A playful smile crept onto my lips at Violet’s innocence.

I sat beside her, chuckling until she finished crying.

“Stop laughing, I’m embarrassed.”

“My lady, what have you eaten to become so adorable?”

“Ador- adorable?”

Her deep pink eyes widened roundly. She looked startled.

“I’m sorry if I offended you.”

“No! Not at all.”

Violet hastily caught the gaze that was turning away from her.

“I’ve never heard such words before….. I’ve never thought of myself as adorable, and I’m embarrassed.”

She touched her fair cheeks and lowered her long eyelashes. My hands itched to pinch and play with those soft cheeks.

It was heartbreaking to see such a lovable Violet following Serdis while being gaslit.

“You love His Highness the Prince very much, don’t you?”

For a moment, her lips hardened. It might have been a hasty question.

But after witnessing Serdis’s misdeeds all this time, I had the confidence to say boldly.

‘Sister, don’t meet that bastard!’ is what I mean.

“I wish you could live happily, smiling and seeing and hearing only good things like you are now.”

Is there a need to painfully watch the man you love rolling around?

You could just stop before your feelings deepen.

But that didn’t seem to be the case for Violet.

“You know, my lady. There’s nothing as uncontrollable as a person’s heart.”

She muttered bitterly.

“I think it’s the same for His Highness Serdis. Even if you get married, he probably won’t be able to let go of his feelings easily. He’s been in love with you for a long time.”

I widened my eyes.

“You knew…?”

I thought she wouldn’t know since my meeting with Serdis was relatively recent. Even I only realized it after recalling my memories. But Violet knew.

“During the academy days, His Highness the Prince often went to the lab for no reason. One day, I saw him watching you through the window several times.”

I had no idea.

After Rian died, I was only focused on my research to survive, so I had no time to look around.

During the academy days, my only memory was exchanging letters with Cassian.

“I see.”

“He couldn’t approach you carelessly because you were struggling. Knowing how sensitive he is towards someone he truly likes, I didn’t care what His Highness said to me.”

“But he always hurts you, doesn’t he?”

Serdis, who treats Violet coldly while she always thinks and worries about him. He even deliberately says hurtful things to push her away, saying she’s annoying.

Since she silently accepts it, he’ll probably get worse, not knowing how scary people can be. Until Violet closes her heart on her own. And Serdis’s fate was to roll around to his heart’s content.

The novel ends happily, but the process of getting there was poison for both of them.

“I’m fine.”

She smiled calmly.

She looked like someone who was already prepared.

“I’ll respect your feelings, my lady.”

“Thank you, my lady.”

She gently clasped my hand.

“Later, please introduce me to the Grand Duke as well. I’m so curious about you two.”

“I promise.”

She was indeed too good for Serdis.

[This is the timeline separator]

Is there anyone I could introduce to Violet?

If she meets a good man, wouldn’t she change her mind?

It was for her sake, but also an intention to completely change the original story.

“A good man……”

As I sat at my desk, racking my brains, a gentle breeze blew.

The rustling sound of paper in my hand was pleasantly audible.

“No matter how I think about it, there’s only Cassian.”

The only men around me are my father and Hertian. Excluding these two, the only one left is Cassian.

But introducing Cassian had its issues.

It was because of what Hertian said recently.

‘The person who wrote this letter seems to like you very much.’

Since that day, these words have been buzzing in my ears.

Cassian liking me…..

It’s not that I had never thought about it.

He had persistently sent me letters, and I thought he wouldn’t show kindness to me for no reason.

But as time passed, it was different.

A year passed, two years passed, and he didn’t want anything from me. Even when I suggested meeting, he said he had circumstances, and he was extremely reluctant to reveal information about himself.

‘Perhaps… because of his face?’

Afraid I might be disappointed?

That was a possibility too. But surely our relationship wouldn’t crumble just because of a face.

I felt a bit hurt, but I was more grateful, so I could understand.

But when I actually heard that he might like me, it felt strange.

“Why does it keep bothering me!”

A soon-to-be bride thinking about another man’s letter.

If someone else saw this, it would be suspicious.

I roughly put the letter away and grabbed the quill pen on the desk. I intended to settle this.

I need to meet in person and talk this time, as it’s uncomfortable to keep exchanging letters with these feelings.

“Hertian’s words could be wrong.”

If Cassian doesn’t like me, I planned to introduce him to Violet. I can vouch for his character.

I took a deep breath and carefully wrote a few words. Soon, with a groan, the paper was miserably crumpled.

“The handwriting was strange.”

I unfolded a new piece of paper. I wrote Cassian’s name again at the top. But this one wasn’t satisfactory either.

“The ink smudged.”

After discarding several pieces of letterhead, a somewhat acceptable letter finally emerged. I carefully folded the letter, put it in an envelope, and sealed it.

“Finally finished.”

As I stretched my stiff shoulders and caught my breath, the floor was littered with crumpled paper balls. Was writing a letter always this difficult? My temples throbbed for no reason.

Knock knock.

And just then, Betty, who opened the door and entered, exclaimed in surprise at the chaotic room.

“Oh my! Has a thief broken into the room? I must inform the master right away……”

I quickly stopped her.

“I’m that thief.”

“Pardon?”

“As I was writing a letter…… Well, it just turned out like this.”

Betty tilted her head curiously, then seemed to recall the purpose of her visit and turned around.

“Young lady, there’s new news.”

“Yes. Tell me.”

“His Majesty the Emperor has invited you to the Imperial Palace.”

I had expected this.

Although Hertian was virtually driven out of the palace, he is undeniably the Emperor’s son.

With the wedding not far off, it was natural for the Emperor to seek me out.

