Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

You're not sure how this could have possibly happened. The last thing you remember was crossing the road when suddenly a large truck came hurtling towards you, completely blacking out at the moment of impact.

Next thing you knew you were woken up by a woman you'd never seen before. Needless to say, the initial shock of getting hit by a truck and then suddenly being touched by a stranger, had left you panicked and confused. Before you knew it, you were screaming and causing a big scene.

The woman, who you later figured out was your maid Aria, looked Frightened yet didn't seem too surprised at your outburst. Almost as if she's used to this type of behavior. After trying to ask her what exactly is happening ( and getting oddly vague answers) You ask her to be left alone for a moment to try and understand what exactly is happening.

It has been a full week after that incident, and you have more or less grasped the situation you find yourself in. Just thinking about it gives you a headache, as you lay on your oversized, plush bed.

Firstly, you died on impact when that truck hit you that fateful day. You, in turn, got reincarnated into the body of a well-off noble lady in her mid-twenties, from a book you had read in your previous life. Which wouldn't be a problem if she wasn't the villainess of the story.

This story specifically is the one you had happened to binge a few nights before the incident.

"Sakuramochi and white scales" was a romance novel you picked up after your friend recommended it to you. It was about a young pink and green haired girl, Kanroji Misturi, who is doomed to never find love. She one day meets the cold hearted adopted prince, Obanai Iguro.

They meet at the imperial college after Mitsuri enrolled in its knight program. The two start to fall for each other as the story progresses, and face many challenges Along the way.

One of them being you, (y/n) Claudia.

Yes, the main reason you liked the book, was because you shared a name with one of the characters. She was a selfish, mean woman who was initially engaged to the adopted prince but was never able to melt his cold heart. When rumors broke out that Iguro was Infatuated with Lady Mitsuri, Ms. Claudia quickly and passionately started to hate her.

Throughout the story, the person's body you now inhabit had done some pretty outrageous things to Mitsuri, all in the name of jealousy. Even going as far as paying a Missionary from another kingdom to try and assassinate her.

In the end, Ms.Claudia is caught in the action and is charged with treason. By the end of the third book, she's disowned by her family and is later executed for her crimes. Truly a miserable end, for a truly miserable girl.

But you aren't going to let something like that happen to you! You've been given a second chance at life, and this time born into a rich family. Long gone are the days of working a double shift to stay afloat, and Farewell to the anxiety filled night where you lay worried about how you would afford your next meal!

You’ve decided that with your newfound wealth and power, you are going to live a comfortable and lavish life with no worries whatsoever. To do that you'd have to find a way to avoid getting executed by the end of the story.

As you ponder on how to do that, you hear a knock at your bedroom door. You clear your throat and try to appear as if you were the original owner of this body.

"What do you want?" You say blankly.

"U-um my lady, the nurse is here to see you?" Says a quivering voice behind the door. You recognize it as one of your maids.

"NURSE?!?" You unintentionally thought out loud. You completely forgot about that. To avoid interacting with as many people as possible, you told your maid that you didn't feel well, and did not want to be bothered while you recovered in your room.

That was about a week ago, Since then, You've been coupled up in your room, only speaking to maids that brought you food and medicine for your " cold ". Although almost everyone in your new home had just assumed you were faking it to get attention from Prince Iguro, As you'd have done many times before, to no avail. Your sweet father, who was worried sick about you, had called for the best doctor in the kingdom.

Kocho Kanae, and her two sisters, were from a long lineage of highly skilled medical professionals. The Kocho family had served the imperial family for generations, Producing some of the continent's best known doctors and apothecaries.

With your family on good terms with the imperial family, and you being engaged to Prince Iguro, it was absolutely necessary for you to get the same attention and care they received.

According to Ms.Claudia anyway.

Every time she pretended to be sick, her father would worry and call for one of the sisters. They would come to examine her and quickly realize that there was no sickness to cure, after scolding Ms. Claudia for wasting their time, they would leave.

And each time she'd be seen in public again upset that her fiance hadn't visited her once in her "time of need".

After mistaking your surprise for anger, your maid scrambled to explain the situation. While trying to hear the poor maid rambling through the door, you hear another voice speak up.

"For goodness sake just open the damned door!" You hear a feminine voice yell as the door to your room is swung open.

A short, dark haired, and blue eyed girl in a nurse's uniform enters your room. She has an annoyed expression on her face and stomps her way to your bed. You start to panic as she gets closer, feeling her anger and annoyance from where you sit.

“ Are you actually sick?” she asks, now standing in front of you.

“…” You didn't say anything, you figured that keeping quiet was the best course of action in this scenario.

“How many times do we have to tell you, That we can not keep coming here every time you throw a tantrum!” she sternly tells you. It seems that there is a misunderstanding, which you try to correct but are cut off by the angry nurse.

"Anyway, since I've come all the way Here, I'll just refill any medication you might need." She says searching through her bag. Once she's done, she swiftly makes her way out of your room.

Completely bewildered by what just happened, you turn to your maid. She lets out a yelp, obviously uncomfortable with being left in the room alone with you.

"I-I'm sorry my lady, your father had requested for one of the Kocho sisters but-"

"Ugh, just hand me whatever painkillers she left" You cut off her rambling with your best Ms.Claudia impression. You’re beginning to form another headache, just from this interaction alone.

After she hands you the medicine you tell her to leave. Although you feel kinda bad for being rude to your maid, you really want to be alone at the moment. You need to devise a plan to avoid being executed.

Right now, it's about two years before the assassination incident, and only a few weeks before the two main characters Meet. You want to avoid getting involved with those two as much as possible and to do that you have to find a way to cancel the engagement with the prince.

Your parents aren't going to believe any half-assed reason you give them so you have to think long and hard about it. Fortunately, Ms.Claudia doesn’t attend the imperial college so your only problem is the engagement. You're pulled from your thoughts by a knocking at the door, a few seconds later Aria, the maid, pops her head into your room.

"Um" the maid starts to say. That's weird you're sure you told her to leave you alone a while ago, why is she here? She fiddles with her fingers a bit, not looking in your direction.

"Spit it out already, I don't have all day!" You yell at her getting impatient with her shy behavior.

" Your father has asked for you to see him in his office!" She finally blurts out. Why did that even take her so long?

But most importantly your father wants to see you! Why? This is the exact opposite of what you wanted, it seems as though today just isn't your day!

The maid helps you get ready to meet your father. She helps you choose a dress from the huge selection In your closet and even helps you with your hair. Once she's done, you take a look in the mirror, the dress she chose was absolutely stunning, and the jewelry with it matched with your outfit well.

"You did a great job" You tell her, she gives you a hopeful smile as she escorts you to your father's office. You give her an indifferent look, not wanting to stray too far from this original body's personality.

