Episode 3
Of course, there were people quietly watching Ilia.
“I thought she would give up after one day.”
The butler murmured in a low voice. The head maid replied softly,
“But she did not. The madam seems like a good child.”
Both the butler and head maid were observing Ilia from the hallway. The girl had voluntarily taken on Lihil and Ruel’s care, even though no one told her to. She did not slack off, and she did not run away.
“For a princess to volunteer for something like that is strange.”
“We still do not know what kind of person she truly is. We should find out slowly. But I can say one thing for sure.
Even if the empire had sent someone else, they would not have been better than her.”
The butler silently agreed.
“It is best if we watch her a bit longer.”
“That would be wise. Make sure maids are always near her. We never know what might happen.”
“Isn’t it too much to be this cautious toward a child? The madam is at the age where she should be with her parents, not getting married.”
But the butler shook his head firmly.
“You are too soft-hearted.”
For now, Ilia could act as a shield against the empire. But what if the empire was using Ilia to pull something dangerous on the Grand Duke’s house? With Lihil and Ruel lying sick, the household would be helpless.
He could not let that happen. Not to the family of the late Duke and Duchess.
But Ilia’s behavior stayed the same. For almost a month. That was enough time to soften the prickly defenses of the Grand Duke’s servants.
Ilia believed that earning their trust required consistent behavior. How could she persuade people who already viewed her suspiciously, especially when they did not even listen to her?
So she did not miss a single day of caring for Lihil and Ruel. She also honestly enjoyed the moments when the boys occasionally opened their eyes and looked at her.
Besides, it was not like she had anything else she could do yet.
People in the Grand Duke’s house watched her like hedgehogs with their quills raised. Ilia had no choice but to wait until they approached her first. She felt like a zoo monkey being stared at, but she also understood their caution.
The imperial family had caused the death of the Duke and Duchess.
It made sense for them to distrust an imperial princess.
Ilia deserved to be rejected here.
If only she could talk to someone…
She sighed deeply as she closed the door to Lihil’s room.
“Madam?”
“Ah!”
“Did I startle you?”
The head maid smiled gently.
Finally. The sign Ilia had been waiting for.
It was not that the people of the Grand Duke’s house were openly rude before. She was still of imperial blood, and her marriage was the only thing keeping their house from collapsing. They could not mistreat her publicly.
But Ilia knew their real feelings.
They had every reason to be wary.
The imperial family killed their Duke and Duchess.
And the original Ilia had made everything worse by stealing money and running away, which led to Ruel’s death.
No wonder they hated her.
Rijien had been brave enough to stand against her own family and support the Grand Duke’s case. Probably only because she was the female lead.
But right now, Ilia understood she needed to take the head maid’s hand.
“No, it’s fine,” Ilia said quickly.
She was only twelve herself. Just two years older than Lihil. A child. Yet she had held her wedding alone, did not cry, and took care of her sick husband and brother-in-law. She was clearly mature for her age.
Her violet eyes sparkled like gemstones, and her curly pink hair framed her small face. Her rosy cheeks made her look even cuter.
In the past month, her actions were enough to melt the household’s suspicion.
The head maid smiled warmly.
“I have something to tell you. May I borrow you for a moment?”
This was unexpected. It was not part of the original story.
Originally, on the wedding day, Ilia had gotten angry because Lihil did not attend. She bullied him daily afterward.
She ignored him even when he apologized with a fever-bright face. And she treated seven-year-old Ruel even worse.
Calling him “a useless parasite.”
Hitting or pinching him while he slept.
Thankfully, Minji (now Ilia) entered the body the day before the wedding. The original Ilia had never met Lihil or Ruel.
This meant today’s meeting was probably a good sign. Ilia tried to sound mature.
“What is it?”
The head maid looked at her with sympathetic eyes. Ilia was so young, in a place where she knew no one. She must have been terrified and lonely. Yet she had endured bravely.
Her small shoulders made her look like a frightened little rabbit.
“It is nothing alarming, madam. We simply have a request.”
“A request…?”
“Yes.”
Something related to caring for the children? If Ilia could use this to get close to the staff, it would be great. She needed to connect with them if she wanted to help Lihil and Ruel recover faster.
She followed the head maid with small, quick steps.
But instead of what she expected—
“Congratulations, madam.”
“Congratulations on your marriage!”
Her bedroom had been decorated for a small celebration. It was a surprise party from the household staff for the young bride who had gone through her wedding alone. It was also a belated welcome party for caring for Lihil and Ruel for a whole month.
And for the hearts of the Grand Duke’s people that were finally opening to her.
The room was decorated beautifully in soft pink, perfect for a young girl. The cake the butler carried was an expensive whipped cream cake covered in strawberries.
“Wow…”
The sparkling chandelier, the smiling servants gathered for her…
“Thank you…”
Ilia had been a villainess. And the person in her body now was not even the real Ilia.
Yet they welcomed her like this.
When was the last time anyone treated her with such kindness? Compared to her hard and painful past life, today was almost too bright.
Her purple eyes filled with tears.
Ilia returned to her bedroom with a lightened heart.
She had successfully gained the trust of the household. The head maid and butler respected how sincerely she cared for Lihil and Ruel. Caring for two unconscious children was not easy.
Now she could start thinking about her next goal.
In one year, a treatment would be developed for the illness Lihil and Ruel had. The butler had invested in the research lab, so the Grand Duke’s house had priority access to the medicine.
But in the original story, Ilia stole their money and ran away. Because of that, they could only afford one dose, so only Lihil survived.
Ruel died.
Lihil went insane from guilt, chased Ilia down, and killed her.
But this time would be different.
Ilia planned to help cure their illness as quickly as possible. She knew how.
Across the empire, the illness was spreading among people exposed to magic. Soon even the crown prince would suffer from it.
The research lab studying the disease was called “Sprout Laboratory.” They had skilled doctors and researchers, but no funding. Only the Grand Duke’s family was supporting them because only Lihil and Ruel were high-ranking nobles affected so far.
That was why the Grand Duke’s money disappeared so quickly.
Still, research needs to continue. Even faster, if possible.
The sooner the boys healed, the sooner Lihil could begin training. That would help him survive when he was forced into monster-hunting later, along with the recovering crown prince.
After those events, Lihil would rise to become the empire’s future alongside the prince.
The faster he recovered, the better.
But it would cost a lot of money…
