Prologue. The woman who requested for her own imprisonment

The woman stared blankly at the ceiling above her and blinked slowly.

Out of the blue, Violet S. Everett recalled her previous life.

Truthfully, the term ‘out of the blue’ didn’t truly encapsulate her experience of remembrance. There was an incident that served as a trigger to her memories, and that trigger was a near-death experience.

At the expense of having to go through a deathly crisis, she was given the chance to recall her previous life and could now calmly reflect on her actions. Could this perhaps be called a blessing in disguise?

As she slowly regained consciousness, Violet thought.

What is happiness? She wished to experience that, even if it was something from a distant place that she couldn’t dare reach.

And so, after three days and nights of teetering between life and death, the very moment she woke up, the first thing that the ducal lady did was to visit her father.

She asked Duke Everett,

—Please confine me to the annex.

* * *

There was a tendency for human beings to pursue happiness in their lives. However, such happiness was abstract, like a mirage that one could not easily touch with one’s own hands—something that one would yearn for during an entire lifetime, but could not easily reach.

It was near, and yet so impossible to catch…

“What are you even thinking, Violet?”

As she had been lost in thought, the low voice brought her back to reality. His tone sounded as if there was a surging anger threatening to burst through.

“……”

Violet did not answer his question. The reason why she came here was apparent.

Three days and nights had passed since the eldest daughter of the Everett Duchy had almost drowned in a lake.

So many people had come to visit the ducal lady after she rose again. A doctor came to examine the ducal lady’s condition, a priest came to pray for her and wish her peace, and various servants also came to tend to the ducal lady. It seemed like there was no end to them.

And amongst all those people, there was one person she wished hadn’t come. It was Mikhail, the eldest son of the household, Violet’s older brother.

“I asked you—what were you thinking?!”

As the loud voice growled out again, Violet grimaced. She did not answer because she didn’t want to deal with him, however Mikhail continued to pressure her.

This was how he was treating his younger sister, who had just come back from death’s door.

Still silent, Violet sat up from the bed. She hadn’t yet fully recovered, so even the smallest of movements taxed on her greatly.

“What do you mean?”

“I heard from Father that you asked him to imprison you.”

“…Haa.”

“What are you scheming? Are you threatening us with your life now? Are you trying to do some sort of protest under the public eye?”

“My head…”

“Are you not going to answer?!”

The conversation went around and around with no sign of a fruitful exchange.

Why was the eldest son of a ducal household acting so unrefined? Whether or not Violet was to click her tongue at his behavior, Mikhail was completely obstinate.

“I don’t know what scheme you think I have. I’ve had a chance to realize my mistakes and reflect on myself.”

“…Ha. No matter how you try to cover it up nicely, that kind of talk…”

When she gave him a proper answer, the answer that came back was still full of rage. In any case, they were empty words. She didn’t care either, and so she shrugged.

“I’m tired, so could you please leave? With my current state, it’s not like there’s anything I can do.”

“……”

“Or are you going to continue yelling and shouting in your younger sister’s room in such an uncultured manner?”

“…Just you wait. Violet, whatever you’re up to, you’re not going to have your way.”

Thus, the not-so-conversation came to an end. Mikhail left the room feeling more enraged than when he first entered through the door.

“……”

As soon as Mikhail left, Violet arranged herself in her seat, but she soon frowned at the immediate knock that followed outside the door.

They’re not even giving her a break. The moment the short permission of, Come in, left her lips, two people came in. They were also familiar to her.

“S-Sister.”

Fluffy pink hair fluttered behind the person who spoke along with every step she took. Her tear-soaked face looked as if she was about to cry again.

On the other hand, another person who had platinum blond hair beside the girl had a smile on his lips and an unreadable expression on his face the entire time.

Violet let out a deep sigh.

“I-I was worried about you. I’m glad that you’re all safe and sound…”

The lovely young woman expressed her concern for Violet in a bell-like voice. Glad to see you’re safe, she said.

How adorably she smiled with such a kind expression… that you’d think it was all just fake.

Violet calmed down as she tried to act how she usually would. On top of her body already being in this kind of condition, being agitated wouldn’t do her any good.

“Why are you lying, Aileen. You don’t have any use for worrying about me.”

“S-Sister?”

