PWH C16

I had another dream about Isabella.

This time, I was merely an observer, watching Isabella. In the dream, Isabella sat at a desk, taking lessons.

“It seems that the young lady…”

The tutor trailed off as he looked at Isabella. Though he didn’t finish his sentence, I knew what he meant to say: Isabella lacked any talent for academics.

The scene shifted again.

This time, Isabella stood in the training grounds, her legs trembling, her breath coming in gasps. She was exhausted from running just a single lap around the grounds. It wasn’t long before it was determined she lacked talent in martial arts as well.

Situations like these repeated again and again. Isabella wasn’t good at anything.

Day by day, Isabella became more withdrawn. While the Duke gained the emperor’s favor and Gabriel became the youngest Swordmaster, Isabella grew increasingly anxious. Some people pitied her, but such pity only deepened Isabella’s misery.

To avoid pity, Isabella acted like a delinquent, preferring criticism to sympathy.

And then…

The scene shifted once more.

“So, are you going through with the engagement?”

Isabella was talking to someone.

I instinctively knew when this event took place: the day before I entered this body.

The woman talking to Isabella must have been Nadia Clement, the marquis’s daughter, whom Isabella was accused of poisoning out of jealousy.

However, the two of them didn’t seem to have a bad relationship. Nadia’s expression was dark, but it wasn’t because of Isabella.

“My brother is adamant… so it seems I have no choice.”

“Your brother? Even beasts don’t sell their own family.”

The more they talked, the brighter Nadia’s expression became.

I turned my attention to Isabella.

So that’s what she looked like. Though her face was tinged with a trace of melancholy, her eyes were still full of life.

After carefully choosing her words, Isabella spoke, “If you want things to change, sometimes you have to risk your life. Especially if you have nothing to lose.”

In Isabella’s eyes, I could see a resolute determination.

***

I sat in my room, quietly reflecting on the dream I had last night.

‘That dream is more dangerous than I thought.’

The problem was that, even after waking up, the intense emotions I had felt in the dream lingered.

In the dream, I truly felt as though I had become Isabella, even if only for a short while.

‘Get a grip, Bella.’

To feel sympathy for a human—after everything I’d gone through with Zachary, it seemed I hadn’t changed at all.

Well, the dream wasn’t entirely useless.

Thanks to it, I learned some valuable information. First, it seemed Isabella hadn’t tried to poison the marquis’s daughter out of jealousy. Far from envying Nadia, she actually seemed to have a good relationship with her.

And from Nadia’s expression… It would make my investigation easier now that I had some idea of what had happened.

Second…

‘Isabella couldn’t bear her situation.’

I didn’t know which was worse for her: the misery of being born into a distinguished family but having no talents or the cold treatment from her family.

And so Isabella…

At that moment, Jessie opened the door and entered, snapping me out of my thoughts. She was carrying my breakfast.

I tilted my head when I saw the tray she brought. “Where’s the meat?”

The meal was pitiful—just some greens. When I demanded meat, Jessie shook her head firmly.

“My lady, have you forgotten? The imperial ball is tomorrow night.”

“And what does that have to do with my breakfast?”

“Everything! If you want the dress to fit nicely, you have to start watching your diet now.”

“Nonsense. Bring me meat.”

“It’s not just the diet, you know. There’s also a bath, a massage, and hair and nail care. Anyway, I’ve made up my mind. As long as I’m your maid, you’ll be the brightest star at the ball.”

“Why do we have to prepare for that now?”

Jessie ignored my words, exuding an ominous determination. I couldn’t help but take a step back.

Save me from this demon.

***

Jessie was true to her word.

“How many baths have I had now?”

“Come on, my lady. This is how you make your skin soft.”

Jessie kept bathing me in water filled with various scented oils. I couldn’t help but think this was how one might prepare beast meat to remove its gamey smell.

Jessie, standing outside the tub, was trimming my nails. Maybe to lift my indifferent mood, she kept trying to make conversation about the ball.

“My lady, the ball is like a battlefield.”

The word “battlefield” caught my interest. But why would we dress up for a battlefield?

Jessie, sensing my unease, quickly added, “Just to be clear, it’s not an actual fight! It’s all verbal.”

I clicked my tongue. What a letdown. “How do you fight with words?”

“Well, you have to belittle your opponent. For example—Oh my! Did you actually buy that tacky dress? Honestly, you’d look better in a burlap sack from the market!” Jessie acted out a scene, even changing her voice to illustrate.

“I have to say things like that?”

“Oh no, not so bluntly. You have to be subtle—insulting, but hard to pin down.”

“And what’s the prize?”

“Well, an improved reputation, or the interest of a distinguished gentleman.”

“…Why would I need that kind of attention?”

“Oh, come now, my lady. You have to marry someday. You might even find a match at the ball.”

So Jessie was saying that if I won this fight, I could get married?

The thought made my skin crawl. Of course, I planned to return to the Demon Realm soon, but what if I didn’t? What if I ended up getting married in this body?

The mere thought was horrifying. Marrying a human?

No, this was a battle I needed to lose. At the ball, I would make sure to lose, no matter what.

Next came choosing a dress.

Though I had the money I’d taken from Sher, there wasn’t enough time to have a new dress made or buy new accessories. Besides, I didn’t want to waste money on such trivial things.

So I decided to wear one of Isabella’s existing dresses and use her accessories for the imperial ball.

“That one.” I chose the simplest dress.

“Oh, my lady, the color is too dull. Can’t you pick a brighter one?”

“That one.”

The bright colors made my skin crawl.

This was likely because of my experiences hunting monsters in the Demon Realm. Monsters usually stayed in dark colors but would turn vibrant during mating season to attract mates. So wearing bright colors while hunting could lead to disastrous results.

Seeing how strongly I opposed, Jessie finally offered a compromise, “Then at least let me curl your hair. Your golden hair is so beautiful—if I add just a few curls, it would look stunning.”

Jessie and I went back and forth over the dress, makeup, and hairstyle.

Finally, we decided to pick out some jewelry together. Isabella’s taste was unexpectedly modest.

“Jessie, weren’t you the one who said I was a lavish evil woman?” I asked as I looked at Isabella’s jewelry box.

“That’s what I heard, but I only came here a few months ago.”

Jessie, also looking at the jewelry box, seemed puzzled. The accessories were all simple in design, adorned with only a few small gems.

Though I felt a bit uneasy, I didn’t say anything.

***

Outside the mansion’s front gate was a carriage—and an unexpected guest.

Gabby stood there, clearly irritated, in front of the carriage.

I looked at Gabby with a reluctant expression. When he spotted me, his face brightened for a moment, then twisted again.

“Why did it take you so long to get ready?”

“Jessie worked hard to dress me up.”