《Kill This Marriage》 Chapter 1 -5 hours ago Nicole sat on the dressing table and looked at herself quietly in the mirror. In the mirror, a pale woman in a thin sky blue silk pajama was sitting. Today was Nicole¡¯s fifth wedding anniversary. ¡´Long live the princess!¡µ ¡´Honor to Grand Duke Valentine, who protects the capital!¡µ At the same time, today was also the Coming-of-Age Ceremony of the youngest princess, the golden leaves of the imperial family. The Imperial family and the Grand Duke offered free food and alcohol to the citizens. Already, the grand fireworks display has ended and joy overflowed throughout the capital. Grand Duke Valentine, the owner of the grand residence, attended the imperial party. Thanks to this, every employee of the Grand Duke was also given a vacation. The only people left out today were Grand Duke Valentine and Nicole. ¡®There are days when this big house is this quiet. Good for me.¡¯ Her husband would have attended the feast of the princess¡¯ coming of age today. ¡´The fake Grand Duchess of dirty, traitorous descent will be divorced, and the princess will be the new Grand Duchess.¡µ A rumor that has been circulating throughout the capital for some time now. Thanks to this, it is said that even dogs passing by on the street curse the Grand Duchess. The news came to Nicole¡¯s ears, too. But now Nicole is no longer angry about the little things. On the contrary, it was very peaceful. ¡®Today has finally come.¡¯ Nicole, 25 years old, reflected on her decision. The most precious Grand Duke in the world. The beautiful man who defends the capital and gets everyone¡¯s praise. The arrogant guy who doesn¡¯t look at her and only knows himself. ¡®He never touched me throughout our marriage. But tonight will be different.¡¯ Then Nicole will kill her husband. And Nicole will die, too. ¡®I¡¯m finally at peace.¡¯ Even in these numerous accusations of being in the position of a fake Grand Duchess of traitorous descent. Even in this death row where she never knows when she¡¯s going to die. She will finally be liberated from this punishment-like life. She decided to disappear quietly as if she had never been unhappy in this world. ?©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥???©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥? Each unhappy couple in the world has their own reasons. But a wife as awful and disgraceful as Nicole would be rare. ¡®It¡¯s natural that it doesn¡¯t make sense for someone with a traitorous family like me to become a Grand Duchess.¡¯ At one time, Nicole¡¯s family was one of the seven most powerful aristocrats in the capital. However, 25 years ago, the family was involved in a major treason case and ended up in contempt. Being a descendant of a traitor in an empire meant that she could not survive. Even if they are alive, they are reduced to state-owned slaves. Nicole¡¯s mother, Freya, was the eldest daughter of a traitorous family. Such a mother lived in the deep mountain with her family. She doesn¡¯t know exactly when her father and mother met. But what is certain is that by the time Nicole grew up, she had already had their third and youngest baby. ¡®When I was young, it was frustrating to live in hiding. It¡¯s only after I left did I realize it was paradise.¡¯ There was a time when she was shy and aloof with her parents, but her relationship with her siblings was always good. The house they lived in was remote but peaceful. ¡®My brothers, my treasure. Isabel, Jay.¡¯ Yveschapel was a family that produced genius healers. And the Yveschapel lineage was uniquely connected through matrimony, that is, through mother and daughter. At the time of Yveschapel¡¯s downfall, the imperial family thought it was regrettable that their lineage would be cut off. In addition, Yveschapel is said to have been a wealthy family in the pharmaceutical business. Raul¡¯s father, the predecessor Grand Duke Valentine, was rewarded by the imperial family for his services at the time. In the imperial family, it was better to give the Yveschapel family than to give themselves an award. Just in time, the wife of the previous Grand Duke Valentine died of illness shortly after giving birth to Raul, and the position of the Grand Duchess was empty. ¡´All members of the Yveschapel family will be immediately executed, and those who have shown healing power will be made into slaves of the imperial family. The eldest daughter, the heir to the Yveschapel family, will be married to the Grand Duke Valentine.¡µ ¡®The Grand Duke of Valentine is a close relative of the Imperial family.¡¯ So through this marriage, after obtaining a descendant with healing powers, and taking all of their possessions¨C ¡®The useless Grand Duchess must have meant to die.¡¯ It was a terrible marriage agreement, an old, old gloom. It is said that Freya, Nicole¡¯s mother, was famous for being a great healer and beauty during her time. The marriage agreement Freya should have received was not achieved as she fled. However, the Valentine family did not forget the marriage agreement and finally found Nicole¡¯s family who lived in hiding. ¡®I still remember that day vividly.¡¯ With a harsh sound, the door of the cabin opened and the knights rushed in with their boots. Nicole greeted them alone while doing the laundry leisurely. ¡®I didn¡¯t know anything until that moment.¡¯ Even the fact that she is the eldest daughter, the heir, to the Yveschapel family. ?©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥???©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥? She could see the town burning in the distance. The man has already entered the house, with a number of villagers cut out. It was instantaneous for him to find Nicole hiding in the backyard after walking. ¡®His bloody figure was very devilish.¡¯ Later, Nicole found out. There was no other reason why she saw blood in the village. He killed them just to vent his anger on the villagers who hid the dirty Yveschapel¡¯s bloodline. They lived in complete hiding. The villagers didn¡¯t even know they existed. ¡®You¡¯re a devil, really.¡¯ He was wearing a long coat. A handsome face. Mysterious eyes shining purple. It looked very beautiful, but he was like a lion from hell to Nicole. ¡´You don¡¯t have to kneel.¡µ He looked down at Nicole and said. Nicole¡¯s elaborate laundry all morning was thrown on the floor and trampled on the knights¡¯ feet a long time ago. ¡®Did my younger siblings hide safely?¡¯ Her mother had always trained her children as if to prepare for this day. ¡´Please, let me go. There¡¯s nothing in this house. I¡­¡µ ¡´My bride is not good at lying.¡µ He slowly approached and raised Nicole¡¯s chin. His hands were too big, and the grip was strong. ¡´Should I say it¡¯s nice to meet you? As soon as we¡¯re born, we¡¯re so deeply entangled. Your life is mine until your life is over.¡µ Nicole¡¯s life has since fallen to hell. So it was no exaggeration to say that it was a devil¡¯s whisper. Chapter 2 ?©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥???©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥? At the time, Nicole¡¯s mother, Freya, had a severe lung disease. And the former duke, Grand Duke Valentine, who was originally Freya¡¯s fianc¨¦e, died a decade ago. In the end, the engagement agreement was inherited by Nicole and Raul. They abandoned Freya, who was useless, in the cabin and took only her brother and sister. ¡®At that time, my mother was so sick that she couldn¡¯t last more than a few days. But my father¡­¡­.¡¯ Their misfortunes had only just begun. Her father went out very occasionally to sell herbs and buy what the family needed. His outing took a very long time. This is because her father crossed the mountain from the opposite direction and headed to very far villages in fear of people¡¯s suspicion. They were dragged away, and a few days later her father returned. Her father, who returned, found that her mother, whose lung disease had worsened, died. The children disappeared and the house was a mess. And the people of the Grand Duchy threatened her father. They said that if he doesn¡¯t keep his mouth, he won¡¯t be able to survive. Late in the fall of that year, her discouraged father took his own life. ¡®I didn¡¯t even know about my father until a year after I got married!¡¯ After that day, Nicole became extremely hateful of Raul. ¡®My siblings, unlike me, are treasures that show healing power. So he couldn¡¯t have let my brothers go.¡¯ In spite of her mother¡¯s training, the two were quickly discovered where they were hiding. Raul enlisted Isabel and Jay in the Knights Templar. ¡®He treated my siblings like slaves.¡¯ Jay died when Nicole was married for two and a half years. At that time, Raul was in the countryside. There was a big accident in the village. Rebels attacked and caused rebellion. And Raul was seriously injured when he was caught up in a big explosion. The capabilities of healers were not limitless. If healers use healing power beyond their abilities, the healer himself could be injured or killed. Jay was worried that if he could not treat Raul, he would harm his sisters. So, as a result of excessive use of healing power, he eventually died of exhaustion. ¡®When I heard that Raul was hurt, I prayed so hard that he would rather die. Was I punished for it?¡¯ ¡´I¡¯m sorry. Mom warned me that I could get hurt if I overuse my healing power. But at least my oldest sister won¡¯t be in trouble because of me. Because I saved the Grand Duke.¡µ Later, Isabel told her it was Jay¡¯s will. Nicole has almost lost her mind since then. But there was still a reason for her to live. Nicole¡¯s most precious treasure. It was Isabel. ¡´My treasure. My beautiful Isabel. I¡¯ll protect you.¡µ Nicole had her first seizure since Jay¡¯s death. And half crazy, she pounced on Raul. Then the cruel Raul began to take control of Nicole¡¯s everything. Food, sleep time, daily medicine. Nicole had to live in half captivity in exchange for defying him. ¡´If something happens to Isabel, I can¡¯t live. It would be difficult if I die now. Because you need a doll to fill the position of the Grand Duchess. And you haven¡¯t taken all the possessions of the Yveschapel family yet! So, now let Isabel be free.¡µ What did Raul say? She doesn¡¯t even remember. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s threatened her or she threatened him. After that, Raul treated Isabel like an ordinary noble lady and became her guardian. If Isabel had lived well, Nicole might have been able to stand it. ¡®I¡¯m a fool who almost fell for his deception for even a second.¡¯ Isabel was a thrifty woman. She always made their family happy with her bright and lovely appearance. ¡®But you ended up ruining Isabel.¡¯ Last year, Isabel was forced to marry a knight under the command of Grand Duke Valentine. Isabel¡¯s husband was a very wealthy knight. However, there was a rumor that the man was remarried, and his first wife was beaten and had run away. After marriage Isabel was always covered from head to toe. ¡´Everyone knows that she lives with the younger brother of Grand Duke Rain. The sound of crying echoes throughout the city.¡µ A few months ago, Isabel cut her wrist. Isabel¡¯s attempt to take her life failed. Isabel, who survived, held Nicole and begged. ¡´Sister. I can¡¯t stand it anymore. Avenge me. We have the knowledge of pharmacy that we learned from you. If we work together, we can do something about it. He took everything from us!¡µ Isabel¡¯s face had long been shaded. Nicole decided when she saw her figure. She¡¯ll do as Isabel says. So Nicole made a medicine. It was the poison of the night. An ancient poison created long ago. Now few people in the world have forgotten and remembered. Those who take this poison for a long time become a living poison. Therefore, it took time to complete the poison. Nicole sipped away at the pills for weeks without anyone knowing it. And tonight, she drank the last remaining dose. ¡®The person who sleeps with me, who drank this poison, will die.¡¯ It is said that many ancient warriors also fell before this poison. This is because beautiful men and women were given long-term doses of the poison, and then was made into human poison and sent into their bedrooms. High-class prostitutes were used in this method. Tonight, Nicole put herself in such a role. Nicole smiled contentedly at her thin self in the mirror. She has been suffering from chest disease for a long time and has been taking neurotic drugs. Still, her appearance could be deceived by makeup overnight. ¡®I¡¯m glad I¡¯m not that ugly yet.¡¯ Her mother, Freya, was a great beauty, and their father was also a handsome man. But compared to Isabel, Nicole was not even a beauty. However, her chaperone once said to her face, ¡°You have a humble face.¡± ¡®I¡¯m nervous, but¡­¡­ I can do it. I can do it.¡¯ Nicole took the counter out of the drawer. This small machine, which moves with a ticking sound every time it is pressed, was originally intended to count. Tick-tock. However, Nicole calmed down by pressing the counter when she couldn¡¯t calm down because of anxiety since she was young. It¡¯s been a long habit. ¡®I need more medicine¡­¡¯ Nicole swallowed a new tranquilizer that Isabel secretly made. This is her first night blessed by her. She can¡¯t have a happy heart like a new bride, but it¡¯s still a night where she¡¯ll get everything she wants. And it¡¯s time for her husband to come back soon. ?©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥???©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥? It is said that the closer the bedroom of the wife and husband is, the better the couple¡¯s family is. But the Grand Duke and Duchess Valentine¡¯s bedroom was quite different. Raul renovated the bedroom he used, specifically the inner room. Although there was a small powder room and bathroom for Nicole¡¯s use only, it was not a big room overall. And the important thing was that she could never go outside without going through Raul¡¯s bedroom. In other words, the room was connected to monitor Nicole from morning to night. Nicole locked her door tightly and held her breath when the man was in the room. Sometimes when she ran into him, she felt intimidated and avoided his eyes. Rarely, she cried or screamed hysterically when he talked to her. As time went by, Raul treated Nicole like old furniture. Furniture that he leaves at home because there is no reason to throw away, but he doesn¡¯t need to use. ¡®It¡¯s my first time staying here while waiting for the devil to come back.¡¯ Nicole stepped on the carpet barefoot and stepped out to Raul¡¯s bedroom. Soon there was the sound of shoes ringing in the hallway. Nicole knew who the owner of these footsteps was. ?©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥???©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥? Kyiiiiiik There was a door opening. Then Nicole was sitting on Raul¡¯s bed. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± As soon as Raul saw Nicole, he wrinkled his brows. Broad shoulders and tall height, an atmosphere of inhuman severity He¡¯s a person whom she doesn¡¯t get used to even after years. Seeing him for the first time in a long time, Nicole shrank unconsciously. But she soon straightened herself out. ¡®I¡¯m not scared of this guy today.¡¯ What is she afraid of? She¡¯s been poisoned and she¡¯s about to die ¡°Is there a reason why your wife can¡¯t come to her husband¡¯s bedroom?¡± ¡°You¡¯re usually disgusted when you make eye contact with me, right?¡± He loosened his cravat and took off his leather gloves and threw them into a chair. The bones in the back of his hand stood out during the rough movement. ¡°I have something to say.¡± ¡°¡­¡­ you? I¡¯m surprised.¡± Raul¡¯s sarcastic response was not surprising. So far, Nicole has said more than three words in front of him only when she cries or stares at him with hatred. ¡°I heard a rumor about you and Princess Celia.¡± Raul¡¯s movements stopped moving. And he looked up and down at her. ¡°It¡¯s jealousy that made you talk to me for the first time in three months. Interesting. I¡¯ve never allowed you to feel that way.¡± ¡°I know I belong to you. But do I have to get permission from you for my feelings?¡± ¡°Nicole.¡± Nicole was startled by the unfamiliar way he spoke her name. ¡°You should have done your duty to be allowed to be jealous. Being my wife.¡± Nicole couldn¡¯t help laughing. ¡°No one in the world thinks I¡¯m your real wife anyway. When will I be poisoned? Or they wonder if I¡¯m going to be thrown into the streets naked. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± ¡°Yeah. This is how we talk. Keep talking.¡± His relaxed way of speaking made Nicole¡¯s teeth crack. ¡°I¡¯m not a fool either. I¡¯ve read a lot of books in your study, and sometimes I hear rumors. Now that you¡¯ve been married for five years, you¡¯ve stolen as much of the Yveschapel family¡¯s remaining property as you want.¡± He sighed softly. ¡°Do you believe that I have been stealing the property of the Yveschapel family, which has been ruined so far? Did the Grand Duke of Valentine look so desperate?¡± ¡°They say the more money, the better. You also have a lot of power, but now you want a princess.¡± The words chilled Raul¡¯s eyes. ¡°And so.¡± He opened his mouth. ¡°What does my wife want from me? What makes you angry as usual?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Are you angry at me for saying such a thing?¡± ¡°Of course, you know? This mansion is empty today.¡± ¡°I went to the festival held to commemorate the coming-of-age ceremony of the princess.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°But you¡¯re suddenly making me angry while you¡¯re in front of me and in your pajamas nonetheless.¡± He strode up to Nicole and leaned over. Slowly. His hand approached and almost touched Nicole¡¯s hair. Nicole slowly closed her eyes and opened them. ¡°I just realized that there was no point in rebelling anymore. There¡¯s nothing I can do since I¡¯ve been brought to this house anyway.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If you tell me to die, I¡¯ll do it if you tell me to divorce you. You can kick me out tomorrow without a penny. You could turn me into an idiot and sell me off somewhere to get it done more neatly. Yes, that¡¯s fine, too.¡± He doesn¡¯t just throw away things when he¡¯s disposing of them, but burns them too. There was no way to keep a woman alive who had been around him for five years and might have heard this and that kind of information. Nicole looked him in the eye. It was the first time in five years of marriage that she looked into his eyes for so long. The dark purple eyes were mysterious and beautiful. Blending with black hair, he looked disgustingly seductive. God is unfair. The devil is a devil, but why did he make it so pretty? (t/n: if villain bad why so hot ????) ¡°What do you want to be so obedient?¡± Tell me because I¡¯m interested.¡± Raul¡¯s face, which seemed to cross the line when he came closer, turned away. Standing upright, he stepped back and put his hand on the chair, his face was calm. ¡°Embrace me.¡± Nicole said. Then Nicole got up from her seat and took a step closer to him. ¡°We didn¡¯t even have our first night. I found out that a marriage could be annulled if the aristocratic couple didn¡¯t have their first night. It¡¯s unfair for me to be kicked out of my position as a Grand Duchess. I want to be treated as a person who is not an object by you even for one night.¡± Nicole approached and stroked his clothes. There was a national event tonight. He left his wife and went to the ball again today. There were numerous decorations on his fancy coat. Maybe it¡¯s a medal bought for someone¡¯s misfortune. This man will continue to create countless unhappy lives like her. ¡°If you spend a night with me, I¡¯ll be satisfied with it and leave you. With no grudges or regrets. It¡¯s what I always thought from the day I came into your grasp.¡± ¡°First night? Do you really think that¡¯s meaningful?¡± ¡°That¡¯s my right.¡± ¡°There¡¯s nothing I can¡¯t say now.¡± Raul said. Suddenly, contempt and faint fatigue flashed across his face. ¡°You¡¯re such a tired, horrible woman. The most useless and annoying thing I have.¡± Raul said. ¡°You¡¯ve been keeping me until now because I¡¯m useless. Because you needed a stupid girl who don¡¯t know. Don¡¯t you think so?¡± Raul did not answer. Nicole felt it was a positive thing. ¡°Sell yourself to me for the night. And now you can marry a woman who will help you in the future like the princess. You like to be efficient, don¡¯t you?¡± Nicole said. Nicole plucked up her courage and grabbed Raoul by the collar. ¡°I¡¯ll ask you one thing.¡± Raul wrapped his gloved hand around Nicole¡¯s lower jaw and stopped her head from moving ¡°Are you sure this is what you mean?¡± ¡°I know I¡¯m crazy. But this is how sensible I am.¡± Nicole said. Her heart was bursting. For the first time in her life, she expressed her intention to this man and spoke against him as if she was defying him. Raul took his hand off her cheek. And firmly put his hand on Nicole¡¯s waist. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s good.¡± He leaned over her again. Nicole¡¯s face was covered with his shadow. Raul¡¯s expression was not clear. ¡°Remember this one thing. That you started it first.¡± Chapter 3 And Raul picked up Nicole just like that. ¡°Ah!¡± Nicole forgot the situation for a moment and sounded embarrassed. The next moment Nicole was lying on Raul¡¯s bed in an instant. It was the first time she laid in his bed in their entire marriage. Nicole usually wore the same brown dress all the time because she had no business going out. She¡¯s afraid she¡¯ll get in the way of this guy if she wears fancy clothes. But Nicole today was dressed in a light, sky blue, silky slip adorned with gold thread. This luxurious underwear was the most valuable piece of clothing she wore during her marriage. Raul looked at Nicole. Her white skin, her skinny body, her eyes that began to tremble faintly with fear. He swallowed a small sigh. Poisonous. It¡¯s like a person who puts food that doesn¡¯t look very appetizing at the table. It gave Nicole a little humiliation. Raul reached out and grabbed Nicole by the neck. ¡°Damn it. You¡¯re really annoying and gets on my nerves.¡± Raul said. ¡°If you¡¯re going to kill me, hold me first then kill me. Then even if you kill me, I won¡¯t be a demon and chase after you. I know you sometimes have nightmares.¡± His grasp on her neck slowly loosened. Nicole reached out and swept Raul¡¯s smooth cheek with the back of her hand. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be kicked out of this house without knowing anything. This marriage¡­ Complete it.¡± He laughed in amazement. But the next moment he whispered. ¡°Open your mouth.¡± He said. Raul bit his glove with his teeth and took it off at once. His leather gloves fell on the bed. Nicole opened her mouth obediently. ¡®Why are we doing this? Does sex always start like this?¡¯ Raul was like a person who¡¯s checking the health of a livestock. He observed the inside of her mouth and looked at her face carefully. His finger fell off. ¡®No, I¡¯m embarrassed. What is this?¡¯ Nicole flinched. Then, she swung her arm wrong and brushed her finger against Raul¡¯s top. His coat had numerous decorations. Her white skin was torn and her fingertips began to bleed. ¡°I told you to act carefully in everything.¡± Nicole was born with weak skin. Whenever she fell, she got bruises quickly, and when she brushed against something pointed, her skin was torn. One day she accidentally touched his new collection of ornaments. Nicole had a long scar on her leg. Then blood was scattered on the carpet and that day he was really angry. Nicole couldn¡¯t even come out of the room for two days. It was a kind of punishment. This hard-nosed man hated getting the carpet dirty. He was a man who¡¯s terribly fond of his possessions. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to offend you.¡± At the next moment, Nicole seemed to be out of breath. He put the tip of her finger in his mouth and began to suck it slowly. The tip of her tongue seemed to be paralyzed. ¡°Ha¡­.¡± Her shoulders trembled and her toes curled. The first step is to feed her blood to her opponent The second is the saliva from her mouth Third, the best thing is to let the sweet secretions from her body touch the other person. It was an article written in the literature on the poison ¡°Night Beast.¡± ¡®He drank my blood.¡¯ Nicole wanted to jump with joy. ¡°Are you smiling? Why?¡± ¡°Because you didn¡¯t reject me.¡± Nicole stared at him in silence. And acted on impulse. First, she kissed Raul. She thought she might get slapped or kicked out. She gently opened her eyes, and the man¡¯s face came closer. ¡°Heut!¡± Raul touched her lips once again. Their lips overlapped. ¡°Ah, uh¡­.¡± It¡¯s cold. Kissing was very different from what she read in the book. It¡¯s hot and it¡¯s muddy. She thought a kiss is mouth to mouth, but his thick tongue moved more freely than she thought. He tickles the tip of her tongue, touches the roof of her mouth, or comes under her tongue¡­¡­. ¡®I¡¯m suffocating, but it feels weird¡­¡­.¡¯ The stars seemed to splash in front of me. Kissing was a heavier sensation than she thought. At the same time, her lips were quite numb. ¡°Ha!¡± He finally bit Nicole¡¯s lower lip hard and let go. Nicole frowned. His hand came into her nightgown without hesitation. ¡°Didn¡¯t you wear underwear?¡± He asked, Nicole barely nodded. ¡°If you try to do this in front of another man, I¡¯ll kill you. I¡¯ll throw Isabel¡¯s body on it. Whether I live or die, the rules don¡¯t change.¡± ¡°What the hell does that mean?¡± Nicole blinked her eyes. What does that have to do with this situation? But she couldn¡¯t think deeper. This is because her slip was torn with a sound. She was easily naked in the blink of an eye. Her white skin was exposed under the light. Raul glanced over her. ¡°It¡¯s strange. Is it because you rarely go out? Your knees are always red. Your body is this pale. Elbows and wrists. You look pale.