Chapter 1 – Let Me Reveal My Dark History

When have I been viewed as a pushover?

“Dohee, I need 100,000 won right now. My aunt suddenly died. She’s been taking care of me since I was
young. I’m really sad.”

“What should I do?”

Before I died, I always felt sorry for Han-joon, whose family relatives were always dead every week.

She had difficulty in ignoring him, as if she was about to fall for that blatant lie again.

“I’m so sorry. Do-hee. I’ll pay you back as soon as I have earned enough money.”

I even told Kim Han-joon that he didn’t need to pay me back so soon to cheer him up.

Whenever he said he likes me, my bank account would become empty. I’ll spare some money for food and
coffee, and work as a part-timer in many places afterwards.

After thinking endlessly, she pulled up a bag with a heavy laptop in it and went into the library next to the
engineering center.

“Oh, I’m sleepy.”

I was tired even before I was about to start doing my piled-up assignments.

All of a sudden, I’m in need of a sweet latte to keep myself up, but I’m out of money.

Calculating mentally with a headache, it seems like the money borrowed by Han-joon almost amounted to
500,000 won.

Can I ask him to pay me back a little earlier?

However, I felt sorry to urge Han-joon, who had been in despair due to the recent tragedies happening to him,
to pay back the money earlier.

As I bit my nails, I turned on my laptop.

[Everyone, please send me the organized data by today.]

I left a message in the group chat because I had an interim announcement on my major course group project
this week. The number of people who have seen the message kept increasing, but there was no reply.

[I’m sorry, Dohee. I have a cold.]

[I have training today. Can I send it by tomorrow?]

Though some of my group mates, who saw the message, ignored it, I at least got two replies. If I didn’t, I
would’ve lost it.

Maybe it was because I’ve been through a lot lately, but I couldn’t think of anything to make them cooperate.

I once again sent a message saying, “The tuition is expensive, so you should focus on your studies more.”

After finishing all my assignments until late at night at the library, I felt really hungry and tired. As I dragged
my body to the convenience store, I stopped walking when I heard a familiar voice and the smell of a cigarette
nearby.

“Oh, shit, it’s new, don’t step on it.”

Kim Han-joon, who is supposed to be at the funeral by now, was swearing and smoking.

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The one he was speaking to was the man who said he had training today in the group chat.

“Is this the limited edition shoes of the N brand? How did you get it? It was sold out in a second.”
“I managed to still get one after it was sold out, so don’t step on it.”

“It wouldn’t have been cheap if you were still able to get it after it was sold out, but where did you get the
money?”

“I have my ways.”

Kim Han-joon’s triumphant answer made my head ring.

Pushover, pushover, pushover. Two syllables echoed ceaselessly in her head.

“Who would be so stupid to give you that much money?”

“Yoon Do-hee.”

“Ah, Yoon Do-hee.”

The student, who was in the same group as I am, nodded in agreement.

Wow, you actually believed him right after hearing my name?

“I am in the same group as she is. If I ask for money, do you think she’d give me?”

“I asked for it with an excuse of going to a funeral, but I didn’t know she’d be fooled every time.”

“Wow, Kim Han-joon. You’re a total asshole.”

“I’m not an asshole. It’s just that Yoon Do-hee, who becomes a fool after someone shows kindness to her, is
stupid.”

It was difficult for me to continue listening to him. Foolishly, I ran towards the bastard, but I let him escape
without showing him a piece of my mind. I should’ve stepped on his brand new sneakers.

“Do-hee. I like you because you’re nice.”

Kim Han-joon’s words kept ringing in her head.

Strangely, instead of crying, I felt anger instead.

“Do-hee. You’re just in time, do the dishes.”

As soon as I arrived at home with trembling legs, my mom pointed her finger at the sink full of plates.

The person who ate dinner was my younger brother, but why was washing the dishes naturally on me?

‘I’m hungry, too…..’

While searching through the empty refrigerator without any strength left, I heard a conversation between my
brother and mother.

“Mom, give me a tutor. All of my friends are preparing for early admission these days, so they have a group
or private tutors to help them prepare for it. Do you know that I’m the only one who doesn’t attend a private
academy?”

“I see. I’ll try to find you one.”

My mother’s unhesitant reply made me violently shake the milk in my hand.

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I feel nauseous.

Weren’t my parents the ones who were strictly against taking online lectures because they are expensive, let
alone a private academy?

Because of it, I’ve been thinking that the financial situation within my family was very bad.

My father is a rather skillful craftsman who has been a manager for years. He has three children, but among
us, I wasn’t given any money because he didn’t have any intention to invest in me.
“Yoon Do-hee! Where are you going? Did you wash the dishes?”

It somehow made me more miserable knowing that leaving the house without any explanation was the best
way I could feign ignorance.

I should’ve come back screaming.

Why do you disfavor me? Do I look so useless in your eyes?

Endless sorrow came rushing through me, so I stood on the side of the road with a runny nose.

“Miss I have to go back home, but I lost my transportation card. Please lend me 3,000 won. Please.”

I rubbed my wet eyes and let out a hollow sigh.

I can’t believe she’s trying to fool me again.

I think I was tricked by this old lady every time and paid for her transportation fee for about three times now.

‘I was kind enough to take you to the bus station yet…’

Kim Han-joon takes money under the guise of a funeral from me every week whereas this old lady takes
transportation money from me every week.

Damn it. You must think I’m a pushover.

‘Well, it’s amazing how many times I fell for their tricks.’

I can’t help but only notice now that this homeless woman is deceitful.

Just as Kim Han-joo said, “I am stupidly nice.”

“Our Do-hee is so nice.”

“I like Do-hee because she’s nice.”

I should have interpreted it as, ‘I like Do-hee because she’s a pushover.’ I don’t know why this important
realization of mine comes at this time.

“Girl. You must give me 3,000 won!”

The old lady grabbed my arm furiously.

