Episode 3

“Hurry up, will you?”

I was washing myself alone under the maids’ impatient urging. It was the morning before the banquet.

“…….”

Though it was spring, the unheated water was icy cold. The rough soap hardly produced any lather. Still, I washed diligently.

‘If I’m starting over, I should start completely clean.’

After returning through my regressions, I always made sure to thoroughly bathe for the first time. This time, I wanted to be more meticulous than ever. I wanted to begin with a proper resolve.

“What’s with her?”

“…Acting all prim and proper now.”

Voices whispered from behind the partition outside the bathroom. It was my maids.

“She always used to wash lazily.”

“Oh, geez.”

That was because you always brought water that was either too cold or too hot.

Sometimes, they acted as if there was a time limit. If I didn’t finish in time, they would drain the water while soap still clung to my hair.

At least today, they didn’t dump cold water on me or dunk my head in the bathwater under the pretense of helping me wash.

“Why is she suddenly going to the banquet?”

“She always tries to follow wherever Lady Aria goes. She was banned from going before.”

They were probably referring to when I was banned from social events by the duke for causing trouble before my regression.

“The duke surprisingly allowed it.”

‘That’s because this is technically a religious event.’

Even though I was banned from social events, I wasn’t prohibited from attending religious ceremonies. More importantly…

—

‘What? The banquet? Take care of it yourself. I’m busy.’

‘Father! I’m here!’

‘Aria! Come, let’s get you fitted for the banquet. One outfit won’t be enough for you.’

‘Wow! I’m so happy!’

—

The duke was preoccupied with Aria’s preparations. His indifference towards my participation was a small mercy.

I finished my bath, dressed, and approached the vanity. The maids reluctantly helped with my hair, pulling and tugging more than necessary. I endured it in silence.

As I looked at myself in the mirror, I couldn’t help but feel a pang of determination.

—

Later that day

I sneaked out of my room to retrieve some items I had hidden. Among them was a map of the capital, a list of guests for the banquet, and a small vial of a potent sleeping draught.

‘I have to be careful. I can’t afford any mistakes.’

The Grand Duke’s victory banquet was tomorrow. It was my chance to approach Chris Elzerian and set my plan in motion.

—

On the day of the banquet

The hall was adorned with grand decorations, a testament to the importance of the event. Nobles mingled, their conversations a mix of polite chatter and thinly veiled barbs.

I entered quietly, keeping to the edges of the room. My eyes scanned for Chris. There he was, standing near a window, his expression as unreadable as ever.

Taking a deep breath, I made my way towards him, rehearsing my words in my head.

—

Back in the north

Chris stood by the window, feeling out of place amidst the festive atmosphere. His mind was elsewhere, preoccupied with the north and the relentless threats it faced.

“Your Grace.”

Afamiliar voice interrupted his thoughts.

—

He turned to see Mindia Reinhardt standing before him, a determined look in her eyes.

The duke was completely preoccupied with Aria. Because of this, he answered my questions half-heartedly.

‘It’s always strange how much attention she attracts whenever I see her.’

Objectively speaking, Aria was indeed a lovely child. Her dreamy pink hair and emerald green eyes that seemed to draw people in. Coupled with her smile, she looked like all the sweetness in the world gathered in one place.

‘It’s no wonder that I fade into the background when she’s around.’

Therefore, I wasn’t surprised by the duke’s attitude.

The maids continued to giggle among themselves as they watched me bathe.

“Look at that.”

“Who would like a body like that?”

“Disgusting.”

My body bore the scars of Seth’s violent outbursts. Bruises, scars, and sometimes burn marks or puncture wounds from sharp objects.

The duke’s household periodically provided me with potions containing healing magic. Not out of concern for me, but because it would be problematic if my injuries were visible outside.

However, as Seth’s violence became more frequent, the potions started running out before the next batch arrived.

At some point before my regression, I gave up applying the potions regularly. I saved them and only used them diligently when I had to go out. Perhaps it was due to the fear that the duke’s household might stop providing the potions altogether.

As a result, the scars from Seth’s abuse were still visible on my body.

‘Before my regression, I would have used the potions for the banquet.’

Now, I didn’t feel like it. Protesting against the maids’ comments wouldn’t change much.

‘My complaints are not important in this household.’

Before my regression, I didn’t know this and often fought back, only to face backlash.

