“Hmph, heh.”

The morning begins with bright sunlight and a humming tune. I sat up on the bed and stretched my arms up. Grabbing the bell on the bedside table, I rang it once, twice, three times.

As soon as the ringing stopped, the door swung open. A maid with bright blonde hair and refreshing green eyes entered. Her name was definitely Ciriel.

Without even greeting me, she scanned me from top to bottom. It was an overtly unpleasant look, but I already knew she disliked me. I wasn’t particularly curious about the reason.

After all, I was the one in power here.

“Could you prepare water for my bath, Ciriel?”

I smiled and rang the bell three more times. Ciriel’s expression momentarily twisted with animosity. However, this bell was a privilege given to me by Viviana; it was an absolute rule she had no choice but to follow, even if she hated it.

Ciriel turned and left the room, slamming the door behind her. I chuckled lightly at the noise that could make anyone frown.

Today, I felt particularly good. I had figured out how to handle Viviana and received permission to write letters to the other young ladies.

And that wasn’t the end of it. No longer bound to the bed, and most importantly, I had managed to obtain a book to alleviate my boredom.

Having gained such privileges overnight, I could easily overlook any of her little animosities.

I had heard that Iris, the afternoon steward, would guide me to the Duchy’s library. I would be able to choose a book there.

While I was pondering what book to pick, Ciriel returned, seemingly ready. As I followed her into the bathroom next to my room, I noticed a bathtub devoid of scented candles.

Ciriel left the bathroom with a faint smile and closed the door. I slowly reached my hand into the water of the tub.

It was lukewarm.

Not warm, not cold.

I could soak in it, but it was an unpleasant temperature for a relaxing bath. If the water had been cold, I could have reported her blatant hostility to Viviana, but it wasn’t quite that bad.

“Hmph…”

I guess I’ll bathe in the evening.

Without hesitation, I got out of the tub. Ciriel, waiting by the door, looked surprised as if she hadn’t expected me to come out so soon.

“Did you enjoy your bath?”

I flashed her a smile as I walked back into the room. It wasn’t particularly a refreshing morning, but I could brush it off.

The not-so-great morning passed, and lunch arrived. As usual, I rang the bell, and another steward appeared.

A beauty with deep black hair and dark eyes, Iris. For some reason, the aura emanating from her felt different from everyone else.

“May I go to the library now?”

I decided to skip lunch.

Maybe it was due to what happened in the morning, but I lacked any appetite. Perhaps I was more eager to grab a book that would relieve my boredom than eat.

Iris nodded silently. I felt like I should let her know that I had received permission from Viviana, but fortunately, she seemed to have already heard from her beforehand.

Iris guided me to the library, and I followed her while humming a tune. I tried to talk to Iris a few times along the way, but all I got in return was her cold silence.

“It’d be nice to become friends with Iris someday.”

With that cheerful statement, we arrived at the library. Upon entering, my first thought was whether this was a library or a study. The vast scale and the books stacked everywhere surely matched the stature of the Duchy.

I slowly looked around the large library, examining the books. Contrary to my expectations, most of the books were created for academic purposes.

History, magic, swordsmanship, management, and others.

It would be of no help to me, at least not to me like it would to my mother.

Although I occasionally found fiction books, they turned out to be dreadfully dull upon a quick glance at their summaries.

“I thought there would be more excitement…”

There were only books that didn’t cater to my taste for something stimulating. Just as a slight sense of disappointment began to creep in, one title caught my eye.

I slowly raised my hand to pull it out, but it was placed too high for me to reach with just the tips of my fingers.

Should I get a ladder, I wondered when Iris, who had approached without me noticing, fetched the book from behind me. I thought she had been waiting by the door, so her sudden appearance took me by surprise.

‘No presence at all…’

Iris still handed me the book with her indifferent expression. I smiled brightly as I accepted the book from her.

“Thank you, Iris! You’re so tall and really cool.”

With compliments dripped in pretense, I examined the book. The title read:

“66 Methods of Torture and Screams.”

I quickly flipped through the pages, skimming the content. There were large letters and various images scattered throughout. Perfect for someone like me who disliked reading.

The methods of torturing people were described, and the images at the end showed the tortured subjects. The person in the photo was shedding tears of blood, shuddering in pain.

There were even gruesome-level photos sprinkled all around. Seeing the despair in the person’s eyes, I felt my heart start to beat ever so slightly in response.

At least this book would be stimulating.

“I’ll take this.”

I announced brightly, cradling the book in my arms. Iris remained expressionless, but a faint hint of confusion flickered in her eyes. I placed a finger by my lips, offering a sneaky smile.

“Please keep this a secret from Viviana.”

With Iris’s silent agreement, our exploration of the library came to an end.

After lunch hour was over, I spent an early evening with Luna. After enjoying the snacks Luna offered, I decided to take the bath I hadn’t had that morning.

Luna had her clumsy side, but she wasn’t unfriendly. The bathtub was filled with luxurious scented candles, and flower petals adorned it for ambiance.

After enjoying the warm water for about thirty minutes, I returned to my room, only to find an unfamiliar item on my desk.

A plain letter envelope and three sheets of letter paper, along with what looked like an expensive fountain pen. Definitely the letters we discussed yesterday.

Versha, Sharione, Mardian. Three sheets of letter paper perfectly suited for the three young ladies.

After pondering what to write briefly, I began writing with a faint smile. To Sharione, I expressed gratitude for using the gift I had given; to Versha, I reminisced about the sweet treats she gifted me daily; to Mardian, I wrote that I didn’t want to sever ties.

Considering the chance that Viviana might read it, I refrained from writing anything too personal. I carefully integrated hints of how much I would love to see them and asked them not to forget me into my letters.

Upon ringing the bell, Luna walked in. I cautiously sealed the letters I wrote and handed them to her.

“Will Viviana see my letters?”

“…!”

Luna froze in shock and stepped back. Although she didn’t directly respond to my question, the anxious look in her eyes spoke volumes.

If she couldn’t even hide her thoughts this much, Luna was definitely lacking in perceptiveness compared to others. Even if she had money, I wasn’t particularly eager to become friends with her.

Luna clutched the letters and hurried out of the room. Left alone, I looked at my reflection in the mirror.

I dropped the grin and wore a somewhat awkward expression on my face. It made me look quite unconfident.

Though it somewhat resembled my past self’s face, there were subtle differences. My face still bore a mask, but it should surely resonate with Viviana.

“…I’m hungry.”

I purposely skipped dinner to be with Viviana. If I coyly shyly suggested having dinner together, she would surely be pleased.

And perhaps it was true that a tiger fears its own words. As the bright sun transitioned to a gentle sunset, the door opened with a bold step.

“Tina.”

The only person in this spacious mansion who spoke to me. A woman with calm black hair and mesmerizing violet eyes.

My beautiful mistress stepped into the room. I melted a bit of awkwardness into my voice and gave Viviana a shy smile with unfocused eyes.

“Um, welcome, Viviana!”