Chapter 1.2

I was an orphan. But my childhood and teenage years weren’t all that unhappy. I balanced part-time jobs with my studies, built up a decent resume, and got a job in a major corporation’s secretarial office. It was there that I met my ex-husband, Director Han Hyuntaek. At the time, he had just returned to Korea from a business trip abroad.

Serving a man born not just with a silver spoon but a diamond one wasn’t easy, but my tenacious spirit was just as tough as his diamond one. The man, who was known for replacing secretaries frequently, kept me on for five years. And the year he became vice president, I handed in my resignation. Of course, I didn’t actually throw it at him.

But the problem was that the face of the notoriously ill-tempered and arrogant Director Han was twisted in an unusually strange way.

“Why are you quitting?”

“…”

I couldn’t bring myself to tell him that my lifelong wish was to travel the world. I thought he would accept my resignation without a second thought, as was his usual manner, but he just stared at the resignation letter for a long time. But that was only for a moment; he then sent me out of his office and accepted my resignation.

The conclusion felt a little strange, but I diligently started preparing for my dream trip around the world. Time passed, and I successfully resigned. On the morning of the day I was finally supposed to leave, I had to encounter him at the airport’s departure gate, accompanied by numerous aides and dressed in a perfect suit.

But what good was it all now? I didn’t want to see him anymore, so even in my dream, I forcefully turned my head away. And as I did, I woke up in an instant.

I sprang up and looked out the window. There were no lights anywhere, and the realization hit me again that I was in a world with no electricity and no cell phones. The sun hadn’t even fully risen yet, but I sat down at my desk, as was my habit. I started to write not my own bucket list but a timeline leading to my death.

Claire is 16, and the branding hasn’t happened yet. At 17, she gets engaged to the Crown Prince of the Empire. At 18, her older sister, Celine, returns…

‘I should have read it more carefully…’

Quitting my job due to my mother-in-law’s opposition, my new hobby happened to be reading romance fantasy novels. As a two-year veteran of the genre, I had developed a habit of skipping the parts where the main characters weren’t present and there was no romance, so I didn’t remember the details.

Did she get kicked out after doing bad things to her sister? Or did she just get kicked out? Anyway, she gets kicked out. But all the sins she committed are revealed, and she’s kicked out to an even worse place. And there, at the age of 20, she is horribly murdered by Adrian.

But since Adrian hasn’t been branded, I won’t be killed by a branded man.

“My Lady?”

‘Ugh, she just came in without knocking.’

“What?”

“You’re awake?”

“Yes.”

“Oh my, I think this is the first time since I’ve been here.”

The reason this maid can be so familiar with the villainess is that Claire sees her as a trusted friend. Sally and Claire were in the same orphanage, and when Claire came to the Count’s family, she deliberately went and brought not only Adrian but also Sally with her. That’s why the other maids all dislike and fear Claire, but Sally has a somewhat human relationship with her.

But in the end, she, too, turns her back on Claire after seeing the angelic Celine.

‘Anyway, I guess Claire is a little pitiful…’

I quickly got ready for the morning and headed to the dining room for breakfast with the Count. A father I’ve never met… my heart was pounding. In both my previous life and this one, the concept of a father was absent.

But the moment I saw the Count, I realized that the relationship between this father and daughter was not good at all. There wasn’t a single shred of warmth in the father’s eyes as he looked at his daughter.

That’s right. Claire was a child who was brought in as a replacement for Celine out of necessity, and even though she was innocent, her father had taken out some of his anger over his missing daughter on Claire. Claire, who was starved for love, tried to act like a lovely daughter in front of her father, but even that was ignored.

“Let’s eat.”

The Count said this after he sat down at the table, without even glancing at me.

“Yes…”

‘Is this a form of relationship-building? What’s the reason for this cold breakfast?’

I made up my mind. Having lived as an orphan, I knew very well that begging for love only brings indifference.

“Um… Father.”

“What is it?”

His voice was laced with clear annoyance. It also had a hint of “what do you want now?”

‘Sigh, yeah, she is pitiful.’

“If it’s okay with you, I’d like to have a simple breakfast alone starting tomorrow.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

‘What? Is that a smile he’s making at his daughter? It’s unsettling. No matter what he does, he looks just like her.’

“Yes, I’d like to exercise in the morning and then eat.”

Finally, the man who was my father put down his cutlery and met my eyes. His gaze was clearly one of reproach.

“What mischief are you planning now?”

“Pardon?”

“I don’t care if you deal with the slaves as you wish. But don’t do anything that brings shame to the family. What if this rumor gets out and reaches the imperial family?”

“Yes! I understand.”

I cut off my father, who was scolding me in a refreshingly unpleasant way. The Count seemed quite surprised by my attitude, but thankfully, he didn’t continue his lecture.

