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As soon as I got off the carriage in front of the entrance, the marquis struck my cheek in a fit of rage. I didn’t bother to avoid it, and he glared at me with a murderous look, wearing the exact same expression I must have had once.

If he had hit me with his fist, one of my teeth might have been broken.

As expected, the Marquis family would not escape destruction. I took a step back before he could strike me again.

“Crazy bitch.”

His trembling voice was clearly that of someone who wanted to kill. I decided to correct my thoughts.

Yes, it was the expression of my sister, the villainess who threw a fountain pen at me, not mine.

He was in despair over his life being thrown into misfortune, but he had no hope of overcoming it.

“You couldn’t protect your family to the end.”

“It’s not my family.”

“Aren’t you an Eilish!!”

I laughed. It was amusing to hear him spewing nonsense after so easily casting aside the original heir with the same surname. But there was one more reason…

“I am not an Eilish.”

In this created world, I no longer wanted to identify with Margaret Eilish. I threw the pouch I had brought on my way to him, showing overt disdain.

Platinum coins, land deeds, a diamond mine under my sister’s name, and Glacies’ income from drugs—since the materials and manufacturing methods were due to loan defaults, the income distribution was adjusted to benefit my sister as well—poured out, along with checks accumulated under the guise of maintaining dignity.

“….”

“Take it. Not because I am an Eilish, but because my sister’s father is.”

The usually unfriendly servants peeked out with astonished faces, gasping in shock. I didn’t care. Without giving them any attention, I called the middle-aged man bowing behind my father.

“Butler.”

“Yes, miss.”

“What did the crown prince say?”

“….”

“Is the knight order still intact?”

“…Some are under investigation, and Lord Reload has resigned as the commander. There are widespread opinions that private soldiers will be banned soon.”

“Wise decision. Then you should resign too.”

“…Pardon?”

“Not immediately, but before the family name is confiscated.”

Although the crown prince declared that my father’s family would end today, it was not easy to unilaterally exile a family, especially one at the head of the noble faction.

Even after suppressing the rebellion, the fact that Florencia Eilish was selected as the crown princess indicated that the Eilish family held considerable prestige and honor.

Even if excommunication was declared, until proper evidence supporting the grounds for it was presented, the nobility status would not be stripped away.

Florencia’s case was managed somehow with a gag order, but that was acceptable only because it happened once.

Therefore, I could confidently assert this.

Until the justification for excommunication emerged, the existence of the family relied on social activities. The talks of excommunication might be noisy in the imperial council, but if they didn’t get swayed and whine, it could be used as an opportunity to unify the forces dissatisfied with the current crown prince.

If Calix Hamel’s rebellion took place here, the twist in the ending would be utterly perfect.

The original story’s flaws subtly emerged in these minor details. The criterion for punishing evil was purely whether harm was inflicted on Beatrice Rosen, so the deaths of unrelated third parties were rarely described.

However, to emphasize that Calix’s side was the villain, there was a perfunctory mention that more of the crown prince’s close associates were killed.

In other words, our side had the numbers advantage.

The butler looked puzzled, and I beckoned him with an uninterested gesture to give an order.

“Go and get me a wig. The darker brown, the better. Also, bring a bundle of the yarn I previously asked for. As for pants… let’s give up on that.”

“Pardon?”

“And spread the word that my probation has been lifted. It will quickly spread if you mention it while purchasing fabrics at the tailor’s. They’ll roll their eyes and send invitations to mock me. Also, bring some catalogs for dresses to wear to those invitations.”

“Mel!”

The marquis shouted furiously. I clicked my tongue, stopping him, then informed the coachman of the butler’s destination so he could leave, before gently rubbing my swollen cheek.

“Remember, if you resign before the confiscation, you can come back to work for me. But if you stay as my father’s butler and get kicked out, you’ll have to live off your savings.”

* * *

Night had fallen. I was holed up in my room, indifferent to my father’s anger, so there wasn’t much to overhear about his fury.

Satisfied with the freedom I had enjoyed outside, I had done everything I wanted to do before returning home, so why ruin my mood unnecessarily?

