It was hard to believe how quickly ti flies.
It seed like only a few months had passed, not years, since I first opened my eyes in this world. And yet, the fact remained: it had been seven whole years since fate had brought into the body of a woman whose life, according to the ga’s script, was supposed to end in tragedy.
Seven years... A lot had changed during that ti. And now Rubielle Weinstein, the "main villain" of this ga, was already seventeen years old.
This thought evoked a strange feeling in — a mixture of pride and slight sadness. Deep down, I still thought of her as a little child, that sa shy girl with huge blue eyes who once hid behind my skirt and was afraid to talk to strangers.
And yet my niece, whom I had raised with such care all these years, was now almost a grown woman. A true noble lady who commanded the attention of those around her.
My little Ruby had grown up!
I smiled involuntarily, feeling excitent welling up in my eyes.
Yes, I was really ready to wipe away a tear of pride. All this ti, despite the constant dangers and unpredictability of this world, I managed to raise her. To turn a planned villain into a person who deserves love and happiness.
Now there was only one year left — the last year of peaceful life before the events of the original ga entered their active phase.
Simply put, in a year I would have to deal with the adoptive father of the main character, Angela de Stone. This act would be the trigger, the starting point of the whole story. It is after this that Angela will end up in the palace, where she will be surrounded by the ga’s love interests.
The emperor’s nephew, a good-natured and noble heir to the throne. A ntor in etiquette, a mysterious and refined man. And finally, a powerful archmage whose power eclipses the sun itself.
Yes...
The grand eting of the heroes was just around the corner.
However, I was not going to let the original ga scenario repeat itself as it did in the ga.
I had my own plan.
It was carefully thought out and checked down to the smallest detail, leaving no room for chance.
If I followed the ga’s script, the main character was supposed to hate Rubiella Weinstein — "the empire’s greatest villain" — and destroy her to restore justice.
But what if I changed not the essence of the story, but the "target" itself?
What if we gave the ga what it wanted, but allowed Ruby to stay out of it?
That’s why I decided to hire a decoy — soone who would play the role of the ga’s main villain.
He would beco the target of the heroine’s revenge and allow events to unfold as intended, thus completing the ga’s main storyline.
At the sa ti, Ruby herself would remain on the sidelines — safe, far away from all these intrigues and threats.
This was my way of tricking the ga’s system itself.
Thanks to this decision, Ruby would not have to interfere with the course of the story, would not have to beco the very villain whose na would be cursed by all the inhabitants of the empire.
She will be able to live peacefully — like a normal person, not a character dood to an unhappy ending.
In addition, thanks to my efforts, Ruby has grown up to be a truly intelligent and decent girl who would never harm others.
Yes, I could be proud of my work as a teacher.
In addition, it also ant that very soon I would be able to afford what I had dread of for many years — to go on a long-awaited vacation.
Even now, at the re thought of it, a pleasant, aching warmth rose sowhere in my chest.
It was hard to believe that the dream I had cherished for so many years would finally co true.
Seven years.
Seven long years full of tension, caution, and constant control.
All this ti, I worked without rest, not allowing myself to relax for a minute.
And now, when everything was finally almost behind , I could afford the luxury of dreaming of a cloudless future.
In a year, I planned to officially retire — to step down from my role as the "main villain" and finally start my own life away from all this.
In addition, I had already decided to pass on my title as head of the Order of the Shadow to Serpens, who would surely be able to handle the task. And after that, finally... freedom!
The very thought of it filled with almost childlike excitent.
Every ti I imagined leaving all this madness behind, my heart filled with lightness and my eyes filled with tears of joy.
Yes, I only had to endure a little longer — just one last year — and then I would finally be able to allow myself what I had dread of for what seed like an eternity.
I had even found a place where I planned to spend the rest of my life.
A small but cozy house on the southern coast — a villa surrounded by green vineyards and white jasmine flowers, with an open veranda where I could drink coffee in the morning, listening to the cries of seagulls and the sound of the surf.
They said that the weather in those parts was almost always mild and warm, and that the sunsets painted the sky in such colors that artists ca there specifically for inspiration.
I imagined how I would sit by the window in the evenings with a book, while the sea roared outside. Even in my dreams, it sounded simply magical!
So yes, it really was my cherished dream.
But for now...
While I was still here, I had to roll up my sleeves and work through this last, decisive year.
As usual, I had a lot of work to do. It so happened that today I didn’t even leave my office, completely imrsed in my duties.
It seed as if fate itself had conspired against , deciding to pile all possible worries, reports, letters, and questions requiring imdiate attention onto in a single day. The papers, neatly stacked in a small pile by Edison in the morning, had turned into complete chaos by noon.
As a result, I beca so deeply imrsed in my work that at so point I completely lost track of ti.
When I finally looked up from my desk, the sky outside the window had already darkened.
I blinked, looking at my watch in surprise. The hands rcilessly showed that it was late evening.
Oh well.
How did this day manage to fly by so unnoticed?
Taking a deep breath, I carefully folded the last papers into a folder and pushed it away, as if putting an end to this endless work marathon.
"That’s it for today," I said to myself and got up from the table.
The room beca especially quiet when I turned off the lamp. Only the steady ticking of the clock broke the silence. Well, now I could finally go to bed.
I returned to my room, intending to go to bed imdiately.
I took off my jewelry, carelessly placed it on the table, then unbuttoned my dress and changed into a light nightgown. Thoughts of dinner flashed sowhere on the periphery of my consciousness, but I imdiately dismissed them.
I didn’t feel like eating at all. Probably because I had been imrsed in work all day, even my hunger had dulled.
Right now, I wanted only one thing — to go to bed as soon as possible.
Since my eyes were already closing on their own, I quickly changed and got into bed, hiding under a soft blanket.
My body imdiately responded with gratitude, and my muscles relaxed.
It seed to that in another mont I would fall asleep without even touching the pillow with my head. My consciousness slowly sank into a sweet slumber. The long-awaited silence ca.
But at that mont...
Knock. Knock.
An unexpected quiet knock on the door disturbed my peace.
At first, I didn’t even realize what it was. It seed like I had just imagined it. But...
Knock. Knock.
No, now I heard it clearly. Soone was really knocking.
I was almost asleep when it happened, so at first I couldn’t even figure out who could have co to see at such a late hour.
Edison? Hardly. He always respected the chain of command and never disturbed without a good reason — especially at such a late hour.
I frowned, reached for the lamp, and in the next mont, a soft light lit up the room.
"Co in," I finally said, trying to keep my voice calm, even though I was still fighting fatigue and slight irritation at being disturbed.
The doorknob turned slowly, the door opened slightly, and I saw a figure standing in the doorway.
When my eyes adjusted to the light, I sighed involuntarily, and the corners of my lips twitched into a faint smile. All my irritation suddenly vanished.
"Ruby..." I said with a note of surprise and fatigue. "What are you doing here so late?"
Standing in front of was my niece, wearing a light nightgown, her hair loose and slightly tousled, her eyes reflecting the moonlight.
She was clutching a teddy bear in her hands — an old toy I had given her many years ago.
"Auntie..." her voice was quiet. "Can I... sleep with you tonight?"
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