She didn’t think it was right if she continuously got money from her, but when she saw money in her pocket,
her anger soared.

“I don’t have a penny. Let go of me!”

“Then, only two thousand won. Even 1,000 won is enough!”

As we were fighting, we gradually moved closer to the open road, which in turn, killed me because I was run
over by a motorcycle that was running at a terrifying speed.

I died in vain, but I reincarnated.

In the body of a villain in a reverse harem novel that was set in the 19th century.

TL/N: Yup, it’s that short. Also, the male lead is hot.

Chapter 2 – [Part 1]
After that long, dark battle with the old lady and the accident that happened after, I regained consciousness
and looked around blankly at the unfamiliar landscape that came into sight.

I was lying in a canopy bed with a white awning.

The size of the bed could fit seven adults in total.

Where the hell am I?

She stared at the curtains that were delicately embroidered with gold threads of snakes and roses. Then, after a
while, she jumped up as she recalled the motorcycle accident that had happened.

It felt like my bones were crushed and my muscles were torn. However, as I closely observe it right now, it
seemed fine. Besides that, I didn’t even feel any sort of muscle pain.

However, as soon as I caught a distinct view of my body, I was flustered by my suddenly large chest.

“W-What is this…..?”

Feeling confused, I looked alternately at my chest and away from it. Then, I got out of bed and went to look at
myself in the mirror.

“Wow.”

I was suddenly breathless.

The reason for that was because rather than the face she’d usually see everyday, the face reflected on the
mirror was that of a beautiful woman with a naturally sharp expression.

She was an impressive woman with shiny purple hair and ruby-like red eyes.

‘Stunning…….’

After a while, I slapped myself twice so that I’d be able to wake up.
Ads by Pubfuture
Slap! Slap!

The pale cheeks of the beautiful woman reflected in the mirror became so swollen.

However, I couldn’t help it as I had to wake up from my silly dream.

“Oh….It hurts.”

But how come I was still not awake?

I was in a dream that was too vivid for it not to be reality.

Then, suddenly, a sharp sound pierced my eardrum.

As I inadvertently turned my eyes to the direction of where the sound came from, a bowl of porridge was
rolling on the floor and a woman, who was dressed in a western-style maid outfit, sat down with a terrified
face.

As soon as our eyes met, the woman lowered and bowed her head saying,

“I’m so sorry! I must’ve been blind! I am guilty of committing a sin that cannot be forgiven with merely my
life! Please have mercy on me, Princess Deborah.”

Deborah? That name sounds quite familiar.

Suddenly, the answer penetrated my mind.

Soon, I remembered where I came across the name, Deborah. It was the name of the villainess in a 19+
unpopular novel entitled, “Swallow The Black Thorn”. I would always buy its new chapters until the series
was abruptly halted.
Deborah was a hardcore villainess created by the author to use petty tricks against the heroine. Besides that,
her inappropriate language has always been the topic of the best comments in “Swallow The Black Thorn”.

Her current situation doesn’t make any sense unless she possessed the villainess of the novel. It can’t be
perceived as a dream either as she felt the stinging pain when she slapped her cheeks twice. Other than that,
she had clear vision and eyes and hair of the same color as Deborah’s as depicted in the novel.

As I was slowly trying to understand what had happened to me, a middle-aged man with fierce eyes entered
the room.

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“What’s this commotion about?”

As soon as she met his icy silver-grey colored eyes, fragments of Deborah’s memories began to appear inside
her mind.

The man in front of me was George Seymour, Deborah’s father. He is a high-ranking mage and is considered
as one of the top five geniuses in the long history of the Seymour family.

The Duke of Seymour, who had a slender body that wasn’t like that of a middle-aged man, was as cold-
hearted as he seemed to be on the outside.

The only person he opened his heart to was his wife, Marien Seymour. After she died from giving birth to
their youngest child, Enrique Seymour, he went back to his cold nature.

“Pathetic.”

The Duke of Seymour looked down at me with a scornful glare as if he was looking at trash.

He valued the honor of his family and hated Deborah for her constant evil deeds.

“Hah, is going on a hunger strike not enough that you even decided to do self-harm?”

He squeezed my reddened cheeks tightly.

“Your face is only worth looking at because it resembles your mother’s.”

“……..”

“I can’t believe you’re doing this for jewelry. You are a disgrace to the Seymour Family.”

According to the fragments of memories floating through her mind, Deborah went on a hunger strike a few
days ago as she wanted to acquire the Empire’s one and only pink diamond necklace.

The Duke of Seymour seemed to have misunderstood that after going on a hunger strike, I even decided to
harm myself.

“There is a limit to the things you are allowed to do as my daughter. This is my last warning. Don’t get in
trouble for the time being and stay here to reflect on your actions until you realize your mistakes so you can
prevent such things from happening instead!”

The Duke scolded me with gritted teeth and eyes as cold as ice.

Thereafter, he stopped squeezing my cheeks tightly and strode out of the room. I gazed blankly at the back of
the Duke of Seymour until I could barely see it anymore and took a deep breath.
Chapter 2 – [Part 2]

No way, how could a father be so handsome…

No, more than that, how could he be so ruthless?

The shivers that went down my spine made my body unable to move.

However, what bothered me right now, so much so that I almost screamed, is that I’m barely managing to
move my legs towards the bed.

That is because the maid, who was lying on her stomach and was in a desperate posture, continuously begged
for forgiveness.

“I’m so sorry! I made a mistake! Please forgive me just once!”

Suddenly, the maid began to bang her head on the floor until it bled.

It was painful for her to realize that she had possessed a body of a villainess inside an unpopular novel.
“….Oh, well, get out.”

Her voice was strained.

The maid, who repeatedly shouted “Thank you”, quickly removed the bowl of porridge on the floor and ran
away. As soon as she disappeared from my sight, I slowly sat down on the floor.

“Wow. I’m going crazy.”

I’ve been working hard throughout my whole life, but I passed away at the age of 24, and I even possessed the
body of such a character.