And so, my first breakfast with the man who was my father ended. Just as I was about to take one more bite and get up from the table, a knight entered the dining room. He was a well-built man with light blonde hair. He seemed to be in a hurry to report something.

But instead of making his report, the knight was openly glaring at me.

‘What kind of knight glares at a count’s daughter like that? Is this really a class-based society?’

“What is it, Cedric?”

‘Cedric? The name sounds familiar? Eek!’

I remembered him. Cedric was the one who would later make a huge contribution to finding Claire when Adrian was searching for her. He was Adrian’s loyal subordinate after Adrian became a very high-ranking person, and he held a grudge against Claire. And that grudge was… the death of his younger sister.

I was burning through all the carbohydrates I had eaten for breakfast as I desperately tried to recall the parts of the book I had skimmed through.

“…ire? Claire!”

“Yes?”

I hadn’t heard the Count call my name, lost in thought. The Count was a little annoyed that I hadn’t answered him, so his voice was a bit louder.

“What is it, Your Excellency?”

“Your Excellency?”

“Yes.”

The Count’s brow furrowed noticeably. I can’t even call a Count a Count?

“Never mind. If you’re finished eating, you can go back to your room.”

“Yes!”

I said goodbye and got up from the table before the Count had even finished speaking. I felt a sense of urgency from Cedric’s murderous gaze.

Once in my room, I paced back and forth. It felt like I had encountered the first tangled thread.

‘What did she do to Cedric’s sister again?’

Cedric’s sister was a cute girl with brown hair and freckles. She was, of course, kind to the incredibly handsome Adrian and would bring him food when he went hungry all day. Claire knew she was secretly bringing him food, but she let it be.

The problem was that she saw Adrian smiling at her.

Right then, Claire severely beat Cedric’s sister and sent her to a labor camp.

‘Oh my God!’

There, Cedric’s sister was trafficked, violated by many men, and eventually died of an illness.

‘When was it that Cedric’s sister was sent to the labor camp?’

Just then, Sally opened the door and came in.

“Sally!”

“Ow, my ears. Yes?”

“Do I know how to ride a horse?”

“What did you say?”

“Do I know how to ride a horse?”

“Yes, of course. You’re an excellent rider. It’s only natural for a descendant of the Ianster family…”

“What about you?”

“I can’t.”

“Then tell Owen to get two horses ready at the front gate and wait.”

“Sigh, I don’t know what you’re planning… My Lady, please stop. We haven’t even dealt with the mess you made the other day.”

“No, Sally. I’m going to clean up the mess, so just do as I say.”

“Yes, My Lady.”

She didn’t look like she believed me, but at least Sally listened.

When I went outside, Owen was standing there, holding the reins of the horses.

‘Come to think of it, I remember his name now. Owen De… De… Eh, I don’t know his last name.’

“Owen!”

When I called his name, he seemed genuinely surprised.

‘Why? Can’t I call him Owen?’

“Yes, My Lady.”

He quickly composed his expression and answered impassively.

“You know, Cedric’s sister, the one I sent away? Do you know where she is now?”

“…”

Owen looked at me with clear suspicion and anger. This was the only kind of look I had received since I arrived here. I decided that I needed to remove these dangerous elements and escape from this house quickly. I would not die in vain as I did in my previous life.

“Do you know or not? If you don’t, I’ll take someone else.”

“I know. But why? She’s already working in a hellish place.”

“Right. I thought about it, and I think I went too far. I’m going to bring her back.”

“…”

“Seriously! If she wants to work here again, I’ll let her. If not, I’ll help her go somewhere else.”

Cedric was a noble, but he was dirt poor. That’s why he couldn’t stop his sister from becoming a maid at the Count’s mansion. Although she was a maid, Cedric’s sister didn’t do menial tasks. A girl like her couldn’t have endured such hard labor.

Of course, Cedric gets permission from Count Ianster and goes to rescue his sister shortly after. But by the time he gets to the labor camp, his sister had already been trafficked. According to Owen, she was taken to the labor camp three days ago. I felt a sense of urgency.

After riding all day, we arrived at what was literally a labor camp. Fortunately, the girl was still there. When she saw Owen and me from a distance, she couldn’t even run away and just stood there, trembling.

Moreover, her wounds hadn’t healed yet, and her appearance was hard to look at. My heart ached.

‘You crazy Claire, why did you do that?’

When I got off my horse and approached her without rushing, I saw the girl kneel. Just then, a menacing-looking man came near her and suddenly grabbed her by the neck. And his other arm went up with a clear intent to hit her.

“Why are you sitting instead of working, you bitch?”

I was so shocked that I rushed forward. ‘SLAP!’

