Chapter 2

Liliane Tillard saw the future when she was twenty.

Or rather, she realized that the novel she had read in her previous life was, in fact, her own life.

The heroine of this world was her cousin, Iris.

An S-Class Controller capable of calming an Esper’s Rampage, Iris was warm, kind, and beloved by everyone.

Liliane, on the other hand, was a direct descendant of House Tillard…

Yet powerless.

She was mocked as a gloomy girl consumed by inferiority.

Then, at the age of twenty-four—

She died just as the story’s ending began.

During the War of the Princes, the banquet hall collapsed, and the falling debris was about to crush Iris.

So why was Liliane the one who died?

Because she threw herself in front of Iris and died in her place.

That was the only purpose of the villainess who had spent her life dragging everyone down with her inferiority complex.

To create a dramatic scene.

At that moment…

Her older brother.

Her younger cousin.

Her grandfather.

Her fiancé.

And Iris…

“Big Sister is already beyond saving! We have to get out of here!”

In the end, Liliane bled to death alone in the darkness.

The Liliane of her previous life—who had always possessed a quiet temper beneath the surface—came to a realization.

If I keep living like this, I’m going to end up killing someone.

So she made a decision.

I’ll come up with the perfect plan to cut those people out of my life completely.

After regressing, she spent an entire month carefully preparing it.

And now…

It was time to begin the next step.

“Liliane! What is the meaning of this broken engagement?!”

Her grandfather’s furious shout echoed through the room.

With snow-white hair, a square jaw framed by a neatly trimmed white beard, and the physique of a seasoned warrior, Duke Elric Tillard had always despised Liliane.

“Tsk. If she had to kill off her own parents, the least she could’ve inherited was some brains.”

He was an expert at tormenting people with nothing more than the click of his tongue.

But now…

She had no blood left for him to boil.

“How disgracefully must you have behaved for the Young Duke to throw a letter of broken engagement in your face?!”

“I imagine his love for Iris was simply too important to ignore, Grandfather.”

“What did you say? You insolent little—!”

Beside the Duke, Iris sniffled pitifully.

“Grandfather… it’s all a misunderstanding. I-I have never had that kind of relationship with the Young Duke…”

“Tsk. Stop crying, Iris. You’re destined to become the future Crown Princess.”

“Y-Yes…”

Though still teary-eyed, Iris smiled.

“Big Sister… please forgive the Young Duke. Besides him… who else would ever marry you?”

“You actually have time to worry about me?”

“W-Why wouldn’t I worry about—”

“Your business was just caught embezzling funds.”

“I heard the losses reached a thousand gold.”

“…What?”

Iris visibly flinched.

Any Esper without a dedicated Controller had to purchase Control Stone artifacts.

As the empire’s only S-Class Controller, Iris could charge any price she wanted for hers.

But she dumped all the actual work on me.

How could she possibly know whether money was being embezzled?

“Big Sister, what are you talking about? In front of the entire family—”

“I heard your nanny has been deceiving you for years.”

“Even the maids passing by my residence knew.”

“W-What?!”

While Iris was still reeling from the unexpected attack, members of the branch families began whispering among themselves.

“So the embezzlement was real?”

“That nanny has worked for this family for years…”

“Then Lady Iris truly had no idea?”

Iris’s lips trembled.

Just then, another voice scolded Liliane.

“Liliane.”

“How could you embarrass Iris like this?”

“Sob… Brother Kuern…”

It was Young Duke Kuern Tillard.

Liliane’s biological older brother.

And completely useless.

With platinum-blond hair, glasses, and delicate features, some might even have called him beautiful.

But underneath…

He was nothing but a bat, always siding with whoever benefited him most.

Patting Iris comfortingly, Kuern said,

“Don’t cry, Iris.”

“Now, Liliane.”

“Apologize.”

“…Young Duke.”

“Hm?”

“Even if the family handles the embezzlement internally…”

“We’ll still have to resubmit our tax reports.”

“Which means Her Majesty the Empress will find out.”

“That—”

“And if the Empress knows…”

“Don’t you think her political enemies will find out as well?”

“…!”

“I was only worried that our family would end up in danger.”

The Second Empress.

Robelia Tarandia Pernies de Pavil.

She was Karkin Pavil’s aunt.

And also the mother of the novel’s male protagonist, Second Prince Kyle.

“But according to you…”

“Iris’s reputation is more important than everyone’s safety.”