“I’m not happy at all that you came all this way to say things like that… You must be quite absorbed in that role of yours, this ruse that you’re the good sister. If you’ve come to me, then you must know that only spite would greet you back.”

At Violet’s unhesitatingly biting words, Aileen flinched. Just because her ire had not been roused didn’t mean that Violet would hold back on what she’d say.

Meanwhile, the young man next to her was smiling the entire time with a truly unreadable expression that it was impossible to read what’s on his mind. It was the Everett Duchy’s second son, Roen.

Glancing briefly to Roen, Aileen let out her tears.

“What are you saying, Sister! It’s natural for me to worry about you because we’re family. Even though you don’t like me…”

“If you knew I wouldn’t want you to be here, then you shouldn’t have come. I already have a headache as it is. It’s going to get worse because of you.”

“…Aileen came here to see you because she was worried about you. Why are you being so cold?”

Right. A smile dawned upon Violet’s lips at the young man’s sudden interruption. She was wondering why the two of them came together, but she realized now. It’s this.

“No, Brother, I’m fine,” Aileen said. “Even if Sister says that…”

The slender girl looked hurt and it seemed like tears would fall at any moment as she dissuaded her older brother. There was no indication that it was merely a short performance.

Watching them like this, one would wonder who the real blood-related siblings were here. Snorting, Violet could be seen smiling slightly.

“It’s becoming a problem that you’re so forgiving. Violet, you should know how to be more careful, but you’re always throwing such sharp words.”

“If you didn’t want to get stabbed, then you shouldn’t have come here. Why must I welcome you?”

“Even when you say that, you’re being unusually meek, aren’t you.”

“I almost died, didn’t I? Stop.”

“Yes, sure, the way you speak is still the same.”

“Do you think a person can change in an instant?”

Roen laughed sardonically as he noticed the sly way Violet had changed her words and attitude—formal one moment, informal the next. The only one here who’s at the edge of her seat for no reason was Aileen.

Unable to bear to just stand by as the real brother and sister talked, Aileen dissuaded Roen again.

“I really am fine, Brother. I know that Sister hates me because I’m not good enough… Hiic, I, I really want to be close to Sister, but…”

“It’s alright, Aileen. It’s not your fault. Never mind, Violet seems to still be in a terrible mood today, so let’s just go back.”

At the retreating pair, Violet wordlessly watched them walk away and quietly raised a middle finger at them.

Roen and Aileen had long since had their backs turned on her, so they did not see the vulgar action that the eldest daughter of this ducal household had just made.

Her surroundings grew quiet only after all the uninvited guests had finally left.

She could finally have some peace and quiet. Violet quickly lay back down on her bed, else someone might come again.

Having already faced Mikhail, Roen and Aileen, she was more tired than ever now.

She was grateful that her younger brother, the third son Cairn, was now at the academy.

Violet—no, Yeon Ha-yoon was finally left to her own world, and so she closed her eyes happily.

* * *

Violet S. Everett, the eldest daughter of the Everett Duchy, a household that had an extensive history.

The monikers she had were not just empty words. Most wicked villainess of all time. Green-eyed monster who’s eternally jealous of her sister. Everett’s evil witch with an ice-cold heart.

It’s a wonder how she ended up with these kinds of nicknames. However Violet, or Yeon Ha-yoon, did not deny these titles that had been attributed to her.

Out of the blue, she suddenly remembered her previous life.

For her to have remembered her previous life after falling right into a lake and having a near-death experience, wasn’t it so ridiculously contrived?

Even novels wouldn’t be this predictable, Violet complained inwardly.

Perhaps to clarify her situation, she had not transmigrated. Though if she were to categorize it, then she could say that she had reincarnated. She remained true to her identity as Violet, who she had lived as for nineteen years thus far. It just so happened that she recalled her previous life’s memories. Because of that, she felt no such disconnect to her current self.

She had lived her previous life and unfortunately back then. And here, she was reborn and she somehow recalled her previous life.

If one were to define Yeon Ha-yoon’s life, then it would be with this word: pathetic. As for Violet’s life, then: harsh.

The family she had been born into was a ducal household which had an extended history. As she had two older brothers and one younger brother, she was born as the sole daughter who was raised like the most precious jewel there ever was in the world.

Nevertheless, Violet’s life was exceedingly harsh.