And without a moment to stop it, I was struck by the man. I saw stars.

“Ugh!”

“My Lady!”

“What? My Lady?”

At that moment, Owen appeared and kicked the man’s shin, sending him to the ground.

“This is Lady Claire of Count Ianster.”

I saw the man’s thigh, which was next to me, trembling as he knelt. I stayed on my knees and checked on the girl.

“My Lady, are you, are you okay?”

“Are you okay? I’m sorry… Have you been getting hit like this all this time?”

It hurt like hell, and even though it wasn’t my doing, I felt so guilty that I started to cry.

“If you’ll allow it, I want to ask for your forgiveness.”

“Pardon?”

“Hailey…”

Just then, Owen called her name. In fact, Owen had been quite tormented by the fact that he couldn’t save his friend and most beloved subordinate’s sister. So he had already talked to the Count Ianster about Hailey.

However, the Count had not allowed him to bring the child back immediately. In this world, the decision-making power over maids belonged to the lady of the house or the daughters. So, if they brought the child back immediately, it was obvious that Claire would cause a scene again.

“Owen, sir, and My Lady, please get up. Your clothes will get dirty.”

The girl was so pitiful, trembling but trying to speak clearly. Her big, round eyes were filled with fear rather than resentment, and my guilt grew stronger.

‘Damn it. She’s so pitiful. Claire, I take back what I said about you being pitiful.’

“If you can forgive me, I want to repay you with all my heart. Could you consider it?”

Hailey’s eyes wavered.

“Really, really… will you get me out of here?”

“Yes, of course!”

As soon as I finished speaking, I ordered Owen to get Hailey out of the labor camp. This crazy class-based society really only took a single word. It must be because it’s a book.

As we were paying the price to get her out of the labor camp, Hailey appeared from inside. She was carrying a simple bundle, and she was limping. My face went pale.

“Hailey, why is your leg…?”

“Oh… I’m sorry.”

“Sorry for what? Let’s find a doctor nearby.”

Fortunately, the doctor said that Hailey’s injuries would heal with some proper treatment. The doctor, however, stared at my face.

“Your face is more of a problem than this maid’s.”

“I’m fine. This is nothing.”

My lips were busted and my eyes were bloodshot from the blow, but my heart felt as light as a feather after hearing that Hailey’s leg was not seriously injured.

After all of her injuries were treated, I took Hailey back to the house where she lived, which was located outside the Count’s castle. While she was washing, I went to the kitchen and started to prepare something for her to eat.

“Wha-what are you doing?”

“I don’t think Hailey has eaten anything.”

Owen looked at me with a confused expression as I expertly prepared mushrooms and quickly made porridge.

“Stop monitoring me, Owen.”

“Pardon? It’s not that…”

“What do you mean, ‘it’s not’? You’re doing this because you think I’m going to spit in the porridge.”

“Ahem…”

Just as I was tasting the finished porridge and putting it in a bowl, Hailey came into the kitchen. After being treated and washed, she looked much better. I handed her a spoon and started to clean the house.

The house was a mess, reflecting Cedric’s suffering, and there were piles of empty liquor bottles. When I started to move as if to clean, Owen’s eyes widened as much as they could.

“What… what are you doing?”

“Shh, be quiet. She’s eating.”

At my words, Owen began to whisper.

“So what are you doing right now?”

“Extending my life.”

“Pardon?”

“If you’re not going to help, get out of the way. You’re in my way.”

I, Cha Seyoung, like a woman who had satisfied all the picky demands of a third-generation chaebol, cleaned up the messy house quickly and efficiently.

“Phew… he won’t go so far as to put his heart and soul into finding me now, right?”

Just as I dusted my hands and looked around the house, Cedric opened the door and came in. He saw me and drew his sword.

“Gasp, I didn’t clean to die so quickly…”

The thought that I had kept to myself slipped out. It was then that Owen gave me the first helpful piece of advice.

“Cedric! Hailey is here.”

“Pardon?”

“She’s sleeping in her room right now.”

He strode toward me.

“If anything happened to my sister, I will…”

“Stop, Cedric! This is the Count’s daughter!”

Cedric glared at me for a moment, sheathed his sword, and went into the room to find his sister. I grabbed Owen’s wrist. It was probably trembling embarrassingly.

“Let’s go, Owen.”

I pulled Owen outside without waiting for Cedric’s next move. Owen silently followed me.

And so, with my eyes bloodshot from being hit, I returned home. The mansion, even in the middle of summer, was desolate as the darkness had already settled.

When we arrived, I got off the horse and took a corn cob that I had stuffed into my pocket and fed it to the horse.

“You worked hard today.”

