Chapter 25 - Old Empire (2)

The day before…

There was a knock on the door. "Lady, are you awake?"

[Hmph, it seems one's servant is eager to serve her lady.]

Shut up, bird. Divine beast or not, if you slander my Jane, you're going to regret it.

[Argh! Stop it!]

I rubbed their head violently as punishment.

She'll come in as soon as I respond, so be a good pet, okay?

[This human...]

"Come in."

At my response, Jane opened the door, carrying a tray with my breakfast. "Here's your tray, my lady," she said, placing it delicately on my lap, exactly the way I like it.

"Today we have pancakes with hot coffee and—by your suggestion—bacon."

My eyes glistened as she served me, but I could see Trynda staring at the food, practically drooling.

[Shut up, human! We're all starving here!]

'If you say 'please,' I'll give you some. No, the whole pancake.'

[...]

I took my fork, and as the pancake bounced like a fluffy cloud, I took a bite. It melted in my mouth, and I couldn't help but let out a small moan of delight.

[Alright, alright! P-please give me some!]

I smiled, victorious.

"I'm fine, Jane. But could you serve me an extra portion?"

Jane beamed with confidence. "Of course, my lady! I had a feeling you'd ask, so I prepared an extra serving!" She lifted the dish cover to reveal another plate of pancakes.

I winked at Trynda.

"Could you also get me some maple syrup?"

Uh... Jane looked confused. "What's maple syrup, my lady?"

I paused. Maple syrup doesn't exist here?

"It's something you drizzle on pancakes, like a sweet condiment."

Jane tilted her head even more. "I'm sorry, but I don't know what that is."

"It's fine. If you don't know, then—"

"No!" Jane exclaimed, fired up. "I will find this 'maple syrup' no matter what!"

Steam was practically blowing out of her nose as she stormed out of the room.

[Aren't you a bit harsh?]

Jane is Jane. I never doubted her once, though I did feel a bit bad for sending her on an impossible mission. But it's satisfying, you know?

[You're a devil.]

I was once called a villainess, so being called a devil means nothing to me.

I placed the extra plate of pancakes in front of the window.

"This one's on the house."

[Hmph, it's not like I'm eating this because I want to!]

Trynda puffed up their chest in defiance while I watched them peck at the pancakes.

Sure, buddy. You're definitely not enjoying it.

[...]

We ate the pancakes in silence, although for some reason, it felt oddly peaceful. After a while, Jane returned, bowing deeply at the door.

"I'm sorry, my lady, but I could not find this 'maple syrup.' I have failed you... Please punish me for my incompetence!"

I crossed my arms, pretending to be stern. "You couldn't even find a single condiment, Jane?"

She lowered her head even further, and to my surprise, I saw tears forming in her eyes.

"Hey, stop that! It was just a joke, Jane."

"Lady...!" She looked distraught, almost tearing up.

I knelt down and hugged her gently. "I will kill anyone who makes my Jane cry!"

"Ah, Lady!" She hugged me tightly, pinning me to the ground with surprising strength.

"I will follow you for the rest of my life!"

I chuckled softly.

"Ahaha, Jane, stop!" I giggled as she practically rubbed her face against my chest. "Ah, my Lady!" she chirped back with glee.

I got up quickly and straightened myself out, standing up to fix my robe, only to realize I was still wearing that revealing lingerie underneath from when I fell asleep. Glancing towards the hallway, I caught sight of Peter staring from the doorway.

"Pervert." I muttered under my breath, and his face instantly flushed a deep red as he scurried off. Hmph— not that I cared.

I walked over to my study area, grabbed the schedule, and saw that it was blank.

"It's because she's hated," I thought, my master seems to be the unpopular type. Despite her charm, she doesn't want to stand out.

That's why I couldn't proceed to the next phase because of my current appearance. Most of the plans I had required actual interaction with people, and Josephine's reputation made that nearly impossible.

Jane quietly braided my hair while I brainstormed. From the start, I hadn't intended for Josephine's character to change. It was hard to convince others that I could be different, especially in the middle of a narrative where her villainous nature had already been firmly established. There was no doubt—no matter what I did, I'd end up with my head chopped off one way or another.

I wasn't like those typical 'Ah, I was reincarnated as the villainess' types where they magically turned their fate around, became the protagonist, and married the male lead.

I placed my fingers on my forehead in frustration. Brute-forcing it won't do either. The reason?

Familial Bond.

It's basically a curse that binds you to the noble family you're born into. Originally, it was used to signify noble birth, but nowadays, it's used to prevent kidnapping and ensure children don't run off. It's wicked, really—a way for the monarchy to know their children's exact location at all times.

And the worst part?

The only person who can remove it is the King himself.

[Curse: Familial Bond]

It's one of the biggest roadblocks in Josephine's life. As expected, it binds you down to the soul. Not something you can simply purify or remove by conventional means—it's more like tampering with your very essence. I had already tried purification magic, but to no avail.

I cannot escape because of that damn curse.

After much deliberation, I came up with one possible solution: schemes. Josephine's true specialty.

The ultimate goal?

Convince the Emperor to remove the Familial Bond so I can peacefully escape this inevitable death sentence hanging over my head.

"Jane, I know what we're going to do today."