Chapter 2
The fact that Seria, who had been appointed as the saintess, had not yet left for the Grand Temple meant that the original story hadn’t started.
But Airel must have already commissioned the curse.
Before Airel died in the novel, she had said this to Seria:
“You stole him. Lishid was supposed to come to me that day! I’d been waiting for that day for months…!”
She had the nerve to complain like that after casting a curse on someone else’s body.
‘But who would’ve thought that person would end up being me?’
“W-Why are you asking that, my lady…?”
Jenis, Airel’s maid, suddenly dropped to her knees in front of me.
This was right after I asked her whether I had visited any suspicious places recently.
“Did I do something wrong again? You’re testing me, aren’t you? That’s it, isn’t it?!”
“No, I was just curious…”
“There’s no way that’s all!”
Jenis shook her head as if it were impossible and looked up at me with distrust in her eyes.
I awkwardly scratched my forehead.
‘Was she really that bad?’
Jenis was the daughter of Baron Florence, one of the vassal families of the Blandiche duchy.
She had grown up close to Airel as her childhood playmate.
So seeing her act so submissively toward me made me a little flustered.
‘Well… if I think about the original story, it’s not that surprising.’
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“What’s with that tone? The way you end your sentences is irritating! Are you looking down on me?”
“Come here and kneel. That’s your punishment for disrespecting me just now.”
That twisted way of speaking, turning innocent people into criminals for no reason—
That had been Airel Blandiche’s specialty.
‘But villainesses always have tragic backstories.’
Airel, the only daughter of the empire’s most powerful ducal house, was actually an illegitimate child born from a one-night mistake between the Duke of Blandiche and a maid.
He claimed he had been drunk and mistook the maid for his wife.
To prove his love for his wife, the Duke ignored Airel for the rest of his life. And naturally, the duchess hated her.
She brought Airel in as an adopted daughter only because she carried the Duke’s blood, but she never acknowledged her as true family.
Her older brother, Edwin, was the same.
Airel was always treated like an unwanted outsider in the house.
Because of that, she grew up consumed by inferiority over her half-legitimate status. She often took out her frustration not only on the maids but even on her own attendants.
Like a typical shallow villain, she didn’t hesitate to abuse those on her side.
‘Eventually, Jenis got fed up and betrayed Airel, becoming friends with Seria instead…’
Thinking of that bleak future, I let out a sigh.
Judging by the timeline, Jenis hadn’t yet reached the point of being completely sick of Airel.
And of course, I had no intention of acting like the original Airel.
It wasn’t in my nature to treat innocent people badly, and more than anything—
‘I just want to avoid the villainess route.’
If the male and female leads were truly destined, they would meet and fall in love even without me playing the villain.
Even if Lishid was never cursed, there would be plenty of chances for him to run into Seria at a banquet or the temple.
‘So sorry, but I’m stepping out first.’
Farewell, original Airel. I’ll reform in your place!
“Jenis.”
I put on the kindest smile I could and reached out toward her, just to brush away a strand of hair stuck to her cheek.
“Hic!”
But at that moment, Jenis flinched as if she’d seen a ghost and dodged my hand.
A cold silence filled the room.
“I—I’m sorry, my lady!”
Jenis flattened herself against the floor again.
“I must have lost my mind for a moment…! How dare I avoid your hand!”
Tears fell onto the carpet like raindrops.
I swallowed hard in shock.
In the original novel, it was only mentioned that Airel was violent toward her people. It never actually showed what she did.
But seeing Jenis react so strongly just because I reached out—
It seemed Airel had been worse than I imagined.
I had been too naive.
Looking at Jenis crying, I felt like crying too.
‘…Maybe keeping some distance for now would be better.’
I withdrew my awkward hand and stepped back.
“I’m sorry, Jenis.”
“…Pardon?”
When I whispered weakly, Jenis lifted her head in surprise.
Slowly, I lowered myself to her level.
It was sad to apologize for something I hadn’t personally done, but I couldn’t think of a better way.
If I wanted to cancel the curse and adapt to this place, the first step was earning Jenis’s forgiveness.
If you’ve done wrong, you apologize.
That’s basic decency, isn’t it?
“I was only trying to brush your hair away. I must have startled you. It’s my fault for treating you badly until now.”
“…My lady?”
Her eyes trembled as she looked at me.
With an awkward smile, I carefully held out my hand.
“So… I sincerely want to apologize for how I’ve acted. From now on, you don’t have to bow your head to me.”
“Why all of a sudden…”
Jenis’s face turned pale as she looked between my hand and my face. I must have seemed suspicious, doing something the real Airel never would.
I hurriedly added,
“I—I realized that no one has the right to make you kneel! I know it’s late, but I’ll spend my whole life making it up to you, Jenis.”
So please help me… I really don’t want to die.
Desperate, I bowed my head.
I hoped my sincerity would reach her. That she would accept my apology.
After what felt like a long wait—
“Lady Airel…”
Jenis gently placed her hand over my palm, her voice thick with emotion.
“Do you remember the promise we made when we were little?”
“…Huh?”
“We said that even if we did something wrong, we would forgive each other once. That’s what friends do. Of course, you didn’t keep that promise… but I remember.”
She said she would forgive me.
With tearful eyes, she squeezed my hand.
In that short moment, she must have remembered our childhood bond.
How could she be this kind? What on earth had Airel done to someone like her …?
My eyes grew wet too.
“Jenis…”
“B-but, my lady.”
“Yeah?”
“All the places you go are extremely strange and suspicious… so I don’t even know how to answer the question you asked earlier…”
What?
I quickly lifted my head.
The tears that were about to fall disappeared instantly.
***
“This is the building?”
After stepping out of the carriage, I turned to Jenis.
She hurried down behind me and nodded.
“Y-Yes, this is the last one…!”
I looked up at the dark staircase. The building in front of us was so quiet and rundown it looked ready to collapse.
‘Ha… I hope we finally get something useful.’
I looked down at the small notebook in my hand and sighed.
Illegal circus. Gambling den. Dogfighting arena. Black market. Slave market.
‘What kind of life did Airel live?’
Just recalling the places we had already visited made my head spin.
Jenis had been right. Everywhere Airel went was suspicious.
And this last place was no different. It was at the very edge of the underworld district.
If there was one small relief I’d discovered—
‘I have a lot of money.’
Dresses, jewels—Airel’s dressing room was filled with obviously expensive items. The monthly allowance she received was more than enough.
The duke might treat her like she was invisible, but he didn’t hold back financially.
‘Maybe that’s his minimum level of conscience.’
It was absurd in a way. Airel could act like a villain in high society largely because of her wealth.
At home, she was an ignored illegitimate child.
But outside, she was the daughter of House Blandiche.
Covered in gold and jewels, she could get away with almost anything. A duke’s daughter was still a duke’s daughter.
‘That’s probably how she could wander into places like this without restraint.’
Honestly, what a world.
“Let’s go in.”
After gathering my thoughts, I loosened the ribbon of my robe and stepped forward. I’d seen so many unpleasant sights already that my stomach felt queasy.
Then—
“…Pardon? “Am I going in too?”
I heard Jenis’s flustered voice.
I turned around in confusion.
Not just Jenis, but even the escort knights who usually followed us everywhere were standing still.
‘…Oh.’
The corners of my lips slowly curled up.
‘If this is a place Airel goes alone—’
A place she visits without her maid or guards.
I’ve got it.
This is definitely where something shady is going on.
