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Chapter 03
Moretti herself probably knew better than I did.
How discriminatory the current duke is!
The only reason Moretti could hold the highest position in this villa at all was because she came from a knightly family.
And I—though an illegitimate daughter—was still the daughter of a viscount’s house.
Moretti glared at me, trembling with humiliation and jealousy.
Ah, now I understood.
She had been ruling this villa like a tyrant until now. And then I arrived—someone of higher status, and with the title of “young duchess.” No wonder she felt threatened.
So that’s why she tried to seize the initiative.
I couldn’t just accept it meekly.
Moretti struggled desperately.
“But there’s no way the duke would allow you to take Edmund’s side! You’re lying, aren’t you?”
I let out a soft snort, trying to maintain my composure.
“…You’re really stupid. Are you actually qualified to be a governess?”
“W-What?”
At that, Moretti reacted far more violently than expected. Hmm?
In any case, I continued.
“Why do you think I pretended to protect Edmund? I needed him to trust me.”
“An act…?”
“Of course. Just like you said, it was the duke who sent me here.”
Of course, I had no intention of doing exactly what the duke wanted.
But Moretti needed to misunderstand—so she wouldn’t interfere.
“Mindlessly tormenting a child like you do is far too crude.”
I spread a wicked smile across my face, doing my best impression of a powerful villainess.
“He’s only thirteen years old, after all.”
I deliberately ignored the fact that Cassia’s current body was around the same age.
I had to press forward so that Moretti wouldn’t even think of it.
“Just pretend to treat him well, and he’ll open his heart right away. Then he’ll be even easier to handle. Isn’t that more in line with what the duke wants?”
“The duke would never… allow such a thing…”
As Moretti gaped like a fish, I delivered the finishing blow.
“I’ve already reported this plan to the duke by carrier pigeon. Whether it’s effective or not is for the duke to decide—not someone like you.”
“……”
Unlike you, I receive direct correspondence from the duke himself. So stop acting out.
—That was what I was saying without words.
Another solid hit.
Moretti couldn’t offer a single rebuttal.
I frowned and looked down at the wrist she was gripping.
Since I was much younger than Moretti, I was smaller in both height and build, with thin limbs.
Naturally, I couldn’t overpower her.
My wrist hurt quite a bit—there might even be a bruise.
When I glared at her coldly, sneering, Moretti flinched, losing momentum.
“Does it hurt?”
“…Ah!”
When I alternated my gaze between my trapped wrist and her face, she finally retreated, her face turning pale.
She released my wrist as well.
I shook my freed wrist lightly and sighed.
“You shouldn’t grab me so hard. I have sensitive skin—I bruise easily.”
“Th-That is…”
Stammering, Moretti finally bowed her head before me.
“I—I’m sorry, milady!”
I grinned.
“Looks like you finally remembered the proper way to speak—and the proper form of address. I’m glad you’re not completely stupid.”
I lightly tapped the shoulder of the bowed Moretti as I passed by.
Even then, she couldn’t bring herself to lift her head.
“You won’t forget that you’re confined for a day, will you—if you have any sense?”
Seeing her back tremble faintly, I smiled to myself.
Good. Stage one complete!
My fist clenched on its own.
After all, this was the first time since possessing this body that I’d actually managed to accomplish something properly.
I’d made countless plans based on my memories of the original story—but if I couldn’t put them into action, it was all meaningless.
At this initial stage, two things were most important.
First, stop the abuse of Edmund and lay the groundwork for earning his goodwill.
Second, suppress the governess, Moretti. I couldn’t say she was completely broken yet, but still.
Wasn’t this a pretty decent result for both?
Of course, Edmund was still acting like a cat with its fur standing on end whenever he saw me.
Well, time will take care of that.
I’d lived in an orphanage—I was well practiced at dealing with kids.
As I walked along in a good mood, the nanny came running toward me with a horrified expression.
“Little madam!!!”
“Ah, nanny—sorry.”
I hadn’t even dressed properly, let alone washed my face, before running out. She must have come to drag me back.
“It’s all right no—kya?!”
“This is no time for that!”
The nanny grabbed my wrist and broke into a full sprint, heading toward my bedroom.
“What is it, nanny?!”
When she spoke next, my expression froze.
“Young Master Patrick has arrived! You must prepare at once!”
“P-P-Patrick?”
Being dragged along by the nanny, the name surfaced in my mind.
Patrick Cohen.
The current duke’s eldest son—and Edmund’s cousin.