You make it to the office, and she informs your father of your arrival. She opens the door for you, then closes it once you're inside.

With your best poker face, you turn to your father. Williams Von Claudia, a prominent member of this country's merchant guild, and the Duke of Anondell. For generations his family has worked with the royal family, helping form strong relationships with merchants from all over the continent.

You nervously take a seat in front of his desk, and wait for him to speak.

"How do you feel, my dear daughter." He finally says, not even looking at you. He seems to be busy with some important looking documents.

"Besides a persistent headache, I'm fine." You reply monotone. In the story, Ms.Claudia's relationship with her father was never really expanded upon. Except for a few quick excerpts that tell us that Ms. Claudia's personality was heavily influenced by how much her father spoiled her.

"A headache? Did you tell the doctor about this?" He questioned. To your surprise, he looked up from his paper with a worried expression.

"You mean the nurse? She did give me more pai-" You were cut off before finishing your sentence.

"NURSE!?!?!" He shouted.

" I asked for one of the Kocho doctors specifically!" He says in anger, surprising you even more. Why was he so upset?

"Well I wasn't that sick to being with so-" You say trying to calm him down.

"Nonsense! My daughter must have the best care in this entire Empire- no, in the entire continent!" He states, clearly upset with how things had turned out.

"I must write a letter to the Emperor, for this act of utter negligence against my daughter!"

'Ah, this guy might have a few screws loose.' You think.

"Father please calm down, there's no need to send a letter." You sigh.

"Was this why you had me come to your office?" You asked. Upon hearing your question, he calms down and clears his throat.

“Oh, I almost forgot.” He looks around his desk for a moment, once your father finds what he is looking for, he hands it over to you. You look at the paper he handed you, then look back at him. He seems almost proud of himself as if he had accomplished something worth praising.

"And what is this supposed to be?” you asked after a long stretch of silence.

“It's your accepted application into the imperial college!” he beams at you.

“No way!” you say mortified. Your father takes it as a sign of excited disbelief.

“Yes! I know how hard you've been trying to get that cold hearted prince’s attention.’ he starts

“But since he’s about to start his term in the next few weeks, he would probably ignore any request for you two to meet under the guise of being busy” your father says unhappily. He doesn't seem to be a fan of the prince.

“So what you're saying is…” you say worriedly.

“Im saying now that you’ve been accepted, you can finally start to bond with your finance!” this isn't good, You wanted to stay as far away from the college as possible. About seventy percent of the story takes place at the Imperial College.

“Wh-” you start trying to figure out a way out of this.

“What about Mother, what did she say about this” you ask him in a panic. From what you can recall the Duchess of Anondell, your mother, was a woman who hated schooling. She was a spontaneous woman who hated staying in one place for too long, so it's easy to say that college was not for her.

“Don't worry about your mother, she already signed off on it before she left for her expedition in the east.” he chimes, giving you a thumbs up. You feel as if you’re about to cry, this is the exact opposite of what you wanted to happen.

"And you also get to see your brother again!" It's as if every time he opens his mouth, your headache gets worse. You remember an excerpt describing how Ms.Claudia thought the world was against her, back then you just laughed at how dramatic she was. Now you're starting to believe she might have been onto something.

╔══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╗

You stare up at the large building in front of you as You're helped out of the carriage. sulking as you're shown the way to the entrance, a chaperone leading you through a private passage. Since you're from a prestigious family and are engaged to a prince, it only makes sense to avoid entering crowded places.

Today is for "first attendance" which is a fancy way of saying it's the welcoming ceremony for new students. The dean gives a speech to the students, and after all the formalities everyone socializes with each other until it's time to leave.

You're not gonna deal with that though, the last thing you want to do is accidentally bump into the prince or Lady Kanroji. So once you are dropped off inside, you go in the opposite direction of the welcoming ceremony. You're trying to find someplace quiet, where you can sit in silence and think of a plan that will break you and the prince's engagement. You go through some double doors, which leads you to a garden mainly made up of pathways, tables, and gazebos. You assume that this is a sort of outside cafeteria or an area for socializing.

Following a pathway you make it to what you think is the edge of the area, the road starts to loop back towards the front. There's also a thick line of trees perfectly enclosing the area, and right in front of it is an isolated bench. Sitting there would give you a nice view of the whole area.

Perfect.

You take a seat, figuring that once people start to fill up the area I'd be your cue to leave. For now, you'll take this time to think of a plan that would quickly break off your engagement with the prince, and save you from getting executed.

Stopping your engagement would cause a really big stir In aristocratic society, rich people do love their gossip after all. Your families would also be an issue since both the Royle family and the Claudia family eagerly want this marriage to happen.

It was going to be hard to come up with an excuse.

As you sit and ponder about your current situation, you're interrupted by a noise you hear from the grove behind you. Straining your ears to listen it starts to sound like people talking. You try to ignore it, thinking whoever it is will leave eventually. But as the noise grew louder you lost hope of them leaving.

Fed up with the noise, you get up from the seat, and make your way where the noise is. Veering off the pathway and walking through the cluster of trees you notice a group of young boys. Four of them surround another boy on the ground, they point and laugh as he tries to get up only to be pushed down again.

Ah! A typical bullying scene.

"Hey Senjuro, why are you even here?" The taller of the group asked. The boy, who you assume is Senjuro, stays quiet, choosing to look at the ground instead. He's got this eccentric yellow and red hair that seems familiar to you, but you can't quite remember why.

"You're the complete opposite of your brother! You're weak, useless, and so quiet that people think you're an idiot." The boy continues.

"Why do you even bother coming to school? Even if you graduated you'll just end up like your father." Another boy chimes in. Senjuro finally looks up, tears in his eyes as his tormentors call him names.

This Scene leaves a bitter taste in your mouth, making you upset. It makes you recall memories from your past life, memories that are better left forgotten. How can you let this happen when you've seen something like this before. That time it ended in tears and regret, but you won't let the same thing happen today.

"Ahem" you loudly clear your throat, standing behind the group. They all turn to you surprised, too busy talking to hear you coming.

"What the he-" They turn to look at you, and their faces lose color. You take out your fan and hide your face with it to cover the smile forming on your face.

"Here I am trying to enjoy the nice weather we're having when I suddenly hear annoying squeaking coming from behind me." You say from behind your fan. You take a step closer to the group, and they all simultaneously take step back.

Good.

"I thought maybe it was an injured animal, but, lo and behold, it was coming from a pack of rats trying to attack this defenseless boy." You sneer, glaring at them.

"I- It's that witch, (y/n) Claudia!" One of them yells at you.

Ugh, how rude, with the way they're acting you would think these brats never learned proper Etiquette. Kids like them definitely deserve a proper lesson on manners, and Luckily for them, you were feeling quite generous at the moment.