After a long time, I enjoyed a bath with the help of others, and after admiring the flowers in the garden that I had neglected, I spent a rather comfortable afternoon climbing back to my room.

It was late in the evening when I instructed the maids to bring the ledgers related to my sponsorship under my name and then sprawled on the bed.

Despite my probation, the numerous sponsorships I had done to avoid execution continued, and it seemed to have positively impacted my image among the commoners.

They all appealed to the mercy of my family.

“With this, I won’t be branded as a villainess.”

There’s no material for my father to steal the credit either.

I organized the documents and locked them in the safe my sister had given me.

I knew she hadn’t informed my father about the existence of her abilities, but if a person who was once the heir of a family was already in possession of a personal seal and conducted illegal business with it, it would undoubtedly cause problems – my father was unaware of my sister’s usury business, so he didn’t mess with her seal.

I was impressed by the sturdiness of the safe she had prepared.

“A dagger.”

I stretched, seeing the short sword adorned with a red gem inside the safe. I chuckled faintly.

The original of the sword, which I had commissioned the guild to create a replica of, was sharpened to a fine edge. Even someone not familiar with using swords would have no difficulty drawing blood with it.

“Maybe I should have given one to the grand duke too.”

Outside, angry shouts still filled the air. I propped my chin on my hand and let the noise drift away.

Crazy girl. Worse than your sister, a disgrace to the nobility, a witch.

The hallway was filled with even harsher criticisms than what my sister had heard. I shook my head.

I remembered the day I gave a sword to Taylor Knight. The prisoner, who was destined to rot in the basement without even a date for execution, seemed so pitiful back then.

I hadn’t expected his obsession to turn towards me, so I handed over the sword without much thought. His room had neither a hook to hang himself nor a guard who would end his life for him.

Using the sword if necessary, that was the meaning behind my words. It was natural, and amusingly so, because I had seen narratives where abandoned male leads wanted to give up on life.

“Well… it’s all in the past now.”

Their true nature, revealed once the created facade was broken, was slightly different from what I had anticipated. Unlike the original settings, they had enough character to be utilized, accepted, or even rejected to some extent.

My father continued to shout. Cunning girl. A demon who knows no gratitude and only uses others…!

I closed my eyes and acknowledged it.

Yeah, if cunning means that.

The maids who had cooperated with my sister still worked here, as they had denied her on the day she was arrested. They seemed to be trying hard to block out such sounds, mindful of my presence.

“Marquis, please calm down!”

“The young lady cherished the eldest lady very much. You know that…”

“It was inevitable. The imperial family originally…”

“Ridiculous.”

I clicked my tongue. It was refreshing to hear mere maids talking as if they were involved with noble families just because they had done some errands to harm Beatrice Rosen. If this was another part of the fabricated setting, this world truly was a comedy.

As Taylor said, I was just curious about how amusing this farce would become.

“I should sleep on it…”

I was tired. Beatrice, the crown prince, all of them.

Thinking of it as a final rest for my powerless self, I closed my eyes. Pulling the blanket over my head, just like that.

* * *

Morning arrived sooner than expected. As soon as I opened my eyes, I washed with the basin of water brought in, just like any noble lady would. My father, clutching his temples as if he had a headache, joined me for breakfast.

Why he bothered to share a meal with me after hurling so much contempt at me was beyond my understanding…

‘…Well, the reason is probably obvious.’

My lips twisted in a wry smile.

I didn’t want to strain myself thinking about someone who hadn’t caused any particular harm in the original story. Dealing with the living ink called the protagonist was exhausting enough; worrying about other characters’ intentions was too much.

I set down my fork and nodded readily to his material demands. Once I started collecting debts, there would be enough funds, and since I had places to visit before then, there was no need to waste time.

I had previously promised to repay him for raising me, after all.

“Miss, I’ve handled it as you instructed. The invitations are indeed substantial.”

After breakfast, the butler approached me, bowing his head as he reported.

My father’s words about his disgraceful daughter no longer affected me, so I shut him up by reminding him that I still had more land deeds.