‘Why, God?’

There are many other characters in the novel, why did it have to be her?

I swallowed my despair and buried my trembling face into my hands. Then, I lied down on the bed and closed
my eyes, hoping that when I wake up, everything was just a dream.

***

When I opened my eyes in the morning, I was still the villainess, Deborah.

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‘….But, isn’t it going better than I thought?’

It’s already been ten days since I’ve reincarnated as Deborah, and unexpectedly, I have been adapting well.

I thought that it would be difficult to live as a character whose reputation was the worst in the society, but that
didn’t seem to be the case at all.

‘There’s nothing I need to adapt to. Everything is perfectly set up.’

As I slept on a soft, spacious bed, I woke up late and was hungry.

As soon as the bell in my room rang, the employees immediately served me with breakfast.

“It’s delicious…..”

I muttered casually as I ate the delicious pastry that melted away in my mouth. As the employees heard me,
they immediately left the room and brought baskets of various kinds of bread in a flash.

‘Amazing. Look at how disciplined they are.’

Even if I talk to myself in a low voice, everything I want will be heard and given immediately.

The way they moved was like that of a well-trained army as they didn’t want to provoke Deborah’s landmine-
like temperament.
‘Well, compared to them not listening, this is a hundred times much better.’

I shook my head, picked up a bread, scooped a lot of raspberry jam and spread it onto the bread.

The food served here was quite palatable.

“Princess, would you like more?”

“No, get out.”

I felt uneasy being watched by the servants as I ate, so I imitated Deborah’s way of speaking following the
fragments of memories floating in my head.

The figs on the plate were fresh and the mushroom soup was very savory.

After I finished eating the delicious meal, the servants brought tea with a good aroma and poured it into the
cup.

I’ve never been to a five-star hotel, however, if I did go to such a place, the room service would probably be
quite similar to this.

I lifted up the elegant, antique teacup and shifted my gaze towards the direction where the birds were chirping.
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It was such a relaxing, laid-back morning…..

Throughout my whole life, this was the first time I have enjoyed such luxurious peace.

It was like a battlefield every morning in my house.

Every morning was a busy one because we had a narrow house for three siblings.

My younger brother had his own room, whereas I shared one room with my older sister, who would always
turn on all the lights in the room once she woke up. Besides that, she’d even dry her hair using a blowdryer
while I’m still asleep.

Every morning, I’d go crazy because of that loud, fierce sound. It was even more unbearable for me, who was
always wide awake at night.

“Yoon Dohee, can I wear this?”

The clothes I would recently buy online with money I’ve worked hard on were often worn by my sister.

“You wear my clothes often, too.”

My sister always throws her clothes that have become small for her or if the area around the neck was already
stretched. She would always say that it’s not a big deal for her to do such things and boast to other people
whenever she wears new clothes. However, since I was such a pushover, I couldn’t even be angry at her, so I
would always allow her to borrow my clothes.

“Noona, I’ll use the bathroom first since I’m in a hurry.”

After getting out of the bed forcibly because of her older sister, when she was about to enter the only
bathroom available in the house, her younger brother suddenly appeared out of nowhere like a ghost and went
in the bathroom first.

I had to clean it early in the morning after he used it because whenever that bastard uses the toilet, the whole
bathroom would become a dirty mess.

After getting used to such hectic mornings, I felt like I went on a vacation at a five-star hotel.

“Don’t get in trouble for the time being and stay here to reflect on your actions until you realize your mistakes
so you can prevent such things from happening instead!”

I laughed at the thought of the Duke’s words.

If this is how it feels like to be grounded, then I’d rather be grounded for life.

‘I feel relaxed because my body feels so comfortable.’

I put aside my worries about the future for a moment and watched the snow falling by the window.
By the time the meal I had was almost digested, servants, who brought water with them, began to groom
themselves. After wearing petticoats and dresses, people wearing fancy dresses entered the room in a line.

‘Oh, come to think of it, Deborah ordered a collection of dresses a month ago.’

Based on the fragments of memories floating in my head, Deborah loved shopping so much that she often
went out to buy expensive clothes and jewelry. It was one of her hobbies to wear fancy jewelry and dresses to
show off her wealth and beauty.

But, I couldn’t go outside because I am currently grounded. However, the servants naturally turned the room
into a department store’s VIP room.

Deborah’s class itself was on a different level.

Chapter 3 – [Part 1]

“It is of great honor to finally meet you, Princess Deborah. I’m Helen, the second wife of Baron Zihto.

Helen, who visited today, was one of the most popular designers in the capital. Deborah was the one who
demanded her to come here.

As soon as she saw the dresses displayed in front of Helen’s shop, Deborah rushed inside and threatened her
to personally design dresses for her.

Well, thanks to her, I had an advantage.

“I’m so glad that I’d be able to show you our dresses.”

As the silence prolonged, Helen’s cheeks became ragged.

In fact, I was deliberately not speaking. I’m afraid that if I open my mouth, I’ll be seen as a pushover.

It was ridiculous and quite reassuring that everyone would be convinced that I am Deborah as long as I had
quite an attitude.

“Princess, this is the style of dress that’s been trendy among the noble ladies lately. The material of its sleeve
is made of fur. Would you like to take a closer look?”

Helen managed to put on a business smile and began to explain the dress she had designed.
Some dresses were designed with a sapphire placed on the chest, while some were closely adorned with pearls
on the collar of lace.

As the gorgeous dresses all came into sight, I felt as though my soul had left my body.

As a poor citizen, who had to wear her old sister’s uniform, my heart began to pound faster.

Is this what a person’s life, who was born with a silver spoon in her mouth, is like?

I never envied children born with a silver spoon in their mouth because they were moderately compromising
with reality, but when I personally experience such an environment, I was embarrassed but happy inwardly.

‘I think everything will look good on you.’

Wouldn’t you be able to pull off any look if you possess such a beautiful face and body?

