Previously
Evgenia awakens with a head injury caused by her own tantrum after learning the Crown Prince proposed to Melissa. She plots to use her new life to support Euclid while feigning partial amnesia to her maid, Anne.
Even without an outright sword thrust in my face, the fact that a spear had blocked my path the second the door opened made one thing abundantly clear: their goal was surveillance, not protection.
And sure enough:
Looking frightened, Anne lowered her head apologetically.
Still, it did not bother me at all.
The Duke had every reason to punish me, and given Evgenia’s volatile temper, throwing a fit was practically guaranteed. But since I had supposedly lost my memories, Anne had likely seen no reason to provoke me any further.
I casually told Anne to arrange an audience with my father, as I had something to say to him.
Anne gave me a strange look.
Oh! Only then did I realize my slip-up.
In the original novel, Evgenia had always referred to her father as “the Duke,” keeping a rigid distance between them. The realization came a second too late.
Fixing a cold glare on my face, I quickly added that I had called him “Father” on purpose just to mock Duke Basilian.
Bewildered by my swift recovery, Anne waved her hands frantically.
I found such a detailed report rather unusual for an ordinary maid, but I gave a noncommittal nod anyway.
While it was a shame the Duke was away, I also felt a small wave of relief. To be completely honest, it had stung a little to think that a father wouldn’t even check on his daughter after she had suffered a severe fall.
No matter how strained their relationship was, and even if Evgenia was infamous as a troublemaker and a family disgrace, I still thought that was taking it too far.
‘Even my strict dad back home would’ve been sick with worry if I got hurt!’
Of course, that had only happened after his business took off and he began treating me like his personal lucky charm.
The whole “pitiful villainess” trope was something I wanted no part of. Not because it was a cliché, but because it made me feel uneasy.
I hadn’t asked to possess this body, but if her life had truly been that tragic, I’d end up feeling guilty.
Besides, the Duke’s absence probably had nothing to do with any merchant guild. The timing hinted at something else entirely, and Anne’s confirmation that he had headed north only fueled my suspicions.
‘Looks like he moved the instant Evgenia collapsed.’ His decisiveness was truly something else.
I felt a slight pang of sympathy for the Duke, who had set off on a long journey in search of a prospective son-in-law, but Euclid would have taken the top spot even if he hadn’t met him in person.
It was at that moment, while staring at the door with lingering regret and envying the Duke for getting to see my favorite character’s face in the flesh, that Anne spoke up.
Anne suddenly dropped the ominous word as though trying to recall something, but then added cheerfully, as if trying to reassure me.
“…?!“
As she babbled on, a face I couldn’t believe I had forgotten snapped into terrifyingly sharp focus, draining every drop of color from my cheeks.
Down in the basement dungeon of Evgenia’s annex was none other than Richard—one of the main male leads, and the man destined to become the ultimate villain.
Which brought me to the present.
Anne stood by the window frame, trembling as she spoke.
Seeing her shake made my own body quiver in response as I gripped the rope tied off at the window.
Even though I had secured it firmly to the bed, I was still terrified out of my mind.
Anne whimpered, likely catching sight of my trembling arms.
My resolve remained firm.
…Though to be completely honest, my footing wavered quite a bit.
Still, I had to see Richard’s condition with my own two eyes.
Richard was the man who would one day lead an assassin guild so terrifying that even the imperial family wouldn’t dare lay a finger on him.
Right now, though, he was nothing more than a prisoner, sold to Evgenia as a slave on the black market. His fate had taken this tragic turn simply because he had been born with the same red eyes as the Crown Prince.
( ‘Was Evgenia taking out her resentment toward the Crown Prince on Richard?’ )
In the original novel, Melissa described Richard, whom she had met in the annex, as having suffered unspeakable horrors.
It made sense—considering he was only fed when explicitly permitted, he must have been subjected to terrible abuse.
Being trapped in such a cruel villainess’s body made me want to cry, but I steeled my resolve and climbed down step by step, focusing solely on my ultimate goal: marrying my favorite character.
These high heels made every single step feel precarious and downright perilous.
‘Why does Evgenia insist on wearing heels like these when she isn’t even that short?’
If I left Richard locked up like this, he was guaranteed to hunt me down for revenge, just like he did in the original novel. In fact, he might already be planning it…
No matter what, I had to appease him. Only then would my grand plan to pave a path of success for my favorite character remain intact.
Otherwise, I might end up in a worse state than the original Evgenia, who had at least managed a clean divorce without bringing ruin upon the Rodion family.
With a silent prayer that Evgenia hadn’t committed the absolute worst atrocities against Richard, I finally touched down safely on the ground.
The moment my feet hit the dirt, Anne, who had been watching anxiously from above, let out a long sigh of relief.
I gave Anne a light wave to signal that I would return soon, then turned around.
( ‘Gosh, it really is chilly.’ )
Anne had suggested I put on a thick coat against the cold, but I turned her down, figuring it would be better to keep my weight light for the climb.
Now that the sun was dipping below the horizon, the chill seeped right through my thin dress.
Brushing off the cold, I hurried along, well aware that the guards would soon begin patrolling the estate.
Fortunately, I didn’t lose my way and headed straight toward my destination.
The entire estate was brightly illuminated, save for Evgenia’s annex, which was conveniently cloaked in darkness—perfect for committing misdeeds.
Reaching the annex with ease, I began making my way down toward the basement dungeon, only to stop dead in my tracks.
The dim lamps lining the stairway flickered, casting a moving shadow along the wall.
Could Richard have escaped already?
Doubting it, I quickly ducked behind a pillar, only to watch someone carefully ascending the stairs.
“…!”
I recognized the mysterious visitor immediately.
There was simply no mistaking her.
With soft, wheat-colored hair that practically shimmered like gold, fair skin, and clear, rounded green eyes, she was Melissa—the angelic heroine of The Saintess’s Dangerous Choice.
After coming under Duke Basilian’s care, Melissa had wandered around the estate and eventually stumbled upon Evgenia’s annex, learning of Richard’s existence.
Seeing a boy her own age locked away in such a miserable state had horrified Melissa, and she had wanted to free him. But knowing that Evgenia owned him, she hadn’t dared act recklessly.
Instead, she had been sneaking into the annex, bringing food and salve for his wounds.
Of course, it was only today that I learned Anne had been turning a blind eye to it on my orders.
( ‘I guess Evgenia really only had eyes for the Crown Prince.’ )
Given her obsessively possessive nature, I had assumed she would fly into a rage if anyone so much as brushed against her belongings, even a slave.
Relieved, I watched Melissa’s retreating figure, my gaze tinged with sympathy.
To tell the truth, ever since the moment I was reborn into this world, I hadn’t cared much about the original plot.
The heroine’s love story? She could handle that on her own.
If love couldn’t blossom without a villain in the picture, wasn’t that a much bigger issue anyway?
I felt the exact same way about Duke Basilian’s family.
My plan was simply to cut ties naturally once I married Euclid.
Frankly, Evgenia had been nothing but trouble her entire life. At the very least, a clean divorce would spare the Rodion family from the fallout, unlike House Basilian, which had met the worst possible fate for a founding noble house as retribution for Evgenia’s sins.
In that sense, I figured it was a good thing I had taken over her body.
Now, all I needed to do was focus on living happily with Euclid…
With just one condition.
I didn’t care how the original story unfolded, but…
‘I’d rather Melissa didn’t get tangled up with Richard at all.’