Creak! I heard the sound of a door closing in the midst of a heated argument from around the corner of the corridor, and in the next moment, Aila and I came face to face with a boy who had just darted out of the corner.

 

Behind him, Obert followed with a stern expression and faced us with a subtly defeated look.

 

The boy stared at me with trembling eyes.

 

“So this is how we meet.”

 

Redmoore Desmiere.

 

The sole heir of the Duke’s family stood before me.

 

Though only fifteen years old, he already had the height of a grown man, hinting at his future growth.

 

His skin was beautifully tanned, and his jawline, once delicate, was beginning to take on a more masculine edge.

 

Thick, jet-black eyebrows, reminiscent of his father’s, twitched uncomfortably beneath his dark, black hair.

 

His crimson irises shimmered with fragments of vermilion and gold, like shards.

 

His full lips parted, hesitantly at first.

 

“…You.”

 

Before he could speak further, I greeted him preemptively.

 

“Good day, Lord Desmiere.”

 

Like me, it was obvious that he recognized me at first glance.

 

His expression was a mixture of hesitation, regret, and perhaps even anger, making it difficult to discern his true feelings.

 

“Come to think of it, we crossed paths a few times at the Academy.”

 

He was someone I hadn’t paid much attention to in the past, too busy living my lonely life.

 

“What kind of person was he?”

 

As I tried to recall something peculiar about him, Redmoore suddenly shouted with a rigid expression.

 

“How dare you pretend to know where you are!”

 

I had expected to hear words like “monster” or “something Father decided on his own,” but it was clear that he really disliked me.

 

My response to him was determined accordingly.

 

“Lord Desmiere.”

 

“Enough of this! How can you do something so heartless to the people who took care of you for seven years?”

 

Boring.

 

I felt a moment of annoyance. My patience for the immature tantrums of a small child, despite his appearance, had worn thin. A chill crept into my voice.

 

“If you can chase away the people who took care of you for seven years overnight, I think you must have some pressing business.”

 

“What… What?”

 

Redmoore took a step back, caught off guard. As he backed away, I moved closer.

 

“Is it because you don’t want to think about it? Or is it because you just don’t like me? I was rude from the start, lacked manners and was completely stupid.”

 

“Hey! Are you finished talking?”

 

“If I haven’t finished, would you like me to continue? After all, I’ve never heard anyone say that Lord Desmiere is stupid.”

 

I crossed my arms and laughed out loud.

 

“Whether it’s because of rumors or because of your reckless rush without considering the consequences… Besides my notorious reputation, is there any special connection to Barden?”

 

As soon as I said that, his expression hardened as if struck by lightning.

 

It came to me.

 

That lingering feeling I had about him since before finally clicked. I asked confidently.

 

“Do you have feelings for Helena?”

 

It just occurred to me that Redmoore, the Duke’s heir, had been involved with some of Helena’s famous suitors in my past life.

 

I remembered seeing him occasionally watching Helena at the Academy, his face blushing whenever their paths crossed.

 

“W-What? What nonsense are you saying? It’s not true!”

 

His face immediately flushed and he took a step back.

 

It was definitely a different reaction to discover that he had feelings for Helena.

 

Maybe it was fatigue, or maybe… I, too, unconsciously had some expectations for when I become the Countess. I felt a slight pain in my body.

 

“How ridiculous.”

 

I forced a smile, even though I felt ridiculous.

 

It would have been enough to fool around until now.

 

“If you say so.”

 

I shrugged and walked past Redmoore. With no footsteps behind me, I turned my head and asked in a tired voice.

 

“Aila, can you show me to my room?”

 

“Yes, yes! Miss, of course. Right away.”

 

Aila, who had been stiff, followed hurriedly.

 

Ignoring Obert, who was still looking at me, I took a few steps ahead. I heard a voice behind me.

 

“You’re just strange. You inherited your father’s eccentricity. Don’t even think about clinging to our family. I’ll drive you out!”

 

My footsteps stopped. Tension filled the hall for a moment.

 

But I ignored it and started walking again.

 

“This way, miss.”

 

Aila said as we came to a door after walking a little further.

 

She opened the door, and the room she led me into was much more magnificent than my room in the viscount’s estate.

 

The spacious area, as if three rooms had been combined, exuded a warm and cozy atmosphere with a mix of wood and cream colors.

 

There was a bed in the middle of the room, and a fireplace on the right side that provided a cozy warmth. However, I strangely felt a chill in the air.

