Chapter 2: Finding Favors.

Scarlett's POV

It's been a week since my whole wardrobe incident and for now I haven't left my room to think of a plan that would not need me to meet the heroine and instead find a way to get out of this place and be on my own. I grabbed the same notebook I was writing on before and some ink.

I need to be able to buy my own land, run my own businesses, and get out of my future engagement with the crown prince. "Where do I start first?"

For now all I know my time is limited until the game starts and just in case I'll be put in the same private academy that the Heroine will attend, I have to be ready to avoid such red flags because I don't want to die. Not again.

I'm currently thirteen, practically a teenager. I will be engaged by my father when I'm sixteen. I also know the coming of age for some noble ladies but we'll be forced into a private academy by eighteen because I think of it as a required college for some people.

It's been tradition that even nobles needed to mingle, socialize, smooch and gain favors from others. It's like a battlefield that you'll send your children on, a lot of risks and humiliation from any dirty doers like the old villainess slash me. "Self-defense... I should learn some sort of self-defense and fighting skills but... would the Duke let me?" I muttered my hold on the pen tightened and I bit the top of my thumb to relieve some stress from planning.

Knock! Knock! Knock!

I stopped biting my thumb the moment I heard someone knock on my door. I sighed and looked at my reflection in the window in front of me. My complexion looked like I was pale and dreadful looking like someone who didn't have a good night's rest.

I fixed my hair and called out to the door, "You may come in."

The door let out a little squeak followed by a maid's echoing footsteps and the clacking of teacups in their glass saucers.

"Milady Scarlett. Your cookies..."

Elise brings down a silver tray and a plate of cookies into the desk. "And your tea." I could hear the clacking sound the fine material glass of the teapot makes as it pours the tea down onto the cup.

The steam rises upon the water as I nod, taking in Elise's efforts these days in assisting me these days about the closet. She's even gotten me my temporary clothes that consisted of a white common blouse and a simple green skirt.

Sure these clothes might not be fit for a lady of my standing but these are better than those dreadful pink clothes and augh! It reminded me of this room's old design- too pink! I'm absolutely glad it's been all taken care of. Now I just have a simple room but it's now quite empty looking except for the bookshelves I have.

I need to go shopping one of these days.

"Thank you, Elise. You should take some for yourself too if you'd like." I offered her a piece of the treat but she shakes her head almost too quickly.

"Milady, you know the rules of the estate. A servant must not touch any of the food or spoils of the noble family for servants do not deserve such luxury." (Elise) explains but still smiles under the horrible rule of this house.

"So the food that I don't want anymore just gets... thrown away?" I ask under the realization that this world was worse than I thought. Elise nods gracefully and continues to explain, "We throw them out into the garbage disposal where they ought to be burned." she lowers her head in a panic and I grit my teeth in anger.

Back on earth food, from where I come from my hometown. Food is a privilege only for people who have jobs and people like me who came from the streets have to jump from trash can to trash can just to eat anything. "Food is meant to be eaten. How utterly wasteful." I tell her and she looks at me with confused eyes.

I raise my eyebrow with the stare she was giving at and after noticing she gasps a little bowing her head apologetically. "I just... never thought the words would ever come out of milady. In the past you've always been so... erm..." (Elise) tries her best to think of a word that wouldn't offend me but fails so instead she kept silent.

"Neglectful towards things that shouldn't be taken for granted? These Are the words you're looking for to describe my past wrongdoings." I answer for her instead, remembering the old Villainess lavishing in feasts, throwing dishes that she didn't like and even firing the cooks in her family. No cook has ever lasted for more than a month in her Duchy back in the game. "Elise, after my cold. I realized some things, I've been treating those around me so harshly that I needed to change." 

I closed the book I was writing on and offered Elise one last time a piece of cookie. "So please, won't you share this with me?" I told her and she placed her hands together before accepting the sweet delicious treat.

I tried not to smile while I looked away in another direction because I feel embarrassed that I feel happy I can confide with Elise about my private thoughts like this. "This can be our little secret. I won't let anyone know about this, I just... i don't want to be my old self any longer." I crossed my arm protectively, fearing that the real villainess might come back and wreck more havoc into the game. She could continue to hurt innocent people who didn't even deserve such things.

