“Greuga and Sillion… That Number 12… I thought he was trouble, but he is something else.”

Wiping the sweat from his forehead, the manager smirked as he thought of his vault, filled with more wealth than even his well-fed belly.

Compared to the generous sum he had received from a specific distinguished figure in Greuga, the measly handful of gold coins Catherine had thrown at him was nothing.

Naturally, he would obey the orders of Greuga’s elite.

The choice was obvious even without the money between Sillion and Greuga.

No matter how much influence the Sillion family had recently gained in the capital, they were nowhere near the level of Greuga, an empire with a far longer history.

The scale of their gold alone made the answer clear.

“Hehehe. If all I have to do is hear a few unpleasant words, and I get this much gold, it’s not a bad deal.”

The manager who had gathered up the pouch Catherine had tossed soon called back the employees he had previously shouted at and driven away.

“You had a rough day. Take this and blow off some steam.”

He handed the pouch to the employees and patted his protruding belly as he waddled back to his office, which was located inside the arena.

Indeed, Catherine’s chaos was precisely what Raylin had intended.

When Kertan left behind his life as a gladiator and joined Aiger, Raylin had prepared for what was to come.

A future that no one but her knew.

Catherine would inevitably seek out Kertan.

There was no way she would give up on him—a man who could become her tool at the mere exchange of a few words—especially in the early days of her possession when she had nothing.

Once she discovered that Kertan was missing, she would naturally try to find him.

“That won’t be difficult, but… is that all you need me to do?”

“Yes. If anyone asks about him, give them different answers. Say he’s dead. Say he’s injured and recovering. Say he left. It doesn’t matter. Any answer will do. Keep it up until… no one asks about Number 12 anymore.”

As Raylin had anticipated, Catherine searched for Kertan but returned empty-handed.

She didn’t yet know that Kertan’s younger sister had also safely returned to his side.

So even if she managed to find him, she would have no means to deal with him.

And just like that, thanks to Raylin’s efforts, one of the key supporting characters who had carried a significant episode of Re.Vil.Bre—as well as the “#ReverseHarem” hashtag—vanished utterly.

***

For several days, the aftermath of Lady Mifaro’s kidnapping was handled quietly and swiftly beneath the surface.

The fact that Lady Mifaro had returned remained undisclosed to the public, and they didn’t even bother to dispel the absurd rumor that she had eloped for love.

When the time came for her to reenter high society, they planned to make a grand revelation, ensuring that no such rumors would ever circulate again.

As for the knight who claimed to love Lady Mifaro and kidnapped her…

Raylin had no interest in learning what became of him.

There were far more important matters at hand than the fate of some wretched fool.

Having successfully prevented Catherine from acquiring a mine and soaring to new heights, Raylin was already calculating her next move.

At that moment, an unexpected visitor arrived.

“Welcome, Lady Mifaro.”

“Lady Greuga!”

Before Raylin could react, Lady Mifaro rushed forward and embraced her tightly.

‘Wait… were we ever this close?’

Perplexed, Raylin nonetheless reciprocated the hug, not wanting the young lady to feel awkward.

Still clinging to Raylin, Lady Mifaro repeatedly expressed her gratitude.

“Truly, truly, thank you. You are my savior! No, you are the savior of my life!”

Life and existence.

Though they technically meant the same thing, the fact that she made the distinction likely meant she was referring to how she would live from now on.

Raylin did not wave off her gratitude as excessive.

Instead, she simply patted Lady Mifaro’s back and conveyed her feelings in a composed manner.

“I’m just happy to see you again.”

Of course, the sincerity behind those words was anything but simple.

Before her regression, Lady Mifaro had been nothing more than a tool—a stepping stone for Catherine’s independence, a source of capital obtained through the mine.

No one knew or cared about the circumstances that led to her downfall. People had merely indulged in gossip and sensationalized storytelling, turning a blind eye to the reality of her suffering.

But now, that same Lady Mifaro stood before her, bright and cheerful, chattering away with the liveliest of smiles.

She was living proof that Raylin had achieved her goal—the destruction of the original story she had resolved to dismantle after being murdered by Catherine and traveling back in time.

There was still a long road ahead, but Lady Mifaro’s joyous energy was reward enough for now.

She would never understand how much this meant to Raylin, but…

Clap!

Lost in thought, Raylin snapped back to reality at Lady Mifaro clapping her hands.

“Oh, right!”