"Just who the hell are you calling a witch?!" You scream at them. You grab the little rodent that dared to call you a witch by the ear.

"Where's your guardian, I have a thing or two to say to them." You say.

As you begin to pull the boy along by the ear, one of his friends kicks you in the shin. In shock (and a lot of pain), you let go of the brat's ear to hold your leg. The four boys scurry away, as you inspect the damage they caused to your leg. The area where they kicked you is bruised, how can a child kick so hard?

Damn brats, next time you see them you're definitely going to beat the-

"Are you alright my lady?" You hear someone ask. You look behind to find Senjuro, who seems quite wary of you but also concerned because of your injury.

"I'm fine" you say, as you help him to his feet.

"How are you doing? From what I saw they were being very rough with you." You recall, leading him to the bench you were previously seated at. You set your fan down and take out a handkerchief to wipe the dirt and tears that stain his face.

"I'm alright, I've been through much worse so this is nothing." He tells you, as you wipe his face. He reminds you so much of someone you used to know, someone who's no longer with you.

"But even so, You can not let them treat you like that! Even if you've truly been through worse, that does not give anyone the right to hurt you." You finish wiping his face, and he looks at you with an emotion you don't recognize on his face. You two sit in silence for a moment, both of you deep in thought. Senjuro suddenly gets up from his seat, startling you in the process.

"How rude of me, I haven't introduced myself yet! I am-" his introduction is cut short by a man angrily stomping his way over to you, the four bullies tailing behind him.

" (Y/N) CLAUDIA, YOU WENCH! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY BROTHER" You hear the man squeal as he stands over you. You pick up your fan and cover your mouth, as you give him an indifferent look.

"Now that's no way to greet a lady."

"To hell with greetings, I'm asking why you have laid your hands on my younger brother." He raved at you. By now other students have already started to fill in the area, signaling that first attendance is over.
They gawk and stare at the commotion, no one is really that surprised when they see it's you. If there's ever a commotion it's usually caused by lady (y/n) Claudia.

"Wait this is a misunderstanding, my lad-" Senjuro tries to explain, but you Raise your hand telling him to stop. You finally get up from your seat, feeling uncomfortable being the only one sitting, pushing Senjuro behind you to shield him from his tormentors. You glare at the kids behind the man, Your leg still hurts from the kick that little runt gave you.

"There's no misunderstanding. I heard noises akin to that of rats and came to find your brother and his friends harassing this young gentleman. " You point at the boys, and their faces turn red with anger.

"D-don't let that witch trick you big brother, she just attacked us out of nowhere. Why would (y/n) Claudia ever help someone in need, she's obviously lying." The boy stammered, and his friends agreed. The crowd that had formed around you was filled with whispers and unapproved stars.

" you brothers are the same, rude and pompous. You all speak and act as if you're street rats, ready to bite at a moment's notice. They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, judging from your looks I'd say your whole family is made up of rodents." You give yourself a pat on the back for that comeback, this whole villainess thing isn't that bad.

As you silently congratulate yourself, the man, who you've deemed ratman, forcefully grabs your hand. You are suddenly taken back to a time far before this, a time when you felt powerless and angry. The memory flashes in your mind vividly, making you even more upset than you already were.

"Unhand me you rodent." You say, clenching your jaw to stop yourself from yelling at him. At that moment you make a promise to never let these two siblings have one peaceful moment in their worthless lives.

"Apologies."

"What!?" You ask.

"Get on your knees and beg for forgiveness from me and my brother" Ratman says seething with anger.

"My lady please don't provoke him any further." Senjuro tries to plead, but you ignore him. The rodent and his family dare to make you relive moments of your old life you've long forgotten. But this isn't your old life, and you're someone much more important now. You are going to use this newfound status and power to its fullest extent, starting right now.

"And if I don't?" You ask. The crowd goes silent, eagerly waiting for Ratman's response. They don't have to wait long, because the man raises his hand preparing to swing at you.

You close your eyes waiting for the impact but it never comes. Opening your eyes, you're surprised to see that someone had stopped Ratman's hand. A flash of yellow and red fills your vision as you look upon the back of someone you don't recognize.

Wait.

"I'm not sure what exactly has happened here," the man stated rather loudly.

"But no matter the Circumstance, a gentleman should never raise his hands against a lady!" He exclaims.

Ratman begrudgingly lowers his hand, not wanting to trouble the man in front of him any further.

Quickly you pass the man who had rescued you, planning on dealing with him later, and step close to Ratman. Craning your hand back as far as you can, you give the foolish man a hearty slap across his face. Bystanders gasp in shock as the man holds his cheek, the space where your hand connected leaving a red mark.

"At first I was going to teach you and your brother a lesson on Etiquette, but I would be a fool to try and teach pests good manners." The Glare you give the rodent Brothers and their friends fills the air around you with unease.

"I'll make you wish that I had given you that mercy" you spit at them.

As everyone stands there stunned by what just happened. you quickly run towards the entrance and call for a Carriage to take you home. With a bruised shin and a painful headache, you make your way home hoping to avoid your father for the rest of the day.

Chapter Text

the sun sits idly in the sky as early morning peaks through the curtains of a young noble lady's room. Her maids should already be there preparing her for the day, but not one maid enters her room. 

'How arrogant' you think.

In the story, it's often mentioned how much the people around the villainess hated her, particularly the maids. They despise her bratty and spoiled attitude and are encouraged by her older brother to torment her.

With her mother barely in the house, a father who's always working, and a brother who doesn't like her, the villainess (y/n) Claudia has no one to defend her from the maid's torment.

Sighing in frustration you pull the string near your bed to ring for a maid to come and attend to you. It's an inarguable fact that the attendees of this house have very strong opinions about you, the best you can do at the moment is to get used to it for now. Unless you call for them not one maid will take the time to even acknowledge you, even as you now lay in bed “injured”. 

It's been two whole days since you've been to the college, not wanting to face the onslaught of people judging you from a distance. You used your injury as an excuse not to go, hoping to stall the Inevitable. You're 100% sure that the rumors about the ordeal that took place days prior had gone off the rails. There is no way that rumors about 'the wicked (y/n) Claudia' tormenting "innocent" children would not spread like wildfire. 

There's not much you could do about that, but there is something you can do about the maids. Since their inability to Cooperate with you goes against your plan of living a luxurious and pampered life,  you'll have to discipline them. 

An older maid enters your room as you ponder, she looks visibly displeased with the fact that she has to be here. 

"What took you so long?" You ask, returning the displeased look. She opens her mouth to reply but you cut her off.

