MPGF 16

Chapter 16 – A Successful Plan
I understood that Hertian’s question was about whether the issue was so serious that I’d be willing to stake my entire life on it.

And if there was an answer to that question, this was the only one:

“Of course.”

It was a reply without the slightest hesitation. After all, it concerned my family too.

“Are you sincere?”
His expression was a mix of surprise and a hint of joy.

“I mean it.”

Still, what if—by some miracle—I found a way to survive? I couldn’t stay by Hertian’s side forever.

“Even then, you wouldn’t go back on your word, right?”
I relaxed my expression and gave a soft smile.

“I’m sincere too, you know?”

His eyes curved dangerously.

“Come on, asking for the rest of someone’s life is a bit much, don’t you think? Sure, my ability is worth keeping forever, but still…”

“I will make you happy for the rest of your life.”

“I’m someone who’s happy just from eating a macaron. I don’t ask for much.”

“Then I’ll prepare macarons, tarts, financiers, and madeleines every day.”

Now he was trying to sell himself to me.

So, he really wanted my ability that badly?

Well, it was a cheat-like ability. Precognition wasn’t something you could get even for billions. And since he had experienced it once, he probably craved more. Of course, I welcomed that.

“In exchange, I’ll help you out from time to time even after the contract ends. Deal?”

He didn’t look satisfied.

Maybe he wasn’t lustful, but greedy in other ways.

I thought for a moment and added one more thing.

“We got married without much thought, so I’ll let you decide when we get divorced. How’s that?”

I was giving him a lot here. But I had no choice. Right now, I wanted him more.

“…Fine.”

He reluctantly accepted, then added like he was scolding me:

“Lady Anette. You must stay healthy. I’ll be there to help, so don’t give up on yourself.”

It felt so motherly I couldn’t help but chuckle.

“Don’t worry.”

“I am worrying. About myself.”
He muttered in a low voice.

It seemed he was genuinely concerned I might die early, making things difficult. His honesty was charming.

“Don’t worry about that either. I won’t do anything to hurt you.”

***

After dropping Anette off at the mansion, Hertian stopped his horse, which had been galloping nonstop.

His destination was a court physician’s office deep inside the Imperial Palace.

“Your Grace. It’s been a while.”

One of the physicians, who had been organizing medicinal herbs, greeted him like he’d been waiting. Once Hertian confirmed they were alone in the lab, he lowered his guard.

“No need for small talk.”

The physician, seeing Hertian after several years, handed him a brewed herbal tea.

“I’m asking on purpose. I expected you’d come to me first after the victory ceremony, but you didn’t show up.”

“A lot’s been going on.”

Staring at the tea, Hertian frowned deeply as he recalled what had just happened.

Anette telling him with her own mouth that she didn’t have much time left and that he should use her—it shocked him. Was that why she rushed the marriage? She looked as if she had already accepted everything.

But the real problem was himself after Anette was gone. If she died, Hertian would have no reason to live either.

He brushed off the thought and pressed a hand to his forehead.

“Evan, what about what I asked you to do?”

The only hope he had was a new treatment. Even while at war, he had been working to find a cure for Anette. Evan had helped him—a rare ally from their childhood in the palace.

“The potion you sent earlier was given to Lady Anette through Count Leangberia, but there was no significant improvement.”

As always, the result was failure. Hertian wasn’t too disappointed anymore.

“Then I’ll have to drag the West Tower’s master by the collar and force him to make a potion.”

He was just thinking of new options, as usual.

“Even magic hasn’t worked. The count has already tried hundreds of methods.”

It was the same hopeless news he always heard, but this time it cut deeper—because he had seen Anette collapse with his own eyes.

“Is there really no way…?”

As he clenched his fist, the leather gloves creaked.

Evan glanced at a list of all the potions they had tried. Most herbs recorded in medical texts were listed—each one crossed out in red.

“I don’t think potions or magic are the answer anymore. It might not be a simple health issue.”

He was suggesting they consider other possibilities.

If it’s not medicine or magic, then what is it?
Hertian thought back to something Anette had said.

When treatments failed, she would sometimes speak of curses—half-jokingly, like a lament. But what if she had been right?

“I’ll have to raid the Emperor’s secret archive.”

***

Even before I stepped inside, I could feel chaos in the mansion.

As expected.

The moment I entered, Betty rushed up to me in a panic.

“Miss Anette! Something terrible happened! The whole mansion is in an uproar!”

“Why?”

“The master and madam found out about today’s events and said they’re going to kill Baron Melson…”

She looked around nervously and trailed off.

I guess Father had read the morning newspaper and told Mother everything.

“Looks like what I said this morning worked.”

It wasn’t just my memories of Anette that returned.

I remembered the entire original story—every character, including Violet and Serdis.

Melson…

A memory had come to me yesterday while looking at the guestbook.

