Three months earlier, a few hours before Ray arrived in this world as Gamma.
Charlotte, who had just finished watering the hanging potted plants on the western side of the mansion, was now pacing back and forth, looking for someone else she could help. The mission she was carrying out required her to earn the trust of those around her, to be seen as nothing more than an ordinary maid.
Her secret mission was only one thing: to guard the young princess, Beatrice herself, the daughter of the emperor, and ensure her safety while keeping her true identity hidden. Only the head of the family, Rainhard, and his wife knew that the emperor's child was staying in their mansion. Everyone else in the mansion, including the children of the Hall family, had been given false memories about Beatrice, making it seem as though she had always been part of the family from the very beginning.
That was how important this mission was. It even required the Hall family to cooperate with them in secret. Because if they did not, Beatrice's life would surely be standing on the brink of death. The cruelty of power, hungry nobles was not something that could be taken lightly.
However, there was one obstacle that made Charlotte's task rather difficult.
Gamma Hall, the third child of the Hall family, officially the youngest of them all.
The very first time she set foot in the mansion, she was immediately turned into Gamma's plaything, forced to act as his pretend horse. A few days later, she was falsely accused of breaking a glass that Gamma himself had deliberately thrown. She had even been slapped and doused with cold water from a bucket.
Yet she endured it all, and eventually obtained an image that suited her perfectly: a clumsy maid who constantly made mistakes, yet was cute. Childish pranks like those could never shake the perseverance forged through years of rigorous training. Still, Charlotte cursed Gamma every single time he annoyed her.
Now, with no work left to do, since she was still in her probation period, Charlotte could only look for other maids who might need her help. Unfortunately, none of them wanted assistance at all. They feared that accepting help might give Gamma a reason to fire them.
With nothing else to do, Charlotte wandered around aimlessly, until after nearly three hours of idleness, she finally found someone who needed her help.
As she passed by the kitchen, she spotted someone preparing tea. Charlotte immediately volunteered to deliver it to the recipient.
But the moment she heard the name Gamma, she was about to refuse.
Her decision changed, however, when she faintly caught a familiar scent rising from the freshly brewed tea. She accepted the teapot and a cup, then headed toward Gamma as instructed.
Halfway to her destination, Charlotte kept her eyes on the tea she was carrying.
This smell… poison. That person must be an assassin. Well, even if that noble dies, I don't really care. It's not that I hate him, my mission here is only to protect the princess.
When she arrived at the flower garden mentioned earlier, Charlotte finally came face to face with Gamma Hall, the most hated person in the mansion, whose reputation was so thoroughly ruined that it had reached the imperial capital itself.
Forgive me, brat. Your death would bring peace to the princess. Besides, I don't need to feel guilty, even if I end up being the one who kills you.
Charlotte served the tea to Gamma and was about to place the teapot on the table.
Suddenly, Gamma shouted, "Who told you to put that filthy thing on the table?"
"Y-young master?" Charlotte asked, confused.
"Do I need to repeat myself?!"
"B-but it's hot…" Charlotte tried to look innocent.
"Are you deaf?"
"V-very well!"
Charlotte's acting was flawless. And after being treated like that, she smiled, pleased.
I've changed my mind. I hope you die right here. If I'm correct, the poison in that tea is a lethal toxin extracted from the Royal Bee Moth found in high-level labyrinths. It can camouflage itself, becoming colorless when mixed with certain ingredients. Its effect is… instant cardiac arrest. One sip, and you're dead.
A smile of anticipation spread across Charlotte's face.
But that anticipation was never fulfilled.
Gamma remained alive, even after he finished every last drop of tea in the pot.
Naturally, Charlotte was shocked.
What shocked her even more was the truth she discovered afterward.
Gamma possessed resistance to poison, resistance so strong that it could neutralize toxins lethal even to level 8 heroes.
Charlotte thought she must surely be suspected now. There was no way the person drinking it wouldn't notice the poison, especially someone with such high poison resistance, which could only be gained through horrifyingly extreme training.
Yet Gamma said nothing, calmly enjoying his tea as if it were perfectly ordinary.
Charlotte assumed that he had forgiven her "clumsiness" by pretending not to notice.
But the strangeness did not end there.
Gamma began asking about his own name, as though he were suffering from amnesia. Charlotte was not foolish enough to believe it was a random question. In the days that followed, Gamma continued to ask about things that Gamma Hall should have already known.
