Though Baron Klein had never shown affection to Marie, who was born at the cost of his wife’s life, he decided to grant his daughter’s wish this time.

It was because the Emperor, heartbroken over losing his brother, showed interest in the matter, and the Baron wanted to make a good impression.

Though wealthy through his natural business acumen, his title placed him as a humble noble from the western province far from the capital, and he had never seen the Prince’s face.

So he took in the boy Marie had rescued as a servant of the baronial household, not knowing he was Prince Maximilian, the brother the Emperor was so desperately searching for.

He gave him a casual name: “Hans,” the most common name in the Empire.

“Welcome, Hans. From now on, this is your home.”

Marie smiled brightly at this world’s male lead.

“Thank you, Miss.”

“When it’s just the two of us, just call me Marie! And drop the formalities!”

“I can’t do that, Miss. The difference in our status is too great……”

You’re actually a prince, so technically I should be the one showing deference.

Marie swallowed those words, not wanting to disrupt the original story any further.

“I want to be friends with you.”

“Pardon?”

“Because you’re a special child.”

‘Male lead’ spelled ‘Plan D: Insurance’—the savior of my life.

“From today, we’re friends, got it? Promise!”

Marie said, imagining the crumbs that would fall her way as the prince’s benefactor.

Hans reluctantly linked his pinky finger with Marie’s outstretched one.

Marie thought her plan would unfold perfectly.

※※※

Twelve years later.

“So, how much dowry would I receive if I were to marry Miss Marie?”

“Excuse me?”

“Let me be frank. I’m curious about how much inheritance Miss Marie will receive. After all, a woman’s property becomes her husband’s family’s once married.”

The arranged marriage candidate, who had made a poor first impression, now openly revealed his true intentions.

I see, so that’s why you came. Marie carefully masked her disgust and maintained a cultured smile.

“With the single-heir inheritance system binding everything to the family, what inheritance could there be? As you know, women can’t inherit family titles or property.”

The single-heir inheritance was a system that acted as a control mechanism to prevent the family head from squandering family assets.

The family head had a duty to manage and maintain the family’s property to pass it down to the next generation.

“You know exactly what I mean. Assets earned separately by the family head aren’t bound by the single-heir system and can be disposed of however the head wishes.”

Disgustingly perceptive.

“I’ve heard Baron Klein’s personal assets are several times larger than the family’s. He made quite a fortune investing in weap＊ns during the war.”

Her marriage prospect wiggled his index finger and thumb in a money-counting gesture.

“Besides, Miss Marie, you’re the Baron’s youngest daughter, born in his later years, so surely you must have received all his love.”

Marie set down her teacup with a clink, unable to listen any further.

“Your intelligence seems lacking.”

“Pardon?”

“Don’t you see? Among all the names he could have chosen, he gave me Marie, the most common name in the Empire.”

“What’s wrong with the name Marie?”

“I’ve never received anything resembling love in this household. And inheritance? I’d be lucky to get even the leftover crumbs.”

Marie twirled her black curly hair while glancing at her shocked companion, then continued.

Having shattered the man’s fantasy, it was time to drive the final nail.

“I have three older brothers and two older sisters. After dividing everything, I can assure you nothing will come my way. He probably doesn’t even remember having a sixth child.”

“If I may be so bold……”

“What is it?”

“……Were you adopted?”

The man asked cautiously, sweating.

“I feel like I’ve heard such rumors.”

“Unfortunately, I’m his biological daughter. Any more questions?”

“No, none.”

“Then let’s end this meeting.”

Marie rose from her seat first.

She placed money for the tea on the table and left the teahouse. Gretel, who had been waiting at the shop across the street, rushed over.

“Miss, how was your arranged marriage meeting?”

Instead of answering, Marie looked up at the clear sky.

Her eyes, as clear and blue as cobalt dissolved in water, sparkled in the sunlight.

“The rain has already stopped.”

“Come on, is the weather important right now?”

“I mean it’s so trivial it’s not even worth discussing the weather.”

If only I hadn’t lost him. I wouldn’t have needed to resort to Plan E: marriage.

Marie bit her lower lip slightly, recalling what had happened twelve years ago.

She had picked up the male lead but failed.

Less than a year after becoming friends, Hans left the Baron’s household and went to another noble family in the capital.

And for twelve years, he had never once sent word.

It was a truly shallow friendship, hastily formed with impure intentions, that collapsed so easily.

