“Lackey, use the Tiny Water Ball spell to splash this guy awake,” Maur sneered.
Naive fool. Did she really think fainting would let her off the hook? Not that simple.
Maur held grudges. Though he usually settled scores on the spot, he’d keep bothering anyone who angered him—every time the memory surfaced.
He rarely bullied ordinary folk using status or strength. His usual targets were nobles from his own circle—they loved provoking him. But if a commoner dared challenge him? He showed no mercy.
For the next month, he’d keep his word: whenever his mood soured, he’d relentlessly hassle this Annie Campbell. That was the price for daring to provoke him.
Tabitha obeyed. Channeling magic, she conjured tiny water balls and splashed them onto the unconscious red-haired astrologer’s face. After a few splashes, Annie Campbell slowly stirred awake.
Seeing Maur’s sinister smirk, she instantly remembered everything. She prostrated herself, tears streaming, sobbing desperately:
“Young Master Maur, please spare me! I’ll give you the intel right now—and all my secret savings!”
“Please spare me, my lord!!!”
*So terrifying… so terrifying… so terrifying…*
The young master of Violet County Manor was even scarier than the rumors!
“Hmph.” Maur gave a satisfied hum. While listening to Annie’s rushed report on today’s divinations, he ordered Tabitha to collect every coin she handed over—including her hidden stash. He didn’t need her money. He just wanted to see that pained look on the notorious miser’s face. Stripping a greedy soul of hard-earned coins? She’d regret it enough to wake screaming from nightmares. *This was his revenge.*
“Sob… money… my money… waaah…” Annie wept, forcing clarity into her words: “Most clients today had favorable readings… but a few prophecies stood out. They were…” She spilled every detail without hesitation.
Mission accomplished. Maur didn’t glance back. He turned and left with Lilith and the others.
“Oh my~ Maur, not staying for the festival?”
“Boring. I’m going home.”
Their voices faded into the night.
Once they vanished, the red-haired astrologer wiped the fear from her face. A soft chuckle escaped her lips as she slipped back into the Love Divination Hut.
Deep inside, she opened a hidden door. A small secret room—just a cot for resting. On it sat another red-haired girl in a star-patterned black robe and pointed hat… identical to Annie Campbell. *This* was the real Annie. Her crimson eyes were dull, vacant, staring blankly like a breathing doll.
The fake Annie stepped close, placed a hand on her head, and murmured gently:
“Just now, Young Master Maur of Violet County Manor came for intel. Driven by greed and fate’s whisper, you tried threatening him into a crystal ball reading…”
As she spoke, light returned to the real Annie’s eyes. False memories bloomed in her mind—vivid, seamless. After implanting the final fragment, the fake Annie withdrew her hand.
“I wonder where the shift happened…” she murmured, stepping out. Her form shimmered, twisting with each step. By the hut’s door, she’d become utterly ordinary—a face no one would notice twice.
*“Still bothers me.”*
*“Such an intriguing change~”*
*“Pity I can’t peek deeper with the crystal ball…”*
*“Well. Even if I tried, Lady Athena’s threads of fate would blur everything.”*
*“Force it? She’d erase me instantly.”*
*“Rebuilding a body is such a hassle. Not worth it.”*
*“…But now, Young Master Maur must go.”*
*“Hmm. What method this time?”*
As she stepped outside, the real Annie inside the secret room finally snapped back to clarity.
“AAAAH—!!” A shrill scream tore through the silence.
“I’m ruined! How could I be so stupid?!”
“I’m dead! I angered *that* Young Master Maur—AAAAH—!!!”
The fake Annie, now plain-faced, left the wails behind. Walking calmly, her fingers plucked invisible threads.
“Got it.” She spread her right hand. Her ring finger glowed faintly. A golden thread shimmered into view.
*Tammy Megan Orange… daughter of Duke Otto, Somaria Empire.*
*Royal blood makes a convenient puppet.*
*Let’s test the waters with her.*
At the Maid Afternoon Tea Restaurant, golden-haired Tammy—Lilith’s friend—finished plating the last dessert. Suddenly, her eyes went blank for a heartbeat. Then she blinked, unaware, and resumed work with quiet focus.
Night deepened. Fireworks burst above Divine Grace Academy, flooding the festival plaza in brilliant light. As the next bloom ignited, Maur hopped onto Lilith’s carriage, hitching a ride back to Violet County Manor. Mavis didn’t follow this time. Tabitha waved a reluctant goodbye.
The carriage rolled slowly through the quiet streets.
“…A high-tier Sleep Magic was cast on Violet County Manor last night. You vanished right after. The Violet Count was terrified,” Lilith said softly.
“Huh?” Maur blinked, confused.
Lilith sighed.
“…Maur, I don’t know who you’re hunting or why. But if it involves Athena… hurry.”
“The Violet Count met Her Majesty the Empress at noon.”
“And if the Empress knows… Athena already does.”
“…Guess what she’ll do next?”
