Rosie stopped Cherina just as she was about to say something to me. I rolled my eyes and stared at Rosie.

"Enough already. Stop it. Your Grace, Lady Evelyn. It seems you've forgotten, but what did you say I had to do to get candy?"

"...Candy?"

"Yes. Candy. You said if I behaved well, I could have candy..."

"I hate candy!!"

Candy, my foot. Just thinking about candy now was enough to make me convulse.

My dark history.

The jar of candy that Setren had sent me was still rolling around under my bed.

The sight of that red-tinted spit dropping onto Setren’s hand...

Ugh! I remembered it again!

“B-But you said you liked candy?!”

“I hate candy! You eat it!”

Cherina and Rosie exchanged flustered glances before Rosie turned her head back toward me. Her voice dropped low, her expression unreadable.

“...Then how about cookies?”

Rosie’s chestnut-brown eyes darkened as she looked at me. Her lips curled upward in a way that seemed sly, even to me.

Those damned cookies.

In the novel, it was those cookies that killed the Empress and the Princess.

Duke Spendel used Evelyn to secretly feed them poisoned cookies.

Quietly, without a trace, until they died.

“I love cookies.”

I smiled brightly as I answered.

“Right? How about having some cookies with His Grace and Her Highness? They’ll adore you even more.”

“No.”

“Pardon?”

“They’re all mine. Evelyn’s going to eat them all. Mmm, but I’ll share some with Rosie and Cherina. Because we’re friends, right?”

It didn’t matter how many cookies I ate—I wouldn’t die from them. Only the Empress and the Princess would fall victim to those cookies.

Now that I had resolved to stop the villain’s schemes, there was no way I’d let those cookies near the Empress and the Princess. They had to survive, no matter what.

I couldn’t let them fall prey to the villain’s tricks.

The maids stepped back, their faces showing clear alarm.

Of course, they wouldn’t eat the poisoned cookies themselves. Those wretches. It was fine to feed them to others, but not to themselves?

“What? Aren’t Rosie and Cherina Evelyn’s friends? Won’t you eat the cookies? Hmph. Evelyn’s sad. If my friends won’t eat with me, then I can’t eat alone.”

Cherina glared at me like she was about to smack me.

Why? What? I’d see right through them. No matter what they were thinking, it was never going to work out the way they wanted.

“If you’re not going to eat the cookies with me, then leave. Evelyn wants to be alone. We’re not real friends. We can’t share.”

“N-No, I like cookies too!”

“Of course! I love cookies!”

I needed to keep a close eye on those two.

Since their cookie plan had failed, they’d definitely try something else.

Whatever it was, I’d be ready.

Judging by their reactions, they seemed to think that no matter what they said in front of me, I wouldn’t understand.

Which meant they were letting their guard down and relaxing around me.

That worked in my favor.

Cherina and Rosie brought cookies, and after reading me the same fairy tale—now stained with drool and spit—ten times, they were finally released from my clutches. Their faces as they left the room were visibly drained.

Tsk, tsk. Clearly, they’d never taken care of a five-year-old before. Tomorrow, I’d make it even worse for them.

“Doesn’t it feel like Lady Evelyn has changed a little since we’ve been gone?”

Rosie bit her lip, chewing on it nervously.

“What do you mean?”

Cherina, sprawled out on the bed, responded without much thought.

“She seems the same to me. Still whining and begging us to play with her.”

“...Is that so?”

“You’re just being overly sensitive. It wasn’t easy getting in here, remember? Plus, we’ve got work to do. Ugh. When are we supposed to figure out the guards’ shift schedule? That brat won’t stop pestering us, and nothing’s easy.”

Cherina grumbled, rubbing her face into a pillow.

Duke Spendel was constantly looking for opportunities to attack Setren’s household.

The impressive part? He’d never been caught.

On the surface, he acted like a loyal subject who only cared about the empire.

“I’m just scared of going against the Duke’s orders!”

“Seriously?”

Rosie immediately shot her down.

“From tomorrow, let’s focus on getting closer to her. We need to stall for as much time as we can.”

“If possible, let’s make that work.”

Rosie and Cherina steeled themselves. They had to accomplish something—they couldn’t afford to fail, not before Duke Spendel’s wrath turned their way.

