"Is that a certainty?" he glared coldly at Catherine. Blake knew that as the crown prince of the kingdom his decisions carried extra weight so they couldn't be taken poorly. Of course, he also didn't want to be tied down yet, he had too many complications to solve. 

"I can't say that it is one yet, however, I should know the answer soon," her dark smile gradually becomes bigger and Blake sighs.

"I take I will be the first to know. Now leave," Catherine gets up and bows right before closing the door behind her.

'Ophelia Criswell...' Blake walks towards the big window as the sun rays shined down on him, making his bright red hair reflect them beautifully. He was curious about this woman who had managed to grab three noble houses easily as if they had been bewitched. His logic was conflicted: he wanted to meet this threatening foe, however, he didn't want to start any rumors by doing so. 

Uneasiness was something Blake didn't feel on a daily basis but somehow his mind was restless. It was almost as if a new card had been added to the game, an unpredictable and appealing new card, just like the Joker, whose existence itself made the players shiver in fear. 

"Let's watch for now," he sits back down and continues his work while trying to seal away his worried mind. 

✽ ✼ ✽ ✼ ✽ ✼ ✽

「 Back to the present 」

"Olivia, I need to ask you something," I was being washed by the maids in a warm bath as Olivia prepared my clothes for the day.

"Yes milady?" her kind smile appears almost as if she had completely forgotten about what had happened yesterday during dinner.

"Who told you that my sister was sick?" I was concerned about this. The letter was sealed so unless someone told her about my sister's condition, there was no way for her to know.

"The man who came to deliver it told me. He said that the reason the letter had been sent so hurriedly was because of Lady Amanda's condition," as she finished speaking I felt an uneasiness grow inside of me.

"I see," after leaving the bathtub I get dressed in a long and rather simplistic dark green dress.

As I leave the room I am greeted by Mace who carried a troubled expression.

"Good morning my lord. You look troubled, is something wrong?" I carefully asked without accidentally getting out of line.

"Terrel sent a letter again... He wants you to visit the capital to meet him next week," a shiver ran down my spine as I felt my blood pressure drop.

'Of course, he wants...' I click my tongue inside my mouth and, a couple of seconds after I regain my composure.

"It will be my pleasure to visit him. We shall sort out the details with the Duke then," my lips had been covered with a polite smile just so I could hide my hatred but, even then, I could see Mace's pitiful's eyes as he knew of the hell that awaited me.

✽ ✼ ✽ ✼ ✽ ✼ ✽

「 Some days later 」

After exchanging several letters, the date for our encounter was finally decided. Part of me was terrified and anxious to meet him, however, I knew that, sooner or later, I would have to face him.

'I still need to see how I will react to Terrel in this life,' in my previous lives, my mind and body had distinct reactions each time. Sometimes I would lose all the strength in my body and fall onto the floor due to the overwhelming fear, other times I would just stay completely numb, losing my sense of self with the blink of an eye, becoming a puppet waiting for the puppeteer to play with me. 

As the sun bathes my pale skin I see Jade's fit body sweating from all his training. Since I don't have much to do during the day I end up meeting up with Mace, play with Ralph, or just watch Jade practice. I wish I could have more opportunities to talk with Duke Wharton but he is a very busy man.

Even though Jade arrived a couple of days ago his figure has changed drastically. He is not as underweight as he was and even his complexion is brighter, making him almost look as if he is happy. Of course, I know better, he is nowhere close to feeling something like happiness, however, he now has a purpose and that's why he is fighting so hard.

I get up from the wooden chair and head towards a small rose bush. The smell of grass and flowers always made my mind feel more at ease, I guess that's one of the few things that hasn't changed.

'A new servant?' I notice a shape of a man walking towards the Duke's room while carrying some teacups on a silver platter. He enters the room after a couple of minutes and, after getting a glimpse at his face I shudder.

'That man is...' quickly I head towards a large tree and hide behind it. My head felt dizzy while my body felt faint. Once I noticed he had gone towards the kitchen I fall down on my knees. I was sure I hadn't seen me. 

'Those eyes... He is...' I knew that face extremely well. That tanned skin, those dark sadistic eyes, and that short light brown hair.

"Master? Is everything alright?" Jade rushes towards me.

"Gilbert Averton," I mumble the name of that man as I clench my fists onto the floor, ripping some green grass from the floor. Jade was down on one knee, looking towards me with a worried expression almost as if he was a small puppy.

"Jade... I need you to be in my room starting tonight," I look towards the mansion once again, focusing my attention on the servants passing by. 

