“Miss, we’ve arrived.”
The Woodville estate, where we had arrived before I even realized it, was the very image of a classic noble residence—just like the ones you imagine from stories.
“So this is the kind of place nobles live in…”
The white marble walls were adorned with golden decorations, and a meticulously trimmed garden stretched out on both sides of a long gravel path. The garden was bursting with all kinds of flowers, and at its center stood an ornate fountain—the very same one Emperor Coventin had gifted Luna after she saved his life.
“Welcome, my lady.”
As I stepped into the mansion with Luna, numerous servants greeted us with perfect manners.
The interior was just as grand as the exterior, like something out of a drama. Expensive-looking furniture and decorations were everywhere, making it hard not to look around in awe.
“You’ve come a long way. Let’s get you something to eat first.”
Following Luna’s lead past the banquet hall and down a long corridor, we arrived at the mansion’s dining room.
“Mm. I can already smell how good the food is.”
The delicious aroma hit me so hard it made my mouth water uncontrollably.
“Wow, when did you prepare all this?”
The table—big enough to seat at least ten—was loaded with dishes of all kinds. I stared in disbelief, my mouth hanging open, and Luna responded with a gentle smile.
Having always lived in poverty, I couldn’t even remember the last time I had a proper meal.
Even in my past life, I used to comfort myself while eating convenience store rice balls, saying that as an actress, it was better to manage my weight anyway.
In Bria, stage actors weren’t treated well. Joyce’s situation wasn’t much different. With so little money to spare, having a luxurious meal had never even crossed my mind.
And now, suddenly I was dining like this? I guess I really had entered a noble family.
“This was all prepared for you, Miss Joyce. Please, enjoy it.”
Yeah, even if it’s just for now, I should enjoy this life as a noble.
If I don’t savor it now, I might get too used to it and stop appreciating it later.
Resolving to indulge just this once, I dove into the food with a vengeance, tears of joy pricking at my eyes.
The tender meat melted in my mouth, the seafood tasted like it had just come out of the ocean, and even the greens—normally something I’d never touch unless I was dieting—tasted divine.
They say a good meal makes any job worthwhile. If I get to eat like this every day, I might just swear loyalty to the Woodville family.
I was halfway through devouring my meal when I noticed Luna next to me, eating with graceful, swan-like movements—so different from my own frenzy.
Oh, right. Table manners…
Luna, who was carefully cutting a small piece of meat, looked at me and said,
“All the servants have been dismissed. If you’re curious about anything, feel free to ask.”
“Have you thought about how I came to be adopted? I think we should get our story straight.”
“Ah, about that…”
Oh? I didn’t expect her to answer right away, but it seems she already thought about it if she’s hesitating like that.
Our Luna is a woman with a plan, huh?
“Just say I was moved by your kind heart. That kind of adoption story is quite common in the capital.”
“Wow… that’s so vague.”
“Pardon?”
Oops. I accidentally said that out loud. Thankfully, I murmured it softly, so Luna didn’t seem to catch it.
She’s surprisingly unprepared for this.
“Maybe we should flesh out the story a bit more?”
I couldn’t exactly criticize my boss outright—especially one holding my life in her hands—so I tried a gentler approach.
“It’s safer to be thorough. If there are holes in our story, people will notice and start poking around.”
“You think people might get suspicious?”
“Exactly. I’ll try to come up with a more plausible story about how I ended up joining the Woodville family.”
“Thank you. If you prepare it, I’ll relay it to my father and mother.”
Speaking of which… where were the earl and countess who supposedly adored Luna? Normally, they should’ve come running the moment she arrived.
“Are Count and Countess Woodville out at the moment?”
“They’re on vacation in Quayzen. They’re still quite the loving couple, you see. They should be back in a day or two.”
“I see. Please let me know when they return so I can greet them properly.”
“Of course.”
After finishing what might have been the best meal of my life, I followed Luna’s directions to a room on the far right end of the third floor.
Thanks to the dessert I had packed away, I felt like gravity itself was pulling me down—it was hard even to climb the stairs.
When I finally reached the room and opened the door…
This… is my room?
I threw myself onto the bed—the kind you’d only see in illustrations of princesses. The plush mattress and silky sheets were so soft, I could’ve fallen asleep instantly.
Through the large window draped with lace curtains, I had a perfect view of the garden, bathed in warm sunlight.
There was a table and sofa where noble ladies probably entertained guests or sipped tea, and in one corner stood a massive wardrobe.
A wardrobe?!
Curious, I jumped up and opened it—only to find it filled with luxurious dresses and accessories at a glance.
The style leaned more toward bold and expressive rather than the calm, elegant look Luna preferred. It was like they had been chosen just for me.
Had Luna prepared all this… for me? At this point, being blackmailed by her felt like a distant memory.
If I just complete this mission successfully, maybe I could maintain a good relationship with the Woodville family. Who knows? Maybe they’ll even fund my own theater troupe someday. That would be a solid backing. Hehe.
I was still basking in my fantasy when a knock on the door brought me back to reality.
“Miss Joyce, it’s Luna. May I come in for a moment?”
Oh, right. My employer.
“Of course, please come in!”
I practically oozed sweetness as I looked at Luna. Somehow, she looked even more beautiful than usual.
“I brought something for you.”
She handed me a thick stack of papers, densely packed with writing.
As I looked through it, I realized it contained detailed information about Peredel’s acquaintances, key nobles and imperial figures in the capital, and their relationships.
So many similar names and faces… it was hard to keep them straight.
“I wasn’t sure if it would help, but I thought it might be useful for… seducing the duke.”
So Luna really was serious about this whole plan. I mean, she even came all the way from the capital to Bria to recruit an actress.
“It’ll definitely help. Thanks, Luna. I’ll try to memorize everything by tomorrow.”
“Isn’t that a bit much to memorize in one night?”
“Do you know what my nickname is?”
“Your nickname?”
“They call me the Memory Master. I got it for memorizing scripts quickly and perfectly. I’ve got a killer memory.”
When I struck a smug pose, Luna burst out laughing, and the atmosphere in the room became much more relaxed.
While I flipped through the pages Luna gave me, one name stood out—marked with three stars.
Oh no.
“Vivian Volaine.”
How could I have forgotten about her?
Vivian was the daughter of Marquis Volaine. Born into a wealthy family, she could have anything she wanted. Naturally, that included the empire’s most desirable man—Peredel.
Vivian, who always got what she wanted by any means necessary, saw Luna as a threat to Peredel’s affection and began tormenting her. And not just mildly—she nearly killed her.
Suppressing my rising fear, I asked Luna as calmly as I could manage.
“Luna, is it true what this says about Vivian Volaine and Duke Peredel Seymour being engaged?”
“Yes. Their engagement party is scheduled for two days from now. We’ll be attending it together.”
“So I’ll meet the duke for the first time at that party… and that’s when the mission begins—right next to Miss Vivian.”
“Exactly.”
At this rate, I might not even get the chance to seduce Peredel… before Vivian kills me.
