Chapter 3

It's easy to prove that Rabi was being controlled by her. All she had to do was show the mark of subjugation on her chest to those around her. At that moment, Rabi's dignity as a noble would vanish, but that didn't matter. However, the mark of evidence had already disappeared, and when she was being controlled, she couldn't show it. It was not allowed.

In other words, it was a proof of the devil.

She considered telling everything to her father, the duke, but that would be impossible. Rabi had been ordered by Nella to act like a crazy, spoiled woman. She was forced to insult everyone in the house, including her family and servants, and to behave in ways that were inappropriate for a young lady. Nella, who was her personal maid, treated her especially cruelly. Rabi knew that the people around her had advised her to run away from Nella. But she shook her head bravely and devoted herself to the young lady, at least on the surface.

No one would believe Rabi's ramblings now. If she made a mistake, it would immediately reach Nella's ears, and it would be a beheading end. The memory of her death in her previous life was vague, but she didn't want to prepare for a second death.

The rain continued to fall outside the window. She sighed, confirming the current situation. Then, a light knock was heard. The only person who would visit her room was one person.

"Excuse me, my lady."

When she saw Nella's cute, round eyes, her heart almost leaped out of her chest. Nella Harry. This girl, who had lived as just Nella until now, had only recently been given the family name Harry. The original story had already begun.

Being alone with Nella, she swallowed hard from the tension. She couldn't let Nella know that she had regained her original self.

"Hmph, calling me 'my lady.' It gives me the creeps. Why don't you just show your true colors?"

She folded her arms and glared at Nella. It was fine. When Rabi was alone with Nella, she had started using words to make herself seem bigger to hide her fear. Deep down, she was always trembling in front of the mysterious girl. So, it was no different from usual. There was no way she would be found out.

Moreover, the current Rabi was much tougher than the past "her" because she had remembered her past. She wanted to tell the girl, "Don't underestimate a salesperson who can walk into an unfamiliar company and keep making hopeless calls with an iron will," but the girl wouldn't understand, so she kept quiet.

Nella laughed, covering her mouth with her hand as if she could see through everything about Rabi. "No, you're not a lady either. You're just skin and bones now."

This was all because of Nella. She had been forbidden from eating with her family and was ordered to eat everything in her room. As a result, most of the food didn't go into Rabi's mouth but into Nella's. Her hair and nails were dry and brittle. The duke's family meals must have been delicious, you devil.

"Right, it must make a good broth, right?"

"…Broth?"

Oops. Her memories from Japan had mixed in. She ignored it with a "tsk" and Nella, raising her perfectly styled long hair, said, "Well, I think you know, but I'm going to the Harry family. But don't forget, you are 'the shameless, rude lady of Heathfen.'"

"…I know."

In other words, she had come to remind her. "But Nella, will you ever break this curse? Will you?"

"Yes, of course."

It was an angelic, pure smile. But Rabi already understood that it was a lie.

"Hey, Nella, why are you doing this to me?"

It was something she had never understood. She had asked many times, and each time, Nella would lift the corner of her mouth and place her index finger on it, as if it were a secret. Nella was also Rabi's childhood friend. She had never understood why such a cute girl would do this. But now that she remembered the game, she had an idea.

"…Could it be, Lord Bard? Is that it?"

He was the main character of the game, the first prince, and Rabi's fiancé. The moment she mentioned his name, Nella's usual perfect smile faltered slightly. Ah, so it was true. Nella resented Rabi for being his fiancée and was trying to take her place by ruining her.

(Just for that…)

What a thing.

She couldn't understand the girl in front of her. Rabi couldn't deny that she had felt a faint, flustered affection when she saw her honey-colored hair and obsidian-like beautiful fiancé's eyes. She felt that he treated her rudely but kindly and as an equal. Now that her memories had returned, it was nothing special, but when she saw Nella being pitied and comforted by Bard, her heart felt like it was being torn apart.

Nella, of course, said nothing. She just laughed. She laughed at Rabi's chicken-like body. The smile was so cute that Rabi shuddered and fell silent.

--- What a perfect bad ending.

A few days later, she looked down from the window as Nella's carriage departed. The girl, loved by everyone, was bid farewell by various people, and even Rabi's parents wouldn't let go of her hands. Rabi's younger brother hugged Nella tenderly and whispered something, making Nella blush.

Fitting for the heroine's glorious departure after being oppressed by the villainess, warm light shone down, and birds sang gently. Rabi quietly closed the curtain. In the dark room, she thought about the future alone. Nella would soon enter the magic academy. There was supposed to be a few months until then. As the story progressed, Rabi would have to bully her and be "punished" by various suitors.

The end result would be beheading. No way.

So, what should she do? Now, Rabi had no credibility and was treated as if she didn't exist in the house. If so, she had no choice but to run away. If Rabi fled, Nella might find a new slave somewhere, but that was none of her business. Her own body was the most precious. Rabi glanced at her thin, frail arm.

Because she looked so pitiful, she chose clothes that covered her skin as much as possible. She couldn't even walk properly, and it was a struggle just to get to the academy, spending most of her day sitting in a chair.

"First, I need to build up my strength to run away…"

She should be happy that the troublemaker was gone. Nella's surveillance had finally been lifted. So, first, she needed to eat. Rabi stood up with determination and swayed. This was why she was no good. (At least, if I eat properly, I should build up some strength…!) She thought it was at least not wrong and immediately called for a maid. The maid, who was called, trembled and swallowed the bad feeling that never went away, no matter how many years passed, and gave her instructions arrogantly.

First, she needed to eat.

She slowly reached out to the shiny, delicious food that she had wanted but couldn't eat. She took a bite, then another. She chewed and chewed.

"Ugh…"

Her stomach couldn't keep up. She vomited.

Nobles, you eat too much rich food.