TOFP 03

There were two main reasons why Kasha had been branded a notorious villainess.

The first was her magical tools.

Born from Simon’s requests and her own pure curiosity, those inventions were originally never meant for killing. However, contrary to her intentions, they were mass-produced as weapons of mass destruction and wiped out the empire’s proud Holy Knight Order during the Holy-Magical War.

But the greater reason Kasha became a villainess was the second one: the three sealed magic stones she had unsealed.

Simon had said he obtained those stones by chance. At his request, Kasha researched them, and in the process, she succeeded in breaking their seals. Not only that, she even managed—out of goodwill—to separate the curse from them.

However, once Simon learned that her research had succeeded, he took the stones away without giving her any chance to resist, saying they had to be resealed secretly so she wouldn’t be arrested by the priests.

In the end, those magic stones were unleashed upon the world, and contrary to her intentions, they brought forth numerous disasters. The most famous among them were the demon wolf Wolfbane and various magical beasts that ravaged the Holy-Magical War.

‘What exactly did Simon—and the one behind him—gain from causing all those disasters?’

When he visited her in prison before her execution, Simon was clearly flattering someone of unknown identity.

Someone Simon had pledged loyalty to, framing all the crimes onto Kasha without hesitation. Someone Kasha only remembered through the heavy scent of perfume and the sound of a folding fan during her last moments in prison.

She had a bad feeling that the woman who came to confirm her death was the true core of all these disasters.

Unless she uncovered that identity and retrieved the magic stones, she could be condemned as a villainess and executed again, even after her regression.

‘If this is the summer when I was nineteen, then the stones have already been unsealed and taken by Simon.’

The unknown mastermind had likely already begun using their power. That meant the disasters had already begun.

The only relief was that this was before the completed war-use magical tools were handed over to Simon. If she could prevent their completion and delivery, that alone would help.

‘But as long as the unsealed magic stones are in the mastermind’s hands, I can be framed as a villainess at any time.’

As long as those stones were controlled by that person, Kasha would never be free.

‘Then what’s the solution?’

She thought about the three magic stones she had unsealed herself.

Anyone who possessed an unsealed magic stone gained tremendous power. However, as with anything a demon grants, there was no pure blessing. The immense power always came with a fatal curse.

Yet, whether it was fate’s distortion or a demon’s prank, Kasha had succeeded in separating the curse through her research.

Her intention had been pure. She wanted to find a way to use the stones’ power without suffering their curse.

But before she could complete a method to handle the curse, the stones were taken by Simon, who then exploited her research in the most cruel way.

He used the stones’ power himself while forcing innocent victims to bear the curse instead.

And the first victim he chose was Leon Aranias—the fallen holy knight Kasha had seen before entering prison.

Leon’s curse of lust was clearly inflicted after Simon obtained the first magic stone, “Onor.”

‘But why Leon, of all people?’

Kasha fell into deep thought.

‘There must have been a reason. He wouldn’t have been chosen randomly. There must have been something gained by ruining him.’

Someone who wanted Leon to fall.

Someone who benefited from the destruction of the Holy Knight Order and the disasters.

Someone powerful enough to easily frame Kasha and escape all blame.

Based on the clues she had, that was all she could deduce about the mastermind.

‘How do I track that person down?’

Lying on her bed, she stared at the ceiling in thought.

Then—

Knock knock.

“Lady. A letter has arrived from Simon.”

Sena entered the room and handed her the letter. Kasha met her eyes carefully as she took it.

“…Thank you.”

“Huh? Ah… yes. It’s nothing, of course.”

Sena was surprised. The lady never used to say thank you, nor look people in the eye like that.

‘She seems… quite different.’

Tilting her head, Sena left the room. Behind her, Kasha stared at the elegant lettering on the envelope. The overly decorative handwriting reminded her of Simon’s slick face, making her not even want to open it.

‘But I have to. I need to understand the situation at this point in time.’

Taking a deep breath, she carefully opened the envelope with just her fingertips.

<My beloved Kasha.

I long to see your face even this morning. It has already been three days since I last saw you, and my suffering is beyond words.

