Chapter 3

── I was originally a humble Japanese office lady. If there was anything out of the ordinary, it would be that my parents' business failed, leaving us with a large debt.

I loved my parents, and most of my meager salary went towards our family's living expenses and debt repayment, leading to a very modest life.

I would ride my bicycle to the supermarket in the neighboring town to save a few yen, and my hobbies on weekends included home gardening and foraging for wild vegetables in the mountains. I became so knowledgeable about wild plants that I was confident in quickly determining whether they were edible.

However, my favorite way to unwind was borrowing and reading books from the library on weekends. That's where I encountered the "Knight of Destiny and the Holy Maiden" series.

I remember being engrossed in the beautiful and touching love story between Zain and the heroine Charlotte, reading it over and over again.

"Who would have thought I would become Grace..."

On the other hand, Grace Sentbury, into whom I was reincarnated, was the only daughter of a wealthy marquis family. After losing her mother at a young age, she was doted on and spoiled by her father, the marquis.

As a result, she developed a twisted character, always wanting things but losing interest once they became hers.

She loved beautiful things, especially roses, jewels, and handsome men with pretty faces.

Why did I have to become such a villainess? If I had to be reincarnated, I would have wanted to become Charlotte, who was as cute as an angel and beloved by everyone.

As I thought about this, Evan, who had been staring at me, tilted his head.

"Since you remember the duke, it means you don't have complete amnesia, right?"

"Yes, it seems I have fragmented memory loss... Ah, I also remember a little about you, Evan."

"I see! Still, you don't seem like a lady at all; it feels like I'm talking to a completely different person. Please don't use formal language or call me 'sir.' Just call me Evan, as you always did before."

I was so engrossed in my work and hobbies that I had very little experience with men, and even talking to a handsome man at close range made me a bit nervous.

Still, considering my relationship with the original Grace, I nodded and resumed my questions.

"What month and year is it now? Have there been any major events recently?"

"Today is March 8th, year 504 of the Seville calendar. A recent major event was the marriage of the first prince to a marquis' daughter."

The factional struggles intensified with the first prince's marriage, and Zain was advised to marry someone close to the king.

I remember Grace using this point, so it must be the year when the novel's story takes place.

"About the incident where I was attacked?"

"The marquis' son, with whom you were involved, went berserk after being dumped and pushed you off the balcony during a ball, saying, 'Let's die together.' Although you survived, it was a terrible incident..."

"Why did it come to this..."

It felt like a soap opera-level drama. Thinking about the possibility of encountering similar situations with men I had dated in the past made me feel heavy-hearted.

"By the way, what about the ceiling above that bed?"

"That was made at the request of the lady, who said, 'I want to see something beautiful the moment I wake up.' It's said that the cost of that ceiling alone could buy a mansion in the capital."

"How wasteful..."

Imagining the cost made me dizzy. A single gemstone embedded in the ceiling would be worth more than my annual salary.

The dress I was wearing, which had an extremely insufficient amount of fabric, must have been very expensive. The texture was incredibly smooth. The difference in financial sense made me break out in a cold sweat.

When I slept, I still wore my middle school PE uniform, a tracksuit.

"Evan, thank you for telling me all this. Can you call a doctor for me?"

"Sure, I understand!"

After confirming that there were no issues with my body, I asked to be left alone for a while.

For Evan, who was used to standing half-naked in the room, this was a new command, and he left with a puzzled look.

Incidentally, he usually didn't have normal conversations with Grace and was only verbally abused. I wanted to ensure his human rights from now on.

In fact, it would be better to have him resign as my personal knight and help him find a new job, allowing him to gain freedom.

The doctor and the maid seemed to be on edge, suspecting that there was something sinister behind my meek attitude. Grace must have been quite terrifying.

Thinking about how I had become such a difficult character to live with, I picked up a blank notebook and an unusually sparkly pen from the desk.

Was Grace so obsessed with attaching gems to everything that she couldn't live without them? Just holding the pen made me nervous.

"Well, what should I do now?"

If my memory is correct, the relationship between the male protagonist, Zain, and Grace begins in the spring.

── Grace, who wanted the most beautiful man in the country, Zain, took advantage of his broken heart after losing his family in the worst way and became his lover.

* * *

"Hehe, poor Zain. But don't worry, I'm here for you. I'm the only one in the world who loves you, Zain."

Zain didn't love Grace, but due to his loneliness, he leaned on Grace, who stayed by his side and loved him deeply.

However, the fickle Grace eventually cheated on him and broke up with him after only a year, leaving Zain heartbroken.

As a result, he vowed never to open his heart to anyone again and became known as the cold-hearted duke.

Eventually, such a Zain met Charlotte, a beautiful and kind viscount's daughter.

* * *

"I will always be by your side, Zain. I will never betray you. I will stay with you forever, until my last breath."

Charlotte's warmth melted Zain's frozen heart, and they fell in love.

Meanwhile, a miasma spread across the Seville Kingdom and neighboring countries, increasing the number of monsters and preventing crops from growing. The essential resource of magic water was also lost, leading to conflicts and inevitable wars. It was then that Charlotte's power as a holy maiden awakened through the power of love.

She saved the world, and the story ended happily.

"Zain supporting Charlotte as a holy maiden and fighting together was also amazing... Wait a minute?"

I was moved by the story, but then I realized something.

"I have to break up with Zain for them to meet...?"

Yes, the scene where Grace cruelly breaks up with Zain is where Charlotte encounters him.

Seeing his tears, Charlotte hands him a handkerchief and quietly leaves. That's how they meet.

Charlotte cares for Zain, and even when he pushes her away, she stays by his side, healing the wounds Grace inflicted, bringing them closer.

* * *

"I am grateful to that woman for giving me the chance to meet my beloved Charlotte."

I remember being deeply moved by how the broken Zain could say such things.

"...So, in other words..."

If they don't meet, Charlotte's power won't awaken, and wars might break out.

According to the novel, "the power of love" is necessary.

Most importantly, there's a satisfying scene where, during an attack by another country, Grace nearly dies, and it's Charlotte, now a holy maiden, who saves her.

"If they don't end up together, I might die?"