After that day, time passed quickly. Before I knew it, the day of the Cassel Estate’s banquet had arrived.

Encouraged by Daisy and Baroness Elwin, I travelled in a modest carriage that we had only just been able to afford with our remaining funds. Even then, the carriage was old and shabby.

‘Poverty truly makes everything more difficult.’

Rattle. Rattle.

The scenery outside was magnificent. After travelling for a while, the vast Cassel estate finally came into view, looming large on the horizon.

“…”

This was near the spot where I had once died in a carriage accident. The landscape had changed little since then. However, it was the guards stationed prominently along the roadside that caught my eye.

Of course — they must have tightened security following such a sudden accident.

‘What could have happened after that day to make Claude change so completely?’
‘And what am I supposed to do now… how am I meant to go on living like this?’

As I had felt during the Foundation Day banquet, Brianna’s reputation within high society didn’t seem very favourable. However, putting others’ opinions aside, Brianna herself took marriage very seriously.

If the real Brianna were here, I doubt she would care much about the gossip circulating in social circles.

I found myself torn over whether to cooperate with her plan to marry into a wealthy family.

‘What if her soul hasn’t completely disappeared?’

‘What if I’ve merely borrowed this body temporarily?’

If that were true, I wouldn’t know when my time here would end. I didn’t want to interfere recklessly in someone else’s life.

Unlike me, she was actively trying to forge her own future, however she could. Having invaded her body without permission, I had no right to jeopardise that.

But…

‘At the very least, I didn’t want to get involved with Claude again.’

It was selfish of me to think that way on Brianna’s behalf, but marrying Claude was the one thing I desperately wanted to avoid.

Tonight, I intended to apologise to him and politely make it clear that I was not interested in discussing marriage.

Although I had loved him for a long time, loving him from afar had become unbearable. Being met with nothing but hatred from the person I loved was more painful than I could bear. I no longer had the strength to continue this one-sided love, even in death.

Lost in thought, I didn’t realise that the carriage had arrived at the estate.

As I stepped out, the sight of the familiar mansion hit me like a wave. Memories came flooding back as vividly as if they had only just happened. I had to take a deep breath to steady myself.

While Lady Eleanor and Baroness Elwin were delighted to receive an invitation to this gathering, to me it felt more like walking into a den of thorns. This wasn’t a place for the daughter of a lowly barony.

I walked slowly through the estate’s garden. With each step closer to the entrance, the hum of music, laughter, and clinking glasses grew louder and louder, engulfing me like an inescapable net.

The moment I stepped inside, I froze.

This was nothing like the banquets I remembered.

The annual gathering at the Cassel Estate had always been more than just a party; it was a tradition and an institution. It carried weight, formality and influence. Members of the imperial family and high-ranking nobles would attend to exchange political views over measured conversations, refined meals and dignified pastimes.

Claude would only appear briefly — just long enough to fulfil his obligations — before disappearing into his study for the rest of the evening.

But now… the scene was unrecognisable.

Laughter echoed drunkenly through the hall. Champagne exploded in mid-air and fireworks burst just beyond the terrace. Someone had even thrown a cake onto the floor, making it look like a rowdy tavern brawl. I stood there, utterly stunned, unable to close my gaping mouth.

“Haha!”

I heard laughter, including Claude’s, echoing from somewhere nearby.

Startled by how unfamiliar it sounded, I turned towards the source of the sound instinctively.

In the corner of the parlour, Claude was seated with several young noblemen, playing cards and bursting into raucous laughter. They flung cards carelessly, downed drinks in broad daylight, and revelled in the chaos. The area around them was in disarray — wine had splattered across fine garments, and overturned glasses glinted on the floor — yet no one seemed to care.

Compared to the elegance and restraint of the imperial ball just days ago, this was an entirely different world.

I stood frozen, completely bewildered.

Claude had never acted this way before. I had never seen him so undignified or so reckless. The annual gatherings at the Cassel Estate had never been like this, either. They had always been formal, refined occasions, carefully orchestrated for diplomacy, strategy, and quiet negotiation. This was something else entirely.