“Why is Baron Melson a doctor?”

In the original story, he was a con artist. He latched onto the kind-hearted Violet, sucked her dry, and was ultimately killed just as miserably as I was.

So why was he our family’s doctor instead of Violet’s?

Did something go wrong because I possessed this body?

That was possible.

In that case, it was my responsibility to remove the leech.

Melson was a scumbag. He even harassed the duchy’s maids from time to time.

Sure enough, while researching articles about Hertian, I found a few on Melson as well.

They said he used the money he swindled from our family to buy slaves and committed assaults while drunk. Such behavior wasn’t uncommon among nobles, so the stories didn’t make big headlines—just small blurbs in old papers.

Even if Father had seen them, he probably dismissed them. That’s how people are with things that don’t concern them.

Early that morning.

While the maids were just starting to prepare breakfast, I gathered them.

“I want to ask you something.”

Rubbing their sleepy eyes, the maids gathered.

“Yesterday, something unfortunate happened after Dr. Melson visited.”

A fake rumor, just like what Melson had done.

“Baron Melson tried to assault one of our maids and got caught.”

Upon hearing my false story, their eyes trembled. Some turned pale. But none looked surprised.

“…I figured something like this would happen someday.”
“Exactly.”

They accepted it like it was expected. One maid at the front asked,

“Miss… who was it that was harmed?”

“I won’t say, for her sake. But instead…”

I continued in a voice mixed with fake sorrow.

“If anyone else has suffered like she has, please speak to my mother today. Baron Melson may be our doctor, but you are our family. We can’t let any more of our family be victims.”

That was all I said before leaving.

I did the same with Father. Just leaked a few articles to shake his faith. He probably brushed them off—at first. But when those same articles resurfaced alongside the maids’ testimonies?

“That bastard Melson! Where the hell did he disappear to? He always showed up when called until yesterday!”

Bullseye.

Just yesterday, Melson had been a trusted benefactor. Today, he was “that bastard.”

Father was grilling the butler, while Mother was dabbing away tears.

“I can’t let this go. Just thinking of our girls suffering in silence all this time—I have to make him pay.”

A lot of maids must’ve gone to Mother.

Her face was flushed as she exploded in anger.

“Not just one—several! My heart broke hearing those poor girls’ stories!”

Unlike other nobles, Mother supported poor, commoner artists. I knew she’d be furious.

“This is an insult to our household. He must be made an example of.”

Now that it had become a family issue, Father wouldn’t take it lightly.

“What a mess…”

Everything was going exactly as I hoped.

Melson must have sensed the danger and fled. A shame, but he wasn’t the priority now.

I strolled casually through the chaotic mansion and approached Father.

“Father, is something wrong?”

“Ah, Anette. You’re back?”

Startled, he hadn’t noticed me entering. I scanned the room and asked calmly:

“More importantly, what’s going on? Why is Mother crying?”

“It’s nothing you need to worry about. I’ll take care of it.”

He patted my shoulder and avoided my eyes. He wasn’t going to tell me the details. Not that it mattered—I already knew.

Before leaving, I handed Father a letter from Edward, which Hertian had given me.

“There was a bit of an incident. Young Master Edward left this letter behind.”

“Incident? A letter?”

Father’s eyes widened.

“Please, read it.”

After reading the contents, he crumpled it up and threw it on the floor.

“Not a single decent man among them!”

It was a letter from Edward saying he wouldn’t see me again. He must’ve run away after being threatened by Serdis.

Which was great for me.

“I must be too dull. No one wants me. I don’t know how to love or deal with people…”

I sniffled and made a pitiful face.

Father, now slightly more concerned, seemed to notice the faint trace of a nosebleed on my pink dress.

“What’s wrong with you? Your mother and I raised you with such care. So what if you’re sick? Even a healthy person could die tomorrow—what’s the big deal?”

“But…”

I feigned wiping away nonexistent tears.

“You’re right, Father. I’ll stop thinking that way.”

“That’s my girl. Ah, if I’d known you weren’t well, I wouldn’t have forced you to go out. I’m sorry for being a lousy father.”

He gently fixed my clothes and touched my face near the dried blood.

“By the way, Father… I owe a lot to the Grand Duke today.”

“The Grand Duke?”

Hearing Hertian’s name, his brow twitched. He still held a negative view of him despite everything with Melson.

“I went to Lake Aor today, and I passed out on the boat. I woke up in a hospital. Edward had left a letter, and the Grand Duke had stayed by my side.”

“He stayed… with you?”

I nodded slightly.

“Even after seeing me like this, he didn’t run away—he brought me all the way back.”

I didn’t say too much—just enough.

Seeing Father’s heavy expression, I turned to leave.

“I’ll go wash up now. Don’t overdo it, Father.”

From here on, it was up to him.