Chapter 1 – Part 3

The past few days have been spent essentially studying this world. Olivia’s basic memories were intact, but recalling them was another matter.

Fortunately, even though Olivia was a woman everyone underestimated, she was smart and quick. Her physical strength in her previous life as a prison guard was nothing to scoff at, but Olivia was on another level.

Olivia’s memory contained numerous sword techniques. Even more surprising was that she had participated in a war. This was something never mentioned in the original story.

“Well, side characters’ backstories are often neglected.”

Olivia propped her feet on the desk. The desk was cluttered with papers. Her fingers traced over a blank piece of paper.

It was the ‘Report on the Death of Olivia Charbert’. A large pool of blood was found in an empty room in the east annex of Charbert’s estate. While it wasn’t certain if the blood was Olivia’s, she was the only one who had entered that room, and crucially, she disappeared after that day.

That was all. Olivia had urgently returned to the mansion, entered the east annex room alone, and a few hours later, a pool of blood was found.

A few days later, her dress, torn and soaked in blood, was found near the river.

It was likely her blood. Her body bore several wounds. The question was, who had killed Olivia?

There was a witness. His name was…

“Troy Marsden?”

Olivia tilted her head. According to the report, Troy Marsden was the only duke in the empire and Olivia’s guardian. After Olivia’s parents passed away early, he took on the role of her mentor and guardian.

But she had absolutely no memory of him. It was as if she had deliberately erased him from her mind. Given that she had memories of Ella, it was bizarre to have such a blank spot regarding this person.

Olivia sighed deeply. No matter how hard she tried to adapt, this world still felt strange.

She organized her thoughts step by step. If it were before her death, she could twist the original story however she wanted. But she had already died once. As long as she stayed away from Gael Abyss and the heroine Ronae Bartram, there shouldn’t be any major problems in living her life.

“First task: Destroy the regretful trashy male lead.”

Olivia wrote ‘1’ and the task on a white piece of paper. It seemed best to stay as far away from Gael Abyss as possible. After all, her death was due to loving Gael Abyss, so keeping a distance should be safe.

It left a bitter taste in her mouth. Olivia’s death was probably just for the male lead to push away the heroine and search for Olivia, serving as a period of denial.

So, she needed to cut off any half-hearted ties. After that, she would need to find the culprit. She didn’t plan on playing Sherlock Holmes, but to avoid being killed by that bastard again, she needed to catch him.

It was also necessary for her to establish herself properly as the head of the household. This would require a lot of work, but with her thoughts organized, she felt refreshed. Olivia stood up from her chair with a lighter heart. Just then…

“My Lady!”

Ella burst into the room without knocking. That woman!

“He’s here!”

“Who?”

Ella came in, huffing, her shoulders shaking as if expecting Olivia to feel honored.

“The Count of Abyss is here!”

Come to think of it, Ella had been recommended by Gael Abyss.

You’re fired first.

Olivia slowly stood up from her desk. Ella, who had entered confidently, flinched at Olivia’s imposing presence. The previously meek master now exuded an unprecedented aura of authority.

“When I’ve just recovered and you all said it was unlikely I could receive visitors, he suddenly barges in?”

“…My Lady, it’s the Count of Abyss.”

Ella repeated, unable to believe her ears. Olivia tilted her head indifferently at Ella’s reaction.

“So, who does he think he is to come uninvited? The lady of the house didn’t even invite him.”

For the first time since meeting Olivia, Ella wanted to call someone for help. Where was the incompetent lady who could hardly use what she’d learned? Who was this woman who looked annoyed at the mention of Gael Abyss?

“So, where is he?”

Ella snapped out of her reverie.

“Ah… he is currently coming to the study…”

“Oh, really.”

Olivia’s tone dropped, and Ella’s words trailed off. Olivia brushed her long hair back.

A shameless, regretful male lead indeed.

“Is there anywhere suitable for a brief conversation here? Not the drawing room. I don’t plan on having tea and playing hostess with him.”

Olivia had no intention of being polite. She had already died once, so what was there to fear?

Technically, she had died twice. Once in her previous life and once in this life. Olivia was quite angry.

“There… there is a greenhouse. You used to garden there with Duke Marsden.”

Marsden?

Her eyes fell on the paper full of Olivia’s information. The name ‘Troy Marsden’ was indeed there. Her mentor and guardian.

“What is this strange feeling?”

She rubbed her chest and shook her head. Dealing with the male lead came first.

She called a servant standing behind Ella and instructed him to lead the way. Thankfully, the Charbert mansion was so vast that she hadn’t memorized its layout yet.

“Oh, and…”

Olivia turned to Ella as she was about to leave.

“You’re fired.”

“What?”

Ella wore the dumbest expression Olivia had seen in days. Olivia smiled faintly.

“I don’t care how things were before, but ‘now’ anyone who disrespects me gets fired. So…”

The smile faded from Olivia’s face.

“Get out.”

“That… that doesn’t make sense… The baron and even Count Abyss will be furious…”

Ella couldn’t finish her sentence. Olivia could easily imagine Ella standing dumbfounded behind the slammed door. Just as she started to walk down the corridor with a sense of satisfaction, she heard a voice.

“Olivia.”

Olivia froze in place. The common name sounded unfamiliar to her ears, as if she were hearing a strange dissonance or a low violin tune.

It was just past lunchtime, sunlight was pouring through the windows, and Gael Abyss stood in the middle of that light. His eyes, filled with emotion, met Olivia’s as if he were meeting a long-lost lover.

The silver hair, glistening under the sunlight, came into view next. So did the eyes, tinged with a faint hue of sunset.

“Olivia, you… really…”

“Olivia, you really… No, it’s my fault for not breaking the spell yet. It’s not that you’re suspicious.”

Olivia almost reached out. She would have if the mocking voice in her mind hadn’t stopped her.

Her body tensed. Even without the memories in her head, she remembered many of Gael’s famous lines from the original story.

“I’m actually sick, Gael. Can’t you stay a bit longer?”

“I have to go. Ronae’s morning sickness is severe; I can’t leave her for long. You understand, right? You promised to be understanding, so why are you doing this?”

In that novel, Gael felt guilty towards Olivia but couldn’t deny his attraction to Ronae. However, what Olivia couldn’t forgive was something else.

“I’ll come back, okay?”

The only reason Olivia held a tea party was to see Gael Abyss. Instead of drawing a clear line, Gael gave her false hope.

Even now, with a pregnant fiancée, he was acting as if he’d run to embrace her at any moment.

“Hey.”

“Yes?”

“Let’s go.”

Olivia turned her gaze aside, calling the servant standing in front of her and motioning for him to lead the way.

“Olivia?”

Surprise wasn’t confined to the servant. Everyone present, including Gael, seemed bewildered.

Olivia walked past Gael. She turned to the servant, who hurriedly followed her and commanded,

“Tell the Count to come to the greenhouse. I don’t want to talk in the corridor.”

Leaving Gael standing there, Olivia walked away with her attendants.

Even if she didn’t fully grasp that she had become Olivia, the fact remained.

She had no intention of being kind to that bastard.