Lady Mifaro’s shoulders bounced as her eyes sparkled with excitement.

No, gleamed might be the better word.

Her eyes—so clear and pure, yet carrying an unmistakable hint of madness—lit up as she spoke.

“Have you heard what happened to that bastard?”

“…No.”

True to her reputation as a “lunatic with clear eyes,” her first words were a vulgarity no noblewoman should ever utter, causing Raylin to pause briefly before responding.

She hadn’t been particularly curious, but Lady Mifaro’s eager, expectant gaze—practically demanding she ask—was impossible to resist.

“What happened to him?”

“He’s being put through absolute hell!”

That could only mean he was being subjected to unbearable torture, and yet…

Lady Mifaro grinned as brightly as a child receiving candy, leaving Raylin momentarily at a loss for words.

Since she had been kidnapped and confined in a back alley for some time, Lady Mifaro’s speech had become noticeably more outspoken…

Raylin considered the possibility that, at this rate, she might blurt out something inappropriate in high society—until she realized something.

Throughout their conversation, whenever Lady Mifaro spoke about anything unrelated to her kidnapper, she never once used harsh language.

And with that realization, Raylin could now understand the young lady’s fierce words and curses.

Well, of course, she would harbor deep resentment.

A man she neither liked nor cared about had suddenly confessed his love and gone so far as to take her away to live together forcibly.

If this had happened in her previous life—when even her own family had believed she had eloped for love—Lady Mifaro’s emotions would have been beyond words.

No, it wouldn’t have just been her emotions…

Raylin shook her head, dismissing her wandering thoughts.

The past had disappeared, the future had changed, and such things would never happen again.

Unable to resist the bright, expectant gaze Lady Mifaro was directing at her, Raylin asked once more,

“Hm. I see. Then, where is that kidnapper now?”

“I don’t know. His Highness the Crown Prince said he would take care of it.”

An unexpected answer.

For what reason would Aiger take the kidnapper and torture him?

Of course, she also needed information from him, which is why she deliberately kept him alive and brought him back.

That was also why she hadn’t refused Lady Mifaro’s sudden request for a visit.

Raylin had planned to ask about the kidnapper while chatting with Lady Mifaro subtly.

But now, Aiger was involved?

“Your family isn’t handling the matter themselves?”

Tilting her head slightly in confusion, Raylin watched as Lady Mifaro’s cheeks flushed pink, her expression somewhat bashful.

“I insisted on taking care of it myself.”

Lady Mifaro then recounted what had happened that day.

***

When she returned home after being rescued, her parents and younger brother didn’t believe she had been kidnapped.

Just as Lady Greuga had curtly stated in her letter, the Mifaro family did not doubt that she had simply run away for love.

Yet, she looked far too happy for a foolish girl who had supposedly thrown herself into a passionate romance.

She would not have worn such a joyful expression if she had indeed run away of her own will, only to be caught and dragged back or forced to return home due to harsh realities.

“I’m back! I thought I’d never see you again—no, I knew I’d come back!”

Even the way she spoke made her sound more like a captive returning from imprisonment rather than a runaway bride.

As they stared at Lady Mifaro, unable to hide their bewilderment, someone appeared behind her—leaving them utterly shocked.

“Y-Your Highness the Crown Prince!”

Caught off guard by the Crown Prince’s sudden appearance, her family hurriedly tried to react, but Aiger raised a hand to stop them.

“Right now, your attention should not be on me but on your daughter, who has safely returned. She…”

“I was kidnapped!”

Before Aiger could speak, Lady Mifaro’s indignant cry rang out through the Mifaro estate’s garden.

Aiger, choosing to let her outburst slide, simply nodded.

“Everything she said is true. The kidnapper is over there—handle him as you see fit.”

With Aiger’s confirmation, her family, still reeling from shock, could only clutch at their newly returned daughter, mouths agape.

Though she had always been a troublemaker—taking up shooting as a hobby, openly complaining about her engagement, and frequently driving her parents to frustration—she was still their beloved daughter and sister.

Yet, while she had been kidnapped, they had remained entirely unaware, blaming only her headstrong behavior.

“Oh… Oh, heavens. My God!”

Countess Mifaro, who had collapsed upon first hearing the rumor that her engaged daughter had eloped with her escort knight, clutched her forehead and fainted once more. Meanwhile, the Count muttered blankly, as if in a daze.

“I was wrong. I…”

“You didn’t believe me.”