(In front of the palace gardens)
Claudete stopped in front of a large window overlooking the palace gardens. In the distance, flowers bloomed in vibrant shades under the moonlight, a cruel contrast to the rot she felt in that place.
She knew she was surrounded by enemies. The poison had been just the beginning. And if they wanted her dead, they'd have to try a lot harder next time.
Later that night, while eating a steaming bowl of rice and meat, Claudete established her first rule in this new world:
She would never be the prey.
If they tried to kill her, she'd strike first.
If they tried to deceive her, she'd deceive them better.
And if that so-called Third Prince really was a wife-killer…
Well…
He could try to kill her.
Because she wouldn't fall so easily.
Claudete was enjoying the silence of the night when she heard hurried footsteps approaching. Before she could react, a young girl with dark eyes and sky-blue hair ran to her, tears streaming down her face.
Bora: (crying, emotional) My lady! I knew they were lying when they said you had died!
Claudete raised an eyebrow, looking the girl up and down. Who the hell was this?
Claudete/Mi-Suk: (uninterested) Who are you?
Bora stopped mid-sob, blinking, surprised.
Bora: (hesitant) My lady… it's me, Bora. Your servant. Don't you remember me?
Claudete sighed and crossed her arms.
Claudete/Mi-Suk: (sarcastic) If I remembered, would I have asked?
Bora's eyes widened, and she swallowed nervously.
Bora: (stammering) I… I'm sorry, my lady. I was just worried about you.
Claudete stared at her for a few seconds before giving a half-smile.
Claudete/Mi-Suk: (arms crossed) Since I pay you to worry, I'll let it slide. But next time, I won't be so generous.
Bora immediately bowed.
Bora: (distressed) Yes, my lady! I won't make the same mistake again.
Claudete/Mi-Suk: (satisfied) I hope so.
Bora hesitated before continuing. Her face was still marked by tears, and her expression was darker.
Bora: (taking a deep breath) I… I have some terrible news, my lady.
Claudete rolled her eyes.
Claudete/Mi-Suk: (impatient) What's the news?
Bora hesitated before finally dropping the bomb.
Bora: (crying) Lady Suk… your mother… she died much earlier than the day the nurse told us.
For a second, Claudete was silent. Then, she slowly blinked, trying to hold back the laughter that threatened to escape.
Claudete/Mi-Suk: (thinking) Vide throws me into the body of a zombie woman, marries me to a possible serial killer, and now gives me a family drama on top of it?
She forced a shocked expression.
Claudete/Mi-Suk: (pretending sadness, placing a hand on her chest) OH! No! How did this happen? My poor mother!
Bora looked at her with a mix of confusion and suspicion, as if sensing something was off.
Bora: (tearful) Don't you care?
Claudete took a deep breath, trying to appear convincing.
Claudete/Mi-Suk: (dramatically) Of course I care! I just… I'm still in shock. It's a lot to process.
Bora lowered her head.
Bora: (whispering) I suspect the Ji sisters…
Upon hearing that, Claudete narrowed her eyes.
Claudete/Mi-Suk: (coldly) Investigate what happened to my mother and about my poisoning. And be careful. I don't want anything bad to happen to you.
Bora quickly nodded.
Bora: (determined) Yes, my lady! I'll do it.
Bora left hurriedly, the mission clear in her mind. But what Claudete didn't know was that the truth was even worse than she imagined.
Bora: (thinking as she walked) I can't tell the lady that her mother… died because someone got to the place where the sacred flower blooms first and took it before we could save her…
As she walked through the corridors, Bora noticed some movement.
Bora: (thinking) That woman always seemed suspicious to me. Maybe I'll discover something.
She sneaked into a dark corner and stayed silent, listening to the muffled voices coming from inside the room.
Hye-Jin: (whispering) Things are getting complicated. Lady Mi-Suk woke up and is questioning everything.
Another Maid: (nervous) What are we going to do? If she finds out about… well, you know… we're all doomed!
Bora held her breath. Their tone was desperate.
Hye-Jin: (angry) Don't worry. I've already manipulated things to make it look like a natural incident. It was subtle, and she'll never suspect.
Bora felt a chill run through her body.
Bora: (thinking, determined) This Hye-Jin is dangerous. I have to find a way to prove her scheming.
