The bullying began.
"You're not my friend anymore,"
"I was only nice to you because you looked pitiful. A stray dog in need of scraps."
"You're in my way. Move,"
"If you want my attention so badly, why don't you crawl on the ground like the rat you are? Maybe then I'll spare a glance."
"Even rats know their place. Do you? Or do I need to teach you?"
"My master ordered me to close the garden gates. No filth should wander inside. Especially not vermin like you."
The garden, once her haven, now felt suffocating. The boy she had admired and trusted had become her tormentor, each word stripping away the pieces of her fragile heart. Erana, the child who had once smiled so freely, had learned early on what it meant to be hated without cause.
---
It's always been like this. Every time that snake of a bastard sees me, he hurls insults and blames me for things without any logical reason.
Honestly, it's like the author was just too lazy to come up with a proper explanation for why Tyrian hates Erana so much.
"Hah..." I sighed, the weight of exhaustion settling over me.
"My lady, do you want me to kill everyone in this house?" Serra asked, her tone calm but laced with menace.
I turned to her, my expression blank.
Inwardly, I thought, 'If you're trying to act like a normal maid to hide your true identity, you're failing miserably.What kind of ordinary servant would dare to say something like that to the most powerful family in the kingdom?'
I shook my head in response.
Serra frowned."But they've hurt you so much. Don't you want to make them pay for everything they've done?"
'Of course I do,' I thought bitterly, but I kept my expression calm.
'What good would it do, though? Revenge won't bring Erana's soul back, and acting impulsively could destroy everything. These people aren't worth the time or effort it would take to hate them properly.'
I shook my head in again, firm in my resolve.
Serra studied me for a moment, then sighed.
"You're such a kind person, my lady. Sometimes, I wish you weren't. Life would be simpler if you were more selfish."
Heh?....
A good person?
If only you knew the lengths I've gone to in order to end this story. Even as a side character, barely a footnote in the novel, I've done things I never thought I would.
I looked at her, my eyes hollow, as if I were seeing the world through a fog. Why has everything changed?
I was supposed to meet you six years from now. Yet here we are. Now that I've met you early, I get to enjoy better food... a hot shower. These comforts—none of this was meant to happen.
Lina, she was always supposed to get caught by the Duke. Her greed would be her downfall. And after that, I would have had a personal maid—but it wasn't supposed to be you.
Another thought hit me before I could even process the first: What if everything I'm doing is just leading me back to this same point, no matter how much I struggle to break free?
What if, after I die, I'm sent back in time? All my sacrifices, all my efforts, would be for nothing. But I can't stop now. I have to keep going... for my death.
As we walked inside the mansion, we passed the hallway leading to the grand stairs, heading toward the Duke's office on the second floor.
Suddenly, I saw Lysara kneeling in front of the Duke, speaking earnestly.
"Father, I truly want Tyrian to become the heir. I don't want to take on the responsibility of leading the family. I just want to live my life."
"Live your life?" The Duke's voice was icy, his eyes narrowing in disapproval. "Do you really think your life is yours to choose? Your mother—"
He stopped mid-sentence when his gaze shifted toward me as I walked by.
I quickly averted my eyes and continued walking, trying to ignore the weight of his piercing look.
I let out a derisive laugh, brushing my hair back from my face.
Lysara, how could you not have known about the fairy mark on your body?
You deliberately drank that poisoned tea, suppressing your own power, just to avoid facing what you were truly capable of.
So, you played a game, teaming up with your father to secure Tyrian's position, his power, and the title that should've been yours. Then, when everything fell apart, you were betrayed by the very brother you loved so dearly, the one you believed in above all else.
And yet, in the end, all you wanted was to live your life—free from all the burdens of power.
How pitiful.
You spent all this time running from your destiny, when you could've lived on your own terms with the strength you had within you.
But then again, I'm just as pitiful, aren't I? I have no energy left to pity anyone.
Now, it all makes sense, though—everything fits together.
And Duke, if you truly loved your wife so much that you resented your own daughter, then why do you have these weird feelings toward me?
---
"Hah…" I sighed again.
"My lady, are you okay? You've been sighing a lot," Serra said, packing a few clothes.
I nodded.
I thought maybe it was just nerves—tonight was the night I would leave this house. The thought of being caught while escaping unsettled me.
Serra smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry, my lady. We'll never get caught."
Then she handed me a ring, saying, "It's for you, as a good luck charm for both of us to escape today."
I took the ring from her hand and examined it. It looked luxurious and gorgeous, with a white gem at its center.
I raised an eyebrow, looking at her suspiciously.
She began to sweat, her voice faltering. "I, uh, stole it—no, no, I found it on the road. It looked beautiful, so I thought I should give it to you because beautiful things suit beautiful people."
"Pfft,"
I couldn't help but laugh at her ridiculous excuse.
She laughed nervously in return.
I slipped the ring on, and instantly, my nervousness faded. I didn't know where it came from—it wasn't mentioned in the novel—but somehow, it felt significant.
---
That night, Serra quietly entered through the window, holding a book in her hands. "My lady, is this the one?" she asked softly.
I nodded, recognizing the book. It had belonged to Erana. In my previous life, I was never able to read it—controlled by the system.
With hesitant fingers, I opened the book, the pages rustling softly. As I turned one of the pages, I accidentally cut my hand on the sharp edge of the paper, causing a drop of blood to fall onto the page.
The moment it touched the paper, I felt something strange—beneath my feet, a small, glowing circle appeared on the ground.
I blinked in confusion. The ring I wore also glowed faintly, but nothing else seemed to happen. I looked at Serra, but she was staring out the window, unaware of the strange event that had just taken place. It had all happened so quickly—so subtly—that I wasn't sure what to make of it.
---
"Lady, it's time to go," Serra whispered.
I heard distant screams echoing from the mansion. "Fire! Fire!" they shouted.
"The young master Tyrian's mansion is on fire!"
"Bring water! Hurry!"
"Someone, get the knights!"
The panic and chaos were unmistakable. I couldn't help but feel a flicker of satisfaction. Our plan had worked.
The estate was heavily guarded, and there was no way we could've escaped without creating a distraction. Burning Tyrian's mansion had been a goal of mine for a long time, and now, it was finally happening.
I had instructed Serra to set the fire, starting from the kitchen. Of course, the blame would fall on the kitchen workers, but I didn't care. They had tormented Erana for far too long.
Now, with the knights and maids rushing to the scene, the area we were in was deserted.
Serra quickly draped a robe over me and pulled the hood down low, hiding my face. She had also dressed in a similar robe.
Taking my hand, she led me to the window. We both climbed out and gripped the rope tied securely to the window. With a single motion, we descended quickly from the fourth floor, landing softly in the darkness below, escaping unnoticed into the night.