The spilled drink made a mess of Stein.
"Eh, Lady Erencia?"
“That’s rude.”
Erencia sneered at Stein.
She tried my best to put on a sarcastic expression, but it felt awkward because she wasn't used to mocking anyone yet.
However, her actions flowed as naturally as water.
Then, Erencia lifted the cake plate. With an elegant movement, she flipped the plate over above Stein's head.
"Lady Erencia! What have you done!"
Stein let out a loud scream. As he stood up fuming, the cake on his head tumbled down.
He became a spotted duck.
'The clothes looked expensive.'
She felt just a little guilty.
She'll at least send them money for laundry. It'll serve as compensation for emotional distress as well.
Because that would hurt his pride even more.
This is how you accumulate grudges one by one.
Earn one today.
If you keep accumulating grudges step by step, the resentment will grow like a rolling snowball and eventually engulf Novelita!
That's how it ends, for both Novellita and me!
As Erencia let her imagination run wild, Stein raised his hand high.
Judging by those thick hands, the raised angle, and the furious eyes, this looks like a beating is imminent.
Oh my... I didn't mean to get hit.
Should I just take a punch and send a knight to that house?
Seeing Stein's slender forearm, unlike his thick hand, Erencia decided to take a punch.
Instead of sending a knight, I should report it as a violent incident and claim compensation for damages.
Stein's house is going to be turned upside down.
Erencia squeezed her eyes shut so as not to see Stein's hand.
Slap.
A slapping sound was heard as a cheek and a palm met.
Huh? But doesn't it hurt?
Erencia slowly opened her eyes.
A woman stood between Stein and Erencia, her shoulders shrugging.
Stein had been slapped!
Erencia desperately rummaged through her memories to remember who the woman was who had slapped Stein, but...
"Who... are you?"
No matter how hard she looked, she didn't recognize her.
It was only natural not to know, as she had no interest in high society. In all three of her lives, Erencia had been far removed from it.
In her first life, she fell in love at first sight with a man she met at a debutante ball and married him without engaging in any social activities. Afterward, she was frantically busy destroying the man's surroundings, and when she finally had some spare time, she was murdered.
In her second and third lives, she shunned luxury and pleasure, living a life of extreme frugality.
"You bastard! Not content with two-timing, you're seeing another woman?"
Erencia, who had been reminiscing about the past for a moment, snapped out of her reverie at a sharp voice.
"Victorina, what are you talking about? It's a misunderstanding."
Stein's flustered voice echoed loudly through the cafe.
"A misunderstanding? What misunderstanding? You just confessed to Lady Erencia! Everyone here heard it! Do you even know that you're getting married to me in a month? To you, a marriage proposal between families is just a joke!"
"Th-that is... it's a misunderstanding!"
She only intended to reject the confession, but she ended up getting involved in someone else's messy love life.
Erencia was in a difficult situation.
The cafe, which had been deathly silent, became noisy with voices criticizing Stein.
Stein's anxious eyes darted back and forth. His face grew redder and redder at the accusatory gazes fixed upon him.
"I'll tell you again later!"
Stein covered his face with both hands and hurriedly left the cafe. The sight of him running away like a coward was unsightly.
Erencia wondered what to do about this awkward situation. Stein's fiancée intervened, and the situation took a strange turn.
It didn't go according to plan, but it's not bad. Since the wedding is about to fall apart because of me, they must absolutely hate me, right? Stein and this woman are going to get cursed at by both families.
She felt wronged and furious that it might look like she had an affair with Stein, but looking at the result, it isn't bad.
I got double the enemies.
Erencia's lips twitched.
It's okay to swear at me, Young Lady.
Erencia's heart became as vast as the sea.
"Thank you, Lady Erencia."
Hmm?
"I am Victorina Dathiri. When I first found out he was cheating, I intended to forgive him. I tried to understand that every man has different thoughts before marriage. But thanks to you, I realized that Stein is a hopeless piece of trash."
How did this happen?
Erencia just blinked in surprise. Why the sudden confession?
"Besides, I mustered up the courage after seeing Lady Erencia pour tea on Stein. If I hadn't seen that, I would have just gone home and cried."
Victorina's eyes sparkled as she looked at Erencia.
“What is that..."
"The way you sprayed the drink was really cool. It made me realize that it's okay for a woman to do that."
Victorina repeatedly expressed her gratitude, saying that thanks to her, she had also resolved to properly take revenge on Stein.
Erencia was stunned for a moment.
The atmosphere around them changed in an instant.
It had shifted from insults toward Stein to sympathy for Victorina, and now she heard cringe-worthy remarks about how Erencia had foresight and how she saved Victorina.
“S-stop it.”
The situation unfolded differently than Erencia had wanted.
The title of "thoughtless young lady who humiliated the person who sincerely confessed' fluttered away.
It seems I’m going to be followed by rumors that I’m a cool young lady who taught a lesson to Stein, that rag that can’t even be washed and used.
I need to get out of here quickly!
"I wish I had a chance to at least treat you to a cup of tea..."
“It’s okay.”
Erencia roughly shook off Victorina, who was trying to stop her, and headed toward the entrance of the cafe.
I have to somehow give the impression that I'm a bad person! I really have to!
“Ah... I, Miss...”
She bit her lip in embarrassment, but a waiter called out to Erencia to stop her.
