Episode 38

 

‘What?’

I doubted my ears, unsure if I had heard correctly. Instinctively, I lifted my head that had been respectfully bowed.

‘In my previous life, this never…’

Of course, it hadn’t happened. There was no way I, the villainess, would have been tasked with preparing the protagonist’s debutante.

The Duke of Reinhardt was still looking down at me with his usual haughty expression.

“Me… you want me to do it?”

“Yes.”

He spoke as if he wasn’t thrilled about it but had something he needed me to do.

“I’m not asking you to do anything grand. And I won’t allow you to do much anyway.”

The Duke furrowed his brow and issued his command.

“…First, there’s something more important.”

“Yes, please go on.”

“Send a letter to the Grand Duke Elzerian and ask him to be your partner.”

As soon as I heard it, I knew.

‘This is the real purpose.’

It was clear that Aria had requested Chris as her partner. The Duke wanted to use the fact that the Grand Duke was already my partner as an excuse to have him decline.

The Duke obviously wanted the Crown Prince to be Aria’s partner.

‘From the Duke’s perspective, he must be beside himself with worry.’

He had laid out the best path for himself and Aria, but with Aria’s affections leaning towards Chris rather than the Crown Prince, he must be frantic.

‘I wish I could share in your joy.’

If Aria had set her sights on anyone other than Chris, I would have been clapping and cheering for her love.

‘In fact, I might have even rushed to Aria and urged her to elope with her chosen one.’

It might have been a happier path for Aria too. No matter who she met, Aria would find happiness.

After all, Aria had committed fewer sins against me compared to others.

Though she stood by while I was mistreated, she didn’t act as disgustingly as the others, and at times, she even showed me kindness out of pity.

Sometimes, she even seemed kind-hearted.

‘Above all, she is the beloved protagonist of this world.’

That’s why I always felt a bit uneasy about the idea of taking revenge on Aria.

‘Sometimes, it feels like I’m going against the very rules of this world by trying to destroy it.’

My intention to bring down the Duke’s house alone was partly due to this reason.

‘I know it’s selfish…’

It would have been so much easier if Aria had just run away with the person she loved, sparing me this unease.

That way, I’d have no lingering guilt, and the Duke would be forced to watch his beloved daughter be taken away.

How furious would he be? If I could gather all the anger the Duke would feel, I might have had enough sustenance to live comfortably for the next hundred years.

If the Duke were to collapse or die from the sheer frustration, that would have been the perfect ending for me.

‘It would be revenge achieved without having to struggle.’

And how amusing would it have been to see the Crown Prince, that depraved fool, left empty-handed, staring into the void?

The sight of that selfish man fuming over not getting the woman he desired would have been something to behold.

In the end, the problem lay in the fact that the man Aria desired was Chris.

‘If only it weren’t Chris.’

If only it weren’t him.

That’s why, for once, I agreed with the Duke and calmly responded.

“I will do as you ask, Father.”

I emphasized the word ‘Father,’ and the Duke’s eyebrows furrowed further, as if trying to gauge my intentions.

I smiled like a docile lamb.

“I’ll speak with His Grace, the Grand Duke. Though I’m not sure if he’ll agree to my request.”

“Make sure he agrees. By any means necessary.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“Write the letter as soon as you return to your room. Ask him to be your partner for Aria’s upcoming debutante ball. Understood?”

“I will keep that in mind.”

The Duke continued speaking, seemingly still not reassured, as he stroked his chin.

“I’ll spare no expense on your dress and accessories for this debutante ball.”

“……”

“Choose whatever you think will please the Grand Duke. Don’t worry about the cost.”

It was quite an amusing turn of events.

‘To think I’d ever hear him telling me to dress properly for Aria’s debutante ball.’

In my previous life, such a thing would have been unimaginable. I suppressed a bitter smile and responded.

“Yes. I will follow your orders.”

The Duke seemed pleased with my answer, which conveyed my willingness to do my best. He then spoke in a softer tone, as if offering a carrot after the stick.

“You should start receiving the treatment you deserve. Don’t you think so, my daughter?”

“……”

“If you can win the Grand Duke’s heart, you’ll become the mistress of Elzerian. And you’ll truly become a daughter of Reinhardt.”

I couldn’t tell if the feeling rising inside me was disgust, irritation, or mockery.

But I carefully concealed all those emotions and smiled back at the Duke.

