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By her side was a nobleman from a renowned family, her fiancé, and her family seemed harmonious on the surface, without any flaws.
She herself had never even gotten close to obtaining anything similar.
Ayla enjoyed all of that so casually, yet always wore an empty expression, as if it were all trivial.
Rosia couldn't stand it.
That's why she hated her even more.
That gaze that seemed to look down on the life she had so desperately yearned for.
That face, submerged in unhappiness, as if having everything wasn't enough.
'If I were in your place...'
I could have lived better.
"That's... because you have too much for someone who doesn't deserve it."
Rosia felt inferior while simultaneously craving what she had.
She admired and envied her, yet also envied and was jealous.
So, when she first took her place, Rosia was ecstatic.
She thought that the reality that had been wrong until now was finally being corrected properly.
She vowed to live even happier than Ayla.
But the world didn't turn out as easily as she wanted.
The more she tried to hold on, the more they slipped through her fingers.
'Why, why! Why aren't the things Ayla took for granted given to me?'
All those emotions mixed together, and now only immense resentment and malice remained.
"Isn't that why you demanded another paternity test? You were actually regretful, weren't you? You wanted to get back what you lost, didn't you? But why do you keep pretending to be detached? Why do you keep pretending to be selfless?"
"......"
"Yeah, that face. I really hated that face that always seemed like you didn't lack anything."
Rosia glared at her with venomous eyes.
Ayla moved her lips, but couldn't bring herself to say anything in response.
That's because she vaguely understood why she hated her so much just now.
Rosia would probably never understand.
The feeling of realizing that everything she had was actually worthless.
Ayla looked at Rosia with pity.
"...Well. If you had enjoyed the position of Princess Consort longer, your thoughts might have changed a bit."
"Ha, until the end..."
"Still, it's probably easier to think that way now."
Ayla finished her words gently.
Just because she understood Rosia's feelings didn't mean she intended to understand or forgive her.
If she didn't have the memories of the original story, she would have been the one inside there right now.
Ayla sighed and quietly turned around.
"I hope you don't regret your choice now."
Ayla moved her steps without any regrets. Rosia didn't say anything more either.
She could instinctively tell.
That their paths would never cross again.
After the terrible banquet ended, a gloomy atmosphere lingered in Duke Blanche's Noble house.
The servants tried to keep their words to a minimum, but it was inevitable that rumors would leak out from behind.
"What on earth is going on... To think that someone who was treated like a Princess Consort until recently is now imprisoned."
"I heard she's no ordinary con artist. They say she's still keeping her mouth shut, she's really tough."
"Thanks to that, the Mages of the Magic Tower are constantly coming and going from the mansion, it's so uncomfortable to live here."
"Shh, be careful. What if they hear you?"
No sooner had the servants exchanged glances than a group of Mages in robes brushed past them.
It seemed they were going to interrogate the prisoner locked in the basement again today.
As befitting the prestige of the Duke Blanche, the security was very thorough.
Dozens of knights and the mansion's Mages were alternately guarding the underground prison.
The Mages presented their documents to confirm their identity and entered the interior.
However, before long, they all stopped in front of the narrow staircase. Except for one person.
He pressed his hood down deeply and went down the stairs alone without hesitation. And finally, he arrived in front of the prisoner in question.
As the guard guarding the entrance collapsed, the woman huddled inside the iron bars sensed someone and raised her head.
Soon her eyes sparkled.
"...Rian!"
Despite her shabby appearance, Rosia's face lit up brightly.
Ayla said they would abandon her, but her words were wrong after all. He was standing in front of her after all, having broken through that strict security.
Rian scanned Rosia's appearance and lightly clicked his tongue.
"Your condition is terrible. How on earth did things turn out like this?"
Rosia shrank at his disappointed gaze.
"Even when I first sent you here, I didn't expect you to be caught so futilely."
She lowered her head and carefully made excuses.
"I couldn't help it because I was wearing Mana control Restraints. Ayla even knew about the existence of Magic that disrupts Magical Tools."
Rian raised one eyebrow in dissatisfaction. Then, as if trying to gauge the truth, he looked down at her with a cold gaze for a while.
"You didn't say any unnecessary things, did you?"
Rosia flinched and nodded.
"I didn't say anything! Really. So please get me out of here quickly."
Rian stared at her silently for a while. That silence made Rosia even more afraid.
"Just one more time... Just give me one more chance. I'll really finish Ayla this time."
"Finish Ayla? Now that it's all been revealed that you're a fake, how are you going to help our work?"
"That's..."
"Our goal isn't to kill Ayla Blanche. It's to take away her power. Her death was just a process to take that power. You know that too."
There are several tricky conditions to activate Forbidden Magic.
In order to get the results they wanted, Rosia had to completely replace Ayla's position.
If Rosia took everything from Ayla and then eliminated her, the Blessing of the Gold Dragon residing in that body was supposed to naturally pass to Rosia.
But now it was a plan that had no meaning.
"Now we're not going to kill Ayla. We're thinking of coaxing her."
"Th, then you're not going to help me?"
At her anxious voice, Rian smiled softly and shook his head.
"Of course not. Just because everything has failed doesn't mean we can give up on a loyal and capable Mage like you. Did you think I would just leave you behind?"
He took out a small glass bottle from his pocket and handed it to Rosia. She accepted the bottle with a very excited face.
"This is...?"
"It's the same as what you ate before. Remember? If you eat this, you'll fall into a state of suspended animation for about two days."
Rosia's eyes sparkled. Soon she let out a deep sigh of relief.
'Finally... I can get out of prison.'
She had taken the Magical potion once before.
She already knew the effects of the Magical potion better than anyone else, so there was no reason to hesitate.
"Thank you, Rian."
However, just as she was about to pour the medicine into her mouth, Rosia's hand suddenly stopped.
That's because she remembered the conversation she had with Ayla a few days ago.
"Shall I give you one more prediction? I wonder if those scary people you mentioned will eliminate me first, or if they'll kill you to silence you?"
Rosia slowly turned her gaze to look at Rian.
"...You're still not abandoning me, right?"
Rian smiled gently.
"Of course not. Have you forgotten how much I cherished you when you were in the Magic Tower?"
His voice was surprisingly kind and gentle.
"You were a more outstanding and smarter child than anyone else. That's why I kept you by my side and taught you."
At those words, Rosia's fingertips trembled slightly.
She hesitated for a moment while holding the glass bottle tightly, then carefully opened her mouth.
"Then... can I feed this medicine to a mouse first? Just in case."
No sooner had she finished speaking than Rian's expression noticeably hardened.
The smile on his lips disappeared without a trace, and his eyes also turned cold.
"...Haa, geez."
He let out a low sigh and bent his knees to match Rosia's eye level.
"You're being annoying."
Soon he reached out his arm through the iron bars. Then, without hesitation, he roughly grabbed Rosia's chin.
"R, Rian?"
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