Owen stared at me as if I were a ghost, as I put my cheek against the horse’s face and whispered to it while stroking its mane. Yes, I must seem strange in many ways today. Claire wouldn’t have done something like this.

Owen followed me as I turned towards the annex, thinking I would go straight to my room.

“Where are you going?”

“Oh… to Adrian. You can go rest, Owen. You must be tired today.”

Honestly, I wanted Owen to come with me. But there’s a limit to how much overtime a person can work. Even though I’m living a goal-oriented life now, I couldn’t help but feel nervous about meeting a guy who will become a future murderer all by myself. And he wasn’t just any murderer, but the one who would kill me.

But I didn’t think I would be able to sleep if I just went back to my room, so I put strength into my shaky legs.

“I will accompany you.”

“Really?”

I must have shown too much of my happiness. When I smiled widely and looked at him, Owen frowned and turned his head away. But since I didn’t think a knight would take back his word, I bravely headed to Adrian’s room.

The annex was clean and well-organized. Owen tried to open Adrian’s door without permission. Of course, who would knock on a slave’s door? But I grabbed Owen’s hand.

“Jus… just a moment.”

I took a deep breath, knocked on the door, and went in to face him. But my nervousness was for nothing, as he was lying there like he was dead from a high fever. It seemed like he couldn’t even drink a sip of water, let alone eat porridge.

I lit up the dark room, which had the curtains drawn, with a lamp. And when I looked closely, Adrian’s condition was much more serious than I had thought. Despite the treatment, the wounds from the whip were oozing with pus. The scabs on his swollen flesh were so disgusting that I couldn’t bear to look at them.

In other novels, a character can heal these kinds of wounds instantly with a laser-like ability, but I had no such power.

“Owen, go get the doctor. No, why did no one check on him until he got to this state?”

Owen hesitated for a moment, as if trying to assess the situation, but he quickly followed my orders when he saw my face, which looked like it was about to burst into tears.

“Yes, I understand.”

As Owen left, I went to the bathroom in the room and brought cold water to wipe his feverish body. I felt so sorry for him that tears started to pour out.

Even if it’s just a novel, why does this person have to suffer so much? Furthermore, Adrian eventually dies in this novel. Without being loved or being able to give love…

I plopped down beside Adrian’s bed.

“Adrian… I’m sorry. It hurts, doesn’t it? I’m so sorry, I should have come sooner. You would have gotten hit one less time…”

Just then, Adrian’s eyes fluttered open. And he began to move his lips. As I leaned closer to hear him better, he whispered in my ear with a clear pronunciation.

“Get lost.”

“Hiccup, hiccup.”

I was so surprised that I started to hiccup as the doctor arrived. As soon as he came, he gave Adrian a fever reducer and took care of his infected wounds.

“Keep treating this child. Why was he neglected like this?”

“My Lady, I do not treat slaves.”

The doctor spoke to me with a look of disdain, as if to say, “Don’t you know that?” I had never received a look like that in my life.

As I was wondering what to do, Owen whispered in my ear.

“Just give an order. That’s all you need to do.”

Then I remembered that the doctor had moved at my command before.

“Is that so? Then I’ll give an order. Treat him until he gets better. Thank you for your help. And Owen, thank you.”

The path to atonement for a sin I didn’t commit was long and arduous. And so, the second day of my transmigration ended with all the blood vessels in my eyes burst.

***

The next day, as soon as I opened my eyes, I began to continue my “Surviving in This World” project. To survive, it was most important to make sure Adrian let go of his hatred for me. From what I saw yesterday, the situation was worse than I thought.

Since I hadn’t branded Adrian’s face, it was possible that Celine, who would reappear later, might fall in love with Adrian. But the main character of this world is the Crown Prince, no matter what anyone says. So if things don’t work out with Celine, Adrian’s anger would be entirely directed at Claire.

Originally, this was the time I should have been avoiding reporters as a divorced woman from a wealthy family, but with my life hanging in the balance, all of that was meaningless.

Sally came into my room without knocking again today. “Why do you always come in without knocking?”

“Oh, why the sudden change of heart? Last time you said you hated the sound of knocking and told me to just come in.”

Sally had lost her parents in a fire and had been taken to that orphanage. She and Claire had endured the terrible time there together. It was a time they could only get through because they had each other.

Thinking about that, Adrian’s dagger suddenly came to mind. Since he had it until just before he died, it must have been a precious item to him.

“Sally…” I called her cautiously.

“Yes?” She was tidying up the bedding in my room.

“That orphanage we were at…”

Sally’s hands, which were fluffing a pillow, stopped. She looked at me with a surprised expression. “Why are you bringing up that horrible place? You’re not thinking of sending me back there, are you? I only have one year left until I become an adult. If you want to kick me out, just put me on the street.”

