Chapter 1

"Sadey Arkwright. I will break our engagement."

Before I knew it, I was on my hands, touching the cool floor, and gazing up at the incredibly handsome man in front of me, dazed.

Just a moment ago, I was wearing tattered clothes that could barely be called clothes, sewing in a shack that couldn’t even properly shelter me from the rain and wind. But now, for some reason, I was wearing a beautiful, soft dress and standing in a dazzling party hall.

My hands, which were sunburned and rough from farm work and water chores, were now white and beautiful, with perfectly shaped nails painted in lovely colors.

"………?"

I clenched and opened one of my palms. As expected, these hands seemed to be truly mine.

And the fact that the stranger called me "Sadey" was the best proof that I had returned to my own body.

"R-Really, I'm back in my original body…?"

Without thinking, I muttered, and the man in front of me snorted.

"Hah, have you finally gone mad? Or are you pretending to be mad to try and fool me now?"

"Wh-What? I really have been possessed by someone else all this time, and—"

"If you're going to lie, come up with a better one."

He didn’t believe me at all. But perhaps this was the normal reaction. How many people would believe the events we had experienced?

As I looked around, all the nobles present were looking at me with disdain.

I understood that despite returning to my body after ten years, I was in a very bad situation. My life had been nothing but a series of misfortunes.

"Hey, are you listening?"

I looked up at the man in front of me again. When I met his gaze, he seemed to be momentarily confused, but then he quickly directed a cold, icy stare at me.

I remembered that he had mentioned breaking the engagement just a moment ago. At the same time, I recalled that as the daughter of a baron, I had a fiancé.

His deep black hair and eyes matched the features of the person from back then.

"…Could it be, Rufus?"

"Wh-What?"

"Sure enough, it’s Rufus, and you’ve become so wonderful—"

"Shut up!!"

Suddenly, he let out a loud shout that made me shudder. The atmosphere in the room froze instantly.

"You really are the worst woman. To try and act like you did in the past and come crawling back now."

"Huh?"

"How much more do you need to torment me…!"

It seemed I had poured oil on the fire. The man who looked like Rufus was even angrier than before.

At the same time, a young lady nearby splashed a liquid over my head. It seemed to be some kind of fruit juice. I could hear unpleasant laughter.

The liquid that had also entered my mouth was terribly sweet.

"…It’s delicious."

Without thinking, those words slipped out of my mouth, and everyone around me looked at me as if I were some kind of bizarre creature. It had been ten years since I had tasted anything other than water. I didn’t want them to be repulsed.

"Anyway, you and I are strangers from now on. Never show your face to me again. I will show no mercy in the future."

"……Yes."

In my memories, he had been the kindest person, and he had treated me with care. I wondered what the person who had taken over my body had done all this time.

As I imagined various scenarios, I was terrified.

Suddenly, something fell onto my head and body. When I realized it was food from a plate, I was already covered in a sticky mess. What a waste.

Even such things seemed delicious to me. After ten years of eating only hard bread and soup with almost no ingredients, I might be in the final stages of my life.

This situation was undoubtedly bad. Just as I was thinking I needed to do something, a man with an incredibly handsome face appeared and took my hand. The women around us screamed.

As I stood up, I wondered who this person was. He leaned in and whispered to me.

"…You’re ‘Weed Puller Sadey,’ right?"

"H-How do you know that…?"

"It’s me, I’m ‘Backache Gerald.’”

"Wh-What?"

Gerald, who had also been taken over and treated like a slave in that place, was a middle-aged, overweight, and hairy man. I never imagined he would look like this.

"I just returned to my body a few hours ago. When I saw you being treated like this, I was shocked. I was sure it was you when I heard you say you were possessed. Are you okay?"

"G-Gerald…!"

Honestly, I was scared. I didn’t understand anything and was being treated this way. But when my long-time friend appeared, I couldn’t help but feel relieved and a smile overflowed.

At the same time, I felt a piercing gaze and looked up to see Rufus’s expression had become terribly frightening.

"Are you involved with that man too? You slut…!"

"Wh-What…?"

I was being insulted and doused with juice and food without understanding anything. It was all too much.

"Anyway, we should leave this place."

"Y-Yeah, I understand."

I needed to sort out the situation. There were too many things I didn’t understand. After taking Gerald’s hand, I glanced at Rufus again. His eyes seemed to be filled with deep sorrow.

I felt sorry, but I also wanted to cry.

With that thought, I left the dazzling party hall with Gerald, as if fleeing.