I stood still in the bathroom, staring at Lurie, who hadn’t stepped out.
Lurie tilted her head in confusion and said,
“Sorry? I’m going to assist with your bath today.”
Assist with my bath?
This is our first time meeting!
“Don’t worry. I’ll wash you clean~”
What? Me?
Uh… I can wash myself, you know?
It’s embarrassing, I’ve never even let a bathhouse worker do that before…!
“I… I’ll do it myself…”
I briefly considered pushing her away if she came too close, but thankfully, Lurie simply smiled and said calmly,
“Is that so? Then I’ll be right outside the door. Call me if you need anything.”
I watched her leave, awkwardly fiddling with the towel.
Leaving someone waiting outside the door felt uncomfortable, but I couldn’t just skip the bath.
Sinking fully into the tub, I gathered the bubble bath and cupped it in my palms.
Then, I noticed a bracelet on my wrist.
‘Ah, I should’ve just taken it off right away. Is it okay to get it wet?’
I thought about removing it, but it didn’t come off easily.
As I tilted my head, a small part of it shimmered faintly.
When I tried to examine it more closely, the light blinked subtly, as if it were signaling something—and then gradually faded away.
‘What? Does it glow when it touches water?’
Curious, I scooped up some water and poured it over it, but nothing unusual happened.
Once my body had fully relaxed in the warm bath and I had enjoyed the soothing scents long enough, I stepped out of the bathroom.
I pushed past my embarrassment, staying still as someone dressed me. A thought of admiration struck me.
It wasn’t that the clothes were pretty.
‘To all the senior transmigrator ladies, I have deep respect. How do you manage to walk so gracefully in dresses like this?’
The yellow dress was, admittedly, beautiful.
But still…
‘I should’ve worn a long dress at least once before…’
With every step, the hem tangled around my legs, making it hard to walk properly.
Seeing me struggle, Lurie cautiously offered an explanation.
“This style is quite trendy in the capital, Miss. Unlike in the countryside, where people wear petticoats underneath, here they usually wear dresses with small trains like this.”
“Oh my…”
“I ought to have informed you beforehand… Please accept my apologies. Had I known you would be residing in the territory, I would have ensured to bring a dress more suitable for walking.”
The maid with black hair beside me added helpfully, “In the territory’s manor, most of the noble ladies prefer simple and modest dresses.”
Hearing the maids chat like that, I concluded from their tone that Selene was a young noblewoman raised in the countryside.
It was the start of the social season, and at my brother Count Whedon’s recommendation, I had come to live in the capital’s manor, it was the beginning of my transmigration timeline.
Since I would be living in the capital manor for the foreseeable future, the manor had been redecorated, and it seemed the maids had recently been replaced.
My clumsy behavior was apparently excused by the fact that I had grown up freely and unrestrained in the countryside.
“Hohoho… I see…”
I had pretended to be a clumsy lady, but that act came to an end by the end of the first day.
From how to properly hold a knife to the order of eating food and even the way I walked, none of it had ever been pointed out.
‘Isn’t everything going a little too smoothly for me?’
Things were going so well that I began to feel slightly uneasy.
Even if I was a young noblewoman unfamiliar with worldly matters, it still felt wrong to be treated so gently.
‘Well… I guess it doesn’t matter.’
There was no need to overthink it, and the food was more than satisfying.
If life continued like this, I felt I could live here forever without complaint.
After finishing my meal, I returned to the room and headed toward the bed like a migratory bird returning to its nest.
But the blanket was gone.
“Where’s the blanket?”
With the expression of a squirrel that had lost its acorn, I looked at the maids.
They responded with awkward smiles.
“It’s being washed. The new bedding hasn’t arrived yet. Why don’t you go for a little walk outside?”
“Or the weather’s nice, would you prefer to go shopping?”
Nope.
I left the room, wandering aimlessly, and headed toward the garden.
There was a bench that looked quite comfortable there.
“Miss, please wait a moment.”
But my plan to rest on the bench was thwarted.
“Miss, it appears they will be trimming the trees in the garden today. It may be unsafe to remain here.”
A gardener holding large electric shears lifted his hat and spoke.
Why today, of all days?
“Would you care for a walk? If you exit through the back door, there is a hill trail just behind the manor. Perhaps you might like to try it?”
Nope.
While waiting for the bedding to be prepared, I strolled aimlessly around the garden.
But every servant passing by respectfully addressed me.
“We apologize for having to begin garden maintenance before your arrival, Miss. It is also the season for trimming the trees. Are there any flowers you particularly favor?”