I was holding on only by the hope of seeing you tonight at Duke Tyrot’s ball—but unfortunately, this cursed cold of mine refuses to heal.

Though I cannot escort you today, once I recover, I will run to you like the wind.

Please wait for me.

Your Simon>

Rustle.

With a cold expression, Kasha crumpled the letter in her hand. The moment she remembered how she once felt happy reading this, she felt nothing but humiliation.

The true meaning behind this letter was likely this:

I have no intention of going to that ball with you.

The idea of standing beside someone dull and gloomy like you is disgusting.

So please struggle alone at the ball, feel my absence, and become miserable—so you are easier for me to control.

And in the past, all of that had come true.

Already uncomfortable in high society, the Tyrot Duke’s ball became the final event before she completely withdrew from noble society.

After that, isolated, Simon could approach her even more easily, and within months, they would run away together in the name of love.

Of course, it was not truly love—it was simply her becoming his willing fool through self-isolation.

Swish.

Kasha threw the crumpled letter out the window.

‘I will never be used like a fool again.’

After staring out the window for a moment, she slowly stood up.

Knock knock knock.

Daryl Ruscino—the eldest son and heir of House Ruscino—raised his head at the sound of knocking.

“Who is it?”

“….”

No answer. Daryl frowned irritably.

“Come in.”

Thud.

Throwing the letter in his hand onto the table, he sighed as he spoke.

Days he received letters from his father were always like this—tense and sharp.

The Ruscino family, known as the “Red Bull of Ruscino,” was strong-willed, stubborn, and uncompromising.

Like bears when calm, but impossible to stop once angered—that applied equally to both the count and his son.

Because of their similar temperaments, father and son rarely interfered in each other’s affairs.

The only topic that caused real conflict between them was Kasha Ruscino, Daryl’s half-sister.

A girl who appeared in the household as if she had fallen from the sky one day, brought in by their father. A girl only eight months younger than Daryl himself.

Remembering his late mother, who served the family faithfully her whole life, Daryl could not stand the girl. And neither, frankly, could his father.

No matter how common concubines or second wives were among nobles, he never imagined his father would do such a thing.

He had believed his father was a man of sword, family, and duty—and only that.

But the moment his mother died, he brought in an illegitimate child and registered her into the family.

Even now, the letter in his hand clearly contained instructions regarding Kasha:

<…Ensure that Kasha is properly treated. That is both my duty and yours.>

Duty? What duty? While speaking of duty, their father left her in the capital estate and remained only in the border territory, leaving everything to Daryl.

Daryl was only twenty. He had no idea how to take care of a nineteen-year-old half-sister.

‘And that girl… she’s not normal.’

Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair.

Then the door opened.

When he saw who entered, Daryl’s eyes widened in surprise.

“You…?”

“Brother. Hello… I mean, I hope you’ve been well.”

Kasha closed the door behind her with her hands behind her back and looked at him.

Her usual pale face. Messy hair. Dirt-stained, disheveled skirt. Slow, awkward speech.

His only half-sister always appeared in such a strange state—but something about her expression felt different. And—

‘Did she just call me brother?’

Daryl was genuinely confused.

For seven years since arriving at this mansion, Kasha had gone out of her way to avoid him, as if he would devour her.

To Daryl, that had been irritating. He did not like her, but avoidance should have been his role, not hers.

According to the maids, she spent her days reading books, scribbling things, or fiddling with strange objects. Otherwise, she wandered the empty garden at night like a madwoman.

She only attended meals with the family when their father visited the capital estate. Even then, she would sit with a pale face, glancing at the father and son, forcing food down as if fleeing.

After learning that she would often fall sick for days after those meals, he stopped caring about forcing anything.

But “brother”? In seven years, this was the first time she had ever used that word. In fact, it was the first time she had come to him at all.

“What is it?”

Daryl asked bluntly, hiding his confusion.

But then he hesitated slightly. Was that too cold? They were attending the ball together tonight, so there was no need to worsen their already awkward relationship.

However, Kasha responded calmly as if nothing was wrong.

“I have… a request.”