Chapter 3

What is the best revenge?

I had no need for brute force or elaborate schemes to make them suffer.

‘And I doubt Astell would have wanted that anyway.’

That left only one option.

To make them desperately cling to the very person they so despised.

‘Now *that* is the best kind of revenge.’

It might seem complicated, but if I played my cards right in this situation, it was entirely possible.

After all, in a world on the brink of collapse, only hunters could protect people.

Before long, they would be clinging to Astell’s feet, begging for their lives. They would try to seek protection from the very person they had scorned and ridiculed as the family’s disgrace.

‘But what a shame. I don’t have the slightest intention of sticking around in this godforsaken house.’

How would Duke Ruthius and his staff react if I announced I was leaving? The anticipation alone made my heart race.

I chuckled and slid Astell’s diary under the bed.

“Your Ladyship…”

Just then, the door opened without warning. It was Zenia, Astell’s personal maid.

Zenia was different from the nanny and Vivian.

Just as the diary described, she had secretly treated Astell’s injuries and even made her delicious snacks.

But every time she did, the nanny would make Zenia’s life a living hell, likely to prevent Astell from growing dependent on her.

Unable to bear it, Zenia had no choice but to distance herself from Astell.

She had to survive, after all.

Besides, she was the sole provider for her sick younger sibling. She wasn’t in a position to be swayed by shallow sympathy.

From then on, she treated Astell coldly, doing only what was required of her and nothing more.

However, she never resorted to the subtle gaslighting of the nanny or the blatant disrespect of Vivian.

For that alone, Zenia was a good person in Astell’s eyes.

Which was why Astell had kept her distance so thoroughly—afraid that she would drag Zenia into her own misfortune.

But I had no intention of relying solely on Astell’s memories.

‘I couldn’t judge her based solely on the memories of a pushover who blamed herself for everything, could I?’

I observed Zenia in silence.

Entering the room as casually as ever, her eyes widened.

She seemed startled by the state of the disheveled bedroom.

Then, her gaze fell on me, and she gasped.

‘I can’t blame her.’

I was, after all, covered in blood from head to toe.

‘Do I look like a psychopath?’

She swallowed hard, her eyes darting toward me.

Was she recalling the massacre that I—no, that Astell—had just carried out in front of the annex?

As I considered this, an unexpected sight made me raise an eyebrow.

Amidst her fear, Zenia was studying me.

‘Oh, she’s suspicious of me, isn’t she? Not bad.’

It made sense. The princess who was once too afraid of people to even go outside had just butchered a horde of monsters.

‘Anyone would find this situation suspicious.’

She probably thought I’d become a different person overnight.

‘Hmm, should I pretend to be Astell?’

I pondered for a moment before letting out a dry laugh.

I may have possessed her body, but I *am* Astell Ruthius now.

It was their job to accept the change; there was no reason for me to put on an act just to make them understand.

“Your Ladyship, about…”

I cut Zenia off, jerking my chin toward the door.

“Out.”

Zenia, who had been hesitating nervously, blinked in surprise.

“Pardon?”

“I said, get out.”

“…Me?”

“Well, is there another maid here who enters her employer’s bedroom without knocking?”

“…”

“Get out and come back in.”

At the sudden command, Zenia’s freckled cheeks flushed red.

But whether out of fear or a return to her senses, she didn’t argue.

She quietly closed the door, knocked, and opened it again.

Peeking her head through the gap, she said.

“Your Ladyship.”

I had been staring out the window, but now I turned my gaze to her.

“What is it?”

“The Duke has summoned you.”

“Say that again.”

“The Duke has summoned you…”

“Out.”

“…Again?”

“Do you think your current conduct is appropriate? Would you dare act this way with any other noble?”

The color drained from Zenia’s face.

It was true; she would never have dreamed of behaving this way with another noble.

Entering the bedroom again, she clasped her hands respectfully and bowed her head.

“…My apologies. Please give me one more chance.”

“This is the last time. Do it properly.”

“Pardon the intrusion, Your Ladyship. A summons has arrived from the main estate.”

“What are the contents?”

“The Duke wishes for you to join him for dinner. How shall I respond?”

In twenty-one years, Duke Ruthius had never invited Astell to a meal.

He was not the kind of man who would dine with the monster who had killed his beloved wife, even if it meant starving.

