REMOVE THE SHEEP'S CLOTHING

[FIVE YEARS.]

Gypsy couldn't believe that she was stuck inside the game for five years now.

But she hadn't lost hope yet.

[Kim Jooda– the heroine that will appear soon. Jooda is from Korea, so that means the door back to our world will open up once she arrives here. I will take that opportunity to return home.]

Luckily, she knew when and where Kim Jooda would appear later.

[Hopefully, the time and location don't change.]

"Noona, are you listening?"

Hearing Gio, the original Gypsy's younger brother, call her out interrupted her thoughts.

Ah, yes.

She almost forgot that she was having a video call with Gio.

Right now, she was having tea in the lounge area of her room.

A blue communication device called Cube was placed on the table. A translucent Window that resembled a computer monitor hovered over the Cube. The pale and thin face of Gio, the handsome fifteen-year-old boy with blond hair and amber eyes, was visible in the Window.

"Ah, I'm listening," Gypsy said while smiling. "Mother and Father felt bad that they couldn't bring me with them to their vacation. So they allowed me to communicate with you every day until they return."

Gypsy and Gio could only communicate once a month. It was the grand duke's way of reminding her he had her younger brother's life in his hand.

"I'm glad that we can talk more often now," Gio said, his smile bright even though he couldn't hide the sickness in his pale and tired face. "The grand duke and the grand duchess are really kind to you, Noona."

She just smiled to hide the fact that she lied earlier.

Evan and Rosette Woolsey never felt bad about locking her up in the mansion. They only allowed her to communicate with Gio every day until they returned as compensation.

Last week, Agatha– the head maid and her nanny– went too far with her bullying. That nasty woman "tested" if she was really allergic to peanuts. So Agatha mixed some peanuts with her dessert. Since Gypsy only consumed a small amount, she didn't die.

But she fainted.

Unfortunately, the grand duchess was fond of Agatha so instead of punishing the head maid, Rosette Woolsey just gave her permission to talk to Gio to appease her. It was as if the grand duchess was telling her to be satisfied with that.

But she didn't tell Gio the truth because she didn't want him to worry about her.

[I want Gio to think that his noona is living a good life.]

"Anyway, how are you?" she asked, changing the topic. "Is your condition getting better?"

"Yes, Noona," Gio answered energetically. Even though he looked pale and obviously stuck to his bed, her younger brother remained positive. "The family that took me in is taking good care of me."

According to Evan Woolsey, he hired Yvo's former nanny to look after Gio.

But of course, the cunning grand duke didn't tell her where her younger brother was currently living. Even Gio himself didn't know his exact location. But since the family that was looking after her younger brother was Yvo's former nanny, she was planning to ask the main character if he knew where his former nanny lived once they got close.

[I'll suck up to Yvo as soon as he comes home!]

She barely met Yvo these past five years because she was stuck at Icelyn Villa while Yvo would usually stay at the grand mansion every time he was on a school break. Well, she tried to get close to him by religiously sending him letters and gifts at the academy.

But she never received a reply from Yvo.

Cough.

Hearing Gio cough snapped her out of her trance.

"Gio, I think you should rest now."

"No, Noona," Gio said in a cracked voice after having coughing fits. "I want to talk to you longer…"

"We can talk again tomorrow," she comforted her younger brother. "Gio, didn't you promise that you'd get better for me?"

He nodded, his eyes still teary. "Call me again tomorrow, Noona."

"I will," Gypsy promised him, while smiling warmly. "I will call you first thing in the morning, Gio."

Gio smiled and nodded. "I'll be waiting, Noona."

***

"WAKE UP, you lazy wench!"

Cold water splashed on her face awakened Gypsy violently. When she opened her eyes, she experienced violence once again after Agatha, the nasty head maid, grabbed her by the arm and pulled her up.

She was already used to the head maid's physical abuse, but this style was new.

[Agatha would wake me up with a slap on the arm, but this is the first time she woke me up by splashing cold water on me.]

"What happened?" Gypsy asked, while rubbing her eyes with her free hand. "Have Mother and Father returned?"

"The master and the madam are back!" Agatha yelled at her with tears in her eyes, then the head maid pulled her until she was on her feet. "But they… they came back cold!"

That made her freeze for a moment.

In the North, saying that a person came back "cold" meant they came back dead.

[Ah, in the end, Evan and Rosette Woolsey still died.]

She tried to prevent the couple's death to see if she could change the course of the story.