It was during the spring of the year she turned eight years old that her life turned for the worse—when Aileen, Violet’s younger cousin, entered the Everett family as a ducal lady and interfered.

The evil older sister who would harass her little sister, who lost her birth parents. The wicked woman who did all the worst bullying, framing and manipulating towards an innocent girl.

These weren’t lies. When Yeon Ha-yoon looked back on the past, it’s true that Violet had done many misdeeds.

She hated Aileen.

So, she tormented her.

She’d been associated with such unruly behavior ever since she was young, so it was thanks to this that the prejudices people had over her were impossible to alleviate. Rather than their own younger sister, Violet’s older brothers took care of Aileen, who was their cousin.

‘Nanny said something to me. The previous duchess is a gorgeous woman who has beautiful golden blonde hair, but why is Sister’s hair silver?’

Recalling what Aileen had said when they were children, both Violet and Yeon Ha-yoon had the same reaction. They just pressed down the urge to smile helplessly.

It’s all meaningless now. It’s become meaningless.

That she tried to be recognized by her family, that she tried to be loved, that she tried to survive in this hellish ducal household and live.

As the memories of her previous life came back to her, the two personalities blended together.

The person she was now was Violet but not Violet, was Yeon Ha-yoon but not Yeon Ha-yoon. So, she decided to redraw her life.

—To leave everything in this reality behind. To confine myself, alone.

* * *

The first thing Violet did was to visit her father, even as she was still wearing her nightgown.

Her body had yet to recover, so she obviously looked gaunt no matter who saw her.

Despite his daughter’s sudden visit, the duke did not show any indication of unrest.

The nineteen continuous years of trying to instill her with the values of a ducal lady was no more. Only silence, as sharp as a knife, loomed inside the duke’s office.

Duke Everett neatly swept back his black hair and looked at Violet with a calm gaze. Those eyes gave off the same impression as a lake in the middle of a snowy winter.

For all her life— for all her life, she just wished that he would look her way, even with those cold eyes.

The girl took a brief moment to sympathize with herself during this life. She lost her mother at a young age and her father was an indifferent man, so how could it have been possible to receive the love and affection she needed?

While she yearned for the attention of the people who wouldn’t even look at her, she lived persistently.

For a few days, the servants discussed amongst themselves whether the ducal lady had finally gone crazy because of her behavior. Violet snorted at them and ignored their chattering.

Did you also want me to die?

Since my life is worthless and has no use at all, why did you spend such an astronomical amount of money to save me?

Yeon Ha-yoon, Violet smiled at the duke, who did not even give her a single grain of attention.

“I would like to ask one question, Your Grace. To you, what am I? A daughter or a tool to be used?”

She took on an elegant posture as she asked with a voice that was entirely graceful.

Violet’s question was both blunt and disrespectful. Even if Duke Everett were to yell at her here, it was very much warranted.

But instead of condemning her for her insolence, the duke responded to the question by raising his head and looking straight into Violet’s eyes.

The two gazes intertwined in the air.

Deep purple eyes that were like bottomless lakes, and green eyes that were good at concealing one’s innermost thoughts from the experience of being a duke for a long time.

The time they sized each other up was but a moment. Without any hesitation, Violet asked once more.

“Let me ask you again. Your Grace, to you, am I a daughter or a tool?”

“…What kind of ruckus is this now.”

“Ever since my close brush with death, my feelings have changed. There’s something that I wish to do.”

The ducal lady’s tone was remarkably tranquil.

If it was this easy to let go of one’s expectations, why couldn’t she let go of such expectations to be acknowledged by this household. Even if she was considered to be merely a tool, she was still being valued, to a certain extent.

Of course, considering who Violet was right now, she did not need this acknowledgement.

The duke opened his heavy lips.

“What is it that you want to do?”

“First, I would like to renounce every single marriage proposal.”

“…You may do so.”

When Violet mentioned the marriage proposals, the duke answered quickly. At this, Violet was momentarily shaken.She couldn’t throw away the value placed on her as a tool so easily. Although her reputation had already hit the floor, Violet’s outward appearance was still objectively pleasant.

Even though the duke could have still used her as a tool when sending her off to a political marriage, there was no hesitation in his answer.

She wondered if he had another use in mind for her. Even so, Violet immediately regained her composure and continued.

“And, I wish to paint.”

“…If that is what you wish, then I can also call for a teacher.”