The Marchioness, who was severely afflicted with a compulsive collecting habit, felt as if she were going to foam at the mouth. Massaging her stiff neck with one hand, she opened her mouth with a shuddering breath and felt as if she were coughing up blood.

“Good. Take it all.”

“Wow! Thank you so much.”

Inwardly applauding the Marchioness’s extraordinary maternal sacrifice, Ciela’s eyes gleamed with joy as she scanned the storeroom.

There are already so many valuable items here, but some of them will skyrocket in value within a month or two, or even up to two years.

For example, the portrait of a woman hanging on the third wall from the left would increase in value in about three months. If she remembered correctly, the original had risen to more than 100 times its original value. Several other items that were likely to increase in value also caught her attention.

“Now, do you feel that I love you more than Lilia?”

The Marchioness’s voice, tinged with resentment, grew sharper as she spoke. It carried an undertone of certainty that, having given Ciela all her most precious possessions, the girl would now do as she pleased. But that confidence was soon shattered, scattered like dust.

“It feels a little more convincing than before, but I’m still not sure.”

“Still not sure, even after I gave you everything?”

“Yes. After all, you gave Lilia not only these things, but also land and buildings. Since you gave them to Lilia, it’s only fair that you give them to me as well.”

Ciela held out her open hand to the Marchioness, her smile soft but unyielding.

“You said you loved me more than Lilia. Show me that by your actions.”

The Marchioness stared at Ciela’s outstretched hand as if it were something grotesque, her voice rising in indignation.

“Do you even know how much all this is worth?”

“Why should I know? You’ve already given it to me.”

Ciela tilted her head as if she really didn’t understand, making the Marchioness’ face flush, as if it might explode at any moment. Anger rose in her, and for a moment she felt she couldn’t bear it any longer. But thoughts of Lilia helped her hold back.

‘It is only Ciela.’

If handled carefully, the current situation could still be smoothed over. Drawing on her past experiences with Ciela, the Marchioness gently clasped her hand in a warm, motherly gesture.

“If my daughter wants it, of course I can give it to you! But I must speak to your father first. In the meantime, wouldn’t it be better to show some sincerity and reconcile with Lilia?”

“Let’s discuss it later.”

Ciela said firmly, pulling her hand away and stepping back.

“The pain I’ve endured all this time is too much. If you don’t keep your promises, I can’t trust you.”

She sniffled, pressing her fingers to her tear-filled eyes, her soft sobs filling the room. The Marchioness found the performance unbearably contrived. In the end, it was the Marchioness who surrendered first.

“Fine. I’ll give you something under my name.”

The Marchioness said, forcing a smile that felt more like a grimace. She suppressed the urge to flee the situation and called for the maid who was waiting outside.

“Bring the deed of the land I have prepared as a birthday present for Lilia.”

The deed, originally intended for Lilia, had been delayed by the recent scandal and was still in her possession.

“Is that enough?”

Feeling the blood rushing to her head, the Marchioness handed the deed to Ciela. Her lips twitched uncontrollably as she swallowed her growing anger.

“Considering how much Lilia has received so far…”

Ciela trailed off, sounding disappointed as she twirled a strand of her hair around her finger.

“You know what I mean, don’t you?”

“Urgh…!” The Marchioness’ frustration almost exploded, barely contained as she glared at Ciela through clenched teeth.

Thud.

The Marchioness, her blood pressure rising, finally collapsed on the floor, foaming at the mouth. Ciela called for the servants to carry her unconscious body back to her room.

‘To think she’d pass out from this.’

There was so much more to do, how often would she clutch her neck like that in the future? Clicking her tongue with a hint of mock pity, Ciela watched as the manor’s doctor rushed in.

“Your blood pressure suddenly shot up. What happened?”

“She collapsed out of nowhere, I’m not sure.”

Seeing that she wasn’t going to be much help, the doctor sent her on her way. Back in her room, Ciela stretched out with a feeling of satisfaction.

‘Unless she’s planning to give me all the buildings and land, she’ll probably keep quiet for a while.’

Not that it would matter if she didn’t. Ciela would just pretend to play along and take what she could. That was all there was to it.

‘I needed to accumulate more wealth anyway, so this worked perfectly.’

Even though she had decided to deviate from the original plan, she had still accumulated enough wealth for herself and Titi to live comfortably for the rest of their lives. However, if she was to carry out her revenge, she would need to amass far more resources than she currently had.

‘It wasn’t much, but extorting – no, collecting – from the Marchioness wasn’t a bad start.’

Humming a light tune, Ciela thought about moving the items out of the storeroom soon. As she mentally organised the list of tasks to be done, a voice interrupted her thoughts.

“Young lady, may I come in?”

“Yes, come in.”

“Forgive the intrusion.”

The elderly butler said, opening the door and bowing respectfully before entering.

Although he hadn’t yet explained his purpose, Ciela had a good idea why the butler was here.

“Another invitation?”

