CLAD IN her simplest dress, Tori joined her father and half-sister in the carriage. Today was the day to execute Mia. Initially, the Duke did not want them to watch since it was unnecessary. But Tori did not want to miss the opportunity to watch her wretched sister's face as the guillotine's blade would kiss her servant's neck. She wanted to see the wench and her servant together. She wanted Mia to hope and snatch it away from her.

Tori couldn't forget the face of the noble-looking Sabina from her dream. She couldn't forget how Mia stood proudly before the original Victoria.

How ironic that our roles will be reversed later.

The three of them kept silent as the carriage trudged towards the capital's plaza. Tori was just watching the scenery beyond their carriage windows while Sabina was just looking down on her lap. The Duke, on the other hand, had his eyes closed as if telling her daughters that he didn't like to start a conversation with them.

By now, the rumors spread by Lily and Marchioness Susana must have escalated to their target maximum damage to Sabina's reputation. With their coming-of-age ceremony almost coming, it would be very hard for Sabina to get a sponsor, especially from Marchioness Susana of House Zoliel. But Tori was still observing the Duchess of Castaña Duchy, who has yet to give Tori an answer to her birthday party's invitation.

Elisa's sick desire for the crown prince might help me with this situation. For now, I'll watch your moves, dearest sister.

The carriage stopped when they arrived. Tori looked outside her window just to be flooded by an unwanted sense of familiarity as she watched the commoners loitered like insects in the capital's plaza. She unknowingly clenched her fists. The Duke was the first one to step out of the carriage to guide Sabina and Tori down.

With Tori in turmoil with the dreaded place, she put on a façade of a weak and benevolent woman. The way she slowly walked with elegance and teary eyes as clutched her handkerchief, every commoner spoke of sympathy for her.

"How can someone attempt to kill that kind-looking lady?"

"I heard from the servants of the Rozenreff Duchy that Lady Victoria is so kind to them."

"What a poor soul."

The whispers and murmurs continued. The Duke thought Tori was distressed because of the prying eyes of the common folks, but what he didn't know was that his eldest daughter's actions were all for a show to strengthen Tori's appeal to the masses.

The Duke gently aided his two daughters as they maneuvered to the stage where the guillotine awaited the executioner. Tori's memories of the original Victoria resurfaced again.

Glancing at the people on the stage already, Tori recognized Marquess Zoliel immediately.

So you are here just for the show and the added fame, huh? Just you wait, Marquess. Your reckoning will also come.

"The criminal has arrived,"the royal knight announced. Tori was just like watching the same dreaded movie all over again. But this time, instead of the original Victoria being dragged by the royal knight, it was Mia.

Blood oozing from Mia's lips, nails from both fingers and toes were missing, and her piss and blood mixed.

Feel the pain you helped to give to the original Victoria, you wretched fool.

All those times, Tori was just watching Mia's suffering with elated contempt. They presented the moment that the criminal in front of them on the stage, Tori tried her hardest to suppress her glee. The look of pure horror etched on Mia's eyes as she looked at Tori was satisfying for the latter. Gone was the proud look that Tori saw in Mia when she visited her in the prison cell. On the other hand, Tori could see the flash of pure relief when Sabina realized that Mia's tongue was cut off.

Perhaps that's the reason you were so anxious earlier, huh? Worry not, dearest sister.

The executioner started announcing Mia's crime, "For the attempt in murdering the heir apparent of the Ducal House of Rozenref, Victoria Rozenref. I hereby proclaimed the criminal's execution by the guillotine, Mia Ongin!"

The crowd erupted when Mia got dragged by her hair towards the awaiting guillotine.

"It's best to leave now. The scene can be quite disturbing if we stayed." The Duke faced them, his two daughters. He genuinely thought that they couldn't stand the sight of blood.

If you only knew. I watched Mia cut her tongue off. And I watched your real daughter's head roll to the ground, father.

"Yes, Father." Sabina, the ever obedient daughter, immediately affirmed the Duke.

No. You must not leave, dearest sister. You have to see the fate of your servant. You must watch your future.

"I want to stay, father. I want to see and watch her dead to comfort myself that she won't be back."

The Duke fell silent when he saw the conviction in his eldest daughter's eyes. Tori knew that the Duke would try to let Sabina go. After all, in the original plot of the series, he protected Sabina's eyes. But she would not let him protect her the second time around.

"Father, sister, please stay with me. I'm scared to be here alone. You will stay here with me, right?" Teary eyes confronted the Duke and Sabina. The latter could not refuse not when the common folks were just watching them. Should they leave, it would only strengthen the rumors that Sabina truly wished to kill Victoria. The Duke also realized Sabina's dilemma, so he interfered.

"If you wish that Victoria then we will all stay."

"Thank you, Father."

The Duke turned to his knights to discuss their safety arrangement after they leave, leaving Tori alone with Sabina in the stage's corner.

In a low voice, Tori spoke to Sabina. Whispered words that only the two of them could hear, Tori who was only looking ahead spoke without glancing towards Sabina."Won't you thank me, dearest sister?"

Sabina did the same with Tori. She answered the latter without even looking back at her. "For what? For executing the innocent Mia?" Words laced with venom flowed from Sabina's lips.

"Oh, she was far from innocent. What I meant was the gift I sent you earlier this morning." Tori finally glanced at Sabina, who was dumbfounded by what she said, so she continued.

"The gift is painted with my favorite color, ruby red. You loved it, didn't you? After all, it was your favorite spy's beloved tongue and nails. Oh, I worked hard for that gift, dearest sister."

