‘First of all, I die.’

Not long after being separated from my mother, I died.

The marquis concealed my death with various excuses and continued to use my mother relentlessly.

The Marquis, deeply unsettled by the female protagonist, the princess, approaching Patrick Bryan for her succession to the throne, incites his mother to keep the princess in check.

‘Initially, the male and female leads were truly just business partners. I wonder if he even realizes that his harassment was what sparked emotions between them?’

Of course, he wouldn’t know. If he did, he wouldn’t have done something so foolish. Ugh.

Thankfully, Patrick Bryan, the male lead, was practically the embodiment of kindness.

Even as he felt drawn to the princess, he never forgot about his fiancée and tried hard to suppress his feelings.

The novel even described how his mother… was faintly attracted to Patrick as well.
Apparently, Patrick’s gentle and kind nature reminded her of my biological father in many ways.

‘…That probably made it even harder for her, didn’t it? Patrick’s feelings would have leaned increasingly toward the princess.’

In that situation, my mother, upon accidentally learning of my death, completely lost herself.

She eventually became the Marquis’s puppet and went so far as to poison the princess’s cup.

Naturally, being a novel, her attempt was immediately discovered by Patrick. Both the Marquis and my mother met their end at the guillotine.

I vaguely remember how everyone was utterly shocked when this backstory was revealed in the epilogue from the perspective of “the villainess, Gretel Diarmuid,” after the main story had concluded.

I had been one of those people.

And now, I find myself as the daughter of that villainess who dies young. I can’t even muster a bitter laugh. Damn it.

“Cough.”

…Anyway, this isn’t the time to be sitting around like this.

In reality, my health had rapidly deteriorated ever since I regained my past life’s memories.

In the novel, it was said that I didn’t have any specific illness but simply grew weaker and weaker until I eventually passed away.

This means that Patrick Bryan’s return to the capital, and the Marquis summoning my mother and me to the capital to use us for his schemes, is not far off.

‘I can’t let my mother be used by the Marquis.’

My life doesn’t have much time left anyway.

If that’s the case, it’s only right to use what little time I have to save the mother who taught me love and happiness, allowing me to enjoy life, even briefly.

Now then, let’s think.

‘The Marquis is trying to secure an heir he can manipulate by forming a marital alliance with a duke’s family.’

If that’s the case, that “duke” doesn’t necessarily…

‘…have to be Patrick Bryan, does it?’

—

A quiet afternoon.

“Cough…”

Covering my mouth with my sleeve, I hurriedly descended the stairs.

Through a small window along the staircase, I could see the outside world, which was covered entirely in snow.

‘I still have no idea where this place is. Mother said she doesn’t know either, except that it’s part of the Marquis’s territory.’

I glared at the world outside, which was nothing but white snow and forest, before carefully stepping down to the lower floor.

The stone tower where my mother and I were staying was sturdy, with no way out except for the entrance on the first floor.

There were three knights guarding the tower’s entrance.

One of them would travel to the capital once a week to report to the Marquis on our condition and bring back supplies like food and daily necessities.

‘I can’t let myself be dragged to the capital like this.’

First, I need to escape from their grasp. Only then can I contact “that person” or propose some kind of deal.

Right now, I can’t even send a single letter unless it’s something my mother writes to the Marquis.

So, while my mother was busy sewing, I secretly came down to the first floor to scout around.
I was hoping to find some secret passage or something that only the knights knew about.

‘Huh? The door…’

It’s open?

Seeing the door on the first floor ajar, I widened my eyes in surprise.

My heart sank instantly. Staring at the brightly lit door, I swallowed nervously.

Should I call my mother and try to leave together right now…?

“Damn it, it’s cold! I said it’s freezing!”

“Hey! Don’t kick it! You’re making the snow fly everywhere!”

But my fleeting hope was dashed the next moment, like a pancake deflating under pressure.

Through the open door, I could see the shadows of two burly young men. I clicked my tongue in irritation.

‘Great, just great.’

On the first floor, there was a sort of lodging area for the knights. They must have left the door open for ventilation.

