Realizing that he had exceeded the time, Patrick contemplated and looked at his watch.
Then, he seemed to recall the catastrophe of one of the empire's most prestigious professors who was hung upside down outside the window.
"M-M'lady, There is no homework for today. Thank you for listening to my humble lecture. I was moved by the passion of such a beautiful and noble young lady for her studies..."
He rambled gibberish words.
"Get out."
"Ye-Yes!"
As soon as I issued the command, Patrick disappeared in a flash.
'He doesn't think I'll do my homework, so he didn't give me any.'
I thought randomly.
After the history class, I had a theory class, then now is the magic class, which is the last one in today's schedule.
It was surprising that Deborah was irritated with this four-hour morning class.
'It's not good to be lazy...'
I shook my head and walked towards a separate building, where a magician from the tower was waiting.
"You've arrived, m'lady."
As I entered a separate training room in the annex, a woman with dark gray hair greeted me and gave a 90-degree bow.
Her clasped hands were trembling with fear.
I had no choice but to attend this class.
All this time, the number of magic tutors that Deborah had are too many to count.
"It's not that I can't feel mana, it's just that the teacher is stupid and incompetent! I am a direct descendant of Seymour!"
Deborah never admitted that she has no talent in magic. She blamed everything on her instructors and threw whatever she got a hold of.
Just by looking at the displays of fake items that can be thrown, I could see how bad Deborah had been.
Seymour's bloodline is famous for their great mana affinity, but how come Deborah couldn't do it at all?
Most of the characters in this novel use magic as a standard, talented with the sword, and even play with spirits.
'But the villainess was given a debuff instead...'
Sighing at my ability that was inferior to the floor, I hurriedly turned my thoughts into positive ones.
Deborah has an overwhelming beauty and talent for things that aren't related to magic.
That's enough for me.
The novel's heroine was subjected to persecution as much as the measure of her abilities.
In contrast, Deborah was filled with an inferiority complex and persecuted people.
If I behave, the day can go on without a single incident.
"Is this enough?"
After class, I happily ate 77 macaroons that were considered the best in the city.
After dawdling the whole day, the maids carefully prepared a bath in the evening.
"M'lady, is the temperature alright?"
"It's fine."
A pleasant sigh escaped my lips as I dipped my body in the bathtub filled with water and petals.
The maids gently loosened my muscles with a natural, fragrance oil.
Then they carefully and meticulously washed my hair.
I was awkward with having servants while bathing at first, but they were so crafty that I became used to their convenience.
'Good.'
Wearing a silk gown that gently clung to my skin, I lay down on the bed and fell into deep thought.
Everything went peacefully today.
I hope the next days will be the same as today, but for that to happen, I have to change Deborah's future as the novel's villainess.
I stayed in bed for a long time before I stood up and entered my study room.
I lit the room with a lighting mana stone and began to organize the events in the novel from what I can remember.
Deborah is your typical villainess who will have a bad ending after her vicious harassment of the heroine, Mia Vinoche.
From the cliché of pulling her hair and slapping her cheeks, to giving Mia a poisoned drink that could melt her esophagus.
Her most terrible deed was to get a doll that looked exactly like Mia and cursed her.
It was the crown prince, one of Mia Vinoche's fishes, who revealed Deborah's atrocities.
'Her horrible deeds were revealed in one of the chapters.'
The crown prince accused Deborah of blasphemy.
'It was a clever strategy.'
There was only one person who had more authority than the emperor and other high-ranking aristocrats.
The saint.
Saint Nyla, who drove the evil away at the expense of her own life, is the most honored entity in the empire.
The saint, who carved her body into six pieces to establish a strong power, was called a goddess and everyone admired her.
'But how can a saint have a hardcore?'
(T/N: She's talking about how can Mia have a hardcore... *toot* despite being a saint. In case you forgot, they're in an R19 novel.)
Mia Vinoche had a high level of sanctity to the point that she was comparable to a deity such as Saint Nyla. Because of this, the crown prince's claim of Deborah's 'goddess's desecration' gained more influence and strength because of all the evil deeds Deborah has accumulated so far.
Even if Deborah is a child of one of the founding families of the empire, she was guilty of defaming the country's saint, so she was put on trial.
A jury was set up by one of Mia's fishes and Deborah, who was defeated in the trial, was imprisoned in a monastery.
Deborah had done so many crazy things, so the writer was criticized for ending the drama by just sending Deborah to a monastery.
What were the author's words again?
"She's a lady from the Seymour family. She's the daughter of a founding, meritorious family, so she can't die."
There were readers who dropped the novel because of the writer's obsession with sticking to the setting.
'To avoid the monastery, the key is not to bully the heroine.'
The reason for Deborah's downfall despite being a Seymour is simple.
She laid a hand on the novel's heroine.
'But I have no intention of bothering Mia.'
Fortunately, Deborah has not met the heroine yet, since the novel is just about to begin.
The first time I realized that the novel I once read and the world I'm in is the same, was when the Duke of Seymour mentioned the 'pink, diamond necklace'.
It's related to the first chapter of the novel.
Near the valley, strong mana from a mysterious crack caused Philap Montez, one of the heroine's fishes, to become seriously injured.
It was Mia Vinoche, the heroine, who healed the seriously injured Philap, with her divine powers.
Like most reverse harem novels, Philap falls in love with her the first time they meet, which was when Mia saved his life.