"Never mind I don't care, assist me in my morning routine." You order her. She sucks her teeth and reluctantly helps you get ready for the day. You both look at the mountain of new clothes and jewelry that occupy your closet, most of them being gifts from your father after hearing about the injury you'd Acquired a few days ago.

It took a lot of convincing to get him to not call for a palace doctor. 

Your attention turns to the maid, who grumbles and occasionally glares at you. You ask her questions to pass the time, and As she helps you get ready the maid tells you that her name is Kazemi and that she's worked for this family for 15 years. 

She’ll make a great example.

You're not sure what you'll do to her yet, but you'll make sure that no one in this house can ever disrespect you and get away with it. Your brother might be a problem though, Mika Takar Claudia has the task of supervising and managing all the servants of the household. 

Although the job would usually be passed to the eldest daughter, your family unanimously agreed you weren't fit for the role. But all is not lost, You do have a plan to take back that role.

In the second book, there was an incident involving a ring of servants who were stealing and exchanging information and funds from many different nobles. Lady Mitsuri, assisting Lady Shinobu in her investigation, helps find the culprits and have them arrested for their crimes. 

When going through testimonies and evidence they find out that they were hired/bribed by a low-ranking noble. They also made a list of all the people affected by the scandal and your family's Name is written neatly on the top. Rumors of your father's incompetence for not noticing such deviance were spread quickly, sullying the name of the Claudias. 

At the moment the severity of the crime isn't at the scale that it is in the book. It is about 5-7 months prior to when the MC helps catch the criminals, so this low nobles scheme is only in its infancy. If you're able to catch whichever servant is being bribed, you'll definitely be given power over the maids again, Especially since your brother wasn't able to!

Once that is taken care of you'll make sure each and every maid that has ever treated you and Ms.Claudia impudently will be thoroughly punished.

 You hum to yourself happily as you make your way to the dining table for breakfast. Just thinking about destroying those arrogant fools brings a smile to your face.

While you eat breakfast and think about your schemes, the young maid Aria hands you several letters. Now that you think about it, Aria is the only maid that doesn't seem to hate you, even if she avoids you it's always out of fear and not of any malice or hatred towards you.

She looks no older than 18 or 19, with slightly tanned skin. Dark freckles adorn her face like stars in the night sky, and her hair a beautiful amber in color.

 You thank her and she quickly tries to leave the room, but you stop her.

“ Stop.” 

She does as you say, but does not turn around. You can almost see her shaking in fear, and it kind of makes you feel cool. Having such power and authority over someone is thrilling, to say the least.

"Your name is Aria, correct?" She slowly turns to you, head bowed in terror. You sigh, already getting tired of her behavior.

"Calm down, you're not in trouble or anything, I just want to talk." You deadpan.

"W-what would you like to talk about my lady?" She asks tentatively. You smile at her, and point to the seat next to you. She's hesitant to sit but does so quickly when you give her a look of annoyance.

"Tell Me about yourself." You ask.

 She tells you about her impoverished family, and how she's only been working here for a year. You're also informed that she's the only one in her family healthy enough to work. 

 The sorrowful look in her eyes makes you pity her, she reminds you so much of how you were in your past life. Every night you would pray that a rich billionaire sugar daddy/mommy would find you and shower you with money. But now look at you, rich and noble, It would be unjust to leave her like this now that you have such power. You'll take it upon yourself to take advantage of this young maid so that she can live a Prosperous life. 

Plus, you need someone by your side who can keep an eye on the other servants anyway. 

"How about becoming my personal maid." You ask her. 

"Me?! You want me to be your personal maid." She asks unsure, this could be one of your ways to toy with her.

"You're the only one I can trust Aria." You take her hands into yours, you make sure to look as trustworthy and doleful as possible. 

"I've seen how the other maids look at me, All the other maids hate me. But you're different, I've seen how hard-working and kind you are. I wouldn't want another person by my side!" You pretend to pour your heart out to this woman, all those years in customer service are finally paying off. If anyone could act their way out of a situation I'd be you, whether it's with an annoyed customer or a gullible maid.

The young maid Aria is astonished. Never in her wildest dreams did she think she would ever be given the opportunity to work as a personal assistant to a high-ranking noblewoman. It's practically unheard of, for a woman of her background to have such a high-paying position. The other maids would surely be jealous, as she’ll be making almost as much money as the head maid!

 Aria wonders if she is dreaming, but after giving herself a painful pinch she realizes that this is not a dream. It is actually a miracle given by the hands of an angel, an angel who actually cares about her dire predicament. Yes an angel, just like the one sitting next to her. Lady (y/n) Claudia is an angel, who was sent from heaven to bless her with said miracle.

You can clearly see the gratitude and admiration on her face as she stares at you in awe. 

"I'll tell my father about your promotion, as soon as possible. For now, you'll accompany me to the garden." Done with your breakfast, you Leisurely make your way toward the spacious garden.  You spot another maid in the hallway and order her to bring you some refreshments, so you can thoroughly enjoy your time in the garden.

After her Long trips, your mother always brings some type of exotic plant to fill her garden with. Even though your father seems to dislike the lack of decorum, he hired people to regularly supervise and take care of the garden.

Sitting near the fountain that decorates the center of the plant-filled plot of land, you look through the stack of letters Aria handed you. A Peculiar golden envelope catches your eye, and you inspect the brilliant red accents that adorn it. The same red I'd used on the wax seal on the center of the envelope. A flame embellishes it, you assume it's the sender's family emblem.

Oh. Right.

You've been trying to avoid this for the last few days. out of everything that happened that day outside the main hall, this was the most headache-inducing.

Ever since helping Senjuro that day, you have been avoiding responding to the letters and gifts he and his brothers have sent you. Replying means you have to admit that you had mistakenly gotten involved with an essential character in the novel.

Kyojuro Rengoku.

Lady Misturi's good friend, and mentor while in the academy, it's relatively obvious that he's an important character in the story. He was a prominent figure that Mitsuri would Confine in when she struggled with her duty as a knight in training. You remember he, unfortunately, passes away later in the series in the war against an enemy kingdom. 

You remember how heartbreaking it was.  If given the chance you'd like to save him from that fate somehow. But as of now, you're not really sure how to even go about that. 

A maid arrives pushing a cart with your refreshments on it, she leaves the cart then heads back into the building.

As Aria pours you a drink, you decide to open the letter the oldest brother had sent you, hoping to get an idea of how to save the dashing gentleman. 

To Lady Claudia 

    I hope you've received the gifts we've sent you well. I ask that you please forgive me if you find them to be distasteful,  for I am inept when it comes to purchasing gifts suitable for a dignified woman such as yourself. 

I write this letter to thank you for helping my younger brother in his time of need. Words cannot express how grateful I am for your act of kindness, therefore I would like to invite you for a cup of tea, so I may express my gratitude in person. 

