket carefully, then tied it up. I put everything into a pretty bag containing lightweight and reduction magic, and then I made my way to the Information Guild. *** ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± ¡°I told you to bring me the guild master.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re going to ask me to do it¡­¡± Jingle I wanted to do this kind of thing. Don¡¯t you think this is the best way of spending money like crazy? Look at me, Becky. I¡¯m doing something very violent and scary, right? I¡¯m throwing money on the ground. ¡°It¡¯s 100 million jennies per pocket. Is it not enough?¡± The man opened the leather pocket with a suspicious look on his face. And then he looked at me with a shocked face. ¡°May I know your reason for searching for the master¡­¡± Jingle ¡°First of all, bring him here.¡± I can see the man¡¯s eyes were shaking. I can see his pupils dilate as well. You¡¯re in conflict right now, aren¡¯t you? If you stretch this out some more, will more money come, or will this woman get annoyed then take all the money and disappear? ¡°May you speak to me first¡­¡± Alright! Get four more of these! ¡°Urgh.¡± Man, you need to keep a straight face. A straight face. The man¡¯s eyes expanded as if they were about to pop out. ¡°Will you bring him or not?¡± ¡°Please wait for a moment!¡± The man took a total of seven pouches in his arm and disappeared through a door connected beside him. What if he ate it and carried them all away? My 700 million jennies¡­ anxiety suddenly struck me. The Information Guild was said to be severely exaggerating their prices to the misers, but let¡¯s trust them since they said the commission was highly reliable. If he ate them and ran away, I shouldn¡¯t forgive him. I should do whatever I can to get it back. It might be that he felt my concern and anxiety across the door; the man quickly came back into the room. ¡°I have contacted him, but he said it will take quite some time.¡± ¡°How long?¡± About an hour¡­¡± ¡°I will add one pouch for every shortened five minutes.¡± ¡°Wait for a moment!¡± The man hurried out of his chair and headed to the next room. It looked like there was a house to live in there, but it was a very swift move. In less than a minute, the door in the next room opened again. And what appeared this time wasn¡¯t a middle-aged man, but a young man with messy, dark blue hair. ¡°It¡¯s not five minutes yet, right?¡± He spoke casually even though he knew I was a noblewoman. I put out a dozen leather packets in front of him. He looked at them and opened them carefully, then checked the money one by one. I had no choice but to stare blankly at him. Why? His face isn¡¯t realistic as well. There was only one reason why I came here. I wanted to see the Master of Mozyr Information Guild who helped Iris. If it weren¡¯t for him, Iris wouldn¡¯t have any reason to pick a fight with me at the last party, right? I almost got pointlessly ripped off by the female lead from day one. So I feel wronged, no, why should I feel wronged? That¡¯s why I wanted to see the face of the substitute male lead who threatened Rosemary and snatched the dress. But why did you get the role of a substitute male lead with that face? Chapter 9 Chapter 9 ¡°Ha! Haha.¡± Along with a mysterious laugh, the man was counting his money excitedly. With navy blue hair and striking blue eyes, he looked exactly like a bunch of handsome villains from movies combined. If you watched him in a movie, he would have the role of a villain and act like an as*hole, but you would still hope that he wouldn¡¯t die because he¡¯s handsome. Oh, my dear, you can do whatever you want. Do bad things as well. Do you want to conquer the world? Then I will give you my bankbook. Use it as your funding. A face that gives you no choice but to be like this¡­ My heart, which was fluttering when I saw Cassion a few days ago, started going crazy again. Iris must have done wonderful things in her past life for her to be surrounded by so many good-looking men! I¡¯m jealous! I¡¯m so jealous! He¡¯s pretty competent as well, right? Master of Information Guild and Assassination Guild¡­ ¡°Why were you looking for me?¡± He asked, looking at me with a satisfied look after he counted all the money. He was still grinning from ear to ear. Ah! His face is shining. Don¡¯t smile! Don¡¯t- don¡¯t sparkle your eyes like that! ¡°I just wanted to see the face of the petty blackmailer who went crazy over a woman and even stole.¡± His face stiffened for a moment, and then he stared at me without saying anything. I stood from my seat, my purpose had been fulfilled. I was here to give him an implicit warning. I knew you helped in humiliating me. Now that I see you freeze like this, you just proved me right. Hmm, I¡¯ve always wanted to try throwing money on the ground. It wasn¡¯t really my money, so it wasn¡¯t a waste. Aah, it¡¯s fun! ¡°What?¡± ¡°What do you mean, what? That¡¯s all.¡± No matter how handsome he is, he¡¯s someone else¡¯s man. What¡¯s the point of drooling? That¡¯s why they say that if a man is handsome, he either has a woman, is married or has a child, and if it is neither of those, then he has a boyfriend. ¡°¡­That¡¯s it? You just spent money like that and you¡¯re done?¡± He asked as I turned my back, heading towards the door. Hmm. Is there anything else I want to say to him? ¡°You¡¯ve earned a lot of money today, so make sure you pay Rosemary for the dress.¡± I turned my back and walked out of the door, leaving only those words. Rosemary¡¯s dress is quite expensive. How wary will they be of me? No matter how crazy you are about women, you can¡¯t hurt anyone. Nope. I shouldn¡¯t meet a man like that, he¡¯s a bad guy. So, goodbye. ¡­Damn, I envy you. Iris! *** ¡°Lucas, did that woman go?¡± The next room¡¯s door opened, and a man of similar age with the man called Lucas entered the room. ¡°Even if the Duke of Kandmion is rich, she just threw 2 billion jennies in just a few minutes and left.¡± The man named Lucas had his hands folded and rested his chin on it without saying a word. ¡°What on earth was her request? How much did you get in advance? I wonder how much more she spent, because she spent that much only to meet you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s exactly 1.89 jennies. And she didn¡¯t even ask for a request.¡± ¡°What?¡± Looking at his friend¡¯s astonished face, Lucas recalled the woman he saw earlier. A woman with black hair and jewel-like, violet eyes, Raylene. She was very different from how Iris described her to be. She didn¡¯t say anything directly, but it seemed to him that she was an arrogant woman who didn¡¯t take anybody seriously. Iris always described her as annoying, full of insults, and deliberately made fun of her. But the Raylene he met today, though she threw 1.9 billion jennies and showed off, she didn¡¯t do or say anything to insult him. And she wanted him to pay for that dress. He paid for it, even though he threatened Rosemary to give it to someone she didn¡¯t want to sell to. If what Iris had said was right, then would a person like Raylene who purposely insults others think of other people¡¯s situations? ¡®There¡¯s no way that¡¯s right.¡¯ He remained silent with his chin propped on his hands for a while. The man who opened the door and entered the room respected his silence. ¡°Levan, I think I¡¯ll buy you an aristocratic title.¡± The designer said the dress he gave to Iris had already been reserved by a princess. That¡¯s why he chose it. It was clear that Iris and the princess would meet at the party and confront each other over the dress. And the princess came here to find out who put her to shame. *** Iris, according to her words, an arrogant woman such as Raylene, who doesn¡¯t see anyone but herself wouldn¡¯t have come all the way here just for this. Suddenly, curiosity and displeasure dominated him. Why did he judge someone by only listening to other people¡¯s words? Information is objective, but he had been biased. ¡®Raylene loves to wear Rosemary¡¯s dress the most. Wearing such an expensive dress makes my clothes look like pajamas. I don¡¯t really have a choice.¡¯ Did Iris intend to make him choose this dress then? ¡®I¡¯ll have to find out the truth with my own eyes.¡¯ ¡°What happened to the person who couldn¡¯t even spend 1 jennie without shaking?¡± Lucas laughed as he swept up his navy blue hair when Levan asked him a teasing question. As his messy bangs were swept up, his blue eyes that resembled the sky were clearly seen and were shaped into a crescent moon. His smiling face looked like a villain who found something interesting. As if he¡¯s planning to do something bad. ¡°¡­Who knows.¡± Lucas smiled as he thought of something. He liked money. Money will never betray you. Having a huge sum of money can make him live a happier life than anybody else. ¡°I may have fallen for her.¡± Levan was shocked at what his friend had just said. Didn¡¯t his friend love money more than anything in this world? ¡°Did you fall for that woman or her possessions?¡± ¡°Maybe both?¡± Iris. The woman I coincidentally ran into. Though an aristocrat, she lives a tough life. A woman who tries to put on a bright persona, but cries in secret when nobody is watching. It felt like he was seeing his miserable past in her, so he kept wanting to help her. Was what she showed him true? Or was he biasedly just looking at her? He couldn¡¯t get rid of his discomfort. He started to suspect that Iris¡¯s coaxing had driven him to make bad judgments and choices. He felt ashamed for innocently accepting everything she said without being suspicious or doubtful. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a woman who¡¯s pompous enough with money.¡± However, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to confide in his friend and business partner. After all, Lucas had an enormous pride. ¡®Let¡¯s change the topic.¡¯ ¡°¡­You¡¯re an oddball too.¡± ¡°Why? A woman with that kind of ability is cool, no?¡± ¡°What you find as cool is her ability to spend that money you love so much¡­¡± Looking at his friend, Lucas smiled. It¡¯s true that he was curious about that woman. *** I got out of the store and climbed into the carriage with the help of the escort. Today, for the sake of secrecy, I came in a simpler and smaller carriage, only pulled by two horses. ¡­They would all recognize me, right? ¡°Have you finished your business here?¡± Becky, who was waiting for me outside the carriage, followed me. She was so nonchalant as though she didn¡¯t worry about me when I said I¡¯d go in without taking a knight or maid with me. Then again, in this Empire, nobody in their right mind would want to cross paths with this villainess that I¡¯m possessing. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°What about the commission?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve helped out my underprivileged neighbor?¡± Becky looked at me as though she had no idea what I was talking about. ¡°Shush, you don¡¯t need to know. If you do, you might get hurt.¡± The horseman announced that we¡¯d be departing, and soon the carriage took off. ¡°Becky, I¡¯m thinking of starting a carriage business.¡± ¡°Busi¡­ness?¡± Why does she look so nervous? Ah. Villainess Eonni already screwed up twice, didn¡¯t she? I really don¡¯t understand how one could fail with such a huge funding capacity. Based on Raylene¡¯s memory that is. The first business she opened was the perfume business. However, Iris¡¯s unique bottle design included adding the name of each customer on the bottle like a brand, which was welcomed greatly among the nobles. Raylene, on the other hand, who opened a regular perfume business without any tactics, could not keep up with the fancy and luxurious strategy and failed. The second one was the textile business. Raylene set out Chiffon Velvet, while Iris put up Muslin. Raylene was defeated at last year¡¯s fashion trend. When the crown prince gave a pair of Muslin gloves to the empress and princess, causing Muslin to become a fashion trend. While reading the novel, I¡¯m sure that Raylene was described to be very smart, but it looks like she isn¡¯t smart enough when it comes to business. Also, Raylene was described to be the flower of society, so why can¡¯t she keep up with the trends? As expected, the novel is always on the heroine¡¯s side. I finally understood Becky¡¯s expression. I¡¯m not a businesswoman, nor have I even opened a business, so will I be able to pull it off? I lived my life working for an IT company, but it¡¯s not like I can use that skill here¡­ Chapter 10 Chapter 10 ¡°My backside always hurts every time I ride a carriage.¡± ¡°I agree, no matter how good the carriage is, it¡¯s still uncomfortable.¡± Becky strongly agreed with what I said. Women wear uncomfortable dresses and ride carriages all the time, but it becomes especially unbearable when the carriage passes through unpaved roads. Even if I had to ride a car in India, it would still be so much better than this. ¡°The outer appearance of the carriage looks impressive, but why couldn¡¯t anybody improve its riding conditions? It¡¯s so uncomfortable wearing a dress and riding the carriage.¡± Men, too, would be uncomfortable riding carriages. However, it is incredibly challenging and hard for women to endure the uncomfortable ride, as they have to maintain a straight posture throughout the journey to prevent their dresses from wrinkling or falling apart. ¡°Well, isn¡¯t it because noble women should be virtuous all the time? Or because they shouldn¡¯t show their discomfort?