‘Who can I blame? I should blame my own character for trying to exploit the male lead’s misfortune.’

Schrödinger’s cat, which had been loitering in front of the pastry shop, recognized Marie and rubbed against her skirt.

When she squatted down and scratched behind its ears, the aging cat purred and wiped its face with its front paws.

“Looks like we’ll have a visitor.”

Gretel said, watching the scene.

“A visitor?”

“You know the superstition that when a cat washes its face with its paws, it means a visitor is coming.”

“Is there such a thing?”

Marie shrugged.

Visitors coming to the Baron’s household almost daily had become a familiar sight.

Baron Klein had been bedridden for nearly a year. The doctor said there was no hope and it wouldn’t be strange if he passed away at any moment.

It was a terminal diagnosis. People visited, hoping to get something from Baron Klein, eagerly making sick calls.

Not limited to family and relatives, even complete strangers came asking him to pass on his investment secrets before he died.

‘The world truly is upside down, pestering a man on his deathbed.’

Though she had grown up without receiving any love, Marie felt sympathy for Baron Klein.

※※※

At the same time the rain stopped in town, it was still raining at Baron Klein’s residence.

A carriage stopped in front of the mansion. The gentleman who stepped out headed toward the entrance of the baronial residence without any attendants.

When he knocked on the door while holding an umbrella, a young attendant from the mansion eventually came out.

“Who are you?”

Before the gentleman could part his lips to answer the attendant’s question, the butler of the Klein baronial household, who followed behind, recognized him and said with a bright smile:

“You’ve returned.”

The blond gentleman smiled back.

“Yes. I’ve returned.”

It was his first return to the baronial residence in twelve years. Hans had returned.

With some unknown purpose that no one knew about.

※※※

When Marie arrived at the baronial residence, rain was pouring down as if a hole had opened in the sky.

“I shouldn’t have given away the umbrella, Miss.”

Gretel made a sad face as she looked at the downpour outside the window.

A little while ago, when Marie was shopping to refresh her mood, a light drizzle had started in town.

Seeing a commoner child sheltering under an eave without an umbrella, she had given hers away like a donation.

She calculated that since she would be riding in a carriage, she would only need to endure the rain briefly when getting out.

“Who knew it would rain this hard?”

“I should ask the coachman to stop as close to the entrance as possible.”

That would have worked. Until the carriage wheels got stuck in mud in the middle of the vast garden of the baronial residence.

The coachman who went to call servants from the mansion didn’t return.

It seemed the servants were absent from their posts, searching through the mansion.

“I guess they all went out to see the play in town today. Some should remain on duty for emergencies, but they’ve become lax since the Baron fell ill!”

Gretel, who had been beating her chest in frustration, suddenly took off her outer garment and put it over her head.

“This won’t do. The coachman doesn’t know the mansion’s interior well, so I’ll have to go look myself. Please wait here, Miss.”

“Let’s just go together. It’s not that far.”

“You catch colds easily and take forever to recover. I’ll be right back.”

Despite her mistress’s objection, Gretel got out of the carriage and dashed toward the mansion.

How much time had passed? Marie, waiting for her, felt chills running through her body and shivered.

“Everyone’s disappeared like messengers to Hamheung. Is this where my death flag gets planted?”

Imagining a freezing-to-death ending, Marie shook her head and opened the carriage door. It seemed better to just run quickly and take a warm bath.

But as soon as she got out confidently, her shoe heel got stuck in the mud.

“Oh, come on!”

Looking like a drowned rat, she pulled at her leg, but it wouldn’t budge.

Just as she decided to abandon her shoes and was taking them off, the rain pouring on her head stopped.

Wondering what happened, she jerked her head up and bumped her face against something broad and solid.

“Ow!”

Touching her bumped nose, she looked up to see a well-dressed gentleman standing there, holding an umbrella over her.

‘Is he a new attendant?’

It was too dark and rainy to see the gentleman’s face clearly.

“Here.”

He placed the umbrella in one of Marie’s hands, then put her other arm around his neck and suddenly lifted her up in that position.

“Eek!”

Abruptly held in a princess carry, Marie let out a startled scream.

Because the man was unusually tall, for the petite Marie, it felt—with slight exaggeration—like floating on clouds.

“Are you new here? No, even though I’m the master’s daughter, there’s no need to go this far……”

The man silently carried her across the garden with long strides.