PROVE THY INNOCENCE

GYPSY woke up in her room.

Her room was always warm thanks to the fire Mana Stones attached to the walls. But she noticed that even her bedsheet, pillows, and blanket were warm this time.

"Noonim, you're up?"

She flinched when she turned and saw Yvo sitting on the chair beside her bed.

"Young Master Yvo," Gypsy greeted him when she noticed that only the two of them were in her bedroom. Then she got up and combed her fingers through her hair. "How long was I out?"

"Roughly three hours."

"Oh, it's longer than usual," she said, then she rolled up the sleeves of her dress. She smiled when she saw she didn't get fresh cuts today despite consuming a powerful Mana Core. "I didn't bleed."

"Why?"

She turned to Yvo and got a little scared when she saw him frowning. "H-Huh?"

[Did I upset the young master? Oh, no…]

"Noonim, you're happy just because you didn't bleed this time?" Yvo asked with furrowed brows. Then he crossed his arms over his chest. "It makes me wonder how shallow Noonim's happiness is."

"I'm not happy that I didn't bleed this time," she mumbled. "I'm just relieved that I didn't show a horrendous sight to a child like you."

"Huh?"

"When the grand duke was still alive, he would often bring people with pretty decent Mana Cores," she explained to the young master. "But those people's Mana Cores were quite aggressive. Each time I consumed that type of Mana Core, I'd get cuts all over as if the Core was trying to get out of my body."

"Then that means the Core isn't compatible with your body," he said sternly. "Why did you not spit it out?"

She laughed awkwardly while scratching her cheek. "I wanted to, but your parents…"

Most of the bruises all over her body were from the grand duke.

Whenever Evan Woolsey caught her spitting out the Mana Core, he would hit her with his ice cane. And every time that happened, the grand duchess would whip her. Rosette Woolsey didn't like it when she would act stubborn because apparently, Yvette was an obedient daughter.

"Anyway, I'm glad that Lady Yvette's Mana Core seems to be compatible with my body," she said cheerfully, changing the subject. "It makes me confident that we can fool the vassal–"

"Noonim," Yvo cut her off while sounding pissed. "Our family has healing potions."

"I know," she said. "But they're expensive, so the grand duchess didn't enjoy using them on me."

The young master's facial expression suggested he was cursing the grand duchess in his mind.

Or maybe that was just her wishful thinking.

"Don't think badly of the grand duke and the grand duchess," she said gently. "It was their twisted way of protecting me."

He let out a sigh. "Noonim, that kind of mindset is probably the effect of the physical abuse you received for the past five years."

She laughed softly while shaking her head. "No, I know what I'm saying," she said. "I'm not a masochist, and I cry like a baby when I'm physically hurt. But thanks to the bruises and cuts all over my body, your cousin lost interest in me."

"You mean Ethan Woolsey?"

"Yes, Young Master Ethan," she said while nodding. "When he saw my bruises and scars, he called me a "broken doll.""

According to the game, Ethan Woolsey was obsessed with women who looked like dolls. In the story, that pervert lusted after Yvette when the young lady woke up. After all, in the story, Ethan Woolsey was described as someone who was obsessed with beauty.

[The Grand Duke Evan Woolsey was obsessed with females from other races, while his nephew was obsessed with beautiful and physically flawless women. I'm glad Yvo isn't like either of them.]

"Noonim."

"Yeah?"

"How did Ethan Woolsey see your scars?"

Oh, she made a mistake.

"Noonim," Yvo said in an angry voice. But thankfully, she knew that his anger wasn't directed at her. "Did that bastard disrespect you?"

"Young Master Ethan once pretended to be lost in the villa, then he entered my room while I was changing into my nightgown," she said calmly. "Considering that it was already late then, and he came with a bottle of wine, his dirty intention was pretty obvious."

The young master cursed under his breath.

"But after he saw my body, he looked pretty disgusted," she continued with her story. "Young Master Ethan offered to heal my scars with his healing potions. But I politely declined, then I lied. I told him that any healing potion couldn't heal my scars because of how my Mana works. After that, he never bothered me again."

"Did you tell the grand duke and the grand duchess…?"

"They told me to just forget it since nothing happened."

"Did you tell me about it in one of your letters?"

She smiled awkwardly and nodded. "I begged you to come home and spend your winter break in the villa because Young Master Ethan was making me uncomfortable. It happened during the time Count Woolsey and his family got stuck in our territory because of the snowstorm."

Before Ethan Woolsey lost his interest in her, she was truly afraid of the perverted young master and his advances on her. Thus, she begged Yvo to come home, even though she was aware that he wouldn't budge.

Thankfully, Ethan Woolsey instantly got "bored" of her.

[I will get my revenge against that pervert later.]

"I'll deal with Ethan Woolsey," Yvo said bluntly. "From now on, we're going to erase all the scars in your body with healing potions."

"They're expensive–"

"Noonim," he said, cutting her off. "Even though your position as the next Head of the family is temporary, you must be flawless to avoid weird rumors from spreading."

She smiled and nodded. "Okay, I understand. I will fulfill my duty well."

"Before that, prove your innocence to me first," Yvo said sternly. "Noonim, what do you mean by you made a fake allegiance with Count Sergio Woolsey, my greedy uncle?"

