I think.

And think again.

About how to survive…!

While thinking hard about this, someone knocked on the door. She peered in with a gentle smile on her face.

“Dear sister Evelyn, I baked some cookies for you. I hope you enjoy it.”

“You didn’t have to do this.”

I glanced at my sister, Ophelia, who was smiling shyly.

‘Oh my, this girl’s name is Ophelia, too?’

Ophelia was the perfect heroine in the novel.

Blonde hair flowing in the sun, amethyst-colored glistening eyes, and porcelain skin resembling white jade. Conversely, you don’t need to explain it in great detail to know that she’s a rare beauty.

Seeing the many cuts strewn all over her hands, I pulled out a small jar from a drawer.

“Sit here. I happened to have an ointment from Sahara. The leader of Irudell sent me a prototype.”

“I-I’m fine. You don’t have to do that for me, so you should keep the ointment for yourself, Sister.” Ophelia hurriedly shook her head, though she couldn’t take her eyes off the ointment jar in my hand.

I let out a sigh.

Seeing how Ophelia refused another person’s goodwill towards her, I felt a sense of deja vu. Suddenly, the unforgettable novel’s content rushed into my head.

「 “After three days of just drinking water, Ophelia could not take her eyes away from the burnt bread in the maid’s hand.

“Please eat some, Milady.”

To her surprise, the maid who played the role of a warden readily sticks the bread out to her. Her stomach was stirred just by the mere smell of dry flour, but Ophelia shook her head.

“…No, thank you.”

This maid could have died miserably if she succumbed to hunger and ate that bread.

Like everyone else who treated her well. 」

However, it wasn’t exactly a normal novel…

Ophelia was the heroine of the rated-19 novel.

In the scene, she had not eaten anything for three days.

One day, turtle soup was served on Ophelia’s table, where she had been imprisoned by the male protagonist, Cassius. Still, the meals were well served.

As she tried to take a spoonful of it without much thought, the unusual pattern of a turtle’s shell came into her eyes. It was the same pattern of the turtle that Ophelia, who was always alone in Count Garneid’s residence, had fondly raised.

Of course, after seeing it, she cried and refused to eat the meat. Which caused Cassius to be angry, saying, “If you’re going to do that, then don’t eat anything.”

Well, how did it work out?

Naturally, since it’s rated-19…

I swallowed dry saliva and tried to drive the original scene out of my head. “Since you baked the cookies for me, just think of it as a small reward.”

“Sister…”

Her eyes filled with tears.

‘Good girl.’

I pulled out my handkerchief and gently wiped away tears that were swelling in her eyes.

Ophelia was treated as an outcast of this wonderful, Count Garneid family.

Although it was the birth of Evelyn, the Garneid County’s disgrace, that brought about the Countess’ death, everyone collectively despised Ophelia because she was an illegitimate child. Still, she did not resent anyone and cherished all her family members who treated her like hell.

‘If Ophelia wasn’t there, I might have been locked up in a mental hospital…’

Thanks to her dedicated efforts, I managed to get myself together and looked back on what I’ve done.

‘Anyone who saw those actions would think it’s the behavior of a crazy person.’

It wouldn’t be strange if I were to be taken to a mental hospital right now…

Ever since transmigrating, I desperately tried to play the role of the perfect successor as Evelyn. Thanks to this, I managed to regain my stature to some extent.

But, it was already too late.

It would only be half a year before Cassius, who was crazy for Ophelia, killed the Garneid Family.

And the first meeting between Ophelia and Cassius was only one week away!

***

‘I have to do something.’ I bit my lip carefully.

I tried to remember exactly what would happen once Ophelia and Cassius met for the first time.

Like in any other romance fantasy novel, their first meeting was coincidental and inevitable. At that time, Ophelia was talking to the turtle she cared for in the pond as usual.

Yes. That very thing that Cassius will later boil in the soup in the future.

“Turtle, is it delicious?”

As she was talking to her turtle that was chewing a cabbage leaf, all of a sudden, there was a sound of something rolling off the fence. Ophelia hurriedly ran towards the direction where she heard the sound. There lay a heavily injured man who was groaning in pain.

Obviously, it was Cassius Brudenell, the male protagonist.