He wanted to do anything he could for the fallen aristocrat's poor situation.
"Lady Mia, I really want to repay you for saving my life."
The Montez family, like Seymour, is one of the founding, meritorious families, so his words could not be taken lightly.
Mia only shook her head and smiled sweetly at Philap's offer to give her everything.
"That, I only did what I had to do."
"Lady Mia..."
"I hope you get well soon."
Impressed by Mia's pure-heartedness, Philap, who accidentally found out that her birthday is just around the corner, wanted to give her a wonderful gift.
He inquired everywhere for anything that is suitable to give her. That was when he found out about the existence of the pink, diamond necklace.
Since it was the first time that a pink diamond was mined, and coincidentally, Mia's hair is also pink, Philap thought that the pink, diamond necklace is the most suitable gift for her.
However, Deborah, who was so eager to show off, coveted the only pink diamond in the empire.
Other aristocrats became interested in the idea that both Seymour and Montez are aiming for the pink diamond. At the same time, the jewel's price was skyrocketing.
To conclude everything, it was Philap Montez who bought the pink, diamond necklace in the novel.
The price raised to the point that even Deborah could not afford it. The Duke of Seymour, who was fed up with Deborah, had no intention of buying it for her.
The innocent Mia Vinoche, who wasn't familiar with the value of gems, appeared in the academy with a splendid, pink, diamond necklace.
'Then the necklace caught Deborah's attention...'
Deborah ripped the necklace off Mia and her neck got bruised.
After that, Deborah's torment towards Mia worsened day by day, especially since she caught Philap's heart, whom Deborah liked since childhood.
'First, I'll never grab her hair. Even if I see her with a pink, diamond necklace, I'll pretend I didn't see it.'
I gave a false laugh as I wrote down the things I had to watch out for in order to survive in this damn novel.
It seems like avoiding a bad ending as the villainess, Deborah, is easier than surviving as Yoon Do Hee in Hell Joseon.
(T/N: Hell Joseon or Hell Korea is a term mostly used by young Koreans – especially unemployed and struggling Koreans – to say that Korea is a hellish society.)
Deborah had both wealth and beauty in a package, but I had nothing.
I had to get a job to make ends meet, but my specifications were very insignificant.
I was caught and wasted money on useless things, but I never really took care of my own private life.
Even if I was lucky enough to land a job, I had a hard time after joining the company because my major was not suitable for that job.
'I actually wanted to retake the exam.'
"Do Hee, you know you can't afford another year with just staying at home, don't you?"
Just before my college exam, my father became more ambitious in getting rich, so my score was much lower than the mock test.
I wanted to retake the college entrance exam, but I couldn't bring it up because of our family's situation.
No, I must've not brought it up because I was too kind and mindful of what they might feel.
I think I was a complacent person that thought everything will get better if I work hard and get used to it.
I sighed, recalling my past life. I put the quill down and rose from my seat.
'I have to stay alert from now on.'
I can't just spend my time playing around.
No, I must improve my situation in order to avoid the bad end.
'Improving my relationship with the duke is the most important thing right now.'
It would be a big problem if the duke, who doesn't like me, is to forsake me.
Even if he's giving Deborah the cold shoulder, all the money and benefits Deborah has is still from the Duke of Seymour. If I lose him, I lose the money.
It'll be worth it to maintain a good relationship with the duke.
'Deborah is his only child that looks like his wife.'
Pulling the curtain to the side of the window, I looked down at the dark estate of Seymour.
'I have to make a move.'
There is a mysterious garden around the main building where the duke's office is located.
It is a place where flowers bloom nor die all year round because of strong conservation magic.
The Duke of Seymour, who loved his wife dearly, preserved the rose garden that she cared for when she was still alive.
In addition, the garden was quite important in the R19 novel because it's where the heroine, Mia, and the eldest son of Seymour, Rozad, shared a sadistic love scene.
Thanks to the detailed description, I can still clearly remember 'that side' of the garden.
'I didn't know at that time that it would become a scene between flesh.'
Thinking of it as an opportunity, I put the parchment back in the drawer and locked it tightly with an iron.
* * *
'Deborah's too quiet.'
The thought suddenly came to the Duke of Seymour's mind as he stared at the books that contained his daughter's expenditures.
He knows his daughter more than anyone else. Except for the money spent on luxury goods last month, there were very few of Deborah's expenditures lately.
Why is that? Is it because she's on probation?
Wonder passed on his cold eyes.
Being on probation doesn't mean she can't spend money.
The public already knows that she calls someone from boutiques and jewelry shops everyday.
His daughter, faithful to her desires, is strangely being too quiet.
She had been fasting and harming herself because of a particular piece of jewelry.
Deborah, whose impulses can only be calmed when she gets what she wants, cannot have given up on the pink diamond, which has become the most controversial issue in the entire history of the empire.
Of course, the Duke of Seymour did not get illusioned by Deborah's behavior. He still has no intention of getting the pink, diamond necklace for her.
'The more I think about it, the more infuriated I get. How dare she threaten me with emotions?'
He will never give her what she wants, the Duke of Seymour thought while gritting his teeth.
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"Y-Your Grace, the young lady is in the garden..."
It was then.
As the aide reported, the duke's face turned fierce.
"What?!"
The duke jumped out of his seat, furious at the aide's report.