¡± ¡°What kind of nonsense is that? Aren¡¯t women human beings too? Voicing out what makes people uncomfortable is what makes the world advance.¡± Usually, it¡¯s the little discomfort that pushes the world towards development. Becky seemed moved by what I had just said. ¡°Miss is probably the only one who thinks like this.¡± Well, it¡¯s true. The women of this world are busy competing on who is the most ¡®lady-like¡¯ while pulling others down. Why do they have to undermine their opponent and bring them down at the expense of their own discomfort? It really doesn¡¯t make sense. But then again, the same goes for Korea. It was a place where the competition was excessive. Who had a better appearance, took better care of their body, had good specifications, met a perfect match, or whose life worked out the best, etc. Why does one have to live trying to meet other people¡¯s standards? So what if a person¡¯s appearance is not so great, what if after eating delicious food, they gained some weight, what¡¯s so wrong about that. Everyone¡¯s standard of happiness is different. And as for me, I cannot stand this discomfort anymore! Getting a little motion sickness from all the rattling the carriage was making, I opened the window to get a little air when some familiar figures caught my attention. Oh! A handsome man with a curly, pinked-haired, rabbit-like woman. ¡°Becky! Look over there! There!¡± Following the direction where my finger was pointing, Becky also pushed her head out the window. ¡°What is it, my lady?¡± ¡°That pink hair!¡± Were you also one of the male side characters? How many fishing rods does she have spread around! It¡¯s as though this whole world is her fishing ground! You, author thing. What kind of hormones did you give her? I want some too! Sir Cassion, who seemed as though he went through the whole market, had his hands full of paper bags while Iris walked alongside him. I guess it was fortunate that Sir Cassion¡¯s expression wasn¡¯t affectionate. Looks like he still hasn¡¯t fallen under the female lead¡¯s spell. The carriage passed by them quickly, and a thought suddenly popped into my head. All the other guy¡¯s beside Iris had some kind of skill or talent, does that mean that Cassion also has skills beyond an average knight? *** ¡°You women dare have meat on your table and eat!¡± The table that was set on the ground, flipped upside down. ¡®That¡¯ grabbed Mother¡¯s hair while breathing heavily. ¡°So-jin collapsed this time due to lack of nutrition. What are you doing to a kid who¡¯s studying diligently¡­¡± ¡°Studying? She¡¯s a girl, how dare you interfere and say she wants to study. You¡¯re just making me pay hospital bills for no reason¡­ I should¡¯ve just put her to work in a factory right after graduating from middle school.¡± ¡®That¡¯ kicked the table several times while his hands still grasped Mother¡¯s hair. I sat there, spoon in my hand, frozen. I was terrified. I didn¡¯t want to resist and get hit. If I fought back, I wouldn¡¯t be able to graduate from high school and I would also get stuck in a factory, working. ¡°Since you¡¯re studying now, go find yourself a good husband so that you can support this household¨Cand don¡¯t dream about going to university.¡± ¡°Why is it so noisy? I can barely concentrate on studying.¡± The door next to the living room creaked open and the familiar face of my little brother came into view. Here I was, being scolded for trying to eat a few pieces of meat left behind after my brother ate to his heart¡¯s content, while he just looked like he had just come out of bed. ¡°Oh, did my Woo-jin finish studying? What is a man doing out of his room just because of a little noise? Now, now, go back into your room, and continue with your studies.¡± ¡°I was so immersed but not anymore. I¡¯ll go get some air and come back.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you taking money with you? A man¡¯s pocket should always contain money.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have money with me! Dad, give me a little.¡± The hand that was grabbing Mother¡¯s hair let go. He then took out several 10,000 won bills from his pocket and gave them to Woo-jin. I¡¯ve never received money from ¡®That,¡¯ not even once. Woo-jin went out just like that after receiving the money. ¡®That¡¯ kicked the table one more time then headed towards the room. ¡°Soo-jin, Mom is sorry. Mom is really sorry.¡± Mother spoke quietly while clasping both her hands to her mouth. I let out the breath I was holding. Then slowly used the spoon to shove some rice into my mouth. While chewing, I thought, it was sad that I won¡¯t be able to eat food anymore. I couldn¡¯t do anything in front of ¡®That¡¯. I was scared and I didn¡¯t want to be sick anymore. I couldn¡¯t even think of running away. He said that we have to live under his protection because he¡¯s protecting us. But won¡¯t I be able to live by myself when I become an adult? If I¡¯m no longer young, then will I no longer need anyone¡¯s protection? ¡°My pretty and smart daughter, Mom is sorry for not being able to do anything.¡± I picked up the fallen table and all the side dishes that were on the floor and put them back into the plastic containers. Though we had a table, I never once ate a decent meal, and though we had glass plates, I was never allowed to use them because I was a woman. ¡°Don¡¯t apologize. I¡¯m very thankful to you. Just wait until I¡¯m 20. When I become 20 years old I¡¯ll leave first, then you should go and live your life doing the things that you want to do Mom. I¡¯m sorry.¡± I know that Mother is an adult. She doesn¡¯t need anyone¡¯s protection, and that she¡¯s just enduring 18 years of being bound just for my sake. Glancing through the kitchen window, instead of being greeted with bright sunlight, all I could see was the half-covered ground. ¡°Mom, I¡¯m going to work harder so that I¡¯ll be able to survive on my own without relying on anybody.¡± The iron bars placed on the window felt constraining. This house was underground. This house that I¡¯ve lived in all my life since I was born. This house is where I am again today. In this basement house, where it was wrong to be born as a woman. When I was younger, my dream was to escape from that house. To protect myself, I¡¯ve made up my mind. I wanted to succeed, and for them to witness my successful attempt. Then I opened my eyes. Looking around, I could see that this wasn¡¯t the place where my family and I lived. It wasn¡¯t my house nor a European Medieval-ish styled room. ¡°¡­I was scared.¡± It was still dark. I raised my body and hugged my knees. I thought that it was rather fortunate, that I was here and that this was my reality. 10 years have passed since then and I¡¯m still unable to break free from that place. How much more do I have to achieve to change? I¡¯m still afraid of ¡®him.¡¯ Mother, how were you able to overcome all that? Why didn¡¯t you tell me anything before leaving? I miss you. ¡°I didn¡¯t know that I¡¯d be so relieved that this was all a dream.¡± I wanted to cry but tried not to. After Mother left, I never cried again. Mother told me to live confidently and I had to obey her. When morning came, Becky made her usual visit to Raylene¡¯s room. When she opened the door, she saw the lady burying her head between her knees. ¡°My lady? Are you alright?¡± Becky¡¯s lady, Raylene, raised her head and smiled awkwardly. It was the first time since serving Raylene that Becky had seen such an expression. ¡®Did she have a nightmare?¡¯ Becky thought, ¡°If she¡¯s going to smile with that kind of face, it would have been better if she would just cry without holding back.¡± Chapter 11 Chapter 11 Section Two: Fallen Angel ¡°Becky. I have nothing to do.¡± I¡¯ve been in a bad mood since this morning. I never thought that I¡¯d dream about that again. I¡¯m already content and happy living this life but to suddenly dream about something that I¡¯ve already erased from my memories, felt like some deity was playing tricks on me. ¡°¡­You have nothing to do?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Of course, there was nothing to do besides relaxing, eating, sleeping, and pooping. That¡¯s all the work I have to do. I don¡¯t need to slave myself nor study tenaciously to live a good life. All I need to do is just exist. How great is that! The only problem is, for a person who has experienced modern civilization, this life was too boring. ¡°But you have this many party invitations that arrived?¡± There were indeed invitations piling up on the small table in my room, just as Becky had pointed out. Five days. It¡¯s only been five days since I¡¯ve given myself a holiday, but in these five days, I¡¯ve already received a ton of invitations. As expected of Duke Kandmion¡¯s influence, even his vicious daughter gets this many invitations. ¡°I think you should start going to parties now. Staying at home too much as a lady isn¡¯t appropriate.¡± ¡°Can you stop with the whole ¡®lady¡¯ thing?¡± ¡°Behaving like a lady is the true etiquette of a noblewoman. Miss¡± Becky didn¡¯t nag me that much anymore, but she kept putting the word ¡®lady¡¯ at the end of every sentence whenever she could. Going and experiencing a party once was more than enough. Though it didn¡¯t seem that entertaining. ¡°I want to go sightseeing in the Noniwell district.¡± Noniwell is a district where rich commoners live. They wanted to resemble the aristocrats, so they kept their district clean while attempting to offer lots of unique entertainments. In other words, unlike the boring aristocratic district, there are lots of things to do there. Other nobles often went there to sightsee and eat street food, but Raylene seems to have never gone there, seeing as there are no memories about that place at all. ¡°Then you¡¯ll have to wear something more casual.¡± I thought that she would oppose the idea, but Becky agreed right away and started to prepare for the trip. Thinking about it, she doesn¡¯t seem that worried about the one and only, precious daughter of the Duke, and her only master. ¡°I¡¯ll send word to the knights that Miss is going to the Noniwell district!¡± ¡°Do knights have to change clothes too?¡± ¡°Of course! They¡¯ll be accompanying you in secret so they also have to be dressed accordingly!¡± As she was talking, she called the waiting-maid and relayed the information to her. What a skillful child indeed. Even though Villainess Eonni frequently reprimanded and changed maids, Becky, the daughter of Raylene¡¯s nanny, was the only one who stuck by her side and protected her. She was able to work well with Raylene due to her flexible personality. If I had taken her with me back to Korea, she would have had a great social life. While the maids were working on my hair and makeup, the competent child went ahead and bought a light dress that Raylene would never wear. ¡°Thankfully, I had prepared some dresses for these kinds of situations.¡± Look at you, always so well prepared. The style of the light lemon-colored dress was simple, and it was worn with only a light underskirt. The maids styled Raylene¡¯s hair up in a ponytail and gave her a wide hat with the same color as the dress. The knights dressed in simple clothes were all assembled (I heard this from Becky later on, but apparently, they were glad they prepared some light attire just in case a day like this would come) outside, waiting for me. Riding the carriage of horror, I decided to look out the window to try and avoid getting motion sickness. Slowly, I started to notice the change of scenery. There were walls built to separate each district, but the further away from the Palace we went, the smaller houses and roads became. Seeing this gap that existed between the rich and poor made me quickly realize how lucky I was to have possessed Raylene¡¯s body. Just that thought alone was enough to bring me down. However, that thought didn¡¯t last very long because soon, all I could focus on was how to keep my backside from breaking by holding onto the window frame, and how to keep breathing. Other novels didn¡¯t have anything about painful carriage rides, but why is this novel so realistic! ¡°Miss, we have arrived.¡± Becky, who was also dressed in a similar outfit, called out to me. After barely getting out of the carriage, I had to wait until the carriage and horse were parked and was even told that we had to walk for 20 minutes before reaching the district center. There better be some amazing things for me to see after all these hardships. There were definitely lots of people walking around. The street called Marswell was a little empty except for the carriages and horses passing by, but there were lots of big, shiny shops. A pet shop caught my eye while I was looking here and there, and I quickly approached the shop as if possessed by something. It was when I was looking at all the cute dogs and cats that I heard a voice speak. ¡°Lady Kandmion, what brings you here?¡± Whoever it was that spoke did a good job. I was just about to scream from how cute these animals are. Cute. So cute! ¡°Sir Cassion?¡± What is the person who¡¯s supposed to be on the outskirts of the city doing here? Looking at his 12th sector knight¡¯s uniform, I felt that somehow, if only he unbuttoned a few buttons and sat anywhere on the street with a bottle in his hand, he would be able to seduce any woman who passes by him. Ah, I¡¯ll be the first one to fall for him just by imagining it. ¡°What brings you here, sir? A frown fell on his face but then quickly disappeared, face immediately returning to normal. It appeared and disappeared so quickly, I thought I had mistakenly seen it. ¡°I have been asked to come to aid the safety troops.