Because he had asked her not to call a doctor, the angelic heroine took him to the basement instead and secretly treated him.

While it was a stroke of good luck for him, it was the beginning of misfortune for Ophelia. Since then, Cassius had become obsessed with her. Until the beginning of the novel, he tried to win over her in his own gentlemanly manner.

That is to say…

‘Gentlemanly’ according to his standards.

After manipulating the circumstances to make Ophelia more isolated and miserable, he would appear like a prince on a white horse to sway her heart.

The so-called, ‘disease-and-drug’ method.

[ T/N: Similar to the idiom, “carry fire in one hand and water in the other.” To be duplicitous or to deceive. ]

But surprisingly, Ophelia knew what was going on.

“Don’t think of me as a fool. What happened to me… It’s all because of you, right?” Saying so, she stared disgustedly at Cassius as if he were a dead rat, then turned cold.

That was the point that drove him crazy.

Ophelia, who was kind to everyone and continued to love her cold-hearted family, came to despise him. Therefore, he planned to massacre all family members of the esteemed Garneid County and spare only Ophelia, who would be locked up in his cage forever. After that, well, isn’t it obvious?

Ophelia, who was trapped in the cage, spending nights with Cassius…

Okay, let’s stop. My stomach is lurching just thinking about it.

So, who the hell was this Cassius, who annihilated the Garneid Countdom and locked up the heroine, the only survivor?

He was the sole heir to the Brudenell Duchy, the household that holds the most authority in the Empire apart from the Imperial family.

Now, you might be wondering, where the hell was the Duke of Brudenell while his successor went on a rampage?

Let’s say that Cassius made sure he was as useful as a limp piece of vegetable. Even though he wields the power of the duke in a correct manner, he will soon be killed by Cassius.

‘No, let’s not think about it anymore…’

I took a deep breath slowly. My heart, which had been pounding with burning anxiety, subsided little by little.

First of all, it is easy to change the first encounter as it was written in the novel.

Because Ophelia keeps sticking to my side. I wasn’t sure if it was because I was trying to be nice to her lately, but it seemed like if I told her to get down on her knees, she’d really do it.

What I was most worried about was the storm that would come since I changed the future.

Of course, I didn’t sit still throughout the past half a year just doing nothing—I even went as far as planning the downfall of my family and acting like a complete madman so that I could get banished to the countryside.

But even after all that, the plan still fell through.

It feels as though my desperate struggle remained like a storm in a teacup.

[ TL/N: Storm in a teacup is a Korean idiom, saying it’s making something out of nothing or something that looks important, but actually isn’t that big of a deal. ]

What’s worse than the plan falling flat on its head, was that I almost got taken to a mental hospital…

As I thought, it’s the same again this time.

What if… not even an ant comes near him when he falls from the fence?

Cassius Brudenell will die without any treatment.

According to the novel, Cassius was destined to die if he did not receive Ophelia’s treatment that day.

Now that I think about it, it is hard to understand how he easily escaped the life-or-death crisis so easily.

Though I almost never doubted that as I kept turning the pages without thinking. It was an R-19 novel I bought for shits and giggles anyway, so I didn’t think spotting plotholes like that was important.

However, now… it is important.

Cassius should not die.

At least, not inside the walls of our house.

If it is revealed that Duke Brudenell’s successor died in Garneid County, the furious Duke of Brudenell will destroy our family…

I bit my lip again.

The options that were available to me were numerous, but they’re all just unfilled gangjeong.* However, I could not stay still and let poor Ophelia run willingly into Cassius’ arms.

[ TL/N: Gangjeong is a traditional korean snack; it means the options she has are insubstantial or worthless.]

I had to do something for Ophelia, who saved me from the crisis of being dragged into a mental hospital.

***

Sneaking out of the mansion in a modest dress was easier than I thought.

The maid, who had been monitoring me at my parents’ command, gave in and lent me her dress when I threatened to jump out of the window if she wouldn’t give it to me.

Wearing a maid’s grab and throwing away my dignity as the County’s Young Lady is just a drop in the bucket compared to everything else I’d done thus far. There is a reason why I was nicknamed, ‘the crazy wench of Count Garneid.’

I immediately headed downtown.

‘We just need to make sure that Cassius Brudenell doesn’t get hurt in the first place.’

