Chapter 4

I said every word slowly and clearly.

Lady Evelyn froze. Even Faye Palmer, standing to the side, visibly shook.

I caught her reaction from the corner of my eye and sneered inside. She was panicking. Already panicking this fast.

"Lily, this... why?"

Lady Evelyn looked completely confused.

"Mom, don't ask why. Just promise me."

I looked at her, my voice carrying a trace of pleading and a firmness that left no room for doubt.

"A few days ago, I went to Cloudspire Abbey to pray, and the master there read my fortune. He said someone in our house will use the blood of close family this year to do something evil. It'll harm you, and it'll harm our whole family. The only way to stop it is for you to never give anyone even one drop of your blood."

Lady Evelyn believed in things like that more than anything.

Sure enough, she nodded at once and helped me to my feet.

"I promise. I promise you."

"From now on, forget a drop of blood. If anyone even touches one of my fingers, I'll be on guard. Nobody's getting anything from me."

I let out a quiet breath of relief.

The second core condition was gone too.

Faye Palmer stood to the side, clutching her handkerchief so tightly her knuckles turned white, all color drained from her face. She never saw this coming. I'd cut off her most important path in one move.

I stood up and turned to her as if I'd only just noticed she was there, smiling as I spoke.

"Faye, don't you think so? When it comes to dark stuff like this, better safe than sorry, right?"

Faye Palmer snapped back to herself. When her eyes met mine, she looked away and forced out a stiff smile.

"Y-yes. Miss is right."

"Oh right, Mom, one more thing."

I turned back to Lady Evelyn and spoke as if it were an afterthought.

"A few days ago, I taught Faye the first three chapters of the women's code, and she was supposed to recite them to me today. But this morning she was so busy bringing me my medicine that she forgot all about it."

"I was thinking, since she's your distant relative and serves at my side, it wouldn't look good for her to embarrass you. So why don't we have her come here every day and study rules and conduct with you for two hours?"

Lady Evelyn nodded right away.

"That's thoughtful of you. We'll do exactly that. Faye, come here every morning. I'll teach you myself."

Faye Palmer's face went completely white.

She had to brew the talisman potion every day, watch me drink it, and find a chance to get Lady Evelyn's blood. How was she supposed to find time to study etiquette?

But this was Lady Evelyn's order. There was no way she dared refuse.

So she could only grit her teeth and bow her head.

"Yes... I understand."

Watching her force herself to stay calm felt damn satisfying. And this was only the beginning. Everything she did to me in my last life, I'd pay back little by little.

After leaving the main hall, I didn't go back to Lilybrook Wing. I headed straight for the outer study. My father, Prime Minister Charles Grace, should have been there handling official business.

In my last life, Faye Palmer and Prince Julian forged letters accusing my father of treason, and that was what got the entire Grace family executed. This time, I was warning him before history could repeat itself.

When I reached the study, the guards saw it was me, bowed at once, and didn't dare stop me. I pushed the door open and walked in.

My father was seated at his desk reading official reports when he saw me.

"Lily? What are you doing in the study? Do you need something again?"

I walked over and dropped to my knees, bowing before him.

My father was startled and quickly put down his brush to help me up.

"Child, what's gotten into you today? You stir things up with your mother, and now you've come here too?"

I didn't get up. I looked up at him, my tone more serious than ever.

"Father, I'm here today because I have something important to tell you."

"Prince Julian has been trying to win you over lately, hasn't he? Sending you gifts and inviting you to a banquet at his private estate in a few days?"

The smile vanished from my father's face, and his eyes turned sharp.