To be honest, she knew Agatha put peanuts in her dessert. She wasn't stupid. But she still ate it to create a scene. Since she fainted, Evan and Rosette Woolsey, who were afraid that their replacement would break, delayed their trip for a few days.

But despite all of that, the grand duke and the grand duchess still came back dead.

"Didn't you hear what I just said?!" Agatha yelled at her again and this time, the head maid squeezed her arm as if she wanted to break it. "I just told you that the grand duke and the grand duchess came back cold! Why are you spacing out like an idiot?!"

If it was just another normal day, she would have just smiled and even apologized to Agatha.

After spending five years being maltreated by the head maid, she had learned to lower herself just to pacify the nasty woman. The more she acted like a fool, the less chance Agatha would hurt her. She just needed to endure being treated like a punching bag.

But now that Evan and Rosette Woolsey were gone, she didn't have to do that anymore.

[I'd like to think that I'm a wolf in sheep's clothing.]

"If I cry, will Father and Mother return to life?" Gypsy asked while smiling brightly. Ah, she was truly grateful to the grand duke and the grand duchess for giving her food, clothes, and a roof over her head. But that didn't mean she had grown attached to them to the point where she'd shed tears. She wasn't that good of a person. "I believe you're the one who should cry, Agatha."

Agatha looked shocked by the words that she had just said. "How dare a mere orphan like you talk down to me?!"

The head maid raised her hand to slap her.

She grabbed Agatha's arm to stop the nasty woman from hurting her. Then she yelled. "Sir Winston!"

The door to her bedroom burst open.

Then Winston Volk, the captain of the White Bone Knights Brigade stationed at the Icelyn Villa, entered. As soon as the captain in his navy blue uniform saw Agatha, he pulled the nasty woman away from her.

"Sir Volk!" Agatha complained. "Why are you doing this to me?"

"Did you really have to ask?" Winston Volk asked in disbelief. "Miss Agatha, how dare you disrespect the new Head of the family?"

The head maid looked shocked by the knight's retort. "S-Sir Volk… what do you mean by the new "Head" of the family? Young Master Yvo is still alive…"

"Young Master Yvo hasn't come of age yet," the knight reminded the head maid coldly. "That means now that the master and the ladyship are both gone, the new Head of the family will naturally be Lady Gypsy."

Agatha turned to her with a disgusted look on her face. "You're just a fake, though."

The head maid could talk like that in front of Winston Volk because the knight was aware of the truth. In the Icelyn Villa, only a few people knew the truth about her real identity: the head maid, two of Yvette's old maids, the head butler, and the captain of the knights.

[If I remember it correctly from the game, the grand duke disposed of the villa's old servants who know about Lady Yvette's existence. It also serves as a warning to those who know the secret to keep their mouths shut if they wanted to live.]

But it's not like they could talk even if they wanted to.

After all, the ever meticulous Evan and Rosette Woolsey made the servants take the Oath of Silence. Anyone who broke the oath would die on the spot.

"Don't be too arrogant," Agatha snarled at her. "Once Lady Yvette wakes up–"

"Will Lady Yvette wake up before your head rolls on the ground?" Gypsy said cheerfully, purposely cutting the nasty woman off. "Agatha, I may be a fake– but my authority as the temporary Head of the family is real."

The nasty woman could only glare at her.

She stifled her laughter, then she approached Agatha and whispered in her ear. "Did you think I spent the last five years simply enduring your abuse?"

Of course, she didn't.

That was exactly why she addressed Winston Volk as 'Sir Winston' casually instead of 'Sir Volk.' Except for Agatha, she had already pulled the necessary servants and employees on her side. After all, to lead a family, getting along well with people working for you was important.

[And even though the Icelyn Villa is a little remote from the grand mansion, the duchy's servants are quite chummy with each other. If the people from the main house realize that the people from the Icelyn Villa are good to me, then I won't be mistreated once I move into the grand mansion.]

But of course, she also sorted out the "bad weeds."

[I'll get rid of them later.]

Agatha cursing under her breath interrupted her train of thoughts.

[This is enough for today.]

"Leave," she told the head maid. "I have no use for you today."

Agatha opened her mouth to say something, but at the same time, the door burst open again.

Lola and Pipa, the two maids who were mean to her at first, entered her bedroom smiling. The two only bullied her before because of Agatha's order. But since she spent most of the time with the two girls, she gradually grew closer to them.

She introduced Lola and Pipa to the world of BL (boys' love) by creating hand-drawn BL comics and making the two read them.

But of course, it didn't end there. She used the carrot and stick approach to Lola and Pipa, and the rest of the servants working for her. A generous reward was given to the people who treated her kindly, and a "stick" was given to the people who were nasty to her.

