The Villainess Who Hid Her Identity and Caused Everyone to Misunderstand
Episode 4
“Eeeek! L-Lady Princess, please calm yourself……!”
Crash!
“Get out! All of you, get out!”
With silver hair and blue eyes, Evelyn Rosenthal was the most beautiful woman in the Empire.
……And also the most insane woman in the Empire.
“You worthless things! Not a single one of you can do your job properly!”
It would have been stranger if she didn’t throw a hysterical tantrum after being dumped by the Crown Prince. People had even begun to wonder if the princess was finally about to die.
The system, it seemed, was surprisingly serious about “Evelyn-ness.”
I, breathing heavily, had just driven out all the maids who brought in tea.
“Damn it…… is this enough now? Huh? Are you satisfied yet?!”
[Player’s actions have exceeded the required threshold.]
[The storyline flow has returned to normal parameters.]
It was the price of taking a different route.
Normally, Evelyn would have to go out and cause “Evelyn-like behavior” no matter who it was—even the Crown Prince. But because she was now staying quietly inside the mansion, a kind of bug had formed.
At least once a day, she had to cause some kind of chaos. If she didn’t, her body would move on its own and create trouble.
In other words, the best way to reduce damage was for me to take control myself.
Still… at this rate, investigating Jonas’s background won’t be easy.
“Is there any way to increase freedom… freedom stat or something?”
[Please complete quests.]
“…Who doesn’t know that?!”
I frowned sharply, then suddenly froze.
Complete quests?
“Wait. Are there quests other than the main quest?”
[Quests are provided by surrounding individuals.]
“Hey! You should’ve told me that first!”
This damn system!
I quickly pulled the maid-call bell.
“Jinnie! Jinnie!”
Hearing the bell, my personal maid, Jinnie, rushed in.
“Y-Yes, Lady Princess! You called?”
She looked so frightened it was almost pitiful.
First, I assigned her the task in front of me.
“This is disgusting! Clean it up immediately!”
“Y-Yes…….”
Ah, my throat hurts.
Because I spilled tea earlier, there was nothing to drink.
As Jinnie cleaned the broken teacups and wiped the floor, I thought carefully.
How do I trigger quests from people around me? Do I just ask if they have worries? Or if they need something? But would Evelyn ever ask something like that normally……?
Ah. Maybe like this?
Above Jinnie’s head, something faint was floating.
A glowing exclamation mark. Like an NPC icon in a game.
Ding!
[Quest: Maid Jinnie’s Worry
Objective: Jinnie has a sick widowed mother and five younger siblings. Her mother’s condition has recently worsened. Visit her mother and cure her illness.
Restriction: If your identity is revealed, rewards reduced by 50%
Reward: +4 Stats]
So that’s how it works.
No wonder the main quests give so many stats—this system was clearly designed to allow growth through smaller side quests too.
After carefully reading the quest, I waited until Jinnie left the room.
“Wait… there was a minimap, right? Ah, found it.”
When I activated it, a blinking dot appeared marking the quest location.
Strike while the iron is hot.
I stole a worn cloak from the maid quarters. I chose a simple dress and pulled the hood down tightly to cover my face.
Being discovered wasn’t the only issue—if someone recognized me, I’d end up causing another disaster.
I opened the door as quietly as possible. Thanks to the lazy afternoon hour, I managed to slip out by hiding around corners without being noticed.
Of course, I used the servants’ back entrance.
After confirming no one was outside, I carefully followed the dot on the minimap.
Jinnie’s house was a shack.
She probably earned decent money working for a ducal household—so why was she still living in a place like this?
“…Who’s there?”
Passing through what barely qualified as a door, a rough voice came from inside the dark room. Even though it wasn’t sunset yet, no light reached inside.
“….”
“Who enters someone else’s home without permission?”
As I stepped closer, I saw a thin woman rising from a pile of rags. She looked so pitiful it was hard to keep looking at her.
She must have thought I was a thief, because her face was full of suspicion.
“There’s nothing worth stealing here. You’ve come to the wrong place.”
Normally I would have taken my time, but I didn’t have that luxury. Direct approach was better.
Alright, straight to the point.
“Are you Jinnie’s mother?”
“Yes. Do you know Jinnie?”
“I came from her workplace to check on you. I heard you’re ill…… what is your condition?”
Though still suspicious, she must have thought there was no harm in answering.
“Namtaru. Why do you ask?”
“Think of it as a workplace welfare visit.”
With that vague excuse, I left the house and headed toward a nearby pharmacy.
But as I walked, I slowly stopped.
“…Did I just speak politely?”
I hadn’t even noticed, but I had naturally spoken in honorifics—something Evelyn would never do.
To a commoner, no less.
“…Don’t tell me.”
Does that mean there are no restrictions when people don’t recognize me as Lady Evelyn?
Ding!
[Freedom Stat Support Guide]
[When interacting with others without revealing your identity, freedom restrictions do not apply.]
“…This is insane. That’s huge.”
So as long as they don’t know who I am, I can act freely!
I clasped my hands together as if light was shining from the sky.
Thank you, damn system!
Wiping my eyes dramatically with my sleeve, I stood up.
Now wasn’t the time.
Luckily, there was a pharmacy nearby.
The physician narrowed his eyes after hearing me.
“Namtaru medicine……?”
“Yes. Is there a cure?”
“Hmm… do you only need temporary treatment?”
“What? Temporary?”
Don’t tell me it’s incurable?
The physician hesitated.
“It’s a rather unusual disease. There is medicine that eases the pain and prolongs life, but it must be taken until death. And it’s quite expensive……”
“So it’s not fully curable?!”
This damn system!
“No, that’s not it…… there is a cure, but it’s just… very expensive. The herbs required are hard to obtain. I do happen to have one dose……”
Ah. Money.
Without a word, I pulled out a pouch.
Seeing the glittering gold inside, the physician’s eyes widened.
“Please wait a moment! I’ll prepare it immediately!”
As expected, money rules everything.
The physician, who had looked annoyed just moments ago, rushed inside.
So this was why Jinnie, despite working for a noble house, lived in poverty—the medicine was ridiculously expensive. Even while being mistreated, she couldn’t quit because of this……
I had heard Evelyn’s household paid high wages because so few maids survived her temper, but still.
Soon, the physician returned with a potion-like medicine. The price: 50 gold.
For nobles, pocket change. For commoners, a fortune they might never see in a lifetime.
…He wasn’t overcharging me, was he?
But whatever.
Even if he was, it didn’t matter.
I had more money than I could spend.
“Please come again anytime!”
Such is the power of wealth.
I waved lightly and turned away.
Holding the small glass bottle up to the sunlight, a murky green liquid swayed inside.
“So this cost 50 gold……”
Ridiculously expensive.
As I looked ahead again, my shoulder bumped into someone passing by.
“Ah—my medicine! My stats!”
No! He said there was only one left!
I reached out in panic. But the glass bottle, already falling under gravity, slipped out of reach.
Just before it hit the ground—
Someone swiftly caught it.
I widened my eyes and looked up.
Jet-black hair like the night sky.
Eyes red as if soaked in blood.
“…!”
The Second Prince, Rakiel?
