***

After moving to a rural territory in the southeastern empire, every day was truly blissful.

“I guess I wasn’t a squid after all.”

First of all, just looking in the mirror was enjoyable.

With Anael not around, the relative squid effect disappeared, and Callia’s beauty became visible again.

Crimson hair like red lipstick and striking features that weren’t overshadowed by it at all.

Especially her green eyes, partially hidden behind thick lashes, held a mysterious and enchanting light like absinthe.

I smiled at my reflection and ended up understanding Narcissus’s feelings completely.

“Aren’t I pretty, Mikhail?”

“…Must I answer? While you are beautiful-“

“That’s right, isn’t it? You can stop there.”

Callia Rabius is indeed beautiful. Period. Fact.

Ah, by the way, the new butler Mikhail followed me here on special orders from the Duke and Duchess.

“Follow her and make sure Callia doesn’t cause any more trouble.”

“Even the head maid with 30 years of experience gave up on this child. If you fail too… there’s no future.”

Hearing them speak so seriously made me feel a bit wronged.

However, considering Callia’s impressive past actions that I learned about after possessing her, there was no way to defend myself.

‘It was no joke.’

Since childhood, there had been no young lady of higher status than Callia among her peers in the capital.

Naturally, Callia came to believe the entire universe revolved around her.

So she couldn’t stand when attention directed at her was diverted elsewhere.

More precisely, she never felt the need to tolerate it.

If someone wore precious jewels, she would wear even more expensive and rare ones to crush their spirits.

Even if she didn’t wear the latest designer dresses, she had to be the first to claim them to be satisfied.

And this temperament wasn’t limited to luxury items.

‘One, two, three, four fiancés discarded because they weren’t good enough…’

Though she seemed somewhat satisfied after getting engaged to a young and handsome duke, she ended up getting dumped by that duke.

“I was a tea……”

“What are you mumbling about?”

“I was dumped… The more I think about it, the more pissed off I get……”

That bastard Duke Eric Schwerin, who visited just days after I possessed this body, threw the engagement annulment papers in my face without warning.

“Good morning. Have you been well-“

“The thought of spending my life with a woman like you makes me sick.”

“Um, is cursing instead of greetings the new social trend?”

“Why, aren’t you usually the one looking for new men? Surprised to be on the receiving end?”

Of course, I was surprised.

Who wouldn’t be shocked when their fiancé suddenly appears while you’re enjoying a luxury staycation disguised as self-reflection, only to curse at you?

But I soon calmed down.

‘In <Contract Saint>, they were already broken up so I hadn’t thought much about it, but this must be the moment of that breakup.’

Eric Schwerin appears for the first time in <Contract Saint> as a supporting male lead, visiting his former fiancée Callia after feeling responsible when he hears she tried to kill Anael.

“I understand, Eric Schwerin. I’ll support your new love.”

Go have a beautiful romance with Anael.

I actually supported you, the gentle male lead, more than the scheming Emperor.

“What? Ha, I’ve never seen a worse woman than you in my life.”

The gentle male lead…?

“You’re the most creepy human being in the world.”

Weren’t you supposed to be gentle! Why are you cursing when I’m letting you go!

Ah, did I miss the ‘gentle only to the female lead’ keyword?

“I get it. Say more if you have anything else to say.”

“Damn it, you never change until the end. Sign it now, Callia Rabius. I already got the Duke of Rabius’s signature.”

He threw the engagement annulment papers in front of me with disgust, and in my confusion, I only checked the part about the Schwerin family paying the penalty fee before signing.

“It was horrible being with you, let’s never meet again.”

“You’re good at cursing.”

That’s how I got dumped in 3 minutes. And after he left, my anger gradually rose.

‘In the original story, he acted all melancholic and everything.’

I had invested in him because he was supposed to be the gentle male lead, but remembering how he spoke to me with such contempt shattered all my illusions.

“That bastard.”

Making me buy false advertising.

May the supporting male lead’s curse stay with you forever. I hope you get dumped too!

“You absolutely must not storm into the Schwerin mansion and cause trouble because you’re upset.”

Mikhail said sternly, watching my rough thoughts and uneasy eyes.

“Mikhail, you should really be grateful to me. In the past, I would have actually gone to wreak havoc.”

“I’ll thank you in advance, and I hope there won’t be such incidents in the future.”

For Mikhail, my possession of Callia’s body must have been a blessing. It was like having a problematic boss suddenly become normal overnight. If only someone decent had possessed my former boss Manager Kim in my past life, I wouldn’t have died from overwork during those late nights at the office.

“What strange thoughts are you having now?”

“Just thinking about you.”

“I wish you would stop.”

Hearing his serious tone, I giggled and sprawled comfortably on the dark green silk couch.

The servants here were all extremely polite, probably because Callia’s notorious reputation had spread before I arrived. So far, only Mikhail gave such amusing reactions when teased.