That way, on the day Cassius would run away, he wouldn’t break into our house. However, of course, I do not intend to save him if he happens to be on the brink of death. It would be a big deal if Cassius has a crush on me.

It may sound ridiculous, but I’m serious.

Cassius was a certified madman, and as such, no one would be able to predict his thought process. So, what if he had a crush on Ophelia not because she was a pretty, and good heroine, but just because she saved his life from the crisis?

I was an insignificant extra whose head was lopped off in an instant, but that didn’t mean I dreamed to rise to the role of the heroine who would later be kidnapped and imprisoned.

Besides, if I became the heroine this time, Ophelia would become the extra who’d die a meaningless death.

I don’t want that either.

---------END OF CHAPTER 1--------

Anyway, there was only one option left for me. Prevent Cassius Brudenell from getting hurt that day—

…Without revealing my identity at all.

Fortunately, I knew the reason why he was hurt.

Unlike other high-ranking aristocratic families who, at best, were at odds with the most influential domestic families, the Duke of Brudenell was also active abroad. As a result, Cassius often confronted assassins sent from abroad.

Usually, he would easily escape from assassination threats with his male protagonist skills, though his luck ran out that day.

He was attacked by the elite assassin raised in the Kingdom of Bynell, the Duke of Brudenell’s long-standing enemy.

He suffered a fatal injury throughout Ophelia’s treatment.

Understandably, the relationship between the two grew more and more affectionate during the care.

‘We have to stop that, somehow.’

I stopped in front of a newsstand. “Five copies of the Daily Peveril, please.”

“Five copies?”

“Yes.”

The seller peered at me with strange eyes, but gave me five copies without saying much when I gave him a handful of jingle coins.

Well, money is the best in any world.

***

The undisputed heir of the Duke of Brudenell had one unique hobby.

It was direct mail sorting.

Cassius Brudenell, who had let all the servants out of the house, slowly approached the table full of mail. He did not pay a single glance to the letters sent by the noble family.

The ones that he picked out of the piles of envelopes were all letters from an unknown sender.

He skillfully opened the envelope with a paper-knife, and a household account book that could be used by a commoner’s wife dropped out.

His sharp eyes moved quickly.

The letter, which on the surface looked like an ordinary household account book, came from the Marquis of Deiju, and contained a willingness to accept the black deal.

The rest of the letters were also cryptograms containing important information.

Cassius then picked up an exceptionally thick envelope.

‘…?’

The golden eyes narrowed. He had received countless cryptograms over the years, but this was the first time he had seen such a clunky and thick envelope. Curious, he opened the envelope with a slightly faster hand than usual.

Unexpectedly, what came out of the inside was not cryptogram, but plainly readable text.

[The meeting held at Tovetun Inn on April 20 is a trap. Be careful.]

Rather than the content itself, the writing style caught his eyes.

The sender of this letter cut out each letter from the newspaper and pasted it on cardboard with the intent of hiding the handwriting.

‘…Interesting.’

One of his mouth’s corners twisted up.

Generally, those who want to hide their handwriting hire a great scriptwriter, but the great scriptwriter also has unique characteristics.

With the intelligence and wealth of the Duke of Brudenell, he could find the great writer who wrote the article in a matter of days.

Although, if the printed type was cut out and pasted to make a phrase, there is no characteristic. Moreover, the person who sent this letter used the ‘Daily Peveril’ that commoners enjoy.

If it had been cut from a single book, it could have been traced back to find the sender.

However, ‘Daily Peveril’ was a newspaper enjoyed by men, women, and young people, mainly by commoners. It was sold everywhere in the empire, so the scale of the investigation would become absurdly large.

‘…’

Looking through the letter, he was lost in deep thought.

This wasn’t the first time he had worried about himself. It also wasn’t the first time someone tried to inform him of such a dangerous situation directly as well. In spite of everything, it was the first time someone tried to help him while concealing their identity.

The reason was simple.

If they hide their identity, they wouldn’t get paid.

‘…They don’t want anything else in return.’

If it was just a bad joke, it wouldn’t have been a concern. Because it was common for those who tried to harm him by using such petty and clumsy techniques.

Nonetheless, Cassius’ intuition was whispering.

This letter is right.

