However, no one responded to those words.

Danae shook her head and wailed miserably. Her beautifully styled hair and delicately made-up face were all messed up and ruined, turning into a terrible sight. She thought, panting.

It was all because of that woman, Christine, that she ended up like this. The seeds not sprouting properly and the decreased estate income were all because that cunning wench did not stop her. That wench knew from the beginning that things would turn out this way and just left her be.

The more Danae thought about it, her inferiority complex and victim mentality toward Christine grew uncontrollably. She gritted her teeth and muttered as if chewing on the words.

“…I can’t forgive you, Christine Sapiel Yusten. It’s all your fault that I ended up like this. It’s all because of you…!”

Danae’s eyes blazed red with a vicious murderous intent to eliminate her detestable and hateful elder cousin. She staggered to her feet and rushed out urgently.

Behind her, a dark and suspicious energy followed, unbeknownst to her.

* * *

Returning to her private residence, Danae tore the dress she was wearing and threw all the cosmetics on the dressing table, wreaking havoc.

After her anger subsided to some degree, she took a bath in water hot enough to scald her flesh, harassing the maids, and then fell asleep like that. And before long, she had a very terrible dream.

[You useless thing! If you weren’t my daughter, if you hadn’t witnessed me killing elder brother, I would have killed you long ago! Don’t ever appear before me again! From this moment on, the only daughter of Duke Yusten is your elder sister, so keep that in mind!]

‘Father! Wait a moment, Father!’

Her father, Duke Yusten, coldly rebuked her and turned away from her. Danae desperately flailed her arms, trying to grab hold of him as he grew distant.

At that moment, Duke Yusten’s face changed into the face of Crown Princess Consort Merideth. She looked at her with a frigid gaze and said.

[Is that the kind of plan you put forth and were so complacent about? How pathetic! We lost a precious witch’s life because of you! If I had known this would happen, I should have entrusted this plan to Lady Christine Yusten!]

‘That’s not my fault, Your Highness the Crown Princess Consort! Everything is because of Princess Ella and that Haven Duke…!’

Before Danae could finish her excuse, the Crown Princess Consort’s face changed into someone else’s face. It was Leonard.

He twisted one corner of his mouth and opened his mouth.

[You’re such a stupid woman. Did you think I truly loved you? You were just a toy that was perfect to play with when I was bored, nothing more than that kind of woman.]

‘No! Lies! You said you loved me, Leonard!’

Danae clung to him and pleaded, but he coldly rejected her and walked forward. Danae blankly stared at his back.

Then, a woman approached and stood next to Leonard. She had her golden hair beautifully styled up and whispered to him, looking up with her trembling green eyes.

[Don’t do that, Leonard. That child is my younger cousin. Please take pity on her.] […Christine.]

Leonard gazed at her with an affectionate look. Soon, their faces drew closer. Danae screamed at them to separate, that that man was hers. But her voice did not reach them. Red tears fell from Danae’s red eyes. She bit her lower lip until it bled and glared at them as if she would kill them.

I hate everyone who favors that elder sister who is not much better than me.

I wish that detestable wench, that hateful elder sister Christine, would disappear from this world.

Soon, their figures vanished. Her vision turned completely black, and she couldn’t see an inch in front of her. In the endless thick darkness, she was left alone. Danae curled up, wailed, and screamed.

[Do you hate that woman so much?]

Then, an unfamiliar voice spoke to her. It was a rough, very hoarse voice that sounded like rusty iron being scraped against a stone wall, unpleasant to hear.

Danae nodded her head violently.

‘I hate her.’

[How much do you hate her? Enough to want to strangle her to death with your own hands?]

Danae hesitated at that question.

She did want to kill her, but she didn’t want to dirty her own hands. Because it was hard, because she might die if she got caught. So she wanted someone else to kill that woman for her instead.

As if seeing through her thoughts, the voice clicked its tongue and said.

[What. You don’t want to dirty your own hands?]

‘I’m a duke’s daughter. An aristocrat of this empire. Difficult and terrible things like killing people should be done by others.’

[Tsk, how boring. That woman said she would do anything if it meant living.]

‘I don’t know who that woman is, but don’t compare me to someone like her! I’m an aristocratic young lady! The only daughter of a duke!’