¡± ¡°Is that your type?¡± ¡°If it¡¯s my wife¡¯s body, I should learn things that are not to her taste.¡± Disgusting man. Even in this situation, Raul trying to play with me was uncomfortable. Raul smiled small after seeing Nicole¡¯s wrinkled forehead. ¡°Put your face on it. I¡¯ll do what you want.¡± Raul¡¯s palm slowly rubbed down her body. Holding her, every time his hard, rough palm rubbed against Nicole¡¯s soft, supple body, she felt hot. At last his hand reached Nicole¡¯s knee. ¡°A, All of a sudden¡­¡­.¡± Raul put his hand under Nicole¡¯s knee and raised it sharply. Raul, who slowly looked at the place covered with pale cilia, said as if he was impressed. ¡°It¡¯s wet.¡± He leaned down slowly. Then, unannounced, he put his hand in and widened between her legs. Nicole unwittingly tightened her lower abdomen with the feeling of wind coming through her legs. Her dense hole flinched. ¡°¡­¡­because I¡¯m a person, too.¡± Nicole said. Why does her heart beat so loud and her head hurt? She hates him. So that is why she wants to kill him. It was a deeper emotion than love. This was hate. ¡°Focus.¡± Raul, who pulled Nicole¡¯s palm, said. He pulled Nicole¡¯s hand over his cheek. She was more surprised by it than when Raul touched her body without hesitation. When Nicole tried to pull out her hand in surprise, Raul held her hand tighter and refused to let go. ¡°Look at me.¡± He whispered. ¡°Do you really want this?¡± ¡°Yes, I told you. Even if this marriage ends, I hope there is evidence.¡± ¡°You have a strange positive side. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯re still dreaming of a divorce lying down like this.¡± Nicole¡¯s chest was heaving. She looked at Raul nervously. He loosened his hand and gently patted Nicole on the cheek. ¡°Relax. I¡¯ll eat you up as you wish so that you don¡¯t get hurt. It belongs to my precious wife. Wouldn¡¯t it be better if you don¡¯t get hurt?¡± Nicole tried to respond to his remarks as if he was mocking her first experience. But she forgot to say it. Raul widened the gap between Nicole¡¯s legs with his hands. ¡°Ah¡­¡± In embarrassment, Nicole almost closed her legs. But Raul buried his face between Nicole¡¯s legs. ¡°Oh, my god!¡± For the first time in her life, her legs are spread open in front of someone else¡¯s eyes. There, Raul stretched out his tongue and began to lick it slowly. In addition, he presses it with the tip of his tongue and pokes all over her folds. ¡°Oh, heut¡­¡± It was strange. Soon, liquid began to splash from her bottom. Then he gently pressed the upper part of her pubic area with his front teeth and the small pointed nub below it. ¡°Ugh, ah!¡± Nicole¡¯s leg was completely relaxed and her back jumped up. ¡°It¡¯s much better to hear you scream than to hear you talk nonsense.¡± He lifted his eyes between her legs and whispered at her. Nicole felt a thrill under her stomach when she met his eyes. Too much transparent liquid flowed to her perineum, and sticky juice dripped down. Chapter 4 In the meantime, Raul¡¯s hand was constantly rubbing her clitoris slightly with his hand as if he was loving it. ¡°Ugh, ung¡­.¡± Raul held her thighs tightly with his big palms to prevent Nicole from escaping. When one hand was released, one of Nicole¡¯s thighs rose reflexively into the air. Raul stroked Nicole¡¯s clitoris a little faster, as if scolding her thigh, which seemed to be about to collapse. Nicole shook her head, shaking the inside of her thigh at the same time. ¡°It¡¯s, ah¡­.¡± Raul, who had released her for a while, climbed onto her. His large hand clenched Nicole¡¯s head. It¡¯s like he¡¯s keeping her fixed so that she doesn¡¯t run away. Their lips overlapped again. ¡°Huuu, hu, heut¡­¡­.¡± This time his long fingers dug into Nicole¡¯s dense hole. And inside Nicole¡¯s body, his fingers moved up and down. Squeak, squeak. There was a tingling sensation in her lower abdomen. Her hips moved up and down on their own, and she kept sticking out her voice forward. ¡°At this rate, it¡¯s going to be pierced with just my fingers. Stop staring.¡± With that said, Raul pushed his middle finger, index finger, and two fingers into Nicole¡¯s hole. That alone was tight. He began rubbing his fingers against her as if they were rubbing inside. She felt a tingling sensation. ¡°Ha, uh, uh¡­¡­.¡± It was painful to be in contact with the body of this hateful man. But Nicole¡¯s bottom was getting more and more heated up. Nicole managed to pull herself together. ¡®All I want is to sleep with this man today and poison him with my body.¡¯ It was good to exchange saliva while kissing and drinking her blood. However, the most certain thing is to have sex with the person. ¡°Come on¡­.¡± Nicole grabbed him by the shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t pester me. Don¡¯t change your mind later.¡± Then his finger slipped out. Nicole reflexively put her hand on his shoulder. And Raul took off his clothes one by one. His exposed body was solid and perfectly sculptural. To find the body of a man you want to kill as beautiful. It was a disgusting and strange feeling. And Nicole¡¯s eyes grew as soon as she saw his penis popping out. ¡®Why is it so big?¡¯ Nicole had never seen a man naked. In fact, this side was close to a blank paper. ¡®Is this how it¡¯s supposed to be?¡¯ His dark red genitals were already up. His veins stood out and were thick. ¡°Wait¡­¡± ¡°Spread your legs. Relax.¡± At that, Nicole shook and slowly spread her thighs out. Nicole¡¯s calves rose in the air. Slowly, from the end, he began to insert his glans. The place where it touched was hot as if it was on fire. Nicole couldn¡¯t breathe because of his rod that is pushing into her. ¡°Ah, uh, ah¡­¡­.¡± Nicole gritted her teeth and endured. ¡°Don¡¯t bite.¡± Raul said. Before she knew it, he leaned down while looking at her chapped lips. His penis settled to the end as soon as their lips touched. ¡®It¡¯s too big¡­.¡¯ Nicole was barely breathing, gasping. It felt like the inside of her pelvis was twisted. The volume and pressure were so great that she wanted to cry. A damp liquid trickled down through her legs. It smelled like light blood. Tears streamed down from her eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t cry.¡± He leaned down slowly. ¡°That¡¯s what you wanted. Then you should be happy.¡± ¡°Heuk!¡± Squelch, squelch. He began to move slowly. ¡°Breathe. It¡¯s all right.¡± Nicole raised her chin instead of answering. It was a move that actively attached their lips together. Raul bit Nicole and licked the blood off her bitten lips. No matter who comes first, their top and bottom are all tangled up. ¡°Ugh, uh, uh¡­¡­.¡± The sound of their flesh hitting together, deep and hot, filled the room. Her mind kept getting hazy. Her pelvis is stiff. Her senses became sensitive and dull repeatedly. Stars splashed in front of her eyes with intense pain and a strange feeling of fullness. Puck, puck. At the same time, she was embarrassed to hear the sound of liquid squelching at her bottom. ¡®I hate you. It¡¯s so hateful. I will definitely drop you in hell.¡¯ Nicole shouted to herself. She doesn¡¯t even know how the time has passed since then. Her whole body became heavy, and then the sense of her lower part became more sensitive. At the moment when her hatred reached its peak, a thrilling feeling penetrated her lower part. ¡°¡­¡­¡­Argh!¡± Slowly, the pain disappeared and the stiff feeling disappeared. Instead, there was a rush of new pleasure. It disappeared. It was the moment Raul pushed deep inside. ¡°Ah, no, no, no, no!¡± A splashing pleasure pierced her inside. Before she knew it, Nicole lost her mind and struggled and grabbed the bed sheet. Raul cushioned Nicole¡¯s head and bed as she was pushed up. At the same time, he grabbed Nicole¡¯s shoulder and pulled her as she was trying to escape. ¡°Where are you going? I told you not to change your mind.¡± The excitement ran to the top of her head. Nicole now seemed to her that her swaying body wasn¡¯t even hers. The splashing sensation became stronger like a wave, and Nicole curled her toes and uttered a sobbing sound. ¡°Huh, aaahhhhhhhhhhhhh. Ugh¡­.¡± It wasn¡¯t long before the climax came. By the time something hot is poured on her body, Nicole feels the opposite of intense pain. She was exhausted by two emotions. ¡°You did well for your first time.¡± Sweat from his forehead fell on Nicole¡¯s forehead. He whispered over Nicole¡¯s hair. When the heavy thing that occupied her lower part came out, there was a sound of hitting as if the wind was escaping. ¡®Is it over now?¡¯ Nicole, who had been driven to the brink, looked at him vaguely. She¡¯s twitching from her lower abdomen to her thighs. Nicole blinked her blurry vision. It was that moment. ¡°On your stomach.¡± Raul said. In an instant, Nicole grabbed his arm and fell on the bed. ¡°H, hold on a second.¡± Nicole shook her shoulder when something that hadn¡¯t shrunk in volume touched her buttocks. ¡®Why, why isn¡¯t he stopping?¡¯ Nicole was so surprised. How much do men usually do it? ¡°There is blood, poor thing.¡± He spoke insensibly and again pushed his penis in. Chapter 5 ¡°Heuk, huu, haah! Heut, please¡­. Heut¡­.¡± By the third time, she was unable to remember clearly but she seemed to have cried and begged him to stop. But he didn¡¯t stop. She told him to stop many times, but he didn¡¯t listen. ¡®This is enough. This devil¡­¡­ Even this monster will die, too.¡¯ For a successful assassination, it is not a waste even if her body breaks. It¡¯s over. This will be the last memory of her life. And Nicole fainted, flooded by orgasm, covered with energy and excitement. ?©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥???©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥? It was that day. Nicole and Raul saw each other after three months because of his local business trip. And Raul, who faced her for the first time in a while, drove Nicole crazy again. ¡´Leave me alone. I want you to treat me like I¡¯m dead. I hate even the way you breathe.¡µ Nicole hesitated at first, but soon felt the limit of her patience and screamed again. Raul uttered such cold words to Nicole. ¡´Stop thinking.¡µ ¡´¡­¡­.¡µ ¡´Say what I tell you, and just do what I tell you. I don¡¯t even expect you to act like a normal person, so just act like a doll.¡µ Listening to Raul¡¯s hateful words is now over. The fear of being left in this man¡¯s family register even after death is over. Now she will finally be happy. Through the comfort of death. ?©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥???©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥? When she opened her eyes again, she smelled something sweet. ¡®How long have I been sleeping?¡¯ She checked the time in a hurry. It was four in the morning. Fortunately, she only slept for two hours. ¡®I didn¡¯t die unconscious, I see.¡± It was about time for the poison to spread all over her body. Nicole carefully turned her head and checked the space next to her. ¡®Is he dead? He¡¯s not lying next to me, is he?¡¯ But Nicole¡¯s bedside was empty. Her stomach throbbed. Her messy bottom was cleaned as if someone had wiped it off, and there was only a thin layer of silk on her body. ¡®I¡¯m sure all the maids are out tonight. Who did it?¡¯ Nicole thought. That noble, arrogant man couldn¡¯t have dressed her. She doesn¡¯t even know if he¡¯ll grab her by the hair and drag her down to the floor as soon as the sex is over. Kiiik. Then the door to Raul¡¯s study opened. Raul entered the room with a calm face. Raul was neatly dressed and no trace of what had happened in this room was seen. ¡®What? The poison didn¡¯t work?¡¯ Nicole was confused for a moment. Looking at him like that, Raul opened his mouth quietly. ¡°If you¡¯re up, get dressed. And sit down.¡± What lay beside Nicole was a soft dress she often wore when she was alone. A plain dress, with few decorations, just like commoners¡¯ clothes. Nicole followed Raul¡¯s instructions as if hypnotized. Her buttoning hand trembled. ¡®Isabel is a brilliant pharmacist. We secretly tried to concoct the poison of the night. There¡¯s no way our poison won¡¯t work.¡¯ Nicole bit her lip. Then Raul spoke peacefully. ¡°If you¡¯re wondering about the poison, I know.¡± Nicole raised her head. Her pupils dilated. ¡°Now you, what did you say¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You wanted to die with me, Nicole?¡± He spoke kindly. Then he went one step closer to Nicole. Nicole stepped back without realizing it. ¡°Even if we swore an oath of marriage to die together, if we die on the same day, we might fall into the same hell. Wouldn¡¯t it be unfortunate if you run into me again in hell?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Did you know?¡± Nicole spat out. ¡°I took my eyes off you for a while, but you¡¯re amazing. You always surprise me. But your hiding place is obvious. There¡¯s a recipe for poison.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Nicole¡¯s eyes darkened. She might be strangled right now. Or she might be beaten to death. Nicole was nervous. ¡°Did you notice from the beginning?¡± ¡°From the moment I entered this room.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Looking at the color of your tongue and veins, you really were poisoned.¡± Nicole¡¯s whole body trembled. She felt as if she was melting. ¡°Are you mocking me? For your lies, I¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I ordered you to sit down. You belong to me in this life, and you have to listen to me.¡± Nicole was caught by him and forced into bed. Nicole did not even resist. She felt like a wobbly straw doll. ¡°I told you to relax. Nicole, you succeeded.¡± Raul leaned over Nicole¡¯s shoulder. Nicole couldn¡¯t understand the situation. What the hell is he talking about? ¡°I¡¯m going to die soon.¡± Only then did Nicole feel that his face was strangely pale. His strong fingertips on her shoulders were trembling slightly. The window was half open before she knew it. The light wind entered, shaking the window, and the moon out of the clouds shaded his face. Nicole was overwhelmed by his presence and could not say anything. ¡°Before that.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°There¡¯s something you need to know about this medicine. Taking this medicine won¡¯t kill you with me.¡± Raul had a knack for speaking clearly in other people¡¯s ears, no matter how low his tone is. It¡¯s the same tonight. ¡°The host of this medicine can only be a male or a female. And if you have sex with someone with enough energy, the poison is transferred to the other person. Of course you¡¯re poisoned too, but not enough to die.¡± ¡°You think I¡¯ll believe such a thing.¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯ll live, I¡¯ll die. Even if you don¡¯t believe it, that¡¯s the truth tonight.¡± Ding ding. Nicole felt like a large bell was ringing in her ear. It wasn¡¯t peace that awaited her tonight. It was further confusion. His grip weakened. Nicole jumped up from her seat. Kuuk. Then he suddenly coughed. There was faint blood on his palm when he took his hand off his mouth. ¡´Drop in body temperature, change in pupil¡¯s color, and hemoptysis.¡µ This man always taunted people, but he never lied. Nicole had a hunch that his words were true. ¡°Come here.¡± He held Nicole¡¯s hand. And when Raul¡¯s hand fell, what lay on her palm was a silver ring. On the outer rim of the ring, the symbol of Raul¡¯s family was engraved on the center. ¡®This is an heirloom, only given to the families of the seven great families, including the families that have been destroyed¡­¡­.¡¯ Raul used to wear this ring, a symbol of his family. ¡°This ring has a hidden function. It¡¯s a magic tool that can recognize and save documents. It contains everything you¡¯re curious about. Get out of here and read it. And don¡¯t ever show up in the capital again.¡± Nicole¡¯s hands began to heat up as if it were on fire. There was blood on Raul¡¯s fingertips. Raul caressed her cheek with his bloody hand. ¡°You¡¯ll let me¡­¡­run away?¡± ¡°Yeah. If they see you like this, you¡¯ll be torn to death by the people. You¡¯ll probably be caller a murderer.¡± ¡°¡­¡­don¡¯t talk crazy. You¡¯re¡­ You¡¯re¡­¡­.¡± Nicole finally understood the situation. This man knew all about it, but he was beaten by Nicole. ¡°Why did you?¡± This selfish man with everything in the world. Why would this bloody man do this? ¡°I lost everything when I met you.¡± Nicole spouted confusedly. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I know, Nicole. So this is it.¡± Nicole¡¯s voice is hoarse. Her head was in a state of chaos.¡­. And she couldn¡¯t say anything. He said with his eyes closed as if he was holding back something. ¡°I should¡¯ve listened to people. I shouldn¡¯t have married you. You ended up being my weakness. You¡¯re such a sick and foolish woman. I¡¯ll never¡­¡­.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Most of all, you made me unable to take my eyes off a woman like you.¡± Raul¡¯s eyes were very cold when his hand fell off. ¡°Go now. You were going to kill me anyway and you were going to die, too.¡± Nicole looked toward her room unconsciously. ¡°What a fool. Are you looking for this?¡± Raul picked up a small bottle of medicine on the table. It was only then that Nicole found out what it was. It was an extra poison that Nicole prepared just in case. Raul threw it on the floor. As the bottle broke, poison was scattered on the floor. ¡°In the morning, the butler will come to wake me up and find my body. You still have time before that. I¡¯ve prepared for this kind of scenario, so meet my confidant knight, Bastard. He¡¯ll tell you how to escape.¡± He sounded as if he was going easy on her. It¡¯s as if he¡¯s treating her like a child. Raul said Bastard would come to a boat house in a nearby park that he had designated as an emergency shelter in advance. ¡°I don¡¯t want anyone to see me die. So get out of here.¡± Nicole faltered back. She wanted to get away from Raul. She wanted to escape from this incomprehensible reality. ¡°I¡¯m crazy that I¡¯d rather die than let you sleep with another man.¡± He murmured at the end. As soon as the door closed, Nicole seemed to hear his voice. ?©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥???©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥? Raul slowly leaned his back on the bed. ¡®Did I write down all my wills about the secret service, Shadow?¡¯ He thought silently as he looked at the ceiling, which he had seen over the years and got used to. Then he closed his eyes slowly. He was looking at the burning village. Soon his subordinate Bastard came and whispered to him. ¡´One of the villagers wrote a letter. It seems that the rest of the rebels are hiding in this village and living as slash-and-burners. Some people say they¡¯ve seen children perform healing powers.¡µ Raul slowly turned his horse around and headed for a small house in the mountains. Bastard said quietly. ¡´I think the Yveschapel people are here. If you want to use them as a pass to prevent the imperial marriage by the emperor, it would be the cleanest choice to bring only one daughter with healing power and deal with it. The power of the Yveschapel family that the emperor wants is healing power.¡µ ¡´I¡¯ll see that and judge it myself.¡µ The little house looked peaceful and warm. He went out into the backyard through a low back door. Palak. White sheets hung on the clothesline and fluttered. There was a shadow of someone floating behind it. ¡´You are¡­¡µ A woman popped out. She was still full of girlishness as if she had just become an adult. Her eyes were big and her body was small and thin. She has a rather pretty face than a beautiful one. ¡´Have we met somewhere?¡µ Nicole said quietly. Soon the sound of horse hoofs rang out. Anxiety spread across Nicole¡¯s face in an instant. Whistle. The wind blew. The white cloth covered Nicole¡¯s face. Raul was staring at her. Somehow he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off her. Then the knights stormed into the backyard. They knelt down in front of Nicole. Raul slowly approached her. He stared at the woman who would be his wife for a long time. Not knowing that he won¡¯t be able to take his eyes off her for a very long time after that. So defenseless It was Raul¡¯s last dream and last breath. (t/n: I¡¯m crying so hard rn ????) ???©¬???©¬? ?? advanced chapters available here Chapter 6 Heuk. Huheuk. Nicole breathed heavily as she ran out of the small forest behind the Grand Duke¡¯s mansion. Before she knew it, it was dawn, and the grass that grazed Nicole¡¯s body rustled and made a sound. Nicole turned a blind eye to a man¡¯s death and ran away. ¡®I don¡¯t understand. Why did he¡­¡­.¡¯ Soon, people will come in the morning. Nicole stopped walking slowly. She heard the maids chatter. Passing through the forest of the Grand Park, you will find a small lake and a ferry. Although it¡¯s called Grand Park, the location was ambiguous, so no one dared to approach it. She saw a small boat house. Nicole walked in there. There was an old gas lamp in the boat house. Nicole closed the curtains and turned on the gaslight. On the other hand, emergency food was available. ¡®What did he tell me to look for?¡¯ Finally, Nicole removed the ring from her arm. She has been messing around with the ring for a long time. Then she saw a dent in the rim. When she touched that part, a transparent window came to mind. There was a large list of documents in it. But the first document was opened before Nicole could touch it. ¡®This is¡­¡¯ It was Raul¡¯s will, and it was the truth. ¡´Observations on Freya de Yveschapel¡¯s Death. Freya was considered dead, avoiding the eyes of the imperial family. There was a high risk of execution if she was taken to the Imperial family. A caregiver was sent to treat her, but she couldn¡¯t last long and died of lung disease.¡µ ¡´Observations on Freya de Yveschapel¡¯s husband, Matisse. He¡¯s been suffering from severe depression In addition, he¡¯s not feeling well due to injuries incurred on his recent trip. A doctor was sent for medical treatment several times, but he refused. Appear to have committed suicide due to depression.¡µ ¡®Raul sent a doctor before Father died?¡¯ In addition, he sent a nurse to Mother. Nicole has never heard of it. ¡´Observations on Jay¡¯s death, a healer of the Yveschapel family. Due to an accident, the patient, the Grand Duke, was in a coma. The imperial Princess Celia beat Jay, the healer, using the knights when she visited the hospital.¡µ Nicole¡¯s heart dropped. ¡®If it¡¯s Princess Celia¡­¡¯ She was rumored to be engaged to Raul. ¡®She killed my brother?¡¯ Raul was injured because he was caught in the explosion. Raul, who was seriously injured, was being treated and is in coma in a small hospital in a nearby village. At that time, Jay had succeeded in saving Raul at the risk of his life. Strangely enough, however, Raul¡¯s consciousness did not return. ¡®The healer didn¡¯t do his job properly! Take him and beat him up!¡¯ It is said that Princess Celia did so with the intention of lightly punishing Jay. However, Jay, who was already exhausted and barely breathing, was beaten by strong knights and died on the spot. ¡®I¡­ I can¡¯t believe Jay died because of the princess.¡¯ Why did he hide it all this time? ¡°Is he worried that I¡¯m going to get back at Princess Celia?¡± ¨C It was treated as an accidental death to reduce the shock for people around him due to his dishonorable death. ¨C He will be given the privilege of an honorable death and be buried in the cemetery of the nobles. ¨C Since those who died after being convicted of crimes against the imperial family cannot be buried in the cemetery of nobles¡­ There were many other shocking facts. ¡®If¡­ If we weren¡¯t taken by the Grand Duke, would we have been taken by the Imperial family to be executed or become slaves?¡¯ And in this context, Raul seems to have prevented it It was something Nicole learned while reading the documents. ¡®But I didn¡¯t know anything.¡¯ And Raul is already dead. ¡°Ha, ha.¡± Nicole cried out in despair. And she stumbled outside in tears. Connected to the boat house was a long ferry. The lake looked very deep and dark. ¡®I, I, I¡­ It will bring me comfort. It¡¯s nothing different from tonight¡¯s original plan.¡¯ Nicole walked to the end of the ferry. A voice interrupted Nicole, who tried to close her eyes and jump in. ¡°Sister!¡± ¡°Isabel?¡± Nicole turned her head. It was really Isabel who was standing by the lake. ¡°Why are you here?¡± It was the moment Isabel was about to say something. Soon there was the sound of men shouting. ¡°There!¡± ¡°There is the wicked woman who murdered the Great Duke!¡± Nicole faltered back. Then Isabel set up her nails and grabbed Nicole. Isabel¡¯s beautiful face sparkled in the light of the lake. ¡°Where are you off to, sister?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s dangerous to fall into the water.¡± Then something flew over her head. The moment she stumbled in pain, Nicole fell. Her consolation came from the strong hands of countless men. They were all soldiers Nicole had never seen before. And Nicole lost consciousness. ?©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥???©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥? Tsak! Water splashed on Nicole¡¯s body. ¡°You witch! How dare the descendants of traitors kill the Grand Duke! You won¡¯t even die easily.¡± Nicole was chained up. Her body, which had been whipped dozens of times, could not move at will. Nicole¡¯s blood flowed on the wall and floor, and her skin was torn all over. ¡®He¡¯s really dead¡­¡­.¡¯ Nicole, who thought blankly, raised her head. ¡°Where is this witch looking at people?¡± Tsak. The guard slapped Nicole in the face. But she didn¡¯t avert her eyes. ¡°Pweh. She has a visitor today, so let¡¯s stop here.¡± Nicole raised her head weakly. The guard let go of the chain. ¡°Ugh!