There was no need to act immediately. I could unleash my anger once everything was in place.

‘Maybe I’ll rope them in when I find evidence of treason.’

I thought idly as I stared at the face of the maid handing me a towel.

“Miss.”

She was a young maid, always calm and quiet.

‘Her name was Marie, I think.’

She had never treated me particularly well.

‘But she has never been cruel either.’

I hadn’t heard her voice among the gossiping maids just now. She always stood quietly in the corner, observing and listening to everything with a detached demeanor.

She was always cautious, maintaining neutrality, and existing as an observer. She was perfect for the role I needed.

‘You’ll have to be my first ally.’

I deliberately smiled at Marie.

“Thank you, Marie.”

Marie looked a bit startled, as if she hadn’t expected me to call her by name.

“You remembered my name.”

“Yes. Didn’t you mention having a younger sibling in the north?”

“How did you…”

“I overheard the maids talking. They said you send money to your sibling every month?”

I made sure to look directly into Marie’s eyes as I spoke.

“That means you’re from the north, right? What is the Grand Duke like?”

“The Grand Duke… Your Grace?”

Marie’s voice rose in surprise. Behind us, whispers started again.

“Did she just mention the Grand Duke?”

“My goodness.”

I looked at Marie with satisfaction, watching the situation unfold as expected.

“Marie, would you tell me more about the Grand Duke?”

“I only lived in the north until I was seven. I’m completely away from the territory now; only my sibling is still there…”

“I’m not asking for free information.”

I whispered so the other maids wouldn’t hear.

“Take this.”

From among my clothes, I pulled out an expensive silver comb and handed it to Marie. Her eyes widened slightly.

“Your sibling is sick, right? I heard you need a lot of money.”

“…….”

“Will you help me, Marie?”

I still had a few pieces of jewelry left. They were gifts from the duke when he occasionally felt whimsically generous.

Marie looked at me with her usual cautious eyes, then nodded.

“Please, I’m counting on you.”

As I turned my back to Marie and stepped out to get dressed, the maids had already laid out a dress on the bed.

“We picked out a dress for you to wear to the banquet.”

“…….”

It was very loud and ostentatious.

‘Wearing this to the banquet would cause quite a scene.’

Unlike typical social events, ceremonies held at the Great Temple had quite strict dress codes.

‘If I wore this, I’d be politely turned away at the door.’

Then, infuriated, I would cause a scene, earning the duke’s wrath and ultimately getting dragged back home to be harshly reprimanded. That’s probably what they hoped would happen.

The maids’ eyes sparkled with anticipation. Before my regression, I was always eager to wear something flashy, so they must have thought I’d be excited to wear this too.

I smiled to meet their expectations.

“It’s beautiful.”

“Right? You can put it on yourself, can’t you? Make sure to wear it to the banquet.”

The maids didn’t help me dress and left the room in a rush. Marie hesitated but left after receiving a glare from another maid. I sighed and rummaged through the wardrobe.

“Nothing.”

There wasn’t a single modest and appropriate dress for the banquet.

There was no way they’d agree if I suddenly asked for a suitable dress for the banquet now. They were too busy with Aria’s new outfits.

“No choice, then.”

Of course, there was always a way. Living through four lifetimes had taught me that.

I slowly put on the garish dress and stepped out of my room.

—

I made my way through the hallways, carefully planning my next steps. The loud and flashy dress was a perfect distraction for the moment, but I had no intention of being turned away at the door.

As I walked, I encountered one of the senior maids, Margery, who eyed me with a mixture of suspicion and disdain.

“Mindia, what are you wearing? That’s hardly appropriate for the banquet at the Great Temple.”

“I know, Margery. But this was the only dress the other maids prepared for me. I was hoping to find something more suitable.”

Margery huffed, clearly annoyed but also intrigued by my unexpected compliance.

“You should have said something sooner. We don’t have time to prepare another dress for you now.”

“I understand. Perhaps you could lend me something plain from the servants’ quarters? I just need something modest.”

Margery looked taken aback by my humility and practicality. After a moment, she nodded.

“Follow me.”

She led me to the servants’ quarters, where we found a simple, modest dress. It wasn’t elegant, but it met the dress code for the banquet.

“This will do.”

“Thank you, Margery. I appreciate your help.”

Margery nodded curtly, still somewhat suspicious but visibly less hostile. I changed quickly and thanked her again before making my way to the banquet.

