Even after marriage, that pretense of care vanished, but right now, I’m a fish that hasn’t been fully caught by that man.
Rachel took Alex’s hand and stood up.
As if she’d already grasped the situation, she looked at me, her eyes drooping with feigned pity.
“Poor sister, are you feeling better? You came at just the right time. I was about to arrange flowers for your bedroom.”
Then why are you in a shed?
I shot her a piercing look, and Rachel flinched, quickly hiding behind Alex.
“Sister, you’re scaring me with that stare. You’re not going to slap me again, are you?”
Peeking out from behind him, Rachel widened her eyes as she spoke.
Should I just slap the other cheek too?
I opened my mouth.
“I’m fine. In fact, I feel sharper than ever. I know exactly what I need to do now.”
At my words, both of them clamped their mouths shut, as if caught off guard.
I gave a bright smile and continued.
“By the way, Viscount, I heard from Dana. Our wedding date has been set.”
Alex, wiping the confusion from his face as if it had never been there, flashed a friendly gaze.
“Yes. It’s set for three days before the Founding Ball. I’ve even received His Majesty’s approval.”
“Three days before the Founding Ball would be August 20, 320, then?”
“Exactly. That’s the day we’ll swear our eternal love.”
Rachel, standing beside him, narrowed her eyes sharply.
She flicked a stray lock of hair with a pout and spoke.
“It’s an important day, so I’ll need to put some effort into my dress. I’ll tell the steward to call Alonzo the designer—”
“Rachel.”
I lifted my eyelids and gazed at her steadily.
“I’d love for you to be my maid of honor.”
“Maid of honor? Why not just have a servant do it? Why me—”
“According to imperial history, a maid of honor is chosen to protect the bride from evil spirits. Traditionally, it’s someone close to the couple. That’s common knowledge for anyone educated, isn’t it, Viscount?”
“…Yes… I think I recall that.”
As expected, Alex chimed in.
He was a successful businessman but uneducated, and he hated admitting ignorance more than death itself.
What a pathetic pride.
I smiled and continued.
“If my only sister graciously agrees to be my maid of honor, I’d feel so reassured. It might even help my herbal research go more smoothly.”
At the mention of “herbal research,” a glint of greed flickered in Alex’s eyes.
“…Yes, exactly. I’d be grateful if our future sister-in-law would be the maid of honor.”
“Oh, Viscount Alex, Rachel isn’t suited for a maid of honor role. Maybe a leading lady, but not that.”
Rachel lightly touched Alex’s arm, batting her eyes with coy charm.
What nonsense.
I gave a sly smile and turned to Rachel.
“Even if he’s to be your brother-in-law, you should be careful about addressing him so casually. That’s the kind of thing only ignorant, vulgar mistresses do, isn’t it?”
In that moment, a crack formed in Rachel’s heavily made-up face.
“M-mistress? Why would you even say that?”
“I’m just stating facts.”
Rachel’s eyes widened far beyond before, filled with confusion as they darted across my face.
“…What do you mean by that?”
“Exactly what I said. I was comparing your crude, vulgar behavior to that of a mistress.”
“Even so, that was startling! Why use such a crude word out of nowhere? It’s embarrassing.”
“You really think so? That the word ‘mistress’ is crude and embarrassing?”
“Of course, sister, you’re acting strange today. You scared me.”
Rachel pressed the back of her hand to her cheek, playing the demure lady.
I tilted my head slightly, curving my eyes into a smile.
“I thought you might not even know what a mistress is.”
Her pupils trembled aimlessly for a moment.
As she furrowed her brow in uncertainty, Alex coughed awkwardly and quickly changed the subject.
“Ahem, Aselin, with the wedding coming up, don’t you need some jewelry? How about we go to the jeweler today and pick out whatever you like?”
“If you insist, Viscount, how could I refuse?”
I answered, plastering a smiling mask on my face.
Alex, looking pleased, left the shed first.
As I followed him, I turned to Rachel, whose expression had darkened.
