Meanwhile, at the same time.
In the Remut territory, rumors praising Charlize had recently been rampant.
The buzz that began the moment Charlize assisted the flood victims only grew with time, showing no signs of fading. It had faltered briefly when Charlize ignored the local specialties offered by the survivors, but the news that she had given gold coins in exchange for nothing more than wild strawberries from the children that day caused the fervor to spread even more wildly.
‘Our noble Duchess-To-Be!’
‘Our merciful Duchess-To-Be!’
‘The woman who will become the mistress of our territory!’
Among the farmers, a phenomenon even took hold where the lyrics of their work songs were rewritten into praises for Charlize.
This fervor reached a breaking point the moment Piacie and Pina—the children who had just been brought to Duke Alzbeit’s Residence and returned today—came back with their arms full of gifts.
“Stop it at once.”
Askin, the master of the Remut territory, pressed his throbbing temples.
“Do whatever it takes to stop it. The rumors, too.”
“……Yes, understood.”
Askin shuddered at Charlize’s calculated wickedness in using even children. What was even more unforgivable was…
“Oppa, the Duchess-To-Be… I don’t think she’s as bad a person as we thought!”
“I think I was foolish for holding onto those prejudices all this time.”
The fact that his kind younger sister, Aria, had fallen under that woman’s spell.
And what was even more unforgivable than this:
“One year. Maintain this relationship with me for just one year. Then, I’ll set you free.”
“You want me to risk my life here? If you have a magic-infused contract, bring it out.”
“If you look at it as being deceived and meet me just once, won’t all your worries be solved? Even if I were lying to you, you would just go ahead with the annulment, and nothing would change.”
Charlize’s voice, which muddled his thoughts, and his own self, which had been swayed—if only for a moment.
*Why me? That woman? How could I have viewed that woman’s proposal positively?*
Askin’s breathtakingly beautiful face clouded with conflict. Soon, a resolve flickered across his expression.
“Ben. Prepare the carriage.”
* * *
When I returned to the mansion, I was utterly exhausted.
Just before the carriage door opened, Noah, who had escorted me, called out cautiously.
“……Duchess-To-Be, are you alright?”
Would you be alright if you were me? Of course, I suppose it was good that I went to the Imperial Palace today. If I hadn’t, I might have continued to keep a knight by my side who thought I was a fool, never knowing the truth about the hairpin.
Still, the exhaustion was bone-deep. Moreover, the punishment for that knight hadn’t been decided yet.
I didn’t even have the energy to answer, so I simply shot him a look that said, *Whether I’m alright or not has nothing to do with you.*
Noah looked troubled. A blue-haired, handsome man frowning on my account. My mood improved, if only slightly.
“His Majesty has a message for you.”
“What is it?”
“He said to leave the knight’s punishment to him.”
“Tell him I refuse.”
Why does he want to handle the man who stabbed me in the back? Reasonable suspicion arose; judging by how he used to tease me, he might be planning to stir up trouble for me by failing to address the matter properly.
At my firmness, Noah gave a strained smile and replied that he understood.
Just as I was about to step out of the carriage, my body lifted into the air.
“You seem exhausted. Would it be alright if I escorted you inside?”
The moment I saw Noah lifting me, my hand moved of its own accord. A reflex, as if a habit were naturally surfacing.
*Slap!*
“…….”
“How insolent. You dare touch me?”
Noah set me down immediately, offered a brief word of apology for his rudeness, and turned away without a second glance.
‘……What just happened.’
Actually, I didn’t even have the energy to be angry, but the nature of Charlize residing within my body had suddenly flared up.
It wasn’t just me; the way Noah apologized and turned away so familiarly felt unsettlingly natural.
I brushed my hair back in annoyance.
*That person in the book was never a quiet human being, even when the villainess acted out.*
Is he trying to be nice to me now because the tyrant and I share an important secret?
*Because I’m the only one who can control his madness?*
That made sense. I accepted it with a shrug and walked into the garden instead of heading toward the main entrance. I was tired, but I craved the fresh air. I dismissed the maids who had trailed after me, sat in the garden pavilion, and let my eyes flutter shut.
*Ugh, my hand really throbs.*
This was an unexpected complication. In my memories, Charlize was prone to slapping people, and perhaps I had injured myself by clenching my fist in a moment of impulse.