 

* * *

 

“How about this?”

Aria smiled as she handed over the letter she had written.

She had spent days, ever since she learned about her debutante ball, carefully crafting this letter.

“I’m going to send it to His Grace, the Grand Duke.”

The maids smiled adoringly at Aria’s delicate handwriting.

Her cute, dainty handwriting was actually a source of insecurity for Aria, as she felt it wasn’t mature enough.

But the maids of the Duke’s household didn’t care about such things. What mattered wasn’t Aria’s handwriting but the fact that she was the true daughter of the Duke.

“My Lady! It’s a wonderful letter, and your handwriting is so lovely.”

“If I were the Grand Duke, I wouldn’t be able to refuse it.”

“Absolutely. After all, it’s from you, My Lady.”

Aria blushed at their praise and continued.

“Still, shouldn’t I deliver it myself?”

“No, no! It’s kinder to ask Lady Mindia to deliver it. You’re giving Lady Mindia another chance to see the Grand Duke.”

The maids made faces as they spoke.

“But even so, His Grace, the Grand Duke, will choose you, My Lady.”

“You’re so kind, My Lady. By asking Lady Mindia to deliver the letter, you’re giving her an opportunity to see the Grand Duke, even though she doesn’t have one otherwise.”

Aria blushed at their flattery.

“Do you really think so?”

“Of course. Honestly, even if it weren’t the Grand Duke… The moment your debutante ball is announced, gentlemen will flock to you like clouds.”

“The Grand Duke is nothing. Even His Highness, the Crown Prince, will attend. The name of Elzerian fades in comparison to the Imperial family.”

“Honestly, we don’t even need to go that far. A family guarding the frontier could never compare to the central noble house of the Reinhardt Duchy.”

The maids subtly and not-so-subtly belittled the Elzerian family.

The tension between the two houses was something the maids shared.

Some of the maids even felt it was a waste for their precious Lady Aria to be interested in the Grand Duke.

“Just wait and see, My Lady. His Highness, the Crown Prince, will surely ask to be your partner.”

“…I’m not so sure about him.”

“Why not?”

Aria swallowed the words she wanted to say.

‘Every time I see him, it’s like looking at a snake. There’s something off-putting about him.’

But he was a man destined to reach the highest position in the empire. He was handsome, and his wealth was truly immense.

So Mindia could be happy.

Aria consoled herself with that thought. Everyone said that Mindia was the kind of woman who would be happy as long as her husband’s status was high.

On second thought, her suggestion wasn’t such a bad one. In fact, her own desire for the Grand Duke, an enemy of her father, was the more difficult situation.

‘Why is it that His Grace, the Grand Duke, has such a bad relationship with Father?’

Aria, having only recently joined the capital’s noble society, didn’t know the details.

She had always expected to marry some appropriate provincial nobleman and live there, so she had never paid much attention to the capital’s social scene.

She only knew from the maids’ gossip that the Reinhardt Duchy and the Elzerian Grand Duchy did not get along.

‘I wish they would get along better.’

Aria liked both her father, the Duke, and the Grand Duke, who had appeared out of nowhere and extended a hand to her when she was crying.

She thought it would be nice if they could both be a part of her life.

‘I’ll do my best to make things better between them…’

Her father cared for her, so he would help her with that. If the Grand Duke opened his heart to her, the rest would follow.

Aria smiled sweetly. She had a good feeling about this.

“Now, let’s go see Brother Servi.”

“Yes, My Lady.”

Although Servi had upset Aria greatly during their last tea time, he had repeatedly apologized since then, trying to make it up to her.

He had even promised to order an extravagant dress for her debutante ball and invited her to go out together when he had time.

Aria had decided to forgive him, especially since meeting the Grand Duke had been a result of that incident.

It would be a lie to say she wasn’t still a bit upset, but Servi was her true brother who genuinely cared for her.

‘The baron’s family treated me well enough too, but…’

Life with the baron’s family had been one of constant compromise.

Aria liked being praised for her kindness, but it was only after coming here that she truly enjoyed it. Before, being called kind had always felt uncomfortable.

Back then, her kindness had been an extreme form of survival. Here, at least, she had the choice to be kind because she wanted to be.

She liked that—having choices that didn’t involve mere survival.

“Brother.”

Aria approached the small office where Servi was holed up, her heart light.

“I told you to deliver the message properly!”

A loud shout echoed from the office.