¡± A commoner knight that belonged to one of the lowest ranking knight sectors. Looking at his face, he seems young. He must have an extremely hard time being summoned here and there. ¡°Have you been able to solve the problem?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Helping the safety troops wasn¡¯t an easy thing, but looking at his condition, it must have gone well. That¡¯s a relief. I¡¯m glad no scar has appeared on that precious face of his. ¡°How about you Lady Raylene, why are you here?¡± ¡°Sightsee¡­¡± Hold up. Wouldn¡¯t it offend someone on duty if I said that I was here because I was bored? It makes me feel like an irresponsible 2nd generation rich kid who has money and power but doesn¡¯t take on any responsibilities! Well, but it is true¡­ Is this Korean nature? To feel guilty for doing nothing even in a dream. ¡°¡­I¡¯m doing market research.¡± Cassion¡¯s eye looked at the shop I was gazing at, then went back to look at my face. That blatant look he gave me was enough to make me feel embarrassed. I turned my head away, unable to look at him. Topic. Let¡¯s change the topic! ¡°Sir Cassion, is your job very arduous?¡± He looked at the dogs and cats one more time, nodding at whatever thought that came into his head, then he moved his head to look at me again. ¡°A commoner like me should be grateful for being able to do this job.¡± His words were sarcastic and felt a little bitter. ¡°If you ever decide that the job doesn¡¯t suit you well, you¡¯re welcome to come and knock on the Kandmion household¡¯s door anytime.¡± ¡°¡­What do you mean by that?¡± This time he outright scowled. Did that offend you? Oh whatever. I might sleep today and wake up from this dream. Might as well reveal my real intentions now. ¡°Talent fostering?¡± ¡°¡ª¡ª.¡± ¡°Scouting a promising knight? Cassion scoffed and swept his hair backward. You¡¯re making it obvious that you¡¯re offended. That fully buttoned uniform doesn¡¯t look good on you when you¡¯re like this. It makes me want to unbutton a few buttons¡­ ¡°I appreciate your high regard for me, but I know my skills.¡± ¡°You know, in this world, not everybody has the same level of skill. Some might be good at doing something while others aren¡¯t.¡± He still looked displeased. ¡°It¡¯s just, our house is big, so I thought it would be all right to provide a place for people who needed a place to go.¡± Alright! The truth is I want you to come to my house and become my lover because you¡¯re so handsome! Also, it just felt like he has a complex for being a commoner which strangely annoys me. ¡°You must have tried really hard¡ªdoing everything you can. But if the result wasn¡¯t satisfactory, won¡¯t you be disheartened? I just think that if somebody worked hard, then they should receive something for all their efforts.¡± Cassion, being a commoner, would have already put so much effort just to become a knight. Of course, the standard of how much effort was made differs from one person to another. It didn¡¯t matter how hard I tried. I could never become a prosecutor, judge, or doctor. Still, I tried my very best. I struggled with all my might, and that¡¯s how I was able to live the life I wanted. But what about him? Even though he made such great efforts, he was still going around cleaning other people¡¯s mess, being laughed at, and ridiculed. Of course, he would be upset. ¡®I¡¯ll acknowledge all your efforts, so why don¡¯t you come stand by my side and bloom into a beautiful flower?¡¯ ¡°That is all. I apologize if I have offended you.¡± Swiping his hair backward one more time, he looked at me intensely, as though he was observing me. Completely erasing the scowl on his face, he replied with his usual expressionless face. ¡°No, you don¡¯t have to apologize.¡± ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll be leaving first. See you next time.¡± I couldn¡¯t face him any longer, so I hurried to the next store, walking past him. Chapter 12 Chapter 12 ¡°I think you should go somewhere and study ¡®love¡¯, My Lady!¡± After I left the pet shop, I went to a street cafe near the area with Becky. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± I asked. ¡°You told him that if he ever needed a place to go, he could come and knock at Kandmion household¡¯s door anytime with a lousy excuse such as your mansion being too spacious. Why would he say yes to something like that when you aren¡¯t even dating?¡± Becky continued on. ¡°My Lady, you told me that five minutes ago. But, isn¡¯t this just your second time meeting him?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­¡± ¡°But, why would you say that, My Lady?¡± Come to think of it, why would someone like me say that? At that moment, I could feel my face turning red because I thought he was just pretending to hate me. My actions today were influenced by the dream I had last time, which made him hate me even more than he already did. ¡°Becky, I must have been possessed. My mind went blank the moment I saw his handsome face, so that¡¯s why I approached him and talked to him.¡± ¡°¡­I understand how you feel, My Lady. I understand you on many levels.¡± I had a dream this morning that made me feel a little upset. I dreamt about my past life and knew that I truly suffered back then, but I still was able to live a little bit since I got a job at a company. I dreamt about my past life in which I suffered so much. But even if so, I was still able to continue living since I got a job at a company. The company gave fair compensation for all of my efforts. After that dream, that¡¯s what was on my mind all the time. As I am just like any other human being, it would be strange if I didn¡¯t have any desire after seeing his handsome face. But, it seems like I have been impertinent. ¡®As expected, I have made a lot of mistakes after that dream.¡¯ I shouldn¡¯t have done that. If I didn¡¯t approach him, I wouldn¡¯t have been humiliated. I was immersed in my thoughts while drinking the glass of peach-flavored juice the waiter served earlier. Then, I suddenly heard a cheerful man¡¯s voice. ¡°After pondering for a while, I think I¡¯d like to go with you now. Do you want me to come and live free of charge in the Dukedom of Kandmion?¡± When I turned my head to my right, I saw a navy-haired man accompanied by 4 guards. He was drinking his juice just like me. ¡°Who is it? The handsome guy, I mean. How handsome is that guy for you to say that you¡¯re possessed, My Lady?¡± Lucas asked. ¡°You!¡± My eyes widened when I saw him on the other side of the table. Th-That guy. The Road Information Master. What is he doing here? ¡°Is he more good looking than me?¡± Lucas asked. He turned his head towards us and smiled. Oh my, you¡¯re the best among all the handsome guys I¡¯ve met. I can¡¯t seem to fix my preference in good looks even though I saw Cassion¡¯s visage already. That vicious smile. I¡¯m sure he already knows that I find him handsome. ¡°You¡­!¡± I wanted to say something, but I wasn¡¯t able to say a single word at the sight of that man. He knew his handsome face and took advantage of it. ¡®Wow¡­..Just conquer the world, and do whatever you desire.¡¯ Isn¡¯t this your second time seeing his handsome face? Calm your heart and don¡¯t appear like you are swayed by his handsome appearance. Rather, it should be him who should be interested in you. ¡®Although he¡¯s like a rock that can never be swayed, I should be able to seduce him with my goddess-like face.¡¯ When I looked at Becky, she was calm, unlike me. As expected, I was the only one who had a hard time looking at him directly. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I asked. He glanced at Becky once, and then looked at me again. It was as if he¡¯s asking, ¡®Why are you not as stiff as her?¡¯ ¡°Were you looking for me?¡± I added. This marks the start of the novel. As soon as I started going out of the mansion, I saw two men in a row that will be involved with the female lead. ¡°What is it? What¡¯s with that look?¡± I asked again. Lucas didn¡¯t answer my question. But, I could tell, based on his expression, he thinks I¡¯m a crazy woman. Why am I not getting a possessed buff? If you look elsewhere, you¡¯d say, ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve never seen a woman like her before!¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a coincidence. I have an appointment with someone. We¡¯re supposed to meet here.¡± There was an ominous feeling in his words. Based on my dream, this is the part where Raylene runs into the second male lead. Who¡¯s the person he made an appointment with? Who is the second male lead supposed to meet? ¡°Lucas!¡± I heard someone shout from a distance. The person was a little far, which is why the voice was not properly heard. However, I could definitely see a pink-haired woman waving her hand in this direction. A pink-haired woman, huh? Who else would it be besides Iris? It¡¯s just like what happened in my dream! ¡®Well, isn¡¯t the novel progressing according to the original storyline? ¡°Hey, look closely. Told you that I have an appointment here.¡± ¡°Be quiet and don¡¯t talk to me.¡± This is a hassle. I came out to rest comfortably, but then this man appeared out of nowhere. I turned my back and looked at the opposite building. Becky then came to her senses, fixed her hat, moved her chair, and turned her back on the table. What about our knights? They were once standing around the table where I was sitting, but they are now gone. At least everyone is quick-witted. ¡°Lucas, why didn¡¯t you look at me when I was calling you? I thought I mistook you for someone else.¡± Iris said in a loud voice. ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Lucas?¡± Answer her quickly, you punk. You know it¡¯s weird being caught from hiding. I was frustrated. I couldn¡¯t see what he was doing because I was just sitting at the back, looking at the scenery of the village. ¡°Ah¡­I apologize. I was thinking about something else.¡± ¡°¡­You seem a little strange today.¡± ¡°No, is there something different about me?¡± Something big seems to be going on in the opposite building. I sat on a chair where no one could see me. I saw a bulky man wearing colorful clothes, it seems as if he was shouting. ¡°Um, this¡­¡± ¡°What is it?¡± ¡°This is the dress you gave me last time.¡± ¡°Are you giving it back to me?¡± I don¡¯t remember seeing his face, so I didn¡¯t think he was noble. Moreover, he has done frivolous acts, so there¡¯s no chance he¡¯d be an aristocrat either. He called in workers during a busy day, as if he was the owner of a building that is under construction. ¡°Come to think of it, it¡¯s too expensive, so I don¡¯t think I should have it. I¡¯ve worn it, but since I just wore it once, if you sell it, the price you¡¯ll receive won¡¯t have a big difference in comparison to when you bought it¡­¡± ¡°¡­How can you do such a thing?¡± ¡°You¡¯re different than usual, Lucas. I don¡¯t want to waste jennies too.¡± You¡¯re this miser? This is the reason why I always cut unto you every time you ran to me for five minutes. I¡¯ve been listening to their conversations, and I¡¯ve been wondering when that punk is going to leave. When I was watching him get bored, he suddenly caught my eyes looking at them. ¡°Ah, I recently lost my sense of cash when I saw Lady Raylene spend 1.89 billion jennies so easily.¡± ¡®That happened?¡¯ Iris burst into a clear smile. Her laughter was clear and pleasant to hear. When I focused on the opposite side again, I saw a boy with a unique hair that was exquisitely mixed with gold and black. No, to be exact, he seemed like a man. His figure was just like that. He wasn¡¯t small, rather, he looked like a dwarf. ¡°I envy those kinds of people¡­¡± ¡°Well, he¡¯s a capable man. By the way, were you able to walk confidently in the palace with that dress?¡± ¡°The palace. Actually, it didn¡¯t work out.¡± Iris huffed. I couldn¡¯t recognize the shape of his face. It was covered with deep wounds and burns. The wounds were so deep that the only features distinguishable in his face were his eyes, nose, and mouth. He was dressed in plain commoners clothes with shackles on his legs. ¡°Just because you put butterfly wings on a caterpillar, it doesn¡¯t mean you¡¯ll be the flower of the society after.¡± ¡°Why, what did the flower of the society say?¡± ¡°It¡¯s pretty, Iris. You don¡¯t know when you will have another chance to wear Rosemary¡¯s dress, so I hope you will enjoy this party. Also, I hope you would not make the same mistake of showing up with the same dress for the second time due to your excitement.¡± ¡°So, you¡¯re returning this for that reason?¡± ¡°She is rich enough to buy all the dresses on the continent, so what difference will it make if I am able to buy one?¡± The workers from the construction site leaned back several times, it was a sign of protest to the man who was pointing his fingers. Perhaps, something wasn¡¯t working out at the construction site. Sigh. But why am I fuming? Why would I say that? Man, I see that you¡¯re making them work too little. I should have said that instead. I could feel her voice going down due to embarrassment. Chapter 13 Chapter 13 At that moment, the man kicked the shackled child¡¯s body and gave him a cold look. The child staggered once and sat down after. There¡¯s trash like him in here? Why do they have to bully the weak? Come to think of it, did I act similar to that man towards Iris? No, even if I did before, it wasn¡¯t me. It doesn¡¯t count since the one inside the body of villainess Eonnie is now me. Moreover, it can¡¯t be called bullying the weak. Instead, it should be regarded as self-defense because she said something hurtful first. ¡°Honestly, I envy Lady Raylene. I also want to live such a comfortable life.