Belta stared at horse number 11, which had been running steadily at a constant pace from the start. Since it was coming slowly from the very back, it wasn’t flustered even in the chaotic situation.

Belta felt her heart beat frantically and clasped her hands desperately.

“Please! Please! This is the first time a horse has looked so cool!”

The horse she’d thought scrawny and ugly-looking now looked like the most magnificent unicorn in the world.

Did her heart reach heaven? Horse number 11, which had run diligently, reached the finish line in first place.

“Kyaa!”

Belta trembled with joy.

The money she’d invested and the payout rate entered her mind. Moreover, because of the Grand Duke appearing after so long, many people participated and the jackpot payout came out at 40,000 times.

“This is crazy. I… I…… hit the jackpot!”

Belta shouted loudly. The fake Roa seemed to be a benefactor who appeared to devour the Seraphina household.

※※※

“You’re saying Roa doesn’t stutter anymore?”

The eldest son of the Seraphina household, Alpheus Seraphina, irritably swept back his red hair. He’d been in the capital for business and had come to the residence in the territory after a long time.

“That’s right. Not only does she not stutter, she seemed like a different person.”

“A different person? No, no. A crazy person! A mad person!”

Patricia added while eating cookies in response to the marquis’s answer.

At his younger sister’s frivolous tone, Alpheus frowned. He sometimes doubted whether Patricia really came from the same womb.

“That wretch I know has changed—it’s an earth-shattering event.”

Alpheus widened his eyes and sneered. To him, it only seemed laughable.

“That child is a disgrace to the family anyway. Father. Keep her locked up for a long time. Don’t even give her food. Then she’ll come back on her own. Definitely.”

Alpheus spoke decisively with sharp eyes.

The marquis, who’d actually seen the changed Roa, was a bit uneasy, but nodded because he felt spiteful.

They wanted to make the stuttering Roa submit like before. They wanted to criticize her comfortably and justify the *buse they’d committed all along.

The eyes of Marquis Seraphina and Alpheus gleamed viciously.

※※※

During the week I was locked up, I studied this world’s history and etiquette. And I barely survived on water and simple snacks left in the room for meals.

I collapsed from dizziness constantly, but I couldn’t die again.

“Crazy psychopathic bastards.”

I trembled and vowed. I wouldn’t let these abusers, practically society’s evil, off easy.

Since we’d won an enormous amount of money at the racetrack equivalent to a ducal household’s yearly allowance, the first preparation was complete.

I remembered the day Belta came back after winning the money.

「Investing half your fortune…… Belta, you’re quite the gambler too!」

「Do you know how much I regretted it at first? But I regret it even more now than then!」

「Why?」

「Ah! I should have bet everything!」

Belta’s cheerful voice floated in my head. Even in the difficult situation, I laughed briefly. I liked that Belta had quite a strong personality.

I endured by sheer will and grit, and when the next morning came, a servant of the household opened the door.

I was lying on the bed having nearly lost consciousness.

Then Belta, who’d been waiting at the door, quickly entered the room, grabbed me, and sniffled. Belta and I had become somewhat close before we knew it.

“Lady Roa! Lady Roa! Sob sob! Quickly, quickly please try eating this.”

Belta scooped up a spoonful of porridge she’d boiled and cooled in advance. I opened my flickering eyes and let out a pained groan.

My lips were so parched that it stung just from the porridge touching them.

“Ah! It hurts……”

But I had to eat to regain my strength quickly.

I forced down the porridge and sat leaning my back against the wall. A deep breath naturally burst out.

“I thought my stomach would stick to my back.”

At the joke I uttered with a numb expression, Belta made a tearful face.

“No, how can they not give anything for a whole week?! They used to lock Miss Roa up often before. But it was never like this……”

I waved one hand dismissively, as if it didn’t matter.

“Don’t worry about it. In their minds, they’re trying to assert their dominance right now.”

“Assert their…… dominance?”

“Yeah. They’re trying to firmly discipline their youngest daughter who suddenly changed.”

