I forced myself up from the bench, but as I did, a group of knights rushed toward me. I blinked, confused. They all looked at me with the same mixture of fear and bewilderment I’d seen in the servants' eyes.
"Ah, please sit back down, Princess!" one of them pleaded.
"His Lordship has ordered that you are not to leave this garden."
I was baffled. I knew how Askin felt about me, but this was a bit much. 'He actually gave an order to keep me here? Maybe he really does want to see me...'
But my body had other plans. A sudden wave of nausea hit me so hard my vision blurred. I jumped up, ready to bolt. The knights moved to stop me, but when I accidentally locked eyes with them, they recoiled. I hadn't even said anything, and they were already backing off.
'It’s interesting, but I don’t have time for this! I can't lose my dignity in my fiancé’s house!'
I clutched my stomach, my face pale. A building stood just past the knights, its doors wide open. Every step I took made the knights flinch and retreat in perfect synchronization. A cold sweat broke out on my forehead.
"Move," I growled.
"P-Princess, please, you can't go in there—!"
"If you get in my way one more time, you’ll see exactly how 'vicious' I can be. I’m being very clear."
I must have looked like I was three seconds away from a total mental breakdown. The knights, terrified of whatever I might do with my unfocused eyes, finally stepped aside.
I pushed past them and sprinted down the hallway toward the first door that looked like a bathroom. 'Next time... never again! If I ever drink like that again, I’m a dog! A literal dog!'
I burst into the bathroom, unintentionally scaring off a maid who was already inside.
'Phew... I think I’m going to live...'
Fortunately, I didn't actually vomit, but the dry heaves were agonizing. My stomach was empty and cramping. Now that I thought about it, I hadn't eaten anything all day.
"...But where am I?"
I stepped out of the bathroom and looked around, finally regaining my senses. I had entered the building closest to the garden, thinking it was the main house, but a glance out the window told me otherwise. I could see the main building—the one where I’d met Ben and Bond—from across the courtyard.
So where was I? This building was even more dilapidated than the main one, but it was cared for with a level of tenderness the rest of the estate lacked. There were vases of cute pansies and delicate decorations in every corner.
'It looks like someone is trying their best to keep this place beautiful despite having no money.'
I wandered down the hall, my head still spinning. I’d run in like a madwoman, and now I had no idea how to get back out without running into the knights again. I knew Askin wouldn't be happy about my intrusion, so I needed to find an exit—fast.
I turned a corner and froze.
*Thud.*
Something had fallen. I looked toward the sound and saw a young girl standing not far away. She looked much younger than Charlize and had an air of pure innocence. But it wasn't just her innocence that caught my attention.
'Wow... she’s beautiful!'
Even as a teenager, her beauty was staggering. She had pure white-silver hair that matched the white flower she was holding. Our eyes met, and my mind flashed with recognition.
'Silver hair and blue eyes... Askin’s sister, Aria.'
She was Askin’s only family, his greatest treasure, and the reason for his mountain of debt. She was also a tragic character, suffering from an incurable disease that could take her life at any moment.
Unpleasant memories of the original Charlize flooded my mind. I remembered how Charlize had once mocked Aria’s clothes: *"Doesn't the Duke love you? Why does he let you wear such filthy rags?"*
I winced. Charlize had been a monster to this poor girl. Aria saw me and immediately began to hiccup in terror. Cold sweat dripped down her pale face.
"Ah... P-Princess... I..."
"Hey, wait!" I said, wanting to tell her not to be afraid.
But my voice must have sounded terrifying to her. Aria panicked, her breathing becoming shallow and ragged, and she collapsed to the floor.
"Hey! Is anyone there?! Help! Someone collapsed!" I shouted, rushing to her side. Her face was deathly pale. 'What do I do? Oh god!'
The sound of heavy footsteps echoed down the hall. The knights had finally caught up.
"Don't you dare touch her!" a voice roared.
It was Ben. I pulled my hand away from Aria’s cheek as if I’d been burned. The knights surrounded me, their faces full of murderous rage. They hadn't drawn their swords yet, but they looked ready to kill me where I stood.
I stood up and backed away, my heart pounding. Ben growled, his voice barely maintaining a shred of professional politeness.
"Leave. Now."
"..."
"Please... just go back."
I opened my mouth to explain, but the words died in my throat. I looked at Aria one last time, my heart aching.
"...I’m sorry. I really didn't do anything."
They weren't listening. Their eyes were cold and filled with hate. I swallowed hard, turned around, and walked out of the building.
The resentment washed over me. I hadn't asked for this body. Why did I have to pay for this woman’s sins? It felt like a leash was being tightened around my neck.
I walked back to the bench in the garden, my steps heavy and weak. When I arrived, I found someone waiting for me.
A tall, imposing figure stood by the bench. It was my fiancé, Duke Askin Remut.
"...Princess."
My breath hitched. How could I have forgotten how beautiful he was? His hair was silver, as white as fresh snow. He had thick, dark eyebrows and a perfectly shaped nose. He looked like he had been sculpted by a god.
But his eyes... they were full of a freezing coldness and a sharp, jagged anger. I flinched, but I couldn't look away.
'Wow... is this really my fiancé? He’s incredible.'
In this novel, most of the "handsome" men were "pretty trash"—beautiful faces with broken personalities, like Charlize’s brother. But Askin was different. He was one of the few characters who was actually a good person—stoic, faithful, and fiercely protective of his own.
Maybe that was why he was so sidelined in the original R-19 plot. He was a "pre-marital purist," a man of morals in a world of depravity. Readers used to complain that the author had "wasted" such a good character by not making him a main lead.
But there was one person he hated above all others, someone he despised with every fiber of his being: Charlize.
"Have you finally come to kill my sister with that hateful face of yours?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous.
"What? No! I—"
"Don't play games with me."
Askin took a step closer, his silver hair catching the light. "You intended to finish her off this time, didn't you?!"