When Erencia stopped and turned around, the waiter pointed to the seat where she had been sitting with a troubled look on his face.
The pink sofa turned into a mess because of the drink Erencia sprayed.
Suddenly, a flash of light struck Erencia's head.
Oho!
The opportunity has arrived!
A chance to become famous as a villainess!
Erencia spoke, lifting her chin arrogantly.
"How much is it?"
"Sofa cleaning fee..."
"Washing? Forget it. Washing a dirty item to use it is truly undignified."
Erencia rummaged through her pockets. She took out five gold coins and handed them to the waiter.
"This is too much..."
Whether the employee was surprised or not, Erencia turned away coldly.
Novellita's daughter, who has nothing but money, thinks money can buy anything, and wastes it all!
You should be satisfied with this level of rumor.
After all, today is the first day of the 'Failing Positively' project.
***
"Beck, what are you doing? How can you just blindly cut down garden trees? You have to consider the harmony with your surroundings, understand? Beck?"
Erencia had been working hard since morning. It was a desperate struggle to make up for not handling Young Master Stein well yesterday.
Later, she heard from Agnes that the fact that she gave money to the employee also became a good rumor, contrary to Erencia's intentions.
'She's such a generous person. She actually gave me money to replace the sofa because I had dirtied it! I was actually planning to replace it anyway, so this worked out perfectly.'
Upon hearing that story, Erencia despaired.
She is acting even more viciously than in her previous life, so why don't people realize that?
She can't do it.
She failed yesterday, so she has to work harder today.
Erencia woke up early in the morning and went around the garden picking fights with the servants.
If a person does something they aren't used to, they'll look like a crazy person, right?
In the past, Erencia was a person who lived a life of extreme nobility. She would wake up late and start her mornings by elegantly drinking tea.
She never interfered in the servants' affairs.
It was a hassle, and she wasn't interested anyway.
But now she knows. If you do nothing, you won't make enemies.
Since it was difficult to create enemies from the outside, let's try creating them from the inside.
That was Erencia's thought.
Erencia worked diligently from dawn, hoping the servants would spread rumors that she was a crazy bitch.
"Beck! I told you that's not it!"
Erencia shouted mercilessly.
Erencia felt a tightness in her chest as she recalled Beck's future.
Gardener Beck would become skilled enough to oversee the entire garden in five years, but his skills at the time were terrible.
He used to cut off large chunks of tree heads without considering the harmony with the surroundings.
It looked neat up close, but from a distance, it looked like the back of a bald child's head.
However, no one scolded or criticized him. Because it was a hassle.
On top of that, no one at Novellita cared about the garden. It would be different if it were fancy clothes or rare liquor.
It is known that the aristocracy enjoys elegant hobbies, admiring gardens with high status and drinking tea, but this is not the reality.
For them, the garden was just there, so they left it alone.
'I'm telling you, it takes effort even to bully others.'
Erencia let out a sigh and tightened her stomach again.
Beck was hanging on a tree, and only her eyes returned.
"Yeah, didn't you hear me tell you to come down? It's really pathetic. Look from a distance! See what the tree you cut looks like."
Beck's eyes swayed from side to side.
The look of bewilderment was clearly palpable.
This operation is a success!
Erencia turned around, swinging the train of her dress wildly, leaving Bekk, who was just gaping in surprise, behind.
***
"Miss, where have you been?"
Agnes asked as she saw Erencia, who had entered, bringing in cold air.
I came to keep an eye on whether they were doing their job properly.
"So you came to check on the servants working from dawn?"
A voice filled with emotion was heard.
Erencia took off the shawl draped over her shoulders and tossed it to Agnes. Agnes caught it immediately.
"I gave them a good scolding because they were working terribly."
"Miss..."
Agnes's voice was moist. Erencia frowned.
“If you have something to say, say it.”
"No, it's nothing."
Agnes took the brush and went into the dressing room.
Erencia moved to the desk. She unfolded the paper and wrote down the tasks for today.
"Miss, what are you doing?"
Agnes's eyes widened when she saw Erencia sitting at the desk.
“Write down what to do today.”
Agnes covered her mouth with her hand in shock. Her heart tightened.
"You plan your day, Young Lady? As expected, our Young Lady is the only one to carry on the Novelita family."
Duke Novellita had three children. However, with the exception of Erencia, they were all a mess. The eldest, Elbers... had wicked hands that groped the ladies-in-waiting, and the second eldest, Evan, beat the servants.
In contrast, Erencia is indifferent and cold, but she does not raise her hand to beat or yell at her servants even when they make mistakes.
'Why don't you just fire him? At least you're paying out his full severance pay.'
That alone was a satisfactory working environment, but perhaps because they had grown up together since childhood, Erencia would occasionally reveal her inner thoughts to Agnes.
'The young lady likes me.'
She brushed off Agnes’s rude advice as insignificant and even accepted her counsel on several occasions.
'I am the only one who has opened Miss Erencia's heart.'
Agnes was happy just watching Erencia indulge in luxury.
However, seeing Erencia showing such admirable qualities by taking care of family affairs, she felt as proud as if she were her parent.
Erencia's growth was Agnes's pride.
The age difference is only five years.
"You're doing great, Miss."
"What?"
Erencia was surprised by Agnes's praise and asked back.
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