*On top of that, I even hit Noah when he picked me up.*
My wrist throbbed with a persistent, stinging ache. I should probably go back and apply a compress.
*Now that I think about it, ever since I opened my eyes in this body, I’ve done nothing but suffer—body aches, stomachaches, and now a sprain—instead of actually enjoying anything.*
I opened my eyes and exhaled listlessly. Whatever. I’ll just consider this an ordeal on the path to becoming a rich, idle loafer. I’ll be happy once I go back.
Shall I head back now? As I pushed myself up, a shadow fell over my feet.
I slowly lifted my head, and a familiar face came into view.
“Hello, Duchess-To-Be. I am honored to see you again, noble lady.”
I squinted against the backlight. Soon, his features sharpened into focus: ash-brown hair, striking emerald eyes, and that distinct tear mole just beneath his eye.
It was the man I had met at Remut Castle.
Was it Ian Child? The man from the family my grandfather had predetermined for me in case of an annulment.
“…….”
When I didn’t respond, the man withdrew his hand with practiced ease and bowed in a polite greeting. His manners were impeccably refined.
“I was hoping to see you once more today, as I am honored to be visiting the Alzbeit family.”
“Why me?”
A very handsome man hitting on Charlize.
Excuse me, Ms. Villainess. Exactly what kind of bad karma did you sow with this man?
Thinking that he might be grinding his teeth at Charlize behind that polite smile made me feel a strange mix of regret and curiosity—it was, unfortunately, my type. Of course, my fiancé possesses an overwhelming beauty that shatters all preferences, but I’ve always been weak toward men who look at you with such a soft, smiling gaze.
However, I knew that Duke Alzbeit hadn’t created a special escort knight order for Charlize for no reason. Fearing that this man might suddenly change—that he might snap or do something erratic—I tensed up.
“……It’s a bit unfair. I don’t think I’ve done anything yet that would warrant being guarded against by the Duchess-To-Be.”
His words and actions were equally suspicious, so I narrowed my eyes further.
“Ah!”
Ian suddenly turned away, gesturing for me to wait. Just when I thought he had left because he couldn’t stand my silence, he spoke to a servant stationed in the distance and returned with something in his hands.
He extended it toward me, accompanied by a servant carrying a crate.
“This is top-quality wine from the Adete Kingdom, brought in from across the sea. It is the finest vintage from the region I visited for work a month ago.”
When the servant opened the lid, the box was filled to the brim with the wine. Ian’s eyes curved into perfect crescents.
“I heard that you enjoy wine, Duchess-To-Be. I sincerely hope you like it.”
“…….”
* * *
Charlize felt troubled.
Wine. To her, it had become a repulsive sight, a bitter reminder of the agonizing hangovers endured during gatherings with scoundrels.
Of course, living as Charlize, there might come days when she would be forced to drink against her will, but today was not one of them.
Furthermore, Ian, who had appeared from nowhere to offer the glass as if to curry favor, was far too suspicious.
As Ian watched the silent Charlize, he felt a flicker of anxiety beneath his confusion.
It was strange.
According to his research, Charlize was not merely fond of alcohol; she was obsessed with it, to the point of collecting rare bottles. He had gone out of his way to procure a precious vintage, yet the woman sitting before him seemed entirely indifferent.
He had been told that Charlize was the type to melt into a smile for anyone—even her enemies—provided there was liquor involved.
Instead, after a curt “Why?”, she hadn’t uttered a single word. To Ian, her behavior could have been read as cold or dismissive, but he didn’t find it particularly unpleasant.
In fact, he was simply baffled.
“Perhaps… you do not care for this vintage?”
Charlize remained on guard, convinced this man might turn on her at any moment. To him, however, her posture likely looked like nothing more than a haughty stare.
*What do I do? It would seem suspicious to refuse it here.*
In a capital where it was common knowledge that Charlize loved alcohol enough to wake from a dead sleep for it, what would happen if she turned the glass away? If such a rumor were to spread, it would draw unwanted scrutiny.
Yet, accepting the drink left her uneasy.
It felt like the accumulated karma of the original Charlize; what if he had spiked it to destroy her?
*Even if this villainess has earned enough grudges to be poisoned, I can fully understand why.*
Charlize hesitated inwardly before finally extending her hand.
Ian offered the glass with a pleased expression.
Then, the moment their fingers brushed, Charlize recoiled in surprise and jerked her hand away.