The thought of me putting on such a dress with a stunning face and model-like body makes it feel as though
it’s the start of a new year.

I frowned and bit my lips as I looked carefully at the dress as I felt like I was about to sneeze because of the
dress with sleeves made of fur.

However, Helen interpreted my expression in such a way that her face turned red.

“P-Princess. These dre-dresses are just a small fraction of what I have prepared for you.”

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‘Erm, these are a lot already, yet you’re telling me there’s more?’

I stared at her as I bit my lips to hold back my sneeze.

Upon noticing my expression, Helen looked as if she was going to lose consciousness anytime soon.
“I’ll bring you a more colorful, sophisticated style of dresses. Just g-give me three more days……”

Helen, who was looking at me, suddenly knelt down before me.

“I deeply apologize! I’ll fix your dress according to your taste at this instant!”

“…..Make sure to add a lot of gemstones to make it as fancy as possible.”

The more jewels, the better.

I can take it off and change it into gold in the future.

I rubbed my sore nose and added in a gentle tone.

***

‘So what if she’s a wicked woman? Her face looks absolutely stunning.’

From time to time, I would be mesmerized by my face as I looked at the mirror for a long time like a
narcissist.

I love this face.

I could feel the same aura my older sister had.

Even if someone wanted to ask me how to find the way, they wouldn’t dare come within 100 meters close to
me. That was the aura I had now.

As I was immersed in Deborah’s sharp and cool features, I managed to come to my senses when a servant
informed me that a tutor of mine was waiting for me.

In the morning, Deborah would study and learn about astronomy, history, poetry, and so on from the
distinguished professors of the Empire.
Most of the high-ranking aristocratic families have been taught at home since childhood. The identity of the
professors they would invite to their homes served as a measure of their power, while the number of women
that were well-taught in arts served as a measure of their honor.

‘I envy you.’

I was told that having a personal lecture was expensive.

Comparatively speaking, she gets a high-priced private tutor worth hundreds of thousands of won per hour
from a university professor.

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Of course, Deborah, who is not interested in studying at all, skipped classes every time.

As she was a villainess, it was a common practice for her to avoid her tutor. There was even a time when a
tutor, who was nagging her about not doing homework, was hung upside down by the window outside.

That was an incident where the rope snapped and the neck of the history professor, who had a prestigious
reputation in the Empire, broke, which almost made the professor die. It was so well-known that he had
himself written about it and described in detail in the novel.

‘The more you think of Deborah, the more rumors you remember.’

Every time I looked into the fragments of memories floating in my mind, I would sigh and be filled with deep
enlightenment at the same time.

The law of conservation of mass.

I have realized the truth that I was more comfortable than anyone else, along with the fact that I was still a
pushover.

‘…….But, no matter how much you walk here, there is no end.’

I came out of the room for private tutoring and began to walk down a long corridor.
Every time I walk around the mansion, it fascinates me. Perhaps, it’s because I’m an architectural engineering
major.

How much money must be spent and how much manpower was needed to build such a magnificent and
beautiful mansion?

As I enjoyed the pieces lined in the corridor, I encountered a silver-haired young man who resembled the
Duke of Seymour.

‘Belreck Seymour.’

He was the second son of this family.

As I looked into the silvery blue eyes of the young man momentarily, I instinctively felt the need to show
hatred towards him. It seemed as though that reaction was deeply engraved in Deborah’s body.

Deborah despised her brother, Belreck Seymour.

That is because Belreck showed contempt towards Deborah. The reason for that is because he detested people
who were incompetent and didn’t even try to do things.

Perhaps, it’s because his life itself is marked by a bloody effort to outrun his twin brother, Rosad Seymour.

Strangely enough, the heir to lead the Seymour family has always been born as twins for many generations
now.

Besides that, the seal of the Seymour family is ‘a snake with two heads’ which symbolizes the family’s
characteristics.

The talented twins fell into a fierce competition to become the head of the Seymour Household as soon as they
were born.
That’s probably the reason why most of the twins in the Seymour family develop such indifferent attitudes at
an early age.

Following the tradition of the family, Rosad and Belreck, who grew up as intelligent monsters, were forced to
abduct and detain Duke Miya Vinoche.

And so, it was difficult for me to think of a single good trait of the two, except for their faces, especially since
I knew the sadistic tendencies of the twins through the novel.

“Deborah.”

Belreck, who I had thought would just walk past by me, suddenly swept in front of me with his long silver
hair and called out to me in a low voice.

Chapter 3 – [Part 2]

“Deborah.”

I thought Belreck was just going to pass by, but he suddenly swept his long, silver hair up and called me with
a low voice.

He only swept his hair up, but I thought I was staring at a model from a magazine.

‘Crazy.’

As expected of one of the heroine’s fishes.

T/N: I’m not sure if you already know this, but fish/es is a Korean term for the men/women who would fall or
already fell for the MC (if it’s a harem).

His glasses match his cold features really well.

…What a useless, perverted, talent. I’m such a good-for-nothing person.

“Who’s your tutor today?”

“Patrick.”

I answered briefly like Deborah would, and swallowed my saliva because of the strange tension.

“I’ve heard of your stupid behavior from the tower. Patrick is a scholar whom I personally care about, so
make sure to behave yourself today.”

Belreck, who said what he had to say, passed me coldly.

If I was the real Deborah, I would’ve fired back at Belreck that I will torment Patrick wickedly.

But maybe because I’m not the real Deborah, I didn’t even get angry at Belreck’s attitude.

Belreck, who is an aristocrat, is better than my previous life’s family, who always treated me like a maid.

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He’s even taking all the troubles for the family.

While Rozad and Belreck worked themselves to the bone as they competed against each other to be
recognized as Seymour’s heir, all I did was play around without a care.

‘You shall be happy.’

I gave a thumbs up at Belreck’s back and walked to the drawing room where the young male professor was
waiting.

Professor Patrick is Deborah’s tutor for two weeks now, but she missed her history class every week and
never got to see his face.