¡± Nicole knelt down on the floor. ¡®What happened to Isabel? Why was she there?¡¯ She felt pain again all over her body as she fell to the floor. Nicole shed tears. It was physiological tears. When she looked up, Nicole found someone standing in front of the iron bars. The first thing that caught her eye was light pink silk shoes. Nicole seemed to know who owned this pretty foot. ¡°Isabel?¡± ¡°Sister!¡± Isabel, who clenched the iron bars tightly, looked down at Nicole with a worried look. ¡°Why are you here? You shouldn¡¯t be involved in this?¡± There were many questions on her mind, but Nicole checked her safety first. Nicole¡¯s love for her family was absolute. ¡°Well, I¡¯m fine. Sister is the one¡ª¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It looks great, right?¡± Before she knew it, Isabel said in a calm voice. Nicole, kneeling on the floor and barely supporting herself, saw Isabel¡¯s wrist at that moment. Isabel was wearing a bright red dress made of silk. The design has no sleeves, so her white arms are revealed. And Isabel¡¯s wrist was very clean. ¡°When we last met, you had a bandage with blood stains on your wrist, right?¡± Isabel, who looked at Nicole¡¯s expression, caressed her wrist. ¡°Oh, this? You¡¯re so naive. Do you really think I cut my wrist? You¡¯re such a fool. I know. Why¨C¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve lived so far without knowing what¡¯s going on?¡± Nicole¡¯s eyes got wider. Isabel leaned over Nicole. ¡°What a silly woman. I made many opportunities for you to commit suicide, but you missed all the opportunities and became an unlucky girl who couldn¡¯t even get into her coffin.¡± ¡°Isabel, what are you talking about?¡± Isabel, who is always sweet and friendly. Isabel who sings like an angel. Tiny, pretty, my family¡¯s treasure. Isabel, who is full of healing talents¡­¡­. Everything is falling down. The reality that Nicole knew was shattered in her head. ¡°What do you mean? Now I¡¯m saying what I want to say. Oh, father¡¯s been easy, but you¡¯re really¡­ You¡¯re something else.¡± ¡°Father? Is Father¡¯s death related to you?¡± ¡°Father had a conscience. He thought it was a nuisance that he was alive, so he left beautifully.¡± Isabel leaned over. And she whispered a secret into Nicole¡¯s ear. ¡°I went to Father and sold him. He¡¯s incompetent, he¡¯s not protecting us, he¡¯s putting us in hell. He¡¯s a coward hiding there under the pretext of not being able to leave Mother.¡± ¡°How was that possible? We were under constant surveillance. After we came to the Grand Park, we kept¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You¡¯re so gullible! Stupid. Grand Duke Valentine was worried about his wife¡¯s father. He tried to take Father to a safe place. So no wonder he let me go!¡± Raul was really worried about my father. That¡¯s why he sent Isabel to bring Father. As if she wanted to confide, Isabel spoke. ¡°But I rather persuaded my father. Since mother¡¯s lineage is already a problem, if father¡¯s status is revealed, sister will not be treated as a Grand Duchess for the rest of her life and will be insulted. Father said suicide would reduce the harassment and abuse sister receives as the Grand Duchess. Aren¡¯t you thankful? Thanks to you, our troublesome father died.¡± Nicole couldn¡¯t even tell what the truth was anymore. Isabel complained that Raul kept an eye on them like iron barrels and treated them like slaves. Was it real? ¡°Father was suffering from depression after Mother died. To someone like that¡­¡­. How can you say that? Father always did his best to protect his family.¡± ¡°Who protects who? Our family?¡± Isabel laughed for a long time. ¡°So you wanted to imitate Father? You pretended to be my guardian because you felt sorry for our parents, right? Ahaha, it¡¯s so funny. You idiot. If you really wanted to be of help to me, you should have given me the Grand Duchess position! You still don¡¯t get it?¡± Isabel put her face close to the bars and said. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for you, I would have been the eldest daughter. And I would have been the Grand Duchess.¡± Nicole¡¯s eyes shook. Isabel¡¯s words were just as shocking. ¡°That¡¯s why I secretly informed the imperial family of where we¡¯re living in hiding.¡± ? advanced chapters available here ? Chapter 7 ¡°Was it your doing? Were you the one who destroyed the peace of our family?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know why I volunteered to take care of our sick mother, do you? I heard her. She said our family is actually an Yveschapel, a fallen noble!¡± Isabel grinned. ¡°And that a political marriage with the Grand Duke was arranged. You don¡¯t have healing powers and I¡¯m much prettier. So of course I thought he¡¯d kill you and take me. In the first place, the Imperial family wanted to save the eldest daughter from the Yveschapel family and marry her to the Grand Duke because they wanted her healing powers.¡± Isabel giggled when she saw Nicole¡¯s expression full of disgust. ¡°Actually, I hated the house where we lived in hiding. And I was so happy when Jay died. What if I became a real noble¡¯s wife and Jay or you were alive?¡± ¡°For that reason, Jay¡­¡­.¡± ¡°What do you know? I mean, I didn¡¯t want to die like you. Pretending to be nice, devoted. Since two years ago, I¡¯ve seduced Grand Duke Valentine over and over again. I convinced him to marry me instead of you. I¡¯ll mix my healing power with the blood of Grand Duke Valentine. But he¡­¡­ Rather, he recommended me as someone else¡¯s wife. Do you know what he said to me?¡± ¡´I want to kill you if I could, but I can¡¯t help it because my only wife is going crazy.¡µ Now the last piece of the puzzle is put together. Raul forced Isabel to marry the knight because Isabel kept seducing him. ¡°Everything was a lie. Even looking unhappy¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Pretending to be beaten by my husband? You¡¯re a fool. My husband, Ruto, is a fool. How can he touch a pretty girl like me? It¡¯s not difficult to deal with a man like that.¡± Isabel¡¯s eyes sparkled with satisfaction and a faint madness. ¡°I wanted to get back to Grand Duke Valentine somehow. How can he refuse me? So I encouraged you to kill him using the poison of the night.¡± ¡°You, you¡­¡­.¡± Nicole was speechless. ¡°You made me do that for such a ridiculous reason? What for? You¡¯re the devil.¡± ¡°Ah, the reason? Of course I have one. You don¡¯t know after all this time?¡± Isabel said sarcastically. ¡´Outside of the world we live in, it turns out that there is a reason for everything that people in the capital city do. Each had a big and small scourge.¡µ One day, Nicole complained to Isabel while drinking tea. Why do those words come to her mind? ¡°Gaston, I need that. Come here.¡± Thump thump. A man walked in. Nicole knew the man. ¡°The Marquis of Saratov, Gaston?¡± Nicole was dizzy. Gaston was Raul¡¯s archrival during his lifetime. Compared to Raul, he lacked qualifications and brains. Nonetheless, he was appointed to the imperial family for a long period of time, as he belonged to the same seven prestigious families. Exactly so in the past. ¡®How could she? It hasn¡¯t been a long time since Raul¡¯s passing.¡¯ Gaston was impeached by Raul after he was found to have committed numerous corruption cases and civilian killings. However, considering that he was a noble, he was kicked out and was left to live on a local estate. Rumor has it that Gaston was hiding a large amount of slush funds when he was kicked out. ¡®And that man¡­¡­.¡¯ Gaston¡¯s family, the Saratov family, has long coveted the power and property of the Yveschapel family. So out of spite for Raul¡¯s marriage to Nicole, he attempted to rape Nicole in a secluded garden at a party, but failed. After that, he became an enemy of Raul. ¡°Did you finish your story well?¡± Gaston spoke in a conceited tone. ¡°I was just telling her. Oh, you. I¡¯m right. This operation will succeed. I told you, this way, you would definitely be able to return to the capital.¡± Isabel made a sweet face and naturally leaned into Gaston¡¯s arm and hugged him. ¡°Raul, that son of a gun, loved that poor woman, so our plan definitely worked. When I first heard it, I thought you were out of your mind.¡± ¡°Fufu, I¡¯m not wrong. You and I, as descendants of the Yveschapel family, combined, will surely enjoy power as much as Grand Duke Valentine. The Imperial family will eventually have to accept it. When Grand Duke Valentine died, there were only a few talented people from the seven major families left.¡± When she saw Gaston¡¯s face, Nicole could no longer deny reality. ¡®Then it¡¯s really¡­ Raul, he died for me?¡¯ She remembered him acting rather rough in bed. When she cut her body, he licked her blood and bit her¡­¡­. ¡®He tried to take all the poison from the beginning.¡¯ With a proud look, Isabel looked at Nicole¡¯s crazed expression. ¡°You¡¯re such a fool. Do you want me to tell you the truth about that day?¡± At the coming of age festival for the youngest princess. It was the peak of the ball. The young Princess Celia, who had long had a crush on Raul, had a red face. This is because Raul disappeared even before she hinted at their engagement. ¡´Grand Duke!¡µ Then there was a man blocking Raul. ¡´How did you get here? If you bother me again, I¡¯ll cut your throat this time.¡µ When he saw Isabel standing with a shy expression, Raul¡¯s expression changed. ¡´Is it true that the Imperial family said that they would exempt the Yveschapel family on condition of the marriage of Princess Celia and the Grand Duke?¡µ ¡´Even so, it doesn¡¯t matter to you. I married you off according to your sister¡¯s wish which made you irrelevant to the Yveschapel family.¡µ Isabel blinked. ¡´But¡­¡­. If the Yveschapel family is no longer considered traitors, will the world see them differently? A fragile person like her may not be able to live after divorce.¡µ ¡´Get out of the way.¡µ As if to be bothered, he walked in defiance of Isabel. ¡´Are you heading home early for your wife? But she said she didn¡¯t even want to talk to the Grand Duke. Grand Duke, Grand Duke¡­¡­.¡µ What Raul discovered was a letter tied to his saddle. Raul¡¯s expression changed when he saw the letter. ?©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥???©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥? ¡°He was informed by letter that you were planning to drink poison and assassinate the Great Duke that night. He was given a detailed formula to see how the poison of the night works. I thought the Grand Duke would understand the poison quickly because he was well versed in various poisons.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Raul received a letter. The letter would have stated that Nicole had been poisoned and that he had to drink her blood and saliva and sleep with her to detoxify the poison. ¡®I see. The poison of the night is a secret handed down only to our family. There was a reason Raul knew about the poison.¡¯ That night the mansion was empty and Nicole remained alone waiting for him. If he came home even a little later, Nicole would have been poisoned to death. When Nicole realized it, tears flowed down her cheeks. ¡°Oh, oh, oh¡­¡± Her stupidity and hatred killed her husband. On the spur of the moment ¡°Don¡¯t be so sad, sister. I¡¯ve always appreciated your dedication. But you know, I did work for our family. If I hadn¡¯t reported us, we would have died living as a hermit, unknown to the world. It¡¯s weird to die there with our family for the rest of my life.¡± ¡°This whole thing was your plan. Yes, it was.¡± Isabel raised her eyebrows when she heard Nicole¡¯s empty voice. ¡°No, how many times do I have to tell you? I wouldn¡¯t have made such a stupid plan. I wanted to be the Grand Duchess. Anyway, I¡­ I knew Raul was hopeless, so I had to decide. Now I¡¯m determined to make my own fortune with my own hands. We¡¯re on the same wavelength.¡± Isabel said, looking pleased at Gaston. ¡°Do you think Gaston will keep his promise to you? Gaston just wants a woman from the YvesChapel family. Besides, you have a husband.¡± Gaston was also known for being a womanizer, as he caused several violent incidents. ¡°Oh, my husband. Yes, if my husband is still alive?¡± Nicole was silent for a moment at Isabel¡¯s words. ¡°Ah, he¡¯s addicted to hallucinogens. I¡¯ve fed him for a long time. You know, I¡¯m skilled with drugs.¡± Drugs? At that moment, Nicole realized something. ¡°You, the neurotic drug you prescribed me¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Did you notice that now? It¡¯s a medicine that relaxes your mind if you take it for a long time.¡± Isabel smiled when she looked at Gaston. ¡°You¡¯re a fool. If I die, you¡¯ll no longer be the sister of the Grand Duchess. You will be nothing more than the blood of a traitor. You can never be a lady.¡± Nicole snapped back. ¡°Who said I¡¯d be a Grand Duchess with my status now? I¡¯ll buy a new identity soon. I¡¯ll die with my husband. Besides, I¡¯m a woman who can help Gaston¡¯s future. Men value such a woman.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right. A useful woman like you should be treated like a treasure. I got rid of Raul like a thorn in the side.¡± The two giggled at each other lovingly. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you one more interesting fact. Do you know how Gaston survived? The Imperial family wanted to get rid of you, Nicole. They¡¯ve found a way to charge you with treason several times. That¡¯s when Raul negotiated with the Imperial family. For saving you, he¡¯ll save Gaston.¡± The Saratov family, unlike the other seven families, was the second generation of imperial servants. In other words, they served for a considerable period of time as a close aide to the Imperial family and were responsible for managing the household¡¯s messy affairs. So even in the imperial family, they couldn¡¯t throw away Gaston at all. In addition, the Imperial family always used Gaston as a checker for Raul, so they wanted to save Gaston just in case. ¡°By the way, it¡¯s quite a waste. Given Raul¡¯s death, I guess you were lonely at night? As expected, I should have raped you that night.¡± Gaston looked at Nicole and said regretfully. ¡°What are you saying in front of me?¡± Isabel pinched Gaston¡¯s arm. Gaston smirked. Isabel last spoke to Nicole. ¡°Sister, remember that. Life is about getting what you want at the expense of others. Stupid father and mother gave birth to me so beautifully for a reason. So that I can stand on top of others.¡± Isabel laughed cheerfully. ¡°There is a card game that says the only thing that can catch the king is a clown. I didn¡¯t know I¡¯d use my stupid, insignificant sister like a clown to kill the hateful man who rejected me¡­¡­.¡± Isabel¡¯s eyes were full of obsession, love, and hatred. ¡°Isabel, can I do it now?¡± Gaston said. ¡°Yes, go ahead.¡± Upon hearing Isabel¡¯s answer, Gaston took out a key from the bag in his waistband. Then he entered the prison without hesitation. ¡°She¡¯s stubborn, so you can hit her.¡± ¡°Heup, eup!¡± Gaston crushed Nicole¡¯s body on the floor. He covered her mouth and strangled her. ¡°Keuk! keuck!¡± Nicole resisted by swinging her arms and legs. However, when she came to her senses, she already had the potion in her mouth. ¡°It¡¯s a medicine that makes you dumb. You shouldn¡¯t talk nonsense.¡± Then Gaston covered Nicole¡¯s nose with his big hand. In the end, Nicole almost suffocated and was about to die, swallowing all the medicine. ¡°Ugh! Cough, cough.¡± Gaston threw Nicole down on the floor. ¡°I¡¯m going now.¡± Gaston looked down at Nicole with pride. Isabel waved to Nicole. ¡°Bye, sister.¡± Squeak. The prison door is closed. ¡°How heartbroken would Grand Duke Valentine be, who worked hard to save Sister, to see this? Isn¡¯t that right?¡± She heard Isabel laughing. ¡°Uhu, eu, euhp!¡± Her throat was burning. Her head thundered. Most likely, the medicine¡¯s effects were to blame. But still, Nicole reached out to Isabel in tears. But her hateful fingertips grasped nothing. It was only able to reach through the iron bars. ? advanced chapters available here ? Chapter 8 Waaaaaaaah! She hears people crying. ¡°Kill the witch, execute her!¡± ¡°The Devil who killed the Grand Duke! The daughter of a traitor!¡± The rotten food hit Nicole on the head. Nicole was walking through the crowd in a ragged form. The public execution today was meant to console the people over the death of Grand Duke Valentine, a beloved figure to the people. ¡®It¡¯s all because of my stupidity.¡¯ Her body swelled with wounds and her mute tongue caused derision from the public. But now she couldn¡¯t hear or see anything. There was no pain or shame. ¡°Break her arms and legs first and then hang her!¡± Someone shouted in excitement. She stood before the execution table. Then the executioner, wearing a hood, whispered. ¡°The Grand Duke¡¯s coffin will soon pass through here.¡± Nicole turned her head with a startled face. It was a familiar voice. It was the knight close to Raul, Bastard. His black eyes, mixed with Eastern blood, were already familiar. ¡®Raul¡¯s coffin will pass through here?¡¯ The guard¡¯s words came to mind. In order to show Nicole¡¯s death to Raul¡¯s body and to relieve his resentment, he said they will deliberately start the procession of the coffin in front of the execution site. ¡°When his coffin appears, people will pay attention to it. Throw yourself through the crowd then. Our people are waiting down there.¡± But the mute Nicole couldn¡¯t answer. Instead, she made a sign that she understood with a wink. ¡°He¨C he always prepared for his assassination. That he may die of such an ugly poison.¡± There was a faint hatred for Nicole in Bastard¡¯s voice. ¡°Here comes the Grand Duke!¡± Nicole tilted her head long. In the dim view, she could see an open carriage pulled by six white horses. It was loaded with a transparent crystal coffin. As the coffin passed through the crowd, some sobbed, and others shouted in maddened voices. ¡°Execution! Execute!¡± ¡°Kill the wicked woman!¡± It was that moment. Bang! There was an explosion in the distance. ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh¡±! ¡°What is this?!¡± People screamed in an instant. The look of people running around, scared¡­¡­. It was planned by Raul¡¯s aides. Bastard quickly cut Nicole¡¯s hand off the rope. In a moment, Nicole drew a dagger from Bastard¡¯s waist. Then she jumped into the crowd as Bastard told her to. The carriage made its way steadily towards the execution site. Hihihing! The horse jumped in fright. Her wounded leg felt like it was broken. Nicole was lucky to settle on Raul¡¯s coffin. ¡®I must have broken my leg.¡¯ There was a thud. But Nicole didn¡¯t budge. The crystal coffin had no lid. Raul was surrounded by lilies. ¡®I see your face properly now only after you die.¡¯ Raul¡¯s body was pale. He also looked calm as if he was asleep. In a very short moment, in a few seconds. Nicole caressed Raul¡¯s face. ¡®Why did you die for me?¡¯ But now she doesn¡¯t even have time to worry about it. ¡®As you said, if we meet in the same hell one day, I¡¯ll get an answer.¡¯ Nicole closed her eyes. ¡°What are you doing?¡± Then one of the knights around the carriage shouted. Nicole was holding the small dagger from Bastard¡¯s waist as soon as she jumped. Looking at Raul¡¯s beautiful face, Nicole cut her throat at once. Nicole¡¯s blood was scattered over the white flowers that wrapped his body. Nicole covered herself over him. Her eyes closed slowly. Nicole¡¯s lips, as she closed her eyes, were filled with a faint smile. Bung, bong! This time, another explosion occurred in the opposite direction. It has been a long time since the knights who guarded Raul¡¯s coffin fled after leaving their swords. The explosion occurred near the river near the capital. There were no casualties because of that. The only person who died that day was Nicole, who was on death row. When people looked into Raul¡¯s coffin again, what they found was Nicole¡¯s body, with her eyes closed, dead in Raul¡¯s coffin. Wiggle. Then Raul¡¯s fingertips moved. Raul¡¯s eyelashes fluttered faintly. ¡®I left a will that you must save the Grand Duchess first.¡¯ Even Bastard, who had a frustrated look as he stood in the crowd, did not know the minute changes in Raul¡¯s body. ?Nicole. Just because you don¡¯t have healing power doesn¡¯t mean you lack ability.? Mother caressed six-year-old Nicole¡¯s hair and whispered. ?In fact, the ability you possess is the most superior ability of the Yveschapel family.? ?What ability do I have?? ?You can resurrect only one person in your life and die in their place. But it shouldn¡¯t be longer than a week after that person passed away. And it should not be someone who passed away of illness. It has to be someone who died in an accident.? ?I can sacrifice my life for someone and die instead?? ?Yes. A lot of people from different families studied that ability, but they couldn¡¯t learn anything.? ?How can I use that ability?? ?If you want to save someone, you must cut your own neck, then a transparent bead will emerge from your body. But you have to be willing to sacrifice your life for that person with all your heart. If you feed it to that person, you can give them your life instead. But it¡¯s a coveted ability¡­¡­ In ancient times, people in our family were used and threatened by others. So don¡¯t ever get caught.? Just before the execution ceremony, Nicole somehow recalled the memory. And when an unexpected opportunity came, she didn¡¯t miss it and got the dagger. ¡®That¡¯s true. Mother was right.¡¯ At the moment of her death, Nicole put the transparent bead from her body into Raul¡¯s mouth with all her might. ¡®Thank God I could save you and die.¡¯ It was an ability she¡¯d never seen with her own eyes. A mere verbal miracle But somehow she thinks she¡¯ll succeed. That was Nicole¡¯s gut feeling. She was so sure in the midst of a blur. ¡®Though it was not the most perfect sacrifice¡­¡­. But if it¡¯s you, you¡¯ll survive well enough on your own. Because you were a hell of a thorough and capable man.¡¯ Nicole thought unconsciously. Nicole always considered death a redemption. Indeed, she was right. It¡¯s very peaceful right now. ¡®Is this what death is? I feel at ease¡­¡­. It¡¯s warm¡­.¡¯ *** Chirp chirping. It tickles. Nicole tossed and turned with a strange feeling. The warm sun tickled her body. Swaying in the wind, the dry laundry made a pleasant sound outside. She could also hear a boy and a girl talking. ¡°Is this heaven?¡± Nicole opened her eyes slowly. She saw a familiar stain on the ceiling. ¡°Sister!¡± Then someone stuck their face up to Nicole. ¡°¡­¡­¡­Jay?¡± Nicole managed to spit it out after a few seconds. ¡°Yes? Are you awake?¡± ¡°You¡¯re really¡­ Jay, you¡¯re alive, right?¡± ¡°Of course, what¡¯s wrong?¡± Jay waved his hand in Nicole¡¯s face. Nicole grabbed his hand. She tried to move her hand. It was a bit rough because she did a lot of housework, but it was definitely her hand. ¡®I¡¯m alive?¡¯ She wasn¡¯t just alive either. Nicole went back to the time she lost. She came back to the past. ¡®God, thank you.¡¯ She can¡¯t believe it¡¯s not just her, but Jay is still alive! Nicole hugged Jay without realizing it. ¡°Sister, did you have a dream? Do you happen to have a headache? Do you want me to bring Isabel?¡± The name Isabel made Nicole stiff as if he had poured cold water on her. ¡®If this is our house, and I came back to the past long before I died¡­¡­.¡¯ Then, of course, Isabel is here. The devil lurking among this family, that Isabel (t/n: my mind is blown, that was a roller coaster of emotions, i wasn¡¯t expecting that!!!!) ? advanced chapters available here ? Chapter 9 *** Nicole slowly rose up, leaving Jay¡¯s suspicious gaze behind. Then she approached the door. She remembered. Around this time, Nicole had a habit of opening windows and doors, smoking a special scent made by Isabel and taking a nap to chase away the bugs. Nicole was in charge of the housework because Freya was weak and always sick. Jay also helped a lot with her work, but he was still not very skilled at it. ¡®Father¡­ went down to the city to work. Then¡­ Raul came in and dragged us away.¡¯ She always moved busily from dawn to night, and this short nap was her only break. ?©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥???©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥©¥? Where¡¯s Mother? What about Isabel? Nicole hurried down the stairs. There was her parents¡¯ room on the first floor. ¡°Mother, I have a question.¡± Nicole, who had just opened the door, paused. Isabel¡¯s voice was heard through the open door as she spoke cutely to their mother, Freya. ¡°Mother never told Isabel what our real identities were. But Isabel is curious about it. Sister isn¡¯t, but you, Isabel, and Jay are all healers. It¡¯s obvious we¡¯re from a special lineage, right? Are we really a noble?¡± Nicole got goosebumps on the back of her hand holding the doorknob. Nicole judged momentarily. ¡®At this point, Isabel doesn¡¯t know that we were originally nobles. The history of the YvesChapel family.¡¯ Isabel must have started to develop ambition when she learned the secret of the family and the arranged engagement with the Grand Duke. Nicole judged momentarily. ¡°You keep asking me that. Are you really curious? What if you¡¯re disappointed?¡± ¡°But I¡¯m so lonely. Here in the deep mountains there is no one to meet and Isable live the same way all the time. I think I¡¯ll feel at least comforted if I know the truth. Yes? Mother, please.¡± (t/n: Isabel is referring to herself by her name, as she¡¯s acting cute) Nicole breathed in. Freya is already ill at this point. And yet she continues to insist on sick Freya? Nicole opened the door without hesitation. Freya was sitting in an armchair. Isabel clung to Freya¡¯s side and was acting cute with her cheeks on her knees. Isabel raised her head. She looked at Nicole with her clear blue eyes, slowly ¡°Sister, are you here?