“As your sister, I’m just giving you advice, so don’t take it to heart. Oh, and I have a special design in mind for your maid of honor dress, so look forward to it.”
“I have no intention of being a maid of honor. I bet Pierre would agree with me.”
Rachel bit her lip, clearly trying to hide her emotions.
That’s right, Rachel. With Alex not around, you’re starting to show your true colors.
I’m curious to see how far your patience will stretch.
I gave a sly smile and patted her shoulder lightly.
“You’ve always been slow to catch on since we were kids, haven’t you? Does this sound like a request to you?”
“If it’s not a request, what is it?”
A subtle edge crept into Rachel’s tone.
I smiled coldly and whispered low.
“You’ll figure it out if you calmly reflect on what you’ve done.”
Rachel froze, her fingertips trembling.
Leaving her behind, I sauntered out of the shed.
* * *
With a rustle, I poured the contents of a heavy velvet pouch onto the table.
Sapphires, rubies, pink diamonds—priceless gems sparkled under the chandelier’s light.
I sank into a plush sofa, gazing at the jewels on the table.
He must be pretty anxious that I might’ve caught on to their affair, to spend this much on hush money.
An unexpected harvest, though.
What should I do with these jewels?
I have no desire to adorn myself with gifts from a trashy ex-husband.
My first goal is to break off this engagement, no matter what.
I picked up a diamond necklace and stared at it.
With every movement, it gleamed with clear, radiant light, dazzling my eyes.
Running multiple businesses must mean he’s got plenty of money.
And yet, in my past life, he thought a single necklace would suffice.
Why waste money on a woman who falls for him so easily?
I sighed, thinking of the naive version of myself from my past life who fell head over heels for a man like Alex.
I need to hurry up and break this engagement…
Alex is a problem, but with the wedding date already approved by His Majesty, canceling it now won’t be easy.
Is there a good way?
I leaned back on the sofa, lost in thought.
As I closed my eyes, a conversation from my past life, just before my death, echoed in my mind.
[“You made that poison yourself.”]
[“…The Beatrice medicine? I told you it was for hunting deer… Don’t tell me it was used on the First Prince?”]
After becoming a marquess post-marriage, Alex frequented the palace, eagerly building connections.
He boasted constantly about aligning himself with the Second Prince, saying his business would thrive.
Unfortunately, the Second Prince was a rotten lifeline.
The moment he assassinated the First Prince, he cut ties without hesitation.
Pointing to Rachel as the one who poisoned the First Prince, Alex stepped in and made me the scapegoat instead.
Recalling my past life, my heart grew heavy.
Part of it was the sting of betrayal, but the guilt of my poison harming someone played a role too.
Even if I didn’t know, I was the one who crafted that deadly poison.
Opening my eyes, I turned my gaze to the window.
Below the high ground, shrouded in mist, stood a massive palace.
Claude Vial de Berta. The castle where the First Prince currently resided.
A sudden thought struck me.
Marrying into the imperial family could make breaking my engagement with Alex possible.
But approaching Prince Claude is as difficult as getting struck by lightning.
Famous for his reclusiveness, he rarely appeared even at major imperial events.
In my past life, I saw him only once.
Five years ago, at the funeral of his mother, the late Empress.
The memory of that day conjured an image of Prince Claude, consumed by madness.
Rain poured as if the sky had torn open, and he, drenched to the bone, swung his sword.
Blood mixed with rain pooled at his feet, flowing in rivulets.
Amid the chaos of people screaming and fleeing, he slaughtered every last imperial guard.
I crouched in a corner of the cathedral, trembling as I watched him.
His white marble boots stained red with blood, he looked like a demon incarnate.
Sopping black hair clung to his face, his blood-red eyes glinting with sharp, murderous intent.
The moment those fierce, blazing eyes met mine.
He flicked the blood from his sword and curled one corner of his mouth into a crooked smile.
Then he turned and left the cathedral—that was the first and last time I saw Prince Claude.
