“Oh, yeah, it’s me, Amy!”

She answered first, then Catherine’s mind began to race.

Amy?

She had heard that name somewhere before.

They say that when a person is desperate, abilities they never had before suddenly emerge. Fortunately, Amy, who had been mentioned only briefly in the original story, miraculously came to mind.

She was truly an insignificant character who had been mentioned only two, maybe three times at most.

Amy Delkist.

She was Vivi’s younger cousin who lived in the Delkis region, quite a distance from Kelt. When she occasionally came to visit Kelt as a child, she had been fond of following Vivi and Catherine around. In any case, being a younger cousin meant she should have been calling Vivi “Sister Vivi” rather than just “Vivi.”

……Ah, forget it.

It was already too late. Ugh.

For now, the information available on Amy was alarmingly scarce.

One more thing that had been mentioned was that Amy’s father, Viscount Delkist, had later submitted a remonstrance to Edwin, who had lost his senses over the villainous Catherine, and had returned as a cold corpse. Catherine’s influence had naturally played a role in that incident.

After that, Amy was never mentioned in the book again.

So there was no way of knowing what kind of character she was, what her personality was like, or how she spoke.

In that case, should she just improvise the performance as best she could?

Fortunately, Vivi had let slip some information.

“Do you still live buried in books these days? I heard you started wearing glasses because your eyesight got worse.”

“Oh, yeah. That’s right. I’m completely buried in books. But anyway, what’s going on all of a sudden?”

Right. That aside, she at least needed to know the reason for the call.

Tell me what’s happening over there, even just a hint!

Catherine steeled herself to be ready to bolt at any moment.

– – –

Rowell listened quietly to the conversation flowing through the communication ring.

Honestly, just from the voice alone, there was no way to identify who the other person was. First, Rowell had never met Amy before, and second, he had spent so many years pretending not to know Catherine that it had been a long time since he had heard her voice. In short, he couldn’t quite remember what Catherine’s voice sounded like.

He did know who Amy Delkist was. Since she was Vivi Cheliano’s cousin, there was nothing strange about the two exchanging greetings.

But his instincts told him. The person on the other end was Catherine.

Above all, the most clear-cut evidence was the expression on Sandy’s face as she trembled behind him. Just look at that expression of someone who had been deceived. That look of someone who found her own mistress, pretending to be Amy, utterly insufferable.

“Hmm. Quite an amusing situation.”

He thought he understood.

It seemed they were using the communication ring to pass along information about what was happening in Kelt.

It was a common thing on the battlefield. When intelligence operations were underway, communication rings played a very important role.

So it appeared the two ladies had devised their own intelligence strategy.

Rowell looked at Vivi, who had taken on the role of intelligence operative. She was busily watching his expression, seemingly trying to figure out what to say back to Catherine.

“Oh, so, this got accidentally pressed by mistake.”

Rowell waited a little longer with an unhurried gaze.

Vivi diligently relayed the local situation in an explanatory tone.

“You know Duke Rowell Windhart, right?”

“Oh, of course I do.”

“Right. Amy, even living out there in the countryside, you’d know him. He’s quite a famous figure.”

“Moooo…”

The sound of a cow lowing came through from beyond the communication ring.

So she’s out in the countryside.

Rowell barely managed to suppress the twitch at the corner of his mouth.

The clumsy intelligence operation continued.

“He happened to, accidentally, say my ring looked pretty.”

“It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance, my lady.”

At that point, Rowell cut into the conversation.

“Oh, right. This very gentleman.”

“Uh…… hello……”

A stiff, rigid voice came through.

A faint, peculiar smile rose at the corner of Rowell’s mouth.

It was her, as he had thought.

She had answered exactly like this that day too.

– – –

‘Oh, what is this.’

It’s Rowell Windhart.

A chill ran down Catherine’s spine.

‘And that’s his voice too. What am I going to do?’

Even if Rowell had forgotten Catherine’s voice, Catherine could not say the same. How could she forget? The voice of the man who would one day come to k*ll her.

Three years ago.

She had met him for the first time at a social party. Since it was truly rare for him to appear at parties, that day people of all ages and genders had swarmed around him like bees.

Except for Catherine, of course.

Catherine had felt a chill run through her. Since the original story hadn’t described every single day in precise detail, she hadn’t known she would encounter Rowell at that particular social party.

But the impression Rowell had made that day was seared vividly into her mind.

So that’s him.

‘The one born with the fate to k*ll me.’

Being the male lead, he was handsome, as expected. A tall, well-built frame. Black hair that seemed to hold the night sky within it, and cold yet captivating blue eyes.

Honestly, if you set aside the fact that Edwin was the Emperor, there was nothing Rowell fell short of in comparison. If anything, he was a hundred, a thousand times better.

Why had the Catherine of the original story not given the male lead a second glance?

The reason was easy enough to understand.

Because Rowell had never pursued her.

There was no reason for the proud Catherine to make the first move.

While countless men approached her with affection, Rowell hadn’t spared her so much as a glance.

In the original story itself, it was written that Rowell was the only man who had shown no interest in Catherine. That he had held an unfavorable impression of her, always thinking of men as though they were playthings.

Instead, he had shown interest in the original story’s heroine, Clara Artines.

The Artines family was a ducal house, and they had become the greatest backing force for Rowell in his opposition against Edwin.