¡± She¡¯s beautiful. Like an angel. For a moment, Nicole couldn¡¯t control her expression. She barely suppressed her heart. ¡®You who caused Father to commit suicide, and caused the misfortune of our family.¡¯ ¡®You are clinging to Mother like that?¡¯ It¡¯s like a dream, but it certainly happened. If Nicole hadn¡¯t experienced it, she would never have known the truth. Nicole did not answer Isabel for now. Just quietly turned to Freya. ¡°Mother, are you okay?¡± ¡°Of course, Nicole.¡± Freya smiled with a sickly face. The sight made Nicole¡¯s heart ache even more. ¡°You¡¯re busy doing housework because your mom is sick, right? I¡¯m so sorry¡­¡­.¡± But for a moment, Freya¡¯s face was quickly filled with regret. ¡°It¡¯s okay. I did the laundry in the morning. I baked bread early in the morning. If Jay peels the potatoes, we can have a stew for dinner. So don¡¯t worry. But Isabel, what were you doing here?¡± Nicole asked calmly. Nicole was relieved to hear a more natural voice than expected. ¡°Isabel was reading a book to me. I got my new medication tested. She made new cosmetics to sell in the village to raise money for the winter.¡± ¡°Really?¡± Freya had a great knowledge of pharmacy. All of her siblings studied medicine. Among them, growing herbs that have been passed down within the family was also included. ¡°Well, Isabel is not done talking to Mother yet.¡± Isabel said innocently. But she gave me a hint. ¡°I haven¡¯t been able to spend time with Mother because I¡¯ve been busy lately. You¡¯ve been staying with Mother from morning till night lately. So sometimes I¡¯ll take care of Mother.¡± Isabel¡¯s expression changed for a moment. ¡®Mother almost told me the secret of the family.¡¯ She looked as if she was thinking about that. But it was only for a moment. ¡°Oh, Mother, you said you were hungry earlier, right? These days, Isabel enjoys the bread baked by Sister the most. You know, the one that you put acacia honey on the surface? The one that Father worked hard to get last year¡ª¡± Isabel showed her charm. She was hoping Nicole will bring her the bread. ¡°Then would you like to go and put some bread in the basket? Take care of Jay, too. And I¡¯m planning to make a vegetable stew for dinner, and I¡¯d like you to cut the prepared vegetables.¡± Nicole answered calmly. ¡°¡­¡­¡­ Huh?¡± Isabel seemed perplexed when she heard her. Isabel did not know how to do housework, so she used to break dishes or waste precious ingredients. So Nicole eventually didn¡¯t let her do anything because her sister, who was full of mistakes, was adorable. In the end, she volunteered to do harsh housework and took it on her own. ¡®Now that I see it, this is also your skill. You don¡¯t do anything and you push people around you. Your skill at manipulating the situation is remarkable, Isabel.¡¯ And it was Nicole who was manipulated by Isabel the most more than anyone else. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Isabel?¡± ¡°But¡­ Sister told me not to go into the kitchen. Isabel is not skilled at preparing ingredients¡­¡­. I can¡¯t hurt my hand when I have to make medicine while cutting¡­¡­.¡± The YvesChapel family is destroyed. And at this time, Nicole and Isabel didn¡¯t even know what their origins were. But their mother, Freya, educated her children about herbs and insects used in pharmacology. ¡°Isabel, don¡¯t you have to cut herbs to make medicine? It doesn¡¯t make sense that you, who are good at handling delicate herbs, can¡¯t even trim vegetables or meat. That must be a matter of mindset.¡± ¡°Sister¡­¡± Isabel tried to say something. But Nicole continued in a soft tone and interrupted Isabel. ¡°Until now, I left you alone because you seemed so busy and not interested in kitchen work. But¡­ In the fall, there will be more crops to harvest in the garden. Jay takes care of the garden and does all the rough work in the house by himself. I¡¯m also busy with kitchen work from morning to evening and cleaning. So I think it¡¯s right to share the work now.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If you do it again tomorrow and again the day after tomorrow, Isabel will be able to do light errands well someday. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°Ah, yes.¡± ¡°You know how to put bread in a pretty way so that it doesn¡¯t get crushed, Isabel? Let¡¯s start with that first.¡± Eudeuk At that moment, Nicole saw Isabel¡¯s eyes flash once. But it was fleeting. For a moment, she wondered if she had misunderstood. ¡°All right, sister!¡± Eventually, Isabel got up from her seat. ¡°Isabel will do well. Right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± ¡°By the way, what¡¯s going on, sister?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t really talk about things like this¡­¡­. So it¡¯s a a bit unfamiliar.¡± ¡°¡­¡­It was when I was young that I was educated to kill my emotions. But not anymore.¡± Nicole answered calmly. Isabel nodded once and walked out humming. ¡®Your mask may not be as thick as you think.¡¯ Isabel¡¯s very nature was very impressive to Nicole. To the point where she wants to pull down her mask of laughter and show it to her family right away. ¡°Nicole?¡± Freya said. ¡°You look like a different person today. Are you alright?¡± ¡°Am I like that?¡± ¡°You always looked past Isabel¡¯s childishness. It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen you be tough on her.¡± ¡°I made Isabel run an errand¡­¡­ Was it too much?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true. Isabel is such a fragile child. I¡¯m ashamed, but so am I. I wanted to educate her so that she could experience all the rough and difficult things. But before that time came, this mother of yours got sick.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Nicole looked at Freya quietly. ¡®My mother is smaller than I remember¡­¡­ She¡¯s so thin.¡¯ When she lived as the Grand Duchess, I remembered this place as a paradise¡­¡­. However, the truth is, Nicole was burned out during her mother¡¯s lifetime. It was largely due to her mother raising her as the first child, more strictly than necessary. ¡®There¡¯s a saying that for parents, their first child is a failure.¡¯ As she later found out, Freya was pregnant with Nicole when she was on the run to escape the imperial family. Immediately after the birth of Nicole, she wandered around and lived in hiding. Freya was always worried and afraid of losing her child. In addition, Freya came from a ¡°competent¡± family of great nobility. Children in a talented family learn to kill and control emotions from an early age. So as soon as Freya gave birth to Nicole, she educated her as she grew up. ¡´Press this counter when you feel emotional, happy, or overjoyed. So that you can¡¯t think of anything.¡µ Click, click. ¡´You shouldn¡¯t cry or laugh. You shouldn¡¯t even express it. All the people who cause you to change your emotions are bad people except for your family. It¡¯s dangerous out there, Nicole. You have to hide your feelings to survive.¡µ ¡®¡­¡­yes, I still remember it sometimes.¡¯ Nicole thought calmly. ¡®At that time, that would have been the best thing for Mother¡­¡­.¡¯ Freya feared that Nicole would grow up curious about the outside world and want to run away. So she taught her to erase her emotions, and to control them thoroughly. Soon Isabel was born and they built a nest in this mountain. ¡®But Isabel¡¯s growing up¡­¡­ As we settled down, everything changed.¡¯ Isabel was the second child. ¡´Mother, I love you!¡µ But she¡¯s¡­¡­. She was too lovely to raise strictly like Nicole. Cute, bright, always smiling. In everything she did, she acted strangely and prettily. By then, Freya¡¯s paranoia, which restrained and wrapped her child, had also been cured. No matter how much training was given to her to kill emotions, Isabel acted cute or said she loved her. ¡®What melted this frozen home¡­¡­ It¡¯s Isabel.¡¯ They taught their children not to come into contact with people and not to step out of the house. But Isabel and Jay weren¡¯t taught as hard as Nicole was. Before she knew it, the family became happy, and only Nicole, who grew up under control of her emotions, was left with a gloomy side. ¡®So I¡¯ve always blamed my mother¡­¡­.¡¯ Freya felt sorry for Nicole, but it was not easy to open up. The relationship between the mother and daughter gradually grew awkward. Nicole poured all her love into Isabel instead, who is like sunshine. ¡®I can understand my mother a bit better now.¡¯ Mother wasn¡¯t necessarily right. However, Nicole, who had experienced the world once, could now know. She was imperfect, but that doesn¡¯t mean she doesn¡¯t love her. Mother did her best and was just clumsy. ? advanced chapters available here ? Chapter 10 After Freya died, Nicole missed her very much. After a very long time, she envied even a ray of sunlight shared by Freya and Isabel. ¡°Don¡¯t say that. I should stay. Mother¡¯s health is not well.¡± Nicole sat next to Freya. ¡°You always worry about our family. So do I. I always rely on you because you¡¯re the eldest daughter.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Mother.¡± ¡°Jay is young, but he is a boy, so he will get through the world well, and Isabel is immature but lucky. But you always keep your heart where your mouth is. That¡¯s why I¡¯m always worried. It may seem brazen of me to worry about this, but¡­¡­.¡± Nicole almost burst into tears. ¡®You¡¯re right, Mother¡¯s right. I can¡¯t resist my destiny. After all, even Jay, no. No one in this family can protect me. Eventually, Isabel takes my everything.¡¯ At this time, Father had a hard time taking Freya to the doctor. And the doctor said Freya¡¯s days were numbered. Since I went back in time, I guess I turned back time. It¡¯s a miracle. But¡­¡­ but there¡¯s nothing I can do about a sick person.¡¯ Their family had the gift of healing. But they could only cure an injured person. A disease that spread throughout the body is incurable. ¡®Even healers can¡¯t cure natural diseases. I¡­ do I have to experience my mother¡¯s death twice?¡¯ But this life will be different. We¡¯ll be together until Freya closes her eyes. ¡°I¡¯ve never blamed Mother. Sometimes I complained that I wanted to go down to the village. But I didn¡¯t mean it. This little world we live in, what a peaceful place our home is. I know how difficult it was for Mother to teach us, dress us well, and feed us while living in hiding.¡± ¡°Nicole?¡± Freya opened her eyes wide. It was the first time Nicole had spoken so truthfully to Freya. ¡°You¡¯ve never been down to town. How do you know about the world¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I secretly read a book that Father had hidden.¡± Nicole said humbly. Her parents collected quite a few books they needed despite their difficult lives, but hid things that were too secular, to protect their children. Most of them were books about learning or fairy tales. But Nicole knew that. In fact, she was talking about what she read in her last life. ¡°¡­¡­.I see.¡± ¡°And Father sometimes goes down to the village and buys things. He tried to take us with him once or twice. Mother was absolutely against it.¡± Nicole said quietly. ¡°There must be a reason why you want to hide us so much. Maybe we could¡­ Are you being chased by someone? For example, a very high-ranking person or the royal family?¡± Freya breathed in. She looked at Nicole with a sorrowful expression. ¡°Everyone in the family says Isabel is smart. But I know you¡¯re as smart as Isabel. You¡¯ve noticed it.¡± ¡°What did you tell Isabel?¡± Nicole¡¯s voice changed. ¡°No, nothing yet. But now that you¡¯ve noticed it so far, I can¡¯t hide it from you anymore.¡± Freya, in a very small, weak voice, told the truth that Nicole already knew. Including the fact that the Yveschapel family is a rebel family, and Freya fled. ¡°Treason is a system of association. If you¡¯re taken, maybe¡­¡­ You¡¯ll be killed or enslaved.¡± ¡°I read about the history of the empire in a book. There is no slave status in the empire, but traitors and their descendants are the exception.¡± Freya sighed softly and said to Nicole. ¡°Right, listen to me from now on, Nicole. The biggest reason we live in hiding like this is for you.¡± ¡°Me?¡± Freya opened up about the marriage treaty with the Grand Duke of Valentine. ¡°I don¡¯t understand, Mother. How can the eldest daughter of the Grand Duke and a traitor be married?¡± ¡°Just thinking about it makes me shudder. That¡¯s because the Valentine family and the Imperial family covet the healing power of our family.¡± ¡°I mean¡­ Are you saying that they want to breed us like livestock?¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised you understand that far. The Valentine family is planning to have children with the Yveschapel family to bear children with healing abilities.¡± Freya coughed. When Nicole leaned down to help her, she shook her head to show that she was okay. ¡°I want to tell you everything about my family when I¡¯m even a little healthy. Nicole, listen.¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes.¡± ¡°The Yveschapel family is famous as a family of healers. They can heal an injured person and also show healing power that has pain-relieving effects¡­¡­. However, it is just a kind of ability that is manifested among the people of our family.¡± Healing power was the flower of the Yveschapel family¡¯s ability. But there were other unknown abilities. ¡®I have the ability to sacrifice myself to give life to others only once in my lifetime.¡­.¡¯ ¡°Raising poisonous insects and herbs for medicinal purposes is also a special ability of our family.¡± ¡°Nicole, you don¡¯t have healing power, but you have the ability to grow herbs better than others. However, detailed abilities are unknown because the Yveschapel family has long concealed their abilities. In the end, the Imperial family¡­¡­.¡± ¡°In the end, you mean that the imperial family only wants the healing power of our family.¡± ¡°Yes, so when they find our family¡­¡­. They¡¯ll ¡®take¡¯ the eldest daughter. If they kill you, Isabel, who has healing powers, becomes the eldest daughter¡± ¡°¡­¡­the moment I get caught, I¡¯ll be killed.¡± Nicole now knows what will happen in the future. The Grand Duke of Valentine, Raul, does not kill Nicole. From his point of view, he made Nicole his wife despite the fact that she is useless. ¡®Why did he choose me instead of Isabel, who had healing abilities?¡¯ Nicole had no idea what Raul was up to. ¡®I want to know you.¡¯ Nicole suddenly bit her lip. But that¡¯s a wrong feeling. Nicole should never be Raul¡¯s wife in this life. She couldn¡¯t repeat that kind of relationship. ¡°Nicole, are you okay? Were you surprised?¡± ¡°I was a little surprised because it was different from what I initially thought, but¡­¡­ It¡¯s all right. Anyway¡­¡­ Mother, Isabel¡¯s better off not knowing this whole thing.¡± ¡°I think Isabel should know someday. It¡¯s a little early now.¡± Nicole bit her lips. ?It¡¯s all because of you.? Isabel in her previous life had been blaming Nicole for a very long time. ¡®What if instead of me, Isabel had heard the family secret from Freya today?¡¯ ?For us to survive. Most of all, we have to live in hiding to protect Nicole.? Freya would have said something like this, but Isabel would have twisted it. ?Because of Nicole, we live in hiding. Nicole is the reason we can¡¯t afford to live freely.? ¡®Yes, I¡¯m sure Isabel will take it that way.¡¯ It was not until she died in her first life that Nicole knew Isabel¡¯s true self. Since she knew her, she could predict her way of thinking. So Nicole could see through Isabel¡¯s mind by thinking calmly. ¡°What if Isabel gets caught up in a false dream after hearing about the marriage agreement with the Grand Duke? I¡¯m a little older now so I understand Mother¡¯s story. If we are sent to the Grand Duke, we will be raised less than pigs, and it will be our grave at the same time. But she¡¯s still young and has no sense.¡± ¡°No way. Isabel is such a kind girl.¡± ¡°The nicer a person is, the more innocent she is. I¡¯m afraid she¡¯ll get hurt. Knowing the whole truth, she might be curious and do something crazy.¡± Freya was convinced by that. ¡°I understand. Nicole, I¡¯ll do as you say. Anyway, I feel at ease after telling you the truth. Even if I go first, you can tell the truth to your siblings. I¡¯ll leave those things up to you now.¡± ¡°Just think about being healthy as soon as possible. I¡¯ll do my best to take care of Mother.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t push yourself too hard. I¡¯m fine, so take care of yourself.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t overdo it. And¡­ it¡¯s not difficult at all.¡± Nicole spoke truthfully. Nicole was terrible at everything in her last life. ¡®At this time, I was so scared of Mother passing away. I couldn¡¯t express my feelings honestly to Mother, so I had a lot of regrets.¡¯ Nicole has always been sincere and quiet, but that¡¯s all. She didn¡¯t know how to express her feelings and couldn¡¯t communicate with others skillfully. So she always caused misunderstandings. She was completely the opposite of Isabel, who communicated well with others. ¡®Maybe someone gave me another chance.¡¯ One more chance to say goodbye to her Mother and let her go. ¡°Nicole, if I die, please take care of your younger siblings. Don¡¯t have a bad heart and just think about protecting yourself and your brothers.¡± ¡°Mother¡­¡± Tears welled up in Nicole¡¯s eyes. ¡°My daughter. Don¡¯t cry. Since you were young, I always put pressure on you because I lacked as your mother.¡± ¡°No, you¡¯re not.¡± Nicole wiped away her tears. ¡°Mother, I didn¡¯t have a chance to meet other people. My family always knew how I felt, no matter what I did. So I always wanted to settle down in this world and thought it was happiness¡­¡­. But now I know it¡¯s not.¡± Nicole now knows that there is a world outside the mountains. It was a dangerous, chaotic world outside. But now there is no turning back. Some of Isabel¡¯s words were true. ?Isn¡¯t it weird that we¡¯re hiding like a rat forever with our family!? ¡°And¡­ even if it¡¯s your family, sometimes you have to tell them your true feelings.¡± ¡°Nicole¡­¡± Something about Nicole has changed. Is it possible to grow like this overnight? Freya didn¡¯t know what to say. ¡°No matter what bloodline I was born into or what life we were given, I¡¯ve never blamed Mother. I was really happy to be your daughter, and it¡¯s the same now. I know you did your best to care for us. Mother is a great person.¡± Freya¡¯s eyes also shed tears. Regardless of who said it first, the two hugged each other. ¡°I have no regrets in my life now. Because I knew you were such a kind and strong child.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. ¡°I¡¯ll protect my family. By all means.¡± Nicole said to herself as if she was vowing. Read more here Chapter 11 ?? Nicole wiped her tears and came out of the room, and someone was standing on one side of the hallway waiting for her. ¡°Isabel?¡± Nicole¡¯s expression was slightly distorted. Isabel blinked innocently. ¡°Did you cry?¡± ¡°¡­¡­it¡¯s not a big deal. Why are you here?¡± ¡°It¡¯s past Isabel¡¯s snack time, but you¡¯re not coming out of the room. Also, it seems like you¡¯re talking about something, so Isabel doesn¡¯t know what to do¡­¡­.¡± Isabel said sullenly. ¡°What about work?¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I told you to prepare dinner.¡± ¡°There were a lot of vegetables¡­¡­. Are you really telling me to do everything?¡± ¡°If you and I don¡¯t, who will do it? Jay is also very busy because Father is far away.¡± ¡°Sister, are you mad at Isabel?¡± Isabel looked at her and said. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that to Isabel. I¡¯m hungry because I can¡¯t even eat snacks. I want to drink the tea that Sister makes.¡± Nicole even hated Isabel acting cute. ¡®You, the devil, while you¡¯re still young and careless, should be separated from this family.¡¯ Nicole thought. ¡°If you want to eat snacks, you have to work by yourself. The rest of the family are busy all day and you play except for managing a little bit of medicine and trimming herbs.¡± ¡°But I¡¯m hurt.¡± Isabel reached out her hand. She wore a bandage around her thumb. ¡°I cut my hand while cutting¡­¡­. So I couldn¡¯t work.¡± Nicole had a clear view of Isabel¡¯s finger. Naturally, she showed her finger to Nicole so that she would give her tea. ¡°That¡¯s a big deal.¡± Nicole then pretended to be worried. ¡°Come to the kitchen quickly. Let¡¯s take a closer look. Did it hurt a lot?¡± When Nicole seemed weak-hearted as usual, Isabel raised the corners of her mouth and headed to the kitchen. Nicole busily opened the cupboard and looked for something. ¡°Did you say you wanted tea?¡± ¡°Yeah, I think I¡¯ll feel better after a cup of hot tea.¡± ¡°All right.¡± Nicole turned her back. Then, to Isabel¡¯s surprise, her bandaged fingers were sprinkled with white powder. ¡°Oh, sister! What are you doing?¡± cried Isabel in surprise. ¡°Look at the bandage, I think you bled a lot, so I sprayed hemostatic powder. The powder Mother made last year.¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s¡­ It¡¯s itchy The herbal powder was an effective hemostatic agent. The absorption is so good that even if you spray it on top of this bandage, it will reach the wound. If there¡¯s really a wound. The problem is, it¡¯s itchy. If sprayed on uninjured areas, the skin would be itchy enough to make the person tremble. ¡°Isabel, don¡¯t move your body. You have to put up with it.¡± Nicole clenched Isabel¡¯s wrist, which turned white and made only a squeaky sound. It would be frighteningly itchy if there were no wounds. But if she really didn¡¯t wound herself and made a fuss, she¡¯ll find out it¡¯s a fake wound, so Isabel won¡¯t be able to tell. ¡°Our kitchen knife is old and heavy, so it¡¯s easy to get hurt while using it, right?¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­Y, yes.¡± Nicole looked at Isabel calmly. ¡®Now you pretend to have a wound on your finger, but in the future you will pretend to try to kill yourself in front of me.¡¯ The fundamentals of a person do not change. Nicole saw the bandage without sign of blood and immediately noticed that Isabel had lied. ¡°Thank you, sister. Isabel is feeling much better.¡± Isabel barely spoke with a pale face. Nicole wanted to applaud her acting. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re feeling better. Then, let¡¯s take some painkillers. If you take it, your stomach will hurt a little, but it has a very definite effect.¡± Isabel¡¯s complexion has grown strangely pale. Nicole felt a slight triumph. ¡°Then sister, my kitchen work¡­¡­.¡± ¡°You can do it tomorrow. I can¡¯t do all the housework alone. Jay, our youngest, doesn¡¯t have enough time to sleep either.¡± ¡°Then how about taking care of the herbs?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help you in making medicine and preparing the herbs.¡± At this time, Isabel took charge of all the herbal management, and Nicole took charge of the housework. In the long run, it was much more useful to learn more medicine. A year later when she became the Grand Duchess, Nicole, who was so bored, so she studied medicine again at the insincere recommendation of her psychiatrist to look for a pastime. When Nicole was brought to the Grand Duke¡¯s mansion, the property of the Yveschapel family was also confiscated. As a result, books from the Yveschapel family were kept in the Grand Duke¡¯s mansion. Nicole resumed her studies with the help of those books. Fortunately, Nicole has a good memory and vividly remembered what she had studied then. ¡°Isabel¡­ kitchen work is a little¡­¡­.¡± In the end, Isabel hesitated and spoke as if she was troubled. ¡°Mother is very sick. Maybe she doesn¡¯t have much time left. So now you have to be able to do anything for yourself. It¡¯s for you, so don¡¯t be too upset, okay?¡± Isabel had nothing to say, so she just shut her mouth. Nicole felt more at peace when she saw Isabel¡¯s uncomfortable face. ?? The house was quiet throughout the dinner. Isabel glanced at Nicole who was eating and thought. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with Nicole?¡± Tilt. Isabel tilted her head slowly. ¡®She¡¯s not supposed to be like that. What¡¯s wrong with this easy-to-use mammoth? Something has changed. Isabel rolled her eyes. ¡®I have a bad feeling about this. I need to put my plan into action quickly.¡¯ ?? The night came. The night in the forest was very quiet, and there was not even a sound of birds. That night, Nicole sat in her bed, awake. ¡®Today¡­ What date is it?¡¯ But it wasn¡¯t a dream. Her experience of becoming sick and slowly going mad due to the torment of being the Grand Duchess, being tortured and her standing at the execution ground¡­¡­. ¡®It¡¯s all so vivid¡­¡­. It¡¯s as if it just happened yesterday.¡¯ Nicole was sure. She must have come back in time. She doesn¡¯t know exactly what happened. But that¡¯s what her gut told her. ¡®Then if that¡¯s really the case¡­¡­ I don¡¯t have time. Today is July 2nd. Soon Raul will find this house and take us.¡¯ It was only two weeks before Raul arrived at this house. ¡®At least Isabel doesn¡¯t know yet who our family is, so she won¡¯t report our existence to the imperial family.¡¯ There was a report in the ring that Nicole took from Raul before she died in her last life. ¡®The Imperial family decided to exterminate the Yveschapel survivors. However, the Grand Duke first found them and captured them to secure them.¡¯ That was the content of the report. ¡®Then at this point, the royal family wanted to kill all the people in our family and make the marriage invalid. But, how the hell did Raul know about coming here?¡¯ Large cities in each province were lined with knights from the imperial family. They can surround the cabin in a day or two. ¡®That Raul came in person faster than they did¡­¡­ It¡¯s it because he was around here?