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Chapter 7
The nanny and one of the servants were secretly plotting something together.
None of this had ever appeared in the original novel.
Which made sense.
The story had been entirely focused on Crown Prince Alex, the male lead, and Bianca, the heroine. There had never been room for the private affairs of the Kereis family’s hidden schemes.
As I hurried back toward my bedroom, I happened to run into Shebert.
He had apparently just finished training; the smell of sweat and dirt clung to him.
Gathering up the hem of my dress, I quickly greeted him.
Move already. I’m busy right now.
Running into my fiancé was the least of my concerns.
My thoughts were in complete disarray.
I needed time alone to sort everything out.
Unfortunately, Shebert had no intention of moving. He simply stood in my way.
“…Is there something you wanted to say to me?”
Instead of answering, he merely glared at me with his crimson eyes.
Hmph. If you won’t move, then I’ll just go around you.
Snorting inwardly, I stepped to the side to pass him.
Then—
“So I heard you squeezed money out of Father?”
My feet stopped on the staircase.
I turned around in disbelief and stared at him.
“Are you saying I extorted money from His Grace?”
“Yeah. I heard you visited every boutique in town a few days ago. They say your room is overflowing with dresses.”
How does he know that?
For a split second I panicked.
Then I quickly regained my composure.
All I’d done was say I wanted to go into town.
The Duke had offered me spending money on his own.
The only “crime” I’d committed was shopping.
So how had that somehow turned into extorting money?
This is exactly why having a bad reputation is so troublesome.
…My reputation just keeps sinking lower and lower.
I sighed inwardly.
My future looked darker by the minute.
Still, there was no way I was going to lose a war of words to a seventeen-year-old boy.
“So what’s your real motive?”
Shebert narrowed his scarlet eyes.
His gaze practically screamed that I was an annoyance he’d rather crush underfoot.
Unfair! How is this some kind of scheme?
Was that really something to say to your own fiancée?
Feeling wronged, I couldn’t help puffing out my cheeks.
“My motive…? And I didn’t extort anyone. His Grace offered me the money first.”
“That’s a lie.”
“It isn’t. If you don’t believe me, why don’t you ask His Grace yourself?”
“What?”
“Lord Shebert… you’re not accusing me just because you heard servants gossiping, are you?”
Judging by the surprised look on his face…
You’re still just a kid.
If you let your emotions show that easily, you’ll never beat me in an argument.
I smiled inwardly in triumph.
“She’s telling the truth. I gave her the money.”
“F-Father!”
Both Shebert and I jumped in surprise.
Turning around, I found the Duke leaning casually against the wall.
Who knew how long he’d been standing there?
Straightening up, he approached us and spoke in his usual indifferent tone.
“I have something to discuss. Come to my office.”
“Me, Father?”
“No. Maryanne.”
His cold crimson eyes settled on me.
By the time we entered his office, night had already fallen.
Only the lamps illuminated the room.
The Duke had called me in, yet for quite some time he simply sipped from his wineglass in silence.
Eventually, he spoke.
“I’m assigning you a tutor.”
“A tutor?”
That was completely unexpected.
“Now that you’ve become part of House Kereis, it is my responsibility to educate you. I’ll find someone suitable.”
I blinked my black eyes.
Trying to understand what he was really after.
Then I remembered a line from the original novel.
“Completely useless! Replace the tutor immediately!”
The Duke had been furious.
It had practically leaped off the page.
Of course he had.
He wanted to test Maryanne’s magical talent as quickly as possible.
But from the age of thirteen until adulthood…
Maryanne never displayed any magical ability.
Instead, the only ones who suffered were the mages assigned to teach her.
That was when the abuse began.
Some instructors constantly berated her.
Others resorted to corporal punishment.
One even tried tying her up in the forest before being caught and dismissed.
The same thing happened year after year.
Eventually even the servants whispered whenever they saw Maryanne.
I’m not going through all that.
Sure, enduring that suffering eventually turned Maryanne into the true villainess.
But I had no intention of following that path.
Wouldn’t it be better to simply gain magical power without becoming a villain?
The time had come.
Taking a sip of honey tea to soothe my dry throat, I asked,
“Your Grace… have you already decided who the tutor will be?”
It was a bold question.
But I wasn’t intimidated.
“If you haven’t chosen one yet…”
“If I haven’t?”