Gypsy smiled and nodded. "Let me just get the necessary document first, Young Master Yvo."

***

"THIS is the contract I signed with your father when he hired me to be your fake sister, Young Master Yvo," Gypsy said, then she gently pushed the chest box towards Yvo's side of the table. "Please read the content first."

Yvo just nodded, then he opened the chest box and picked up the scroll inside. He rolled it down and fell silent while reading the content of the contract.

[Oh, my gosh. I'm so nervous.]

Right now, the two of them were inside the secret room in her bedchamber.

It was a room behind the bookshelf on the wall. The room was like a small tearoom. There was a single bed in there, and a round table for two that they occupied at the moment.

"The contract you made with Father is straightforward, Noonim," Yvo said after reading the letter. Then he turned to her with a blank look on his face. "You'll do the bidding of anyone who "owns" your younger brother."

The contract specifically said she'd do the bidding of the person who saved Gio– the original Gypsy's younger brother.

"As long as my brother is safe, alive, and well taken care of, I will do the bidding of my employer," she explained further. "As you can see, your father's name is still my employer based on the contract."

"Noonim, are you saying Count Woolsey isn't aware of the existence of this contract?"

"Yes," she said while nodding her head. "Your father and I agreed to keep it a secret. Not even the late grand duchess was aware of this contract." She reached for the chest box and gently tapped her finger on the lid. "Young Master Yvo, this contract isn't an ordinary contract. It's "alive.""

His eyes wennt wide, as if he was shocked. "Noonim, did you put a stake in your heart…?"

"It was the only way to convince your father that I would be a useful marionette to him," she explained, then she clasped her hands together and placed them against her chest. "Young Master Yvo, there's a dagger in my chest right now. If I betray my employer, I will die."

"But Father is already dead."

She almost laughed at how emotionless Yvo was when he said his father was dead.

[He really hates the grand duke, just like what's stated in the game.]

"Young Master Yvo, that's why I need a new employer," she said after she swallowed her laughter. "When Count Woolsey approached me last year, he threatened to kill my brother. Apparently, he knows where the grand duke hid Gio."

"Do you believe him?"

"No, but I pretended to believe him because I needed his support," she confessed with clenched hands. "Back then, I had a feeling he'd kill me if I turned his offer down. And so, I acted like I hated the grand duke and the grand duchess for abusing me all these years. Since the count knows that I really suffered in this villa, he fell for my act. Actually, I think he has a savior complex or something. Thus, I acted pitiful and desperate in front of him even more."

Thanks to Count Woolsey's savior complex, it became easier for him to control him. All she had to do was to express her gratitude excessively.

"I encouraged Count Woolsey to make a contract to prove my loyalty to him," she said, then she snickered. "But he didn't know that I already made a similar contract in the past, and because of that, the contract we made is invalid."

He frowned. "Noonim, you made a dangerous move."

"Well, as I said, I had no choice," she said with a smile. "Luckily, Count Woolsey hasn't realized yet that the contract we signed is invalid."

"How did you trick him?"

"When you sign a contract where your heart is at stake, you will receive a dagger in your heart," she explained. "While your employer will receive a key pendant as a sign of the contract's effectiveness. But since our contract isn't valid, I had to create a key pendant for the count using illusion magic. Thankfully, I still remember the key that appeared on the late grand duke's neck after we signed the contract. I just copied that based on my memory."

The young master looked confused. "Noonim, did you swallow a Mana Core that contained the ability to create illusions?"

"Yes, that's correct."

"How many Mana Cores can you swallow at a time, Noonim?"

"Just two since my constitution is weak after suffering from physical abuse all this time," she explained while scratching her cheek. "Right now, the Core to create illusions in my body is weakening because I swallowed Lady Yvette's Core. Since Lady Yvette's Core is too strong, the other Core in my body will burst soon."

"Then that means the illusion you created will also disappear," the young master said coldly. "It is only a matter of time before Count Woolsey realizes you fooled him."

She laughed awkwardly. "That's why I'm here to make a deal with you, Young Master Yvo," she said shyly. "We can transfer the actual contract under your name with two conditions. If you fulfill them, you'll be my new employer. Once that happens, you can be assured that I won't betray you."

He just looked at her as if he was studying her face.

She avoided his gaze because she felt anxious.

"C-Count Woolsey wanted me to declare Young Master Ethan as the next head of the family before you come of age," she said nervously. "But I don't want to do that, so please help me and my baby brother, Young Master Yvo."

"Noonim."

She was forced to look at him after he called her sternly. "Y-Yes?"

The young master chuckled while his jeweled-blue eyes glowed menacingly. To be honest, she preferred his stoic face over his laughing face. For some reason, he looked like a predator watching his prey struggle helplessly.

[It's as if he's saying he's a wolf, while I'm just a meek sheep.]

"I'll think about it, Noonim," Yvo said, then he put one arm on the table as he leaned over. His other gloved hand reached for the strands of her hair. Then, much to her surprise, he twirled some strands of her hair around his finger. "For now, convince the vassal families to allow you to become the temporary Head of House Woolsey. Can Noonim do that?"

"O-Of course," Gypsy said, then she avoided Yvo's piercing gaze. "I'll w-work hard, Young Master Yvo."

***

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