¡± Iris said, smiling. ¡°I feel the same way. I want to experience being able to spend such a huge sum of money easily.¡± ¡°¡­You¡¯re really acting a little strange today, Lucas.¡± ¡°Is that so? Capable people are pretty cool, aren¡¯t they?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not that capable. It¡¯s just that my parents are well off. I know, I am too. You know what I¡¯m doing in the first place. That¡¯s why you¡¯re so quiet.¡± According to the novel, you have been working hard to meet your parents¡¯ expectations. I¡¯ve seen your hardships in life. Yeah. I guess I¡¯m not ashamed of blaming you for doing such things. I don¡¯t really love the Crown Prince as much as she does anyway. Why did she have to go to such an extent? ¡°Not all people have the ability to spend that much money.¡± ¡°Then that woman has real talent.¡± ¡­So you should stop this, Iris. Don¡¯t make the male lead learn how to talk behind people¡¯s back. How can you blame someone else for acts they didn¡¯t even do? She is similar to unemployed rich people who manipulate the people around her to her advantage because she doesn¡¯t want to experience a harsh life. Isn¡¯t that a common clich¨¦ anyway? Usually, the smart, confident, and intelligent female lead would get the ¡°I don¡¯t know anything¡± disease only when they are in front of the male lead. They would cry and say, ¡®I didn¡¯t do anything, but what if I¡¯m the reason why she¡¯s in that condition? I don¡¯t know what to do¡­¡¯ Afterward, the male lead would respond saying, ¡®I¡¯ll help you uncover the truth no matter what.¡¯ Then, they¡¯ll work together to defeat the villainess. The body of the child, shackled until now, swelled and expanded. ¡°Really? Did you see that?¡± ¡°You talk as if you¡¯ve seen it. Have you?¡± ¡°No. You must have known what my identity was.¡± Each muscle of the child¡¯s body was full of swells and expansions. On top of that, his hair got longer, and his arms and body grew even bigger. Even though this is a fantasy world, Raylene¡¯s memory was fiercely claiming that it wasn¡¯t normal for that to happen here. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m here to give this to you.¡± ¡°Take it, Iris.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a dress I can¡¯t afford anyway.¡± ¡°You can make a fortune if you start doing business.¡± Oh, come to think of it, in the novel, you succeeded in making a fortune when you started doing business. Is a dress that expensive? Ah¡­ I think it¡¯s because she doesn¡¯t have the guts to spend her precious jennies for a dress that won¡¯t outshine hers anyway. Ah, I remember now¡­You said you were in debt. Did she say that she started her business with a loan from Lucas? ¡®I can¡¯t even remember it because I read the novel hastily.¡¯ I was snapped out of my thoughts when I saw the child turn to a beast. His body was too huge to be human, but it wasn¡¯t entirely like that of an animal either. The beast, whose golden body was stained with an unknown black color, walked with a sense of urgency towards a man in the building. With each step, the shackles at his feet tugged. A horrible scar adorned the beast¡¯s face. ¡°Don¡¯t you know what piercing sounds like?!¡± ¡°Argh!¡± ¡°H-Hey, watch it! I was shocked by how handsome you are. Will you take responsibility if I have a heart attack?¡± Oh? Taking responsibility doesn¡¯t sound half bad. ¡°You surprised me.¡± ¡°Oh, sorry.¡± ¡°What about Iris?¡± ¡°It¡¯s been awhile. What are you looking at?¡± Lucas turned away from me to face the building I was looking at. With his business inside done, the beast returned outside and curled up like a baby. Soon, his body returned to its small frame. ¡°Humanity?¡± Am I wrong, or is that contempt in his voice? ¡°That¡¯s a Suin,¡± he said, jabbing his thumb at the child. ¡°What exactly are Suins?¡± No, I mean what exactly is that? ¡°They¡¯re a species believed to have disappeared hundreds of years ago, though I still see them often. They can shift into a bestial form.¡± ¡°But why are they doing that there?¡± He gave me a wry smile. Perhaps, the contempt in his voice was directed at the big man because Lucas¡¯ eyes were glued to him. ¡°Suins are strong, despite their treatment as slaves.¡± Unfortunately, Raylene¡¯s memory had nothing in it about Imperial slaves. What does he mean by slaves? ¡°I thought we did away with slavery one hundred years ago?¡± ¡°No, but Suins don¡¯t pay taxes, right? It¡¯s about protection versus reward. In other words, you can still use them as slaves.¡± ¡°¡­..The hell?¡± He turned his eyes to me again. I could see the curiosity contained within his blue eyes through his messy bangs. Whenever I gazed into those eyes, it felt as if I was being coerced by a demon. ¡®So, what will you do now?¡¯ ¡°Nobles usually value honor, so they avoid treating the impoverished like that. Rich commoners don¡¯t care.¡± The workers, who were now shaking, headed inside the building. It seemed obvious they were wondering if the Suin had accomplished his goal inside. A man was watching with folded arms, seemingly understanding the habits of the Suin curled up on the ground. ¡°¡­Is that the face of a Suin?¡± ¡°No way¡­ Maybe it¡¯s only a half-Suin purchased for the wealthy ladies. That¡¯s probably how his face got burned.¡± ¡°That son of a bitch!¡± He¡¯s still human. He¡¯s alive. Why? Why must they treat him like that? Suddenly, I felt enraged. I wanted all of their pitiful existences to just disappear. ¡°Becky, how much money can you afford to lose right now?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t bring much to spend here in Noniwell, and I¡¯ve already spent about 10 million jennies.¡± ¡°Is there a way I can earn that back quickly?¡± ¡°Well, I heard that there¡¯s a bank owned by the Kandmion around the area.¡± ¡°Go borrow the money using my name, and just bring it back later.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll take the fastest way, but it could still take about half an hour.¡± Do you think I can hold that man for half an hour?! I took my engraved ring from my index finger and handed it to Becky. ¡°Go on, Becky. Lord Ian, go with her.¡± ¡°Yes, My Lady.¡± With that, Becky and Sir Ian quickly hurried off to get the money. Lucas, who¡¯d been fixated on them leaving, turned to me. ¡°Can you just give up something like that?¡± ¡°This is kind of urgent, don¡¯t you think?¡± Without waiting for a response, I brought my eyes back to the man and the Suin child. I could feel Lucas¡¯ gaze burning through me even as I looked away. There¡¯s nothing wrong with my actions just now, right? Since it¡¯s been a year or two since Becky saw Raylene, she wouldn¡¯t get suspicious for my unusual actions because people change as time passes by. A knight of the family is with her, too. Surely, nothing could go wrong. ¡°What the hell do you even need money for?¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you tell from the situation?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you dare.¡± There was a force in his eyes that looked as if he were trying to burn me on the spot. Now, I can see that there¡¯d been a problem inside the building that required the Suin kid¡¯s strength. The owner of the Suin kid didn¡¯t waste another second. A representative of the workers inside came out to speak to the man. After a few nods and several pats on the shoulder, you could see his knees begin to wobble. He gave the building a quick glance and turned his back. As he began to walk, the child staggered to his feet. No! Becky¡¯s not back yet! I rose from my seat and hurried over to them. The child¡¯s face was much worse than I¡¯d thought. How hard it must have been¡­ to be stuck in such a difficult job. Why did he have to be beaten like this? And for what? Being powerless?? The man looked me up and down, as I stood in his way. His expression made me shudder, as I could feel him judging me like some product. ¡°You look like a member of the nobility, Boa. What¡¯s the problem?¡± After scattering the three knights behind me, he opened his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m curious about something.¡± ¡°¡­What¡¯s that?¡± Of course, nobles don¡¯t have to use honorifics with commoners. However, there were times when ordinary citizens were encouraged to use honorifics. However, it¡¯s only applied to those commoners who¡¯ve been appointed as knights, those who¡¯ve been recognized as masters of their abilities, and those who are older than the speaker themselves. Of course, I¡¯m asking him to go all out. It¡¯s not enough that he just does it. Well, he¡¯d have already done it if he had any sense as a nobleman desiring a good image. Despite my age, I dropped all honorifics with him and showed him my unpleasant side. ¡°Where¡¯d you get that dress?¡± Chapter 14 Chapter 14 ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ve been thinking about what kind of dress to wear these days¡­¡± The man frowned at the unexpected remark. His expression fumed out of rage, his outfit adorned with seemingly all the fine fabrics and accessories. ¡°Something fancy and fluffy. I have always wanted to wear something like that¡­¡± I freely looked my eyes up and down as the man followed my gaze with a frowning face. ¡°Hah, I just thought you were just wearing a dress I was looking for.¡± Oh, now that was a lie. I wouldn¡¯t wear something like that even for a billion dollars. You¡¯d have to pay me more if I were to strut down a red carpet in it. But right now, I¡¯m Raylene, a rich woman, so I won¡¯t wear it even if you paid me to wear it. The man¡¯s face flushed crimson red, finally realizing that I was being sarcastic. ¡°How rude of you to say that!¡± He noisily roared. His face violently trembled as he angrily shouted at me. ¡°Is it that disrespectful?¡± ¡°Yes, it is!¡± ¡°Why?¡± I wasn¡¯t sure about my next move. In the end, I decided to go with the concept of ¡®I¡¯m an aristocratic lady without a child¡¯. This way I could stall time until Becky came back with the money. I¡¯ll make sure your face hardens to iron from shame, you old man! ¡°Is it rude to ask you about these unique clothes of yours?¡± The man¡¯s entourage held back their laughter with great difficulty. Some even pinched their thighs. Everyone must have thought about it once, have you not? ¡°I am a man!¡± ¡°Yes. Why is that?¡± The man clenched his teeth, a large crease forming around his mouth. It seemed as though he¡¯d almost pour out all his anger, but since I¡¯m a noblewoman, he was trying to hold it in. ¡°I¡¯m open-minded, so I understand. A man might want to wear a dress too, right?¡± He opened his eyes wide and snorted to maintain his normal expression. The man¡¯s face glowed so red that it was turning purple. ¡°Which aristocrat¡¯s clan are you from, you who dares to talk with no noble manners?¡± ¡°My family?¡± As if I¡¯d let you ruin my family with your bad-mouthing. Well, compared to the original Raylene, the villainess girl who has always been an aristocrat, wasn¡¯t this just cute? I tried to look as arrogant as possible. He lifted his chin upwards, crossed his hands behind his back, and confidently looked forwards. Then, he widened his mouth, ready to laugh. ¡°I¡¯m from Kandmion.¡± ¡°¡­What? Your house is the Kandmion Dukedom?!¡± The man¡¯s mouth shut tightly. His small eyes widened as fear overtook his face, his pupils dilated¡­ His expression clearly showed surprise, a mistake that showed weakness. Yeah, now you don¡¯t know what to say, huh? After all, you¡¯ve been busy trying to earn money for you to live as a decent aristocratic family, right? From the corner of my eyes, I could see Becky and Sir Ian diligently coming towards us from afar. ¡°Let¡¯s stop fooling around and get to the point, shall we? What have you done to that child?¡± I powerfully strode past the man. Then, I approached the child standing with his frail arms wrapped around his body. I immediately saw a peculiar burned injury. It was definitely the most serious wound I¡¯d ever seen. How did he even survive? His whole face was bursting with bruises and the wound oozed blood. Adding to that, his poor face was also distorted. His skin was decaying, it clearly had not been properly treated. Even someone with no medical knowledge could see how dire the situation was. Ahh. How agonizing it must have been. ¡°For what kind of goddamn reason? What right do you have to hurt this child?¡± ¡°What does Princess Kandmion have to do with my slave?¡± The man replied with a furious voice. I turned my back again and looked at him. ¡°Slaves aren¡¯t allowed in the Empire.¡± ¡°That beast is not part of the Empire.¡± ¡°In the past, it was proclaimed by Emperor Kadurian to all that slavery was prohibited. Moreover, to take good care of the ten thousand citizens under His Majesty¡¯s reign.¡± It was I who opened my mouth, but I knew at that moment it was the previous Raylene who spoke so boldly. The knowledge I had never known came out of my mouth. I suppose she did more than just play and eat. ¡°IThe great hero from the past didn¡¯t stop a hundred years of war and held a mighty sword twice for all innocent people, just so he could own these people.¡± Irritation was fading from his face. His face returned to its original color. And now, he was laughing at my face. ¡°That¡¯s not a slave, is it? I¡¯m protecting and treating him well.