I smiled sweetly and said to Mikhail:

“Still, isn’t it better to serve a pretty and kind noble lady with a fat paycheck than cleaning up after a professor at the academy without getting paid?”

“‘Kind’, you say? That seems rather inaccurate. But to answer your question, these days I’m starting to think the former might have been better.”

What, he’s saying I’m worse than the professor!

“That’s too harsh.”

Like all ancient and powerful noble houses, the House of Rabius had a butler family that had served the head of the family for generations. Mikhail was also the son of the butler who currently assisted the Duke of Rabius.

Therefore, Mikhail should have originally learned the butler’s trade by following his father around the Rabius mansion from childhood. However, when the Duke noticed young Mikhail’s intelligence, he thought it would be a waste and sponsored him to attend the academy instead of working.

While surviving at the academy, which was mostly filled with nobles, Mikhail developed into a sharp-tongued fighter with nerves of steel. Unfortunately, this talent caught the Duke of Rabius’s eye again.

“You said you’d work for House Rabius after graduation, didn’t you?”

“Yes. I haven’t forgotten your kindness.”

“Then become my daughter’s butler.”

“…Pardon?”

Having a male butler closely attend to an unmarried noblewoman could cause scandal. Especially when that butler was young and handsome. Both Mikhail and the Duke knew this.

But at the time, no maid could handle Callia. Not even the servants could.

“I ask this of you just until Callia gets married. Afterward, if you wish, I’ll write you a letter of recommendation to return to the academy.”

“Your Grace, I…”

“I’ll pay you ten times a normal butler’s salary and grant you the title of Baron.”

“I will serve to the best of my ability.”

And so Mikhail quit his assistant position at the academy and came to the Rabius mansion.

As it happened, this was not long after I had possessed this body. Specifically, it was even before Duke Schwerin came with the letter breaking off the engagement. Ah, just thinking about that bastard makes me angry again. I tormented the gold-embroidered cushion while imagining pulling at the Duke’s ashen blonde hair.

Perhaps misinterpreting my anger triggered by thoughts of my ex, Mikhail changed the subject. “More importantly, my lady, you haven’t forgotten about today’s tea party with the southern noble ladies, have you?”

“Ah, this?” I wiggled the tea party invitation I had received two days ago between my fingers.

“I’m glad you remember.”

“Elkanto County Estate, 2 PM. I remember well since you nagged so much about how I shouldn’t miss it.”

Actually, I was quite looking forward to visiting the Elkanto Estate, which I heard had an ocean view and was about an hour away by carriage. While Basium, the Rabius duchy where we were, also bordered the sea, the territory was so vast that you could barely see the ocean like a mirage, and only if you went up to the second-floor terrace of the villa.

“By the way Mikhail, don’t expect too much from me.” Although I quickly relearned etiquette since my body remembered it, I couldn’t possibly imitate Callia’s social skills. In the end, I had to figure things out myself, but I wasn’t very confident about it. To begin with, I didn’t even know what the young lady of Count Elkanto was thinking when she invited me. The invitation said it was to maintain good neighborly relations, but that’s just something you can write on the surface.

“Today’s tea party will be the southern nobles’ chance to form their first impression of you, my lady.”

“Thanks for the pressure.”

Despite my sarcasm, Mikhail remained serious. “Stop being cynical and listen. This means no throwing tea in people’s faces, no slapping, no hair-pulling, and no insulting others.”

“Are you crazy?”

I said this in disbelief, but however he took it, Mikhail lowered his eyes and spoke calmly. “You can hit me instead. I don’t mind if you curse at me.”

“What do you mean you don’t mind?”

When I spoke seriously, Mikhail flinched. It seems the original Callia did such things as naturally as breathing, but that was then and this is now.

“That’s too harsh on both you and me. Who’s okay with being hit or cursed at? Are you perhaps a pervert? If that’s the case, I’ll try to respect-“

“Have you lost your mind?”

“Never mind then.”

Though his words and gaze were quite disrespectful for a butler addressing his lady, there was no one around to point that out. I smoothly avoided Mikhail’s contemptuous gaze. My new butler already looked exhausted.

Even with his haggard appearance, his naturally handsome face gave off a melancholic yet decadent charm, ahem, hmm.

“Even if you had such inclinations, my lady, you mustn’t show them in front of the young ladies.”

“Hmm, I don’t have any, but then perhaps I can show them in front of you?”

The butler cursed with his eyes at his superior’s inappropriate remarks. His cold silver-gray eyes were sharp as knives. I was about to make a joke about how we could understand each other just through eye contact, but I held back. I had a feeling Mikhail might quit and run away like I would.

“Sorry, sorry. I asked because I was really curious, but I don’t have any such things, and I won’t show any.”

“Is that really true? Or do you have them but won’t show… Never mind. I don’t want to know. I’ll send in a maid as I leave, so call when you’re ready after changing. I’ll prepare the carriage.”

I nodded my head obediently. Good job holding back, me.