I started running across the long hallway in a frenzy.

My heart felt like it would burst out of my mouth. The pressure that was frightening enough turned my vision pure white.

I was daring to run away from that Eugene Evergail.

“Haa, haa.”

Meanwhile, the sound of heels hitting the marble was lively. It was a path I always walked with narrow steps to avoid disturbing my appearance. The distance that always felt far now seemed short.

The wide skirt fluttered here and there, and passing servants looked on in alarm, but I didn’t stop.

Just the air filling my lungs deeply was overwhelming enough without worrying about such things.

Living for over a decade, stifling myself under Evergail’s name.

How much futile hope had led me through that time.

Only now did Helena finally feel a sense of liberation.

The strange twisting from earlier was deliberately buried.

She simply took off her high heels and ran up the stairs barefoot, as if returning to childhood.

Arriving at the room in one breath, she threw off the cumbersome dress. Earrings, necklace, bracelets. Everything was tossed onto the bed.

Instead, she put on the plain empire dress she had worn when first coming here. It was incomparably simpler than the gifts from Eugene, but she liked this appearance more now.

‘I’m leaving things behind one by one.’

Adjusting her clothes and standing before the mirror, she saw her intricately braided hair. It was a style she always insisted on for Eugene, who preferred neatness.

Because of this, Helena always woke up an hour early. It was unavoidable to keep her naturally curly hair straight.

Thinking only of him, she would spend time on her hair without showing any sign of annoyance.

But now, Helena unhesitatingly pulled out her hairpins. As decorations fell one by one, her secured hair loosened.

When she faced the mirror again, red waves cascaded down to her waist.

“Whew.”

She took a deep breath and exhaled.

The woman in the mirror didn’t smile, but she looked like a living person.

“Your Excellency. Madam has just left. Shall we send a knight after her?”

“… No need. Leave her be.”

Eugene shook his head at the worried inquiry from butler Gordon. The tip of his chin stiffened as he looked out the window.

At the end of his gaze, his wife was moving her steps without hesitation. Her hair, usually neatly pinned up, now flowed freely in the wind.

She left the mansion without looking back.

Eugene only watched Helena’s retreating figure as she passed through the main gate. He did not try to stop her.

It would be foolish to cling to a momentary whim. Recently, she had often been unable to control sudden mood swings.

‘She left with nothing. She left behind her maids, her carriage, everything.’

Her family had long since fallen into ruin and lived clinging to him. Though she had pretended to come to her senses after marriage, how long would it last?

She was a woman who had been sold to him with just a pretty face. A woman with no money, no spare clothes, and nowhere to go wouldn’t last long outside. It would be impressive if she managed a few hours.

“She’ll come back on her own soon enough.”

Eugene decided that when she returned, instead of scolding her, he would welcome her as if nothing had happened.

As if to engrave deeply into her bones that this was the only place where she could be comfortable.

Being gentle but clever, she would surely grasp the intention behind his actions. It wasn’t bad to have her realize this way.

If her spirit was a bit dampened today, she wouldn’t dare make such a decision again.

‘Go ahead and try to play above my head, Helena. I’ll let you have that much delusion.’

However, contrary to Eugene’s wishes, her actions were not impulsive.

Having left the Grand Duke’s residence, Helena walked briskly towards the town. This was a day she had been planning for months.

Until now, lingering attachments had held her back, but she may have been waiting for a day like this for more than ten years.

Every time the guillotine’s blade struck her neck, she would open her eyes to find it was the night approaching three years since their wedding.

Two years after that, he met a woman named Natasha who claimed to have fled from a fallen country, and took her as his mistress.

Another two years later, Natasha died in a villa fire accident, a carriage crash, or an unknown illness.

No matter how much she struggled in each regression, Natasha always died, and Helena always became the criminal.

It was truly a sinful love, but Helena had done this foolish thing three times.

Because she loved him so much, hoping that if she became a more perfect Grand Duchess, he might change, tired of her own powerlessness that could do neither this nor that.

He was a terrifyingly consistent man.

Making her experience his kindness over and over, giving her pointless, pathetic hope, yet not once, not even once during the decades of regression did he believe in her innocence.

Every situation was killing her.

Every love killed her.