¡± Does he think he can conceal his sins so easily, just like that? Fiery flames of anger surged up inside me. What¡¯s the difference between this child and I, both who were abused in the name of the family? What did we do so wrong? It¡¯s not a sin to be born, to be alive and breathing. Never. ¡°The reason why noble families value pride and honor is to carry out their inheritance through the generations.¡± Becky voiced as she came next to me. Her arms carried an enormous leather pocket. The weight was just as heavy as it looked. ¡°It¡¯s my job as a decent human being to save innocent people from trash like you!¡± ¡°And how on earth do you intend to achieve that goal?¡± ¡°Hah! How much do you want?¡± Suddenly, the knights were surrounding us. He shook his two pupils and signaled to his guards. ¡°I¡¯ll buy it with money! I can buy it with money! Tell me how much you need?!¡± Bin Oppa, I¡¯m sorry for stealing. Ah, why did I think such thoughts in a situation like this¡­? Why is it suddenly freezing? Becky, why do you look at me with such cold eyes? ¡°Is that the pride and honor a noble princess has?¡± The man sneered. ¡°Let¡¯s not make this more difficult than it needs to be, hm? Don¡¯t you know that I¡¯m rich?¡± I had cried out about the honor and pride of the nobility, but in truth, I didn¡¯t know much about it. How would I know when I have never even lived as a nobleman? However, after living in this world for a while, I knew there was a faster way than the procedure and order of thinking about reputation. I watched the child¡¯s body tremble, I had to get that child out of the man¡¯s hands as soon as possible. ¡°100 million jennies.¡± Becky declared the amount to me, as if she already knew what was on my mind. I threw a pouch at the man. ¡°¡­¡± The man observed the money bag without saying anything until he looked up at me with a smile. A nasty smile that made me nauseous. When I reached out to Becky again, she handed me another one. I threw it as it is. Again, again, and again, just over and over. Soon, he couldn¡¯t hold any more, and more bags fell to his feet. Only then did the man make a bewildered face. ¡°How much do you need?¡± ¡°Well, this is already enough.¡± It wasn¡¯t until about 30 bags were thrown that the man went pale. A large sum of money that was given all at once. Money, that only those with power could have. ¡°Give me the keys to these shackles this instant.¡± When the man slid his hands into his pocket, my knights suddenly pulled their swords from their sheaths. Ah, these people are so loyal. They are good at keeping up with their work without orders. They didn¡¯t ask me anything and didn¡¯t stop me. The man held out the keys with trembling hands. Becky walked up to him with a handkerchief. She picked up the key and wiped it. Then, without warning, she threw the handkerchief on the ground. She was also very good at this. Becky approached the child and released the shackles. The shackles fell to the child¡¯s feet and the child staggered. ¡°Sir Kennon, I¡¯m sorry, but would you help him move?¡± ¡°Yes, my lady.¡± The knight, called Kennon, lifted the child up and placed him on his shoulder. His height doesn¡¯t seem to be much different, but he was easily lifted because he was so skinny and malnourished. I was heartbroken at the sight of his condition. ¡°Becky, show me the way to the Wizard¡¯s shop here.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± We took a step towards the shop with Becky¡¯s guidance. I then saw Lucas¡¯ face on the other side of the road. What was wrong with his expression? Why was he looking this way with his mouth agape? Even though I was curious, there was a much more urgent matter to attend to. I ignored him and followed Becky. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 15 Chapter 15 The place where the group caused the commotion was close to the Wizards¡¯ store nearby. ¡°Potions! Get your superior potions!¡± The salesperson yelled. The small boy didn¡¯t expect he¡¯d be saved by a nobleman, a young lady, and especially not a princess! Becky exchanged a bag of money for a healing potion from the salesperson. ¡°Shall we get another one, Princess?¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, we can buy more if it¡¯s not enough.¡± I answered. Sitting on a sofa in the store, Becky opened the lid of the potion and applied it on the boy¡¯s face little by little. This concoction was said to be the most effective treatment to cure burns quickly. A few moments later, she finished applying the whole bottle. Soon, dead skin fell off and the blisters were starting to heal. ¡°Ah, two more bottles please!¡± Becky and I exclaimed in unison. Becky paid the price again and carried two more bottles of potion. She opened the lid again and slathered the potion all over the child¡¯s face. Becky could feel the child¡¯s body shaking. She called him a kid, but in truth, he was actually taller than her. Still, he looked like a kid to her. Was it because she was 30? ¡°Becky, can you go investigate later on the man you saw earlier?¡± I asked Becky, while pouring the other bottle over the boy¡¯s face. ¡°How much was this potion, by the way? Was it expensive?¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Becky?¡± Becky¡¯s eyes were fixed on the boy as she slowly pointed at him. ¡°What is it? Hm?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± Becky was still looking in front with wide eyes. I followed Becky¡¯s finger that was pointed at him. -Drops- The empty potion bottle that was in my hands fell to the floor with a ¡®plink¡¯ sound. ¡°¡­Becky. I think I just saw an angel.¡± ¡°¡­Me too, young Miss.¡± The boy had brilliant golden eyes. His appearance was somewhere between a boy or a young man. In any case, the boy was actually built quite muscular. If Eros, the Greek god, was here as a boy, he would look exactly like the boy in front of them now. The boy¡¯s fresh face was revealed under all the pieces of dead skin that had mostly fallen off. Perhaps due to the potency of the potion, his skin looked remarkably smooth. with gleaming round eyes, the tips slightly raised, the boy¡¯s face gave the impression of a naughty look. His lips were crimson red. Even without lipgloss on, the color was strikingly vibrant. His nose was highly defined which gave off charm. As a whole, his face was truly captivating. The boy was so pure and lovely that it made everyone in the room breathless when he looked around. His eyes were wet from the stinging pain of the potion. How could someone this beautiful exist? Was this even real? The angel looked at me and smacked his lips a few times. As if he was just learning to speak, he opened and closed his mouth several times. Our eyes met as everyone waited for his words. The emotions in his eyes made me distraught. Was that sadness? No, it couldn¡¯t be. He clasped my skirt with his hands while murmuring to himself. He gazed into my eyes, while my fingertips trembled against the glass of the store. Among all spectators, there was Cassion observing the situation. The reason why he didn¡¯t quickly get out of the door was not because of Raylene. Rather, it was when he saw Iris, the woman who had run into him several times, that he hid. He found her terribly annoying. A woman who was in a similar situation in every single pity story she told. Yet that woman still smiled brightly. Iris was a woman who bravely spoke of her dreams. A few moments earlier, she had been walking down the street of the district of Noniwell. Until she came to a stop to look at something. Around her, there were people laughing and talking to their partners. An abundance of various facial expressions. It was around that time that Cassion turned around and saw Raylene speaking to the man in strange clothing. In the Noniwell district, that merchant was well-known. Cassion knew that man was always on the brink of trouble and had no hesitation doing something illegal. Raylene had ignored the angry man. She had brought the power of money and authority with her. All for one Suin slave. Cassion didn¡¯t like the nobles, but he didn¡¯t completely hate them either. In terms of classification, the nobles showed various aspects of good and bad. Some ordinary people were reluctant to enter the aristocratic society and tried to shame nobles, while others lived with honor and pride, following the footsteps of the Emperor Kadrian. What kind of person was Princess Raylene? Did she truly mean what she said earlier? ¡°Effort¡­¡± She might have said that while being quite unsure herself. Cassion had never worked hard to become a knight. He chose to be a messenger for the sake of a comfortable life. In fact, he was satisfied with his position in the 12th Knights. However, the insults he received were not kind. Thoughts had come to his mind a few hours before he had seen Raylene again. She had asked him why he was here, but she knew that he had to do his duties for the lowest rank of knights. Yet, why was she here? He thought she meant to lower her position to appear humble. Was it hard? Was it hard for a commoner like himself to be a knight? It would be harder than getting a penny for working all day long after farming in a rice field. Then, she talked about ¡®efforts.¡¯ Having lived her entire life as the supposed ¡®forbidden rare jade¡¯ in Kandmion Dukedom, she had to embellish the value of her efforts. Raylene¡¯s words came to his mind when she said she had to conduct a market survey. Was she trying to help the Duke¡¯s business? Raylene¡¯s journey to save the Suin person came to his mind. Was she actually just trying to protect her pride and honor as an aristocrat? Why did he talk to her first? It suddenly occurred to him what motives she had. Cassion quietly murmured to himself. ¡°The way a lady looks during the party, is it what I think it is? Ah, that¡¯s what she wanted me to do. A lady can never be the one to ask for a dance, she can only politely respond to a request.¡± Cassion had thought she was trying to insult herself. He thought a commoner like him would be annoying to be at a party of aristocratic society and culture. She was the only daughter of the duchess while he was a commoner. ¡®I wanted to dance.¡¯ He didn¡¯t expect that she actually meant it. At the same time, there was confusion at that time. So when he saw her, he approached her first. Even though he was in a hurry to return, Cassion suddenly stopped in front of a window in a store. He looked at his face in the glass for a moment. ¡°She said¡­I¡¯m handsome?¡± He had never been praised for having good visage his entire life. When other women saw him, they would usually run away without a single word spoken. So he has lived without being conscious of his face. But Raylene had said he was handsome. His cheeks were starting to feel hot. Cassion kept walking again, this time while blushing. Chapter 16 Chapter 16 *** Golden eyes gazing up at her. He was a child with an innocent face despite having the facial features of a man. This Suin child, who had been crying, held onto her skirt in the Wizard¡¯s store. Soon, he fell asleep, most likely exhausted. Not knowing where to let the boy peacefully sleep, Raylene eventually ordered her servants to first carry him back to her house. Later that evening, she spoke to the child again when he¡¯d woken up. ¡°Are you feeling okay?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± The Suin child gently nodded. He then looked away, due to shyness and awkwardness, and maybe even shame. Looking at his handsome face, Raylene wanted to cover him in fluffy blankets and parade him around. She felt like she was losing her mind because he looked like those innocent, cute school boys from an anime. He was like the main character of a Korean drama. That kind of character style! The boy was now looking at her with a sheepish smile. ¡°Do you have a place or family to go back to?¡± The Suin child, who was sitting on the sofa, was startled when she said that and shook his head. ¡°Heuk.¡± The boy hiccuped. The maids squealed. Raylene fully understood what they were thinking. That simple act was so cute and lovely!. ¡°Has my master changed now?¡± The Suin asked after a few moments. She didn¡¯t understand what he meant. While pondering his question, she saw his golden eyes flicker a few times. He showed no remorse or negative feelings as if he had asked something simple. ¡°What do you mean your master is changing?¡± ¡°You bought me for a large amount of money.¡± His small smile was so lovely. Yet the way he smiled was not genuine. He was smiling at Raylene to look good, like he was an obedient slave. Raylene looked at Becky hoping she could help, but Becky had already left to finish her other tasks. ¡°I just saved you from that horrid man. I¡¯m not your master.¡± *** His mouth was agape as he looked at me. His eyes were filled with questions. How long has he been living such a hellish life, that he refuses not to be enslaved? ¡°Now I would like you to live however you¡¯d like. If you want to go somewhere, just go.¡± His expression of doubt changed into confusion. He looked at my face for a while, then looked at his hands. His gaze went further down and was focused on his feet. He looked like he was trying to spot something, even though there was nothing constraining him, unlike before. I had no intention of detaining him or enslaving him. There were people around me who did in fact keep slaves, but there was no reason for me to do so. I felt disgusted by those who forced people into slavery. ¡°I have nowhere to go. There¡¯s nowhere for me to go.