The Duke frowned.
Even that expression made him look like a flawless sculpture.
For a brief moment I nearly got distracted by his face.
No.
This conversation could completely change Maryanne’s future.
“…Would you allow me to choose my own tutor?”
One of the Duke’s eyebrows twitched.
Naturally, he was surprised.
A mere thirteen-year-old girl was making proposals to the Duke of Kereis.
For just a second he looked genuinely stunned.
Then his composure returned.
“Do you already have someone in mind?”
“Yes. I think you’ll approve once you meet him. He’s the greatest mage in the Empire.”
“…!”
The Duke’s crimson eyes widened.
Officially, this discussion had been about finding a tutor suitable for a young girl.
Yet before he could reveal his true intentions…
The girl herself had seen right through them.
And then she’d mentioned the Empire’s greatest mage.
Unable to hide it completely, the Duke drew a sharp breath before looking away from Maryanne.
The girl sitting before him still wore an innocent expression.
But perhaps…
That innocence wasn’t all there was.
“A mage? I believe I said tutor.”
“When I was little, my parents told me that I didn’t need an ordinary tutor.”
“They said I had to meet an exceptionally talented mage.”
“…So they knew you possessed magical talent?”
“Yes.”
For a brief moment, surprise crossed the Duke’s face.
Just as quickly, it disappeared.
“Since we’ve come this far, I’ll be honest.”
“While you’re staying here, you must develop your magical abilities.”
Outwardly, I listened attentively.
Inside, however, I couldn’t help admiring him.
He completely changed his approach the moment he heard me.
No wonder he’s the mastermind behind everything.
His ability to judge a situation is incredible.
“But how do you know such a powerful mage?”
“My late mother told me.”
“She said I could only truly grow stronger after meeting him.”
It was, of course, a lie.
By the time I’d possessed Maryanne’s body, her parents were already dead.
But there was no one left who could verify my story.
So the lie came surprisingly naturally.
After listening to everything, the Duke licked his lips thoughtfully.
“…Very well.”
“We’ll consider this matter from every angle.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Watching him raise his wineglass again, I smiled inwardly.
There was no way he’d reject the opportunity to recruit the Empire’s greatest mage.
After all…
His ambition was to seize control of the Empire as quickly as possible.
And for me?
The sooner I awakened my magic…
The sooner I could leave this place.
A perfect win-win.
After leaving the Duke’s office, I walked down the long hallway.
My mind was so full of thoughts about the mage that I unknowingly wandered into a large room.
“…Huh? Where am I?”
Looking around, I realized it was the reception room.
So there was a place like this too.
I’d never seen it before.
The Duke’s estate was so enormous that every time I got lost, I discovered somewhere new.
The room contained perfectly arranged sofas.
An open doorway on the opposite side appeared to lead into the rear garden.
“…Hm?”
Then my eyes landed on a massive portrait.
Four brothers who looked strikingly alike.
An elderly man seated in the center.
The painting was so exquisitely detailed it looked almost lifelike.
“So that’s the Duke.”
The expressionless man standing upright.
He looked younger than he did now, so the portrait must have been painted years ago.
I found myself staring at the family portrait for quite a while.
“Wow… he’s handsome! That one too… and him… and even the one standing in the back!”
The admiration escaped me naturally.
“But…”
“…Is this really a family portrait?”
Every single face looked so cold and unhappy that the chill seemed to seep out of the painting itself.
As I finished examining each face and began to lose interest—
“What are you staring at?”
The unpleasant voice immediately made me frown.
It was Shebert.
The eldest son of House Kereis.
I turned sharply to glare at him.
Gripping my dress, I offered a perfunctory greeting.
Without bothering to hide my displeasure.
“Good evening.”
“What’s with that expression?”
Forcing an awkward smile, I asked,
“…Have you been following me?”
“W-What?”
“Otherwise, there’s no way you’d keep appearing everywhere I go. Isn’t that right?”
“…!”
Shebert’s face rapidly changed from red to blue.
I’d only been teasing him.
But…
He really has been following me.
Watching him tremble with anger, I added mischievously,
“People might start rumors.”
“They’ll say Lord Shebert—the eldest son of House Kereis—is following me around.”
“…What?”
“Hey! Are you done talking?”
Taking a few long strides, Shebert closed the distance between us.
“This little brat…!”