I took a small glance at Elise who held the cookie dearly, treating it like it was some sort of fragile glass vase. I could see a wide smile on her face, taking a bite of her cookie and savoring it while I waited for her to reply. "Mm... this is delicious. Thank you, milady. I believe you are certainly changing, slowly but surely you will reach where you want yourself to be." (Elise) pats my head, her hand bouncing on my curly dark hair and it made me feel.. proud of myself.

"Now other than that, milady you've been cooped in your room for a while. You need some time outside and meet your family. The Duke and Duchess... they just came back from their meeting in the royal castle." (Elise) carefully moves to my closet and tries to find some clothes that are not pink but still certainly fitting for me. "It is my duty to help you after all."

So they came back from a meeting in the capital city of the kingdom. I have to face them soon, won't I? Meaning I'll not only face the Duke and Duchess of the house but one of the male love interests for the heroine. "I see... Elise, do you know where my brother is?"

The one unlocking the [Forbidden Love] route. My older brother, Sawyer De Chevalier.

Hmph, the future heir and Duke of our household. While I'm to be bargained as the prince's wife and then meet some death I probably deserve in the original game.

"Milord is out practicing his swordsmanship in the Duchy training grounds." she replies by taking out a decent blue dress out of the closet filled with expensive looking gemstones and pearls on the sides. "If you'd like I can escort you to him, milady. He always does get happy when you visit him." she hands me the dress and I blink at the new information Elise just said.

He's happy when I visit?

Meaning... the accident/bad thing that the villainess did that made Sawyer have a horrible relationship with the villainess in the original game hasn't happened yet! I can still turn things around and have him over to my side!

The only problem is, the game never stated what led to the sibling's relationship together to be so strained. "I should not waste this opportunity then." I walked towards Elise and removed my clothes to wear the blue dress that she found in my closet.

What a miracle she found something that's not pink.

When I finished wearing the dress, Elise turned to me with a smile and said. "Milady, how do you feel about the dress? Does the color blue suit your liking?"

I looked towards the mirror and my reflection. I looked like... Alice in wonderland or that toy with a blue dress that herds the sheep. "Blue is not my color. Too bright, remind me to go shopping for my own clothes sometime, Elise." I sat on a seat in front of my desk and pointed at my hair to motion Elise for her to do my hair.

I could feel her walking towards me and holding my hair gently while taking a brush. "Yes, milady. Would you like to have a certain hairstyle today?"

"A braid." I told her and quickly her fingers moved with grace with the strands of my hair, braiding it with care and it didn't hurt or she didn't need to pull my head or anything.

Once that she was finished Elise escorted me by her side walking into the training grounds in our Duchy. Maids were greeting and servants were bowing in my direction, hmm... their legs are shaking?

"Elise is it just me or- all of them are shaking to their pants and skirts of fear." I pointed at the servants who looked at the ground lower and Elise coughs.

"Milady, have you forgotten?"

"Oh... right."

It utterly slipped my mind that all of the old servants that were left were probably horribly harassed by the old villainess and I... probably can't ignore that. "Remind me to somehow make it up to them in another way properly to... convey my deepest apologies."

Elise nods with a thoughtful smile looking at her co-workers as if to say, it's going to be okay.

"Yes milady. Shall we continue our search for milord?" (Elise)

I nodded and made our way into the open training space where I could see a small figure of a dark haired boy swinging a wooden sword with great force in a dummy that was covered in straw with a red target in the middle of it.

Clack! Pack! Clack!

Several straws flew into the ground. I could only observe for a moment turning to Elise once more. "Elise. What is my brother like these days? After all, I haven't been outside my room for quite a while. I wonder what he's been up to." I felt the need to be careful of my words, everything for that matter.

"These days he's really been himself really, milady. Nothing new of sorts as you can see." (Elise) replies looking at my brother's figure as I do the same.

I could see my supposed big brother in the open field focusing his footing, followed by some heavy breathing. He was holding the sword and then piercing the wooden blade right into the middle of the red target with precision. If I recall correctly if I'm thirteen he should be around... fifteen? Two years older than me.

He seems so... happy and content the way he is now. Just what in the world happened?

I was still observing this male love interest for the Heroine until I saw something I never knew existed in the game lore.

There was a maid not too far away who was watching over Sawyer train and I could see her conversing with my brother and even giving him a towel.

I could see Sawyer's figure stiffening and was even covering his face with the towel unable to meet the maid's gaze.

Well, I think I just met something that might help me win his favor after all.