Chapter 6

“What do you think you’re doing? I’ll report to the Baron that the young lady has been abusing young Master Noel!”

The governess Daisy snapped at Octavia the moment she stepped out of Noel’s room.

Octavia tilted her head slightly as she looked at Daisy.

“You do realize you’re ruining the child, don’t you—as a governess?”

“Ruining him? I’m the one he relies on the most. I’m also the person in this house who cares for and cherishes the young master the most.”

“Of course he likes you the most. You only say what he wants to hear and do everything he asks.”

Octavia lowered her gaze and looked straight at her.

“What, planning to become his future stepmother? Or is this your way of dealing with the guilt of betraying the Baron’s wife?”

Daisy’s face went pale. Seeing it, Octavia let out a faint smile.

Dislike level increased [+120]

‘Judging by the dislike level, this must be something that absolutely cannot be exposed.’

In truth, Daisy, the Baron Lavish—Octavia’s uncle—and Daisy had been secretly involved in an affair for a long time.

Octavia knew this from a side episode in the original story, where she had pushed the governess—who was acting like the mistress of the house—down the stairs.

“You’ve gotten yourself interested in other people’s family affairs. How amusing.”

Leaving behind a heavy warning, Octavia turned away.

Daisy bit down hard on her fingernails as she stared at her back.

‘Don’t tell me… she’s planning to expose the affair? If the Baron’s wife’s family finds out… the Baron will try to throw me out.’

And her enraged family would likely demand the return of the title and dowry.

‘That woman is already a thorn in the Baron’s side anyway. I should take this chance to get rid of her. The Ludovisi household representative wouldn’t bother looking for a useless daughter anyway.’

Daisy, who had been glaring at Octavia’s departing figure, finally turned away with a resolved expression.

Meanwhile, Octavia, walking down the corridor, suddenly stopped and stared into the air.

Dislike level increased [+300]

‘Oh? What a helpful number. It looks like the governess is planning to teach me a lesson.’

That Night

Two men masked their faces and infiltrated Octavia’s room.

They were servants hired by Daisy.

One carried a cloth soaked in medication; the other held a large sack that could fit a person.

Since Camilla refused to share a room and stayed elsewhere, Octavia would be alone.

Creeeeak—

As they opened the door, passed through the sitting room, and slowly opened the bedroom door, one of them froze and stepped back in shock.

Inside the dim room, Octavia—who was supposed to be asleep—was sitting upright on the bed in her nightclothes.

For a moment they were startled, but she was still just a powerless young woman, wasn’t she?

“If you scream, you die.”

The servant pulled out a blade and threatened her as he approached.

“If you don’t want that pretty face ruined, you’d better come quietly. Being sold off for a high price would be better for you anyway, don’t you think?”

“Do you know how much trouble you’ve caused the servants? Consider it your own karma.”

By the firelight, they saw the curve of Octavia’s lips.

They knew something was off—but laughing in this situation?

She slowly stood up, looking at the increasingly tense men.

“There’s a saying. Solving things with force is the fastest way.”

Muttering something incomprehensible, Octavia picked up a water bottle from the side table and threw it into the fireplace.

Crash!

Ssssshh!

Smoke instantly filled the room, blurring their vision.

“Damn it! That crazy woman!”

Waving their arms through the smoke, the servants spotted Octavia and rushed toward her.

At that moment—

WHOOSH!

A burst of scorching flame erupted like a fire breath.

“AAAAAAGH!”

The men screamed as fire struck their faces directly. Seeing their clothes catch fire, they rolled on the floor in panic.

“Ahhh!”

“Someone help!”

Through the thinning smoke, Octavia’s figure became clearer.

She stood there smiling brightly, holding a candle and a gas spray.

“I’ve been waiting for such an obvious cliché.”

It had been worth provoking the governess.

This was exactly how one summoned the Ludovisi household’s abandoned executive assistant team.

Later That Night

Daisy woke abruptly at the smell of burning.

She must have fallen asleep while waiting to confirm whether the job had been done properly. It was still the darkest hour before dawn.

‘Huh? Was that a dream?’

Then she blinked and saw a woman sitting at the head of the bed. On the floor, she spotted the motionless bodies of the servants—and gasped.

Their clothes and hair were completely charred.

“You were the one who ordered it.”