I could see right through their scheme, and it was laughable. But unfortunately for them, I wasn’t the pitiful Roa from the book.

Now it was time to execute the second plan.

I moistened my dry lips and asked her.

“Did you look into what I asked?”

She nodded and held out a piece of paper.

Belta was brilliant at carrying out tasks. It was truly impressive that she hadn’t run off with the money we’d won at the racetrack.

Something about how staying by my side seemed like it would lead to better things happening, or something like that. Anyway, Belta said that with sparkling eyes. She seemed to have fallen for my mysterious power to predict the future.

Looking at the paper, I saw the name of the man I’d been searching for.

‘Silver Croughton.’

A talent who, as the second son of a fallen viscount family, lived in hardship before becoming the era’s greatest designer with his exceptional sense for clothing.

Since we were at the beginning of the book, it would take at least two years for him to grow according to the story.

“But I’m going to pull him here, now.”

“Pardon?”

“It must have been difficult to find this person’s residence. Thanks, Belta.”

“Not at all. Since we had so much money, I asked the information guild and they found it right away!”

Belta gave a thumbs-up with a mischievous expression. I smiled faintly, wondering if they used thumbs as the ultimate expression here too.

※※※

A few days later, having recovered some energy, I traveled with Belta in a shabby carriage.

Even the stable manager ignored me, so I barely managed to borrow a carriage used by the servants of the residence.

“Well, it’s nice going with you, Belta.”

Belta grinned at my words, which were gentle though lacking in inflection.

“Still, this can’t continue! What are you planning to do from now on?”

“Hmm…… First, I need to seduce him.”

At the somewhat frivolous word ‘seduce,’ Belta’s face flushed slightly. Women in this place seemed quite shy.

Shortly after, the carriage stopped at our destination. We got off a little distance away in case the coachman learned of Silver’s residence.

Belta and I slipped into the crowd and hid ourselves. With our robes’ hoods on, it was even more perfect.

The neighborhood where Silver lived was a run-down place with shacks scattered everywhere. Homeless people lay about in filthy states, and coarse profanity flowed from taverns.

I stood before an iron gate covered in graffiti and knocked without hesitation.

Bang bang!

“Mister Croughton?”

At first, there was no response at all.

Had he gone somewhere? No.

The novel clearly said he was a shut-in. He might just not want to come out and was staying holed up.

I rolled my neck to make a refreshing sound, then did mouth exercises.

“Brrr! Brrr!”

Let’s shout!

“Here! Make! Me! One! Outfit! Please?”

As I suddenly shouted, Belta grabbed my arm in surprise.

“Why, why are you doing that?”

“Just wait and see. This will make him open the door.”

Silver was timid and hated actions that bothered others. Moreover, at this time, he was even more conscious of what people thought.

After repeating the same thing several times, the tightly closed iron gate finally opened.

Creak!

Silver appeared with an unkempt appearance, not even having shaved his beard.

“What are you doing here right now!”

His appearance, as if devoured by darkness, was hard to recognize as nobility.

Downturned eyes, cheekbones slightly prominent for a white person, and unusually large lips. Still, it wasn’t an ugly face, so if he just washed properly, his features would look much better.

I spoke to Silver in a calm voice.

“I’m asking you to make me an outfit.”

“I! Don’t! Do! That!”

Silver was agitated. He shouted as if completely fed up, which left me momentarily flustered.

He ran his hand roughly through his ash-gray hair and put force into his hands to close the door again.

No!

I quickly stuck one leg between the door.

Thud!

Silver looked at my leg with an absurd expression. He opened his cracked lips.

“You seem like a noble lady…… Why are you doing this? Do you know who I am?”

“Of course I do. You’re the person who will become the most famous tailor in the Arent Empire someday.”

I deliberately needled Silver.

He loved making clothes enough to consider it his calling, but he was ostracized in noble society for doing work that only commoners did.

After his family’s downfall, he couldn’t recover his fallen self-esteem and currently only stayed inside his house.

“How do you know I do that work? I won’t go easy on you just because you’re a noble lady. Take your foot out before I resolve this by force.”