In fact, as soon as Astell turned five, Duke Ruthius had locked her away in the annex and paid her no mind.

He only ever checked on her three or four times a year, just to see if she was dead or alive.

‘And now he suddenly wants to have a meal together?’

It was probably because of what happened today.

‘Because I—no, Astell—slaughtered the monsters.’

I let out a sigh, feeling a wave of indifference.

‘So this is how he switches his tune?’

I had expected it, but my heart grew colder still.

He should have just continued to treat me with the same coldness as before.

‘If he had, I would have been less disappointed.’

Not that I couldn’t understand. The daughter he had been so desperate to hide because of her madness had suddenly proven to be of immense value.

‘Of course his attitude would change.’

He had to sweet-talk me if he wanted to use me.

“Refuse.”

“…You’re refusing?”

“Do I have to repeat myself?”

“N-No! I will relay your message. A-And… sh-shall I prepare a bath for you?”

This was the first time Zenia had offered to do something for Astell of her own accord since she had started keeping her distance.

“While I’m bathing, clean the bedroom and prepare my dinner. Have it ready for when I’m finished.”

“Yes, and if you require anything else, please pull the bell cord.”

“It’s not there.”

“…Pardon?”

“Have you forgotten that the nanny cut the pull cord? Said I was bothering her too much.”

“Ah… d-did she? I don’t quite remember… I-I’ll have it reinstalled.”

“By the end of the day.”

“Yes, yes!”

Zenia scurried out, gently closing the bedroom door behind her.

Her demeanor was a world away from when she had first entered.

‘Am I that scary?’

Compared to what was coming, this was nothing.

In the quiet bedroom, I laughed silently.

* * *

After a long bath, I walked through the now-spotless bedroom and into the dressing room.

“Unbelievable…”

The state of the dresses hanging there was utterly ridiculous.

Even I, who knew nothing about fashion, could tell something was wrong with these clothes.

It wasn’t a matter of design.

Weren’t they being old and ill-fitting a huge problem?

“This is a princess’s dressing room? My old closet was better than this.”

Instead of the shabby dresses, I chose a nightgown that was at least in decent condition.

As I went down to the first floor, I heard voices from the kitchen.

“Zenia, why are you trembling so much? Are you still scared?”

“Vivian…”

“I mean, I was scared too. If the Duke hadn’t stopped those monsters, we would’ve been in real trouble, right? I heard our Duke couldn’t even hold a sword anymore, but I guess that was just a baseless rumor.”

“N-No…”

“You don’t have to pretend. If he’d been any later, maids like us would have been done for! Ugh, it’s horrible just thinking about it.”

“Th-That’s not it… It wasn’t the Duke who took care of the monsters.”

“What? If it wasn’t the Duke, then who—wait a minute. You don’t actually believe that nonsense about the princess wiping out the monsters, do you?”

“I-I saw it… I saw it with my own eyes…”

Zenia’s voice was a thin tremble, her fear palpable.

Unfortunately, her conversation partner, Vivian, was incapable of empathy.

“Are you dreaming? Did you catch something from waiting on the princess? Like her madness!”

“Vivian, you were hiding so you didn’t see, but I saw it clearly with my own two eyes! Th-This won’t do. We have to return the dresses today. The ones we took.”

“Why would we return them? Mrs. Herot gave them to us with the princess’s permission.”

“You knew it too. That Mrs. Herot never got the princess’s permission.”

“…”

“Vivian, please, let’s just put them back. Please?”

Duke Ruthius had a contract with a boutique and regularly purchased dresses and jewels.

It was a charade to show people that Astell was normal, just like any other young lady.

But Astell, mentally cornered as she was, never had the presence of mind to know what was in her own dressing room.

Besides, no matter how many formal dresses she had, they were useless to her.

Her agoraphobia made it impossible for her to go outside.

If Duke Ruthius had cared for her in the slightest, he would have bought her indoor clothes, not formal wear.

And so, the dresses and jewels he purchased ended up in the hands of Mrs. Herot.

Mrs. Herot pocketed the jewels for herself and generously distributed the leftover dresses to Vivian and Zenia.

All while claiming she had Astell’s permission.

But Vivian and Zenia had both sensed it was a lie.

Not only that, but they also understood Mrs. Herot’s underlying intention: that if she were caught, she wouldn’t go down alone.

‘How amusing.’

I folded my arms and leaned against the wall.