There were two main reasons why Kasha was branded as a great villainess.

The first was the magical artifacts she designed.

Those inventions, born out of Simon’s request and her own pure curiosity, were mass-produced for killing people contrary to her intentions, and decimated the Empire’s pride, the Holy Knight Order, in the Holy-Demon War.

However, the biggest cause of Kasha becoming a villainess was the second reason. The three magic stones whose seals she broke.

Simon said he had accidentally acquired those magic stones. Kasha researched the stones at his request, and succeeded in breaking their seals. Not only that, but with good intentions, she even managed to separate the curses from the stones.

However, when Simon learned that her research was successful, he took the stones away without giving her a chance to resist. Saying that she would be arrested if the priests found out, so he had to reseal them without being discovered.

But as a result, those magic stones were released into the world and, contrary to her intentions, gave birth to various calamities. The most representative of these were Mine Wolfbane and the magical beasts that played an active role in the Holy-Demon War.

‘What did Simon, and whoever was behind him, gain from causing those calamities?’

When he visited her in prison before her execution, Simon was clearly trying to please someone of unknown identity.

Someone to whom Simon had pledged loyalty while pinning all the crimes on Kasha. Someone who was only imprinted in Kasha’s memory by the strong scent of perfume and the sound of a folding fan in the prison.

She had a feeling that the identity of that woman, who had come to confirm her death, was the key to all these calamities.

Unless she uncovered that identity and retrieved the magic stones, she could be framed as a villainess and executed again at any time, even if she had regressed.

‘If it’s the summer of my nineteenth year, then I’ve already unsealed the magic stones and had them taken by Simon.’

The unknown mastermind must have already started using the power of the stones. So the calamities must be considered to have already begun.

One consolation was that this period was before she had handed over the finished offensive magical artifacts used in the Holy-Demon War to Simon. So she just had to not hand over any finished products she made from now on to Simon.

‘But as long as the unsealed magic stones are in the mastermind’s hands, I could be framed as a villainess at any time.’

As long as the stones were in the mastermind’s hands, Kasha would never be free.

‘Then, what’s the solution?’

She recalled the three magic stones whose seals she had broken with her own hands.

The one who possesses an unsealed magic stone gains tremendous power. However, there is no pure good in the works of demons. It is the fate of the stone’s owner to bear a fatal curse as great as that enormous power.

But whether it should be called a twist of fate or a demon’s prank, the problem was that Kasha had succeeded in separating the curse from the stone through her research.

In fact, Kasha’s intentions were pure. She had been looking for a way to use the power of the stone without suffering from the curse.

However, before Kasha could find a way to deal with the curse, the stone fell into the hands of the mastermind, who used Kasha’s research results in a vicious way.

They wielded the power of the stone for themselves, while making unsuspecting victims bear the curse.

And the first victim chosen by the mastermind was none other than Leon Aranias. The broken holy knight Kasha had encountered before entering prison.

The curse of lust that Leon suffered. It must have been planted by the mastermind who had obtained the first stone, Onor.

‘But why Leon of all people?’

Kasha pondered deeply.

‘Surely they didn’t choose Leon without any reason. They must have gained something by breaking him.’

Someone who wanted Leon to fall.

Someone who benefited from the destruction of the Holy Knight Order and terrible calamities.

Someone with the power to easily pin the blame on the powerless Kasha and escape all charges.

That was about as much as Kasha could deduce about the mastermind’s identity with the clues she currently had.

‘A way to track her down. What could it be?’

Kasha lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling and pondering. That’s when it happened.

Knock knock.

“Miss. Simon has sent a letter.”

Sena entered the room and handed over the letter. Kasha received the letter and carefully met Sena’s eyes.

“…Thank you.”

“Huh? Oh… It’s nothing. Just doing my job.”

Sena was taken aback. The young miss was thanking her properly and even looking her straight in the eye?

‘She seems to have changed a lot.’

As Sena left the room tilting her head in confusion, Kasha glared at the writing on the envelope’s surface. The ornate decorative script. Even the handwriting that reminded her of Simon’s slimy face was so disgusting that she didn’t want to open the envelope.

‘But I have to open it. To accurately grasp the situation at this point in time.’

Kasha took a deep breath and opened the envelope with just her fingertips, trying to touch it as little as possible.

Crinkle.

