Chapter 4

"......Lady Reia?"

(......What?)

"Lady Aurelia..."

Aurelia's body trembled as someone called her name.

(......Could it be... No, but...)

She had experienced this feeling before.

...Yes, it was the same moment when, after living her first life until the age of ten, she was sent back to start her second life—

"Lady Aurelia, it's morning already."

A gentle voice spoke, and the curtains were drawn. When Aurelia sprang up, the maid—Natalie—was still in the position of having just opened the curtains, looking surprised.

"Oh my, you seem to be wide awake today."

"......Natalie"

"Yes, good morning, Lady Aurelia."

The maid greeted her with a cheerful morning greeting.

Thus, Aurelia found herself back at the age of ten.

(The day I returned is the same as last time. Am I repeating the same time again...?)

This time, because it was her second time, she didn't scream, so her family didn't rush into the room.

While Natalie opened the curtains and prepared the morning tea, Aurelia sat on the bed, holding her head.

(In my second life, I was stabbed and died after being caught in the fallout of a breakup... But now time has been rewound, and I'm starting my third life...)

This is a curse.

Aurelia must have been cursed to repeat the loop of dying at eighteen and returning to ten.

(No, but this time, I will survive!)

Last time, her biggest flaw was that she didn't have enough knowledge and didn't study enough.

This was a point of reflection for Aurelia herself, something that needed to be fixed before worrying about whether Raul liked or disliked her.

(As Lord Raul said last time. This time... I will study diligently and accumulate knowledge.)

If she does that, surely the future will change... Even if things don't work out with Raul eight years later, the knowledge she gains won't be wasted.

...That's what Aurelia thought, her mind growing numb.

Aurelia, starting her third life, proposed to her parents that she wanted to study abroad in a neighboring country when she turned twelve, after her engagement to Raul was finalized.

In her second life, the black-haired baron's daughter who was always by Raul's side had been abroad, so she didn't appear in the kingdom's social circles. This meant that even though Aurelia had expanded her social circle, she had no acquaintance with her. However, knowledge is power.

Aurelia suggested studying in a different country to avoid the black-haired baron's daughter, and at first, her parents strongly opposed the idea. One reason was the anxiety of sending their beloved daughter to another country, but the main reason was that "Aurelia's current academic level is not enough for studying abroad."

Aurelia agreed and sought her brother's support to gain the academic level needed for studying abroad.

Her brother supported Aurelia's goal but set a condition: "If you can complete the curriculum that a typical noble girl would learn by the age of thirteen within a year, I will help you persuade our parents."

Aurelia, determined to achieve her goal, relied on her brother's connections to find a tutor and began her studies.

Aurelia's original academic level was average, so obtaining the same level of knowledge as a thirteen-year-old girl by the age of eleven was quite challenging.

However, Aurelia had a goal... and a slight advantage from having lived two similar lives before. Especially in terms of etiquette, which she learned in her first life, she found it much easier.

As a result, when Aurelia turned eleven, she passed the oral examination in front of her brother and received a passing grade. With her brother's help, she managed to persuade her parents. Although her father remained skeptical until the end, her mother became an ally early on, saying, "Since you are working so hard," and Aurelia was granted the right to study abroad from the age of twelve to sixteen.

During her time abroad, Aurelia absorbed knowledge while experiencing the culture of a foreign country. Thanks to the social experience she gained in her second life, she was able to join new social circles. In the neighboring country, she not only interacted with nobles but also deepened her connections with commoners. The differences in their perspectives and Aurelia's as a noble provided her with many valuable lessons.

When Aurelia returned to the kingdom at the age of sixteen, she began her bridal training in preparation for her marriage to Raul.

And so, on the fateful night of the ball.

Aurelia, dressed in a light blue dress with intricate details, adorned with a silver hair ornament and necklace that the maid praised as highlighting her intelligence, and holding a simple fan, headed to the ballroom.