They are trying to help him without any interest in mind.

‘Why, me?’

The kind of interest that he hadn’t been feeling for a long time, has boiled up.

‘Then… I’ll find you.’

It became somewhat normal and expected to be attacked wherever he went anyway. Cassius was confident that he would get through obstacles that were coming his way.

Still, he had no intention just to dismiss the person who sent such a cute letter. It didn’t matter whether they were a male or a female, old or young, a noble or a commoner.

A cold smile appeared on his face.

The sender will soon be greeted by Cassius Brudenell at their doorstep.

***

I couldn’t just be satisfied with just one letter.

‘Is Cassius Brudenell the kind of person who would blink an eye because of a letter?’

Of course not.

I had to come up with a reason why he should never go to the Tovetun Inn. Though, I couldn’t stay around him any longer as it would only create unnecessary doubts.

I hate that there’s a possibility that he would fall in love with me, but I also despise the idea that I might be trampled on at some point in the future because he’d think I was a threat.

‘As expected, the answer is at the inn.’

So, on April 20th, wouldn’t it be enough just to make the inn not open the door itself?

Fortunately, I am the heir of Count Garneid.

If it was money, it was already overflowing the garage. That means that my pocket money is enough to buy an entire inn.

‘Well, I won’t be able to buy new clothes for a year, but what’s the big deal?’

If you die anyway, there’s no use in a dress. After falling into this strange world, my motto was only one.

Even if you were to roll in dog poop, you’re better off dying!

If there was a guarantee that I could survive being locked up in a mental hospital, I would have gone to a mental hospital already. However, the mental hospital in this world was nothing more than a brutal laboratory that turned a normal person into a corpse.

I cannot enter where death awaits me.

How far did I walk?

Finally, the wooden signboard of the Tovetun Inn caught my eye.

I raised my head proudly and pulled the doorknob.

Of course, as I am wearing a maid’s clothes, I will not be seen as a noble young woman. It was because I didn’t want to reveal my identity. I can’t let Cassius Brudenell recognize who I am.

I had only one purpose. To be seen as a maid with a master rich enough to buy this inn.

As I entered the inn, the man who seemed to be the owner stared at me with a wary look.

‘This is not an ordinary inn.’

It was an inn full of suspicious people just by glancing around. In a place like this, it would not be strange if Cassius Brudenell, a nobleman, was struck by a sword and wandered through his deathbed here.

“What’s going on?”

The innkeeper opened his mouth with a stiff voice.

I sneaked open a wallet full of money towards him. Then, trying to make up a voice that sounds as authoritative as possible.

My master wants to purchase this inn.”

The innkeeper groaned as if what he heard was absurd.

“Who the hell is that ‘master’?”

“I can’t tell you that. But, he said he would pay the price you asked. The master is generous, so call him whatever you want.”

The innkeeper snorted and shook his head.

“Lady, tell your master to stop talking nonsense. Also, this is not a place for the wandering aristocrats to pass.”

Bang!

At that, the door closed right in front of me.

If I had been a rookie who had possessed this world for only a few days, I would have argued with him, asking if he knew who I was.

I have to buy this inn somehow. Right now, my life depends on this!

Though after half a year of rolling in this year, I got the hang of it. If I do things impulsively, I will be treated like a madman and locked up in a room in an instant.

No, just being confined?

This time, undoubtedly, I will be taken to a mental hospital.

‘I have to find another way.’

I sat down on the street, biting my nails frustratedly. Luckily, no one paid attention to me in my maid’s clothes.

‘I’m going to send you another letter. This time, in a way that will certainly be familiar to Cassius’ eyes.’

Two letters are better than one.

Especially if the letter is a warning.

Nonetheless, no matter how many letters I sent, it would not have as much effect as closing the inn down itself.

‘Let’s give up buying.’

Although it felt like I should have gone to a property agent, the result would have been the same anyway. No matter how much money I offered, he didn’t seem willing to sell it in the slightest.

I have to consider a more radical way.

‘I can… set fire to the inn?’

…I did not want to be caught as an arsonist and hanged, so I quickly dismissed the idea. Even if I can save my own life, thanks to my status as Count Garneid’s heir, I would still be detained in a mental hospital for such an act…

Finally, I got up from the street with a sigh.