Kasha crumpled the letter in her hand with a cold expression. Remembering her past self who had been happy reading this letter, she even felt shame.

The true meaning she should have read between the lines of this letter was probably this:

I have no intention of going to that ball you were looking forward to.

The thought of standing as a partner at a ball with a dull and gloomy woman like you is horrifying.

So please struggle alone at the ball, feel my absence, and become miserable. So that it becomes even easier for me to manipulate you.

And in the past, all of his wishes had come true.

She, who was already uncomfortable with noble society, completely cut ties with social circles after Duke Tyrot’s ball.

After that, Simon was able to approach the isolated her more easily, and they ended up eloping in just a few months.

Of course, it wasn’t exactly an elopement, but rather voluntary isolation to become Simon’s faithful patsy.

Whoosh.

Kasha threw the crumpled letter out the window.

‘I won’t be used by you like a patsy ever again.’

After staring at the empty sky outside the window for a moment, Kasha slowly got up.

Knock knock knock.

Daril Lyuschino. The eldest son and heir of the Lyuschino Count family, he raised his head at the sound of knocking on the door.

“Who is it?”

“……”

There was no answer. Daril frowned a little irritably.

“Come in.”

Thud.

Throwing the letter in his hand onto the table, Daril sighed and responded.

He always became sharp like this on days when he received letters from his father.

The Red Bull of Lyuschino. A bloodline of strong beliefs, stubbornness, and uncompromising nature.

Usually slow like a bear, but once angered, unstoppable – this was true for both Count Lyuschino and his son Daril.

The father and son, as similar in fiery temperament as they were in appearance, tried not to interfere with each other as much as possible.

The only subject on which they sharply confronted each other was Daril’s half-sister, Kasha Lyuschino.

A girl who seemed to have fallen from the sky one day, led into the family by his father’s hand. And only eight months younger than Daril at that.

Thinking of his mother who had devotedly served his father and the family all her life before passing away, Daril couldn’t stand the sight of that child. And even his father, whom he had respected all his life.

Although the custom of taking second wives or concubines was prevalent in noble society, he never dreamed his father would do such a thing.

He had been a man who knew nothing but his sword, family, and house all his life. Or so Daril had believed.

To think that as soon as his mother passed away, he would bring in an illegitimate child and have her formally recognized by the family.

Even in the letter from his father that he was holding now, there were clear instructions regarding Kasha.

What duty? Meanwhile, his father was guarding the frontier territory, abandoning that child here in the capital. Leaving everything to his son, Daril.

Daril was barely twenty years old. He didn’t know how to take responsibility for a nineteen-year-old half-sister.

‘Besides, that child… isn’t normal.’

Daril sighed and ruffled his hair.

Just then, the door opened.

Daril’s eyes widened in surprise as they met those of the person who entered.

“You…?”

“Brother. Hello… How are you?”

Kasha faced Daril, naturally closing the door behind her back.

The same pale face as usual. Messy hair. Muddy hem of her dress. Slow and awkward speech.

His only half-sister appeared in her usual perplexing state, but her expression was somehow unfamiliar. Moreover.

‘Did she just call me brother?’

Daril was bewildered.

For the seven years since entering this mansion, Kasha had desperately avoided Daril. As if he would eat her alive.

It was an annoying situation for Daril. It’s true that he couldn’t stand the sight of Kasha. But shouldn’t the avoiding and disliking be his role, not hers?

According to the maids, Kasha’s daily routine consisted of reading books all day, scribbling something, or fiddling with incomprehensible objects. If not that, then roaming the empty garden like a madwoman in the middle of the night.

She only forcibly sat at the dining table with them when their father visited the capital mansion. And then, with a pale face, she would glance at the father and son while hurriedly stuffing food into her mouth as if being chased.

According to the maids, on days with such meal gatherings, Kasha would suffer from indigestion for days afterward. After learning this, he too gave up on trying to do anything.

But to call him brother? It was the first time he had heard this form of address from her in 7 years. No, it was the first time she had sought him out first.

“Yes. What is it?”

Daril asked gruffly, not showing his inner confusion.

Then he hesitated a bit. Did that sound too unkind? After all, they had to attend the ball together this evening, so there was no need to make things more awkward.

However, Kasha responded calmly as if nothing was wrong.

“I wanted to ask you a favor.”