As someone from a family who is lower than aristocrats, he bowed his head with a look of anxiety when I
appeared.
“Y-You’re here?”

The professor’s head was bowed nervously.

Like Deborah, I folded my arms and lifted my chin.

“Then, I will start the lecture.”

He took out a book which reads, 「1000 Years of Azutea’s History」. He began to explain about the
Seymour family with an audible voice.

‘This professor is quite good.’

Belreck was right to respect him.

Since Deborah is proud of the fact that she is a direct descendant of Seymour, he seemed to have prepared the
contents of the class by sorting out the historical facts that she would like to hear about.

‘An environment without flatterers around… is not bad.’

This is much better than listening to false praises.

‘He’s good, hands down.’

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To summarize Patrick’s Seymour-flattering class, this is what he discussed.

The eleventh emperor of the empire favored the Seymour family, which contributed to the strengthening of
the imperial power, and gave the Seymour family the authority to manage the tower. The custom continues up
to this day.

Since Seymour has always produced highly skilled wizards, the tower has been dominated by Seymour’s
wizards for nearly five hundred years.
Comparatively speaking, it’s like a third generation family owns a conglomerate and is eating up even the
ministers of the country.

‘My father is a duke and a wizard at the same time. That’s too much.’

Deborah’s limitless arrogance kind of makes sense.

In response to the slight attention I’ve given him, the professor went further to explain the history of
Seymour’s first foe.

The first head, Mirj Seymour, was an eighth-class wizard who had a great contribution to the founding of
Azutea by helping the first emperor and was given merit.

The families who were given merits for their contributions were Seymour, Montez, Orge, and Visconti.

Seymour, the wizard.

Montez, the spirit.

Orge, the sword.

Visconti, the wealth.

These are the four most prestigious aristocratic families who were given power after the emperor rose to his
seat in the Azutea Empire.

Deborah was only allowed to act as crazy as she did because she is from Seymour’s direct family.

What I’m biting is not just a diamond spoon, but a very special spoon with a buff.

‘This is awesome.’

All the information I have is only from the fragments of Deborah’s memories, so the professor’s lecture
helped me learn about the things I have yet to know in this world.
‘It’s like I’m in a fantasy novel with all this tower and wizard stuff, so it’s quite fun.’

The professor began to concentrate on his lecture as if he felt that I was listening more attentively.

He was so absorbed that he was able to continue the class longer than the scheduled time.

Chapter 4

Realizing that he had exceeded the time, Patrick contemplated and looked at his watch.

Then, he seemed to recall the catastrophe of one of the empire's most prestigious professors who was hung
upside down outside the window.

"M-M'lady, There is no homework for today. Thank you for listening to my humble lecture. I was moved by
the passion of such a beautiful and noble young lady for her studies……"

He rambled gibberish words.

"Get out."

"Ye-Yes!"

As soon as I issued the command, Patrick disappeared in a flash.

‘He doesn't think I'll do my homework, so he didn't give me any.'

I thought randomly.

After the history class, I had a theory class, then now is the magic class, which is the last one in today's
schedule.

It was surprising that Deborah was irritated with this four-hour morning class.

‘It's not good to be lazy……'

I shook my head and walked towards a separate building, where a magician from the tower was waiting.

"You've arrived, m'lady."

As I entered a separate training room in the annex, a woman with dark gray hair greeted me and gave a 90-
degree bow.

Her clasped hands were trembling with fear.

I had no choice but to attend this class.

All this time, the number of magic tutors that Deborah had are too many to count.

"It's not that I can't feel mana, it's just that the teacher is stupid and incompetent! I am a direct descendant of
Seymour!"
Deborah never admitted that she has no talent in magic. She blamed everything on her instructors and threw
whatever she got a hold of.

Just by looking at the displays of fake items that can be thrown, I could see how bad Deborah had been.

Seymour's bloodline is famous for their great mana affinity, but how come Deborah couldn't do it at all?

Most of the characters in this novel use magic as a standard, talented with the sword, and even play with
spirits.

‘But the villainess was given a debuff instead……'

Sighing at my ability that was inferior to the floor, I hurriedly turned my thoughts into positive ones.

Deborah has an overwhelming beauty and talent for things that aren't related to magic.

That's enough for me.

The novel's heroine was subjected to persecution as much as the measure of her abilities.

In contrast, Deborah was filled with an inferiority complex and persecuted people.

If I behave, the day can go on without a single incident.

"Is this enough?"

After class, I happily ate 77 macaroons that were considered the best in the city.

After dawdling the whole day, the maids carefully prepared a bath in the evening.

"M'lady, is the temperature alright?"

"It's fine."
A pleasant sigh escaped my lips as I dipped my body in the bathtub filled with water and petals.

The maids gently loosened my muscles with a natural, fragrance oil.

Then they carefully and meticulously washed my hair.

I was awkward with having servants while bathing at first, but they were so crafty that I became used to their
convenience.

‘Good.'

Wearing a silk gown that gently clung to my skin, I lay down on the bed and fell into deep thought.

Everything went peacefully today.

I hope the next days will be the same as today, but for that to happen, I have to change Deborah's future as the
novel's villainess.

I stayed in bed for a long time before I stood up and entered my study room.

I lit the room with a lighting mana stone and began to organize the events in the novel from what I can
remember.

Deborah is your typical villainess who will have a bad ending after her vicious harassment of the heroine, Mia
Vinoche.

From the cliché of pulling her hair and slapping her cheeks, to giving Mia a poisoned drink that could melt her
esophagus.

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Her most terrible deed was to get a doll that looked exactly like Mia and cursed her.

It was the crown prince, one of Mia Vinoche's fishes, who revealed Deborah's atrocities.
‘Her horrible deeds were revealed in one of the chapters.'

The crown prince accused Deborah of blasphemy.

‘It was a clever strategy.'

There was only one person who had more authority than the emperor and other high-ranking aristocrats.