“Thank your sister,” I added.

After breakfast, I took another walk. I spent half the day in this leisurely manner, and by the afternoon, I was able to check the numerous invitations that had been delivered to my room.

“Most of them are…”

Pro-imperial faction.

[Dear Lady Eilish,

I was surprised to hear that your probation has been lifted. I cannot contain my eager curiosity about the reason and would like to ask you in detail. Please forgive my rudeness for not being able to hold back my curiosity. If it’s all right with you, I would like to invite you to a tea party soon.

As you have been less active in social circles compared to your sister, I am writing this letter carefully to avoid any misunderstandings. Other ladies from the noble faction will also be attending the gathering. Please feel at ease.]

“…Such pretentious flattery.”

A derisive smile escaped my lips. I folded the letter into a paper airplane and sent it flying into a corner of the room.

Considering the polite tone, it wasn’t from a debtor but simply a letter for mockery. The mention of “other ladies from the noble faction” likely referred to those who had sided with the crown prince and Beatrice after the rebel forces were subdued.

People who were frequently depicted switching sides to Beatrice from Florencia’s group, no doubt.

I decided to ignore such people and reached out for the next letter.

[To the esteemed Margaret Colin Eilish. Please bestow upon us the grace of visiting our mansion. I earnestly wish to meet you in person and hear your esteemed opinion.]

“This must be from a debtor.”

Taylor’s swift handling of matters, as he boasted, seemed evident. The neat tone of the letter, filled with urgency, conveyed through Glacies confirmed it.

“Sigh…”

As I mentioned before, the nobles in this world often behaved in ways that exceeded my expectations. Just hoping I wouldn’t be assassinated if I went there.

I had no intention of visiting those who had nothing to lose in person. My sister must have considered such risks, hence her collaboration with the guild.

With the execution date moved up, I needed to hurry. After sorting through the letters, I selected a few invitations worth attending and spent the rest of the day trimming the wig the butler had bought.

I suddenly recalled the letter Calix Hamel had sent, but that was it. Given it involved my sister, I had to visit eventually, but still.

I had read the article about the former grand duke throwing a Molotov cocktail into the prison so many times that I knew the approximate number of casualties and the extent of the terror better than expected. He, who had the most twisted personality in the story, had killed people then too. Five, to be exact.

Yes, exactly five people were completely burned to death, reminding me of Florencia’s execution.

This made me even more uneasy. The fact that the reason for the murders was me also contributed to my mental stress.

Even if they were fictional and created characters, if they consistently influenced me, I had no choice but to endure a certain amount of stress. Especially when it directly related to life and death.

I leaned back in my chair with a sigh, muttering to myself.

“Morality should have its limits.”

Although Glacies and the former rebel forces were related, it was clear enough that he was the mastermind behind the terror.

It was only natural for a wanted poster of the grand duke to be up. Meeting him while his whereabouts were unknown meant I had to take some risks, so I decided to rely a bit more on his patience.

“Above all.”

The obsession of the three characters differed in nature, but the grand duke was the most terrifying of them. Even beyond his psychopathic indifference to murder, there was something about him…

‘Taylor is just a pitiful case.’

Yes. His occupational conditioning due to drugs and brainwashing was a case needing improvement rather than punishment. Castiel, being a knight, was inevitable in a world indifferent to imperial conquests.

‘But Calix…’

Of course, the original work’s safety line that he wouldn’t harm his own people was clear, but still…

‘Let’s not think about it.’

If the lack of morality was due to abuse and a bad environment, maybe living with that mindset was easier for him.

I blinked my crimson eyes and stopped trying to understand him.

I remembered that he hadn’t sent any notes during my probation period, but I figured I could apologize later, so I got up without much concern.

The only other thing I was curious about was the connection between him and Glacies.

I wondered if Calix knew that he lived in a world created for ‘someone.’ Predicting his reaction, I quickly grew tired of the mounting boredom and shook my head.

At that time, I didn’t realize how much more unhinged he was than I thought. Hence, that afternoon faded from my memory sooner than expected.