¡± the boy cried out. The confusion seemed to have filled him. There was no joy in his sad, empty eyes. Haven¡¯t you ever thought of living the life of your dreams? A life where everything was finally peaceful and just marvelous? He stood up from where he was seated. ¡°W-what are you doing?!¡± The boy was lowering to the ground. He kneeled down and put his hands forward before bowing like a dog. I hurriedly stood up from my seat and sat down before him, trying to lift him back up. But his stone-hardened body did not move an inch. ¡°I have nowhere to go. Please don¡¯t let me leave your side.¡± I could feel his body shaking along with his hands. ¡°Let me serve you as your master. If it¡¯s you that has become my master, then I am fine. It¡¯s okay because you saved my life. Please let me serve you forever.¡± I could feel the tears swelling in my eyes. He must be so alone in this world. This little boy. I guess he has no other place to go. He doesn¡¯t have anyone to rely on, and no reason to live. That¡¯s why he wanted to hold onto my cheap sympathy with gratitude. ¡°Let me stay by your side. Please-.¡± His quivering voice was pitiful and desperate. Oh, how my heart ached. ¡°Get up now, and look at me.¡± He lifted his body again with force in his hands and rose up. Still, his knees were bent and his frozen visage was covered in tears. Why was he crying? Why was this boy hanging on to me? Why did my sympathy become something that was used against me by this¡­ this man?? What kind of life have you been through, boy? Whatever the reason was, it occurred to me that it wouldn¡¯t be safe for him to wander around all alone. It would be best to look after him, just for a short while. ¡±If you don¡¯t have anywhere to go, you can stay here until you want to. It doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Well, I did have a lot of money at home. Surely it would be alright if we had just one more soldier? His eyes glistened with joy at my words. The tears that had been flowing stopped. ¡°Is it okay if I stay by your side? What should I do? I¡¯ll do everything I can! What should I do first?¡± he bombarded me with questions. ¡°You don¡¯t have to do anything. Just eat well and rest well.¡± He looked at me with a perplexed expression. ¡°Is there nothing I can do?¡± ¡°No, for now, don¡¯t cry. Eh?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I¡¯m sorry if I cried. I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m useless.¡± I wondered if the tears had barely stopped, but I for sure internally shed some tears again. I mean, it wasn¡¯t that he was useless, but it seems he took my words close to heart. I didn¡¯t even know what to say. Holding his cheek with one hand and holding a handkerchief with one hand, I gently wiped away his tears. I was surprised when my hand touched his face, but he accepted my hands with no hesitation. ¡°I¡¯m not saying that you are useless¡­¡± I have never seen someone cry. Holding his face and wiping his tears away with dexterity, I could see what it was like to burst into tears. Ah¡­ What should I say? I didn¡¯t want anything from him. I myself had a hard time in my previous life, and now I didn¡¯t know how to react to someone else with my old sufferings. I didn¡¯t bring him here for that¡ª. Besides, what if I made you do something slightly dangerous and you get a scar on your fine, smooth face! What if you were hurt somewhere? What if someone hurts you?! ¡°Stay by my side!¡± I declared. ¡°¡ªWhat?¡± ¡°That¡¯s all you have to do! Just stay by my side!¡± I didn¡¯t know what to exactly do anymore. First, I¡¯ll just rejoice, I¡¯d be happy to see his angelic face every day. With what I said, he looked at me with his eyes wide open. ¡°Always stay by my side, be healthy, and find what you really want to do. That¡¯s all you have to do.¡± I affirmed. ¡°¡ªIs that enough? Is it alright?¡± His expression in his face looked like he was saying- ¡®Can I stay here if I only do things like that?¡¯ Even though he already knew my answer to that. To be able to stay on someone¡¯s side, to find what you wanted to do. Where is the difficulty in that? ¡°Yes, that¡¯s enough. That¡¯s what you¡¯ll do for me.¡± He nodded his head. Immediately, he stopped crying. Things were calmer now, but why did I feel threatened? I feel like I¡¯ve been humiliated in the world of beauty¡­ ¡°And now don¡¯t cry. A natural smile is much prettier! It looks good on you.¡± ¡°Is it nice to see me smile?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± I nodded. He laughed. His golden eyelashes slightly fluttered as he beamed with happiness. His vivid coral red lips curled upwards. ¡°I¡¯ll always smile from now on.¡± I felt my face heat up as I accidentally dropped the handkerchief. It was clearly different from the smile I made. He was really handsome when he smiled. ¡°Master?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have to be your master either. In fact, I¡¯m not your master.¡± I saw him clasp the fallen handkerchief and then kindly handed it back to me. I reached out my hand to receive the handkerchief. My hands barely brushed against his. Every time my hands touched him, he always looked surprised. Even the small contact with the man was enough to make him gasp. But, what was the relationship between me and him then? I didn¡¯t think we were friends. Was it more proper to say I was his guardian? ¡°I¡¯m just someone who protected you. So maybe I¡¯m like your mother or older sister¡ª?¡± ¡°Then can I call you sister, or maybe mother?¡± M-my heart hurts! You really won¡¯t spare my heart today, huh boy? So I guess this was my type of style. Secretive mommy stimulation style? ¡°You can call me by my name. My name is Raylene. From now on, call me Raylene.¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 17 Chapter 17 One day, Becky had told me that the Suin people had a long lifespan. If so, I was probably older than the boy, so my conscience was stricken each time he called me sister. If he had called me mom, things would have been even more awkward! *** The Suin Boy stared at his hands that were momentarily held by Rayelene. She had hastily left, her lush grip loosening. She didn¡¯t want him to be afraid of her. ¡°Raylene, Raylene, Raylene, Raylene, Raylene¡­¡± He repeated her name softly as if to remember it. Soon, he stopped uttering and closed his eyes for a moment. ¡°Don¡¯t make it as if something precious and engraved it within you.¡± I later said. I felt a corner of me starting to warm up to the boy. ¡°Okay, Raylene.¡± And then he laughed. The sight of his face was so pure and soft. It was so lovely. However, the problem was that my heart was beating so fast and my face was turning tomato red. ¡°Also, I haven¡¯t gotten your name yet.¡± I asked. ¡°My name is Javier, but please call me Harvey. My mom used to call me that.¡± ¡°Alright. I look forward to working with you, Harvey.¡± Harvey¡¯s face turned red at that moment. And his body became smaller in the blink of an eye. In an instant, Harvey, who was kneeling down, turned into a leopard who was gathering his hind legs. Suddenly, he clashed his leopard¡¯s feet around my hands. Crash- I didn¡¯t know what he kept meowing about, but the leopard that was turning his head left and right, seemed very embarrassed. But that look was so ¡ªha! ¡°The leopard! Wah, so cute!!¡± He flopped his wobbly forefeet and held his face with both paws. My eyes were fixed on him as I was floundering around in amazement. Those golden eyes of his were fixed on me. Oh my goodness. I never thought I¡¯d get so close to a leopard with this kind of cuteness. ¡°Can I hold you? Hm?¡± With his hands still on his face, Harvey nodded hesitantly. As soon as he permitted it, I hugged him on the back of his neck. ¡°It¡¯s so warm.¡± I snuggled. Harvey tightly held me in his arms, as I gently stroked his hair on his back. The fur was rough and soft. It was still nice, though. When would I ever get to hold a leopard again? Just like this, I had gained a new family in her residence. She was anxious as she felt like she was possessed by his beauty. *** Sigh. I¡¯m so nervous. Looking at the large door in front of me, I took a deep breath. ¡°Let me be rich please.¡± It¡¯s been over a week since I¡¯ve entered this novel, and I still haven¡¯t met my ¡®father¡¯. Finally, he had called me over, but it was the day after I had spent money in Noniwell District¡­ I¡¯m in trouble, right? Like you see in dramas, recklessly spending money is like stealing pocket money. So one would lose their cars, and be kicked out of the mansions naked, right? I entered the gate that a servant eventually opened. A huge pile of documents as well as desks were sprawled all over the room. A total of sixteen desks were empty, the top large desk was empty and 15 people filled the seats. The room was filled with the sounds of papers being flipped and scratching pens. ¡°Raylene Shaun Kandmion is here to see her father.¡± I announced. Why are you all ignoring me? The Duke of Kandmion stood in the middle of a desk that was made from dark polished spruce wood. I spotted sofas and tables that were for meetings and relaxation. ¡°¡­ Lene, are you mad at Dad?¡± ¡­Right. At first, she thought the previous villainess¡¯ memory was wrong. ¡°Why haven¡¯t you hugged me like you used to?¡± ¡­The duke, the great master of the continent¡¯s money was also a fool for his daughter. Author Unnie, what is this a story where everything is given to the villainess? I approached the Duke and embraced him with open arms. He held me in a friendly hug while keeping the distance so that his grown daughter¡¯s body wouldn¡¯t touch him. He was cautious not to emit an image of a father hurting his daughter, who had become an adolescent girl. After the Duke and I hugged, we both sat down. He only smiled at the single teacup and didn¡¯t open his mouth for a long time, even after the servant prepared the tea. Gosh, how long are you gonna torment people like this? Fortunately, he had affection in his eyes and a smile on his face. ¡°What brings you here today?¡± In the end, I couldn¡¯t stand the deafening silence and had no choice but to ask him about his business first. He laughed at my question. ¡°You haven¡¯t come to see Dad in over a week. If I didn¡¯t call you, you wouldn¡¯t even come. Dad is so sad.¡± Are you sure you weren¡¯t busy, Duke Kandmion? You¡¯re gonna have to stay top-notch to run this country, and attend noble meetings. Don¡¯t you see that 15 aides you have spitting blood for hard work over there? ¡°You were busy, Father that¡¯s why.¡± I finally said. He made a wounded face. ¡°What¡¯s with the ¡®father¡¯, call me Daddy.¡± ..Is this really the environment that made Raylene become the villainess? Well, seeing the situation here I suppose it¡¯s very likely possible. ¡°¡­I refrained from visiting you because I was afraid that you might find me annoying about my sudden visit.¡± I carefully said. ¡°I have time to listen to what my daughter has been doing. So that¡¯s already enough.¡± ¡°I thought you called me here to scold me.¡± ¡°Why would I have to scold my daughter?¡± ¡°Hm¡­ because I spent your pocket money so very recklessly?¡± The duke opened his eyes wide and burst into laughter, his voice booming throughout the large room. Don¡¯t adults usually scold their children if they spend their money recklessly? If you look at the Internet or dramas, things like that happen a lot. Were his hands secretly shivering? You also think there is something wrong with this Duke, right? ¡°If you¡¯ve spent the money on something worth it, then everything is alright.¡± Did I use it for something worthwhile? I think so? When I looked at him with questioning eyes, I saw a face with eyes full of love instead. Ugh¡­ This is too much! It¡¯s overbearing. I want to be scolded instead of praised! ¡°It¡¯s worth it, since I opened up my relationship with the information guild master with only 2 billion jennies and showed my family honor with 3 billion jennies.¡± ¡°¡­You seem to be fitting in?¡¯ He laughed out loud again. I could feel that he had no intention of blaming me for what I did with a duke¡¯s proper manner. Come to think of it, no matter how much you love your daughter, isn¡¯t it too much to know what her movements are? And the guild master is just picky and greedy¡­? Father, if he wanted money, then he¡¯d be running to you. But my honor? There was no specific reason. ¡®I¡¯m just rich so I¡¯ll give you lots!¡¯ that¡¯s essentially what I did. ¡°Money comes and goes, but how you spent it is important.¡± the Duke wisely said. ¡°I¡¯m glad you approve of my spending¡­¡± Father, I just want to keep spending it. I¡¯m just going to spend money, eat, and play without taking responsibility. Then let¡¯s just continue on, since I won¡¯t be scolded. I could see a desk piled up with papers behind him while he was drinking his tea calmly. Maybe it was his work. He was a man who was busy day after day to fulfill his duties and responsibilities as a nobleman. Even in Raylene¡¯s memory, the Duke was always friendly but very busy. Well, it seems like he intentionally concentrated on his work after his wife¡¯s death. Will he be enough as a duke with this much money and power? I was always curious about it. ¡°I¡¯m curious about something.¡± ¡°Ask anything.¡± ¡°Is it okay if it¡¯s a little intrusive?¡± He smiled at me. His purple eyes, that were the same as Raylene¡¯s, were tainted like a half moon. ¡°I¡¯m ready to answer whatever you ask.¡± I nervously gulped. ¡°Daddy, don¡¯t you feel greed anymore?¡± I am curious. People with money and power always want to rise to higher places. Just look at Korea, how many powerful people in high positions still want to covet the position of presidency? But why does this man remain as a servant of his own country even though he has that much power and wealth? ¡°There¡¯s a traditional saying in our family.