The saint.

Saint Nyla, who drove the evil away at the expense of her own life, is the most honored entity in the empire.

The saint, who carved her body into six pieces to establish a strong power, was called a goddess and everyone
admired her.

‘But how can a saint have a hardcore?'

(T/N: She's talking about how can Mia have a hardcore…… *toot* despite being a saint. In case you forgot,
they're in an R19 novel.)

Mia Vinoche had a high level of sanctity to the point that she was comparable to a deity such as Saint Nyla.
Because of this, the crown prince's claim of Deborah's ‘goddess's desecration' gained more influence and
strength because of all the evil deeds Deborah has accumulated so far.

Even if Deborah is a child of one of the founding families of the empire, she was guilty of defaming the
country's saint, so she was put on trial.

A jury was set up by one of Mia's fishes and Deborah, who was defeated in the trial, was imprisoned in a
monastery.

Deborah had done so many crazy things, so the writer was criticized for ending the drama by just sending
Deborah to a monastery.

What were the author's words again?

"She's a lady from the Seymour family. She's the daughter of a founding, meritorious family, so she can't die."

There were readers who dropped the novel because of the writer's obsession with sticking to the setting.

‘To avoid the monastery, the key is not to bully the heroine.'

The reason for Deborah's downfall despite being a Seymour is simple.

She laid a hand on the novel's heroine.

‘But I have no intention of bothering Mia.'

Fortunately, Deborah has not met the heroine yet, since the novel is just about to begin.

The first time I realized that the novel I once read and the world I'm in is the same, was when the Duke of
Seymour mentioned the ‘pink, diamond necklace'.

It's related to the first chapter of the novel.

Near the valley, strong mana from a mysterious crack caused Philap Montez, one of the heroine's fishes, to
become seriously injured.

It was Mia Vinoche, the heroine, who healed the seriously injured Philap, with her divine powers.

Like most reverse harem novels, Philap falls in love with her the first time they meet, which was when Mia
saved his life.

He wanted to do anything he could for the fallen aristocrat's poor situation.

"Lady Mia, I really want to repay you for saving my life."

The Montez family, like Seymour, is one of the founding, meritorious families, so his words could not be
taken lightly.
Mia only shook her head and smiled sweetly at Philap's offer to give her everything.

"That, I only did what I had to do."

"Lady Mia……"

"I hope you get well soon."

Impressed by Mia's pure-heartedness, Philap, who accidentally found out that her birthday is just around the
corner, wanted to give her a wonderful gift.

He inquired everywhere for anything that is suitable to give her. That was when he found out about the
existence of the pink, diamond necklace.

Since it was the first time that a pink diamond was mined, and coincidentally, Mia's hair is also pink, Philap
thought that the pink, diamond necklace is the most suitable gift for her.

However, Deborah, who was so eager to show off, coveted the only pink diamond in the empire.

Other aristocrats became interested in the idea that both Seymour and Montez are aiming for the pink
diamond. At the same time, the jewel's price was skyrocketing.

To conclude everything, it was Philap Montez who bought the pink, diamond necklace in the novel.

The price raised to the point that even Deborah could not afford it. The Duke of Seymour, who was fed up
with Deborah, had no intention of buying it for her.

The innocent Mia Vinoche, who wasn't familiar with the value of gems, appeared in the academy with a
splendid, pink, diamond necklace.

‘Then the necklace caught Deborah's attention……'

Deborah ripped the necklace off Mia and her neck got bruised.
After that, Deborah's torment towards Mia worsened day by day, especially since she caught Philap's heart,
whom Deborah liked since childhood.

‘First, I'll never grab her hair. Even if I see her with a pink, diamond necklace, I'll pretend I didn't see it.'

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I gave a false laugh as I wrote down the things I had to watch out for in order to survive in this damn novel.

It seems like avoiding a bad ending as the villainess, Deborah, is easier than surviving as Yoon Do Hee in
Hell Joseon.

(T/N: Hell Joseon or Hell Korea is a term mostly used by young Koreans – especially unemployed and
struggling Koreans – to say that Korea is a hellish society.)

Deborah had both wealth and beauty in a package, but I had nothing.

I had to get a job to make ends meet, but my specifications were very insignificant.

I was caught and wasted money on useless things, but I never really took care of my own private life.

Even if I was lucky enough to land a job, I had a hard time after joining the company because my major was
not suitable for that job.

‘I actually wanted to retake the exam.'

"Do Hee, you know you can't afford another year with just staying at home, don't you?"

Just before my college exam, my father became more ambitious in getting rich, so my score was much lower
than the mock test.

I wanted to retake the college entrance exam, but I couldn't bring it up because of our family's situation.

No, I must've not brought it up because I was too kind and mindful of what they might feel.
I think I was a complacent person that thought everything will get better if I work hard and get used to it.

I sighed, recalling my past life. I put the quill down and rose from my seat.

‘I have to stay alert from now on.'

I can't just spend my time playing around.

No, I must improve my situation in order to avoid the bad end.

‘Improving my relationship with the duke is the most important thing right now.'

It would be a big problem if the duke, who doesn't like me, is to forsake me.

Even if he's giving Deborah the cold shoulder, all the money and benefits Deborah has is still from the Duke
of Seymour. If I lose him, I lose the money.

It'll be worth it to maintain a good relationship with the duke.

‘Deborah is his only child that looks like his wife.'

Pulling the curtain to the side of the window, I looked down at the dark estate of Seymour.

‘I have to make a move.'

There is a mysterious garden around the main building where the duke's office is located.

It is a place where flowers bloom nor die all year round because of strong conservation magic.

The Duke of Seymour, who loved his wife dearly, preserved the rose garden that she cared for when she was
still alive.
In addition, the garden was quite important in the R19 novel because it's where the heroine, Mia, and the
eldest son of Seymour, Rozad, shared a sadistic love scene.

Thanks to the detailed description, I can still clearly remember ‘that side' of the garden.