From that point on, Charlotte began to suspect that Gamma Hall suffered from a mental disorder, an identity crisis far beyond mere amnesia. It was as though there were two people inhabiting the same body. He committed evil acts that were not entirely evil, and good deeds that somehow appeared cruel.
This was where everything began.
Driven by curiosity, Charlotte started investigating Gamma Hall's past while the princess, Beatrice was busy with her debut as a member of the Hall family.
Anomaly after anomaly surfaced, until Charlotte finally reached a conclusion:
"Gamma Hall deliberately chose to appear as a villain."
In the present, after hearing this statement from Charlotte, Beatrice replied,
"Are you serious, Charlotte? What did you find in your investigation?"
Charlotte smiled smugly, "Don't underestimate a professional like me, my lady."
"Just tell me already!"
"Oh? So the princess is curious about the man she hates?"
"You're mocking me, aren't you?!"
Charlotte grinned mischievously, but then her expression changed.
"If you wish to hear it, Your Highness… you may have to keep this secret forever."
"Why?"
"Because this is the wish of the person in question."
Still half-doubtful, Beatrice hesitated. In the end, she nodded, "…Fine. We've come this far. I'll listen to everything."
"I decided to investigate the people he fired. I thought I might be able to draw conclusions after meeting them. And it turns out I was right. The first was Alex, a skilled chef. He was forced to become an assassin and ordered to kill the head of the Hall family Rainhard using dragon poison. A poison that once killed nearly thirty percent of the Red Dragon race in the past. That's why Gamma had to play the villain to drive him away."
"You might be misunderstanding. Maybe it was just an accident?"
"That's what I thought at first, Your Highness. But what convinced me was that Gamma helped him return home without punishment, exactly as Alex's family had requested."
"You mean…?"
"The reason Gamma acted that way… was because of the Alex's family request."
"Huh? Wait—"
"One of Alex's daughters, Melissa, once snuck into the mansion alone to meet Lord Rainhard. But the first person she encountered was Gamma. And that was the best possible outcome. The Rainhard Hall I know would have upheld justice and executed Alex on the spot for harboring malicious intent toward a noble."
"So… you're saying Gamma has been sacrificing himself all this time?"
"Yes. I am absolutely certain."
"But… that might have been just that one case. What about the others? The others?" Beatrice still tried to deny what she was hearing—even from her most loyal maid.
"You're right. That's what I thought too. But after investigating further, I reached the same conclusion again and again. Some of them were even given money to survive in remote regions. And from all of them, I heard the same words."
"What words?"
"'Save Gamma Hall. Don't let him sacrifice himself again. Support him, but don't force your ideology onto him. Don't let him be alone.'"
"…."
Beatrice fell silent, deep in thought. Her beautiful face twisted into one filled with guilt. What echoed in her mind were the cruel words she had always thrown at that person.
Seeing her expression, Charlotte decided to continue.
"Everyone labeled as a victim actually pities the one who sacrificed himself for them. Especially when that person is still so young, yet already mentally mature enough to choose saving others over his own dark future. Enduring insults, bearing hatred from strangers, even facing attempts on his life without mercy. How long do you intend to remain one of those people, my lady?"
Beatrice could say nothing. She accepted those words as if they were a knife stabbing straight into her heart.
Noticing Beatrice's shaken expression, Charlotte realized she had gone too far. She quickly offered an idea.
"How about making up with him slowly? For example… having breakfast together and saying good morning?"
"Uh… but…" Beatrice hesitated. She didn't think she could bear seeing Gamma Hall yet. She feared she wouldn't be able to suppress her guilt if she faced him.
"Y-you already brought the food anyway. Let's do it tomorrow."
Charlotte deliberately tipped over the food trolley, "Ah, I slipped."
The food scattered across the floor.
"You did that on purpose, didn't you?!"
Without hesitation, Charlotte replied, "Tomorrow is his birthday. This is the last chance for Your Highness to have an excuse to join the celebration, isn't it?"
Understanding her meaning, Beatrice was silent for a moment and nodded then headed toward the dining room.
But before leaving her room, she stopped, "Charlotte," She stared sharply at her and continued, "Make sure my room is clean when I return."
"Y-yes, ma'am!"
Charlotte panicked under that gaze, realizing she had crossed a line.
Still—
She did not regret it.