“…What?”
“To be precise, I want you to pretend to be my boyfriend.”
Francis, who had already experienced his heart nearly dropping twice in a day, rubbed his chest. Being around this woman felt hazardous to his heart.
“Would that actually help?”
“Of course not by itself. There’s a role you need to play.”
“What kind of role?”
“You need to scare my stepmother and the baron so they won’t dare mess with me. Act terrifying and do some really bad things. Sounds easy, right?”
Of course, for him, it was. He was born to be the main villain. Dealing with those small fry was a piece of cake. And bad deeds? That was right up his alley.
“So you’re basically asking me to act like your scary boyfriend and cause chaos in the house.”
“Oh, exactly. That’s so like you.”
What does “like you” even mean? Francis was almost flattered but caught himself, falling deep into thought.
Whether or not he could pull it off wasn’t the issue—it definitely sounded fun. And with an even more amusing idea forming in his mind, the corners of his lips curled up.
“Then would just being your boyfriend be enough? Let’s get married instead.”
“…Are you crazy? Why would I marry you?”
Lilith gave him a sideways glance, more amused than annoyed. She appreciated his enthusiastic support, but he always managed to throw her off with his unpredictable ideas.
“We don’t have to actually get married. You really throw around major life events so casually, huh?”
“Why not? A temporary marriage sounds way more entertaining. Besides, I’m being pressured by the family council about marriage too.”
So this was really about solving his own problems. How villainous of him to use every opportunity to his advantage.
“I don’t want to go that deep. Just pretend to be my boyfriend.”
“What if your lovely mother just signs a marriage certificate on a whim?”
“That’s fine. I have my seal, so it’s not an issue.”
She carefully placed the signet ring on the table, treating it like a lifeline.
“You managed to keep it safe?”
“No, actually… it was stolen.”
And she added casually,
“So I stole it back.”
“…Well done.”
Francis gave her an involuntary compliment and picked up the ring she had placed on the table.
The signet ring, which replaced a signature, was incredibly important. Nobles wore it on their right ring finger, and wedding rings on the left. It was customary for every noble to receive one at birth and register it with the state, where it was protected by special magic to prevent forgery.
“From now on, you keep it. If I have it, someone will steal it again.”
He wondered where to put it, then slipped it onto his left pinky finger. It fit perfectly, like it belonged there.
“Don’t ever take it off.”
Though she said it firmly, there was worry in her voice. Francis nodded obediently.
Phew, that felt like getting past the first major hurdle. Feeling better, Lilith moved on enthusiastically to the next step.
“Now, let’s talk about how we’re going to deal with my stepmother and stepsisters.”
“Do we really have to? Isn’t all this solved if I just hold onto this?”
Surprisingly softhearted words from Francis made her shake her head.
“It’s not that simple.”
After starting her life over, she had tried to bear all the unfair treatment without complaint. She had resolved to live kindly and thought she needed to suffer to atone.
But meeting the baron made her realize that wasn’t kindness—it was foolishness.
You don’t really understand until it happens to you. She had become the very kind of victim she used to pity in books. But atonement didn’t mean enduring abuse from such people.
“I’ve suffered way too much from them.”
Worse, Carmen and her daughters hadn’t changed despite her warnings.
She had turned over a new leaf and truly changed, and she wanted them to learn from her experience too.
“So they need to suffer a little.”
In other words, she wanted to teach them that bad behavior brings consequences—more effectively than words. It was, in its own way, an act of mercy.
“These days, they keep me by the hearth all day. I have nothing to do but poke at the fire, so I’m covered in ash. I cough so much at night.”
That wasn’t even the worst of what they’d done.
“And they’re obsessed with cleaning, always making a mess and forcing me to clean it up. My hands are wrecked from the scrubbing.”
Lilith placed her hands on the table. From the beginning, they had looked like a maid’s hands.
But Lilith Delphi was born as a count’s daughter—not someone who should be treated that way.
Had she grown up in a normal household, she would be attending the academy like Francis. She thought back on what the body’s former owner had endured.
“They took everything from me. After my father died when I was fifteen, I lived not as a noble daughter, but a maid. I was forced to take a break from the academy, and everything precious to me was taken by my stepsisters. I was scolded every day, and sometimes even beaten—for four years straight.”
