I slept the whole afternoon. There was nothing much to do, so I figured doing nothing would simply be the best solution.

  "It's a good thing they don't care about me," I muttered.

  Ugh, but what's with the commotion outside?

  I rang the bell to get someone's attention, but surprisingly, there was a slight delay. Finally, the maid arrived and bowed in front of me.

  "What seems to be the problem, my lady?" she asked, looking flustered.

  Noticing the maids running around in the hallway, I inferred it must be something significant. "What's going on outside?" I asked, crossing my arms.

  "The lady doesn't know?" She raised her brow in confusion.

  Obviously, I wouldn't ask if I knew.

  "Did the lady perhaps—"

  "No, of course not," she replied.

  "I have my memories, but some things are hazy," I said, trying to sound nonchalant.

  "It's…" She hesitated, then muttered,

  "…Lady Adele's debutante ball. Tonight."

  The maid looked at me with caution. It was a normal reaction — the old Josephine would have snapped at the mere mention of her name.

  Hmmm. I highly doubt Adele would like me at this point, but it's not too bad to give her something on her special day, right?

  "When does it start?" I asked.

  "Around 8:00 PM, my lady."

  I still have around three hours.

  "Okay, come back at around 7:50."

  You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

  "You're not going to attend, my lady?" the maid asked, eyes wide with surprise.

  I smiled bitterly at her. "But why would I attend a party I wasn't invited to?"

  The maid fell silent, unable to find the right words.

  "Stop pitying me," I said softly. "Just let me know when it's time."

  I gestured for her to leave and she bowed her head on the way out.

  I reached to the top of my drawer and grabbed a box containing many jewels. Among them were precious ones that Josephine liked to hoard.

  It was her hobby to collect them and craft jewelry. In fact, the necklace the prince gave to Adele — "Teardrop of the Goddess" — was actually created by Josephine under the alias "Nephie."

  That's why, secretly, Josephine was rich in her own right, aside from the money she received from the family.

  I readied my kit and went to work. I used a high-grade silver chain with a lacy design, adorning each side with rare gems called kindle gems that boasted vitality. The laces were decorated with blood diamonds, and the star of the necklace was the Bloodstone Ruby — the rarest ruby in existence.

  It was one of Josephine's most prized gems, but I don't need it. It'll all be useless if I die anyway. Once it was finished, it really looked like a masterpiece. Such a shame, honestly.

  At this point, I really pitied Josephine. I bit my lip in frustration. The more I thought about it, the more unfair it felt.

  That's why I'll do my best to get her out of here.

  I placed it in a designer's box and wrote a note: "Congrats on your Debutante, Josephine."

  Weird. It's just a normal box no matter how you look at it — so why do I feel like I'll regret this later?

  Anyways, I adorned it with a pink ribbon and rang the bell again. The maid came and bowed.

  I handed her the box. "Give this to Adele. It's my gift."

  The maid looked nervous.

  Why do I feel like I'm the bad one here?

  "Sigh, it's not bad, okay? Look!" I opened the box and showed her the necklace. "See? Not bad, eh?" I smirked.

  The maid — Jane — now had sparkling eyes. "Wow! Lady! Isn't this made by Nephie?"

  A flicker of annoyance crossed my face. "Uh, yeah…?"

  "Amazing! Nephie's work is so beautiful and brilliant that even the imperial family praises her!" Her face inched toward the box. I moved it aside.

  "Anyways! Give it to her. It's my gift."

  Jane is a good girl after all.

  "I'll take care of it, my lady."

  "But Lady, how did you get this piece? Nephie's work is rare."

  "Nephie is a close friend of mine," I said, laughing awkwardly and scratching my head.

  "Is that so?" she replied, a hint of curiosity in her voice.

  "Go. Also, prepare my dinner beforehand at the cottage in the maze," I instructed.

  "As you wish, my lady." She left the room.

  I let out a sigh of relief. I couldn't let anyone know I was Nephie — or else escaping would become even harder.

  I looked out through the balcony again and gazed at the night sky. The full moon shone brightly, and the stars were scattered across the dark like a blanket.

  I don't know why I'm here, I thought to myself.

  That's my question. And I don't really know the answer