The good thing about Rosette Woolsey was she would often gift her expensive jewels and ornaments to show off her wealth.

Gypsy would use those precious items as the "carrot."

On the other hand, Evan Woolsey could be gullible. Every time the grand duke was in a good mood, Gypsy would use that opportunity to discreetly "complain" about the people who wronged her. The grand duke would immediately dispose of them.

Thus, Evan Woolsey served as her "stick."

"Miss Agatha, you heard Her Ladyship," Winston Volk said, then he grabbed the head maid by the arm. "I shall escort you out," he said sternly. But when the knight turned to her, his face softened up. "My Ladyship, I apologize. I'll make sure that this won't happen again."

Gypsy put a hand on her chest and slightly bowed to the captain. "Thank you, Sir Winston."

After that exchange, Winston Volk dragged the complaining Agatha out of her room.

[Finally, some peace and quiet.]

"My Ladyship," Lola, the brunette with cute freckles, called her attention while smiling as if they didn't receive the news about the grand duke and the grand duchess's death. "The head butler said My Ladyship needs to prepare to greet the guests later."

The guests would be the people bringing the cold bodies of the grand duke and the grand duchess.

"We will prepare your bath now," Pipa, the girl with dirty blonde hair, said. "After that, the head butler said Your Ladyship could have a quick breakfast first. What would Your Ladyship like to have for breakfast?"

In the past, Pipa wouldn't have to ask because the grand duchess would always order the kitchen staff to prepare salad and other healthy food for her.

But not anymore.

Gypsy smiled brightly. "I'd like to have fried chicken and waffles for breakfast."

***

"IT'S BEEN a while, Lady Yvette," Gypsy said softly while looking at the sleeping beauty on the bed. "I came here to bear the bad news."

The third floor of the Icelyn Villa was restricted.

Aside from her, the only people allowed to step foot in there were Evan and Rosette Woolsey, and Agatha--- the one in charge of taking care of Lady Yvette.

For the last five years, the grand duchess would often bring her to Lady Yvette's room to remind her of her position as a mere replacement. On the other hand, the grand duke would bring her to that room to help her improve her ability by using it on Lady Yvette.

[My ability is the reason Grand Duke Evan Woolsey brought me here in the first place.]

"The Grand Duke Evan and the Grand Duchess Rosette Woolsey are gone," Gypsy said in a sympathetic voice. She may not have been attached to the grand duke and the grand duchess, but that didn't mean she hated Lady Yvette. Just thinking about the poor girl waking up with her parents already dead was heartbreaking enough for her. "Their cause of death is still under investigation. But according to the report sent to our duchy, their bodies were mauled by what seemed to be a wild animal."

The thing that bewildered the investigators was the fact that the attack happened in the middle of the sea, and the "wild animals" didn't leave a trace.

[Of course, those man-eating wolf-like creatures wouldn't leave a trace. After all, they came from the monster dungeon that appeared out of nowhere. After killing the grand duke and the grand duchess, who both had premium-quality Mana Cores, they left, and the dungeon disappeared with them.]

In the near future, those man-eating wolf-like creatures would be called 'Lycans.'

"The head butler already sent an urgent message to Young Master Yvo," Gypsy continued with her report. "Your brother will use the academy's portal to return to the duchy ASAP. And once everything is settled, the young master and I will visit you together."

Gypsy would take Lady Yvette's Core before she faced the vassal families. And Yvo had to be there to make sure that she wouldn't do anything funny to his real sister.

[According to the game, even though Yvo is cold, he genuinely cares about Lady Yvette.]

"Don't worry, Lady Yvette," Gypsy assured the sleeping lady. "Yvo will find a cure for you soon."

Of course, only silence met her after her long report.

Lady Yvette was really a beauty, albeit being pale and skinny. The lady's golden hair was shiny, and her skin looked smooth and flawless.

It was obvious that Agatha really took good care of the young lady.

[If Lady Yvette opened her eyes, they'll probably remind me of Rosette Woolsey's lemon-colored eyes– which differ greatly from my amber eyes.]

But since Lady Yvette had been weak since she was a child, they had locked her up in the Icelyn Villa all of her life. Thanks to that, only a few relatives had seen her. The vassal families weren't aware of what Lady Yvette looked like.

[I don't look like the grand duke or the grand duchess, though. That's why I need to use my ability well before the meeting with the vassal families.]

Gypsy took a deep breath to calm herself. "Young Master Yvo, you have to help me."

***

"MY LADYSHIP, an important guest has arrived."