“No, don’t say that. Why would I kick you out?”

I had found it strange that this ill-tempered Claire had left the orphanage alone, but Sally’s reaction gave me a vague idea of the reason. Claire was also afraid. It seemed that the trauma from her childhood was something that even a villainess couldn’t overcome.

“Then why are you bringing up the orphanage?”

“Don’t you want to get revenge on it?”

“Pardon?”

“No, not revenge, but we shouldn’t have other kids like us there. And there’s also something I need to retrieve.”

“So, you’re going there?”

The reason I brought this up to Sally was to ask her to come with me. But judging by her expression, it seemed like she wouldn’t be accompanying me.

“Yes, but let’s go to the training grounds first.”

When I went to the training grounds, the first person I noticed was Adrian, standing in the corner. Maybe it was because I was in Claire’s body, but every time I saw Adrian, my heart pounded. Of course, that pounding wasn’t a pleasant flutter.

In the center of the training ground, Owen was busily moving among the knights, correcting their posture. When I appeared, Owen came over to me with quick steps. And it might have been my imagination, but Adrian also seemed to be looking at me.

“What is it, My Lady?”

“Owen, are you busy today?”

“My Lady’s command takes precedence, even if I’m busy. So, please speak.” Owen was still subtly lecturing me today.

“Is that so? Then, I… I want to visit that orphanage.”

“Which orphanage are you referring to?”

“The orphanage I was at.”

“You mean the St. Vincent Orphanage?”

Looking at Owen’s expression, the plot of the novel came back to me. The Count hated it when I brought up that orphanage. It was like his own shameful secret—me—was exposing another secret, so it was only natural that he wouldn’t be happy.

“Why are you looking for that place?”

“There’s something I need to retrieve from there, and also, the director…”

“…”

“He abuses the children.”

As I said the words, a sudden wave of shame washed over me. I felt like as an adult who had fallen into this world, the first thing I should have done was save those children.

And the quick-witted Owen, seeing the wavering in my eyes, bowed his head without a word and accepted the command.

“I will prepare at once.”

***

As he watched Claire walk back to her chambers to prepare, Owen was speechless for a moment. Just then, Cedric approached him.

“What is it? Did that strange lady give you another strange order?”

“No, it’s not like that, Cedric. My Lady said she wants to visit the orphanage she was at before she came to the Count’s mansion, so you should prepare as well.”

Owen rubbed his face with a dry hand. He couldn’t get used to this new Claire. It was strange to see the woman who once had empty eyes and a cold smile now have a warm face with various expressions.

After sending the knights back to their places, Owen also hurried to prepare.

Cedric went to Adrian and took his sword, which he had left with him. “Adrian, you said you were in the same orphanage as Lady Claire, right?”

Adrian handed the sword to Cedric without a word. And Cedric didn’t really expect an answer from Adrian.

“Lady Claire is really strange these days. I wonder why she wants to go to that orphanage.” Cedric said casually as he inspected the sword Adrian had polished. As he was about to walk away from Adrian, Adrian suddenly grabbed his arm.

“I will go to that orphanage, too.”

“What?”

Cedric couldn’t help but be surprised by Adrian’s voice. It was the first time he had ever heard a complete sentence from him, not just a one-word answer like “yes” or “no.”

To Cedric, Adrian was a man who was alive but not truly living. He was sure every knight had the same impression of him. A man with a beautiful appearance and a mysterious aura, but who also had an unapproachable dignity. Yet, he was nothing more than a slave who had lost his memory.

Since Adrian had spoken to him with a certain will, Cedric naturally agreed to his request.

***

When I was ready and went to get on my horse, I was surprised. Why was Adrian here?

“Oh… is Adrian coming too?”

“Yes, he said he wanted to follow, so I brought him along.”

This was a setback. But since we were already on our way, there was no turning back. My plan to surprise Adrian by finding his dagger was now ruined, but I headed toward the St. Vincent Orphanage with the three men.

Owen and I rode our own horses, and Adrian sat behind Cedric on his. It took less than two hours to get from the count’s estate to the orphanage.

“To find evidence of child abuse, it would be best to go in secretly.”

“Okay.”

“Excuse me, My Lady.” Owen asked cautiously.

“Yes?”

“When you were in the orphanage… did that… did that happen to you too?”

“That?”

“What you were just talking about.”

I finally understood what Owen was asking. He was very careful in his tone.

“Oh… that… yes. No child there was free from abuse.” I told Owen exactly what was written in the novel. Owen stopped and took a deep breath.

“Are you all right?”

“What’s wrong?”

It was only after seeing Owen’s expression that I realized what he was worried about. Since Claire was abused there, it was natural for him to assume that I would be afraid to go back.

