1 When Disgust Meets Amusement

Estelle and Liandra were never meant to have any sort of interaction with each other. Estelle was a viscountess' daughter and Liandra was a duke's daughter. Both lived worlds apart in the noble sphere of the Sanguine Empire, yet they somehow managed to become part of the same family. The contrasts in standards may cause a shock upon meeting, however, certain expectations were thrown out of the window.

When Duke Adrian Vermillion married his second wife, Viscountess Maria Ferness, the noble world was taken by storm. Both were widowed rather recently and both had daughters similar in age. One might question if it was simply a marriage born out of duty for their daughters. Regardless, that is how Estelle Vermillion and Liandra Vermillion became part of the same family.

However, not everything was as it seemed. Estelle had in fact lived a life prior, a life where she had read about the future of this world. In her past life, she knew of what Liandra would become: a villainess so cruel that anyone would scorn her. Many of the details were blurred with the inadequacies of memory. Minor nuances and trivial details were lost in favour of the main points. Thus Estelle only remembered the what, rather than the why.

In Estelle's eyes, Liandra was a spoiled brat that never got over the untimely death of her mother. Liandra was given anything she ever wanted, whether that be her father's constant care, maids that obeyed her every word, the best food and clothing, or her choice of fiancé. When the apparent female lead appeared during her final year in the academy, Liandra finally lost everything as she was engulfed with envy towards the one which had less than her yet seemingly more.

Her fiancé, who never loved her, fell for the female lead. Her friends left her as they gravitated towards the kinder and more benevolent protagonist. It seemed the life she had carefully built for herself had crumbled in front of her. Jealousy drove Liandra to commit wicked deeds that harmed her former friends, her fiancé, and most importantly, the female lead. From common bullying to physical harming, Liandra did not care for what she did. Every misdeed she committed was to spite the female lead.

Her misdeeds earned her the cancellation of her engagement which sent her into what perhaps would be the final cog in her downfall. With nothing left in her heart, the ungrateful and selfish Liandra arranged for a group of assassins to murder the female lead and the former's ex-fiancé during the lovers' engagement party, resulting in the deaths of dozens of innocent attendees. This was the last straw as the investigation yielded evidence that was enough to destroy the entire duchy as well as earn Liandra a walk to the gallows.

It was a fitting end for a wicked individual.

Estelle had thought so until recently. Her new life had started from the very beginning. Estelle had always been herself from the moment she was conceived, making this new life her own. Along with her advanced maturity, Estelle had obtained the skills needed to become a proper noble. She had studied meticulously and knew what was ahead of her would be a world with many new opportunities. By the age of 5 she had already relearned most of her high school level mathematics, by age 10 she knew all the skills she needed to debut into society, by age 14 she had touched threshold of becoming a full mage.

But nothing could prepare her for the day she turned 18. On the morning of her birthday, she was told that her surname would be changed to Vermillion and that she would be moving to the duchy effective immediately.

Her life had been turned upside down.

"Mother, must we marry into a duke's family? All of the prestige that we have built will all be for naught if we just leave out territory." A fair-skinned beautiful silver-haired girl flashed her golden eyes in a questioning fashion. Knowing her mother, Estelle did not hope for too much regarding a change of mind.

With the wave of of her hand, Maria tried to lessen the seriousness of the topic. "Estelle, this will be good for you. You need a friend your age, someone you can relate to. Besides, we've talked it over, you two will be perfect for each other."

The meeting ended like this. Within hours, the baggage was packed and the mother and daughter had already departed for distant lands. Within a month, the two finally arrived at the grand gates of the duke's estate. The trivial matters immediately began as servants greeted them and took their luggage. Maria disappeared soon after to meet her new husband, leaving Estelle to wander the estate aimlessly.

As she drifted around the peaceful gardens looking for somewhere to sit and wait, Estelle was greeted by staring eyes. Somewhere, there was someone watching her. Estelle could feel it, her magic had given her senses enhancements.

"Come out, I don't have all day." Estelle called out with a chilling voice, as if threatening the life of whoever was secretly watching her.

The sound of leaves rustling could be heard as a silhouette emerged from the bushes. A jet black-haired girl emerged, eyes furrowed yet nervous and unsteady. Her crimson eyes gleaming brightly as she faced Estelle with clear hostility.

"You must be my stepsister… I thought you would look poorer." The girl spoke in a rather condescending tone, crossing her arms.

In response, Estelle simply smirked. Sit didn't take too much to piece one and two together. "So you must be Liandra, my younger sister."