¡¯ So where is he now? In addition, Isabel¡¯s problem had to be dealt with quickly. ¡®I¡¯ll be treated like a madman if I tell my family to kick Isabel out right now.¡¯ So Nicole had to move cleverly. She had to figure out what Isabel was like and think about how to expose her and separate her from her family. ¡®What would Raul have done?¡¯ For Nicole, Raul was always a distant person, but he was the only one whom she poured out her emotions to aside from her family. He taught her hatred, conspiracy, and more than that. And he was also a man of great ability. ?It¡¯s better to keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Enough to be indistinguishable from love? She overheard Raul talking once. Nicole decided to keep an eye on Isabel for now. ¡°Isabel, are you sleeping?¡± Nicole prepared a quick cup of tea. And knocked on Isabel¡¯s door. It has been a long time since she visited her sister¡¯s room at this time. This is because she worked until late at night and fell asleep right away. ¡®Is there no one in the room?¡¯ Nicole carefully turned the doorknob. Click The door was locked. But Nicole knew how to open the door. This house was almost deserted when they first arrived. So they were the ones who repaired it. Father made a universal key that could open the lock for each room. It was a spare key that looked like an iron skewer. And Father gave Nicole the key just in case before he left the house. Nicole used the key to open the door. While she was at it, she hurriedly brought a lamp to the room. The lamp was a very precious object in the house and there were only three of it there. Squeak Isabel was using the biggest and best room out of all her siblings. ¡®This is a deep forest. It takes more than an hour to walk to the village and there is no light around. But she left at this hour?¡¯ Nicole shuddered. The former Nicole would have worried about Isabel. But now she was more afraid. What the hell is she up to? Since when did she start to sneak away at night? Her parents spent a long time educating her siblings not to go out without permission. For Nicole, sneaking out of the house at night was unimaginable. ¡°Isabel?¡± Nicole whispered into the room. The old floor squeaked and pressed. At that moment, Nicole recalled what Isabel said a long time ago. Want to read ahead? Read more here Chapter 12 ?Isabel, it¡¯s true that Mother was a great pharmacist. But she didn¡¯t teach us how to make an ancient poison or anything like that. How on earth did you learn to make the poison of the night?? ?Sister¡­ Actually, I found a place where Mother hid secret books. I studied the books secretly and studied them under my room, underground. You know, when we lived in an abandoned house. There were secret spaces all over the house. There was such a space in the basement of my room¡­¡­. You didn¡¯t know, did you?? Why did Isabel say it so easily? ¡®It¡¯s best to mix truth and lies properly to deceive others. She was trying to trick me into using the poison of the night.¡¯ Nicole now seemed to be able to understand some of Isabel¡¯s ways of thinking. Nicole felt her hand over the carpet under the bed. Last year, Father managed to buy it by selling herbs at the village market. When she lifted the carpet, she saw a small handle on the floor. ¡®So there¡¯s really a secret space?¡¯ Nicole climbed down the ladder. She could see the inside when she lit the light. The space was larger than she thought and it was organized comfortably. ¡®Forbidden books, and lots of herbs¡­¡­.¡¯ The most surprising thing was not that. ¡®Perfectly organized interior. Isabel cleaned this space herself?¡¯ Isabel was the one who always fell or got hurt just by doing small chores. Nicole was dumbfounded. ¡°What is this silver brooch?¡± By this time they were really poor. They are unable to afford such a thing. There were new laces, brooches and shiny opal rings. They were ostentatiously placed in a small cabinet. In addition, the type of herb hanging there was shocking. ¡®These are all poisonous plants, right? I don¡¯t think it¡¯s been long since this dried.¡¯ Nicole smelled it. Even with her eyes closed, she knew how to distinguish herbs and grasses growing in this mountain. ¡®It¡¯s a white snake grass. Why did she pick so many dangerous herbs?¡¯ Nicole thought as she looked at the herbs hanging in several bundles. It was then. Very quietly, the door was opening. Nicole raised her head. Is Isabel back? ¡®It¡¯s a relief that I put the carpet back in place and closed the door when I came in.¡¯ Nicole reflexively hid herself under the desk. And she turned off the lamp that she brought. Squeak, squeak. Someone was stepping on the floor and coming into the room. Soon Isabel¡¯s cheerful voice rang overhead. ¡°Oh, today is an important day, so I can¡¯t skip this. I have to take it.¡± Nicole stopped breathing. ¡°But it¡¯s weird, huh?¡± Isabel murmured loudly. ¡°Did I leave the door open to the basement? The carpet¨C¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a bit crooked¡± Bulk. Slap. Slap. The urgent sound of footsteps came overhead. Dururek, bureuk. The basement door opened. Isabel turned her head upside down, smiled, and pushed her head into the secret door. Bright light poured in. Isabel¡¯s eyes glistened through the open basement door. ¡°Who is it? Who entered pretty Isabel¡¯s studio like a rat¡ª?¡± Isabel slowly hung the light down. ¡°I have to catch and kill the rat. Isabel is fragile and pretty, but she has a lot of poison.¡± Nicole didn¡¯t budge. Soon Isabel looked up. ¡°Fufu, Isabel is also a joker. Who¡¯s going to come in here? All my family must be sleeping.¡± Isabel then added quietly. ¡°What do those idiots know?¡± Her tone gave Nicole goosebumps on the back of her hand. ¡®That tone is the same as Isabel¡¯s tone that mocked me in prison before I died in my previous life.¡¯ A clear voice with a creepy look that is devoid of innocence. Isabel leaned over the ladder. She grabbed one of the ropes hanging from the ceiling and pulled up a bunch of closely dried white snake grass like a trick. So she held the grass in her arms and took care of it. ¡°Then, I¡¯ll be back.¡± Isabel said to herself. And there was a sound of closing the door. ?? ¡®I need to know what Isabel is up to. Where is she going now?¡¯ Nicole took a moment to go outside. ¡°Footprints.¡± Nicole leaned over. There was a trail of dirt near the doorway. If she goes to the right with her back to the low yard door, there is a deeper forest, and if you go to the left, there is the entrance to the village. Their parents never let them near this road. Needless to say, Isabel would have gone left. ¡®If she didn¡¯t, it can¡¯t be helped. First of all¡­ I should go.¡¯ Nicole began to tiptoe. While walking along the street, Nicole noticed a shaking light in the distance. It was a mana-powered lamp. Isabel, she was walking far away. Fortunately, Nicole moved very quietly. Her lamp was not even on. Thanks to this, she was able to keep Isabel from seeing her. It was not easy to walk stealthily in the dark forest depending only on the light in the distance. It was an experience that she didn¡¯t know if she was following a person or was possessed. ¡®It¡¯s really Isabel, isn¡¯t it?¡¯ Fortunately, there was a dirt road built long ago here, so there was no sound of her footsteps. The light stopped somewhere. Then the clouds cleared and the moon was revealed. She saw Isabel holding a light through the tall trees. ¡®That¡¯s not the way to town, where are we going? It¡¯s a deep forest there. It would be really dangerous.¡¯ Nicole left a moment later and went through tall trees with Isabel. And Nicole was shocked at the sight. ¡°Mansion? In a place like this?¡± It was a two-story farmhouse mansion that appeared as they walked a little after passing through the dense trees. Isabel bent down and felt somewhere in the fence with her hand. Nicole peeped at the process, hiding behind a tree. Isabel grinned and opened the door with the key she found in the gap in the fence and went inside. The door didn¡¯t even open. When Nicole saw Isabel go inside, she carefully followed her in. ¡®Where did she go?¡¯ Then there was a rustling sound. It was at the back of the mansion. Nicole stopped her footsteps and headed there. It wasn¡¯t a person who made the rustling sound. It was the livestock in the barn. Nicole hid behind the barn and looked forward. ¡°Fufu, enjoy your meal. There you go. You eat well. You have to eat well for me to achieve my goal.¡± She whispered It was a very small voice that seemed to be hallucinating. Isabel was throwing something at the cows¡¯ culls as she was grinning. Nicole almost screamed. Looking at it carefully, it was the white snake grass that Isabel packed a bunch of. ¡®Are you feeding the cows at someone else¡¯s house with white snake grass?¡¯ White snake grass was no big deal when people ate it directly. But the problem was the cow that ate the white snake grass. Cows produce milk that is drunk by imperial people the most everyday. However, milk squeezed from cows that ate white snake grass is poisonous. The person who drinks the milk experiences severe stomach aches and headaches. Such constant consumption of contaminated milk can lead to death. It was called the milk of death. ¡®I don¡¯t know who lives in this mansion, but is Isabel trying to kill the people in this mansion?¡¯ Or maybe¡­¡­. Nicole bit her lip. ¡°Hehe, hehe. There¡¯s not much time left.¡± Isabel smiled quietly and left the place excitedly. Nicole came out of her hiding place a long time later. She looked around the mansion. It¡¯s a place that takes about 20 minutes to walk from home. A mansion hidden in the forest at the entrance of the village that takes an hour¡­¡­. ¡°Like a fortress, a secret place hidden among trees. I didn¡¯t know there was a place like this here.¡± Nicole was like in a dream. ¡®I really didn¡¯t know anything.¡¯ Suddenly, thinking about her past life made Nicole feel weird. ¡®Isabel, what the hell are you¡­¡­.¡¯ It was then. Nicole suddenly felt a splitting headache hit her head. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± ?Come on, good sister? Look at this, you idiot. Remember what I say from now on.? A laughing voice ?Hey, what if you really die this time?? ?It¡¯s okay. I want to do it every day if I can. But it¡¯s only possible when the Grand Duke of Valentines is far out. Now, you know who made you like this? Your only brother died. It¡¯s all because of your husband that this pretty Isabel is suffering¡­¡­.? ¡°What? That memory?¡± The leaves of the dark garden rustled. Nicole didn¡¯t even realize that she was walking until a moment later. The wind was blowing. ¡®Where am I?¡¯ And when she came to her senses, Nicole realized she was standing in a dark path. ¡°Ah¡­¡± A light came on from her back. ¡°Was I in a panic just now?¡± It was a very small altar that caught Nicole¡¯s eyes in confusion. Purple flowers were in full bloom around the altar. ¡®Is this¡­ a memorial altar?¡¯ A memorial altar on a white platform The altar was filled with white flowers. Next to it, items such as a small music box, small dolls, and books were placed. ¡®It¡¯s a memorial altar made for a young person who died.¡¯ During the Great Depression, Nicole had seen similar altars. Sometimes she was allowed to go out, so she went to the temple instead, and there was an altar like this set up for a young priest. ¡®Is there anyone in this house who died young?¡¯ Nicole leaned over. ¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± Nicole rose from her seat in surprise. It was a strange voice. Someone was walking in from behind the mansion. Want to read ahead? Read more here Chapter 13 The place where Nicole stood was bright, and the place where the other person stood was dark. So the other person¡¯s face was not visible from her perspective. After a long time, she said while she was standing far away. ¡°Siena, is it you my daughter?¡± Nicole blushed suddenly. At the same time, her body trembled. ¡®Is she the landlord? What should I say?¡¯ She hurried over to see Nicole, who didn¡¯t say anything. ¡®This lady¡­ Who is she? Nicole has never seen her before. She was wearing boots, trousers, and an elegantly cut lady¡¯s jacket. It was as if a noblewoman and a soldier were combined in one, but it was not an awkward look and matched her very well. And in one hand, she had a long rifle. Her stylish and unconventional hair was cut into a short bob. She couldn¡¯t guess her age, and she was more beautiful and elegant than pretty. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t mean to intrude¡­¡­.¡± ¡°No.¡± She looked at Nicole vaguely. A faint disappointment came to her face when she mistook Nicole for someone else. ¡°Just in case. Who are you? Why are you here?¡± ¡°I wandered around the night road and somehow came into this house. I live in a nearby farmhouse.¡± Since childhood, her parents have taught her to pretend to be an ordinary person in a nearby village when she meets people. ¡°Hmm¡­¡± She frowned. ¡°Come in for now. Whether you¡¯re a living person or a ghost. Since you came on such a meaningful day, I should treat you to a cup of tea.¡± A woman living alone in the mountains serves tea to an intruder? Nicole has never seen anyone with this guts. And soon she found out the identity of the woman with nerves of steel. ?? ¡®Stuffed¡­?¡¯ That was the first sight Nicole had ever seen inside the house. Unlike the shabby exterior, the house was very well decorated. The wallpaper was turquoise with golden decorations. And the tableware on the fireplace decorated with gold frames were all used by the capital nobles. But the most impressive thing was the stuffed animal filling the living room. The most vivid thing that looked like a bird that seemed to have just been caught. It was a male bird that burned incense so that the insect wouldn¡¯t get tangled. ¡°Hunting must be your hobby.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. I enjoy hunting at night. Precious birds are easy to catch at night.¡± Nicole was horrified at the thought that if she had done something wrong, she would have been the victim of the rifle she was carrying. ¡°Usually, people don¡¯t think I caught them.¡± ¡°The gun you¡¯re holding seems to be a precious object.¡± Nicole knew about the gun when she looked at it. It was said that it could only be used by chosen people throughout the entire empire. ¡®My husband from my past life¡­¡­ Raul had two of them.¡¯ What Raul had was similar in shape to that. It is said that the shotgun is not very lethal, but it is silent and can cause injury superficially. The stuffed animal was flawless so it might have been caught with a shotgun. The same was true of birds. ¡°You¡¯re a quick-witted kid.¡± She offered a seat before Nicole said anything. And poured warm tea. ¡°How did you get into this house?¡± ¡°The entrance¡­ ¡­was open.¡± The smell of warm bergamot heated the room. Nicole stared at the teacup. It was an obvious lie. Nicole took a look in her eyes. ¡°Well, yes. Sometimes I forget to lock the door. Because there are no people living in a place like this.¡± Fortunately, she seemed to move on without much thought. ¡°My name is Grace.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you. Madam.¡± Nicole spoke cautiously. ¡°I didn¡¯t touch anything in the house. I just looked here because I thought it was a house where people live. There¡¯s a house in a place I¡¯ve never imagined¡­¡­.¡± ¡°That¡¯s possible. If you go around at night at this time, you are likely to be misunderstood, so don¡¯t do that next time.¡± ¡°Yes, ma¡¯am.¡± Nicole replied obediently. ¡°But¡­ I guess you weren¡¯t surprised to see me. Do young female guests other than me often visit this house?¡± ¡°Sometimes, a girl who lives nearby comes to play. She¡¯s a cute kid.¡± Grace nodded. ¡°What¡¯s her name?¡± ¡°She¡¯s called Isabel. She says she lives hiding in the mountains because she has a situation at home, but she sometimes comes to see me because she has no friends other than me ¡°Does she come at night, too?¡± ¡°Yeah. At first, I was surprised to see a girl walking around this remote place alone. She said she had to sneak out late at night because she was hiding. I used to do something special that I had to stay awake at night. Thanks to this, I don¡¯t sleep at night, so when she comes, I call her over and give her tea.¡± Nicole grabbed the cup she was drinking. Her face turned pale. ¡®Isabel, are you out of your mind? The family was obviously living in hiding around this time. Their parents controlled their children to never talk to outsiders. But she even told her about our situation. Maybe she even said the location of their house. ¡°Do you happen to know Isabel?¡± Nicole realized why she was so gentle with her. She suspected that Nicole was a family member of Isabel. Isabel and Nicole were not alike at all, but they were similar in feeling and outfit. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m actually Isabel¡¯s older sister. The introduction was late. My name is Nicole.¡± Nicole frankly said her real name. As long as she knew Isabel¡¯s existence anyway, she had no choice but to stop deceiving her. ¡°I thought it was like that. It just feels like that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t tell you honestly from the beginning. Isabel¡¯s been acting suspiciously at night these days¡­¡­. I was chasing after her just in case¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I admit that this is a situation that would make you worry about your younger sister. Because I know I look strange to you. How can a person who lives in a place like this look normal? But I can tell you one thing for sure. I¡¯m not a suspicious person. There¡¯s evidence of that.¡± ¡°Evidence¡­¡± ¡°Do you know that there is an owner on this mountain?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Are you?¡± Nicole¡¯s eyes got bigger. It is said that this place used to be a place where mana stones were excavated. The mana stones were of the highest quality, so people lived near here. The source of the mana stones dried up faster than people expected. Since then, it has become an abandoned mining town that is not worth staying in. In addition, there were false rumors. It is said that bad energy that makes people sick comes out of the abandoned mine where mana stones were mined. Thanks to that, the villagers would not even come close to this area. ¡®If this place was a mine, there would be a mine owner.¡¯ Don¡¯t tell me, she¡¯s¡­¡­. ¡°From this mansion to the abandoned mine village, which is a long walk away. Part of this mountain is mine. It¡¯s my family¡¯s land that I inherited, to be exact.¡± She added briefly about herself. She was originally from the capital. Then, she must have come here to heal. ¡°My ancestors who built this house seem to have been quite eccentric. It was built in a dense forest where no one could notice the entrance. Actually, I heard that at that time, they created a secret exchange to embezzle mana stones. Mana stones have a lot of taxes, so they tried to smuggle some of it here. But even I¡¯m not sure. I can¡¯t even confirm the authenticity of the deceased directly.¡± After listening to Grace, Nicole got up from her seat. The land between here and the abandoned mine village was where Nicole¡¯s family lived. In the first place, the abandoned cabin was also repaired by them. ¡°If so¡­¡­. Isabel has already told you everything, so you know. It¡¯s a big disrespect because my family lives without permission on the land owned by the landlord. Until now, we didn¡¯t know there was an owner, so it wasn¡¯t intentional.¡± At this time, she thought their family was living in perfect hiding. In a controlled world, under the protection of their parents. No one touched them, but the truth is, there was someone who looked at them as if they were looking into the palm of their hand. She didn¡¯t think they would be the remnants of the Yveschappel family, so she just didn¡¯t touch them. Nicole really lived in a palm-sized world. She was a sinner, if ignorance is a sin. ¡°Sit down. It¡¯s true that the owner abandoned that house, so it¡¯s a good thing if people live there. How polite of you.¡± Grace looked surprised. She looked at Nicole carefully. ¡°Who the hell taught you?¡± ¡°Nobody taught me. I¡¯m just trying to be as polite as possible.¡± ¡°¡­¡­what a strange child. I can¡¯t believe there¡¯s such an elegant child in this mountain¡­¡­.¡± Grace, who had paused for a moment, continued. ¡°It¡¯s a very strange night. I felt like my daughter was going to come back, but you¡¯re here instead.¡± ¡°Did you have a daughter?¡± Nicole asked cautiously. In her last life, she was so poor at expressing her emotions at this time that she always spoke unevenly. But she already outgrew that. She was taken to the Grand Duke¡¯s mansion and learned manners by half-force and exploded twisted emotions. Now Nicole was no longer her past self. She also knew how to express her emotions skillfully while being quiet. It was different from her past life when she was misunderstood by others for nothing. This attitude of Nicole pleased Grace. Read more here Chapter 14 ¡°How old are you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m 21 years old now.¡± ¡°My daughter died at the age of 20. So I feel weak when I see a child of your age or Isabel¡¯s. My daughter was very pretty, too.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°This year is the fourth year since my daughter died. So maybe that¡¯s why we met today. For me to tell you a story about my daughter.¡± Nicole understood. The imperial people believe that the spirit of the dead stays in this world for more than four years then completely leaves the earth. So on the fourth death anniversary, there was usually a small memorial service. Unless the person didn¡¯t passed away early, an altar is no longer necessary and going to the Temple is only needed. Fourth anniversary. For 10 days, the deceased is said to be visiting their family for the last time. ¡®Is that why she mistook me as her daughter in front of the memorial altar earlier? Because today is within that ten days?¡¯ Nicole spoke quietly. ¡°Why, is it strange that I went bird hunting when it¡¯s time to commemorate my daughter?¡± Grace said quietly. ¡°No, not really.¡± ¡°My daughter loved new cuisine. Tomorrow is the 10th day, so I was going to make her favorite dish. I planned to hunt for a few days, but it was a waste.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­I don¡¯t know how to comfort you. I hope your daughter is at peace.¡± Nicole was a little moved. Parents seemed to be only worried about feeding their children to both the living and the dead. ¡°I¡¯m glad you said so. And don¡¯t worry about living in this land. If there was anyone dangerous around here in the first place, I would have gotten rid of it in advance.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± Nicole was genuinely curious about her identity. If she really finds a bad person, will she really shoot them? Somehow she felt like she would. ¡°Do you really live alone?¡± ¡°Of course, there are people here who work for me. They commute from town. I enjoy being alone at night.¡± ¡°¡­¡­I see. But this is quite a big house for someone who¡¯s living alone.¡± ¡°The young man who takes care of the garden also takes care of the house. He milks the cows and feeds them.¡± ¡°Excuse me, you don¡¯t seem to be in financial need, but why do you even raise livestock?¡± Grace said with eyes asking why all of a sudden. ¡°I like to drink freshly squeezed milk. And I always wanted to live in a small garden and raise livestock after returning to farming. I recklessly built a garden and bought livestock, but all the goats ran away.¡± Nicole¡¯s heart began to beat hard. ¡®I think I know why Isabel did such a suspicious thing.¡¯ Nicole said calmly. ¡°What do you do with the leftover milk? ¡°I¡¯m letting the working young man take it. He seems to make money by selling it to a nearby store. I¡¯m just letting him have some pocket money.¡± Milk¡­ Milk of death¡­¡­. And someone who lives alone. A hidden mansion ¡®It¡¯s weird, I feel like there¡¯s something I¡¯m missing.¡¯ At that moment, Nicole¡¯s body stiffened. Obviously, Nicole has read a story about a woman named Grace. The ring that Raul gave her. In the document contained there. ¡®I read it in passing, but it¡¯s clear. That¡¯s right!¡¯ ?Record of the witch hunt in the village of Ranford. The incident occurred on July 12, 232 of the Imperial calendar. The village of Ranford was underdeveloped due to the long exploitation of a government official. The lady, who built a mansion alone at the entrance of the village, was falsely accused of ¡°cursing the children¡¯s milk¡± and was witch-hunted. The lady was taken to the village and burned at the stake. After that, the villagers flocked to the lady¡¯s mansion and tried to steal things. But the house was completely empty. A robber has already broken in. Later, a man named Jen from Belzera was arrested as a suspect. It was stated that he robbed the mansion during the disturbance due to the witch hunt. This is a wake-up call for the reality of some areas of low education even in the empire¡­¡­.? The ring was filled with records of Nicole¡¯s family. However, that report was suddenly included in there. Nicole was out of her mind at the time and didn¡¯t think it was important. ¡®I wondered why it was there. There were so many truths that I learned at that time that I didn¡¯t remember them for a long time¡­¡­.¡¯ But the document in the ring Raul gave her. There was a meaning in all of it. The milk that was released into the village. The people who drank the milk must have started to get very sick. ¡®This lady is the one who was witch hunted.¡¯ But the thing is, there were other people who robbed the mansion. ¡®What if someone made this up and robbed the mansion while the owner was taken away?