“Yes, indeed.”

As was his daily routine, he arrived with an armful of invitations addressed to Ciela. Even on quieter days the pile was as long as a finger.

“Looks like there are even more today.”

Ciela remarked, taking the bundle from him carefully so as not to spill any.

“Yes. They haven’t slowed down and they’re still arriving every day.”

“That’s true.”

Ciela glanced down at the invitations, still unaccustomed to their sheer number, before shifting her gaze back to the butler.

“Butler, you seem to be in a good mood today.”

“Ahem. Was it that obvious?”

“Yes.”

Ciela replied, unable to ignore the glow in his face.

“Given the situation at the estate, I’ve tried to keep my emotions in check, but I suppose my joy at the arrival of the invitations must have shown.”

“The late Marquis would have been delighted if he were still here.”

“Do you think so?”

“Yes. He held you in high esteem, I’m sure.”

Their lighthearted conversation ended when the busy butler excused himself and left the room. Left alone, Ciela thought about their exchange.

‘The butler said he would be happy, but… I’m not so sure.’

If the late Marquis, who had looked after her so well during his lifetime, knew that the granddaughter he had loved so much was now turning a blade against his family, would he really be happy?

‘If it were me, I’d probably kick the lid off the coffin and come after me with a cane.’

Ciela shook off the trivial thoughts and turned her attention to the invitations in her hands.

‘The villain image that clung to me has softened a little since the birthday party.’

The label of ‘villain’ that had stuck to her was now overlaid with the image of a victim. The strong presence of gossip had also created a wave of sympathy in her favour.

‘But I can’t be satisfied with that.’

Unlike Lilia, who had carefully built up a solid network in high society, Ciela had been isolated within the social scene. She had only just managed to climb out of the depths, and to rest on the meagre sympathy she had gained would lead her straight back into a deeper abyss.

‘I must make allies among the noble ladies.’

Ciela carefully sifted through the invitations, quickly discarding those that would only bring trouble or no benefit. Finally, she took one of the few remaining invitations and checked the sender.

“!”

Her eyes widened in surprise.

Her eyes widened in surprise.

‘If it’s the family of the Count of Lemond, then in the original story…’

Remembering the details of the original work, Ciela’s lips curled into a mischievous smile.

“Finally, something worth going to.”

She wrote a neat reply, put down her quill and waited for the ink to dry. Just then, a faint *thud* came from outside the window, causing her to instinctively turn her head. But it was only the sound of branches brushing against each other.

‘Titi still isn’t back.’

Titi had disappeared yesterday. Although it wasn’t unusual for her companion to disappear for more than a day, Ciela still found herself glancing at the window from time to time.

‘He’s been going out a lot lately.’

Could she have a cat lover somewhere? Smiling at the thought of the scandalised look Titi would give her if he heard such a thing, Ciela carefully folded the letter.

‘Come to think of it…’

It wasn’t just Titi who hadn’t been around lately. Uncle Ken had also gone completely silent.

‘Trusting and waiting is starting to feel like a stretch.’

Her fingers tightened slightly as she slipped the reply letter into the envelope.

—

“Ah-choo!”

Ken sneezed loudly as he followed the guide into the damp basement of a shadowy building.

“Someone must be talking about me.”

It might be Ciela. Rubbing his nose with one hand, Ken settled into the designated seat. He pulled the edge of his cloak up slightly and surveyed his surroundings. Everyone was dressed in masks and cloaks that hid their identities. This was, after all, an illegal auction house where anonymity was paramount.

Ken let out a breathy chuckle and shook his head, clearly amused by the theatrics.

‘I don’t usually like places like this.’

The Information Guild Master clicked his tongue, seemingly forgetting his own line of work.

‘Sigh. If only that damned guy hadn’t taken the fairy apple tree.’

He had been complacent, trusting that it was in a safe place where no one could easily take it. Reflecting on his mistake, Ken pressed his thumb firmly against the bridge of his nose. But what was done was done. Sitting around regretting it wasn’t his style.

‘I’ve already bragged to Ciela about how I handled it. I’m not going back empty-handed.’

Especially not after thinking about that damn guy. The thought made Ken smile as he rhythmically tapped his fingers on the armrest of his chair. The soft thump, thump echoed repeatedly.

“The auction will now begin!”

As the announcer stepped onto the stage and shouted, the chatter in the room instantly stopped.

“It’s starting.

Ken mentally reviewed the information he’d gathered, trying to guess which round the Fairy Apple Tree might appear in.

‘Hmm. It should be around then.’

This time he was determined to get the Fairy Apple Tree for himself.

‘I’ve prepared enough money to outbid anyone who shows up.’

Just then, someone sat down in the previously empty seat next to him. Reflexively glancing over, Ken’s hand gripped the armrest tightly.

‘That bastard.’

Despite the cloak, there was no mistaking who it was. It was the same person who had stolen the fairy apple tree from under his nose earlier.