‘If he continued like this, he was bound to earn the disdain of the imperial family.’

I found myself staring in his direction with unfocused eyes before shaking the thought from my head.

‘What did it matter now?’

‘I was no longer his wife.’

All I needed was a quiet corner in which to pass the time. With that, I turned and walked away in silence.

***

“It’s quite refreshing to see Lady Elwin here tonight.”

As I walked down a quiet hallway, a young nobleman persistently tried to engage me in conversation. I recognised him immediately: Sir Taren, a distant relative with a faint trace of imperial blood, from the Marquis Mahen household.

The look in his eyes made it clear that he was delighted to find me alone.

Sir Taren was nothing more than an opportunist who always chased after whatever served his own interests. Anyone who held no value for him was treated with open disdain. I knew he despised me more than most simply because my mother had been a servant, tainting my blood.

I remember it even now, as if it had happened yesterday. I must have been about eight years old. I was out for a walk when Sir Taren and a group of boys surrounded me. They were just reckless teenagers at the time, but their cruelty left an unforgettable mark.

“There you are, Your Highness.”

“Taren, brother?”

“Would you follow me for a moment?”

He dragged me off to the maids’ underground changing room. I looked up at him, startled, and saw a mocking sneer on his face.

“One of my maids is sick today. It would be quite helpful if Your Highness could take her place.”

“B-but I…”

“We can’t just hand this off to anyone, can we? You’re the only one of us with different hair colour, so no one will recognise you.”

Then the people around us started to snigger. I knew it was mockery. Ever since he found out about my mother’s humble background, Sir Taren had never missed an opportunity to torment me.

“How dare you, Taren! What do you think you’re doing to my sister?”

Soon, my brother Louis appeared, his voice cutting through the tension. Immediately, Taren and his companions backed off. Taking Louis’s hand, I finally managed to slip away.

The only reason Taren was speaking to me — or rather, to Brianna’s body — was because of her looks. After all, Brianna was an exceptionally beautiful young woman.

I finished that thought with a quiet sigh and offered him just enough of a greeting to meet the bare minimum of courtesy. I turned to leave, but he followed me stubbornly.

“Shall I give you a tour of the estate, my lady?”

“No, I’m fine—”

“Please, don’t refuse.”

He suddenly grabbed my arm, but I pulled away instinctively. He seized it again, more forcefully this time. His intentions were obvious.

‘Who would dare bring such filth into the duke’s mansion?’

To make matters worse, I spotted an obscene bulge in the centre of his trousers. I panicked the moment I saw it and struggled harder to free myself. The more I resisted, however, the stronger his grip became.

“Let go of me!”

“I heard the Elwin Barony has been facing financial troubles. Perhaps I can be of some assistance?”

“What did you just say?”

“You’re looking for a wealthy marriage prospect, aren’t you? Surely you wouldn’t pretend you don’t know the rumours circulating in social circles.”

For a moment, I seriously considered screaming. But just then, a low voice rang out from behind.

“Sir Taren! What are you doing in my house?”

“Ah! Your Grace!”

It was Claude. He had come up behind us at some point and was now glaring coldly at the man holding my arm; his eyes were filled with murderous contempt.

Even if Sir Taren had a drop of imperial blood, his authority was completely insignificant compared to that of a duke.

“No, it’s nothing! My deepest apologies!”

As always, Sir Taren, who grovelled before those in power, scurried away pathetically without further protest.

Soon, only Claude and I remained in the corridor, and an awkward silence fell between us. I hesitated, unsure whether I should thank him.

“Is this how you plan to resolve your family’s financial problems?”

Startled by his icy tone, I looked up. He was gazing down at me from what felt like an impossibly high place; his eyes were filled with the same scorn that he had shown to Taren just moments earlier.

“Can’t you see that by debasing yourself like this, you’re no better than a common harlot?”