Chapter 3: The Villainess's Plan

As for the newly arrived young lady, the servants were whispering among themselves in private.

"Miss Liang Di's hair color is completely different from Duke Auston's."

"Perhaps it resembles the former lady's?"

"Oh, Anna, you're new here. The former lady's hair was golden like sunlight."

"That silver-white hair is so eerie, like a witch's."

"Could any witch be more terrifying than Miss Liang Lin? As long as she isn't wicked, I wouldn't mind even if she were a witch."

A maid set down her rag, turned her head, and asked, "Do you think it's possible that Miss Liang Di is also the Duke's illegitimate daughter?"

One of the maids glanced up, then lowered her head in fear.

No one responded.

The maid felt a chill down her spine and slowly turned around, only to meet the stern gaze of the head maid. She froze in place, unsure of what to do.

"If the Duke or the young ladies hear such talk, you know what the consequences will be," the head maid said as she walked past the maids. "Do not pry into matters that are none of your concern."

Meanwhile, in Duke Auston's study. 

"Daughter, you've just returned home. Why not rest for a while? Miran and I can manage the territory on our own."

Auston sat at his desk, a pristine white quill in his hand.

Liang Di had switched to a new wheelchair today, a luxurious silver-white one, draped with a warm, soft snow-rabbit fur.

"Father, I returned to Langwendi to contribute to the family. As far as I know, our textile business has been declining in recent years, even incurring losses. To cover the deficit, Langwendi even leased land in Veritate to the Nolan family, didn't it?"

"....."

"Father, it's settled then. I will help manage the textile business."

Liang Di placed her hand on the desk, pressing down on a thick stack of papers.

"I will ensure the Nolan family is satisfied."

Auston's lips twitched, but he said nothing.

Smiling, Liang Di gathered the papers into her arms, pushed the wheels of her wheelchair, and left the room.

After Liang Di departed, Miranda emerged from behind the bed curtains and placed a hand on Auston's shoulder. 

"Darling, how could you just let her..."

But Auston suddenly erupted in fury, slamming his hand on the desk and rising to his feet, veins bulging on his temples.

In a low, furious voice, he growled, "She was strangled to death! I threw her into the wasteland with my own hands. Why!? Miran, you saw it too, didn't you? She wasn't breathing. She had no pulse, right?"

Miranda nodded.

"Her heart had stopped. And such a small infant, even if she hadn't been strangled, she couldn't have survived in the wasteland. With the Magic Tower nearby, who would dare go near that place? There's no way someone could have found her."

"She is... the curse of the Langwendi family!"

Auston clenched his fists in despair, pounding the desk violently.

"I wondered why my health has been perfectly fine these past few years. I thought the predictions were wrong, but it turns out that wretched girl never died!"

"Then... what should we do now?"

Auston gritted his teeth.

"Tomorrow... tomorrow, we will go to the palace. We... will seek an audience with the Queen and the Crown Prince."

"Sister Liang Lin, what are you doing crouching there?"

As soon as Liang Di returned to her room, she spotted Liang Lin sneaking around, peering through the crack in her door.

The girl was bent over, her rear in the air, squinting with one eye as she tried to see inside.

"Eek! What, Me?!"

Liang Lin jolted in fright, spinning around quickly. She tucked both arms behind her back, her eyes darting to the left as she stared at the mural in the far left corner, trying to appear nonchalant. She even puckered her lips and attempted to whistle.

"I... I wanted to find you, um... to chat. Don't sisters usually talk to bond?"

Liang Lin spoke awkwardly, repeatedly reminding herself in her heart that this was all part of the plan.

Ten minutes earlier...

Liang Lin had already concluded that the reason she'd suddenly blanked out after entering the room with Liang Di that day and woken up in bed was definitely because Liang Di was a witch who knew magic.

Just one look at her eerie white hair was enough to deduce that she must have cast some sort of spell on her back then!

Liang Lin wasn't the type to idle her life away. She had her own ambitions. Before dying on the battlefield, she had been a renowned marquis.

Now that she was reborn, how could she resign herself to being a useless young lady?

Her goal was to become the head of the Langwendi family.

At the time, looking at her foolish, drooling younger brother Edwin, Liang Lin had been overjoyed, thinking victory was within her grasp.

All she had to do was outlive that old geezer, Auston.

But then, out of nowhere, the legitimate young lady, Liang Di, appeared, while she herself turned out to be a fake heiress.

In an instant, her dream of inheriting the family head position seemed to drift further and further away.

Liang Di clearly looked clever.

Liang Lin felt a murderous impulse.

But if Liang Di really was a witch who knew magic... she wouldn't be easy to deal with. So... she was racking her brains when her gaze unconsciously fell upon the bookshelf.

There was a book titled"How to Win a Noble Lady's Favor" . Those few words sparked an idea in Liang Lin's mind.

"That's it! I can build a good relationship with her, make her see me as her very best friend, her most beloved sister. Then she'll let her guard down around me, and when the time comes... hehe, hehehe..."

Liang Lin let out a sinister chuckle and made a throat-slitting gesture.

The maid cleaning the glass behind her trembled all over, cold sweat beading on her forehead.

Well, now the villainous young lady had another "glorious deed" to her name, she would occasionally let out eerie laughter, like a ghost, all while scheming wicked thoughts in her mind.

Back to the present...

Hearing Liang Lin's words, Liang Di was taken aback. Recalling Liang Lin's haughty demeanor from the day before, she couldn't hold back a snort of laughter. She truly couldn't figure out this woman's thought process. One moment she was nice, the next she was nasty. Judging by that awkward expression, she was probably being insincere, no doubt brewing all sorts of mischief in her heart.

"Sure, I was actually hoping to chat with you too, Sister Liang Lin." Liang Di turned her wheelchair and moved closer to Liang Lin, taking the other's small hand in hers. "Well then, come into my room with me~"

"Wha-what?!"

Before her rebirth, due to the long years of war, Liang Lin had hardly seen any women, let alone held hands with one.

Yes, she was a pitiful virgin who had never even touched a woman. Now faced with the soft, delicate hand of a girl, she bristled, her face flushing bright red. She opened her mouth, baring her little fangs, as if she were about to pounce and bite someone at any second. 

Oh~

That adorable expression. 

Liang Di couldn't wipe the smile off her face. 

"It's perfectly normal for girls to be close, it's perfectly normal for girls to be close, it's perfectly normal for girls to be close!!! Important things must be said three times!!!" Liang Lin silently repeated this three times in her heart before slowly calming down. 

"I'll push you inside." 

Liang Lin tried to pull her hand back, giving a gentle tug, but it didn't come free.