Gypsy, who was being escorted by Fabian (the head butler), clenched her hands.

There could only be one "important guest" for Fabian– the traitor of the Icelyn Villa. The old man, who looked like a friendly grandfather, didn't serve the grand duke and the grand duchess with loyalty. He was actually working for someone else.

"Did you bring Count Woolsey to the drawing room?" Gypsy asked politely. "I hope you treated him with the utmost respect, Fabian."

Fabian smiled benignly. "That, I did, My Ladyship."

[What a cunning old man.]

Count Eugenio Woolsey was the Grand Duke Evan Woolsey's ambitious younger brother.

Since the count planted a formidable spy in Icelyn Villa, it was only natural that Count Woolsey found out about the grand duke's secret– that the real Lady Yvette was in a coma, while Gypsy was nothing but a mere replacement.

[Count Woolsey approached me last year for a deal. Since Yvo ignored my SOS, I had no choice but to pretend to be on the count's side to survive.]

The door bursting open interrupted her thoughts.

When she entered the drawing room, she was greeted by the man who looked like Evan Woolsey's younger but grumpier version. She had never seen the count smile ever since she met him a few years ago.

"I won't beat around the bush, my dear niece," Eugenio Woolsey said sternly while having tea on the couch. The bastard didn't even stand, even though she entered the room. "I hope you didn't forget the deal we made."

The deal was to ensure that Eugenio Woolsey's son, the crazy Ethan Woolsey, would become the next grand duke and not Yvo.

[What a crazy father-and-son duo.]

She must be crazier for making a deal with them.

Gypsy set her personal feelings aside to smile and pretend to be a perfect marionette. "I remember our deal clearly," she said, then she sat down on the couch opposite the count while Fabian served her tea. "Count Woolsey, shall we review our contract again?"

***

THE THINGS that took place a few days ago up to the day she was informed of the ducal couple's death flashed before Gypsy's eyes.

Kneeling in front of Yvo while begging him to spare her life after he tried to strangle her brought her back to reality. She thought everything was under control since things went her way for the past five years.

But when Yvo reached for her neck, she immediately realized that her life was still in his hands.

"Noonim, I heard some funny things while I'm on my way home."

She gulped, her arms that were supporting her weight while her hands were pressed flat on the floor almost collapsed.

[Just what did he hear?]

She didn't have the courage to look at Yvo, but he forced her to do so.

The damned Crown Wolf put the cold blade of a dagger under her chin, then turned her face so his glowing deep-blue eyes would meet her shaking pupils.

[W-Where did the d-dagger come from?]

This vicious teenager!

She almost died of a heart attack when he tried to strangle her earlier. And now he was scaring her with a sharp weapon!

"Noonim," Yvo called her in a voice devoid of any emotion. "Are you going to marry Ethan Woolsey, my cousin, and use your position as the temporary Head of the family to appoint him as the next grand duke instead of me?"

"What nonsense are you saying?" Gypsy asked. She was so shocked that she forgot to speak politely to Yvo. So she immediately changed her tone. "I'm afraid I don't know what Young Master Yvo is talking about. I won't marry Young Master Ethan, let alone appoint him as the next grand duke."

"How can I trust Noonim's words alone?"

"Young Master Ethan isn't my style," she said promptly. "Moreover, Young Master Ethan already lost whatever speck of interest he had in me after he realized I'm a "broken doll.""

"What do you mean by that, Noonim?"

"Can you please move the dagger away from my neck first?"

Surprisingly, Yvo did as he was told obediently.

She knew that the main character hated wasting time, so she immediately stood up and undressed. Well, even though she removed the mourning dress, a piece of clothing remained. Her undergarment was a modest black nightgown that exposed her arms, a little of her thighs, and legs.

"Noonim, what do you think you're doing…"

Yvo's voice trailed off when he saw the bruises and scars– both old and new– on her exposed skin.

Her arms, thighs, legs, and even chest area were black and blue.

Gypsy turned around while tying her hair to show Yvo her bruises and scars on her back, and the back of her legs. "Young Master Yvo, I made a fake allegiance with Count Woolsey to survive," she admitted, then she looked at Yvo who seemed to be shocked while tracing her marks with his glowing eyes. "I had to because you ignored my SOS– I mean, call for help, all this time."

Yvo met her gaze and this time, his stoic face cracked as his glowing eyes showed confusion. "Those letters were to call for help?"

***

NOTE: Hi! This is sola_cola. Please consider ADDING 'Butter Up the Crown Wolf' to your LIBRARY. :)

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