“…So you want revenge?”
Her tone was calm, but Francis looked more furious than she did. The hand she had once used to comfort others was now blistered and rough. It deeply upset him.
But even in the face of his sympathy, Lilith shook her head.
“No. I just hope they suffer enough to reflect and become better people.”
“You’re kinder than I thought.”
“Yep, I’m nice. That’s why I endured all that.”
“That’s not nice—that’s being a pushover.”
“Ugh. Can’t argue with that.”
Francis gently patted her head. The table was small enough that his knees nearly touched hers.
“Still, kindness takes strength. Only someone who can forgive can say that.”
“Really?”
Lilith had always doubted her own standard for kindness.
You had to practice kindness to understand it. But hearing his acknowledgment made her feel like she could continue down this path confidently.
“That’s good to hear. I really do want them to reflect and change.”
Her eyes sparkled.
“So you’d better do your best to torment them. Got it?”
“Sure. Leave it to me. But before that…”
Francis leaned in and whispered quietly.
“Shouldn’t we get our story straight about how we met?”
Why did his voice have to be so low and ticklish? Lilith replied, feeling oddly flustered.
“…Don’t mess around.”
“Why? We’re lovers now.”
His chuckle tickled her ears. She gave him a playful glare.
“Let’s not forget we’re fake lovers.”
“Don’t like this kind of teasing?”
“Sometimes I do. Sometimes I don’t.”
“Then how should I act?”
“Figure it out yourself by reading my mood.”
“Oh, I like that answer.”
Pleased with her response, he sat back. Their conversation had been mostly silly, but he genuinely enjoyed talking with her.
It was a rare experience, and he found himself watching her lips as she spoke.
“Let’s say we just met recently.”
“If it’s going to be short-term, why not say we started dating today? It’s not even a lie, so it’ll sound more natural.”
Francis knew—if you want to deceive someone, it’s better to tell part of the truth than a complete lie.
He clearly wasn’t a bad person if he got so angry on someone else’s behalf, but he had a very mischievous side.
“Besides, love always starts with love at first sight. That sounds more natural.”
Sure, he said it like it was obvious, but how often did that really happen? It was more of a thing in novels.
Still, it wasn’t strange for Francis to believe that—he would really fall in love with Sylvia at first sight later on.
A solid bit of foreshadowing.
Anyway, Lilith nodded. The idea of love at first sight wasn’t bad. People might say they didn’t know each other well enough, but no one would find it strange.
“Alright. If you say you fell for me at first sight, anyone would believe it.”
She did have the kind of beauty that naturally drew eyes. But it was funny and cute hearing her say it herself. Francis chuckled and agreed.
“Sure. I’ll go around telling everyone I fell for you first.”
“Perfect. One less thing to decide.”
“We also need to figure out what to call each other.”
Francis brought up an important point.
“We’ve only called each other by full names once. That’s not how lovers act.”
“You’re right. Then just call me Lilith.”
“How about Lili, as a nickname?”
“Okay. Should I call you something shorter too?”
What nickname could she use for Francis? After thinking for a moment, she listed a few options.
“Fran? Frank? Or… Fanny?”
“Hmm… tough call. Just call me Francis for now.”
So after figuring out all the little details, they finally parted ways after sunset.
Francis mentioned he’d be on break from the academy in three days and promised to visit her home then. With her powerful ally secured, Lilith felt unusually light on her feet heading home.
As soon as she arrived, she ran into her oldest sister, Aria. If Melody bullied her in an obvious, brutish way, Aria was more like her mother—passive-aggressively cruel.
“Lilith, do you even know what time it is?”
“About seven, maybe?”
Apparently, Lilith thought it was just a time check, but Aria’s tone had been clearly annoyed. She scowled and continued.
“What kind of girl wanders around this late? Were you with a man or something?”
“Yup. I was seeing a guy.”
She only answered honestly, but Aria looked completely flustered.
Lilith didn’t care about her reaction and asked her own question.
“What’s that bucket of water for?”
“…The house is a mess since you’ve been out all day. Now that you’re back, hurry up and clean.”
Before Aria even finished her sentence, Lilith kicked the bucket over.
Leaving her stunned sister behind in a state of shock, she slipped off to her room.
😂😂 I love the fl and ml already.