‘I didn't know at that time that it would become a scene between flesh.'

Thinking of it as an opportunity, I put the parchment back in the drawer and locked it tightly with an iron.

***

‘Deborah's too quiet.'

The thought suddenly came to the Duke of Seymour's mind as he stared at the books that contained his
daughter's expenditures.

He knows his daughter more than anyone else. Except for the money spent on luxury goods last month, there
were very few of Deborah's expenditures lately.

Why is that? Is it because she's on probation?

Wonder passed on his cold eyes.

Being on probation doesn't mean she can't spend money.

The public already knows that she calls someone from boutiques and jewelry shops everyday.

His daughter, faithful to her desires, is strangely being too quiet.

She had been fasting and harming herself because of a particular piece of jewelry.

Deborah, whose impulses can only be calmed when she gets what she wants, cannot have given up on the pink
diamond, which has become the most controversial issue in the entire history of the empire.
Of course, the Duke of Seymour did not get illusioned by Deborah's behavior. He still has no intention of
getting the pink, diamond necklace for her.

‘The more I think about it, the more infuriated I get. How dare she threaten me with emotions?'

He will never give her what she wants, the Duke of Seymour thought while gritting his teeth.

"Y-Your Grace, the young lady is in the garden……"

It was then.

As the aide reported, the duke's face turned fierce.

"What?!"

The duke jumped out of his seat, furious at the aide's report.

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Chapter 5: 5
Deborah was digging at the rose garden?

"She did not just do it at a normal garden, but at my wife's rose garden! Where is Deborah right now?!"

The Duke of Seymour shouted.

How dare her touch that garden.

He was so angry that he didn't even care about how he was acting.

‘Stupid child.'

Just when is she ever going to act like a normal person?

His blood pressure went up and his neck became stiff. He thought he had already seen the bottommost of his
daughter, he didn't know there was still a basement.

(T/N: He thought he already saw her worst, turns out there's still more.)

"Didn't I ask you where she is?"

"She's in the rose garden right now. She only damaged a small part of the garden, so please calm down a
little……"

"Get out of the way!"

The duke, who got impatient with his aide, immediately stepped towards his wife's garden.

The rose garden, which is under a conservation spell, is right next to his office.

But he stopped before he could enter the garden.

He was unable to move his feet because he thought he would only remember his wife's absence if he went in.
He normally cannot bring himself to enter the garden, but the duke, who was overcome with anger, could not
let such thoughts stop him.

He strode furiously towards Deborah, who stood in the middle of the garden.

"You!"

"You've come?"

Deborah asked as if she was waiting for him.

Then, without realizing it, the enraged duke faltered his steps.

Deborah's long hair was tied loosely and stretched on one shoulder. His daughter looked strikingly similar to
his late wife.

It wasn't just that.

Of all things, Deborah just had to wear a white rose corsage as her headdress.

His wife often used white roses to make a hair ornament for Deborah when she was still young.

He knows that the person standing before him is not his wife, yet the duke had a momentary cognitive
dissonance as the current image of his daughter stimulated blurred memories of his wife.

"…Wh-What the hell are you doing here?!"

The duke, who finally managed to pull himself together, tried to sound stern.

But his initial ferocity had been slightly subdued.

"I was taking a walk here to see the roses. It's a type of flower that is hard to see during winter."

Deborah fearlessly met his gaze with her own rose red eyes that are similar to his wife's.
‘She expected me to get angry, so she deliberately copied her mother's image?'

How evil.

The duke's mouth formed a cold sneer.

"What the hell are you up to? It's unlike you, who indulge in jewelry, to be fed up with it."

"…Is there a difference between these flowers and diamonds?"

Deborah's retort made him narrow his forehead.

"What do you mean?"

"I thought that these roses, which have no scent, do not wither, and are never targeted by bugs, are no different
from diamonds that never change.

The Duke of Seymour looked at his daughter with surprise.

As Deborah said, there is no difference between diamonds and the roses in this garden based on attributes
alone. They are both even odorless.

However, his pride in this situation did not allow him to accept Deborah's logic.

"Your mother's flowers are different from a jewel, a luxury item. Watch your words."

The duke shot back in a cold voice.

"This isn't what she used to raise."

Deborah, who was fiddling some roses, lowered her long, purple eyelashes.

"What?"
"Roses wane when winter comes, but isn't that the reason why they are beautiful? Because they bloom when
it's warm?"

"You don't want to admit that you're wrong, so you're spouting sophistry. It's foolish."

The duke's expression hardened.

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He was trying to get away with it by using plausible words, but it was impossible.

‘She used her brain quite a bit, but……'

The act of digging through the grounds of the garden left by his wife could never be ignored.

"It's not sophistry."

Deborah suddenly took something out of her pocket.

"Check the letter she wrote herself."

The Duke of Seymour's eyes widened when he saw the light purple stationery paper that Deborah was
holding.

Unless his eyes are wrong, that is the stationery his wife used all the time. The butterfly patterns on the edges
are the same.

"It's a letter from Mother."

With trembling hands, the duke accepted the letter from his daughter.

[Marien Seymour to George Seymour]

On the neatly preserved letter, he saw a very familiar handwriting.

"Where did you get this……?"

For a moment, it felt like his throat was blocked and he couldn't speak properly.

"I found it here."

The duke looked at the ground below the rose bushes, where Deborah dug up, before hurriedly reading the
letter.

While reading Marien's letter, which he never knew existed, he had a distant feeling as if he went back to the
past.

***

I let out a slow breath I didn't know I was holding.

The Duke of Seymour let go of his cold and fierce eyes as he read his wife's letter.

‘I was so scared that I almost cried.'

What a ferocious father.

Deborah was indeed born with a strong heart. If it was me in my previous life, my legs would've already given
up.

‘I had to risk my life just to send a letter to my father.'

How insane……

After lamenting internally, I took advantage of the sentimental and quiet duke to return to the mansion.