¡¯ Or maybe the causal relationship is the opposite. The culprit may have set up the owner as a witch for the mansion. ¡®What¡¯s clear is that Isabel was involved in this.¡¯ The arrested robber, a man named Jen. Is he related to Isabel? ¡®Who the hell are you, Isabel?¡¯ The child was born a devil. Why was such a child born to their parents? ¡°Are you all right? You don¡¯t look well.¡± ¡°No, you said it was okay, but¡­¡­. I was thinking about how I could repay you for allowing my family to live nearby. Well, how about I make some medicine for you?¡± ¡°You?¡± ¡°¡­¡­Yes, you seem to be suffering from insomnia, so I can make you tea and medicine that is good for a good night¡¯s sleep. My family harvests herbs and eats them. I learned from herbalists that some herbs are good for sleep.¡± ¡°Are you saying you¡¯ll come back tomorrow?¡± Nicole was surprised inside, but answered yes. ¡°I had a dream about my daughter last night. It was a dream that Siena would come to see me. She kept looking at me anxiously and was shouting something to me.¡± Nicole felt sorry for her and felt a little restless. One, she didn¡¯t seem like a weird person. ¡°Madam, can I say something presumptuous?¡± ¡°¡­¡­tell me.¡± ¡°Well, in fact, I saw the cows in the cattle shed a little on the way here. Cows often get sick during this period, too. Drinking the milk of a sick cow can make people sick. You¡¯d better milk the cows for a few days and throw them away. Don¡¯t let your employee take the milk.¡± Grace thought for a moment. Giving milk to her employee was always Grace¡¯s favor. She could give it or not. She was ignorant of rural affairs, and Nicole¡¯s words sounded plausible. ¡°I see. I will.¡± ¡°If you wait, I¡¯ll bring some medicine to treat cows.¡± Grace happily said yes. Nicole thanked her dead daughter for appearing in her dream last night. That¡¯s because Grace took Nicole¡¯s word for it. ¡®Please rest in peace.¡¯ Nicole prayed quietly in her heart for Grace¡¯s deceased daughter. ?? ¡®Isabel is after Grace¡¯s property.¡¯ ¡®To accuse Grace as a witch, she was feeding the cows at Grace¡¯s house a poisonous weed¡­¡­.¡¯ Nicole organized her thoughts on her way home. It¡¯s still speculation, but she¡¯s sure she¡¯s almost right. ¡®I¡¯m sure there¡¯s an accomplice. I need to find out who they are.¡¯ Family can be heaven, but they can also be another hell. This is because, unlike ordinary enemies, you have to cut them off to remove them. ¡®What if Mother knew what Isabel was doing?¡¯ After a moment¡¯s thought, Nicole came to a conclusion. Everyone should know about this. That¡¯s the way Nicole wants it. Nicole woke up early after a few hours of sleep. Then she changed her clothes lightly and went into the kitchen. ¡°Are you awake?¡± Isabel came in rubbing her eyes. Nicole slowly turned her back. ¡°You woke up early, Isabel.¡± ¡°You told me to help you with the kitchen work¡­¡­.¡± Isabel yawned and clung to Nicole. ¡°What will you ask me to do for you today?¡± Nicole turned her head slowly. Her face hardened before she knew it. ¡°Hey, what¡¯s wrong with you? You¡¯ve been weird since yesterday.¡± Nicole barely smiled. She had to appease Isabel well to achieve what she wanted. ¡°It¡¯s not like that. I¡¯m proud of you. You woke up early to help your sister.¡± ¡°Then, whose sister is Isabel?¡± Isabel giggled. Isabel¡¯s face shining in the morning sun was shockingly beautiful. Even Nicole, who knows her true nature, is confused for a moment. ¡°By the way, sister¡ª¡± Isabel stopped in front of a row of kitchen knives. ¡°Did something happen last night?¡± (t/n: Isabel is seriously giving me the creeps) Want to read ahead? Read more here Chapter 15 ¡°¡­¡­what do you mean?¡± Isabel, she was laughing. ¡°I think I heard ¡®something¡¯ last night.¡± ¡®Did she know I went after her? Or that I went into her room?¡¯ Nicole chose. Isabel took the knife in her hand and looked at the blade gently. Nicole was nervous for a moment. ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Isabel?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to cut some bread. This blade is sharp enough, right? Isabel hummed and said, as if she¡¯s about to cut bread. Nicole smiled inwardly and replied calmly. ¡°Actually, I have something to tell you, I went near your room and came back.¡± ¡°What do you want to say to Isabel?¡± ¡°Yeah¡­¡­actually, I wanted to apologize to you.¡± Isabel¡¯s eyes got bigger. ¡°What apology?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry I asked you to help me with the kitchen work. I must have been exhausted for a while because the housework was so hard. You¡¯re still young¡­¡­. Of course, as your older sister who is a year older than you, I should try harder.¡± Isabel blinked at Nicole, who became as simple as before. ¡°You don¡¯t have to help me with the kitchen. I¡¯ll do a lot of herbal trimming, too. Don¡¯t worry, go and get some more rest.¡± ¡°As expected, you¡¯re the best! Isabel can¡¯t live without Sister.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. By the way, I prepared a present for you after breakfast. You¡¯ve been wearing those clothes since last year.¡­. You don¡¯t have to go out, but I want you to try on pretty clothes. It¡¯s made of muslin cloth that Father got me.¡± ¡°Where is it? I can¡¯t wait to see it. My clothes!¡± ¡°I¡¯ll give it to you after we eat. And you can go to the flower garden this afternoon to play. I¡¯ll give an excuse to Mother that you and I are going to harvest some herbs.¡± Isabel¡¯s lips twitched. The grin gave Nicole goose bumps on the back of her hand. ¡°Ah- As expected. You¡¯re the best. Thank you so much. You know, Isabel will pick a pretty flower for you. Something very shiny.¡± Isabel hugged Nicole tightly like a child. ¡°But you have to go secretly. If you get caught by Mother, you¡¯ll be locked up in the warehouse again.¡± Isabel¡¯s face stiffened at the word warehouse. Their parents loved their children infinitely. But they were also people who could do anything to protect their children. It is not easy to lock up and raise children at their prime at home. Their mother and father immediately locked their children in the warehouse if they went out without permission or did not listen. The warehouse was a very dark and terribly humid place. The mere thought of going there gave her goosebumps. ¡°But she¡¯s sick.¡± ¡°Mother may not be able to punish us but once Father comes back, he will. So, be careful.¡± Today, Nicole intentionally gave Isabel a break. Free time to go anywhere. Nicole will use that gap to follow Isabel. ?? Breakfast is over. Nicole removed the herbs from the room with an expressionless face. At this time, Nicole¡¯s pharmacological skills were far lower than Isabel¡¯s. She lacked the strength to study because she did a lot of housework, and she was not sure if pharmacology would be useful because she was not a healer. So she neglected her lessons. But Nicole was smart. She quickly learned the books she read when she started studying again after getting married. ¡®Why didn¡¯t I know the value of these drugs at this point in my previous life?¡¯ Now she knew how to make a lot of extinct drugs. One of them was a mysterious power. ?? ¡°Well, I¡¯m wearing new clothes. I feel good. The weather is nice.¡± Isabel, dressed in her new clothes, stamped her feet pleasantly. Moreover, the clothes smelled as good as they could be. ¡®She put a lot of thought into it. Stupid fool does something pretty cute today. We¡¯re going to go our separate ways anyway, but I will miss that fool sometimes.¡¯ That¡¯s a common phrase. Isabel thought. Then she started heading somewhere with a basket of herbs. In about 20 minutes. Glittering powders began to shine on the floor along the path Isabel took. Nicole walked along where Isabel did with some time difference. ¡®It¡¯s been a while since I made it myself, but I was able to make it perfectly.¡¯ What Nicole made was an object called the tracking incense. About 20 minutes after the person who was sprayed with this scent walked away, the powder that fell from that person would glisten. After a certain period of time, Isabel would not know that her path was traced. However, the effect was only 5-6 minutes, so she had to be fast. It was true that she had been making new clothes for Isabel since last year. She didn¡¯t know the clothes she made for her younger sister would be used like this. It was the last thing she did this morning, putting the tracking incense in her new clothes. If the scent disappears, the effect of this tracking scent will also disappear. ¡®But this road Isabel took¡­¡­. She¡¯s on her way to the abandoned mine, isn¡¯t she?¡¯ There were abandoned huts around the only abandoned mine in the area. Where the mana stones were located, precious herbs grew there as well. However, since it is in the middle of the road over the mountain, vagrants sometimes sit in the cabins, so they did not come here carelessly. ¡°The tracking incense has been cut off here, but it¡¯s clear from the direction.¡± In time, Nicole arrived at a hut at the entrance to the abandoned mine. The window of the hut was wide open. Kyaaahahaha. A familiar sound was coming through the window of the cabin. It was Isabel¡¯s laughter. Nicole lowered herself and approached the window of the cabin. Isabel and a woman with faded blonde hair were talking, with big eyes and small build. In addition, she looked very messy. ¡°How can Isabel come at such a time?¡± ¡°Ah, can I meet you only at night? I came because I missed you. Karen.¡± Isabel said sweetly. A woman named Karen laughed loudly. ¡°Anyway, our plan is almost successful now. How about you? Are you cleaning up your pathetic family?¡± ¡°Karen, if you say that, Isabel will be scared¡­¡­. Can I really leave my family?¡± ¡°You¡¯re still so naive!¡± Nicole realized. ¡®I¡¯ve seen that Karen woman in my last life. ¡®When I was the Grand Duchess in my last life. The only places I am allowed to go to were Isabel¡¯s house and the temple.¡¯ Even so, if my seizures were too severe, Raul reluctantly let me go. ?Please do exactly what I said last time. ¡­¡­Don¡¯t get caught. And your medicine¡­¡­ take it.? One day Nicole was lucky. This is because Raul has an urgent appointment and he will not be able to return home for a month. She didn¡¯t even care what happened. The butler said she could go to Isabel¡¯s house as if he was being generous. Nicole visited Isabel with rare delight. But there, she has another guest. Isabel lowered her voice and was whispering and talking to the woman in the room. It was a woman with short hair and a revealing dress. Nicole has never seen such a woman in such a racy outfit before. ?Isabel? You have a guest?? Isabel¡¯s eyes widened when she saw Nicole. Soon after, she smiled an innocent smile and introduced her as an employee of a store she often called to buy things. At that time, Nicole let it go without thinking much. Now that she thinks about it¡­¡­. ¡®Karen will work as a close aide to Isabel a few years from now.¡¯ In addition, in her last life, Isabel boasted that she was rich to Nicole, who was in prison. She may have done a lot of things, starting with stealing Grace¡¯s property. Then it¡¯s not a lie she was rich. ¡®How long has she known Isabel since? I don¡¯t think they¡¯ve been together for a long time.¡¯ Nicole kept eavesdropping on their conversation. The woman named Karen kept drinking cheap wine. By putting the gibberish together, Nicole could see the situation. Karen wandered here and there with her own brother and sister and got into this place. Then she happened to meet Isabel, who was harvesting herbs. Just as good people easily recognize each other, evil people often recognize each other at a glance. They hit it off right away. The mountains during summer was a good place to live for homeless people. Because it was colder here than down the mountain and there was no danger of being killed by wild animals. Isabel made them hallucinogens to win their favor, and told her about Grace. Soon the three put their heads together and set up a plan to rob Grace. ¡®What I expected is right. They¡¯re going to accuse Grace of being a witch and rob the mansion¡­¡­.¡¯ But why didn¡¯t Isabel run away with them in her last life, when it¡¯s obvious it was her plan? Nicole could easily guess why. ¡®After hearing the secret of the Yveschapel family, she thought about it for a few days and changed her mind. She reported our existence to the Imperial family, planned to kill me, and somehow she tried to become the Grand Duchess.¡¯ Nicole laughed bitterly. However, the words that followed made her mouth cold. ¡°I heard you¡¯re being held and bullied. That kind of mother should disappear. You worked on that medicine as I advised, didn¡¯t you? ¡°Yes, Karen¡¯s advice is very helpful to Isabel. Isabel is so happy. I¡¯d be sad if my mother died, but¡­¡­. But there¡¯s nothing we can do. How do I change my destiny? Medicine? Around this time, Isabel was playing an important role in making Mother¡¯s medicine. ¡®Why didn¡¯t I think of that?¡¯ Mother was giving Isabel the recipe to make her medicine. ¡®Did Isabel, who already made this evil plan without difficulty, do something at Mother¡¯s medicine? ¡®It¡¯s true that Mother¡¯s disease is a lung disease. But¡­¡¯ All kinds of secrets were handed down to the Yveschapel family. It was mainly medicine with special effects, painkillers, and medicine to treat injuries. There were even many recipes for poison. But there were no drugs to cure a disease. ¡®We had to buy lung disease medicine from afar. Father searched everywhere for good medicines for lung disease.¡¯ Father¡¯s outings became more and more frequent. He needed money to buy medicine from afar. Naturally, they had to sell herbs more often. ¡®Mother¡¯s been losing more and more strength¡­¡­.¡¯ By that, who gained freedom? ??? Want to read ahead? Read more here Chapter 16 ¡°That woman named Grace. She¡¯s dead to you, isn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°She¡¯s a little weird. I think she¡¯s good with the sword, and she hunts by herself. But she has a weakness. She¡¯s weak with women my age. I think her daughter died? So I¡¯m dying while I listen to her story and act like her dead daughter. I can imagine what kind of girl she is, and she seems like someone I know.¡± ¡°Kyahahahah! You¡¯re doing great. Isabel, you have a gift¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that. I¡¯m embarrassed¡­¡­. By the way, she¡¯s a little¡­¡­ I think she has mood swings. I don¡¯t think we should mess with her.¡± Isabel said after a while. ¡°So on the day when we incite the villagers, you must give her sleeping pills. Sometimes there¡¯s life in her eyes¡­¡­.¡± It was then. She heard the door open. Nicole freaked out, but it was the back door, not the front door which was near the window where Nicole was hiding. There was a heavy sound of footsteps as a man walked in. ¡°Jen!¡± Isabel approached him with a bright smile. ¡°Are you feeding the bugs well?¡± ¡°Oh, that weird bug? It¡¯s growing at an incredible rate. It¡¯ll have babies soon. How on earth do you raise such a thing? I¡¯m already feeding them.¡± ¡°Anyone who simply feeds it can do it. But I¡¯m the only one who can handle such a bug. Be careful. You can get poisoned if you get bitten incorrectly.¡± Nicole couldn¡¯t listen to the conversation anymore because she felt disgusted. ?? Nicole staggered and rushed into Isabel¡¯s room. Then she headed to Isabel¡¯s secret lab, which she found yesterday. ¡®No way, please¡­¡­.¡¯ The door of the secret laboratory opened. ¡®I hope it¡¯s not there. I knew you were a devil, but that¡¯s too much. Mother had a lung disease.¡¯ Nicole opened the cupboard slowly, praying eagerly. It was a space that she couldn¡¯t open until yesterday. The house was so predictable. They had nothing, so they lived with a fondness for tools related to pharmacology. Among them, she knew what her mother¡¯s medicine was. It¡¯s an old crystal bottle with a pointed lid. Written there was the date and name of the medicine on the bottle. ¡°Ha, ha, ha¡­.¡± Inside the cupboard, crystal vials were lined up in order of date. It was all drugs full of poisonous insects. There are also kinds of drugs that should never be made or touched. It was the kind of medicine that used poisonous insects. It was only raised for medicinal purposes, but it was not made into medicine. Poisonous insects are not difficult to keep. However, it was only difficult to use it at the right time to show an appropriate effect. ¡°The Windbug.¡± Isabel called it with such an alias. When it is larvae, it is also caught alive and put in a combined reagent according to the recipe, and the reagent turns into a poison. ¡®If you eat the poison secreted by this worm, it will have a great painkiller effect and it would seem to have a healing effect at first. But it permeates to the body and makes the patient more sick in the long run. It is especially the worst medicine for the lungs.¡¯ She probably kept the bug-soaked medicine well. At the end, she would have removed the bug and fed it to Freya. ¡®That¡¯s why my mother¡¯s illness got worse.¡¯ Nicole wiped away her tears. She tried to be cool. ¡®Should I reveal this to my family right away?¡¯ The answer was no. Even if she exposes this lab right now, there are many ways Isabel can avoid it. There are poisonous weeds that cause milk disease, and poisonous insects that go into my mother¡¯s medicine. She can just say, ¡°It was made for an experiment.¡± Nicole wanted all Isabel¡¯s sins to be revealed at once. So that Mother and the whole family can gather together and kick Isabel out at once. The door of the secret laboratory closed again. ?? Isabel was in a very good mood. She hummed home. ¡°All good things belong to Isabel. Everything pretty is Isabel¡¯s. Everything maggot or ugly is my ugly sister¡¯s.¡± Isabel¡¯s goal was simple and lucid. Splendid and wonderful. It¡¯s to be a high-class noble who lives a beautiful life. There are many reasons why Isabel, who lives hidden in the mountains, came to think of such an idea. First, Isabel secretly read the books her mother had collected. There were also numerous magazines in it. Beautiful women in colorful clothes and hats full of flowers and feathers. They were like angels. ¡®Ah, this is who I really am. I have to live in clothes like this.¡¯ Isabel swore to herself after that day. There is no basis, but she must be a valuable person by birth. Now this crappy environment surrounding her and her family were all fake. Nicole and Jay, her own siblings, are so stupid. They obeyed their parents without complaints. ¡®The only joy in my life right now is making fun of my stupid sister.¡¯ The reason why she likes to bully Nicole was simple. Nicole was similar to herself. She¡¯s smart and sensitive. In fact, being sensitive means changing whenever she pokes her. But for some reason, Nicole didn¡¯t know herself very well. Isabel spent countless hours making her sister secretly upset with her parents. ?By the way, Mother doesn¡¯t like sister laughing. Why is she like that?? At the same time, building a wall between family members and manipulating them. It was Isabel¡¯s favorite hobby. ¡°Jay can¡¯t do whatever he wants because it¡¯s boring, but¡ª¡± Actually, she didn¡¯t care much about Jay. He was younger than Isabel and nice, so she could use him as much as she wanted. She knew Nicole had become strangely depressed in the past two days. So she was upset with her. But in the end, she apologized. That was the evidence that everything was normal and things are working as they should. ¡°It¡¯s all Isabel¡¯s. That stupid grandmother¡¯s property, my future happiness. The loyalty of that stupid siblings, Karen and Jen.¡± Isabel had a firm plan for her future. ¡®It¡¯s obvious that we¡¯re hiding like this because Father owes someone a lot of money. Or he¡¯s a sinner. So my family will only hold my ankle from now on. The whole family has to die. There will be no evidence if I change my identity.¡¯ Isabel wanted a new identity. It should be a very great and perfect status. Isabel, who has never been out of the world, knew how important it was to have a last name. Karen and Jen are from the conflict zone. She¡¯s already heard how much they suffer from having an ambiguous status there. ¡®I¡¯m gonna kill someone and take their identity.¡¯ She can have everything in the world if she wants it. She was born this pretty and smart after all. Isabel was happy. Because freedom was approaching. ?? Contrary to Isabel¡¯s happiness, Nicole became calmer day by day. Nicole, sitting in her room, tied her hair slowly. The night came again. ¡®Isabel, there¡¯s not much time left for you to reveal your true self. I have to say thank you. I can¡¯t believe you¡¯ve already planned this. Thanks to you, I don¡¯t have to convince our family what you are.¡¯ Nicole¡¯s days have been very desperate and chilling since she turned back time. In fact, she has never been at peace. She was just running away from her true self. Now she was about to end everything this time. ?? Nicole made a new medicine that evening. And on that day, she gave medicine to Mother who was not feeling well. Mother fell into a deep sleep. ¡°That¡¯s strange, Nicole. I¡¯m not feeling well today. I think the medicine tastes a bit weird. Did Isabel make the medicine right?¡± ¡°You couldn¡¯t sleep because you coughed too much yesterday. So today, I added some sleeping pills to the recipe that Mother prescribed and made it again. Have a good night¡¯s sleep.¡± Originally, she should be addicted to an anesthetic toxic drug. Because Isabel¡¯s has drugged her for a long time. ¡®Since the anesthetic ingredient is gone, it¡¯s natural that she¡¯s in pain.¡¯ Nicole gritted her teeth. That¡¯s why she prescribed sleeping pills to Mother, who will suffer from withdrawal symptoms tonight. Hearing that, Mother slowly fell asleep. Nicole went out into the hallway. ¡®First of all, let¡¯s work out Grace¡¯s problem¡¯ She can¡¯t let Grace die. She had such a hunch. The number of victims of Isabel should not be increased. ?? ¡°I mixed medicine into the cows¡¯ food. They¡¯ll be all right now. But they¡¯re in a recovery period for a while, so you¡¯d better be careful.¡± Nicole went to Grace as promised. She turned on the lamp of the dark barn and whispered to Grace. Grace gently advised Nicole to have a cup of tea. Nicole entered Grace¡¯s house on the second floor for the first time. It was a small tea room that she had never entered before. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± ¡°No. I just thought that you really came. It¡¯s fascinating.¡± ¡°What?¡± At Grace¡¯s words, Nicole opened her eyes wide. ¡°I take medicine for a nervous breakdown. Isabel, come and go so often, but I met you on the last days my daughter¡¯s soul is about to pass. I wondered if you were a person or a ghost.¡± ¡°You shouldn¡¯t take the medicine that a ghost gave you. Here, I¡¯m not a ghost, it¡¯s a medicine I made.¡± Nicole also gave Grace a scent for a good night¡¯s sleep. It was all hastily made. Grace said thank you and tried to give her silver. Nicole politely declined. ¡°It¡¯s really okay. I didn¡¯t give it to you for a price, ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°Call me Grace. If I don¡¯t give you anything, I feel uncomfortable.¡± Nicole refused desperately and ended up receiving only one silver coin. Today Nicole was going to tell Grace all about Isabel¡¯s plot. But I thought, what if Grace didn¡¯t get angry or believe it? So Nicole first decided to pray for Siena in honor of Grace. There aren¡¯t many people who can be rude to someone who remembers someone who is precious to them. ¡°Yes, Grace¡­¡­. Well¡­ is your daughter¡¯s memorial altar still there?¡± Nicole said quietly. ¡°Of course, I always set it up.¡± ¡°Then can I pray for your daughter?¡± Grace looked surprised and said yes. ¡°As expected¡­¡± Nicole headed to the memorial altar. Usually, young people¡¯s memorial altars are placed with objects that they liked and flowers in full bloom. ¡®It wasn¡¯t a mistake.¡¯ ¡®It bothered me the last time I saw the memorial altar.¡¯ Pens and small stamps that can be used on letters¡­ ¡­ . Among them was a white music box made of porcelain placed between flowers. A music box with a spirelike decoration, Nicole lifted it up. In her last life, she has seen an orgel similar to this one. It was in Raul¡¯s drawing room. ??? Want to read ahead? Read more here Chapter 17 ?I don¡¯t want to go. I think he¡¯s¡­¡­ I¡¯m scared. Do I have to go?? Nicole once again recalled memories from a long time ago. Her husband in her previous life, Raul, was always busy. He had to manage numerous properties of the family and was also serving in the Knights Templar. It also said he operates a secret organization. At the time, Nicole didn¡¯t even know exactly what her husband was doing. Taking care of Nicole, the Grand Duchess, was one of many tasks for such a busy Raul. He called Nicole out on the second and fourth Friday of every month. Nicole had to be dressed up by the maids and felt like dying each time. ?Don¡¯t say silly things. Do you know how many people envy you to have half an hour to have a cup of tea with him? If you can¡¯t do your job as a Grand Duchess, at least obey.? Nicole complained every time, but the lady, who was Nicole¡¯s chaperone at the time, spoke coldly. Nicole went to the drawing room as ordered. ¡®At that time, I didn¡¯t talk back to him. Because at least my brother, Jay, was still alive at that time¡­¡­.¡¯ At the time¡­¡­. Far from being a good couple, they were close to each other yet ignoring each other. Still, it wasn¡¯t the worst relationship. Once every two weeks. Exactly an hour long. Even then, Raul didn¡¯t say much to Nicole. He just put Nicole in the drawing room for formality and proceeded to read his documents or did his work. Even so, he was so busy that he couldn¡¯t fill an hour. ?Y, You¡¯re busy.? Nicole finally plucked up the courage and spoke one day. ?I know I don¡¯t have time to waste on me. And I¡­¡­ I, it¡¯s uncomfortable. So in two weeks, we don¡¯t need to have a meeting like this. I¡¯m good as it is.