Like every time I attended a banquet, I was forced to wake up at dawn by the maids.

I hardly slept anyway, so it wasn't as annoying as other times. However, after they repeatedly rubbed something on my face and body and washed it in water with perfumed oil, I became a kimchi by the time I left the bathroom.

"Everyone knows what day it is today, right?" "My lady, you must shine more than ever!"

"Yes, yes! Leave it to us, my lady! We'll pour our soul into making your beauty stand out even more!"

The maids, who normally couldn't even raise their heads properly in front of me, clenched their fists and joined forces today.

"Just do it, please..."

Of course, my powerless plea was ignored.

The maids put in more effort, more than usual, with my makeup and hair. Only when the maids let me go after quite a long time, I was finally able to see my reflection in the mirror.

"Ha..."

As I slowly opened my eyes, someone gave a sigh of exclamation. Unlike other times, most of the maids were quiet.

I soon found out why. My reflection in the mirror was really beautiful enough to give them exclamations.

The eyes were raised to the point where the expressionless face looked rather bright, and the makeup made them look pretty and colorful.

My dainty nose, reddish cheeks and lips, and dark pink hair, which was finely braided, looked quite lovely.

I slowly raised my hand and touch my cheek. '...Pretty.'

Penelope, who I saw in an illustration of the coming-of-age ceremony scene in easy mode, was so breathtakingly pretty.

'You're so pretty.'

It's so unfortunate that I didn't recognize her at that time.

Looking into the mirror, I felt a little sad. I feel sorry for the loss of this body's owner, who would soon be helpless against what I was going to do.

"You can't touch your face! Don't touch your face today!"

However, my moment of pity was lost when the maids pulled me back to reality. "Okay."

I lowered my hand gently with a disapproving look. I thought it would be better for me to say nothing today. It'll be the first and last time.

Then, another maid said. "My lady, and the dress..."

I tried to instruct them to bring the same as usual. By 'usual', I meant something subtle that covered my neck.

However, the moment I was about to open my mouth, the maids slowly walked closer, holding a dress on a hanger.

"Please, wear this dress today, my lady." Emily said, while looking at me. "This..."

"Nothing looks better on you today than this dress!"

I hesitated when I saw the dress they had brought me. The dark blue gown spread out to the floor. There was a silver powder that glistened over it.

The color that spread out gradually met with the finely embroidered gold thread at the bottom. A dress that resembles the calm, moonlit sea at night. It was a gift from the Crown Prince.

I grimaced a bit when I saw it. Emily nervously begged at my expression.

"It's the one and only ceremony where you should shine more than anyone else, my lady. Commoners also wear expensive clothes even if they have to be in debt."

"..."

"Just this once. Please do as we say today. Yes, my lady?"

"That's right, my lady. The things you've often worn in the past are a little dark and simple..." "But of course my lady is beautiful in all types of clothes!"

The maids were waiting once each of Emily's words poured out. It seems they didn't like my modest look that I wore every time I went out.

'What is this?'

The maids trying to persuade me with all their might, looked a little sad. "Okay. I put it on, just this once."

Eventually I nodded lightly. "Really? Are you serious, my lady?"

"Well, then you're going to wear accessories as a dress and a set too, right?" "Don't ask such an obvious thing!"

The maids were happy. I was sorry for the Crown Prince's gift, but this was going to be all a memory. '...Maybe he wouldn't come today.'

Suddenly, I remembered the Prince's back as he left the greenhouse in anger. Maybe I would also be angry if someone refused to accept my offer not only once but several times. I swallowed a bitter laugh.

All the dresses and accessories were ready and the maids were filled with praise and admiration again. Maybe it was because I didn't sleep properly for a few days, that I was too exhausted to check the mirror again.

After they were finished, I asked Emily for refreshments to take a quick rest. After a while, Emily brought me a sofa so that I could rest without ruining my dress.

I asked Emily with a low voice, leaning close to her face. "Do we still have a long time to wait? When does it start?"

