“…What?”
It’s cold.
Viviana, who just a moment ago seemed ready to grant any request, now looked down at me with a frigid gaze. The intensity of that gaze was so deadly that merely being looked at sent chills down my spine.
“Are you really… sending a letter to those Young Ladies?”
“Yes…”
At my agreement, the atmosphere around us had grown even colder. Usually, I would have backed off by now, but I absolutely had to send them a letter, and I wasn’t going to waver on that.
“You…”
“For, for Lady Viviana’s sake…!”
With her still contorted expression, Viviana raised an eyebrow. The way she stared at me silently suggested she was daring me to continue speaking.
“Well, it’s a bit awkward to put into words… but, they liked me quite a bit, right? But it’s already been three days since I last attended a banquet, and I haven’t heard anything from them…?”
“And so?”
“They’re definitely worrying about me… If Lady Viviana keeps me here, there will definitely be some unpleasant rumors. I just want to prevent that from happening in advance…”
Viviana’s face remained icy, but the surrounding tension seemed to lighten slightly.
“Even if they blame me for anything, they couldn’t even touch a hair on the Duke of Merdellia’s head.”
Of course, I know that.
Versha, Mardian, Sharione.
No matter how much influence they have in High Society, they still represent an insurmountable wall.
The Great Duchy, a title bestowed only four times in the Empire. Among them, the Duke of Merdellia stands on a level so high it might as well be a different world. No wonder that when Viviana once tossed Mardian out of the carriage, that cruel villainess didn’t dare say a word.
“Tina, are you trying to deceive me?”
I flinched.
Viviana’s sharp intuition made me shudder. I forced a smile to hide my unease and replied.
“What do you mean?”
“Usually, clever people are also smart. They’re very discerning.”
As Viviana tugged at my waist, I found myself staring directly into her eyes and nose once again.
“I don’t think a cunning and sly person like you would worry about me in front of those Count families.”
“W-well…”
Her intense purple eyes swept over me. Not knowing how to respond to the sudden pressure, I averted my gaze, trying to dodge Viviana’s intense scrutiny.
“Be honest, Young Lady. Why do you want to send the letter?”
I couldn’t bring myself to speak, lowering my head. But Viviana wasn’t having any of it, lifting my chin again to make sure I met her gaze.
“Tina, you need to say it.”
“Ugh…!”
I hesitated for a moment, pressed her lips tight. Viviana stared into my eyes in silence, waiting for an answer. I wish she’d just say something; the oppressive silence only served to torment me further.
Viviana…
You really…
I shut my eyes tight and whispered softly.
“…Fool.”
“…What?”
Of all things, Viviana frowned at my quietly spoken words. Turning my head away in embarrassment, she nonetheless grabbed my face to bring it back toward her.
“What does calling me a fool mean?”
“If you’re the master… can’t you just understand my feelings…?”
“Huh?”
Viviana’s confused expression seemed to indicate that she didn’t understand a word of what I was saying, despite having been so perceptive typically. I couldn’t fathom why she was so slow to grasp it now.
“No matter how solid the Duke of Merdellia’s position is… aren’t you underestimating them too much?”
“No matter what, they’d be a nuisance, like cockroaches in the house.”
“Do you really think so? Besides, from the outside, it will look like the Princess kidnapped and confined me. Those three will definitely use that to attack your reputation…!”
“Oh, wait a second.”
Viviana took a step back, her voice frazzled. After staring at me for a while in shock, she finally spoke up.
“Really… you’re writing the letter out of concern for me?”
“Of course! I really don’t want to cause Lady Viviana any harm…!”
Viviana’s amethyst eyes, which usually held such calmness, seemed to waver helplessly. Was it that hard to believe my clumsy words? For a moment, she gazed at me, lost in thought.
After a few minutes of silence passed.
“…Write the letter.”
Finally, Viviana broke the silence, giving her consent. But that wasn’t all. With a gentle touch, she ruffled my hair and dropped an unexpected bombshell.
“Starting tomorrow, you don’t need to tie anything on your arm.”
“Huh…?”
“And I’ll bring you a book. Read it when you’re bored.”
My eyes widened in disbelief. Out of the blue, here came a reward, and I blinked in a daze.
“Really…?”
“Yes.”
Viviana wasn’t one to say one thing and mean another. She truly intended to give me a reward. Overwhelmed with joy, I leaped toward Viviana with a big smile.
Hugging her tightly!
“Thank you, Lady Viviana…!”