¡­ The conversation¡­¡­.? She had barely plucked up her courage thinking that she might be beaten. Then Raul stared at Nicole properly. He had sharp eyes. Nicole was frozen stiff. ?It¡¯s uncomfortable? ?¡­¡­.? ?I do this to show others that we get along well, yet it seems like whenever I meet my wife, I become insignificant. Who told you to say that?? He rose slowly from his seat. Nicole looked away. In fact, she still hated him then. Of course, how can she love a man who may have been the cause of her father¡¯s suicide? ?No one asked me to say it.? Raul was silent. An uncomfortable silence hung between the two. Nicole rose from her seat restlessly. Turning her back, she tried to calm her chest. Raul followed and got up. As it happens, Nicole was standing in front of the fireplace. Raul¡¯s eyes stared at something on the fireplace. Nicole followed his gaze. ?Is this a music box?? Nicole suddenly asked a question. After becoming the Grand Duchess, she received new dresses, jewelry, and cosmetics. She was given the things she wanted since she was young. However, if a grown-up Grand Duchess wants to have curtain decorations with silk dolls, music box, or small doll decorations, she will be treated as a psychopath. ¡®When I was young, my dream was to have a doll or a music box.¡¯ She was a little curious about the music box that she only saw in a book. It may be because there is nothing else to do except die of exhaustion in this situation. ?Take it.? He beckoned his gloved hand. Nicole reluctantly did as she was told. He leaned down. He was so tall that his shadow fell over Nicole¡¯s eyelashes. ?Open it.? Nicole did as she was told. There were only a few small ceramic switches in the music box. Do you want to hear the sound?? ?¡­¡­Yes.? Nicole spoke quietly. He leaned down. Slowly moved the switch in some order. The switch looked like a flower. It was the order of red, blue, and purple flowers. There was a slow click, and a small ceramic doll rose from the music box. Soon, the doll slowly spun and danced. A sound came from the music box. It sounded as clear and pretty as she read in the book. Nicole closed her eyes for a moment and savored the sound. ?It smells like jasmine.? Nicole said. ?No, is it a sandalwood?? Nicole smelled it. And she was surprised. Before she knew it, he was close. ?Both are wrong. There¡¯s no scent.? At that moment, Nicole felt ashamed. The smell she smelled was from his body. Embarrassed, she got goosebumps. Nicole turned her back and ran away. It wasn¡¯t until later that she realized that the music box was someone¡¯s relic. ¡®Is it Raul¡¯s precious belongings? There¡¯s someone like that with that cold-blooded person? Is it his dead mother¡¯s?¡¯ When was that day? Yes, it was around this time. Perhaps, it was around July. It was a particularly cool summer. Nicole hated Raul throughout their marriage. But sometimes there was a scene that came to mind like a cool summer. His sculptural profile focused on the music box. ?? It was a flash of memory. It was close to an accident. Nicole almost dropped the music box. ¡®Is this the same thing?¡¯ She opened the music box. Obviously, as she saw in her last life, there were switches of red, blue, and purple flowers. ¡®Was it in this order?¡¯ Nicole pressed the switch in order. The music box snapped open. And a clear tone came out. It was definitely the same melody as then. ¡°How do you know that?¡± Nicole wanted to ask. What Grace has to do with Raul. ¡®The fact that this music box is in Grace¡¯s hands right now¡­¡­.¡¯ Obviously, this music box was a relic to Raul. If so¡­ It was then. Cringg criiing. From a distance, she could hear the sound of carriages and people¡¯s footsteps. ¡°Oh, my God. I¡¯m in trouble. It¡¯s not even an inspection day.¡± ¡°What?¡± But Grace quickly walked into the house, clutching Nicole¡¯s wrist. Nicole was almost taken away by accident. ¡°Who are those people?¡± But Grace began to walk faster instead of answering. Bang bang. There was a knock on the door. The sound sounded ominous to Nicole. ¡°Isabel says you run away in debt and live in hiding, right?¡± Nicole nodded quickly. That was also what their parents taught them. In case of an emergency, they told her to say that they went bankrupt due to debt and lived in the mountains. ¡°I had a high position in the capital. I know a lot of secrets from the royal family and the state, so I am regularly monitored wherever I go. So the people out there¡­¡­.¡± It is highly likely that they are members of the Imperial family. Nicole¡¯s back hair stood up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they¡¯ll leave in no time. If something goes wrong¡­¡­.¡± Grace looked back at the stuffed animal in the living room. And then she opened the warehouse space under the stairs. ¡°There are hidden stairs inside this warehouse. So hide yourself here and run away through the back door through the stairs when I signal you.¡± Grace¡¯s gray eyes looked cold, as if she had been through all the hardships of life. The door closed before Nicole¡¯s eyes. Soon a group of people came into the house. Nicole hurried into the warehouse under the stairs. Bang, Grace closed the door. ¡®It¡¯s dark¡­¡¯ Fortunately, there was a gap in the door. A faint light came in beyond. Grace seemed to have piled up a lot of tea in the space under the stairs. Nicole¡¯s head went numb with various scents. ¡®There¡¯s a staircase inside?¡¯ Houses that made hidden secret stairs were common because nobles hated to see employees go up and down. It was just a style of architecture that was popular a long time ago. When she lived in the Grand Duke¡¯s mansion in her last life, she found out about it because she saw something like it close to the corridor for employees for security. ¡®There¡¯s a lot of stuff piled up, so if I move it wrong, it¡¯ll make a sound.¡¯ Nicole held her breath. Soon there was a loud sound of footsteps. It was all the sound of the knights¡¯ boots. The stairs were attached to the wall at the end of the living room, so the side of the stairs faced the porch. The space under the old wooden stairs was punctuated in the middle. Nicole put her face there and peeped slowly at the situation. The first thing that caught her eye was the men in black. All were dressed in uniforms with a high collar and gold collar decoration. ¡®That clothing, it¡¯s familiar to me.¡¯ Nicole¡¯s eyes got bigger. Soon, through the open front door, there was a knock. Someone walked in slowly. There was a medal on his chest. Some of them were familiar to Nicole. ¡®No way¡­¡­.¡¯ Nicole¡¯s heart began to beat wildly. The tip of her nose was exposed as if she was jumping through a crack in the door. The atmosphere seemed to change for a moment when he entered the room. The tense atmosphere even chilled Nicole, who was watching. ¡®That can¡¯t be¡ª¡¯ It was a person whom she thought of several times after going back on time. ¡°Long time no see, Grace. No, shall I call you Master, as before?¡± He spoke in a low voice. It was a familiar voice. ¡°Raul.¡± Nicole closed her eyes. Her hands were trembling. ¡®Why is he here?¡¯ ??? Want to read ahead? Read more here Chapter 18 ¡°Why are you here?¡± Grace asked quietly. Although her voice was low, Nicole could feel the sadness and hatred engraved under it. ¡°I came here to see how you¡¯re doing, but apparently you¡¯re doing well.¡± ¡°Yes, now that you¡¯ve checked, then all is good. I don¡¯t think Grand Duke Valentine should be in a position to directly monitor retirees. What¡¯s going on in this area?¡± ¡°There have been some incidents around here.¡± Raul replied briefly. Soon, Raul¡¯s confidant, Bastard, answered instead. ¡°It seems like one of the officers who pocketed the money from the emperor did the money laundering in a city around here. We¡¯re going to stay in a nearby city for a while to investigate it.¡± Grace seemed convinced. ¡°I understand. There¡¯s no way he¡¯ll remember my daughter¡¯s death anniversary. She must have been just one of his pawns he¡¯s thrown away.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it her fourth death anniversary? It¡¯s too late for condolences¡± ¡°Grand Duke, the fourth anniversary is special. It¡¯s said that this is the year they go to heaven.¡± Bastard said with some embarrassment. He seemed to be considerate of Grace¡¯s feelings. ¡°You¡¯d better move on.¡± Raul said peacefully. Grace¡¯s countenance changed. If Nicole was among the people upstairs, even she would have noticed. Raul¡¯s confidant knights also showed a bewildered look. ¡®What are those scary people looking at?¡¯ Nicole realized that Grace was a greater person than she thought. Only a relatively young knight among them was pretending to whistle nonchalantly. Nicole knew him. Was he called Estok? ¡°Move on from what?¡± Grace spoke softly after a while. ¡°Siena died on duty, so it¡¯s an honor. That¡¯s why.¡± ¡°There is nothing strange or regrettable about my daughter¡¯s death. Isn¡¯t that right?¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you know.¡± Grace laughed briefly. Then she paced around the table, picked up a bottle of water, and threw it at Raul. Clink! Raul didn¡¯t budge and turned his head to avoid it. The water bottle fell on the wall with a loud noise and the floor was wet. ¡°Madam Grace, no matter who you are, he is still the Grand Duke.¡± ¡°What should I do? Do you want me to stop her?¡± Estok stepped forward and said, pulling out his sword. Raul beckoned impatiently. ¡°Seeing that you¡¯re angry, your blood pressure seems normal. You¡¯re also maintaining your muscle strength.¡± Clang clang. Clang! ¡°You say that? You?¡± Grace threw out a teacup and kettle this time. The knights groaned. But Raul was calm. And Nicole realized this was Grace¡¯s ¡®signal¡¯. It meant to run away. Nicole took off her shoes and ran barefoot toward the end of the warehouse. Inside, there was a small space with a door that could barely fit a single person. The space was dusty enough to make her frown at the mere sight. Nicole stopped breathing and went up the staff stairs. Now she was on the second floor. Nicole also knew there was an outdoor staircase leading to the backyard. ¡°Heuk, Heuk¡­¡± Nicole walked barefoot down the iron stairs. Then she came out of the backyard. It was the site of Siena¡¯s memorial altar. Then Nicole felt a sign of activity. For a moment, Nicole hid herself behind the altar. ¡°Is this the memorial altar? It¡¯s decorated very beautifully.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a pity. I can¡¯t believe that such a high-ranking person lives in such a remote place. I¡¯m glad her mental illness doesn¡¯t get worse. Madam Grace also showed violent tendencies that¡¯s why she retired¡­¡­.¡± Raul usually brought several knights. A couple of knights seemed to be waiting outside the house and patrolling. ¡®I¡¯m going to get caught at this rate, what do I do?¡¯ Then there was a sound from the barn. ¡°There was a sound over there.¡± They headed towards it. Meanwhile, Nicole stepped on the altar and got up. ¡®I¡¯m so sorry, Siena. I¡¯ll definitely pay you and your mother back..¡­.¡¯ She didn¡¯t forget to apologize to Siena. Growing up in the forest, it was natural to know how to climb trees. Nicole climbed on a big, sturdy branch and curled up. ¡®Please, may the lights go out quickly.¡¯ Grace, who loved her daughter very much, installed lights everywhere that responded when people came. This kind of lamp was more expensive than normal lamps. And if there was no movement, the lights would go out. Soon the darkness colored the surroundings again. Nicole closed her eyes and prayed that this time would end quickly. She didn¡¯t want to be caught by Raul. But¡­¡­ It was fortunate that he was alive. It¡¯s only natural that he¡¯s alive in this timeline. ¡®This is not the time to think so carefreely.¡¯ Nicole, who thought so without realizing it, quickly came to her senses. In the past, Raul found the hiding place of the Yveschapel family, or my family, earlier than the imperial family because he was staying in a nearby city. This time Isabel doesn¡¯t know the secrets of the YvesChapel family yet, so she won¡¯t tell the Imperial family like she did then. It was dangerous just to be near him. Nicole felt her heart tighten. ?? ¡°Calm down, Madam Grace.¡± Bastard earnestly said to Grace. Grace¡¯s seizures do not last for just a day or two. Grace refused to escort them and shut herself up in the countryside, as if she had received them on the day of her death. Rumors were rampant that she was out of her mind, and there was nothing they could do about it. ¡°What should we do? Should we fight?¡± And even Estok was staring at Raul. Bastard had a headache. ¡°Quiet.¡± Then Raul said. ¡°There¡¯s someone in there.¡± Stairs are usually attached at right angles to the innermost wall of the hall of these kinds of houses. Usually, a warehouse is built in such a space. Raul was staring exactly at the warehouse under the stairs. ¡°Are you even going to search my house now?¡± Grace¡¯s eyebrows trembled slightly, but she spoke calmly. ¡°Do as you please. I¡¯ve already regretted dozens of times that I shouldn¡¯t have picked up a guy like you, but what¡¯s the difference? Grace¡¯s words wrinkled Raul¡¯s brow. He beckoned quietly to Estok. Before he knew it, Grace was blocking the warehouse. ¡°I didn¡¯t think much of it at first, but I¡¯m curious now because of your actions. Who the hell did you hide in there?¡± ¡°What kind of ridiculous imagination are you having? You think I¡¯m going to get in trouble at this age.¡± ¡°If you have a young man in there, I will bless you. In the case of Master however, young women are much more dangerous.¡± Raul plodded down the stairs. Grace had no more justification to stop him. ¡°If it¡¯s a rat, I¡¯ll hunt it down!¡± In addition, Estok was approaching with his eyes sparkling. Bump. Raul opened the warehouse. There was a pair of old, small shoes neatly placed in it. When Raul beckoned, Bastard lit the inside of the warehouse with an electric light. A hidden door inside a warehouse The wind was coming in as a small door opened that seemed to barely pass by a child or a woman. ¡°Poor thing. It seems that a poor, light-footed guest stayed.¡± The shoes were clean, but it was almost sunset. ¡°She is a child from the farmhouse who comes to play sometimes. I just ordered her to leave quietly through the back door because I was afraid something would happen.¡± ¡°Grace, a former senior official in the Imperial Intelligence Service, should regularly report on the relationships around her. So I need to know who this is.¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°Usually, hidden employment leads to sponsorship. Fortunately, I ordered the back door to be locked. I have to help my Master because she shouldn¡¯t have to care about such trivial things.¡± Grace said as if she was dumbfounded. ¡°Do you have to treat a child from a poor farm as if she was being hunted like that?¡± ¡°I decide how to handle it. We¡¯ll interrogate her if necessary.¡± Grace knew that taking sides too much could provoke Raul. So she had no choice but to shut up. ?? Even on summer nights, the wind began to blow little by little. The temperature in the mountains was fickle. ¡®It¡¯s cold¡­¡¯ Nicole closed her eyes and was on the tree. She couldn¡¯t breathe much because the light would react and turn on again if she moved too much. ¡®Shall I go out the back door now?¡¯ No matter how much she waited, it was quiet everywhere. Nicole took her breath away and climbed down the tree. It was then. Just like that. Something was thrown to the altar. Nicole looked at it reflexively. It was a little pine cone. ¡®Oh, what?¡¯ Nicole came down the tree and fell to the floor with a snap. She didn¡¯t want to make a sound.¡­. The altar lights turn up brightly. Nicole fell into a pile of flower beds surrounding the altar. ¡°Are you here now?¡± A man was looking down at Nicole in the light that decorated the altar. Nicole scrambled to her feet. Then something cold touched Nicole¡¯s chin. It was a sword. Nicole looked up at the black and shiny boots and looked up. Raul was looking down at her. Unlike his indifferent eyes, there was a faint interest around his mouth. ¡°Well, I¡­.¡± ¡°I was waiting for you to come down. If you were a little late, I¡¯d have shot you with a shotgun. That¡¯s the perfect way to wake up the sleeping animals in a night hunt.¡± ??? Want to read ahead? Read more here Chapter 19 Raul quieted down his steps, went out to the main gate, and headed for the backyard. What he saw then was the sight of a woman climbing silently up a tree, with her white legs exposed. Her pale feet clung to the tree and moved up and down. Her face was already hidden between the branches. ¡®It¡¯s fun.¡¯ There were few people in Raul¡¯s life who had personal significance. Grace was a rare exception to his life category. A long time ago, when he lost his parents and became an orphan, Grace became his supporter as his teacher. And she was devoted to teaching him in a situation of no gain. Such a connection was not easily cut off. Raul was deeply indebted to Grace. The problem was that Grace became a little strange after her daughter Siena died. Grace was then easily taken in by young women reminiscent of Siena. She would show generosity for nothing and sometimes give money. And she didn¡¯t ask for anything. In addition, Grace had a high status, and Grace was from two intelligence agencies, so she knew too much. Grace was a woman Raul should take care of politically and privately. So Raul was most wary of young women by Grace¡¯s side. For example, this woman who¡¯s kneeling in front of him. A woman who looks innocent and mysterious. She looked at Raul with trembling green eyes, with her delicate golden brown hair hanging down to her waist. Raul was confused at the moment how many emotions crossed in her eyes. Do I know this woman? ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°¡­¡­.¡± ¡°If you¡¯re not a fool, you have to answer. And look into people¡¯s eyes.¡± He lifted the tip of his sword and gently touched Nicole¡¯s cheek. Nicole¡¯s body got goosebumps as if she was caressed by a snake. At the same time, she remembered his touch from her past life. Nicole¡¯s face began to turn red. Her hands trembled faintly. It was both familiar and unfamiliar that Raul was in front of her. She was scared and glad¡­¡­ Just a lot of emotions mixed inside her. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t do that in a situation where you¡¯re suspected of being a spy. It¡¯s even more suspicious if you act so pitifully. It¡¯s even worse when you eavesdrop on others.¡± Nicole only answered calmly. ¡°I¡¯m just¡­¡­ I just came to give some herbs. And I got pocket money. A piece of silver. That¡¯s all.¡± ¡°Did you?¡± He spoke kindly. ¡°That¡¯s a lot of money.¡± Nicole was so nervous that she didn¡¯t even notice Raul was teasing. ¡°Yes, to me, it¡¯s like my entire fortune¡­¡­. It¡¯s not that¡­¡­.¡± Nicole thought. How did she talk to Raul before? Actually, she doesn¡¯t remember them having a conversation. Because she used to get angry or have seizures all the time. ¡°I swear I don¡¯t intend to harm Madam Grace. I don¡¯t want to use her. Well, if someone like me comes in and out of this house and bothers her, I won¡¯t go anywhere near her again.¡± A tear fell from Nicole¡¯s eyes after she finished talking. Raul took a step back. Nicole barely got up. Raul looked over at her. If this was acting, she should receive a standing ovation after that performance. Nicole really looked like a simple, pitiful young woman from a farmhouse. She was just a rare beauty. ¡°Did Grace tell you to hide in the warehouse?¡± ¡°Yes. She said¡­ the annoying people were coming, so she told me to just go through the back door. I didn¡¯t know this would be such a big deal.¡­. Since I was young, my parents told me to hide whenever I saw nobles.¡± Nicole, who confessed everything to Raul, didn¡¯t seem very clever. In addition, if there was such a beautiful daughter in a poor farmhouse, it was common to hide her because it would be a source of trouble for high-ranking people. At that moment, Raul saw a dot under Nicole¡¯s eyes in the light. The faint dots on her right cheek were drawing a triangle. ¡°Since when did you have these?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just freckles, sir.¡± Nicole said quietly. ¡°It¡¯s almost gone now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too bad. If there were any left, it would have been worth counting.¡± Nicole was so surprised that her heart almost popped out. ¡°Uh, I¡­ It¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Relax, I¡¯m kidding.¡± Raul said. ¡°You¡¯ve got to go.¡± Raul said. ¡°Seeing you climb a tree, you¡¯re not a lady so I don¡¯t need to see you off.¡± Nicole started running barefoot. She doesn¡¯t care if she hurt her feet. Raul looked after her back for a long time. ?? ¡°Did you kill her?¡± As Raul returned to the house, Grace looked at him with an expression of ridiculousness. Seeing that there was no scream from outside, she thought nothing was wrong, so she was just waiting for the tea. ¡°I thought it was a rare bird that could only be caught at night, but it was just a small rabbit. I¡¯m not interested in hunting like that.¡± ¡°I told you it wasn¡¯t a big deal.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a little strange that people live in a place like this.¡± ¡°People can nest anywhere if they¡¯re poor. Anyway, as you say, to enjoy retirement, you need to know how to show mercy to those poor children. Am I suddenly upgraded to a dangerous person by giving them some small money?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that I don¡¯t have a good feeling.¡± But Grace didn¡¯t pretend to hear. Raul felt a slight fatigue. ¡°See you in a few days when I finish my work.¡± Raul said in a non-sweet tone. Grace only snorted and didn¡¯t see Raul off either. ?? ¡°Heuk, heuk¡­¡± Nicole ran through the woods. ¡®My feet¡­ hurt.¡¯ When Nicole arrived home, she took a deep breath. Then she hurried into her room. ¡®Raul¡­ you were there.¡¯ However, there is one difference from the past life. It was that Raul didn¡¯t know who I was yet. An indescribable emotion swept through her mind. ¡®How stupid I must have looked. But¡­¡¯ We¡¯re not meant to meet again in this life. ¡®But¡­¡¯ Is it because she¡¯s afraid or because she misses him? Her heart beat loudly. At the same time, Nicole felt one more misunderstanding about Raul being resolved. It happened in her last life. The day Nicole listened to the music box while having tea with Raul in the drawing room. Since then, Nicole has secretly gone to his drawing room once. The relationship between the two wasn¡¯t the worst at the time. Nicole fiddled down the music box a few times. And a few days later, the butler visited and said. ?All the items placed on the fireplace in the drawing room are relics of Grand Duke Valentine¡¯s old colleagues. It¡¯s been there for a while and he¡¯s decided to dispose of them all. He¡¯s going to throw away this music box, but he told me you may keep it if you want.? ?Whose item is this?? ?It¡¯s his teacher¡¯s belongings. Do you remember the previous training? Never mention his late teacher or parents. So, thanking him for the music box is prohibited.? She didn¡¯t know then, but now she understands. ¡°By that time, Grace must have already died in the witch hunt of the villagers.¡± A person of such high status, Nicole recalled the conversation between Raul and Grace. At first glance, they seemed to have a bad relationship, but that would not be the case at all. ¡®Raul wouldn¡¯t have spent ten minutes with Grace if they really didn¡¯t get along. Because he hates wasting time the most.¡¯ And after much time, Siena¡¯s belongings were turned into Grace¡¯s belongings and kept in Raoul¡¯s drawing room. ¡®Another question has been answered.¡¯ The first day they met in their last life. The reason why Raul killed the villagers. ¡®Maybe it was Raul¡¯s venting, or revenge. Revenge for those who witch-hunted his mentor, Grace¡­¡­.¡¯ Either way, for Rau, Grace is his teacher whether he likes it or not. But somehow it didn¡¯t seem like Raoul hated Grace. Rather, she felt like he had some deep respect. It was just a hunch. ¡®I really didn¡¯t know anything about you. I¡¯ve always wanted to demonize you.¡¯ But now there was no time. Now that Raul came here, Nicole had to leave. ¡®Let¡¯s get ready to leave right away. I wish I could afford to wait for Father, but I can¡¯t. It¡¯s really dangerous if Raul is nearby.¡¯ ?? The forest of summer was filled with green grass and tree fruits. Nicole checked that her mother had taken a nap and went out with a basket on her arm. She picked herbs and mushrooms for dinner. Then she turned around and headed for Grace¡¯s mansion with a quick step. ¡®I hope Grace understands what I mean by this letter. I wish I had time to meet her in person, but¡­¡­.¡¯ Nicole wrote a letter and threw it under the garden of Grace¡¯s house. Then she waved the bell in front of the house as hard as she could. Breaking the silence of the day, birds flew out of the forest. The front door opened. After confirming that Grace was coming out, Nicole stopped her footsteps and ran toward the house. ¡®Since you know Raul, I can¡¯t meet you again. Even that¡¯s dangerous.¡­.¡¯ Isabel¡¯s plan for Grace¡¯s property. Nicole wrote down the details in the letter. She also advised her to deal with Jen and Karen as soon as possible. It¡¯s time to go back home. Today, she has to spend special time with her family. ??? Want to read ahead? Read more here Chapter 20 ?? ¡®Ah, I feel refreshed. I¡¯m so happy that a lot of money is coming to my hands soon.¡¯ Isabel was in a good mood today. Isabel went out to her heart¡¯s content and was lazy because Mother kept sleeping like a sick chicken. In addition, Nicole was kinder and more attentive than usual, rather than controlling Isabel. ¡°Nicole, that idiot must have felt sorry that she dared to rebel against me.