“Miss, how was your journey from the capital?”
“How do you find the manor? Is it comfortable for you?”
“And your meals? Is there anything you especially enjoy?”
“Haha….”
Would everyone please stop staring at me like I’m some curious exhibit…
Ever since I arrived, people have been watching me with fascination and bombarding me with questions.
“Shall I call a maid if you wish to go out?”
Damn…! I didn’t even want to take a single step outside the house…
“I’ll just go take a short walk and come back.”
Slumping my shoulders, I trudged out the back door.
Nearby, I spotted a path that led up a hill.
‘Is this really a hill? Not Mount Everest?’
After walking for a bit, a gasp escaped my lips.
“Huff… huuff…”
Swearing I’d never do something as reckless as climbing again, I made my way to the large tree.
‘There aren’t any bugs like ticks here, right?’
I lay down beneath the large tree.
My back felt so relieved.
Only then did I truly take in the scenery. The sky was so bright and beautiful.
‘That cloud looks like bread… Bread… I want to eat bread…’
A gentle breeze rustled through the leaves.
‘Ah… this is nice…’
Just like that, I dozed off.
Sirinü had left the Imperial Palace and was now riding in a carriage.
Unlike the sweltering heat inside, his face, leaning against the window, was cold and indifferent.
The most powerful figure in the empire, he was the young head of the House of Lephrix.
The monster slayer, the cold man who never shed a tear, the Demon King’s only rival, the empire’s ultimate hope, a pureblood noble….
These titles defined the past, present, and future of Sirinü Lephrix.
His entire life had flowed steadily like a stream toward one purpose, to kill the Demon King.
The journey wasn’t always easy, but not once did he waver.
Because he was a Lephrix, there could be no failure.
That name was one that could not afford to fail.
But now, that unwavering life of Sirinü’s had begun to tremble.
Sirinü closed his eyes. A long, deep breath slipped through his lips.
That prophecy, he had known of it even before he was born.
When the person of that prophecy finally appeared, the entire empire stirred.
There was a mix of opinions: some questioned whether the prophesied figure could truly end the Demon King, the force that had tormented the empire for so long, or whether they would fail.
Some feared the prophecy, others placed their hopes in it. But on one thing, everyone agreed, the Demon King had to be destroyed.
There was a collective hope that once the Demon King vanished, the shattered empire would regain its peace.
They had poured all their efforts into preparing for the arrival of the one from the prophecy, clinging to a single hope.
But Sirinü was different.
He had never placed that kind of blind faith in anyone in his entire life.
To him, the only thing that mattered was finally avenging his parents.
Yet, before he could even begin, the person of prophecy had vanished, without any significant reason.
The knight sent to deliver the explanation to Sirinü was a man rarely shaken. But that day, for the first time, he stumbled over his words.
“She said it’s because her house is not wealthy… no one looked up to her… the handsome men never appeared…”
Though it made no sense, Sirinü was the one blamed.
‘Why didn’t you go see her first?’
‘Did you even want to save the empire?’
‘Are you planning to sacrifice us the way your parents were killed?’
Sirinü chuckled bitterly at the memory.
He was used to mockery.
The bloodline capable of destroying the Demon King, Lephrix. The only thing that confirmed this bloodline was the violet eyes.
Sirinü’s right eye bore the deep violet hue of the Lephrix family, but his left eye was the cursed color of blood red.
His father said he was born with only one proper eye and was disowned for it. His mother, ashamed, had avoided him his whole life.
From the moment he could walk, Sirinü was forced to endure harsh training, training to face and destroy the Demon King.
Though Sirinü poured all his effort into it, he had never once been praised or encouraged.
He had never received affection, nor had he learned how to give it.
His desire to avenge his parents wasn’t born of love for them.
He only hoped that killing the Demon King might fill the empty space in his heart, a faint hope that justice might feel like healing.
Once that hope faded, destroying monsters was all Sirinü had left. It was the only thing he could do, the only thing that gave him the strength to keep living.
No one knew how long it would take for the one from the prophecy to return.
More nights than he could count, Sirinü fell asleep with the stench of monsters’ blood clinging to him.
Just as the entire empire began to sink into despair, the magic stone began to shine again.
‘This time should be different.’
He wouldn’t let the noble with a wicked mind, obsessed with ruining him and the House of Lephrix, succeed.
And if she tried to run again?
Then no matter what, he would not let go until everything was over.
‘Even if I have to break her legs and lock her up.’
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