Chapter 2

At least, that was what I thought. Contrary to my excitement, the maid stood firmly, blocking the door.

“M-my lady! I d-don’t exactly understand what you mean by that, but... Is it a new business idea?”

I calmly searched through Meldenique’s memories while facing the maid.

Is there no such thing as a stationery shop for children in this world? As a matter of fact, there was no stationery shop in this world for children, as one might usually find in my home world. Places that only sold stationery here were classified as general stores.

So, no stationery shops. They only have general stores. It’s an untapped market! It seemed like I was suggesting a rather unorthodox business idea. Of course, the unique and fascinating business ideas presented by the past owner of this body, the original Meldenique, had all ended up failing one after another.

Given my track record, it was understandable that the maid looked terrified by a business idea concerning items she had never heard of. Since I’d run my businesses into the ground every time, it wasn’t a surprise that I was finally getting kicked out of the family.

“I-if you fail again after leaving your family... you might not be able to wear those satin dresses you like anymore!” Rosaline raised her voice, desperate to stop me.

But I no longer needed those satin dresses—they were nothing more than a hassle. “I don’t care.” I shook my head as I replied.

“You won’t be able to enjoy the splendid dishes made by the royal chef, either! What if you can only eat commoners’ food like oatmeal and rye bread?”

Meldenique may have been a stubborn noble, but I was a commoner where I was from. That meant that, at times, I had survived on nothing but rice, kimchi, and instant noodles. I chuckled softly as I passed by Rosaline.

“I like oatmeal and rye bread. They’re healthy, you know.”

Meldenique turned twenty-five this year. At that age, one really needed to start taking care of their health. What I said must have affected Rosaline because she released me from her grasp.

Still not convinced, she shouted, “What if Duchess Hildegard tries to harass you? If you don’t have the family’s protection, you might lose your life...”

It was her most convincing argument yet. She had a point. In the original novel, Bewitched Lovers, the duchess eventually killed Meldenique. Looking back at Rosaline, who was teary with worry, I tried to recall the plot of the novel.

The fact was that other than my status, I was essentially at rock bottom. Meldenique Babelloa, the woman I possessed, was the villainess and fiancée of the male protagonist from the romance fantasy novel Bewitched Lovers.

Her mother was the last direct descendent of House Kinnoa, who were rumored to have lost all their magical power due to a dragon’s curse. Perhaps because of that, most of the descendants of House Kinnoa’s bloodline died young, including her mother.

Gradually, Meldenique was driven into a corner. After her mother’s death, her stepmother and stepsister quickly entered the family. It was about that time when negative rumors about Meldenique began spreading in earnest.

Since she did belong to the cursed bloodline, along with the fact that multiple attempts at running a business failed miserably, it makes sense that the rumors would stick...

Most importantly, in Bewitched Lovers, Lennox and Meldenique had been engaged even before they were born. Despite that, Lennox and Meldenique’s stepsister, Sheria, ignored her and continued to fan the flames of their love for each other. Meldenique, who resorted to villainous acts to break them apart, then became the target of public criticism. It made no sense.

Even though they were an adulterous couple in the novel, it was always portrayed as if Meldenique was deliberately trying to disrupt their relationship. In the end, Meldenique met her demise at the hands of Hildegard, Duke Babelloa’s wife and Sheria’s mother. With her death, there were no more obstacles to their happily ever after.

What kind of sh*tty ending is that? I looked at the maid and chuckled softly. She seemed to be hoping that as long as I stayed here, I might receive some protection from the family. But that was just the wishful thinking of someone who didn’t know how Meldenique died in the original story.

Even if I decided to stay here, anything that sets Hildegard off might lead to my death. I couldn’t exactly tell this to the innocent maid, given how close to tears she already was.

Instead, I murmured in a low voice, “If she tried to cause trouble, do you think I would take it lying down?”

For now, I needed to leave. The thought of being nothing more than an obstacle in an adulterous affair was annoying, and the thought of dying for no good reason was infuriating.

We can go our own separate ways if we don’t get involved with each other any further. But if they interfered with my life, I wouldn’t just let them walk all over me.

My words did nothing to mollify the maid, who had tears in her eyes while drenched in sweat. It seemed as though she was recalling the absurd situations Meldenique had been through so far.

“Y-you’ve quietly endured everything you’ve been put through all this time, so... I am worried about you. Please be careful.”

I walked toward the maid, gently stroking her neatly braided hair. “Don’t worry. I’ve got everything planned out.”

Hildegard Babelloa. Meldenique’s stepmother and the duchess. She would be in for a rude awakening if she expected me to be like Meldenique Babelloa of the past. I had a good idea of what she was going to do.

Thinking of the hefty bundle of money in my luggage, I looked at the maid. “It might even turn out to be interesting.”

“My lady...”

“If things go well, you can join me,” I assured her.

I checked my outfit for the last time and stepped outside the mansion. Instead of taking a carriage from House Babelloa, I called for a rental one. I was about to get on the carriage, dressed plainly, unlike my usual attire. Perhaps the conversation between the duke and me had already spread throughout the mansion, as people started gathering around the carriage. They were whispering fervently.

To make matters worse, I could distinctly hear each of their insults.

“Is she finally getting kicked out?”

“Given her reputation, I’d expect nothing less.”

“Exactly. What can you expect from her bloodline? It’s cursed, after all.”

Wow, they’re even dissing my heritage.

“She’s so unlike Duchess Hildegard and the lovely Lady Sheria.”

I gave the impertinent servants a sidelong glance. In a society governed by a rigid hierarchy, those who dared to utter insults to the duke’s daughter only avoided facing consequences because her mother was the last living descendant of the cursed House Kinnoa.

Meldenique’s stepmother—the duchess—detested her, and even her biological father, Duke Babelloa, offered her no protection whatsoever. With no one to favor her and no power to speak of, the pitiful villainess Meldenique naturally found herself isolated in the family.

“They call her the ugly duckling of the duke’s family, you know,” one whispered.

“I can’t imagine why Lady Sheria would want to defend her,” replied another.

Lady Sheria was considered a virtuous protagonist, often likened to an angel, who even forgave the original Meldenique despite her attempts to harm her.

So people ended up hating me even more. I ignored them all and turned to the horseman. I couldn’t be bothered to respond to each one of them anyway.

“Where would you like to go?” the man asked.

Since there was no servant to answer on my behalf, I addressed him directly. “Head toward the slums.”

With that, I boarded the carriage without an escort. I ignored the persistent disdainful muttering about how uncultured and uneducated I was. I wouldn’t see these faces again anyway, so what did it matter?

Duke Babelloa might try to bring me back, but I intended to permanently sever ties with him. I would never come back to this household ever again. Leaning against the firm backrest, I opened the carriage window wide.

The soldiers and servants who were gossiping about me near the carriage looked startled and froze.

“Everyone.” I raised my middle finger at them. They had no idea what it meant, of course. But I figured they would understand it was an insult. My voice rang out clearly as I spoke elegantly and sweetly as if preaching to a congregation. “F*ck you all.”

As I already mentioned, I had no intention of ever coming back here. After blocking out the buzzing of their reactions, I tightly closed the window, drew the curtains, and hummed a tune.

They could all go to hell. I would do just fine on my own.