“I’m fine.” Then I told him my true feelings. “It’s just… I’m a little ashamed that I’ve ignored the children there for so long.”

We soon arrived at the entrance of the St. Vincent Orphanage. I had been watching Adrian since we left. Why on earth did he follow us here? Maybe coming to a familiar place might help him remember something.

But for now, I couldn’t tell if Adrian regaining his memory would be a good thing or a bad thing for me. Besides, there was no change in Adrian’s expression.

As we went inside, I saw emaciated, filthy children sitting in the playground in front of the orphanage. It wasn’t a playground at all. There were puddles of water in potholes everywhere, and the overgrown weeds were as tall as the children, making the place look like an abandoned house.

As we got closer, the children started to scatter. I had the three intimidatingly large men stay behind and slowly approached a little girl.

“Hi, I used to live here. What’s your name?” I gave the girl the most harmless smile I could manage. Thankfully, the small girl didn’t run away and answered.

“I’m… Amy. I’m six years old.”

“Amy. That’s a pretty name. Amy, do you happen to know where Director Vincent is right now?”

“The director?” The child’s face was filled with worry at the mention of the word.

“The director… in the ‘Room of Peace.’ With Hailey.”

‘The Room of Peace?!’

I knew that room. The novel described it as the room the children feared most. My heart pounded with anxiety. The director always acted gently when people were watching, which made sense considering the orphanage was run with support from the empire.

I felt a sudden urgency. When I abruptly left the little girl and ran into the building, the three men started to run after me. As soon as I entered, a sharp, smoky smell stung my nose, causing me to frown.

I stopped inside for a moment, trying to recall. ‘That room… where was that room?’

I remembered reading about it with irritation because it was so horrible. The room was on the second floor… Yes! It was the very last room on the second floor!

Naturally, I was the first to run up the stairs. In front of the ‘Room of Peace,’ I saw a maid from the orphanage walking down the hallway with a mop. Of course, she was about to scream when she saw us.

I held up my index finger to my lips to signal her to be quiet. Then I gave her a thumbs-up and made a gesture of slitting my throat. My fierce gaze silenced her.

Without a moment’s hesitation, I pushed the door open, and a scene I never wanted to imagine came into view. But then, a pitch-black darkness enveloped me.

“Don’t look.”

Adrian’s large hand covered my eyes. Director Vincent shouted loudly at our sudden appearance. My eyes were still trapped in Adrian’s hand.

“You, who are you?”

“…”

“You… Adrian?”

But the director’s words were cut short. Owen and Cedric had appeared behind us and tackled him. After a loud thud, Adrian took his hand away from my eyes, and I saw Cedric drawing his sword.

“No!”

Cedric looked at me, surprised by my sudden shout.

“The child… the child is watching.”

At my words, Cedric roughly pulled the director out. He still had the cane he used for “discipline” in his hand.

As soon as the director was dragged out, I took off my cloak and rushed to the girl. I wrapped her in my cloak.

“I’m so sorry… I’m so late. I’m so, so sorry. Hiccup.” I kept crying as I looked into her empty eyes. My chest ached with guilt.

‘I should have come here first, Cha Seyoung…’

There were two maids at the orphanage. When the men suddenly appeared, dragged the director out to the playground, and threw him on the ground, the maids also knelt in the playground, trembling. They were nothing more than bystanders.

I took the child to the treatment room at the orphanage and started to examine her wounds. The room was crude, but thankfully, there was disinfectant. As I carefully applied it, the child flinched from the stinging pain. What sin had an orphan committed to deserve such treatment?

Naturally, there were more than one or two wounds. The old ones had already scarred, and her skin was torn everywhere, as if she had been beaten again before the new wounds could even heal.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry… It must sting a lot, doesn’t it? Just for a little bit, just for a little bit. Okay?” I gently blew on her skin and applied the ointment. I vaguely understood why her eyes were so empty. I remembered a passage from the novel that said the Room of Peace always had the same lingering scent.

“This is the last one. Just bear with it, even if it stings. Once you get through this, we’ll go outside.”

Just as I finished applying the ointment to the last wound and carefully wrapped it with gauze, the child gently held my hand as if to say she was okay. The blankness in her eyes had receded a little. Seeing the newfound life in her gaze, tears welled up in my own eyes again.

With my eyes bloodshot, I put the girl’s clothes on, and when I came out, I saw Adrian standing outside the door. He looked at me for a moment, then picked up the child and took her to his room.

After handing the child over to Adrian and returning to the playground, I found the director already tied up. I sent Owen and Cedric away and approached the director.

“Where is the dagger?”

The director, who had been trembling in front of Owen and Cedric, now sneered at me.

“Claire, you’ve grown up so much. If only I had been a little kinder to you, you wouldn’t have planned such a clever little scheme.”