                              Rengoku Kyojuro.

Wow.

Judging from this letter you can tell that this guy doesn't have many female friends to confide in about things like this. you guess the assortment of mismatched jewelry and clothing sent to you should have also been an indicator of that, but you had already sent them back without thinking about it. 

There aren’t many female figures in his life, Kyojuro’s mother died when he was young, leaving him clueless when it comes to someone of the opposite gender. and shortly after graduating from the college, he took an oath of abstinence and entirely devoted himself to being a knight. So in the end he died without ever getting married or even officially courting anyone.

But this gives you an idea, not only can this plan save Rengoku Kyojuro from his terrible demise, but it could also possibly get your engagement annulled. this plan is so easy, how have you not thought of this before? With how spoiled and spontaneous Ms. Claudia used to be, you're sure this plan could work perfectly.

"What do you think?" You ask Aria, handing her the letter.

"Me?! I uh-" She quickly reads the letter.

"Oh my. Would it really be alright for an engaged woman to have tea with another man?" She asks, though, she already has the answer to her own question. 

Of course it's not, it's shameful really, for someone with a reputation as bad as yours it’s downright disreputable.

“Oh Aria, it’s not, but I have to meet him.” 

"But you can’t be seen enjoying the company of another man like this, people might misunderstand the situation." Aria shifts her gaze from the letter, back to you.

"But he's not just any man! Sir Rengoku is so much more than that!" You say, hoping you look as foolishly love-stricken as possible. 

"M-my lady, please don't tell me-" you continue your act, preventing her from finishing her sentence.

"OH, you should have seen him Aria, he came to my rescue as if he were a knight in shining armor." Honestly, you should have pursued a career in acting. You can almost feel the fake hearts forming in your eyes, and Arias' horrified expression tells you you're doing a great job. 

"It's love at first sight I tell you, who wouldn't fall for someone as handsome as him!"

“What about the prince!” she hurriedly asks.

“ What about him?”

“You're engaged to him, how could you fall for another man! Don't you love the prince?" 

You let out a sigh, a sorrowful look adorns your face as you look away from her.

"Why should I continue to love a man who sees me as nothing more than a burden." You turn back to Aria who stares at you in silence. Almost everyone in the household knows how much Prince Iguro dislikes you, more specifically Ms.Claudia.

Everyone knew of her unrequited feelings, and only watched as she begged and pleaded for the prince to even spare her a passing glance. It's a little pathetic in your opinion, but you try to consider your poor counterpart's situation. From a young age, she was promised an easy future as a pampered princess with a loving husband, only to get rejected by the one person whose love she was promised.

You take a sip out of your drink, feeling the need to quench the dryness that had formed in your throat after your performance. Only to spit it out immediately after the first sip. 

What the hell did you just put in your mouth?

"My lady! Are you alright?" Aria says in a panic. She rushes over to you and helps you wipe the corner of your mouth. You swat away her hand, angry that you didn't think to check if the maids had messed with your drink. Damn, maids! They used dirty dishwater to make your drink! 

you're so angry that you don't notice the group of maids giggling a few feet away from where you and Aria are sitting. By the time you notice them, they all have already made their way back inside the manner. You can't wait to get rid of these pests once your plan is seen to fruition, you'll make sure that they never step inside this household ever again.

“Let's go,” you say, getting up from where you sit. You have more important things to do than sitting around and being angry at childish pranks. you tell Aria just that as she follows you to your bedroom.

You tell her to prepare a pen and paper, and once she brings them you begin to write your reply to Sir Rengoku’s letter. Making sure to make it sound as obviously lovesick as possible, and agree to meet him for tea. You tell him a place and time, then hand your new trusty maid the letter telling her to send it right away and to call the carriage.

Today was another mentally draining day, and you can't help but want to go to bed already. But there is much to do, and you have so little time.

Once Aria comes back you tell her to assist you in changing clothes.

"Are you planning on going out my lady?" She asks, tightening your corset.

"Yes, we have some shopping to do." 

"We?" 

You have a lot of stuff you'd like to buy but you don't really trust the other maids, and sending Aria by herself would be putting too much on her plate. You also wanted to get her new clothes since she's your new personal maid. 

"Yes, we! How else am I supposed to get your measurements for your new clothes ." You tell her, pushing her through your bedroom door once you're ready.

“New clothes? FOR ME?!” she asks surprised.

“Of course! I can’t be seen walking around with an unfashionable servant. What would people think if they saw a poorly dressed maid next to someone such as myself?” a little mean, but it's something Ms.Claudia would say with no remorse.

“Let's go, We don't have all day!” You take her hand and pull Aria out of your bedroom leading her to where the carriage is, Not waiting to see her reaction to your insult. 

  _

You pick at the fabric on your dress, it's a beautiful light color, contrasting the autumn leaves that decorate the capital's streets and trees. Over it, you wear a beautifully laced taffeta coat to keep warm on the cold autumn afternoon. You had bought this set a week prior, Aira helping you choose what dress would catch the attention of the yellow-haired gentleman. 

The carriage stops in front of a popular Cafe, it's relatively busy with lots of people Surrounding the building. You're not surprised by the abundance of people, it's only natural they flock to such a high-class eatery. The building is owned by your esteemed family after all.

Expérience de Claudia, owned by your mother, was a popular Cafe that many high-valued aristocrats visited to socialize and gossip with one another. This place is the perfect setting to enact your plan, by the end of this meeting you’ll hopefully shift the trajectory of your unhappy ending. 

The door opens and the coachman assists you off the carriage. The crisp autumn breeze makes you shiver, even with your coat on you still feel cold. You hurry out of the carriage and walk towards the cafe, but Before you can even enter the establishment, you can hear boisterous laughter coming from inside. Nervous, you take out your fan and cover part of your face, to seem aloof and uninterested.

  You finally enter the cafe and tell the gentleman in the front who you're here to meet, and he leads you to the upstairs balcony. It has a great view only able to be reserved by the most important nobles. 

You hear your partner before you spot him, his laughter reaches your ears with vigor and once you spot him your breath catches in your throat. 

The sun.

It's as if you were looking at the sun.

And when he turns and notices you, he beams with a smile that shames the flaming star. He shines so bright that you fear you might lose your eyesight just by staring at him. It's then do you remember how he was described in the book. 

“ as fervent as fire, as dazzling as the sun.” Only now, as He stands up to greet you, do you truly understand those words. 

He radiates a heat that envelopes you oh so softly, and slowly your nervousness begins to thaw. You close your fan and properly greet the man.

He bends down to gently take your hand into his and lands a delicate kiss right atop of it. Your face grows warm and you feel as if you're going to melt. 

