#7
Allen flinched and quickly pulled his hand back, checking on Roni. He was worried she might have heard him, but fortunately, she seemed to still be asleep.
Letting out a breath of relief, Allen stared at the hand that had just touched Roni’s hair.
He had always felt discomfort whenever Roni touched his hair. Yet, now he had done the same thing to her? He couldn’t believe it.
To think he had touched her hair and muttered that it was soft.
As much as he didn’t want to admit it, after accepting that Roni had changed, he also began to feel his own heart changing toward her.
The dark and gloomy aura that used to surround her had long disappeared. Since the day Roni started looking at him with warmth instead of disdain, everything changed.
Allen didn’t dislike those eyes. That gentle gaze—he had never received anything like it before. Had anyone ever smiled at him like that?
The cold sneers that used to torment him, the sharp glares—all of it had softened. Every time Roni met his eyes now, she smiled more brightly than ever.
It was strangely hard to get used to. It might’ve been easier if she continued harassing him like before—at least that felt familiar.
Her sudden kindness made him fear that it would disappear just as suddenly. He kept his guard up and tried to maintain his distance, but that wall had already crumbled.
It was too warm to resist.
Thump, thump.
Allen scowled as he felt his heartbeat pounding loudly. He placed a hand over his chest with an expression of disbelief.
But the thudding he felt was clearly faster than usual. Allen turned his eyes toward a nearby mirror—and was shocked at what he saw.
He looked stunned, blushing, his heart pounding like a kid caught doing something naughty.
That unfamiliar expression—was that how he had been looking at Roni? Allen furrowed his brow in confusion.
Then he brushed it off, deciding it was just because he was startled that Roni might have caught him touching her hair. He laughed at himself for having such ridiculous thoughts.
Yeah, his heart only pounded because he feared she’d punish him again. That fleeting kindness could vanish at any moment.
“There’s no way I’m getting flustered over her.”
Allen ran a hand over his still-racing heart. Then he carefully got up and gently lifted Roni into his arms.
As she settled into his embrace, a faint unfamiliar scent tickled his nose. It made him feel strange.
Allen couldn’t believe he was walking carefully just to avoid waking a girl he never thought was pretty in the first place. Shaking his head at himself, he made his way to her room.
The “Villainess Redemption Project,” which had seemed to be progressing smoothly, hit an unexpected obstacle.
“Seriously? This is the problem?”
I stared speechlessly at Gale, who looked furious.
“Noona! Come over here and listen to what these people are saying!”
Gale pointed accusingly at a maid who was kneeling on the floor with a frightened look. Standing beside her were a guard and someone who looked like a doctor. I sighed at the absurdity of the situation.
It had all started recently.
Ever since rumors spread that I had become more generous with the servants, strange things began to happen. Valuables started disappearing. At first, I didn’t even notice. Since they weren’t originally mine, I didn’t react quickly.
Even after I realized it, the thefts continued. I guess I now knew what it meant when they say a “needle thief becomes a cow thief.”
When I saw Vivi anxiously searching for something saying, “Where did it go?” I was dumbfounded. Apparently, many thought they could sneak a few things without getting caught.
At this point, it was practically organized crime. Roni, who quickly grew bored of things, constantly changed her furniture, dresses, and accessories. During that time, the servants had probably been secretly pocketing whatever they could.
Now that I had become Roni and even started acting more kind, it seemed they had decided to be bold. The aftermath of my personality change was greater than expected.
“If you’re treated well, you should work harder—not steal. And if you’re going to take something, at least be subtle about it so I can pretend I didn’t notice.”
I sighed at the increasingly empty jewelry box. No matter how into the “kind noble lady” role I was, I couldn’t keep turning a blind eye. This was a matter of trust.
So I placed a pair of earrings in a visible spot and waited. I even installed a surveillance stone to see who was doing it.
I thought I could solve the problem by catching the thief and scolding them. I was too optimistic.
The next day, the earrings were gone. I immediately checked the footage on the surveillance stone.
The recording showed the earrings sitting untouched for a while. Then, while I was asleep, someone quietly entered the room.
It was a small maid. She tiptoed in and searched the jewelry box. After rummaging through a few drawers, she found the earrings on the vanity and quickly slipped them into her pocket.
The thief was Becky, the young cleaning maid. Her reddish-brown hair and freckled face disappeared from the crystal’s view soon after.
I sighed. Becky was one of the youngest servants in the entire estate—barely high school age if we were in Korea.
Learning to steal at such a young age… I rubbed my temples and had Vivi summon her.
“Miss, I brought Becky.”
Vivi knocked and entered.
Becky came in looking extremely nervous—like someone who had just been caught. She didn’t look like a repeat offender. With a dark expression, I spoke.
“Becky. Do you know why I called you?”
“U-um, miss… I… I’m not sure…”
Her large eyes darted around anxiously, avoiding mine. Vivi, sensing the tension, came to stand beside me.
Even before I said anything, Becky was trembling with fear. I had her sit down and got straight to the point.
“My earrings went missing yesterday. Becky, do you know where they went?”
“I—I’m sorry, miss!”
Before I could even question her, Becky turned pale and dropped to her knees. That was faster than expected.
I couldn’t believe such a timid girl had done something like this. Maybe she wasn’t behind all the thefts after all.
“Is there a reason?”
Becky couldn’t even meet my eyes as she cried like a child. Vivi was just as shocked and shook Becky’s shoulders.
“Wait—have you been the one stealing the lady’s things all this time?”
“N-no! I—I only did it once because Mari told me about it!”
“Becky! You think that’s a valid excuse? Stealing is—!”
“Wait, Vivi.”
I gently stopped Vivi, who was more upset than I was.
Vivi clearly hadn’t expected someone like Becky to be capable of this. She looked confused and turned to me.
“Sit back down, Becky.”
Becky obeyed and sat, though she continued crying.
I waited patiently. Once she calmed down a bit, I asked what I needed to know.
“Becky. Have you done this before?”
“N-no! hic…”
“Then why…?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t plan to, but my mom collapsed. We had no money, and she needed surgery… Before I knew it, the earrings were in my hand.”
Becky sobbed as she pulled the earrings from her pocket. She hadn’t sold them—maybe she had planned to return them. I sighed.
“Becky. Do you know who’s been stealing my things?”
“N-not everyone, but…”
“You must at least know the ringleader.”
She nodded weakly. When she said it was organized and involved several people, my head throbbed.
“The ringleader’s getting fired for sure.”
“Tell me more about your mother.”
Becky began explaining. Her mother had always been sick.
Being from a commoner family, they couldn’t afford proper treatment. Even medicine was too expensive, so her mother wasn’t getting the care she needed. I felt a pang of sympathy.
Apparently, Becky had seen someone else stealing from me. The ringleader had coaxed her into joining. When her mother collapsed, she gave in to temptation.
“I didn’t sleep at all after I took it. I was planning to sneak it back tonight. You probably don’t believe me, but it’s true. I’m sorry, miss.”
“…”
I closed my eyes and thought. Becky had made a mistake—there was no denying it.
She deserved punishment. But unlike the others, her theft was impulsive, driven by a desperate situation.
And there had always been rats in the estate—even before I possessed Roni’s body. If it had been the real Roni, Becky would’ve been executed on the spot. But I wasn’t her.
“I can’t punish every accomplice who acted under duress. If they’re fired, where else would they even go?”
What should I do?
Judging by her behavior, Becky really had meant to return the earrings. That shy girl must’ve spent the whole night regretting it.
I decided what punishment to give. I opened a drawer, took something out, and held it toward Becky. Her eyes widened in shock.
“M-Miss… this is…”