Without making a sound, she moved away from the door and hurried back down the corridors to where Claudete/Mi-Suk was.
Claudete was relaxing in her bed, mentally analyzing her situation, when Bora returned, out of breath.
Bora: (whispering) My lady, I heard a suspicious conversation between Hye-Jin and another maid. It seems they're hiding something about the poisoning.
Claudete raised an eyebrow.
Claudete/Mi-Suk: (arms crossed) Oh? And what exactly did they say?
Bora: (serious) They mentioned that they manipulated things to look like a natural incident. As if they had planned everything.
Claudete gave a slow, almost cruel smile.
Claudete/Mi-Suk: (murmuring) So they think they can toy with me…
Bora watched her mistress with curiosity. Something was different about her. Mi-Suk would have been scared, cried, or locked herself in her room before. But now…
She seemed… excited.
Bora: (nervous) My lady, what are we going to do?
Claudete/Mi-Suk: (thoughtful) We need to gather more information before confronting them. If we play our hand wrong, they'll hide even deeper.
Bora nodded, agreeing.
Bora: (determined) Understood, my lady. I'll do my best to uncover the truth.
Claudete leaned back into the pillow with a satisfied smile.
Claudete/Mi-Suk: (murmuring to herself) A poison almost killed me. But now… I am the poison.
(At the Chanel Mansion)
Chuchu and Chuma were seated, sipping tea, when Fang rushed in, nearly tripping over his own feet.
Fang: (panting, wide-eyed) Ladies! Ladies! Lady Mi-Suk has returned from the dead!
Chuchu raised an eyebrow, her fan pausing mid-movement.
Chuchu: (skeptical) Fang, did you drink something spoiled?
Fang: (shaking his head rapidly) No, my lady! I went to see for myself, and there she was, walking and talking as if she had never died!
Chuma, who had been silently observing, narrowed her eyes.
Chuma: (intrigued) Rumor has it she made a deal with the dark forces to come back to life…
Chuchu scoffed, snapping her fan shut with a sharp click.
Chuchu: (disbelieving) This is ridiculous, Fang. There's no such thing. She never truly died!
Fang hesitated, as if he wanted to argue, but Chuchu's sharp gaze made him fall silent.
Chuma: (thoughtful) But this means something went wrong with Ying's plan… and if Mi-Suk is alive, she might end up uncovering the truth.
Chuchu stood up, pacing slowly around the room, her fingers tapping rhythmically against the closed fan.
Chuchu: (whispering) This might be our chance.
Chuma tilted her head, intrigued.
Chuma: (interested) What do you mean?
Chuchu stopped, turning to face her sister.
Chuchu: (firm) We can take Ying down now.
Chuma exchanged a calculating glance with Chuchu. They both knew how dangerous the First Prince was. Facing him directly wouldn't be enough—they had to chip away at his power, bit by bit.
Chuma: (cautious) Yes… But we can't act recklessly. If Mi-Suk survived the poisoning, it means Ying's plan failed, but he won't just let it go.
Chuchu nodded, her eyes gleaming with determination.
Chuchu: (lowering her voice) Yes, but we need to find out how the First Prince managed to poison Mi-Suk. That will give us the evidence we need to expose him.
Chuma crossed her arms, deep in thought.
Chuma: (resolute) We need to divide tasks and investigate discreetly. If we're careless, he'll find out and eliminate us before we can do anything.
Fang swallowed hard at that.
Fang: (nervous) Ladies… do you really think you can go up against the First Prince?
Chuchu shot him a cold look.
Chuchu: (dryly) I don't think. I know.
Fang averted his gaze, too afraid to argue.
Chuma: (changing the subject) And what about the Jun sisters?
Chuchu sighed.
Chuchu: (irritated) We can't underestimate them. They're venomous snakes, but snakes crawl in the dark. If we know where to step, we can crush them before they strike.
Chuma smirked.
Chuma: (impressed) I like the way you think, sister.
Chuchu: (decisive) First, we keep Mi-Suk alive. She might be useful in exposing Ying.
Chuma nodded.
Chuma: (confident) Once we have enough evidence, we'll reveal the whole truth.
Chuchu took a deep breath, her gaze fixed on the flickering candle flame.
Chuchu: (thinking) Ying… your turn to be hunted has begun.