"But master that's..." I knew he had misunderstood me.

"Someone might be trying to get me killed," his eyes widen in surprise. 

"Who?" his voice was heartless as he looks at the servants walking around the Duke's study room. 

"The new butler is a professional assassin," his attention goes back to me as he helps me get up gently, wrapping his arm around my waist as I lean onto the tree, "He killed me before and he wouldn't be here if he hadn't been hired but..." still something was confusing.

'Is someone going to assassinate the Duke?' I thought that he might also be a potential victim but soon I erased that possibility. Throughout all my lives, the Duke always died suddenly, without any explanation even if sometimes the symptoms changed slightly.

'Could it be Mace?' I considered that maybe Terrel had sent in the assassin to take care of his younger brother but he still lacks power inside the mansion. He doesn't control all the servants and if he tried to kill his younger brothers so early in the game it would only bring him problems since the Duke would be suspicious of him. In fact, it would be highly likely that Terrell would be disowned. 

'So he is here for me,' I concluded after considering all the available options however something kept bothering me.

"Who would pay him...?" I mumbled as I continued to create theories inside my head while bitting my finger. 

"Master..." Jade grabs my hand softly and smiles kindly, "Don't hurt yourself." 

I look to my finger just to see it bleed from my bites. 

"Thank you," I state right before seeing Gilbert leave the Duke's room. He was heading towards the kitchen, unbothered, "That's him," I quickly hide behind the tree once again. 

"Should I get rid of him?" his eyes were dangerous, as he was unable to hide his hatred towards that man who walked cheerfully through the estate. 

"We cannot act without thinking Jade," I reassure him as I grab his arm tightly. He understood we couldn't make a scene carelessly. 

My attention goes to the big trees as their leaves rattled with the soft Seedling breeze.

No matter how I see it, only one thing has changed: Bradley's annoying presence. I can't understand why he is so keen on being around me as his engagement with Amanda is more than established. 

'Could he have...?' for a moment, I thought that Bradley was the one that sent the assassin but soon gave up on that idea, 'He couldn't...'

Bradley's eyes were stuck in my mind. Those were eyes of someone filled with lust who wished to have me at all costs, in fact, they resembled Terrel's way too much. Someone like them, wouldn't dare to kill his precious possession.

'He wants to own me not to kill me,' there was no way Bradley had sent him. I actually think that if he knew that I was being targeted he would do anything in his power to prevent it from happening.

Terrel could be a possibility, however, I have not shown any hostility towards him and I am well aware of how enthusiastic he is with our marriage. He wouldn't ruin his precious goods with death. He was too greedy and lustful to kill me in the first place. Even after my escape in my first life he never hurt my face or even hurt me to the point where I would die. I was his doll and he hated broken merchandise. 

The Wharton's are kind to me, even in my other lives, the Duke was always warm and welcoming towards me so there is no way that he could be behind this.

That leaves only one person left: Duke Criswell.

'Did I become a burden?' even if that man was a mystery, I knew something for certain and that is that the Duke only saw two things in life: how much a person could be useful and how he could use that perk to achieve his purposes. If someone loses this wonderful trait then they need to be disposed of.

Suddenly everything became clear like water to me.

"My father is trying to get me killed," I say as I laugh, painfully.

"Your father is?" Jade's eyes widen in surprise right before his face becomes tainted with frustration. His fist finds its way onto a tree as he punches it harshly. I can understand that for someone who lived in a tribe in the mountains, having a father attempting to kill their own child might be something unthinkable but here, this was nothing more than normality. 

The Duke never tried to kill me in my other lives since I was always a valuable card. He needed Amanda to marry Bradley for their granaries, manpower, and wealth while he needed me to marry Terrel for their mines. Even then I am well aware of how much the Duke treasured Amanda, even if Bradley wanted to marry me instead he wouldn't let this matter go.

'I see... She is easier to keep in check...' finally, I was able to understand. I had been sent to Terrel due to being quiet, to be able to bear things Amanda couldn't, and, on the other hand, my sister was easy to control if she had what she wished, 'Now that I am not cooperating, I am a nuisance...' that man would rather lose the Wharton's than the Traces as if they were pawns on his sick schemes.  

A filthy, dirty, and disgusting man. Those were the best words to describe him.

"Jade, we can't be suspicious... Keep training but be with me at night, if he comes knock him out, I want him to have a taste of his own medicine," Jade bows and I dismiss him. He walks further and begins swinging his sword harder than he was before.