The meal was cold when I came back. Only expected, since it had been an hour. Jane had been looking for me because I wasn't in the cottage — and she got angry at me the moment she saw the wounds on my cheek and neck.

  "What if the lady gets a scar!!!" she exclaimed, treating my wounds while I happily ate the desserts she had prepared beforehand.

  "Who did this to you, my lady?" she asked, her voice filled with concern.

  "Oh, just some nobody who wouldn't introduce himself," I scoffed, noticing the worried look on her face.

  I grabbed a piece of cupcake and put it in her mouth. Though hesitant, she took a bite anyway. "Delicious, right?" I asked.

  Jane pouted at me while bandaging my wounds.

  She looks like a chipmunk, I thought — and I couldn't resist pinching both of her cheeks.

  "L-lady, stop it! I'm doing my work!" she protested.

  "So you're not against it?" I chuckled, continuing to tease her.

  Just then, a voice interrupted us.

  "What are you playing at?"

  We stopped and looked toward the source. Blonde hair, red eyes, a white gown — it was the last person I wanted to see.

  Jane composed herself and bowed. "I greet you, Lady Adele von Konrow."

  What a beautiful face. It's hard to believe she has the title of Black Swan. White Swan suits her better, honestly — though that annoyed expression of hers made it hard to argue my point. I slouched back and rested my chin in my hand.

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  "What brings you here?" I asked, calm.

  "Whatever you're scheming — you know you can't win against me, right?" Adele said, voice laced with disdain.

  I picked up a piece of chocolate and ate it. "What are you talking about?" I tried to sound oblivious.

  Adele shook her head in disbelief. "No matter. If you try anything this time, you won't remain unscathed."

  "Unscathed?" I drank my tea in one gulp and stood up, moving in front of her. "What kind of delusion are you living in?"

  "You think being reduced to an outcast, treated as a villainess, and stuck in the spare mansion is unscathed?"

  "You deserved it. You're lucky that's your only punishment."

  "Then what do you want from me?" I stepped closer. She took a step back.

  "You took everything away from me. What more do you want?" I grabbed her hand and pressed a knife into it.

  She tried to resist — but was surprised by my strength as I guided her hand to my own neck. "Why don't you just take my life at this point?"

  "Lady, stop it!" Jane cried out.

  "Stay out of this, Jane!" My voice came out harsher than I intended. "Just one cut to my carotid artery and you can achieve your goal, yes?" I pushed Adele's hand closer. She kept resisting, but couldn't stop it.

  Before it could go any further — "Josephine von Konrow, get the hell away from her!"

  I stopped.

  Black hair, red eyes, visibly furious. I dropped the knife. Adele sank to her knees on the floor.

  "Adele!" He rushed toward her. I stopped him with one hand.

  "Well, well, well," I said. "If it isn't Mark von Konrow."

  He drew the sword at his waist and pointed it at me. "Step away from her."

  "If I got a gold coin for every time someone pointed a sword at me today, I'd have two. Which is a weird number to have in the first place."

  I paid no attention to the idiot in front of me and instead gazed at the main mansion — lively, even at this late hour. I smiled. A small, bitter thing.

  "I'm supposed to have my debutante ball tonight, you know," I said — to Mark, and indirectly to Adele. "But because I'm not a good girl, I don't get one. That's fine."

  I lowered my hand. Mark immediately went to Adele's side.

  "Adele, are you okay?"

  "I'm fine, brother," she replied, looking down.

  "At least with this, I don't have to pretend anymore." I glanced at Mark. He was seething.

  "You truly are despicable, Josephine."

  "Same as you, retard." I raised a middle finger.

  I turned to Jane. "Clean up the cottage. I'll go rest." Then I looked at Adele — still glaring at me from across the room. "Congrats again on your debutante. I hope you at least liked my gift."

  With that, I turned and walked back toward my mansion.