There is a saying that even if the sky collapses, there is a way to live as long as you get your act together.

Moments after, a group of men marched past me in a row with glittering knives.

It was the capital guard.

At that moment, a realization struck me. There was a way. To close the inn without even touching it…!

‘Yes, that’s it!’

---------END OF CHAPTER 2--------

“Did you find this at the entrance to the Aisle?”

“Yes.”

Cassius Brudenell’s face is expressionless, as if he is wearing a mask.

In his hand, was a piece of paper that had no characteristics. Just like the letter that arrived proudly yesterday, on the paper, there was an article made with letters cut from the newspaper.

⌜ The assassins will be lurking on the given date and location given stated before. Don’t think it will be as easy as those you have dealt with. ⌟

There was something written on the back as well. It seemed like it was hastily attached, as if the sender was hesitating whether or not to mention it.

⌜ They came from the Kingdom of Bynell. ⌟

This time, the letter was quite long, so there were visible signs of the sender’s effort to avoid being tracked everywhere.

Again, Cassius was not very interested in the authenticity of the content.

His attention was only focused on the sender and the manner in which the letter was sent.

The ‘Aisle’ was not like a typical passage.

The Duke of Brudenell had a secret intelligence organization called the “Aisle,” which was also called the ‘Aisle’ headquarters.

The entrance to the passage had to be accessible and, at the same time, secretive. So, it could only be entered and exited by manipulating several secret devices hidden in the alley at the corner of the main street.

Meaning that, to be able to leave a letter like this, in a place that would only appear as an ordinary alley unless you are a part of the Duke’s family—

‘…Is it an insider?’

Cassius pondered for a moment, then shook his head.

An insider had no reason to warn him in such a conspicuous manner. In order to be recognized for their achievements, it was right for them to approach him somehow and inform him personally.

Although he was merciless to the incompetent and traitorous, Cassius rewarded the capable and the loyal.

The man in the black hood asked, “Count Cassius, isn’t that the day you are supposed to meet Count of Lancaster?”

“That’s right.”

Cassius nodded his head.

As soon as he received the letter yesterday, he informed the members of the ’Aisle’ of its content. It was not to investigate the contents, but instead, to trace the identity of the sender.

One of the members raised a question.

“I think it’s trying to say that Count Lancaster has teamed up with the Kingdom of Bynell?”

“Just for the sake of slander?”

He scoffed coldly.

Seeing that Cassius could not even remember the name of this member, his ability seemed as insignificant as his head.

Count Lancaster was one of Cassius’ long-time informants, a trustworthy, if not close, confidant. It was a considerable risk to claim that such a man had summoned an assassin from the Kingdom of Bynell, the old enemy of the Duke.

If they are wrong, it will be the informant, not the Count of Lancaster, who will lose their life.

“You can’t risk this just for such a slander, unless you are crazy.”

Cassius was convinced that the sender was trying to help him for nothing in return. After receiving this letter today, that thought became even stronger.

The sender was trying to help, completely hiding their identity.

Their act, in no way, would benefit them.

Even more so, considering the risk of being caught, such as putting a piece of paper in a dagger and dropping it at the entrance of the aisle.

If caught, the members of the ‘Aisle’ would have cut off the sender’s head without even reading the paper properly, because confidentiality was of the utmost importance. Then, they would have brought the paper along with the sender’s head to him.

Members of the organization quickly changed their opinions on whether they had reached a similar conclusion to Cassius.

“Well, I think he sent it purely to help Count Cassius. At least, in the hope that you will not get hurt.”

Cassius groaned, letting out a sound whenever he was pondering deeply.

“Isn’t it possible that interest’s warning itself is a lie?”

He returned exactly what the member of the organization had said a while ago.

They did not need to say something just to suit his mood.

“It does not appear to be a lie.”

A member of the organization recalled what he had received this morning. Though Cassius only gave the order to find the sender, the ‘Aisle’ moved first to determine the authenticity of the letter.

“I don’t know if it has anything to do with the Count of Lancaster, but I have found traces of the assassins of the Kingdom of Bynell.”

“There is a possibility of manipulation.”

“We’re not incompetent enough to find no signs of manipulation, Count.”

The corners of his lips rose.