¡± Didn¡¯t Nicole say she would give Isabel a chance to go out with an excuse for gathering herbs today? ¡®I heard there were people who had stomachache because of the milk that came from Grace¡¯s house last week¡¯ Ignorant rural people fed milk porridge to their children and became sick. There¡¯s gonna be dead children coming out soon enough.¡­. ¡®Jen will do something to make the strange woman who lives in that house a witch.¡¯ By the way, Nicole was a little weird. ¡®Does that idiot go out every night? It seemed like she was walking around in the early morning yesterday. I thought it was because she was preparing for breakfast.¡¯ But when she arrived at Grace¡¯s house, Isabel¡¯s expression changed innocently. First, Isabel headed to the cattle shed and fed the cows with poisonous weeds. Then she went into the house and acted cute to Grace, pretending not to know anything. ¡°Ta-da! Isabel made a surprise appearance. Hehe, you didn¡¯t expect me to come at this time, did you? My mother allowed me to go out secretly.¡± ¡°Here you are, Isabel.¡± But Grace looked strange. She seemed tired, as she would normally shower Isabel with affection and serve her a lot of delicious snacks. ¡°What¡¯s wrong with you? I¡¯m afraid you¡¯re sick.¡± Isabel said calmly and examined Grace¡¯s face closely. Sometimes Isabel felt a strange cold terror from Grace. Just like now. Sometimes there was a moment when she felt like a country bumpkin in front of a person of high status whom she couldn¡¯t even make eye contact with. ¡°Isabel, would you like to sit down?¡± Grace said, tapping slowly on the table. Isabel sat down quietly. Grace took a sip of tea and asked quietly. ¡°Do you have an older sister, Isabel?¡± Isabel¡¯s smiling mouth hardened slightly. She blinked exaggeratedly to hide her trembling eyes. ¡®Oh, really. My bad hunch is always true.¡¯ What did her damn sister do? But unlike her busy head, Isabel immediately nodded. ¡°Yes! Have you met my sister by any chance?¡± ¡°Yeah. I happened to know her. Your sister is a calm and nice child. By the way, your sister was talking about my barn. She looked at the cows and she said they seemed sick.¡± ¡°Oh, did she?¡± ¡°When I heard that, she said they looked as if they had eaten something wrong. Do you remember the servants who come and go into my house? Do you think any of them are suspicious?¡± Grace said affectionately. Isabel rolled her eyes. ¡®This woman¡­ Is she testing me?¡¯ Isabel has to frame someone else. ¡®Because Isabel seems to be a pure and kind person to people¡¯s eyes.¡¯ The answer in this case was simple. ¡°Well, maybe¡­¡­. Did my sister give Grace a present or did she do you a favor when you talked to her?¡± Turning her attention to gossip about others altogether. Isabel instinctively knew how to get rid of people¡¯s suspicions. Grace paused. Isabel¡¯s lips went up as if she could see it. ¡®What did she give her? She probably didn¡¯t know how to get close to people, so she tried to do them a favor. I¡¯m sure she gave her herbs or fruit chips. It¡¯s obvious what she did.¡¯ ¡°Why do you ask that?¡± ¡°What she gave you wasn¡¯t food, was it?¡± It¡¯s a big problem if you take it yourself. Please tell me right away. Then it could be dangerous.¡± Isabel hasn¡¯t taken off her girlish mask yet, and she wasn¡¯t just a beauty. Her audience sees a transparent and girlish charm enough to melt their heart. ¡°She did give me medicine.¡± Isabel said. ¡°Is this the medicine?¡± It¡¯s obvious that it¡¯s from their home. They always classified medicine bottles in the same way. Isabel found the bottle on the fireplace without difficulty. As expected, this pill was made by her sister. ¡°She said it¡¯s a cure for insomnia.¡± ¡°Did you take it?¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t taken it yet. There was an eventful incident yesterday.¡± ¡°Oh, thank God.¡± ¡°What do you want to say?¡± Isabel is turning toward the fireplace. She turned her head slowly. Isabel looked frightened before she knew it. ¡°I have a favor to ask of you. The cat in the backyard¡­¡­ I¡¯ll get the cat.¡± Isabel hurried out holding the bottle of medicine before she heard the answer. Grace got up in a hurry and followed her. ¡®I¡¯m glad I stopped by Karen and Jen¡¯s cabin before I came here.¡¯ Isabel grew poisonous weeds and poisonous insects in their cabin. Some of them were made to grind ripe poisonous weeds. So she had some of those medicinal ingredients in her arms. Isabel¡¯s actions were swift. She took Grace out and naturally sprayed poison beetle powder into Nicole¡¯s medicine. ¡°I¡¯ll give this cat the medicine.¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡­why did you do that¡­¡­.¡± But Grace didn¡¯t stop her. The cat in the backyard came out languidly, thinking she was feeding him as usual. Isabel took out a beef jerky, crushed a pill in between, and handed it over. Meooowww¡ª After a while, the cat that ate beef jerky fell sideways while scratching. ¡°Now¡­¡­ what happened?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯s dead. Ha-ha- I¡¯m glad you didn¡¯t drink that. I think he¡¯s just paralyzed.¡± Isabel wiped the area around her eyes. She seemed very relieved. ¡°Tell me the details. What on earth did your sister give me?¡± ¡°Actually, she has a mental illness. When she meets a stranger, she bewitches them with her good looks and feeds them with poisonous weeds, and she plays such mischievous pranks. Apparently, the medicine she gave Grace was mixed with a large amount of paralyzing drug.¡± Isabel sniffed. ¡°Really, I think of Grace¡­¡­ like my real mother.¡­ You¡¯re very precious. I wish you didn¡¯t know about her. Isabel is so ashamed of her sister.¡± ¡°That¡¯s interesting. Tell me more about your sister.¡± Grace said, with no regard for Isabel, who was trembling and crying. ¡°My sister has an inferiority complex to Isabel. She¡¯s trying to hurt Isabel using the people who¡¯s precious to her. That¡¯s why I kept Grace¡¯s presence secret from the family¡­¡­. Actually, the reason my family lives in hiding is because my sister keeps causing problems. I don¡¯t know how many times it¡¯s already been.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you say you lived in hiding because of your parents¡¯ debts?¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, too! But it¡¯s also because of her mental illness. Is there anything missing from the house? Something valuable. Look carefully in your drawers. She¡¯s been stealing from a lot of people. My sister must have lost her mind after seeing such a nice mansion.¡± Grace usually didn¡¯t even think deeply about what jewels she had. Grace looked through the bedroom after a very long time. A couple of brooches were missing. ¡°There¡¯s really something missing, but¡­¡­.¡± ¡°As expected. She did it again.¡± Isabel held Grace¡¯s hand and said eagerly. ¡°Isabel will find the brooch somehow. So, keep it a secret from my parents. They¡¯re poor people. I¡¯m so worried about my sister. And¡­ forgive her. It¡¯s because she has a disease, she¡¯s not a bad person.¡± Grace was silent for a moment, as if in agony. Then she nodded. ¡°Okay. I won¡¯t harm your sister for now.¡± ¡°Thank you, Grace!¡± ¡°Anyway, you should get going for today. I need time to think.¡± ¡°You should search the house carefully because you don¡¯t know what else she could¡¯ve done. She¡¯s done nasty things at someone else¡¯s house before. For example, killing the animals in the house or making bad rumors.¡± Isabel spoke to Grace until the end. ¡°I¡¯ll send you back.¡± Grace said. It was nothing short of a congratulatory order. ¡°I¡­ Can I come back to play again?¡±¡± Isabel said, looking around. ¡°Even after you found out that Isabel¡¯s older sister was like that¡­¡­ You won¡¯t hate Isabel?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Grace said gracefully. ¡°As you say, if there¡¯s a problem it¡¯s ¡®only your sister.¡¯¡± ¡°Ah, I can¡¯t believe I can keep seeing Grace. That alone makes me happy.¡± Isabel said pitifully. ¡°But Isabel.¡± Looking back, Grace said to Isabel on the back of her head. ¡°Do you know Karen and Jen?¡± Isabel¡¯s body hardened once again. She turned her head slowly. ¡°I don¡¯t know them. I¡¯m always with my family and sometimes I secretly come to see Grace. But¡­ My sister sometimes shakes off our parents and sneaks around outside. Believe me¡­¡­.¡± ¡°I see.¡± Grace replied. And quietly closed the gate. ?©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤©¤? Want to read ahead? Read more here Chapter 21 I wont let you go. How dare you. Isabel mused over her anger at Nicole for daring to talk recklessly all the way home. Grace, if she notices something, nothing will change. All the milk is probably already in town, and she will inevitably be hunted as a witch. Ill tell Jen to go to town and spread the word. Apparently Grace said. Nicole looked into cows and found out that they were sick. Nicole and I learned from Mother when we were young how to check the health of livestocks. But that idiot is dull. Besides, who told Grace about Karen and Jen? Is it Nicole, the idiot? No way. Isabel had the absolute prejudice that Nicole was stupid. So she didnt imagine that Nicole had her all figured out. Rather, she gained strength by thinking, If Grace notices anything, Ill point her at Nicole. Grace is mine. Nicole, who almost ruined my plans, should know her place and be punished. Isabel thought. Should she just kill her? It was too easy to kill her stupid family. Shell just have to poison their breakfast. Thats all she has to do. Isabel knew how to manufacture drugs. It was all thanks to her studying the familys forbidden books secretly. Theyre a family whom Ill throw away eventually anyway. And its been a long time since Ive started feeding Mother poison. Well, theyre people whom she can kill whenever they want. At that thought Isabel felt a little better. So when she arrived at home, she could enter calmly. Are you here now, Isabel? Nicole opened the front door and greeted Isabel. She whispered quickly. Why are you so late? Mother woke up from her nap, so I had a hard time hiding your absence. Come on to the kitchen. I baked some corn bread and cookies during the day. I left your share. Really? It looks delicious. Isabel answered cheerfully but thought something else. She happened to stop by Karen and Jens cabin today. Thanks to this, Isabel now had poisonous powder in her arms. If you eat this, youll get gastritis. Im angry. Should I punish her enough to feed her this? Isabel smiled, thinking to herself. Sister, Im starving. Please give me some tea. All right. Nicole prepared the tea. And she put two warm cups of tea on the table. I want to drink honey in my tea. Yeah. Theres almost no honey left, so I think youre the only one who should have it now. Nicole got up to take out the honey. Isabel poured powdered medicine into Nicoles teacup in the meantime. A clueless Nicole sat across from Isabel. Isabel rolled her eyes while pretending to tilt the teacup. Hey, do you have anything to say to me? There is. what is it? Its a little. Nicole fiddled with the old teacup several times. Isabels mouth almost rotted because she was acting frustrating. Sister, these nights Are you walking around outside? Do you happen to know anyone new? Are you talking about Grace? Nicole looked around and whispered. You know her too, dont you? You, too? Isabel, why didnt you tell me such a secret? I was so disappointed. If you have met such a good person, introduce them to me. did you think of that? Of course. Its not easy to stay with our family all the time. I hope to meet a lot of people, too. And you know, she said shed give me an allowance if I got her some herbs. Ill save every penny. Isabel was surprised. Isabel listened to Nicole with her ears pricked up. Does this mammoth also dream of getting outside of this hellhole? Isabel was in a good mood. Mother is sick, too Wont we leave here one day? Its good to save even a little money for that time. Father always goes outside to make money. But what is that story about the cows? I heard sister said that the cows in the barn were sick. Oh, I happened to go to the barn and the cows eyes were red. I read in the book that cows eyes become bloodshot when they get sick. Thats why Im just saying its a little weird. . Isabel was dispirited. Come to think of it, shes thirsty. She sipped her tea. Also feeling hungry, she ate the bread as Nicole recommended. I was surprised that you thought of that. You always listened to our parents. Were sisters. I feel the same way as you do. And loving our parents is one thing but thinking about the future is another. Nicole put her hands together and smiled tenderly. Isabel felt it was a waste of time being with this idiot. At the same time Isabel became playful. She thought it would still be fun to mess with Nicole. Hey, hurry up and have a cup of tea. I will. However, Nicole looked lost in thought, only fiddling with her cup. You dont want to drink it? Isabel drinks that, too. Isabel jokingly said. Nicole nodded her head a little and sipped the tea a bit. No, she thought so. But Isabel. Did you happen to put something in the tea? Huh? I thought you were staring at me drinking tea too hard. Anyone will be suspicious because of that. Nicole said calmly. Her expression that seemed to be in agony disappeared, and only the expression that was so calm, enough to be expressionless, was revealed. Why are you saying that all of a sudden? Isabel frowned for a moment. Why are you so surprised? Nicole smiled. Didnt you get any nutritional supplements that are good for your body? Nutritional? What are you talking about all of a sudden? You know what youre good at. Mixing secret ingredients with medicine. I wonder if you did it again. Nicoles words seriously offended Isabel. Youre really weird today. Your secret laboratory. Stop. Isabels hand flinched. The secret lab that was in the basement of your room. The drugs that were there. Thats the medicine you made for Mother, right? Isabel was appalled. As expected, I was right that someone came into the lab, right? When the hell did she find it? But Isabel replied calmly. Oh, youve been in my secret lab? Actually, Im working on improving my medicine for Mother these days. I was making it in a secret place to surprise you. As expected, Isabel is very thoughtful. Nicole rose from her seat. And she took a small bowl out of the cupboard. Isabels eyes turned when she saw the bowl. It was full of poisonous insects. It looked like twenty at a rough estimate. Isabel found out at once where the poisonous insects came from. Isabel put a stack of poisonous insects in a small trash can that stores the ingredients to throw away on one side of the lab. All of them were leftover ingredients used to make Mothers medicine. This bug is a nutritional supplement, right? Nicole spoke mildly. Isabels mind hardened at a moment when she said something beyond imagination. What? This bug, I saw a picture in the book Bug Pharmacology from the East. I heard that if you refine it well, it becomes a very powerful tonic or nutritional supplement. Where did you get this precious thing? . Isabel was speechless. Is she too stupid to even recognize a poisonous insect? Did she mistake it for another bug? Or is she making fun of me by pretending to be a fool? In fact, some bugs are not harmful to the body and have become medicine. But its very rare and never seen in this part of the country. Isabel began to get confused whether Nicoles question was sincere or just bullshit. But either way, she couldnt admit it was a poisonous insect. In the end, Isabel affirmed with an exaggerated expression. Youre amazing, sister. I cant believe you recognized you at once! Its an insect I worked hard to get for Mother. Man, Ive been hunting all day. And I secretly raised it and put it in Mothers medicine. Ill surprise you when my mom gets well! Thats what I thought. Anyway, its very good for your body if you refine the body fluid of this bug. Im glad youre in good shape. Isabel, I already filled the tea you just had with this bug. Isabels face turned white in an instant. what? Isabel, you said youve been having a hard time lately. Seeing that you were so weak that you couldnt work in the kitchen, I thought you needed some. This insect called Cordyceps is so effective that it is okay to boil it several times more. Its precious, so Ill save some of it. She drank this damn poisonous insect? At that moment, Isabels heart was beating fast, it felt suffocating. Oh, how long? How many did you boil? Dont tell me its all of this? Of course. Besides this, I added a couple more new ones and boiled them. There are some in your room that you havent used yet. Im sorry I used it without permission. But. . I was going to surprise you, too. Nicoles mouth continued to have a calm smile. Want to read ahead? Read more here Chapter 22 Freya was seriously ill that night. Nicole nursed her all night. Nicole, Nicole. How could Isabel have done such a thing? Am I wrong to lock her up? Thats not true, Mother. For a moment, when Freya regained consciousness, Nicole told her. And Mother. If you feel better We have to run away as soon as possible. Is it because of the woman named Grace? Shes a problem too, but Well, I think I met Grand Duke Valentine. At Graces mansion. Fortunately, I didnt get caught. Freya was appalled by Nicoles explanation. She cant believe the person who lives in such a place had a connection with the young Grand Duke Valentine. Never, they shouldnt catch you. You dont know what the imperial family will do to you. You dont know how your mothers people died. They are not human. Especially for children like Isabel and Jay who have healing powers. Dont worry. I handled it well. Nicole said. Mother, do you have any way or means to contact Father? I have. There is an emergency contact. Then well leave as soon as Mother gets better. Ill leave messages to Father through the emergency contact . After locking Isabel up, she told Jay about it, too. We may have to leave here soon. So can you pack something important for me? They were poor. They dont have a lot of valuable things to pack while running away. But the books that contain all the knowledge of the YvesChapel family And seeds of ancient plants. Eggs of poisonous insects asleep in a sealed state. That alone is of great value. In her previous life, all of these properties were confiscated and placed in the Grand Duke of Valentines House. Only a few of them remained in Nicoles hands and were able to be used to study medicine. Raul was originally a wealthy man, so he was not interested in selling those and even more so in pharmacology. However, the knowledge of the Yveschapel family was so great that they released and sold only a few things that would be helpful for the public interest. As far as restoration is possible. First of all, Ill pack books or the most important things. Father rode his horse, so when we go down the mountain, well spend all our money on an old donkey. Mother has to rest until then. Nicole decided to stabilize her mothers condition as much as possible. She made medicine for her and put her mother to sleep. For now, shell hide their valuables here Nicole and Jay hid their luggage in a secret place under a big tree in a nearby forest. It was the place Jay and Nicole found when they were young, and it was the mana stone repository created by miners a long time ago. Isabel was not with them at the time, so it was a place only the two knew. When she asked Jay, he also said he had never told Isabel about it. I didnt know that place would be so helpful. Im so glad theres a secret place that only Jay and I know. As long as Isabel was inside the warehouse, this place was the safest place. Why, why are you locking me up in the reflection room? Open it for me. Mother, Mother! Isabel, who had fallen asleep after struggling, opened her eyes. Her hands were still tied. And shes still in the boring reflection room that she doesnt even want to see in her dreams. She found herself stuck in it. Isabel. If you keep yelling, Ill use medicine that paralyzes your tongue. She called Mother with an earnest voice, but Freya didnt come. Instead, Nicoles voice was heard through the gap in the window. Its no use doing anything. Jen and Karen cant help you. Because I informed Grace of the plot you were plotting. Grace was originally a woman of great position with hunting skills. There is no way shell let petty criminals in the abandoned mine go after her- that was Nicoles prediction. Ha, do you think Grace will believe you? Isabels mask collapsed. She screamed loudly. I told Grace that you are a nutcase. The next time she sees you, shell shoot you. I may have a chance to meet her, but you wont. Stupid Isabel. Were leaving you here. youre leaving me here? Isabels eyes got bigger. Yeah. Ill give you sleeping pills before we leave here. With medicine to sleep well for a week. And when you open your eyes, you will be left alone here. Theyll leave me alone in this dark mountain house? If her whole family leaves her behind, then she might be attacked by wild animals? Isabel originally intended to leave her family behind. But she will be abandoned in the mountains with her bare body. How can I be abandoned? I dont want to! Isabel was terrified. Mother wont abandon me. That cant be true! But you tried to kill Mother. Do you think well let you near her? Even if she tries to forgive you and take you with us, she wont be able to because shes powerless. Nicole told the reality in a cold voice. Im going to make it that way. You said you didnt want to rot and die in the countryside, either. Trust Isabel. I did it to find my brother and sisters way of life! You thought the same thing as me deep inside! Youre not yet good at lying. You. what? A way to live. Yes. Maybe youre right. I always thought, Isnt Mother actually a person of great status? Then naturally, my thoughts continued like this. Isnt Mother the reason why were hiding here? Nicole approached the door as if she were going to put her lips on it, and said softly to the gap. In addition, she controls us and never lets us get out of here. I think its Mothers fault. Father is a gentle person, so he always follows Mother well. Thats why I was thinking. If my mother dies, I can get out of here. . But I need money to leave. Is there any way to make a fortune and abandon my family at the same time? Its better if Mother dies before then. I dont think its gonna be hard. Nicole spoke as if it was her own mind. But it was all hitting Isabels heart. And I think I can do anything if I go out to the outside world. Everyone will like me. I think I can easily take Karen and Jen as my subordinates with my talent. . Is this what youre thinking? Did I really think the same as you? Did I plot as cheap as you? Isabel, who was on the defensive, could not answer a word. Eventually, Isabel, who was in a cold sweat, began to beg. Sister, Isabel will join you in your plan to rob Graces house. Huh? Lets all leave together with a lot of money. Do you want to join me? Nicoles voice gave a faint laugh. It was better when you were just a child leaning on me, Isabel. What a ridiculous thing to say. Nicole pulled herself out of the window without hesitation. There is no dinner. Ive been in charge of meals in this house for a long time. She said. It was not her words that were uttered affectionately as usual. Ill say goodbye. We wont meet anymore. . Once we meet again, you will have to pay all your debts, including for the time youre not aware of. Before that, Ill pay you back just as much as I owe you this time. Nicole reached through the window. And sprinkled something over Isabels body. Oh, it stings. Whats this! cried Isabel in surprise Its the poisonous powder you gave me as a gift. Of course, I improved it a little bit more specifically. Whatever you do You are no better than me. Nicole whispered. Ah, ah, ah! Isabel rolled around and started screaming. Her whole body was itching like crazy. She can make a medicine that causes skin diseases with poisonous powder? At that moment Isabel thought. When did Nicoles pharmaceutical skills improve so much? By the way, I asked Jay to fix the window. So I can lock the door tight outside. Good night, Isabel. Your tongue will be paralyzed soon. I dont want to hear your loud screams or your lies anymore. Nicole left the last word, locking the window tightly from the outside. Soon Isabels tongue hardened, and Isabel began to crawl on the floor like a bug and sob. But no one came to find Isabel. Click. Ring Grace loaded the shotgun. One of the sisters is lying. Nicole asked her several times to look carefully. This grass, its suspicious.. My servants only give the cows grain or hay. Grace found a strange-looking dried grass in the cows barn this morning. It was only found on the floor of the manger. She smelled something bitter. Madam, around here, when a cow tries to graze on such grass, the cow is slapped on the back to prevent it. Who did such mischief? When she asked the maid who came to work in the morning, she replied that it seemed to be a poisonous plant. Grace used to feel infinitely weak when she saw a beautiful girl who was similar in age to her dead daughter. But that weakness didnt mean she was stupid. She responded faster than anyone else to threats to herself and those who challenged her authority. Grace came from a place where she could only survive. She was once a top authority on both secret intelligence services. Maybe theyre both having a disagreement. Silly children are playing with me. First, she should look at the people that live near the abandoned mine that was aiming for me. And Whoever deceived me should be punished. Either one or two. Thump thump. She stepped forward. Only the stuffed animals saw her off in the bleak mansion. Want to read ahead? Read more here