“…Isn’t that what you just said, Brother?”

Kuern’s face instantly turned crimson.

After all…

“Everyone’s safety” included their grandfather’s.

The relatives exchanged awkward glances.

“The Pavil family is involved in so many of our businesses…”

“I didn’t expect her to think that far ahead.”

The way they looked at Liliane changed ever so slightly.

They had always regarded her as a pitiful little worm.

Naturally…

This surprised them.

Bang!

Her grandfather slammed his fist onto the table.

“Enough!”

“Handle Iris’s nanny.”

“And you, Liliane!”

“Yes, Duke.”

“You will go beg the Young Duke’s forgiveness at once.”

“Convince him to cancel the broken engagement!”

“Certainly.”

“But I’ll do that in one month.”

“…What?”

“According to Imperial law, once a broken engagement is signed…”

“It cannot be revoked until one month has passed.”

One of the Duke’s eyebrows twitched.

Was that girl always this clever… and this composed?

“Since the engagement ended because of the Young Duke’s misconduct…”

“I won’t chase after him immediately.”

“It would only damage our family’s dignity.”

“So…”

“If you permit it…”

“I’d like to recuperate at the northern villa.”

The Duke fell silent.

Whenever something like this happened before, Liliane would cry and beg not to be sent away.

His pathetic, powerless granddaughter.

Yet today…

She remained perfectly calm.

Ironically, it was Iris—the family’s precious treasure—who suddenly panicked.

“N-No! Sister has to stay here—!”

“Tsk.”

“Iris.”

“Be quiet.”

“…!”

Iris frantically darted her eyes around.

Liliane pretended not to notice.

While you smiled so brightly and elegantly…

I was the one doing all the work you should have been doing.

You’ll have a difficult time while I’m gone, won’t you?

I’d enjoy watching you suffer a little…

But not enough to gamble my future on it.

The Liliane of her previous life had died alone in a hospital room.

Life was shorter than she’d imagined.

Death was closer than she’d expected.

She no longer had the luxury of waiting for people like this to change.

“Then I’ll take my leave.”

“Farewell, everyone.”

---

Preparations for Liliane’s departure to the northern villa were completed almost immediately.

She was, after all, the direct princess of House Tillard.

And yet…

Not a single maid volunteered to accompany her.

Apparently, having attendants was considered a luxury for someone powerless.

Instead…

She was assigned a cousin as an escort.

“Ugh, what a pain.”

“I seriously have to protect someone like you?”

“…”

“I only just joined the Imperial Knights!”

“And now I have to waste my vacation days because of this!”

Ramio Tillard.

Bright platinum-blond hair.

Cat-like green eyes.

He was Iris’s younger brother and the youngest knight in the Imperial Knights.

And…

He had also been one of the people who abandoned Liliane in the original story.

“Forget about Liliane! Protect Lady Iris!”

Ramio had always looked down on his powerless older cousin.

Even now, while they stopped to rest and drink tea, he couldn’t stop insulting her.

You shouldn’t bother someone while they’re eating.

Liliane felt… strangely sentimental.

“If you weren’t such a useless loser, Pavil wouldn’t have cheated on you.”

“So why do I have to be dragged all the way out here?”

“…”

“Hey, Liliane.”

“Answer me—”

“Tell me.”

“How’s the tea, Ramio?”

“What kind of stupid question is that…? Ngh—”

“Oh my.”

“I guess it tastes good.”

Surprised?

Where else would you ever get sleeping pills blended into tea?

“And I mixed in a few other things, too.”

“Cough…!”

“You…!”

“My tea is pretty good, isn’t it?”

“It reminds me of when we were little.”

“You used to love the cookies I baked for you…”

Resting her chin in her hands, Liliane watched the scene with quiet satisfaction.

Ramio wasn’t the only one collapsing.

“Urgh…”

“My stomach…”

“M-My eyes…”

Every guard who had taken a drink fell to the ground one after another.

She wasn’t worried about whether the drugs would leave lasting effects.

After all…

They had their own sins to answer for.

“Still…”

“Thanks to you, I got a free and perfectly safe escort all the way to the border.”

“Good work…”

“…you pieces of trash.”

Whispering softly, Liliane rose to her feet.

Why would she willingly go to a country villa she hated?

Because…

She intended to defect to the Kingdom of Tenevrin—

A nation where even powerless people were not discriminated against.