No matter how much of a villainess Claire was, she would have cowered at his words, remembering her past. But I was Cha Seyoung, not Claire. I leaned close to his face and whispered.

“You’re going to a dungeon now. A place just like the one you used to lock the children in. And I’ll make a special request to the guards to put you in a room with a lot of prisoners who will ‘cherish’ you.”

As I pulled back, the haze in the director’s eyes cleared, and his face turned pale.

“Claire, let me go. If it wasn’t for me, you would have starved to death on the streets. Don’t you agree?”

“Shut up, and just tell me where the dagger is.”

The director’s eyes suddenly lit up, and he glared at me.

“The gem on that dagger was a royal one.”

‘A royal one? The royal family?’

I couldn’t help but look around. Thankfully, Adrian still hadn’t appeared in the playground. And the director noticed my anxiety.

“I saw Adrian with you earlier. You know something, don’t you?”

“Owen, Cedric. Take this man to the constabulary immediately.”

“Yes!”

Owen and Cedric quickly came over and dragged the tied-up man away.

“Nooooo! Claire, you’re hiding something, aren’t you!” The director kept shouting as he was dragged away. Fortunately, Adrian didn’t show up until the director had been handed over to the constabulary waiting outside.

There were four witnesses to the clear crime scene. Moreover, the evidence of his embezzlement was right there in the drawer of his office. With the Count Ianster ‘s testimony, the director of the St. Vincent Orphanage was tried on the spot and immediately taken to prison.

I had a maid buy a lot of food and sent her to hire more maids to clean the orphanage. By the time the children were fed and the orphanage was clean, the sun had already set.

All it took to feed and clean the thirty children was a single accessory from my hair. It was so easy that it felt almost anticlimactic.

Finally, as the situation was winding down, I went into the director’s room and searched the drawers. I found the dagger more easily than I expected. Perhaps because it was a royal gem that couldn’t be disposed of, it was still embedded in the dagger. The clear blue gem had a mysterious aura, just like Adrian’s eyes.

I was the last to leave the orphanage after finding the dagger. After a moment of hesitation, I handed the dagger to Adrian, who was standing in front of the horse.

“Adrian, this is yours.”

On the ride back, I’d agonized over whether to give it to him. But in the end, the answer was clear. Even if I hadn’t earned his trust yet, keeping what belonged to him would be wrong.

And for the first time, I saw an emotion on Adrian’s face. His blue eyes wavered, revealing his confusion.

Watching him, a flood of thoughts went through my mind. The dagger was from the royal family, which meant his birth was noble. This object would probably be a huge trigger for Adrian, and there was nothing I could do if he regained his memory after seeing it.

I got on the horse to go home and grabbed the reins, but my hands were shaking. My mind said I was okay, but my body seemed to be struggling to get through the day.

Owen, who had been watching me, quickly got on my horse behind me and took the reins. I was so exhausted that I didn’t stop him.

“Adrian, you take my horse.”

Owen gave Adrian a command from behind me. He had realized Adrian could ride a horse by himself after seeing his posture behind Cedric earlier.

Adrian looked at Owen and me for a moment, then got on Owen’s horse in one smooth motion. Cedric seemed surprised to see a slave handle a horse so skillfully, but he shook his head and got on his own horse.

Owen gently guided the horse.

“Um, Owen…”

“Yes?”

“Can I lean on your arm?”

“…”

“Just bear with it, even if you don’t like it.”

Without a word, Owen brought the arm holding the reins closer to my head so I could lean on it comfortably.

I had come to this place hoping to find the dagger, win Adrian’s favor, and maybe even teach the director a lesson. But my heart was more complicated on the way back. And I didn’t notice the expression on Adrian’s face as he watched me.

***

I couldn’t get up the next day until Sally came into my room to wake me. Yesterday’s events had been too exhausting, both mentally and physically.

“My Lady, breakfast is ready.”

“I don’t want bread… Do we have rice here?” Today, I wanted soft rice, not hard bread.

“We do.”

“Really? Then, can you bring some rice to the kitchen?”

Anyway, since no one in this world would know how to make rice porridge, I thought I’d make some real porridge later and take it to Hailey.

“This has arrived.”

“What is it?”

“This, My Lady, that you custom ordered.”

I opened the box and was so surprised that I dropped it on the floor.

@CLAIRE@

It was a huge branding iron with my name on it.

“Sa… Sa… Sally!”

“Yes?”

“Tell them to melt this and get rid of it.”

“Pardon? Why? Weren’t you going to brand the horses with it?”

“No. No. Get rid of it. Don’t just get rid of it, make sure to melt it and destroy it!”

The scene that the author had even drawn an illustration for flashed through my mind.