Duke Spendel demanded absolute loyalty from those who followed him.

If anyone betrayed him, the only thing waiting for them was a fiery execution.

Evelyn probably didn’t even see that as a problem. Or at least, that’s what Rosie and Cherina thought.

Until the next day.

When Evelyn called them in again.

Blinking innocently, I clutched Cherina’s skirt.

“Why?”

“Why!?”

“Why do I have to eat this? Why?”

“...Well. Ugh. Aren’t you hungry?”

“No. Evelyn’s hungry. But why do I have to eat this?”

“...Then eat something else.”

“Why?”

Cherina’s lips trembled.

Why.

Ever heard of hell? It’s a stage that every child in the world goes through at least once—a phase where they’re endlessly curious and want answers to everything.

“Then just eat it. It’s good for you.”

Rosie interrupted, trying to keep her composure. Torturing someone with this nonsense while their arms were full of food probably deserved punishment in its own way—but honestly, this was kind of fun.

Now they’d understand why kids acted the way they did.

“Why is it good for me?”

“...Because it just is.”

“Why is it just good?”

“Because it says so in books. It’s good for your eyes...”

“Why is it good for my eyes?”

I widened my eyes innocently, smiling like an angel. Cherina and Rosie’s expressions were about to break.

For thirty minutes now, since they’d started serving lunch, I’d done nothing but repeat “Why?” over and over.

Sure, they were here to poison the Empress and the Princess.

But at this rate, their own blood would dry up from sheer exhaustion before they even got the chance.

I was completely confident about that.

“Why aren’t you answering? Why?”

Was I crazy?

Shameless?

Driving them insane?

Absolutely.

***

At that moment.

Rosellina was calming herself as she prepared for her long-awaited entry into the palace. She barely managed to smooth out the jealousy and rage distorting her features.

She couldn’t let Setren—of all people—see such ugly emotions.

Pressing her hand firmly against her chest, Rosellina clenched her jaw.

“It’s not like it’ll last anyway. How long could that idiot possibly stay in that position? She’s nothing but a brainless fool!”

Was there anyone in this world who didn’t know about the disgrace of the Spendel family?

Even the Duke of Spendel treated his precious daughter like she didn’t exist—as if she weren’t even his sister.

He acted as though only he could preserve the Spendel bloodline.

Who would ever acknowledge a woman rejected by her own family as Empress?

It was only a matter of time before she was thrown out of the palace. And when that happened, the position would naturally fall into Rosellina’s hands—just as it was meant to be.

Rosellina had no doubts about that.

Click, click.

Her soft footsteps echoed through the corridor. Just as she reached the end, a man turned the corner and came into view.

Rosellina’s eyes widened in surprise for a moment, but she quickly softened her expression and offered a gentle greeting.

“Good day, Mortega.”

Rosellina smiled warmly.

Mortega was the steward serving under Setren—the same man who had always encouraged her, assuring her that she was destined to become Setren’s wife.

As long as his handsome face didn’t fade, he would surely remain on her side.

She noticed the faint flush that spread across Mortega’s cheeks at her smile.

There was a reason Rosellina had once been called the ‘Swan of High Society.’

“It’s been a while, Lady Rosellina. I imagine you must have been deeply distressed by what happened at the palace. Still, thank you for answering His Grace’s summons.”

Mortega’s words were impeccably polite.

Rosellina nearly laughed. He seemed completely unaware of how fragile Setren’s current power really was.

Rejecting a summons from the Crown Prince without cause?

And Setren—now a celebrated war hero—was hailed as a national icon, adored by the people.

Thanks to him, even the fool of the Spendel family had managed to escape criticism and bask in public favor.

The Crown Prince was now being portrayed as the ultimate romantic, a man who loved his wife so deeply that he overlooked her shortcomings.

Of course, this was only possible because Spendel had orchestrated a masterful propaganda campaign.

Rosellina gave a bittersweet smile.

“Right. Your dazzling prince. If only we had married before all this happened, you’d get to see the woman you adore every single day.”

Lowering her gaze demurely, Rosellina played the part of a delicate, fragile lady to perfection.

Her gentle and ethereal aura made her seem even more vulnerable and pitiable.