And now, waking up in the fifth year…

‘Eugene has met Natasha without fail.’

She already knew his footsteps had become frequent in the secluded forest, under the pretext of hunting.

In the villa meant only for his lovely one, he would be whispering the same words to her that he had said to Helena.

Soon he would spout nonsense trying to convince himself that he only took her as a mistress for the sake of apparent protection, that there were no other feelings involved.

‘I need to leave before she comes in as his mistress.’

She no longer even felt the desire to fight with Natasha. What value would there be in the life she would gain by doing so?

But she also didn’t want to stay cooped up in this overly luxurious mansion anymore. She couldn’t remain by Eugene’s side like a predestined fate.

‘So don’t look back at me either.’

Helena finally left Evergail.

A soft humming sound floated through the beautifully decorated room.

In the large mirror on the dressing table in the center of the room, a woman with closed eyes was humming.

Against the background of the woman’s humming, the maid combing her hair continued speaking softly.

When the maid’s explanation ended, the woman who had been listening quietly finally opened her eyes.

“Is that all that happened at the mansion during that time?”

Green eyes gleamed beneath full lashes. The maid paused her combing for a moment to answer, dazzled by the light more brilliant than the intricately cut emeralds decorating the mirror.

“Yes. It’s a bit surprising that the Madam who always guarded the mansion year-round suddenly left on a trip.”

As the maid moved her hand again, the hair rippled like a golden wheat field.

The woman smiled as she picked up and unfolded one of the letters on the dressing table. The letters always beginning with ‘To Natasha’ in elegant handwriting were always her great source of pride.

“Was there any sign of him leaving together?”

“He said there would be occasional business meetings starting tomorrow. Judging by the order to keep the reception room ready at all times, it seems the Grand Duke will continue to stay at the mansion.”

“I see. Then have all my nightdresses cleaned thoroughly. He’ll be coming here soon too.”

The smile on Natasha’s lips deepened. Seeing her mood improve, the maid cautiously spoke up after gauging the situation.

“Um… Miss.”

“What, is there something else to say?”

“Since I’ve told you everything, can my brother work at the mansion as promised?”

Natasha met the maid’s eyes through the mirror and gave a sweet smile.

“Of course, don’t worry. It’s only a matter of time before I become the Grand Duke’s beloved mistress, and I know how to treasure those who will be my eyes and ears.”

Natasha brought her hand to the comb passing through the middle of her hair. Her white, delicate hand caressed the maid’s rough hand as if soothing it.

The maid’s body jerked slightly, but Natasha gripped her hand more firmly and pulled it closer.

“Can you continue to be my conversation partner like this even after entering the mansion? I would be so lonely without you. I trust only you, Aida.”

The cheeks of Aida, the maid assigned to attend to Natasha during the day by Eugene’s arrangement, reddened.

“O-Of course, Miss.”

The hastily blurted answer was clumsy but full of loyalty. Such a tone always gave a thrilling satisfaction no matter how often she heard it.

Natasha continued to gaze at the freckles covering Aida’s face through the mirror.

‘If you’re poor, you should at least have a pretty face, or be smart, or have some talent. How unsightly.’

A face bearing the toils of life was truly crude.

“Aida. How is your mother these days?”

“She’s much better thanks to your concern. I’m truly grateful.”

Aida had an ailing mother to support. And Natasha knew when people became most loyal.

She also knew there was nothing easier to manipulate than loyalty born from desperation.

‘Controlling people is this easy… That woman is so naive too. If you can’t abandon a desperate situation, you should step on others to climb up.’

Natasha took the comb from Aida’s hand and grasped it. Instead, she pushed a hair ornament she had selected from a box into Aida’s hand.

It was an expensive hairpin with a ruby as small as a pinky nail. Soon a gasp escaped as if she were about to faint.

“Ah, Miss…!”

‘See, she’s handing over her leash with just a single hairpin.’

Natasha shifted her gaze from Aida and moved without a hint of hesitation. Soon her own vivid green eyes came into view straight ahead.

“Don’t be satisfied with just that much, this is only the beginning. From now on, whatever you want, you’ll get even more than that.”

Because I’ll make it so.

The golden-haired woman in the mirror answered with a dazzling smile.