"IT'S GREAT TO FINALLY MEET YOUR ACQUAINTANCE MY LADY!" He practically screams in your ear, and you feel something pop. 

What the hell?

"Brother!" You hear someone say timidly, You see Senjuro hurry towards you.

"You shouldn't be so loud when we are in an establishment." He scolds his older brother. Kyoujurou opens his mouth to say something, but his brother beats him to it.

"Even if we are seated outside," Senjuro Tells him, his brother lets out a hearty laugh.

'How cute!' You think to yourself 

"You must forgive me, I am just enlivened to meet Lady Claudia today." He says brightly, pulling out what is to be your seat. 

You smile at him, and sit in the seat he so Graciously pulled out for you.

"I suppose you could say the same for me as well." You reply as the two brothers take their seats. A waiter comes to the table and takes your orders. As you wait for your tea, Senjuro speaks first. 

" I am truly sorry for the trouble I have caused you." He almost blurts out, almost as if he's been waiting to say it for weeks. 

"I should not have troubled you with my problems, and I should have assisted you when that man was harassing you." He speaks so fast, and by looking at his face you don't even think he's breathing. His brother looks at him worriedly, not sure when to interject in Senjuro's spiel. But you beat him to it as you loudly set your fan on the table.

"Stop this nonsense." You tell him, and he immediately stops talking. 

"If I wanted someone to waste their breath, I would have asked the rats who bothered you, for an apology." You tell the young Rengoku. It's the truth, you don't need an apology from those scoundrels, and you certainly don't need one from Senjuro. The boy opens his mouth to say something but his brother interjects. 

"Senjuro, lady Claudia is right. We didn't come here to apologize, did we?" This seems to remind the boy of something and he pulls out a box to show you. 

 taking the box and opening it, you find an ornate necklace elegantly decorated with diamonds and rubies. you run your fingers on the big ruby in the center of the necklace, The deep crimson color reminding you of the vibrant red that colors the tips of their hair.

"This is quite an extravagant gift." You tell Senjuro, who looks nervous. Ms.Claudia was widely known to be picky with the gifts she received. 

Both brothers let out a sigh, and you chuckle as they seem to physically relax. Your tea arrives, and you gawk at the amount of food that is being set before Kyojuro. You turn to his brother who doesn't bat an eye confirming your suspension that this is just his regular eating habit. As you both watch the older Rengoku brother happily eat his food, Senjuro turns his attention back to you.

"I am honestly still surprised, you agreed to meet with us." You hear him say. You take a breath to mentally prepare yourself for the performance you're about to enact.

Chapter Text

"I am honestly still surprised, you agreed to meet with us,” Senjuro admits. 

 “Why don't we all go for a stroll in the garden, and I'll tell you why I came!” you tell the boy, as you start to stand from your seat 

The Expérience de Claudia wasn't just a restaurant, it was also a place where your mother could plant all the vegetation she couldn't fit in the garden in the estate. 

“Alright then,” the boy says excitedly. 

“We just have to wait for your brother to fin-” you start, but the words die on your lips as you look at the mass of stacked plates Kyojuro cleaned in what seemed like a second. Mistaking your surprised pause for an incredulous silence, Senjuro quickly speaks up.

“Brother! Lady Claudia has invited us for a walk in the garden!” he says, hurriedly rising from his seat, urging his brother to do the same. 

The people of the kingdom Of Wisteria all know of the engagement between Prince Iguro and (y/n) Claudia. not only by declaration through the royal family but also by the great boasting of the Claudias themselves. More specifically by the engaged daughter.

yes, Most people know of the young woman's borderline obsession with the prince. If not through her generous boasting of her engagement, or her decrees Of love she announces for the prince. Then it is through the acts of violence she situated against anyone who she thinks is after the prince's heart.

Young noblewomen throughout the kingdom have, one way or another, quarreled with the youngest Claudia 

Even young Suitors who were interested in her,  overlooking her frightening personality because of her angelic beauty, would face her wrath.

So it comes as an utter surprise when the guest of the renowned Expérience de Claudia  see the infamous (y/n) Claudia sitting across a man that isn't Prince Iguro Obanai.

And to add more to the confusion, it's the sons of the acclaimed Rengoku family to boot. 

For the nobles of the esteemed kingdom of Wisteria, today they felt as if their brunchtime tea was uncharacteristically hotter than usual. 

And once the group of focus leaves their table, the guests slowly but surely trickle their way toward the garden themselves.

They pretend to converse amongst themselves, as the group walks around the greenhouse.

They feign ignorance, traveling around the different species of plants as the young Claudia carefully explains the origin of each plant to her guests.

They all pretend to be uninterested in their conversation, as the youngest of them speaks up when they finally seat themselves in the shade of a gazebo.

“Ms.Claudia” Senjuro speaks up, wanting to grab the Lady's attention. As the maiden perks up at the sound of her name, so do the guests around her.

“Why is it that you agreed to meet with us today?” The boy asks. A question that had crossed his, and possibly Everyone in the cafés, mind. As they wait for the answer, it's as if the world has stopped spinning and all things of the universe have stopped functioning just to hear her reply.

“Senjuro! It's not pleasant to put our guest In the limelight.” His brother lightly scolds him, although he also wants to know the answer.

“It's quite alright sir Rengoku, I also wanted to tell you the reason I met with you today.” the beautiful young Maiden says. 

‘ What was the reason? ’ they all collectively thought.

“the truth is…” subconsciously they all lean closer to her, not wanting to miss a word she says. 

“In the days after the incident at the college, I've come to the realization that I absolutely adore you! Sir Rengoku.” She finally confesses’ 

They all freeze in shock, all they can do is look at Sir Rengoku as he digested the confession that had been roughly reposed onto him.

“Well, I'm very flattered by your feeling of admiration towards me, lady Claudia!” He says with an oblivious Smile. 

Everyone in the vicinity could feel the room grew cold. If anyone had looked closely, they could have seen the younger brother's soul try to leave his body. The young lady panics as she tries to clear the misunderstanding.

“No! What I'm trying to say is-” she starts, pride not flattering as she pushes through this embarrassing endeavor. The esteemed lady Claudia refuses for this meeting to end this way, she'll articulate her feelings to him no matter what!

And the crowd of guests silently root for her, feeling her stubbornness from where they stand.

‘yeah! That's the (y/n) Claudia we know’

‘ There is no possible way, the (y/n) Claudia would let it end like this.’  they all lean in closer, wondering how she'll win this exhilarating battle of love and misunderstandings.

“I'm trying to say that ever since you saved Me from those egregious scoundrels-” she starts again, and Kyojuro patiently listens

“I CAN'T IMAGINE MYSELF ANYWHERE THAT'S NOT BY YOUR SIDE!” she finally blurts out, to a surprised Kyojuro.