"We're going to receive guests starting at noon. The ceremony is at two o'clock, my lady." "What is she doing?"

I asked briefly, moistening my throat with the cold tea Emily had brought me. The refreshments were just an excuse. Emily answered my question hesitatingly.

"She's in the Young Duke's office... they're having tea."

"At this hour?"

I asked back with a startled voice.

It was still early in the morning before lunch, perhaps because they got ready early in the morning. To have tea time, neither the day or the time was right.

'Nothing much happened.'

Anxiety lurked in my stomach. However, I had to endure it even if something happened. Besides, weather Derrick would be brainwashed or not anyway, that was it.

At that time, a cautious voice startled me who was lost in thought. "My lady, the request for the master of the guild..."

"Quiet, watch your mouth."

I clicked my tongue and warned her right away. And I check around with a frown. "Emily, are you sure you acted in secret, without anyone knowing, as I told you to do?" "Y-yes! Yes, my lady!"

Emily nodded wildly. "By the way, my lady..."

She suddenly whispered, her brown eyes gently looking around. "There was something suspicious last night."

"What was it?"

"I was going back to my room to wash up, and I met Becky in front of the building. But why would she be asking me the way to the office's street?"

"What?"

Becky was Yvonne's temporary maid. I jumped back and shouted while abruptly leaning toward. "Why are you telling me that now?"

"It was too lateso I couldn't wake you up, my lady."

Emily quickly excused herself with an embarrassed face.

"But, don't worry, my lady! Of course I said I didn't know. She said ok and I just went back to my room." "That's good."

I leaned over the plump cushion, replying rather insincerely. Tap tap tap-.

I tapped on the armrest of the sofa while I was lost deep in thought. 'Why would she want to find the office's street? To meet Vinter?"

There was a good possibility that was it. Even in normal mode, Yvonne looked for Vinter, who helped her return to the Dukedom.

But now, unlike the original story in the game, it was Eclise who brought her first.

It was my best guest and assumption that Vinter and her had already run into each other. After all, he didn't bring her, so it was unclear what had happened between the two.

I jumped out of my seat and walked to the desk. "Emily, go out for a moment."

"What? Oh, yes!"

When Emily left, the room was enveloped in silence. I said I trusted her, but there was no one here I trusted.

Standing in front of the desk, I took out my keys and opened the last locked drawer. There was a piece of paper inside in which I wrote down capture targets' information when I first came here and arranged their favorability in spare time.

And there were different items from the quests, items from Vinter and transactions with him last night.

I fumbled for the bottle of purple liquid that the rabbit spat out yesterday. It was then. Suddenly, red and silver light poured out of the drawer.

"...Huh?"

I was a little surprised and hesitated, and soon took out the source of the light. "...This is."

It was an ancient magic necklace that Vinter put on me during the Tratan's volunteer work. A large bead, embedded in the middle of a star-shaped ornament, sone in dark red and vibrated shallowly.

I followed the direction of the bead's light in a daze. "...Ah."

Ironically, it was Eclise who came to my mind the moment I saw the bottle of purple liquid illuminated by dark red light.

The color of the favorability's gauge bar that I didn't care much about. "...It was death."

At that moment, my heart sank.

I didn't know that my plan was on the path of complete disaster. No, maybe, I've been trying to deny it because I've been blinded by favorability.

It was a love like death. He would even kill me to have me, it was terrifying love. The unexpected realization made me dizzy. As soon as I felt the hand holding the necklace was shaking, it was that.

knock, knock.-

Someone knocked on the door. I raised my head suddenly in fright.

Tak-. To hide the light of the necklace, I shut the drawer of the desk roughly, and hurriedly raised my bent body. And immediately identified the visitor.

"Who is it?"

"... Your father."

Hi guyssssss, it's akireatom... Don't hate us for the cliffhanger □(□˙7˙)—6˚.*· Translator: akireatom