The woman turning back with flowing platinum hair was Octavia.

“W-what are you talking about?”

Daisy denied it immediately, but the violet eyes narrowed.

“I heard you ordered them to sell me far away.”

“Who said such a thing?”

Octavia tilted her chin toward the servants on the floor.

“You did.”

“M-me?”

Confused, Daisy’s gaze dropped to the syringe in Octavia’s hand.

“You won’t remember. Truth serum tends to erase memory.”

Daisy recoiled in panic.

“Are you saying you injected me with a truth serum? That’s illegal for civilians!”

“No. To be precise, it’s a sedative used in conscious anesthesia. The side effect is that people blurt out what they’re thinking. I made it in your uncle’s lab.”

She sighed lightly.

“I’ve studied physics, engineering, biochemistry, military theory—pretty much everything. Not because I’m a genius, but because I was the only one who had to do it.”

Daisy couldn’t understand what she was talking about.

Octavia leaned in with a faint smile.

“Unlike strong-willed ability users, ordinary people sometimes confess lifelong secrets. For example… how you tried to kill the Baron’s wife?”

Daisy’s face turned deathly pale.

She had indeed tried—but failed. The Baron’s wife had later died of illness, so she hadn’t technically killed her. Still, this woman could easily frame her.

“I—I don’t know what I said, but it’s nonsense. I never did such a thing.”

“Whether it’s true or not… I’ll decide.”

Octavia smiled innocently.

Daisy felt a chill run down her spine.

‘Is she… a demon?’

Burned servants lay scattered in the room, while Octavia smiled like a child. She no longer felt like a villain—she felt like something far worse.

“Those servants were murdered by you! I’ll call the authorities!”

“Oh? And what will that change?”

Unlike Daisy’s agitation, Octavia remained calm, tapping her temple.

“Let me ask you something. Why do you think I’ve never been to prison despite living such a chaotic life?”

No matter how much she was seen as a disgrace, she was still a member of the Ludovisi family.

Octavia answered herself.

“Just like Noel, who you dote on—you were raised being indulged with money and forgiveness. I simply receive the results of that system in advance.”

Daisy held her breath.

Octavia’s gentle voice felt horrifying.

At this rate, she would be the one framed and executed.

‘Do you know how much I suffered trying to please this damned family!’

Without Octavia, she could have repaid her parents’ debts, become a Baroness, and lived without humiliation.

She could never forgive this wicked woman who ruined everything.

“You demon! All this over a single spoiled brat!”

Cornered, Daisy grabbed a wooden ornament from the bedhead.

Thud.

Suddenly, someone grabbed her wrist. A cold presence spread down her spine.

“It seems we should clean this up now, miss.”

Startled, Daisy turned.

“W-who are you?!”

A man in a suit held her wrist. He adjusted his glasses with one hand.

Brown hair, green eyes, neat and intelligent—but his tall, imposing build gave him pressure that felt almost overwhelming.

“Rotair Winchester, personal executive secretary of the Ludovisi family’s post-incident management and risk control division. I’ve been dispatched due to a report of a threat.”

“P-post-incident…?”

Behind him stood several more men in black suits.

Daisy’s mouth hung open in shock.

‘Wasn’t she abandoned by the family? Why does she have a secretary?!’

Octavia shrugged as if to say, I told you so.

Daisy dropped the ornament and stared at her hollowly. Rotair released her wrist.

“I provided you with a self-defense firearm. Why resort to setting things on fire?”

“It was too loud. I didn’t want everyone waking up.”

“Very considerate. Thinking about witnesses and cleanup as well.”

Rotair muttered as he nudged the unconscious servants.

“What should we do with the ones you pre-processed? They’re barely alive.”

“The governess said they were trafficking children. If we hand them over to the police, we might be able to find the ones who were sold.”

Affinity increased [+130]

“Blow them up.”

Realizing she had accidentally said something righteous, Octavia quickly corrected herself.

Daisy, trembling, asked weakly,

“What… happens to me now?”

“I’ve always wondered what it’s like to be sold and live like livestock.”

Octavia tilted her head with a smile.

“Would you like to show me? As a teacher should.”

“Sell her somewhere as miserable as possible. Make her live like livestock.”

Daisy trembled violently, remembering the exact same orders she had once given while handing over money to servants.