In short, two ducal houses had joined hands for the purpose of bringing down the villain.

In any case, Clara was not quite on Catherine’s level, but she possessed a different kind of charm. If Catherine was a rose with thorns, Clara was a woman like a pure white lily.

At some point, Rowell had felt drawn to Clara upon meeting her at a social party. When Clara had stepped outside briefly for some air and her hair had caught on a tree branch, Rowell had untangled it for her, and that was how the connection between the two had begun.

Catherine thought that this was probably that very day. Because she could see Clara’s retreating figure heading out of the banquet hall in the distance.

But it seemed there had been a scene not depicted in the original story.

Rather than quickly following after Clara, Rowell had approached Catherine instead. A chill had run through her. Just as his romance with Clara was set to begin in the garden, she had thought to herself that perhaps this was how her own bloody fate with him was beginning.

Rowell greeted her with a gentlemanly manner. He exuded such effortless refinement that he seemed nothing like the Duke Windhart who was said to rampage across battlefields like a madman.

「How do you do, Lady Rochelin.」

「Uh…… hello……」

A stiff voice had come out.

It couldn’t be helped.

She was living a life of struggling to avoid the fate of dying at this man’s hands someday, so it was only natural to feel intimidated on instinct.

Rowell, who had approached her politely, seemed mildly surprised by Catherine’s reaction. He, who had come over warmly, put some distance between them and exchanged formulaic pleasantries.

「I came to pay my respects as we have not been introduced.」

「Ah…… it is an honor.」

「Well then. I hope you have a pleasant evening.」

It seemed like it should have been a somewhat longer conversation, but it ended anticlimactically.

After that, Rowell had gone outside the banquet hall. He was probably going to the garden. Going to untangle Clara’s hair from the tree branch.

Catherine had thought as much, and steadied her pounding heart.

Resolving to be even more careful around men, and especially careful around Edwin.

And yet!

Of all people, it had to be Rowell Windhart!

This man seemed destined to play a role that was harmful to her in one way or another.

Catherine wanted to cry. That Rowell would be the one to take her to Edwin.

‘He’s going to bring me there and then have me killed! You villain!’

She wanted to rail at him with a passionate outburst, but there was no point saying any of that to Rowell, who knew nothing about the original story.

Through the communication ring, that characteristically calm voice came through.

“I apologize for the sudden contact due to my mistake. You are Lady Amy Delkist, are you not?”

“Oh, yes, that’s right. Yes, I am, indeed.”

“As it happens, I had occasion to stop by the Delkis region.”

Oh no.

This is quite a problem.

Catherine broke into a cold sweat.

So he was trying to say he would go to the Delkis region and meet Amy in person?

“I apologize for interrupting your reading time, but would you be able to spare a moment?”

Why is it that this kind of premonition is never wrong. Waaah.

“Of, of course……”

He asked so politely that there was no way to refuse.

‘But I can’t just let this happen!’

“Of course, I’d love to in my heart, but I’m away on a short trip at the moment. What a shame.”

“I see. I’m sorry to hear that as well.”

Phew.

Was she getting through this hurdle just like that?

She was just letting out a breath of relief when.

“In that case, I suppose I’ll have to make do with just calling on Viscount Delkist.”

Oh…… that’s a problem in its own right……

Catherine’s pupils wavered.

– – –

The following morning. Delkis region.

Catherine, dressed in a robe, lurked around the outskirts of the castle. The hood pulled down low cast a shadow over her face.

This place, where Viscount Delkist resided, was a castle that was not particularly grand but was large in scale. It had been built to make full use of the expansive land.

The Delkis region, which enjoyed the full bounty of its rich natural surroundings, was the very picture of peace. However, not many nobles came to visit.

For entertainment, no city was as lively and bustling as Kelt, and as a resort destination, nothing could compare to the warm seaside of the south or the breathtaking scenery of Napra Valley.

In short, Delkis was nice, but by no particular standard was it the best.

Thanks to that, the Delkist Viscountcy was able to enjoy the abundance of this place all to themselves.

“But why on earth would he come to such an unremarkable place?”

Catherine grumbled as she slipped inside the castle. It would be troublesome if word got out that Catherine Rochelin had come here. So she had disguised herself as a priest who came and went from the castle.

Catherine recalled the conversation from the day before.

After Rowell had left, Vivi had sent another communication request.

「Now what are you going to do! It only takes a day by magic carriage!」

「Wait. I’ll handle it.」

「Amy never leaves the castle, she’s always shut inside! If he talks to uncle, it’ll be found out in no time. Why did you have to say you were on a trip!」

「Then what was I supposed to do! Should I have said, great, let’s meet?」

「That’s not it either…… but still, that’s not a lie that holds up for long!」

Catherine racked her brain.

If the impersonation of Amy was exposed, Vivi back in the capital would be in danger. She was already well known for being close to Catherine, which would look far too suspicious.

The communication ring would be confiscated, and Edwin’s surveillance would come down on Vivi hard.

‘Ugh. I’m not even the criminal here, so why does it have to be like this! So frustrating!’

But that was beside the point. In any case, the immediate crisis in front of her had to be dealt with first.

Fortunately, where Catherine was staying happened to be close to the Delkis region.

Catherine said with grim determination.

「I’ll go kidnap Amy.」

Catherine raised her eyes and looked up at Delkist Castle.

She had to spirit away Amy, who would be somewhere inside.