Chapter 3

At five years old, Elizabeth behaved like a queen, hardly ever speaking to her family. No one reprimanded her. In her younger days, her nanny would gently remind her, but every time she would throw a tantrum, throwing things and causing a fuss, so people began to prioritize not provoking her outbursts when interacting with Elizabeth. Given this, it was quite courageous for the maid, Mary, to embrace Elizabeth.

―Come to think of it, no one ever hugged me as a child. If I were to grow up in the same environment as my previous life, I might repeat the same mistakes. However, it doesn’t seem easy to change this environment. My brother Charles, who has the same parents as me, was calm and gentle by nature. I rarely saw him, so I don’t really know, but I even killed him because he was in my way...

Elizabeth decided to place herself in the same environment as her brother and immediately asked the butler to inform her parents that she wanted to move to the country house in the territory. Two days later, she had the opportunity to meet her father, Richard, who readily agreed without caring about why his daughter wanted to go to the territory. Her mother was away on a trip, so Elizabeth left the capital without even saying goodbye.

◇◇◇

Elizabeth, accompanied by Mary, moved to one of the Villiers territories, a country house in Sutherland, located in the southern part of the kingdom. Sutherland has a mild climate year-round and is a lush, verdant territory. The country house, while simpler than the mansion in the capital, was made of stone and had a solid, historical feel.

"Elizabeth! It’s been a while. You’ve grown so much. How have you been?"

As she stepped out of the carriage, her brother Charles, with his light brown hair fluttering and his amethyst eyes shining like Elizabeth’s, ran over to greet her.

"Brother, it’s been a long time. How are you feeling?"

"Recently, my seizures have decreased, and I’ve been feeling much better."

"That’s good to hear."

"We haven’t seen each other since you were two. You seem to have grown up a lot, Elizabeth."

Of course, she had. Inside, she was a 23-year-old with experience as a prostitute.

At that moment, Elizabeth realized she needed to be careful with her words and actions so as not to arouse Charles’s suspicion. After all, in the capital mansion, while people feared her, no one really paid attention to her.

Could she act like a child? What does it even mean to act like a child? As Elizabeth began to agonize over this, Charles extended his hand.

"Come, let’s go inside. You must be tired."

Charles’s hand was warm.

The room prepared for Elizabeth was filled with beige fabrics, giving it a gentle and cozy feel. The canopy bed was smaller than the one in the capital mansion but was charming.

"Anyway, I have a roof over my head, a place to bathe, and food to eat. I should be grateful."

Elizabeth muttered to herself and gazed out the window.

Neatly trimmed shrubs, well-maintained lawns, a gazebo a little distance away, and roses planted around it.

She thought it was beautiful. In the past, she might have found this scenery lacking in refinement.

Elizabeth was grateful to be able to live in this place.