TWO DAYS after the execution of Mia, the Rozenreff Duchy came back to normal. A day after the execution, the Duke held a grand but quite private dinner for the three of them to celebrate her achievement in the entrance exam although Sabina declined the invitation saying she had a prior party to attend, the Castaña Duchy's banquet.

Tori didn't mind since it was very clear that Sabina would use this opportunity to gather the Duchess into her team. But she still had Rowan at her disposal. Sabina may get the favor of the Duchess, but Tori would get the favor of the Duke once he learned about Rowan's situation under Tori. This was putting aside the fact that Rowan was the only son of a patriarchal family of the Castaña Duchy.

Tori still had three more days before going back to Trifecta Academy. The admittance of every student would start three days from now. After the admittance, the new students would have classes after the Winter Solstice. That was also the time that she would celebrate her birthday.

After the Winter Solstice, she would move to the dorms of the Trifecta Academy. She would have to spend three days in the dorm since there would only be three days of classes in a week and the rest of the day she would spend at the Rozenreff estate. She would take care of her school matters in three days, but now she still got a whole aristocratic faction to impress.

Dress in her coat with no belongings that would identify her that she's the heir apparent of the Rozenreff Duchy, Tori took Rowan with her in the Pivet Alley. Their destination was the Turvy.

Walking with her head covered by the hood, Rowan guided Tori until they were inside the Turvy. Unlike before when they came here, there were no people inside save the one woman at the counter, Lady M.

"You came. Everyone didn't expect you to come, but I know you will, knowing you. Come on, everyone was there waiting for the second prince."Lady M led them to the same room where they talked before.

"Prince Corean is still not here?"

Lady M looked back at her. "Yes, he needs to tie some loose ends first. The king summoned Prince Corean last day."

The information took aback Tori. It has to be about topping the entrance exam. After all, Prince Lauren didn't get to be in the top 3 when he took the test.

The three of them stopped when they reached the door. Behind this door were aristocrats that served the second prince. Lady M finally opened the door and when she stepped inside, all the family heads under the banner of the aristocratic faction were present.

"It's good that you came." A familiar warm voice spoke behind the three of them. She sharply turned and was welcomed by the brilliant amber eyes of the second prince.

"Blessings to the Empire's star, Prince Corean." Tori's voice was buried by the voices of the aristocrats who also paid respect to the arrived prince. She stepped back to make way, but Prince Corean stopped in front of her.

"Shall we, my lady?" Prince Corean held out his hand and offered it for her to take. Tori wanted to decline, but he didn't want things to get worse. She didn't like to make the aristocrats have malicious thoughts about them, she couldn't deny him in front of these people.

You are such a headache, Prince Corean.

Rowan stayed outside the room just like any other knight. Tori got guided by the second prince to an empty seat beside him at the round table. "Thank you, your highness."

I didn't see this round table before.

Lady M also took her seat to begin the meeting. Now that Prince Corean had finally taken his first step towards the crown by taking the entrance exam, it was prime time for the aristocratic faction to step up their game too.

"Before we begin our meeting for today, let me introduce to you the lady who supplied us with the exact location of the Elysian Crown and the one who helped us earn the good side of the king, Lady Victoria Rozenreff." Lady M introduced her to the aristocrats who sat with them at the round table. Just as expected, their eyes looked down upon her.

"Is it true that this young lady, who's yet to come of age, is on our side?" Lord Sozeni, dominated the trading of weaponry in the Eckrett Empire to the neighboring countries. As a sign of goodwill, the king gave him the title of a Count. His estate was located near the northern mountains. He's a powerful old man with eyes and ears everywhere.

"Lord Sozeni, I understand your concern, but please know that I am the legitimate daughter of Duke Rozenref. By law, should anything happen to the Duke, I will become the head of my family. The Rozenref Family can push the Castaña Duchy if we see fit."

A mocking laugh answered Tori's confident reply. "If you become the heir. I heard that you have a half-sister, and she's about your age. What's more, she was dearly beloved by your daddy dearest."

Lord Wolfgang, he's the empire's lifeline in the field of medicine. He had a hefty number of hospitals around the empire with vast research for medicines which opened a commerce thread between the Empire and the other countries. The king gave him the title of Baron and let him marry a noble lady from House Helisos. His eldest son was the heir apparent to the current head, Count Helisos.

If only I won't use you when the plague comes, I would have bashed your head for laughing at me.

Red eyes sharpened that stopped the mocking laugh midway, "If she'll live that long to take something that is meant to be mine. I told you didn't I, the Rozenreff Duchy is mine to hold and mine to destroy."

"You are openly discussing murder in front of us, how can we trust you?" Lord Tofera looked at Tori with wonder and curiosity.

"You don't. You can be wary of me as much as you want, Lord Tofera. As long as I am of use to this faction's purpose, that's the most important thing. And, you can't rectify me with openly discussing my plot to murder my family when the aristocratic faction itself is affiliated to the Assassination Guild."

Silence engulfed the room until a laugh broke it once and for all. Prince Corean was openly laughing at the smiling Tori. "Now you see why I let her join our cause."

Every member of the aristocratic faction couldn't believe that a sixteen-year-old girl was talking to them like that. They finally understood that she still had a lot of cards left up in her sleeves.

"So, shall we begin? A smirking Lady M finally started the meeting. "Let's start by destroying Marquess Zoliel."

A wicked smile appeared on Tori's ruby-red lips.

Yes, let's do that.