I was waiting for Prince Weiss inside my room.

With me were a pair of escorts prepared by Gilmer and His Highness Weiss. There were dozens of guards outside the room and around the residence. Aries was also under supervision—albeit, unbeknownst to her.

“Sofia.”

From outside, a voice could be heard. It was His Highness Weiss.

Tension spread through my body.

To calm myself down, I took a deep breath. After reassuring myself, I gave His Highness Weiss permission to enter my room.

His Highness Weiss and a few other escorts entered with several rogues. They trembled as snakes coiled around their bodies. In order to prevent them from escaping, the escort knights guarded the entrance.

…Well, looking at how frightened they are, I doubt that they’ll even try to escape.

I didn’t know what His Highness Weiss did, but they seemed to have lost even the will to flee.

“There’re more than I thought.”

Why are there so many when there’s only one me?

To prevent myself from trembling, I hugged myself.

How pathetic…

How could I be afraid of something like that?

“Sofia, I’m here. Everything’ll be fine.”

Before I knew it, His Highness Weiss was standing beside me. To reassure me, he held my shoulder. That alone relieved me.

Before I went back in time, fear of violence was ceaselessly beat into my body. Even before the moment I died, I continued to suffer, before I finally felt nothing.

I believed that humans were creatures that could adapt to any harsh environment. Therefore, I thought that I had gotten used to it. After I had regressed in age, I didn’t feel anything, even when my father hit me. On the contrary, I even instigated him to my own advantage—

—However.

…I wasn’t accustomed to it. I was merely numb. In truth, my heart had been suffering the entire time—from the pain and fear inflicted by violence.

Even if you’re used to it, you mustn’t be.

Do not accept this kind of fate.

While being supported by His Highness Weiss, I looked over the band of rogues.

“Was I your target?”

“…”

“—Answer the question.”

“Hyii…”

In response to His Highness Weiss’ command, the snakes coiled around the rogues’ necks hissed. As they let out pitiful wails, they became even more frightened.

“I, I understand! I’ll answer! P, please forgive me…”

Unable to bear the terror, one of the rogues cried as he spoke.

“We were tasked with attacking the two young ladies in this mansion.”

Previously, the spies had reported to me that the count intended to condemn me under the pretext that I hiring some thugs to harm Aries. To circumvent that, the two instructed Aries to be the one to guide the rogues inside.

By eliminating me, Aries thought that she could become the heir to the duke family. More so because she believed that she’d become Prince Wagner’s fiancée. After all, since Prince Wagner wasn’t the crown prince, he could very well inherit the title of duke.

…Despite His Highness Wagner not even meeting the proper criteria.

But of course, Aries was blissfully unaware of that.

Perhaps, she believed that Prince Wagner would be able to silence any opposition that might come their way.

It was highly unlikely that greedy couple would allow such a thing.

In truth, they were targetting both Aries and me. In order to keep her mouth shut, Aries was definitely going to be murdered. As for me, they’d tarnish my reputation and turn me into a pariah. That way, they probably thought that I’d then submit to them.

Afterwards, by signing some documents, I’d be forced to nominate the count as the new duke.

The current duke had the right to appoint the next duke if for some reason he couldn’t continue as a duke and there was no successor.

“Who hired you?”

The count and his wife had tasked their servant to hire the thugs. As the servant had been captured, the question served no purpose other than to obtain testimony.

“I, it was a man. He was dressed elegantly. I, I got the feeling that he’s well off? He was also wearing a monocle. Also, he looked to be in his thirties…”

Then, it was definitely the servant that had been captured. Incidentally, that servant was also to be killed. Of course, the would-be-assassin had also been secured.

“—Let me go! I’m the next duchess! Who the hell do you think you are!?”

From outside the room, I heard Aries’ voice.

Apparently, she was already envisioning a future where she became the duchess. Although, such a future was very unlikely.

Aries, brought into the room by Prince Weiss’ subordinates, looked at me. In an instant, her expression filled with terror, as if she was facing her mortal enemy. But soon, she concealed it.

…It’s too late.

It was hilarious seeing her it act out.

“Sister, why are you doing this? Who are these people? I’m scared! What are you going to do to me?”

While shedding tears, Aries desperately pleaded to me. Did she honestly think I wouldn’t notice that she had been eyeing Prince Weiss from time to time? Most likely, she was gauging his reaction.

His Highness Weiss, who was looking at her, should’ve also noticed. However, he acted like nothing was happening. People who’d ignore Aries to that extent were rare. In my previous life, such people didn’t exist.

Noblemen, in particular, wouldn’t ignore crying women—usually because that’d make them look bad. Meanwhile, the men who made those women cry inevitably became villains.

“Aries, you may as well stop now. We all know what you did tonight.”

“What are you talking about…? I don’t know anything… I’m scared, I don’t understand what’s happening…”

Aries continued to sob. At a glance, she seemed truly frightened, indeed…

“Your Highness Weiss, please help me…”

Even though Aries was crying in fear, His Highness Weiss didn’t bat an eye. At last, His Highness Weiss turned to her. Aries smiled. When I felt somewhat disgusted, I heard His Highness Weiss’ cold voice. Almost immediately, the bleak emotions that pervaded me when he looked at Aries dispersed.

“Huh? Why should I?”

“Fueh—!?”

---

***T/N: Whenever sth happen to Aries, she has nothing but bois in her mind as the solutions.

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