The crowd almost audibly Cheers at the poetic confession of love.

Kyojuro takes a step closer to the maiden, and an aura of seriousness surrounds him. He gets on one knee and takes her hands into his. The lady starts to visibly panic, and his little brother looks as if he is about to pass away.

“ Lady (y/n) Claudia. although it would be an honor, I would need time to think about it. ” is he seriously considering returning your feeling- 

“To be the appointed knight of someone as important as my lady is a high honor.” 

……

The world is once again silent, as everyone processes what exactly they just have witnessed.

“B-BROTHER!” Senjuro proclaims, almost in a pleading manner, hoping that this was an uncharacteristically curl joke his older brother had just come up with. The surrounding guests look at the girl with pity. 

“It’s ok Senjuro,” Lady Claudia tells him. Senjuro turns around to protest but is stopped by the utter defeat that's evident on her face. 

“Sir Rengoku” she calls to her subjugator. “I hope you find an answer for me soon.”

And with that, she makes her way toward the exit, ignoring the gentlemen's request to see her to her carriage.

The crowd of guests slowly makes their way back into the restaurant, ready to spread the tale of Lady Claudia’s defeat against the painfully oblivious Kyojuro Rengoku.

You let out a tired sigh as you make your way back to your carriage. Things usually never go the way you want them to. Whether it's because you're unlucky, or because the universe hates you. Maybe it was your pride that fueled this mishap.

Instead of proclaiming your love for the older Rengoku brother, you insinuated a mild infatuation with him. Telling a man you've technically known for less than an hour that you're in love with him, didn't seem to bode well with your brain it seems. Especially after you had just watched him eat an entire five-course meal by himself in less than 30 minutes.

Although your plan didn't go as you first intended, you're sure you have at least given the gossip-hungry nobles something to blather about for a while.

“How did it go my lady!” Aria asks as you approach the carriage, but as she sees the tired expression on your face she starts to try and console you. You immediately stop her.

“No need for that,” You tell her.

“I don't even want to think about what just happened.” You sigh, ready to go home, and, if only for a moment, just forget what happened. 

Aria looks at you with worry, she knows you'll just end up sulking in your room for the rest of the day, most likely attracting the torment of the other maids who are ready to make your day worse. She ponders for a moment and suddenly gets an idea of how to cheer You up.

“Why don't we go shopping my lady!” Aria says excitedly to you. 

You think about it for a while, ever since you “arrived” here you haven't spent any money at all. You've been bombarded with gifts this whole time and never thought about shopping on your own until A few days ago.  Maybe you should go on a feel-better shopping spree, you are the great (y/n) Claudia after all.

“Ok! We'll get at least one thing from every store in the shopping district!” you announce.

Aria quickly informs your coachman of your new destination, and the two of you are off to the Shopping district.

You and Aria have been shopping for about an hour or so now. You've bought everything from new furniture for your room to expensive gifts you plan on giving to certain people when the time is right. 

You're now heading to a popular dress shop, after resting a bit. Although you don't mind Ms. Claudia’s fashion, you have to admit her choice of clothing is a bit childish. It's almost as if she mentally didn't grow past a certain age, and thinking about it, it would explain some of her actions in the story.

excitedly, you hurry to the store wanting to see the selections of fancy dresses they had. Aria chases closely behind, amused by your uncharacteristic excitement for mere Clothes shopping.

At this time of day, the streets were busy, in hopes of not accidentally losing her, you hold onto Aria’s hand. You both walk in comfortable silence until you feel someone roughly rush past you, knocking Down Aria in the process. 

You Bend down to make sure Aria is OK, she seems frazzled but nonetheless fine. You look up to see a grown man running away in a hurry, not even an apology is said as he looks back to see what he had bumped into. 

What the hell? 

Pissed off, you get ready to yell at the man when you feel another Force slam into the both of you. 

Are you serious?

Thoroughly ready to go off on whatever Idiot who decided to piss you off further,  you turn around to get a good look at your assailant. He hurriedly Gets up and begins to apologize, before he seems to remember something.

“I'm truly sorry my lady, I got distracted while chasing that man who bumped into you earlier.” He says between breaths 

“ He had stolen something from me.” after getting a good look at the boy’s shabby-looking clothes, and overall poor-looking condition You start to feel bad for him. He looks like he barely has anything to steal, how could anyone do such a thing? 

‘Times sure are tough’ you think to yourself. You look back up, and can still see the criminal in the distance, not too far from you, and note the several guards stationed around the area.

you get an idea.

“Aria do you have your coin Purse with you? Lend it to me for a moment.” You tell your maid. Confused, she hands you her coin purse, and you smile at how heavy It is with all the extra gold And silver you've been giving her. 

Aiming in his direction you throw the small purse, to Aria and the young boy's horror, hitting the culprit right on his cranium causing him to stagger. 

“THIEF, that man over there, he has stolen my purse!” you scream alerting everyone, including the guards nearby. 

All three of you watch as the thief is chased around the plaza, and to your dismay, easily evades anyone who gets near him. Though for a moment you mentally commemorate the man on his skillful evade of the law.

You're usually all for thievery and the sort, but stealing from people who are also struggling is where you draw the line. 

The crook seems to be getting the slip on his captures until you see a smaller figure aptly tackle him to the ground. They start to tie the man's hands behind his back when your group begins to make their way to the commotion.

“Oh noble hero, thank you so much for capturing this feckless criminal.” You say as you approach the guard who apprehended the thief. Their back is turned to you, but you take note of their feminine stature that fits snugly In their masculine uniform.

‘Purple hair? Is this-’ you don't get to finish that thought, your ‘hero’ turns around handing you the things the thief had taken.

“Why is it that every time there's some sort of commotion, you seem to be at the center of it!” she scowls at you.

“Oh my!” You say surprised! No way you bumped into another prominent Character today! 

“Well if it isn't the delicate butterfly, lady Shinobu!” You say, elated by her appearance.

“It's sir Shinobu!” the young lady states while handing over the man to the surrounding knights.

Oh yeah, she was also training to be a knight as well as a doctor. 

“Oh my, Lady Claudia, what brings you here this fine afternoon?” You hear a soft voice ask. You all turn to see an older-looking woman, mirroring the young lady's appearance.

No way! 

You open your fan and cover your mouth To hide the excited smile forming on your face. It's like watching a movie with a whole bunch of cameos from characters that haven't been mentioned In a while.

“Both Kocho sisters in one day? It looks like spring has come early this year!” You joke. 

Kanae Kocho is barely mentioned in the original novel, only having a small appearance when checking up on a poisoned Misturi later in the story. 

