Chapter 4

Realizing the shocking truth, cold sweat trickled down my face.

Words of “What should I do?” slipped out of my mouth, but I knew in my head what I had to do.

──If I act just like Grace in the novel, the story is sure to reach its proper happy ending.

I knew it was that simple, but...

“No, it’s absolutely impossible, it’s too far-fetched...”

Living as a poor girl in modern Japan, it was already a stretch for me to live as a marquise’s daughter in a different world.

Moreover, for a poor girl with no experience with men to play the role of a greedy and lustful villainess, it was undoubtedly impossible.

Tempting the super handsome Zain was too much of a challenge for me. And in the end, I would have to hurt and abandon him after playing around with men.

Such cruel deeds seemed beyond my capabilities.

“...But, I can’t just let things be like this.”

If I deviate from the correct story, it wouldn’t just be my problem.

If a war breaks out, it would affect many lives. I absolutely wanted to avoid that.

‘Being by your side is the greatest happiness for me.’

I wanted Zain and Charlotte to be happy. I was such a fan of the novel that I had shed tears many times at their happy scenes. I would rather watch them from the shadows.

In the novel, after breaking up with Zain, Grace hardly appeared. She only showed up when the neighboring country attacked and nearly died.

So, perhaps after that, I could live freely as a wealthy marquise’s daughter. As Grace now, I might even be able to fulfill the dreams I had in my previous life.

“It’s just one year. Yes, just one year.”

Grace and Zain’s relationship lasted for about a year. If I could just get through that, I would enter an easy mode in life.

If living as a villainess became too difficult, I could always live quietly in the territory.

──Even if I do nothing, there’s a chance they might still be happy. But there’s also a chance that the worst outcome could happen.

Most importantly, since I’ve been given a second chance at life, shouldn’t I at least try for a year?

“Alright.”

I slapped my cheeks and psyched myself up.

“Aim for it! A greedy, lustful... villainess...”

Repeating it out loud, it sounded like the worst power phrase ever.

Still, I firmly resolved to play the role of Grace Sentsberry for the next year.

◇◇◇

After that, Grace’s father, the marquise, who had been in the territory, returned in a panic.

He had rushed back upon hearing that his daughter had been attacked.

“Grace! Oh, poor thing... What a terrible thing, you’ve lost all your spirit...”

“I’ll make sure to get rid of that man, so don’t worry.”

“Is there anything you want? I’ll get you anything beautiful to comfort you, what would you like?”

Seeing the marquise’s daughter-centric behavior, I could understand why Grace had become twisted. Still, I knew from the novel that he wasn’t a bad person.

I told him I didn’t need anything for now, thinking it would be a good idea to consider things carefully. There would be many such situations in the future, and I needed to think ahead.

The things I would have been happy to receive in my past life were gift certificates and food, which were very practical.

After that, I was taken care of by the maids, who seemed unusually nervous. I ate a luxurious and delicious feast, soaked in a large bathtub, and then got into a bed with excellent comfort, though it was a bit tacky.

Despite living the life I had dreamed of, I couldn’t settle down. Perhaps being poor had seeped into my soul.

I could only hope that my parents had received some compensation and that their lives had improved.

“...I’ll have that ceiling taken down and sold soon.”

The tacky ceiling kept me from settling down until I fell asleep.

Incidentally, it seemed my body had remembered table manners, so I didn’t have to learn them from scratch, which was a bit reassuring. I fell into my first sleep in this world.

The next morning, after enjoying a lavish and delicious breakfast, the maid helped me get dressed.

Grace’s dresses were all bright and flashy, so I chose one with a more modest volume and had my hair styled simply.

The face in the mirror was surprisingly small, with skin as white and clear as porcelain. Her ice-blue eyes were framed by long lashes, and her plump lips and small, straight nose were perfectly positioned.

Grace’s sharp features were so beautiful that she didn’t need heavy makeup. She looked more mature and even had a certain allure, despite being only 18.

The maids were a bit confused by my different instructions, but they followed everything I said. Just because I was a villainess didn’t mean I had to be overly flashy.

When I finished getting ready, the pitiful knight Evan arrived with a bright smile.

“Good morning, Miss!”

“Wait, the clothes! You don’t need to take them off!”

“Oh, sorry. It’s just a habit.”

As usual, he tried to take off his clothes the moment he saw me, so I hurried to stop him. He was truly pitiful.

I asked him to sit across from me at the table, and he tentatively sat down, seemingly a first-time experience.

“Hey, Evan, do you have any job you’d like to do?”

“What do you mean?”

“I was thinking of asking your father to introduce you to a job you’d like.”

Evan was undoubtedly Grace’s primary victim. That’s why I said it, but he blinked his gray eyes in surprise.

“Am I being fired...?”

“It’s not a firing, I just thought you might want to quit this job.”

“No, I’ve never thought about it.”

“Eh?”

I was surprised by his casual response.

“Even after standing there in that state?”

“Yes, not at all. Miss’s room is warm even in winter, and I’m confident in my body.”

“Uh...”

He smiled brightly and said he had been working hard to build his body, leaving me at a loss. I didn’t think that was the issue.

“But, you were treated so badly...”

“Miss treats everyone the same, so I didn’t take it personally. She did compliment my looks.”

It seemed Evan had an incredibly strong mental fortitude.

Otherwise, he wouldn’t have lasted three years as Grace’s bodyguard. I felt ashamed for worrying unnecessarily.

With no reason to fire Evan, who wanted to continue as a bodyguard, I decided to maintain the status quo.

I had only known him for a short time, but I began to trust him.

“Still, Miss, you’ve really mellowed out. The rumors are spreading around the mansion.”

“...Uh...”

I was moving away from being a villainess. Realizing this, I looked up at Evan.

“I don’t want to worry Father, so I’d like to act as I used to. I want to hear about the past me, and if there are any differences, can you guide me secretly?”

Since I had been talking to him normally since I woke up, it was too late to pretend.

It would be better to get his cooperation.

“Understood. I know more about Miss’s wickedness than anyone, so leave it to me! There are many incidents where she was so cruel that even the devil would be kinder, so I can tell you plenty.”

“Ah... thank you...”

He was being too frank. Perhaps this was what fueled Grace’s sadistic tendencies.

Still, having an ally made me feel a bit relieved.

With just a little over a month until I meet Zain, I needed to get to know Grace well and fit into the role.

──But at that time, I didn’t know that I would actually meet Zain in just a week.