"I'll be on my way now."

He was so absorbed in reading the late duchess's letter that he seemed to forget about me.

I quickly slipped out of the garden and held my pounding chest.

‘I'm glad I found the letter.'

The reason why I took the risk and dug the duke's cherished garden was because of the duchess's letter that
was buried under the rose bush.

Originally, it was the heroine, who was kidnapped by the twins, who found the letter in the middle of the rose
garden.

It happened in the novel.

"Mia, why are you trying to run away? If you stay by my side, this beautiful garden will become yours."

Rozad forcibly pulls the heroine into the rose garden, the memento of the late duchess.

"Please don't do this, Lord Rozad."

"Why do you want to throw yourself into a bush full of thorns, even though you can take jewel-like roses that
will never change? Are you stupid? Or are you deliberately provoking me?"

Rozad roughly pushed Mia near a rose bush and she was scratched by a thorn from the bush… Hmm?

As she glanced at the scratch, she saw the edge of what looks like a box on the ground, under the rose bushes.

That evening, Mia, who said she wanted to take a walk alone in the garden, dug the ground.

It was because her instincts told her that there is certainly something mysterious buried in the rose garden.

The heroine eventually found a beautiful box that contained a letter, which the duchess wrote before she died.

"Duke of Seymour, I will give you the duchess's letter, so get me out of here."
Mia was able to get out of the sadistic twins' clutches by trading with the Duke of Seymour, whose love for
his wife was so great.

‘There's still more to the storyline, but I have to get out of here first……'

In return for intercepting an S-class item by digging it up from the rose garden, I vowed to help the heroine
not to get kidnapped later.

‘I was surprised to see that the garden was bigger than I thought.'

But when Rozad stopped Mia from escaping through the glass greenhouse and pushed her near a rose bush…
Hmm, I knew the specific coordinates of where the letter is buried because of that.

Additionally, I thought that there must be traces of something being buried.

So these past few days, I've been poking around the rose bushes planted near the glass greenhouse and
observed the grounds.

‘She was accidentally scratched by a thorn, but it was worth it.'

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I found and dug the unnaturally empty land under the bushes, and I was able to get my hands on the box from
the novel!

‘There's nothing wrong with it, but there's something I can't understand……'

Apparently, the only thing Mia traded with the duke in the novel was the letter.

But the box I found contained not only the duchess's letter but also her diary.

Why did Mia only trade the letter with the duke when the handwriting must be of the same person?

‘I don't know why, but it was good for me.'

Thanks to what was written at the beginning of the duchess's diary, I learned that she often attached white rose
corsage to the young Deborah.

‘In addition to that, there might be some useful information.'

Other hairstyles and clothes that matched how the duchess looked in her portraits.

The cold-blooded duke endured Deborah's absurdity because her face looked so similar to the late duchess.

‘That's a good set-up. I should use it to my advantage.'

Of course, since it's too obvious, it might backfire if I use it often.

‘I think it worked this time.'

Coming out of the maze-like garden, I encountered the duke's aide waiting nearby.

"M'lady, did everything go well?"

"It did. More importantly, I need to ask you for another favor."

"Go on, m'lady."

The aide's eyebrows furrowed at my subsequent requests. He's probably thinking about what my next request
would be.

"It's no big deal. Just don't tell Father."

But I don't really care if he tells him.

Leaving behind the aide who had a suspicious look on his face, I went back to the mansion.

***
The Duke of Seymour stroked his chin as he read his wife's letter.

‘So Deborah cited this part.'

[…I thought of this while looking at the snow-covered garden. Because flowers fall, they seem more beautiful
and brilliant when they bloom.]

The duke, who was suffering from heavy workload, took a small break and read his wife's letter again.

He has read the letter, which his daughter gave him from out of the blue, hundreds of times in the past two
days.

Because it felt like he met his wife once again.

The letter consisted of light and friendly vocabulary, which made him feel as if he could hear her voice.

[Ever since I met you, even the unhappy memories have become meaningful.]

After reading this part, he looked at the rose garden.

[Isn't it beautiful to see them bloom and endure the cold?]

Following the release of the conservation spell, the blooming roses that once filled the entrance of the garden,
returned to the dark soil.

From now on, he's about to look at the roses blooming and falling amid the changing seasons.

He doesn't think that the rose garden, which was unseasonably decorated, is what his wife wanted.

‘If I hadn't cast a spell on the garden, this letter would've been found in the process of trimming the bushes
and cleaning the ground.'

He sighed at his pathetic self. He rubbed his eyes and continued reading the letter.
[Of course, you're stuck in difficult magic formulas that you don't understand my delicate sensibility.]

[I want to drink hot chocolate, so I'll stop writing this letter now.]

He thoughtlessly blew his pipe. He did it every time he read this part.

Marien usually wrote letters only for formalities.

There were no letters that were written comfortably except for their brief exchange of letters.

‘I read it too fast.'

He should've saved a little.

Thinking it was a childish idea, he returned the letter inside the drawer and went back to work.

It was winter, so the sky quickly began to turn dark.

Even though it was already nighttime, there was still a mountain of papers left for him to sign.

He pulled the bellpull to call in a servant.

(T/N: For those who don't know what a bellpull is, it's an object that can be pulled to call someone from a
different room, like a woven fabric, a handle, a knob, etc. It was mostly used in historical times – and until
now for some rich people – by masters to call a servant to their office, bedroom, drawing room, dining room,
etc. In this case, the duke's bellpull was described in Korean as a ‘rope to call a servant.' It was not stated that
it was a bellpull, but the function is the same. We can also assume from the word rope that the type of bellpull
he has is a woven fabric – and it's also the most common bellpull –. Not a rope for cattles or something. (Ŏ
艸 Ŏ ))

"Come in."

TOK TOK, the duke snapped his head up when he heard a knock.
‘Hmm?'

Deborah appeared with his aide when he thought it would be a servant who would enter.

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