Viviana easily caught me as I leaped in excitement. I couldn’t contain my overflowing happiness and buried my face into her shoulder, rubbing against her for a while.
I was happy.
I was genuinely happy.
How could I not be happy?
Finally…
Finally, I found a way to connect with Viviana.
‘You enjoy showing your weak side, don’t you, Viviana?’
The countless Young Ladies who adored me and my pretense didn’t work with Viviana. In fact, the more I tried to feign a bright smile, the colder she pushed me away.
But despite just a slight difference in temperament, she too had a side that liked the person she cared about.
There was something puzzling about the time Viviana told me to be her pet.
She said I had captivated her.
A person who perceives my pretense so keenly—what aspect of me could possibly charm her? Without my façade, all I had left was weakness and incompetence. Surely, she didn’t like my true self?
Doubt turned into possibility, and the possibility became deduction. Finally, I realized what drew Viviana to me.
When I asked her to put medicine on my butt, when I begged her not to let me go after a bad nightmare, when I was feeling down after an argument at Sharione’s mansion.
In those moments, Viviana looked at me with eyes full of kindness.
The more I let my guard down, the more Viviana seemed satisfied. The more I struggled to say embarrassing things, the more I bowed my head in insecurity, her gaze softened toward me.
Just like now.
Viviana says she’s worried and wants to write a letter to the Young Ladies?
Puhuh.
What a ridiculous thought.
I know best what kind of person Viviana is.
A monster who gained the title of Evernight at just 15 years old, someone whom His Majesty the Emperor even bestowed the title of “Saint of the Sword.” A mere Young Lady from a well-renowned Count family could never be someone to compare herself with.
The reason I want to send a letter is simple.
I won’t let go of the love I’ve earned from the Young Ladies over the years. How could I give up the relationships I painstakingly cultivated?
Viviana has a willful personality. She grabs onto anything that piques her interest, but when her curiosity wanes, she leaves it behind mercilessly.
When will that Viviana tire of me and abandon me?
A year? Two years? If I’m careful, I might enjoy her favor for as long as three years.
But what happens after that?
For a peaceful life as a freeloader, having a guarantee of safety is just as important as money. The assurance that nothing would disrupt my current tranquil existence.
To ensure that, I also need dependable connections as much as wealth. That’s why I can’t let go of my ties with Sharione or Versha.
Sure, I had some reservations about Mardian, but I plan to approach her again someday. Not too long from now, the second protagonist will be here to fulfill her twisted desires instead of me.
The tough sexual needs will be handled by our Saint protagonist, while I can just balance things out with Mardian and maintain a decent relationship.
However, shouldn’t I have promised not to put on airs in front of Viviana?
Yes, I surely made such a promise, and when I resolved that back then, I meant it.
But you know what?
The resolve of a person changes dozens of times a day. No one can guarantee that a promise made yesterday will be kept tomorrow.
Laziness is the instinct of humanity.
There’s a reason laziness forms part of the seven deadly sins.
If a person simply lived as they resolve, wouldn’t success be all they’d encounter, and what would failure even be?
Why do couples who believe in love and marry ever get divorced, and why do affairs occur?
A criminal who vows not to commit a crime again upon release inevitably ends up repeating the same acts.
Most people who taste drugs, fully aware of their destructive end, eventually reach for the substance again.
Choosing the easier path is human nature.
No matter how competent and shining a person like Viviana is, she could never change someone like me.
When Viviana first saved me, I felt a profound debt of gratitude. But as time passed and I thought more clearly, that feeling inevitably dwindled.
Why does Viviana like me? Why is she interested in me? After pondering, the conclusion pointed to the same simple truth.
With my adorable appearance that could stun anyone who gazed into my reflection. And the personality of my childhood friend, who I felt was the most lovable in my life.
Is there anyone who could dislike Tina, now that those two traits have cleverly merged? Viviana likely just likes me for that.
And of course, those two aspects are not my own. Just like Artasha lavishes false love on me, mistaking me for her real daughter, Viviana’s favor is not truly for me either.
Now that I have usurped Tina’s body, everything is bound to be a lie.
If this appearance withers away and loses its appeal, I’ll be discarded like a piece of trash.
‘Not that it matters.’
I’m simply taking advantage of the fact I’ve transmigrated into a pretty girl, utilizing that to gain benefits.
Some might call it despicable and vicious, but that’s just who I am. I’m just yearning for the money that all human desires instinctively crave.
At the very least, money will…
Always be by my side, even when I am no longer Tina.
