Episode 07
How to Turn Future Villains into My Allies
Before I knew it, three weeks had already passed since I arrived at the ducal house.
Toma hadn’t spoken much with me since that day, but at the very least… he didn’t seem suspicious of me anymore.
As for the other children, I had grown quite close to them. We often took walks through the garden and chatted about all sorts of things.
Still—
sometimes, memories of my previous life surfaced, leaving a faint ache in my chest.
But I was already dead in that world.
There was no point dwelling on it.
So instead, I focused on adapting to this life.
And for that—
“The most important thing is a stable job.”
Becoming the duchess was certainly a high position…
But it wasn’t a job.
And more importantly, it was a position I would lose the moment Leria appeared.
So—
“Becoming the children’s tutor… that’s the best path for me.”
It suited my personality, paid well, and offered stability.
And to achieve that—
“I need to teach the children well first.”
I opened the drawer and pulled out the notebook I had written in on my first day.
On the very first page—
two names stood out.
Children.
Gray.
The two people destined to become the masterminds of the future.
Well… technically only Gray was the real villain.
But since Children would be the one to execute me—and even fall into darkness later—I had labeled both of them as “villains.”
“I refuse to die again.”
Especially not—
with my head cut off.
Just imagining it sent a chill down my spine as I unconsciously touched my neck.
“This time, I’m going to live a long life.”
And to do that—
I needed both of them on my side.
For the children’s happiness.
And for my own peaceful future.
The Child family’s knight order… was it called Ignite?
Most noble families had two types of knights:
A formal order bearing the family’s name,
And personal guards assigned to protect the lord and their family—called Guardians.
Gray was the commander of Ignite.
Children was just an apprentice knight.
At present, neither of them resembled the villains they would become.
Which meant—
“If I handle this well now… I can win them over.”
But there was a problem.
Children’s descent into darkness—
was caused by me.
More precisely—
by Fiora.
The reason was simple.
In the original story, Fiora tried to harm—and even kill—Leria, the one who had saved him.
That was when he awakened his power.
“…And then he appears—bam!”
“Saves Leria—bam!”
“…And cuts off my head—bam!”
…I really didn’t want that ending.
So—
“Let’s recruit Children first.”
I came to a quick conclusion.
He was currently part of the ducal knights.
And I—
had no personal guard yet.
Which meant—
“I’ll make him my knight.”
It was the perfect solution.
If he became my guardian, fewer people would look down on him for being a commoner—
And I’d eliminate one future enemy.
This is actually a great idea.
Feeling oddly proud, I nodded to myself.
Of course, I would need Baridas’s permission…
He’ll allow it, right?
Well—
I did have a reasonable excuse.
Even if he questioned why I wanted a seventeen-year-old apprentice knight…
He didn’t seem like the type to care about such details.
“If you need anything, call for me.”
Crimson’s words from my first day resurfaced.
Without hesitation, I pulled the cord in my room.
Rona and Lena entered shortly after.
“Did you call for us, Your Highness?”
I quickly closed my notebook and tucked it away with the pen before standing up.
“Rona, go call Crimson. Lena, help me tie my hair.”
At my command, Rona left immediately.
Meanwhile, Lena began tying my hair.
Having someone help me with this… I never would’ve imagined it in my past life.
But with hair this long—
I sighed, looking at the silver strands cascading down to my waist.
Cutting it would be more convenient…
But it wasn’t truly my hair.
And besides—
I had only ever had short hair before.
It felt like a waste.
Then suddenly—
a thought crossed my mind.
Braids.
Braiding children’s hair was something I had done countless times as a kindergarten teacher.
Twin braids—
so cute.
So pretty.
“I’ll braid the children’s hair someday.”
By the time I finished thinking, Lena had already styled my hair neatly.
“Thank you, Lena.”
When I went downstairs, Crimson was already waiting.
He bowed politely.
“I heard you were looking for me.”
“I heard the knights from the capital are arriving today. Could I choose one as my personal guard?”
Thankfully, Crimson nodded.
“His Grace mentioned something similar. Once the knights arrive, you may select one to serve as your Guardian.”
For the first time—
I felt grateful toward Baridas.
He does take care of things, at least.
“Please thank him for me.”
Just as I was about to head to the training grounds with Crimson—
hurried footsteps echoed behind me.
Ren came running down.
She stopped, catching her breath.
“If you’re going to the training grounds… I want to come too.”
“Are you going to see Toma?”
At my question, her face flushed.
Then, softly—
“I’ve… become interested in swordsmanship.”
My eyes widened.
That was unexpected.
In the original story, Ren preferred books and music.
She even had perfect pitch.
But—
“It’s wonderful to be interested in many things.”
“Really…?”
Her face turned bright red—right up to her ears.
Like a little cherry tomato.
I couldn’t help but smile.
Taking her hand, I led her toward the training grounds.
Before we even entered, the sound of clashing swords echoed inside.
Metal striking metal.
Harsh—yet strangely, Ren seemed unfazed.
Soon, the door opened.
Toma came running out, drenched in sweat.
“Ren! Your Highness!”
At his loud voice, all eyes turned toward us.
Startled, Ren hid behind me.
As I hesitated, unsure whether we were interrupting—
a man approached.
Judging by his uniform and insignia, he held a high rank.
He bowed.
“It is an honor to meet you, Your Highness, Young Lady. I am Gray Runner, commander of Ignite.”
My eyes widened.
“…Found him.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“I heard you came to select a Guardian. Is that correct?”
I nodded.
After a brief pause, he spoke again.
“I apologize, but we are not yet fully prepared. Could you wait in the reception room inside?”
“Of course.”
“Thank you for your understanding.”
After bowing, Gray left—dragging Toma with him.
I could faintly hear him scolding Toma for leaving his post.
Soon, another knight approached and guided us inside.
Perhaps because he was quite large—
Ren clung tightly to my arm.
Inside was a well-kept reception room.
Maids brought tea and cookies.
After a moment, Ren asked shyly—
“Can I… watch you choose a knight?”
Having a personal knight was a great honor—something many noble ladies dreamed of.
Her cheeks were flushed.
“I’m choosing a Guardian, not a knight… but of course you can.”
“Really?!”
She beamed.
As we chatted, the door opened again.
Gray and Toma entered.
After bowing, Gray spoke—
“The young master would like to show the training grounds to the young lady.”
Toma’s face instantly turned red.
“I said I would guide Ren—only Ren.”
“Is that so?”
Gray feigned innocence and stepped back.
Now Toma was red all the way to his ears.
…This is too cute.
I clenched the cushion beside me to suppress my internal scream.
“…Don’t misunderstand. I’m just showing her around while I’m at it.”
Even his tsundere attitude—
adorable.
I nodded, holding back a smile.
But—
unfortunately—
I couldn’t go with them.
If Ren and Toma left—
that meant—
I would be alone with Gray.
A perfect opportunity.
“Now… let’s talk.”
Even if part of me wanted to follow them and watch—
For the sake of my peaceful future—
I had to endure.
