The next day.
The sky looked ominous.
"I think it’s going to rain, Princess," one of the maids noted cautiously.
"Hmm, you're right. Those look like heavy clouds."
The maids looked at each other and nodded. Surprisingly, they had become much more talkative since I first arrived in this world. It probably started when they realized I was serious about "camping" in the garden and brought out the carriage to accommodate me.
To be honest, I hadn't expected them to be so supportive. My reputation among the staff seemed to have shifted overnight after I cut ties with that toxic social circle. Instead of being terrified of me, they seemed impressed—either by my sudden generosity or by the fact that I was actually following through on my threat to stay in the garden.
I wasn't exactly complaining. The maids had been attending to me even through the night, taking turns to ensure I had everything I needed. I’d told them to go back to the mansion multiple times, but they insisted it was their job. At first, they’d trembled like rabbits whenever I looked at them, but now they were at the point where they’d chatter away without even thinking about it.
I’d even memorized their names.
"My grandmother says it never rains on days that look like this, so don't worry, Princess!" said a maid named Susan. She was the one who had given me the homemade hangover cure, and since she seemed to know a thing or two about medicine, I’d been keeping a close eye on her.
Unfortunately for Susan’s grandmother, she was dead wrong.
*CRACK-BOOM!*
The rain began to pour down as if the sky had split open. The wind howled, and soon the roof of the carriage was shaking.
'I hope this thing doesn't collapse on us,' I thought.
Earlier that day, it had been pleasant enough to have tea and gossip with the maids. They were surprisingly well-informed about the latest capital fashions, and we’d spent hours talking about everything from designer bags to the latest scandals. Even the Lemut knights and staff had started looking at me with more curiosity than hostility.
*What exactly does this crazy woman want?* their eyes seemed to ask.
But as night fell and the storm intensified, my "homeless" experiment turned into a bit of a disaster. I woke up to a deafening sound.
"Princess! Oh, what are we going to do?!"
Outside, a full-blown storm was raging. Rain and wind lashed against the carriage.
'This is my mistake,' I realized. I should have been better prepared for the weather instead of being so complacent.
"Princess! This isn't safe! I’ve sent word to Rumi and Carol back at the mansion. They’re going to find some magicians to help, so please, just wait! I’m so sorry... it’s all my fault!"
Susan looked even more panicked than I was. She was practically in tears, her head bowed as she pleaded for forgiveness.
"Susan, look at me. I'm fine."
"B-but Princess... if you get sick, I’ll be punished—"
"And stop apologizing for things that aren't your responsibility. It’s a bad habit."
Watching her reminded me of my old life, when I’d take the blame for my boss’s mistakes just to keep the peace.
"The world is full of bad people, Susan. If you’re too good, they’ll blame you for things that aren't your fault just because they can. So keep your head up."
Susan stopped crying and stared at me, her eyes wide. I gave her a small smile.
"I’m just saying, you should practice being a bit more firm, just in case you run into a real villain like me."
In reality, it was Charlize's fault that Susan was so conditioned to apologize.
"Princess..." Susan’s face blurred for a second as she looked at me. "Princess, you're shivering!"
"Ah."
She was right. It was freezing. The carriage's temperature control magic must have broken. To make matters worse, Charlize's wardrobe consisted almost entirely of thin, elegant fabrics that were useless against a cold storm. Even the blankets we had were too thin.
Water began to leak from the roof. 'This is officially my lowest point since arriving here,' I thought. I tried to keep smiling, but my teeth were chattering.
"It’s fine," I said. "It’s a new experience. Everyone should go through a little hardship at least once."
I ignored Susan’s attempts to give me her own blanket and pushed it back toward her. 'Take care of yourself, Susan. My fiancé isn't going to come out here and save me.'
*Knock, knock.*
A sound at the carriage door made us both freeze. Susan and I exchanged a look of pure confusion. Who would be out in this weather? A Lemut knight? Or maybe a magician from the Altsbeit estate?
Susan opened the door.
"Ah..."
I caught sight of the person outside and my eyes went wide.
"A-Are you... are you okay?"
It was Aria. Askin's sister. She was standing there in the pouring rain, her thin hands clutching a small umbrella.
'In this storm? Why is she here?!'
She looked terrified, her eyes wide as she took in my shivering state. 'If she collapses again in this rain, Askin really will kill me,' I thought.
"Get in! Right now!" I commanded.
"Y-yes?!"
"It's raining! Get inside!"
I didn't care why she was here; leaving a girl as frail as her out in a storm was out of the question. I didn't want a murder charge on top of everything else. Aria seemed startled by my tone, but she squeezed her eyes shut and scrambled into the carriage.
The temperature inside was barely better than outside. Aria’s small, thin shoulders began to shake the moment she sat down.
'If she gets sick, I'm doomed!'
I quickly took the blanket Susan had been trying to give me and wrapped it around Aria. She looked up at me, her pale face and silver hair making her look like a tiny snow rabbit.
"Why did you come out here?" I asked.
"I... I just... word..."
"Just listen. Think of this as an apology for making you faint the other day."
I could see the questions in her eyes—likely wondering why I was suddenly using honorifics—but I was too cold and tired to explain.
"I’m just rambling because I’m cold. If it’s too hard to answer, don't bother."
I crossed my arms and legs, trying to conserve whatever heat I had left. Susan tried to give me her blanket again, but I wrapped it around her as well, threatening to make her sit outside if she didn't keep it.
"Just keep it, Susan."
"But Princess—!"
"I've already caught a cold. I can afford to be sick; I’m a Princess with more money than sense. You, however, need to stay healthy. Take care of yourself."
My tone had inadvertently shifted back to Charlize’s—a mix of arrogance and command that usually worked better with the staff than being "nice." It seemed my memories and Charlize’s were starting to blend together, sharing the same body like two people in one bed.
"Pffft..."
A small, soft laugh interrupted us. I turned to see Aria, her hands covering her mouth as she giggled. When she realized I was looking at her, she immediately started to tremble again.
'Wait... she’s terrified of me, but she’s laughing? Why?'
"I-I'm sorry! I’m so sorry! It’s just... you two look so funny together."
"You're laughing while saying you're sorry? Is that how it works?"
"Yes?"
Aria stared at me, her expression turning into something I couldn't quite read. It was subtle, but for the first time, she didn't look completely terrified.