As Danae shouted furiously, the voice let out a snort as if ridiculing her.

[Ah, I see. Judging from the way you talk, it seems your desire to eliminate your elder cousin isn’t that desperate. Right?]

‘No! It is desperate!’

[No. It’s not desperate. That’s why you’re still trying to get someone else to get rid of your enemy. Hey, young lady. Do you think everything in the world is that easy? If you want to take someone’s life, you also have to risk everything and jump in.]

‘Shut up! If you’re going to go on about that kind of worthless lecture, get lost! If you’re not going to kill my elder sister for me, then get lost!’]

Danae screamed viciously. The voice snickered as if it was amusing.

[Alright. I understand. I’ll disappear for now. I’m not in a situation to help you right now anyway.]

‘What?’

[I’ll come see you again. Perhaps then, you’ll beg me, saying ‘I will gladly dirty my hands, so please help me.’ I swear on my mother’s name.]

‘That will never happen!’

[No, it will. You’re a human who smells very similar to me. The moment you become consumed by the desire to eliminate just one person and willingly cast aside that arrogance and cowardice, you will become a villain that even I will fear.]

Unlike the young lady I’m helping now.

Then it will become very interesting.

With those words, the voice disappeared, and as the darkness lifted, the dream ended. Danae groaned with a furrowed brow. Even though the voice disappeared and that dream ended, the nightmares tormenting her continued.

* * *

At that moment.

Leonard, who had unilaterally conveyed his intention to end the relationship with Danae, headed to the knights’ training ground located in one part of the estate. There, he vented his built-up anger by clumsily swinging a sword under the pretext of sword training, and only entered the estate late at night. After taking a simple bath, he sat in an armchair by the window, looking outside, when he suddenly seemed to recall something and shouted toward the door.

“Gordon! Are you there? Gordon!”

“Yes, Young Master!”

At that sound, a young man with dull orange hair and an ordinary appearance entered his bedroom.

“I must have sent a letter to the Yusten ducal household some time ago, has a reply arrived?”

“…Um, which young lady are you referring to, Young Master?”

Gordon asked, tilting his head. Leonard clicked his tongue briefly as if displeased and replied.

“Tsk, the letter I sent to my fiancée.”

“Ah! You mean Lady Christine Yusten! …Hmm. I’m sorry, but no reply has arrived from her.”

“None? Again?”

“Yes. She must be very busy these days. Whenever I went to deliver the letter, I was told the lady was always away.”

Leonard frowned upon hearing Gordon’s answer. No matter how busy she was, it was strange that no reply came from her even though he had sent dozens of letters. Leonard glared at Gordon with sharp eyes and said.

“Are you certain you delivered the letters properly? You gave them to Annie, not some other maid, right?”

At those words, Gordon hesitated as if there was something he was reluctant to say.

“…Well, about that. That maid named Annie was also away whenever I went… So I had no choice but to hand them over to another maid and return…”

“You fool! Didn’t I tell you repeatedly that Danae might intercept the letters in the middle! That’s why I said to always deliver my letters to the maid named Annie!”

“…I, I apologize. I will be especially careful from now on!”

Gordon replied, shrinking his shoulders. Leonard let out a deep sigh with an evident look of irritation on his face, then opened his mouth again.

“…Putting that aside, I have something for you to do.”

“What is it, Young Master?”

“Deliver letters to the head of the Jewelers Guild and the head of the Goldsmiths Guild. Tell them to visit my estate as soon as possible since I need to have a ring made.”

“A ring, are you proposing to the lady?”

Leonard nodded his head arrogantly and replied.

“Yes. It’s been a long time since we got engaged, so it’s about time we got married.”

“Indeed. Besides, Lady Christine’s birthday is coming up soon, isn’t it? I think it’s a good time too!”

“…What? Is that so. …Right, indeed.”

At Gordon’s words, Leonard’s eyes widened in surprise. Preoccupied with various household matters and even Danae’s affairs, he had completely forgotten about Christine’s birthday. As he was composing his surprised expression, Gordon spoke, gauging his reaction.

“…But having those masters make a ring will cost a considerable sum… Where do you intend to procure the funds from?”

At that painful point, Leonard frowned again.