And, naturally, a villain in the original story.
Then another piece of information surfaced, sending a chill down my spine.
Patrick was… Cassia’s lover in the original story, wasn’t he?!
In the original story, Patrick Cohen was the antagonist who schemed endlessly to seize Edmund’s title.
Naturally, he had points of contact with Cassia, another villain.
With his handsome face and honeyed words, he fed Cassia’s vanity.
[Once Edmund is dead, I’ll take you as my wife. You’ll become the true young duchess of Cohen.]
Of course, in the original story, Patrick never became the young duke of Cohen—nor did Cassia ever become a true young duchess.
And—
That better stay true this time, too!
Still, I needed to deceive Patrick.
I had to make him believe that I was here to faithfully carry out the duke’s orders—to ruin Edmund and see him dead.
And no matter how much “chemistry” they supposedly had… both Cassia and Patrick are still young now. Nothing will happen.
That was the optimistic circuit I forced myself to run.
With the nanny’s help, I hurriedly finished getting ready and went out.
When I reached the garden, a familiar face was already stationed beside Patrick.
“To think that such an esteemed young master would grace us with his presence in person—I hardly know where to put myself…”
Sparkling eyes, flushed cheeks.
The one pouring out oily flattery was none other than Moretti.
She really was fast.
What, exactly, did she hear when I told her to reflect for a day?
Patrick was a tall, handsome young man with elegant blond hair and deep blue eyes.
He couldn’t have been more than sixteen, yet he looked far more mature than his age.
Now I understood why Moretti looked so flustered.
Wasn’t Patrick considered the most eligible bachelor in the capital?
Many believed he would become the heir to the Cohen ducal house.
Women would line up just to claim his future wife’s seat—or even the position of his lover.
But as far as I remembered, Moretti was already in her mid-twenties.
No matter how much you love power and money, isn’t that age gap a bit much? More than ten years, right?
As I watched the petty villainous extra suck up to the more significant villain with distaste, Patrick noticed me first.
His long eyes narrowed slightly, forming an inscrutable smile.
“Ah, Cassia!”
He suddenly called my name.
Huh? Did we already know each other that well?
But no matter how I searched Cassia’s memories, there was no real connection between us yet.
At most, we’d exchanged a glance three days ago while signing the marriage documents for Edmund and Cassia.
We definitely weren’t close enough for him to call my name so familiarly.
As I stared at him in surprise, Patrick ignored the fawning Moretti and approached me directly.
I saw Moretti’s face stiffen with humiliation.
And for some reason, she immediately shot me a glare.
What? What did I even do?
A man’s hand, clad in a white glove, extended before my eyes.
“Nice to meet you, Cassia.”
Wearing a practiced social smile, I inclined my head slightly.
“Pleased to meet you. Lord Patrick.”
He drew out his words, sounding deliberately disappointed.
“To be treated so stiffly, as if we were strangers—that hurts. Though, of course, that modesty is also quite charming.”
“We met at the wedding.”
“Exactly. So feel free to be more comfortable. Just call me Patrick.”
He gave his outstretched hand a small shake.
“And my hand is feeling rather awkward.”
“Oh—my apologies.”
I placed my hand atop the palm I’d been deliberately ignoring.
Patrick then bent gracefully and kissed the back of my hand.
For some reason, his lips lingered there a little longer than necessary…
That was just my imagination, right?
He’s only sixteen! In Korea, he’d still be in middle or high school!
So why did he feel so excessively smooth—like a block of butter carved whole?
Hiding all of that, I let out a refined laugh and asked,
“May I ask what brings you all the way out to this remote villa?”
Patrick lowered his eyes even more and whispered softly,
“When you say it like that, it sounds as if we’re strangers.”
“……”
We are strangers!
No—aren’t we worse than strangers?
Patrick and his father were grinding their teeth over wanting Edmund dead.
They were also behind the abuse taking place here.
Even if it was only formal, as Edmund’s wife, I should have been on worse terms with them than with sworn enemies.
Well, it was the duke who sent Cassia here, and in the original story Patrick and Cassia did work together—
So saying we weren’t strangers wasn’t entirely wrong.
But I fully intend to become complete strangers!
Of course, I couldn’t reveal that now.
With a smile so wide it almost felt like a twitch, I accepted his escort.
And then—
A sharp sound rang out as a window slammed shut above us.
Bang!
When I looked up, I met Edmund’s gaze through the glass of the closed window.
His red eyes were burning.