Two years from now, Celine returns, and she reveals all the evil deeds Claire committed while at the same time melting Adrian’s frozen heart. And then…

“I don’t think I can love a man who has another woman’s name branded on his face.”

She says this and gets engaged to the Crown Prince, which leads to Claire’s death. This is after she and Adrian had a long-term “will-they-won’t-they” thing going on. Claire is chased out and lives a miserable life in a labor camp until she barely manages to escape.

But Adrian, who heard what Celine said, can’t contain his rage, finds the escaped Claire, and kills her.

“Are you satisfied now? Now that we have the same thing. Hahahahahaha. Kuhkuhkuh…”

The scene where Adrian finds the brand on his face and brands Claire with a hot iron, laughing sadistically as he does, felt horrific, even though it was just an illustration.

I had only left a comment in the comments section that said, ‘But… isn’t Claire pitiful too?’ and was mercilessly cyberbullied, so it made me feel very depressed to be Claire Ianster and go through this hardship.

I was mentally and physically exhausted from yesterday and was hoping to get some rest, but seeing that branding iron made me snap back to reality.

“Sally, I want to cook. Let’s go to the kitchen.” I cooked whenever I felt depressed. And when Han Hyuntaek came home and ate my food, he’d tell me it was delicious, and my mood would miraculously get better.

It seemed Sally no longer cared what I did. She just shook her head and led me to the kitchen.

But when I appeared, everyone backed away from me.

‘I shouldn’t get used to being hated…’

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t care about the sharp stares of the servants in the kitchen, but I calmly cooked the rice and mushrooms that Sally had brought. I added some beef and soft, well-cooked vegetables. It was a shame there was no sesame oil, but I quickly cooked up a big pot.

As Han Hyuntaek’s wife, I had become a veteran, capable of handling dozens of unexpected guests at once. As the soft, warm smell filled the kitchen, the faces of the people softened a little.

“Um… I made a lot of this. If you want some, you can have it.” I carefully said the words I had been contemplating saying as I was about to leave the kitchen. I mean, when someone smiles and says something, they should smile back, or at least answer, “No, thank you,” right?

But my thoughts disappeared in an instant because of Sally’s words.

“My Lady, why are you acting like this these days? You just ate with the Count a few days ago and threw dishes at the head chef.”

“I did? Why?”

“I don’t know either!”

I had a long way to go. And if the road is long, it’s okay not to go at all. I packed the porridge well for Hailey, Adrian, and the knights and headed to the training ground. The porridge I had brought was like Moses’ staff, parting the knights in two.

I tried to act as if nothing was wrong, pulling the corners of my mouth up as I approached Cedric. He still didn’t look happy to see me, but he didn’t avoid me or spit on the ground.

“Cedric!”

“What is it?”

“Can I bring this porridge to your house?”

“No, you can’t.”

“You can’t… Then, can you bring this to Hailey? She seemed to like it last time.”

He narrowed his eyes and glared at me.

“Is the child better now?”

“About that day… thank you.”

“No, no. I just fixed a mistake I made… It’s not something to thank me for.”

Just as I was setting the porridge on the corner table of the training ground and watching them, a man with a long scar on his face strode over and picked up a bowl. He then threw it to a dog that was wandering nearby, as if to show off. As the daughter of a count, I wasn’t in a position to punish all the knights.

Other knights who saw this started to chuckle. When I frowned, another knight took a bowl of porridge and dumped it on the ground.

‘Ugh, what a waste.’

I turned my back. Well, I was prepared to endure this much… but my heart ached. Then I heard a sound from behind, “Uh, uh.”

When I turned around, Cedric was holding a bowl of porridge and shoveling it into his mouth.

‘Oh, Cedric.’

And Owen, who appeared late, also picked up a bowl of porridge. Just then, I heard a knight trying to stop Owen.

“This was brought by Lady Claire.”

“So? Are you afraid the lady spat in it?”

I felt like crying, so I just turned around. Sally didn’t forget to glare at the nasty knight.

On the way back from the training ground, I told Sally what had happened yesterday. And when Sally heard that Director Vincent was imprisoned in the notorious prison of the Empire, she knelt and burst into tears.

I barely managed to comfort Sally and returned to my room. But even after we came back, she couldn’t stop crying easily.

“Sally, stop crying.”

“Oh… My Lady, hiccup. Thank you.”

“What?”

“I said thank you. Really. I… I think I can sleep peacefully now.”

“Yeah, well. I didn’t do much.”

Sally was still shedding tears when the butler came to my room, so she wiped her eyes and opened the door for him.

“My Lady, the Count wishes to see you in his office.”

I had a feeling this was coming. So I took a deep breath and answered with determination.

“Tell him I’ll be there soon.”