—

As I arrived at the Great Temple, the grand hall was bustling with nobles. I slipped in quietly, blending in with the crowd in my modest dress. My eyes scanned the room, searching for Chris Elzerian.

There he was, standing near a window, his expression as unreadable as ever. Taking a deep breath, I made my way toward him, rehearsing my words in my head.

—

Chris stood by the window, feeling out of place amidst the festive atmosphere. His mind was elsewhere, preoccupied with the north and the relentless threats it faced.

“Your Grace.”

A familiar voice interrupted his thoughts.

He turned to see Mindia Reinhardt standing before him, a determined look in her eyes.

* * *

On my way to see Aria, it wasn’t difficult to slip into the kitchen and sneak a cup of tea.

“Aria loves lemon tea, right?”

I didn’t particularly like the sour taste.

Lemon was one of the fruits I didn’t care for, partly because my pale yellow eyes, reminiscent of lemon, had made me an outcast in the duke’s household.

But now was not the time for old grudges.

Humming a cheerful tune, I opened Aria’s door energetically. I had timed it perfectly, knowing she would be with her older brother.

“Aria!”

“……!”

Servi, who was with Aria, met my gaze. Ignoring his openly displeased expression, I turned my attention to Aria.

“Mindia! Come in.”

Aria looked at me with curious eyes.

This was a time when Aria had just joined the duke’s household. I was still simmering with resentment internally, while Aria was overjoyed to be reunited with her real family.

Later, when I began showing my hostility towards Aria, she would start avoiding me, but that hadn’t happened yet.

Smiling, I approached Aria with the tray of lemon tea.

“I heard you like lemon tea.”

“Wow! How did you know?”

“The kitchen maids told me.”

Of course, that was a lie. I wasn’t close to the maids; I just remembered this detail from the original story.

Without any suspicion, Aria reached for the tea I handed her. Her innocent movements reflected someone who had never experienced malice from others.

Predictably, Servi sprang to his feet.

“What are you trying to do?”

“Brother?”

Servi stepped between Aria and me with a cold look in his eyes.

“What are you doing?”

“I asked what you’re trying to do to Aria.”

I looked into Servi’s eyes, memories flooding back.

—

‘She did it all on her own!’

—

His voice had been devoid of any guilt when he accused me. Instead, he had sounded genuinely aggrieved.

A heart-wrenching plea from the little duke who was determined to sacrifice me to save the household.

‘Even a hypocrite like him cares for his real sister, it seems.’

I looked up at Servi with as pitiful an expression as I could muster.

“I just wanted to bring Aria some lemon tea…”

“Drink it first.”

“What?”

“You drink it first.”

“Brother?”

Only Aria looked puzzled, not understanding the situation.

‘He’s just telling me to act as the food taster.’

I obediently took a sip of the lemon tea. There was no trick to it anyway.

“It’s delicious, Lord Servi. I want to share it with Aria.”

“…….”

“Since we’re both princesses now, I’d like us to be friends…”

Whack!

The moment I deliberately mentioned the word “princess,” Servi, his mood clearly soured, pushed me roughly.

The tray slipped from my hands, and the cup shattered on the floor, spilling the tea. I stumbled but caught myself, looking up at Servi with wide, hurt eyes.

“Why did you do that?”

“Servi, why did you push her?”

Ignoring Aria’s concern, Servi glared at me.

“You may have fooled others, but not me. Stay away from Aria.”

I rubbed my arm where he had pushed me, feigning more hurt than I felt.

“I just wanted to make friends…”

“You can drop the act. I won’t let you harm Aria.”

Aria looked back and forth between us, confusion and worry written all over her face.

“But brother, she didn’t do anything wrong.”

“Aria, you don’t understand.”

I cast my eyes down, tears welling up as I played the part of the wronged sister.

“I’m sorry, Aria. I’ll leave now.”

As I turned to leave, I made sure to give Servi one last pained look, etching the moment into my mind for future reference.

‘Your hypocrisy will catch up to you, Servi. I’ll make sure of it.’

Exiting the room, I clenched my fists, the seeds of my plan taking deeper root. If I wanted to bring down the Duke’s household, I needed to exploit every weakness and fracture within.

The banquet would be my first move. I needed to get close to Chris Elzerian, and nothing would deter me from this path.