‘Come to think of it, the princess in the novel tried to win over anyone she needed, regardless of gender, by smiling at them and giving them gifts. Should I do the same?’

But it’s still embarrassing to openly express affection even to my mother.

The thought of having to charm the people watching over us to escape…

I briefly imagined myself acting cutesy to those knights—what some might call “being adorable.”

“…”

For some reason, I felt so drained that I almost turned back to the top floor. But then I thought I might pick up some useful information about escape from their conversation, so I crouched on the stairs to eavesdrop.

‘If I can at least figure out their shift schedule or security system, it might help somehow.’

As I stilled my movements and held my breath, their voices became clearer.

There were two knights at the door. The younger one spoke first.

“Seriously, I was so excited to become a knight for the Marquis’s household, and now look at me. This is basically a demotion, isn’t it?”

“Demotion? What are you talking about? Don’t you know this job is only given to the knights the Marquis trusts the most?”

“Really? Is that true?”

“Of course not, you fool.”

“Ah! Come on!”

The older knight burst out laughing.

The younger knight, whom the older one called Paul, flailed angrily, clearly upset at being teased.

‘…So loud and useless.’

As I debated whether to keep listening to their unhelpful chatter, Paul’s grumbling caught my attention.

“Honestly, the lady is wealthy, has a high rank, and everything could’ve been perfect. If only she hadn’t fallen for some random guy and gotten on the Marquis’s bad side, we wouldn’t be stuck here suffering.”

My fingertips trembled involuntarily atop my knees. I clenched the hem of my dress tightly without realizing it.

Paul’s complaints continued.

“And that precious daughter of her? I hear she’s so sickly. She might as well just die quickly so we can go back to the capital.”

With that, the last thread of my rationality snapped.

I was seated directly across from the wide-open door. Paul stood leaning against the doorframe with his back to me.

I sprang to my feet, leaped down the stairs two at a time, and rammed into Paul’s waist with all my might.

Thud!

“Ugh!”

Crash!

A dull thud echoed as I felt a heavy impact on my head. Both Paul and I tumbled in opposite directions, rolling across the snow-covered ground.

“Ugh…”

The recoil was stronger than I had expected. My body rolled quite a distance from the tower entrance before finally coming to a stop.

I vaguely heard the older knight stammering in shock.

“W-What on earth…?”

“Libby?!”

Then, a sharp, high-pitched voice pierced my ears.

Struggling to lift my aching body, I saw my mother rushing down the stairs with a panicked expression.

‘This is bad.’

Well, Paul’s scream had been loud enough, so of course she’d hear it.

Clicking my tongue lightly, I brushed the snow off my clothes.

Fortunately, aside from a few scrapes that stung a bit, I didn’t seem to be seriously injured.

Meanwhile, as my mother approached, Paul, who had also regained his senses, staggered to his feet and turned to glare at me.

He strode toward me with a menacing expression.

“You little—what do you think you’re doing…!”

His face twisted with anger as he closed the distance between us.

Instinctively, I took a step back, but before I could retreat further—

“And what exactly do you think you’re doing?”

A cold voice sliced through the air, and a black skirt swished between Paul and me.

I blinked in confusion, startled by the unfamiliar tone.

‘Was that… Mother’s voice?’

The mother I knew always spoke with warmth and gentleness, like a cozy armchair by the fireplace.

Even when scolding me, her voice carried a hint of affection.

But the voice I just heard was icy, sharp, and entirely unfamiliar.

While I was still processing my shock, Paul raised his voice in a flustered tone.

“N-No, I swear! It was the young lady who rammed into me first! You saw it too, didn’t you, sir?”

“Huh? Uh, well… That’s true.”

When Paul turned to the older knight for support, the man hesitantly nodded.

‘Ridiculous.’

Watching this absurd scene unfold, my confusion evaporated, replaced by a strange calmness.

Mother, who had been listening silently, turned to face me.

Lowering herself to my eye level, she asked softly, “Libby, is that true?”

“No.”