“When?”

“Tomorrow!”

“His Majesty seems to be in a hurry.”

Not that I should talk, having just said I needed to meet right away.

“By the way, young lady, are you really going to use that girl as a maid?”

Betty whispered softly, sticking close to me.

“Bonisa? Why?”

Bonisa had been working at our house since that day.

She clung to me stubbornly, saying she would follow me, so there was no other choice. It seemed she wouldn’t be able to get any more work due to her mistake at the salon. And I quite liked the tapestry she made.

“No, it’s just that she shows no signs of ever having done maid work. She doesn’t know how to do anything, from laundry to whatever else.”

“Really?”

I widened my eyes in surprise.

“I thought she would have done most things, having been running errands all her life?”

“I thought so too. But she burns all the food in the kitchen, breaks mop handles when told to clean….. So one day, I left the work aside and just gave her education, but there was no improvement at all. She seems completely unsuited for maid work.”

Betty said, shuddering.

“I see……”

If such complaints arise in just a few days, complaints about Bonisa will snowball in the future. Especially for her, without proper maid training or recommendations.

After pondering for a while on what to do, I said to Betty:

“Can you call Bonisa for me?”

[This is the timeline separator]

The back garden of Count Leanberia’s mansion.

From afar, Bonisa approached with heavy steps.

I’ve never seen a maid look so ill-suited to a maid’s uniform.

“Young lady, did you call for me?”

With her hair tied in two braids as usual, she couldn’t look at me properly.

“Are you nervous?”

“Yes….. You must be disappointed in me for making so many mistakes.”

Bonisa said sorrowfully in a small voice. It seemed she was aware of her poor performance.

“Here, this is a gift for you.”

And I gave her a handkerchief. She received it uncertainly and looked at me with an anxious face.

“Is this a farewell gift…?”

“How is it? I embroidered this handkerchief myself, so don’t lose it.”

I gently ignored her words. Her raised eyebrows drooped dejectedly. Then she looked at the gifted handkerchief.

“A pretty handker……”

She couldn’t finish the words she was trying to say out of courtesy.

“It’s a mess, isn’t it?”

Because anyone could see it was a mess.

I wasn’t good with my hands. No matter how good a tutor I had, anything I touched seemed cursed. This was especially evident in embroidery, which requires concentration and sensitivity.

Like the one Bonisa just received.

The handkerchief I gifted her was also a work I had put my heart and soul into.

However, with loose threads popping out here and there, and colors combined in a trance-like state, it was full of tackiness.

“It took me two full days to make that. With the embroidery teacher.”

“That’s impossible……”

Bonisa covered her mouth belatedly after saying everything.

“It is impossible, right? I think so too.”

Expressing deep agreement, I walked ahead. I could hear footsteps following me in quick little steps.

Soon, the place where I stopped was at the edge of a field where various medicinal herbs were growing abundantly.

“The winter herbs have grown a lot.”

I crouched down in front of the field. Then I asked Bonisa, who had stopped behind me.

“Do you know what these herbs are?”

“No. I’m not sure.”

“I thought you’d know since your hometown is cold. From here, there’s mistletoe, self-heal, lingzhi mushroom, and achyranthes. Have you heard of them?”

She shook her head.

“The self-heal here, if you brew and drink a small amount, is effective for pain and urinary disorders.”

“You’re very knowledgeable about herbs, young lady.”

She bent down and looked at the self-heal, following me.

“It looks like something that would make you healthy just by looking at it.”

“But if you eat too much thinking it’s good, your whole body will be paralyzed and you’ll die.”

“It was a poisonous plant?”

“Yes.”

“Then I should remember that and never go near it.”

I dug up the self-heal and stood up.

She stepped back as if seeing something scary.

“Every herb has duality. Sometimes it’s beneficial to the body, but on the other hand, it can also harm the body. Just like me. I may not be good with my hands, but I know everything about herbs.”

I took a step towards her.

“You may be clumsy with maid work, but your handiwork is far superior to others. That’s your duality.”

“My duality……”

Bonisa mumbled, fiddling with her fingers.

“From now on, I’ll give you different work instead of housework. Work where we can see more of your good side. From now on, make lots of winter clothes and tapestries.”

This was the reason I called her today.

To find work that Bonisa could do well. After all, she followed me saying she would make tapestries for me.

“Will you do it?”

After losing her words for a moment, she soon nodded her head up and down.

“I can make a hundred… no, a thousand!”

I chuckled and turned around.

“You’ll lose all your fingers that way.”

Bonisa followed me like a puppy.

“I’ll make beautiful patterns for you too.”

“That would be nice.”

I smiled brightly.

“But young lady. What are you going to do with that herb?”

Come to think of it, I just brought the self-heal with me.

“Ah, I forgot to put it back.”

It’s quite a distance to go back.

I thought briefly and then brushed off the dirt on the self-heal.

“Are you hurting anywhere?”

“Not particularly……”

“Then I have no choice. I’ll have to eat it.”

I opened my mouth wide and chewed the self-heal. The characteristic bitter taste of raw herbs and the earthy smell filled my mouth. It was a taste I couldn’t get used to even after a long time.

“Young lady! Stop eating!”

Bonisa tried to stop me.

“You said it’s poisonous if you eat too much! What if something terrible happens to you!”

Despite Bonisa’s protests, I chewed the self-heal thoroughly. Bonisa watched me closely, afraid I might collapse. Gulp, I swallowed the self-heal and wiped around my mouth. As you can see, there was nothing wrong with my body.

“It doesn’t matter for me. Neither poison nor medicine affects me.”

Funny enough, I had a body that couldn’t die from poisonous plants.