Enchanted Clothes

Here she comes again with her fake benevolence.

Isla clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as she watched Vivian from the corner of her eye. A smug, untouchable noblewoman, acting as if she were some virtuous saint while demanding an outrageous compensation fee for the inner lining of her dress, one million gold. Isla's stomach churned at the thought.

It wasn't just the amount that enraged her. No, it was the sheer hypocrisy of it.

Vivian didn't need the money. A million gold was nothing to her, an insignificant sum compared to the vast fortune her family hoarded. To Vivian, it was less than a single drop in the endless ocean of wealth she possessed. But to Isla, to her family, it was an insurmountable sum. Even if they scraped together every bit of their resources, it still wouldn't be enough.

And Vivian knew that.

She had deliberately chosen this amount, not too high that others would accuse her of being unreasonable, but not low enough for Isla to afford. It was the perfect figure to force Isla into a corner, to humiliate her in front of noble society. To remind her that no matter how hard she struggled, she would always be beneath her.

Isla's vision blurred with fury but she tried to control herself when she remembered that the duke was still her and also her mistress's warning. This was nothing but a carefully calculated act of cruelty, another way to make a mockery of her existence.

Yes, she had made a mistake by wearing Vivian's dress, but did they really have to take it this far? Hadn't she already suffered enough? It wasn't as if she had destroyed the dress, she just put on the dress! Why was she being forced to pay such a ridiculous price?

The answer was simple.

Because it was her.

Because it was Isla.

Because she had no one to protect her, no one to stand up for her.

But she would not forget this.

It's not too late for me to take revenge. I just need to wait for my plan to fall into place…

Isla exhaled slowly, calming the rage that boiled inside her. If she wanted revenge, she had to be smart. She had to endure this humiliation just as her mistress said, bide her time, and strike when Vivian least expected it.

Yes, it would be difficult. Using her charm magic to manipulate someone into paying a million gold for her would drain an enormous amount of her energy. The more outrageous a request, the more resistance the target would have, and the harder it would be to control them.

A million gold was no small amount, even for the wealthier nobles. And what nobleman in his right mind would throw away such a fortune on a woman like her? One who had no political value, no influence, no power? She wasn't even considered a desirable mistress anymore, her reputation had fallen too far for that.

Unless… she targeted a wealthy commoner.

The thought made her stomach twist with disgust. Associating with a commoner would only worsen her already tarnished reputation. Nobles were ruthless when it came to isolating those they deemed beneath them, and if she was seen mingling with a commoner, she would be completely cast out from high society.

No. That was not an option.

She needed a noble, someone with enough wealth and stupidity to fall for her charm quickly. She needs to make someone desperate enough to want her just like the Marquis, even if only for a fleeting moment. It would take effort, more than she would like, but it was her only choice.

While Isla wrestled with her thoughts, Vivian simply watched her with an amused expression.

Oh, she knew exactly what she was doing.

This was a game, and she was winning. Isla needed to understand that no matter how hard she tried, she would never be able to stand on equal footing with her. Even at her lowest, Vivian was still superior.

One million gold was nothing to her. It was less than what she spent on a single morning meal, a fraction of the cost of the dresses and jewelry she adorned herself with. Every piece she owned was embedded with powerful enchantments, crafted from rare and precious materials. In fact, even the dress Isla had mistakenly worn was likely enchanted, which was part of the reason it was so valuable.

Vivian traced a finger along the jeweled cuff of her sleeve, recalling the memories she had inherited from the original Vivian.

Years ago, when she was still a child, an assassination attempt had been made on her life. The enemy kingdom had chosen to attack her rather than the emperor, the empress, or even the princes and princesses. It had been a calculated move, Vivian was the weakness of the royal family, their Achilles' heel. She was less heavily guarded, yet more valuable than the others.

But they had underestimated her.

That day, she had been wearing an enchanted dress, a gift from her older brother. Back then, he had been practicing the art of enchantment, and his first successful creations had been given to her. A sentimental gesture, but one that had ultimately saved her life.

Since then, every item she wore had been enchanted. Normally, enchantments were reserved for jewelry and accessories, but because she had rarely worn those after dedicating herself to winning Duke Leonard's heart, her family had shifted their focus to enchanting her clothing instead and everything was kept a secret.

And yet… in the original novel, Vivian had died.

How?

If she had been wearing enchanted clothing, then how had the duke been able to managed to kill her?

It didn't make sense. The author had conveniently left out too many crucial details, treating the assassination attempt as a minor footnote that doesn't need to be included in the original story. But it wasn't. It had played a significant role in the war that was now raging between their empire and the enemy nation.

What else did the author fail to mention?

Vivian's gaze flickered back to Isla, who was still struggling to contain her fury.

How pathetic.

Vivian almost felt sorry for her. Almost.

But then again, Isla had brought this upon herself.

This was what happened when one tried to challenge someone they could never hope to surpass.

A slow, knowing smile curled on Vivian's lips.

And Isla?

Isla clenched her fists even tighter, vowing that one day, she would make Vivian pay.

No matter what it took.