‘It seemed worth remembering the name of this person.’

“You, your name…”

It was just as when Cassius opened his mouth to ask for his name, another man with a black hood appeared.

“What’s going on?” He said, frowning.

As he was concentrating on an unidentified letter, he didn’t enjoy being interrupted by anything.

“I hope you didn’t disturb me with just trivial matters.”

“Absolutely not.”

The man gasped for his breath before continuing his words. “It appears that the report of the Tovetun Inn has been sent to the guards.”

“What?”

Cassius stormed up from his chair.

In just a day or two, Tovetun Inn had suddenly been reported to the guards like this…?

With yesterday’s warning, today’s warning, and even a report—

‘It can’t be a coincidence.’

As if to prove Cassius’ thoughts, the same member shouted.

“The entire inn is closed for investigation!”

***

The guard, who refused to investigate, saying it was annoying no matter how much information she told, eventually gave in to a bag of gold coins.

It was good to see that they shut down the inn quickly. It was much cheaper than buying the whole inn.

Having accomplished my goal, I returned home with flying steps.

“Evelyn, what are you thinking?”

As expected, as soon as I stepped into the gate, I was immediately dragged to my father, who diligently smeared tears on his handkerchief, and my mother, who stared at me with her arms folded.

When I first transmigrated here, I might not have been very impressed with their behavior until half a year ago, though after living as Evelyn during that time, I seemed to feel quite affectionate towards them.

In any case, if Evelyn’s biological mother, Countess Garneid, is dead. Then, who is this ‘mother’?

Yes, stepmother.

Although, she is not Ophelia’s biological mother. Because the child’s mother was only the daughter of a market merchant.

Her stepmother, the present Countess of Garneid, fits pretty well with the image of the wicked stepmother in a fairytale book. She was born a high-nose young lady of a marquis, and she harassed Ophelia for everything.

Still, she wasn’t a bad mother to Evelyn.

Rather, it is stated in the book that Evelyn even followed her stepmother, who was well suited to her.

Well… Considering that I was about to be put in a psychiatric hospital when I had an incomprehensible behavior, I think I can understand why it worked so well with the original Evelyn.

Above all, the two seemed to have developed a great deal of sympathy by harassing Ophelia together.

I didn’t think too bad of her, though.

She was forced to marry Count Garneid, who had two children, because her father, the young marquis, was slanted.

And one of them is an illegitimate child.

I’d like to applaud the fact that she has been affectionate to Evelynn and raised her hard.

My father muttered bitterly.

“I thought your madness had subsided…”

“Father, I’m not crazy.”

“So, you fooled the maid in your right mind?”

Mother’s stern question stuck in my ear.

That’s a good point, Countess.

I answered in a nonchalant voice.

“Yes. You are sane and you can fool others, can’t you?”

“You…!”

As her face turned red, my father tilted his head toward her.

“Madam, don’t be too angry. Isn’t that a drop in the bucket compared to what this child has done so far?”

“…That’s right.”

My mother reluctantly agreed.

“Shouldn’t the punishment still be imposed?”

Oh, no.

Even if it were a punishment, I would only be imprisoned in my room. Regardless, it would be quite troublesome if I actually received such a disposition.

Because there is still work to be done.

It’s also a grandiose thing!

As my father was about to open his mouth to reply—

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Someone knocked loudly on the office door three times. At that moment, all three of us recalled the same person. That is because there was only one person in the house of Count Garneid who would knock like that.

Mother frowned.

“How dare she knock like that, what does she want…”

After her words, two knocks could be heard lightly.

That was the basic discipline of the aristocracy in this country. So, Ophelia’s habit of tapping three times in a hurry was often ridiculed.

I shouted out to the person behind the door whether my mother liked it or not.

“Come in, come in, Ophelia!”

At that, Ophelia came in with shy steps.

“Ah… How are you?”

“I have no intention of accepting your greetings. Ophelia, why the hell are you interrupting us?”

As soon as she saw Ophelia’s face, my mother snapped at her hard.

Her complexion turned so pale that it was pitiful to see.

‘Poor thing.’

However, the words that came out of Ophelia’s trembling mouth did not deviate beyond my expectations.

“Sister Evelyn went out because of me!”

----------END OF CHAPTER 3--------