¡± he calmly replied. A sentence came into my head. The sentence seemed to be familiar to Raylene. ¡°No money would avoid the hard work.¡± The Duke smiled as I inadvertently uttered the words. ¡°Yes, you know it very well.¡± What I brought up was the correct answer. The duke spoke with a face slightly stiffened. ¡°We¡¯ve been a merchant family for a long time. The history of our family and money are too priceless to give up the money to anyone else. It¡¯s another meaning of the rights and duties of the nobles. And most of all, the position is not related to money.¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 18 Chapter 18 [Sponsored Chapter ¨C Yvachi] The duke understood what she meant by ¡®greed¡¯ and answered. He could see the meaning of what she said. He had too much money, so he thought that being calm and relaxed was everything, but he didn¡¯t think so. ¡°I was born as a Kandmion, a merchant, and had a tendency of stealing.¡± *** His words had a smear of pride in the name of our family. Yet, why didn¡¯t you point your fingers at others for revealing our money? ¡°Then why did you allow me and the Crown Prince to be engaged? What are you going to do with our title when your only daughter becomes the empress?¡± I inquired. Ah, where is the countless money in this person¡¯s family? ¡°Don¡¯t you remember how much you cried saying that only Prince Hwang suits you in this world?¡± Ah, that¡¯s right. The previous Raylene said that. She was engaged because she wanted it. Why did she do that?! What does she mean she didn¡¯t have any other man to match with? Why didn¡¯t actively go find someone decent and take them in! Otherwise, what was the use of this big house? Wah, did she really want to get married to the Crown Prince, and bear all the heavy duties as an empress? She heard that there were a lot of things that Jungjeon, a previous empress, did during the Joseon Dynasty for the palace¡¯s maintenance. No! We have so much money in this house. I should play, eat, and live forever! ¡°I want to break the engagement.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°Come to think of it, I have the blood of the Duke of Kandmion, and I don¡¯t think I¡¯m greedy anymore.¡± The Duke of Kandmion looked at me with a stern expression on his face. ¡°The reason why I suddenly changed my mind is because of what the Crown Prince is doing these days.¡± The Duke of Kandmion also knew about the love triangle between the Crown Prince, Raylene, and Iris. ¡°I could get rid of her if you want me to.¡± ¡°Daddy, do you think I¡¯m running away with my tail between my legs?¡± He didn¡¯t answer. ¡°It¡¯s only now that I realize my existence as a Kandmion is just too important to simply live as an empress. I guess Kandmion¡¯s blood is just too strong for both of us.¡± If this was a political marriage, she wouldn¡¯t have been able to do anything, but the engagement between Raylene and the Crown Prince was a result of her one-sided greed, literally tying the Crown Prince by the power of the Duke of Kandmion. I don¡¯t even love him enough to want to spend the rest of my life with him. The original work of the novel, ¡°Lady¡±, which she didn¡¯t even read properly, seemed to bother her constantly because she was impatient to eat and play. Therefore, there was no reason for her to maintain their engagement. She thought it would be a happy ending if the two of them got married, ate well, and lived well together. ¡°I don¡¯t want to suffer without money either.¡± I just want to be able to spend my money without any care in the world. She wanted to break up the engagement so she could get out of this bad situation and just play and eat at home. She just wanted to spend money without a second thought and build a tower full of jewels. The Duke looked at her gently as if he understood her intentions. ¡°If you have nothing more to say, I will take my leave.¡± She stood up, bid goodbye to the Duke, and turned around. She had nothing more to say, and he didn¡¯t hold her back either. She knew what she said was rude, but she just wanted to finish this quickly. She felt awkward talking to ¡°her¡± father, but this wasn¡¯t the only reason she wanted to leave. As the servant opened the door, a man with golden and black hair entered her view. Squatting outside the door, his arms were stretched forward on both knees. As she stepped out the door, he sprang to his feet and approached her. ¡°Raylene, I missed you.¡± He then gently grabbed the hem of her dress with both hands. This is just so blinding. It really is! My heart won¡¯t stop throbbing! I really am going crazy! I¡¯m was afraid I¡¯d scream, so I shut my mouth with my hands and turned my head to the side to protect my eyes. Becky and three others, who were anxious to get me out, were all holding their mouths with their hands and weeping. ¡°Why are you here and not in my room? Have you been waiting for me?¡± ¡°My job is to be next to Raylene.¡± It was lovely to see him talk while I looked into his eyes filled with my figure. Unknowingly, I raised my hand and stroked his head. Harvey looked at me with his eyes wide open. ¡°Ah, sorry. You don¡¯t like it?¡± ¡°No, it feels great. More please.¡± Grooooooowl There was a strange sound that came out of my mouth. This happens when you like someone too much. I stroked his hair one more time. As I have noticed yesterday, my hair was getting rougher by the day. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to eat a lot of good food and soften my hair.¡± ¡°Do you hate your hair because it¡¯s rough?¡± Harvey put a sullen look on his face with half-closed eyes and suddenly asked me. If he had a tail, it would have drooped down. ¡°No, it¡¯s not that I don¡¯t like it. It¡¯s just that it¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve seen such pretty hair, so I thought it would be nice to have it like that as well.¡± When I put my hand down, Harvey looked like he was about to cry as he raised his hand and pulled his hair. He raised his eyes and tried to see his hair, but it wasn¡¯t long enough for him to be able to see it in detail. Nevertheless, there was no single wrinkle on his forehead. ¡°Don¡¯t you hate this glow?¡± Harvey¡¯s hair was basically dark yellow, close to gold, and above it was sparsely distributed black colored hair. It was similar to a leopard pattern. ¡°No, it¡¯s unique. Oh my God. Who else would have that kind of hair? It¡¯s a special color.¡± ¡°Special ¡­¡± He repeated the last part of my words as he blinked several times before putting a smile on his face. Even trivial things seemed to be something precious to him. ¡°¡­Shall we go for a walk?¡± ¡°With Raylene?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± My heart jumped for no reason as I quickly brightened up the topic. When I saw Lucas and Cassion, my heart would beat like crazy because of their looks, but this much was only for him. Harvey grinned while hesitating to say something. The wringing of his hands also made me feel as though he wanted to say something. ¡°¡­Hand.¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°Can I hold your hand?¡± With his eyes closed, he mustered up his courage and asked me. If someone asked me to hold my hand, I would instantly refuse, but seeing him ask me with that amount of hesitation, I didn¡¯t feel like refusing. There is no reason to say no! He¡¯s like a fan of mine asking to hold my hand! Why would I refuse anyway? As I held Harvey¡¯s hand nervously, he could see my face turning red in an instant. I walked bravely, feeling as if something was bothering my mind. ¡°My Lady ¡­¡° I then heard Becky calling me from behind. ¡°What?¡± ¡°¡­¡° Why aren¡¯t you talking to me? Becky¡¯s hesitating gaze lingered on the hand of Harvey I was holding. On my first day here, the young kids stopped me from asking Cassion for a dance. What would people think of seeing a princess like me walking around while holding the hand of a man with no identity? ¡­I guess I don¡¯t have a choice. As long as I live here, I have to follow their customs. ¡°Sorry, Harvey. Let¡¯s go for a walk next time, hand in hand.¡± As I let go of Harvey¡¯s hand, he looked at his hand that still retained the lingering feeling of my hand. But soon, he looked up and turned to Becky. ¡°¡­Harvey?¡± Harvey¡¯s eyes surprised Becky; I couldn¡¯t hide my surprise either. It was the first time I¡¯ve seen his eyes like this. His eyes were always round, but when he returned to his expressionless face, his eyes looked aggressive. ¡°Harvey, look at me.¡± Harvey¡¯s head slowly turned towards me as he looked at me once again. His eyes were no longer aggressive; They had returned round again. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Raylene. I was looking somewhere else.¡± I was relieved to see those eyes again. I think it was just a misunderstanding, but still, I felt uncomfortable. ¡°Why should you feel sorry for looking elsewhere? It happens at times.¡± We were about to reach the garden. Hmm. Did I perhaps see wrong? How can someone¡¯s expression change in a split second? He looked as if he turned into a completely different person. ¡°I¡¯m Raylene¡¯s property, and I only have to look at Raylene. It¡¯s my fault because Raylene was right next to me, yet I was looking somewhere else.¡± He said in a gentle voice. Looking at the side, I could see his smiling face. His smile that goes well with his angelic face. I wanted to contradict him, but I chose not to say anything. Even though Harvey wasn¡¯t mine, in his mind he still thought he was my property. I was worried I would make him cry just like yesterday if I said anything. Though it was true that I felt a subtle joy when he said he would only look at me. I told him to tell me if he ever needed anything, but his parrot-like answer saying I was the only thing he needed was all I could hear until we reached the garden. Chapter 19 Chapter 19 ¡°Shall we sit down for a while?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Harvey and I sat at the tea table in the garden. When I saw him smiling prettily with his round eyes, I felt blissful, even though I thought I shouldn¡¯t be. I wanted to say something to Harvey about the way he was always calling out my name. I did feel great, but I thought he shouldn¡¯t be doing this. ¡°Harvey, actually¡­..¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Well, you don¡¯t have to be too clingy to me. As I¡¯ve said, Harvey¡¯s job is just to be next to me. You don¡¯t have to be with me all the time. You don¡¯t have to try to fit into my standards so much.¡± ¡°Why?¡± Harvey stopped laughing. It was hard to read the expression he had, but he was probably upset. ¡°I saved you from the bad people that harassed you so you could live your own life. There¡¯s no reason for me to control your life.¡± Harvey didn¡¯t reply. A gentle breeze swept through his hair. His bangs became disheveled, but he didn¡¯t try to fix them. ¡°And if you want anything, you can tell me. You don¡¯t have to put me first over yourself. You are not obligated to.¡± He then realized what I had said. Him following me around and calling out my name was a bit hypocritical because it seemed that he had followed me around so much that he felt as if he was bound to me. Just like a character of a game that is given a personality he had to behave accordingly to. ¡°Nobody does that.¡± He just stared at me without moving for a long time, but he then uttered something a little while later. He strongly denied. ¡°Nobody did that to me. Only Raylene did.¡± It was hard to reply. His emotionless eyes made it clear that he was telling the truth. ¡°You said that all I have to do is stay beside you, and that¡¯s what I want.¡± ¡°Yes, but it¡¯s getting a bit overboard. Hmmm. I wish I could do something for you in return.¡± I felt sorry for him as he kept on thinking he was like a slave and had to stay by my side because he had nowhere else to go. ¡°What matters to me is to be with Raylene. Did I do something wrong? Did I bother you too much?¡± His expressionless face was replaced by a tearful look. He swallowed noticeably his saliva a few times as if he was holding back his tears, and then smiled despite trembling. Harvey felt stuffy about not being able to talk, but he managed to control his emotions and prevent himself from losing his composure. I stood up and approached him before holding Harvey¡¯s face with my hands. Maybe it was due to his immature inner self, but he didn¡¯t feel strange about me hugging his face in between my chest. ¡°I¡¯m not saying that you¡¯re annoying or I don¡¯t like it. I just don¡¯t want you to follow me around blindly. If you want to do something, you can stay away from me for a while and do as you like. You can concentrate on something fun instead.¡± If he behaved badly, then that would be the time I¡¯d speak to him directly. However, he always spoke cautiously so he wouldn¡¯t get punished. It is quite a difficult job. My prediction that Harvey was going to cry was wrong. Instead, his leopard tail was swaying from side to side. Are you feeling better, my dear? ¡°I have to find what I really want to do, is that right?¡± I stroked his head once and stopped hugging him before looking at him. He had a pleasant smile on his face, and his eyes were glistening as if he had cried. His face and his gentle tail from behind matched each other very well. ¡°Good boy¡­..¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± I heard Harvey mutter something, but his voice was so low that I could only hear a part of it. Good boy? ¡°I finally get it, Raylene. I won¡¯t cry from now on, and I¡¯ll laugh even more. If there is anything else you want me to do, I¡¯ll do it. I¡¯m also going to make my fur soft, and I¡¯m not going to trouble you again.¡± Something is wrong. ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever you like. Please tell me and I¡¯ll do anything Raylene wants.¡± I think that¡¯s a little off. I said it with the hope that I would get rid of this NPC-like character, but I felt like I had made another character. ¡°Please pat my hair again.¡± ¡°¡­ Okay, okay.¡± Still, he didn¡¯t look at me just to look good or suppress his actions. Just say what you want. Well, the same goes for me. Strangely, I don¡¯t really hate it. Am I just a visual-seeker in that case? I¡¯m just so happy to see your face! I turned my eyes to Harvey¡¯s face dubiously, wondering whether I went overboard. I slightly closed my eyes and felt my hand on his hand. I had a smile on my slightly reddened face. With his swaying tail, I could feel that Harvey was feeling ecstatic. I¡¯m afraid I had fallen in love with his appearance. *** ¡°It looks like Lady Raylene was successful.¡± ¡°Right. You finally got rid of that rotten bastard who is also called the Crown Prince.¡± The Duke of Kandmion stood at the window watching his daughter pat someone¡¯s head. ¡°She must have realized the power of the Kandmion family thanks to spending money all by herself.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not bad either.¡± The Duke of Kandmion nodded at his aide¡¯s words. The reason he gave his daughter a lot of money was because he wanted to teach her how to spend it. In the future, if he ever gave her a job, she may need to spend large amounts of money in just one day. This way she would know the value, reason, and distribution of money in advance. His dream was shattered when she got engaged to the Crown Prince. ¡°It¡¯s her first time spending money on her own, and she¡¯s done a pretty good job. Well, except for business failure, that is.¡± ¡°She threw my money on the ground. Honestly speaking, she¡¯s lucky.¡± One of the three female aides spoke bitterly. She felt unhesitatingly sad about the daughter of her superior she was serving. The Duke of Kandmion wasn¡¯t interested in such things. What he valued was one¡¯s ability and his faith in his daughter. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you moved that fellow of the information guild, Ten. He was on the lookout for me too. If I knew he was that money-driven, I would have spent some money.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not as money-driven as you think, knowing that she revealed that much money.¡± ¡°Yes, there must have been something more complicated between the two.¡± The Duke of Kandmion met him a few days later. He couldn¡¯t hide his surprise when he heard the report that Lucas had spoken to Raylene in a familiar manner at Noniwell District Square. He heard about the rumors from Iris and Lucas, who saw a woman throw money on the ground. Not knowing anything, they could only make a vague guess. ¡°Is everything going well at Noniwell Square?¡± ¡°Yes, they are still friendly towards each other. I would have frowned if I were given money, but I think it worked well when she brought out the honor and pride of the noblemen and spoke about the history of the past heroes and Emperor Khalidan. Also, it was rumored that she bought curing water for hundreds of millions of Jennies just to buy it.¡± Noniwell Square was visited by more aristocrats than one would expect after. Although it is a place where ordinary people live, the streets are clean and well-maintained due to the gathering of wealthy people. Many people hid and visited the place because it was much bigger than the aristocratic district, and there was a lot of scenery you could see. That day, quite a few aristocrats had witnessed the scene and were sharing information about it with other aristocrats. It turned out that the aide of the Duke of Kandmion is doing her duties as a noble. Usually, there is no way to witness the Suin people being enslaved. Even if it was wrong, they would still be able to avoid the law most of the time. They justify their own actions, not like the people of the Empire. Raylene¡¯s method was very sweet and effective enough, but it wasn¡¯t something anyone could do. It is not easy to pay such a large sum of money for a Suin. So it drew attention. The reason why they were in the spotlight was because of the merchant and how he was utterly defeated in the Noniwell District. Of course, it was a very small and trivial thing in the aristocratic circle, but it had resulted in a lot of issues because she had a lot of money at that time. Of course, it would be a lie to say that the Duke of Kandmion wasn¡¯t involved. ¡°I need you to find out more about Daryl.¡± ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤ Chapter 20 Chapter 20 ¡°Are you sure you want to call off the marriage?¡± one of the Duke¡¯s aides asked. ¡°Well, what if those youngsters don¡¯t want to? They¡¯re not children anymore, they can make their own decisions.¡± ¡°His Majesty the Great Emperor must be grieving right now. He must have been excited to have a daughter-in-law from the House of Kandmion, and to have the national treasury filled.¡± The Duke of Kandmion recalled the face of the emperor, a man who grew white hair at a young age. In any case, the palace expenses did cost more money than one could imagine. ¡°Duke. If you¡¯re going to investigate Daryl, there¡¯s something very important to note.¡± ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± ¡°Look.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± ¡°When I analyzed the men Raylene has been involved with so far, I believe she made an appearance first.¡± At these words, the Duke of Kandmion widened his eyes in bewilderment. The Duke recalled the faces of the men involved one by one. There was the Crown Prince, Lord Cassion, Ten and that Suin child, which Raylene had bought recently. ¡°There must be at least one decent man in the world who¡¯s handsome, works well, and wouldn¡¯t say a lousy word against my Lene.¡± But that wish was near impossible. The aides were dismissed for the day. The Duke didn¡¯t want them to work overtime today. *** The accident happened unexpectedly. It was when I came back to my room after a walk with Harvey. ¡°Hey, you¡¯re gonna have to go to a party or a salon.¡± Becky pestered. ¡°¡­ I don¡¯t want to.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t go to a single place last week!¡± ¡°But last week I did other things!¡± I was set on playing and eating. Becky pushed a tray full of invitations in front of me, quite impossible for me to attend all of them. The amount was overwhelming. ¡°It¡¯s obvious that a Lady always goes to a party. Can¡¯t we do that, My Lady?¡± A sigh came out from my mouth. Now that I could enjoy my long ¡®vacation¡¯ I was thinking of wasting some money on my wicked nemesis. But a party.. A party of all things!? One experience was enough. I didn¡¯t want to say ¡°Ho ho ho¡± all day and wear an uncomfortable dress. ¡°Why?¡± I pouted. I could imagine my expression without even having to look into the mirror. Becky¡¯s lips curled up slightly when she heard me outright disapprove. ¡°You need to exchange information with others and consolidate your position in society.¡± ¡°I¡¯m already Princess Kandmion. Do I really have to do that?¡± My family possessed a large amount of information, especially ones that were secretive. Also, my position was very firm. ¡°You have to consolidate and spread your intelligence. It¡¯s also important to raise your reputation. You should also lead the fashion industry and maintain your social status as the center of attraction.¡± Becky declared. ¡°You want me to work?¡­¡­ I don¡¯t want to.¡± I could feel my lips turning into a frown. Still, eventually, I would have to face burdensome tasks. ¡°Raylene, what are you talking about?¡± Harvey, who had been sitting next to me, pulled on the hem of my dress. He was fidgeting with the fabric and seemed a bit anxious. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s nothing important, right Becky?¡± I looked back at Becky, but Becky wasn¡¯t looking at me. Her eyes were on Harvey. I swerved my eyesight from her to the child. He was trembling with panic. When he turned his head due to a sense of anxiety, Harvey suddenly looked at Becky with an expressionless face, while biting his lips. ¡°Harvey?¡± I asked. ¡°Oh, I won¡¯t disturb you, continue your talk.¡± He then smiled, an expression I had seen when I first brought him here. I focused on the snack I was eating, the soft sponge cake melting in my mouth. This whole situation was quite strange, at least the cake was delicious. ****** ¡°I¡¯ll go.¡± I eventually said. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Becky murmured. A glimpse of the previous Raylene¡¯s memory told me she was a group leader. And so would I be. The society of the upper class was made up of the emperor and the nobility, and in politics, the nobles fiercely fought for their own personal gains. Yet the previous Raylene was an emperor-style single woman that was superior among all others. On the other hand, Iris seemed to have become like the nasty nobles, like a vicious squirrel scrambling for dog food. Rather than working as a team, the insignificant nobles often end up arguing with each other, while their opponent happened to be a true aristocrat. I couldn¡¯t allow myself, the princess, to become a useless sandbag because of the setting of the novel. ¡°Yes, just once.¡± I announced. Becky brightly smiled at my words and brought the tray back to me. The number of invitations was so massive, I was worried which party would be most beneficial to choose. In the end, I closed my eyes and randomly picked one. I looked at the sender¡¯s name on the envelope that I selected. ¡°Mrs. Baikal?¡± Suddenly, I heard the piercing cry of a woman. I turned my head in the direction of the scream, and the door immediately opened and the guards entered the room. It was Lillian, a maid, who had her arms twisted behind her hack by Harvey¡­ ¡°Harvey!¡± I gasped. ¡°Yes, Raylene?¡± Harvey let go of Lillian¡¯s arm with a cold stiff look, and the poor woman fled to the side of the room. Harvey sat next to me again with a gentle smile. ¡°What¡¯s with that look Raylene?¡± ¡°Why did you pin Lillian¡¯s arm behind her back?¡± ¡°Was it wrong? I¡¯m sorry. I promise I won¡¯t do that again.¡± As my hardened face staring at him, Harvey wiggled, clasping his hands together. His shoulders drooped downwards and a sullen expression fell upon his face. Until now, I had never seen him hurt somebody, especially not with such a cold expression. I let out a deep sigh. Harvey flinched. ¡°Sir Ian, please take Lillian to the doctor. I¡¯m fine, so you can all leave now.¡° ¡°But Princess, you can¡¯t leave such a dangerous man behind. It¡¯s better if he left the room and so we could discuss the matter with the Duke.¡± Sir Ian only assisted Lillian out of the room, and the other three guards remained. They all labeled Harvey as a ¡°dangerous person.¡± He looked sweet, yet it was crucial to note that he was capable of attacking someone. I was torn between obeying the knights and the idea of dismissing them. My heart rapidly pounded. I looked at Harvey, whose body was continuously contracting and expanding, like that one time in Noniwell district. Hair began to grow out of the hands like a beast. ¡°Harvey, stop. Go back to the way you were.¡± I commanded. He was showing signs of animosity towards the knights. Harvey slowly turned himself back, his eyes looked at me in confusion. ¡°Guards, go guard the vicinity.¡± ¡°But Princess-¡± ¡°I asked you with grace. Are you questioning my judgment?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what we meant.¡± they stuttered, before turning around and heading towards the exit. There was a clear sense of inscrutableness with every step they took. ¡°Harvey, I don¡¯t want your apology. I just want to hear your explanation. Tell me, why did you do that to Lillian¡¯s arm?¡± ¡°She patted my head¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s the only reason?¡± He gave me an obedient angel-like expression as I stroked his head several times. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be touched.¡± We talked in the garden, and it seemed his actions were impacted by his past. He told me how it reminded him of the times when he lived as a slave. I fully understood that he disliked humans and physical contact. Although I didn¡¯t know why he didn¡¯t show me that kind of attitude towards me. ¡°It¡¯s because I like you, Raylene.¡± Harvey answered upon seeing my expression. He smiled at me. ¡°I just want Raylene to like me. I don¡¯t like anyone else¡­¡± ¡°You just want to stay with me?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Then you have to get along with the people I¡¯m with. Otherwise, you can¡¯t stay with me.¡± Harvey immediately nodded. This confirmed my inference. This child hated humans, except for me. ¡°I will. I¡¯ll be nice to others, too.¡± ¡°What you do to me, do to others.¡± ¡°¡­I can¡¯t do that.¡± The tone of the speech suddenly changed. ¡°The most precious person to me is Raylene, how could I treat others the same? I just can¡¯t.¡± Hah! How precious. So precious! It wasn¡¯t the right time, but I burst out laughing anyway. ©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