 

“Should I get you some comfortable clothes to change into?”

 

“That’s fine. Go away. I want to be alone.”

 

“But…”

 

“I can manage. Then go.”

 

“Understood, Miss. I’ll be back later for dinner.”

 

With those words, Aila left. The sound of the door closing softly echoed, and finally silence filled the room.

 

I collapsed on the bed. Thinking about it now, I had hardly slept since last night.

 

The exhaustion that had built up throughout the day crashed over me like a giant demon engulfing my body.

 

“…I’m tired.”

 

‘I should change into comfortable clothes, or maybe I should explore the room and make sure there’s no surveillance or anything suspicious… and plan for the future, plan for… the tasks I need to do…’

 

My mind roared with the tasks at hand, but my body wouldn’t obey.

 

The Duke’s mansion, the greetings from the line of attendants, the reactions from the new dedicated maid and Young Lord Desmiere, the frozen expression on Obert’s wrinkled face—they all mixed together and floated in my mind.

 

My heavy eyelids blinked closed.

 

<center>*  *  *</center>

 

That evening, Aila came to wake me up as she had promised.

 

But in my sleep-induced state, I refused to get up, babbling nonsense.

 

In the end, the formal dinner prepared for me in the mansion was returned to the servants.

 

It was a pointless gathering anyway, with neither the Duke nor the Young Lord present. I had no regrets.

 

“…So, in the afternoon, Lady Hertel will come for etiquette lessons.”

 

Similarly, after having breakfast alone, I returned to the room, and Aila brushed my hair while informing me of the day’s schedule.

 

“After that, tutors from various fields will visit to assist with your academy studies and discuss lesson plans.”

 

“The Duke seems quite strict.”

 

“The Duke never does anything half-heartedly.”

 

In just two days since arriving at the Duke’s estate, I was given such a detailed timetable. There was no time to rest, and I clenched my teeth.

 

“But I’ve heard that you excel in all subjects.”

 

Aila casually added. The insignificant words twisted my sense of self. Impatience and frustration surged within me.

 

Living a kind life, behaving kindly, accepting all the misfortunes and criticisms that came my way as the Devil’s daughter—I had lived that way with a lowered head. But that life, which had no place for regrets, ended in the lecture hall.

 

After returning to the past following my death, I felt like I was gradually losing my sanity.

 

“No, maybe I was already insane, and it’s just now starting to show.”

 

Especially after successfully driving out the Viscount family, whenever I let my guard down, the monster within me would bare its fangs, drooling with a luminous glow.

 

Ah, my head hurts.

 

“But that can’t be all you heard, right?”

 

“What?”

 

The hand that was combing my hair stopped halfway. Angrily, I glared at her through the mirror.

 

“It’s not like you’ve only heard about my life at the academy.”

 

“….”

 

Her brown eyes fluttered. I turned away from the dressing table, faced Aila, and stared at her intently.

 

“Why? Just tell me everything you know. You must have heard the rumors that I see ghosts, that my grades are good but my social life is a mess, and that I always eat alone. Why don’t you speak up about that?”

 

“…Miss.”

 

“Don’t pretend like you know everything. Don’t speak so easily. Are you going to go gossip about my life in the duchy elsewhere? If that’s the case, then leave now. I have no intention of turning a spy into a maid!”

 

“…That’s not what I meant.”

 

Aila put down the comb, stood up, clasped her skirt tightly in both hands, and bowed deeply in apology.

 

“I misspoke, Miss.”

 

She had been speaking so quickly and forcefully that her breath was ragged, and her body trembled.

 

Deep wrinkles formed beneath Aila’s lips and chin as she tightly pursed them.

 

For a moment, I stared at her with disdain, but soon I turned and looked at the mirror.

 

Aila had been still for a moment then picked up the comb again and started brushing my hair.

 

Her touch trembled. Every now and then, a hot breath grazed my neck, and I could hear the sound of an unsuccessful attempt to stifle a sob.

 

My tense shoulders finally began to relax, little by little, slowly descending.

 

Sighing softly, I felt a sense of relief emanating from behind me.

 

She seemed to be doing her best to suppress her tears again, but it wasn’t very effective.

 

“Was I too sensitive?”

 

I wanted to just ignore it, but it bothered me. My furrowed brows reflected in the mirror. My pale face looked uncomfortable.

 

After hesitating for a moment, I finally spoke.