The older of the two politely laughed at your joke, as the younger just scowled at you. You're not too surprised at her behavior though, Ms.Claudia’s main interaction with them is when she's wasting their time with fake injuries or sickness. 

“To answer your question, I was doing some shopping, when we were pickpocketed!” You tell her.

“We?” Kanae asks. 

“If it wasn't for this boy Right here, me and my poor maid wouldn't have even noticed it had happened “ You fib, not wanting to tell the ladies of your impeccable ‘pitching’ skills. 

“Is that so?” You hear Shinobu ask,  eyeing the boy with suspension. The boy sweats nervously, not wanting to lie to the knight in training, but also afraid of upsetting you by not going along with your fib. He quickly decided that staying quiet and letting you speak for him was a safer Option. 

“Well of course! Isn't That right Aria?” You single out your maid, who was tearfully hugging her coin purse to her chest. 

“Huh? O-oh yes! We could have never done it without that young man.” She awkwardly spouts, trying to keep up with your little white lie. 

“It's Good to know that good Samaritans are Willing to help others in need.” kanae smiles at you. Her sister whispers something to her, and they begin to leave.

“It was a pleasure to chat with you today, but it seems it's time for us to take our leave. I hope we get to talk some more in the near future?” she asks.

“Maybe over some tea.” You say, Accepting her vague invitation. You all say your farewells and watch as the two sisters walk away. As soon as you no longer see them, you turn to the boy standing next to you. Handing him the wrapped item that sir Shinobu gave to you, and ask him for his name.

“Tanjiro! Kamado Tanjiro madam.” 

You vaguely remember this character's name, he wasn't very prevalent in the books you read. Although you do remember the same author wrote an action series with him as the main character. 

In this book, however, he, like Kanae, is vaguely mentioned. All you remember is that he comes from a poor family who make a living selling coal, and other merchandise. 

You eye the wrapped item in his hands, wondering what was so valuable about it, that the thief just had to steal it. As if reading your mind, Tanjiro unwraps the mystery item to reveal a beautiful hairpin. 

“It was my mother's” He begins, with a Melancholic look on his face.

“I was supposed to sell it to help with buying some Necessities but….” he Pauses for a moment, it seems he's recalling a distant memory. 

“When I got to the pawn shop, I didn't have The heart to sell It. It's the last nice thing she has.” His voice starts to waver, and you think he's about To cry.

You feel for the boy, resonating with his situation. You also had a hard life growing up, never really allowed to have nice things. It just wasn't possible with the way things were, times were tough, and owning anything nice was almost impossible for your family.

“Aria, give me your coin Purse again.” You order your maid. She doesn't budge, holding her purse tightly in her arms.

“Oh Come on! I'll give you twice as much money that's in that purse just give it here.” You reach your hand out to her, and she begrudgingly hands it over.

“Thank you!”

You turn to the boy who's still looking at the hairpin in his hands, and gently set the heavy coin purse on top of it. He looks up at you,  eyes wide with surprise not knowing what to say.

“take this as compensation for helping us earlier?” You smile at him. 

“I can't take this! I didn't even do anything to deserve this!” He starts to argue but you're not having None of it.

“Take it home and tell your family of the noble deeds you've performed today.” you ignore his previous statement, urging him to take the money.

“But my Lady, I can't possibly take so much money….” He continues but is shot down by Aria.

“Young man, you dare to argue with a noblewoman?” She retorts, and you nod in agreement.

“ I'll have you know that you're only insulting my Lady by assuming that such a feeble amount of money could even affect someone of her status,”  Aria explains.

Tanjiro is quiet as he tries to think of a response. He then sighs and looks at you both defeated. 

“Alright!” He answers, and both you and Aria are pleased with his response. 

“But if you ever need anything, even if it's the littlest of tasks, please come to me for assistance. It would be an honor to get the chance to assist you, my lady.” 

“I'll find you when that time comes, now hurry Home. It's getting late and I don't want to hear any rumors of a certain coal pedaler getting into trouble.” 

And with that, you and the young boy part ways, heading home after an eventful day.

It doesn't take Long for both of you to make it home, and by then you're more than exhausted. With today's events finally reaching your body, you plop down on your bed While you wait for your bath to be drawn. That's when you immediately feel a sharp pain in your arm, looking at it you see two sewing needles embedded in your arms.

You quickly get up From your bed, Checking to see if You could find any more needles. You find A few more on your bed and some in the thick layers of your dress. 

Are the maids here actually insane? 

Just as you're taking out the needles in your arms Aria returns to inform you that your bath is ready.

“ Oh my goodness, my lady your arm!” she quickly runs over to your bed, you say nothing as she inspects your arm. You're currently seething, if this was how The original Claudia was treated every day of her life, no wonder she turned out to be a psychopath. How could they treat someone with such arrogance?

“My lady, we have to tell your father about this, this has gone too far!” Aria pleads to you but you’re too busy thinking about how to ruin these maids' lives to register her voice.

You won't let them have their way. Not anymore. 

Chapter Text

Senjuro watches his brother train with the other knights, he waits for him to finish his training so they can have lunch. As he waits, Senjuro ruminates on their interaction with Lady Claudia. 

Honestly, he doesn't think that he's ever been so thoroughly embarrassed in his life, and at his brother at that. Kyojuro Rengoku is considered to be a prodigy in many ways, and Senjuro feels that he doesn't even begin to compare to his brother….However, when it comes to the endeavor of understanding one's feelings, he feels as though he is a bit more competent than Kyojuro. 

Senjuro lets out a sigh, how could his brother be so oblivious to her feelings?

“What has you so troubled, Senjuro?” 

Senjuro lets out a surprised squeak. He was so deep in thought that he didn't even notice that his older brother had been standing In front of him for a while now. Kyojuro Patiently waits for his brother to answer, but then notices the boxes of food his brother was carrying.

“Let us talk over lunch,” he happily suggests. They make their way across the pasture and decide to sit under a large tree to make use of its shade. Although the Autumn air is cool, the heat from the sun is still irritating on the skin of someone who'd been training for hours.

Senjuro hands the boxes of lunch over to his brother and watches fondly as he happily devours the food. For a moment the younger boy believes this might be the reason for his brother's strength, he thinks that maybe if he eats more he'll be as strong and amazing as his older brother one day! 

“So!” He begins after placing the last box down.

“What occupies your mind, dear brother,” Kyojuro asks. Senjuro has so much he wants to say to his brother concerning your confession, but all his thoughts get jumbled up in his head. Kyojuro finds himself waiting for his brother to speak, but he doesn't mind. 

Senjuro had always been a timid child. His fear of speaking, rooted in fear of upsetting their father, hinders his ability to properly articulate his feelings to others. So much so that, in his younger years, Senjuro would go days without speaking to anyone. back then to have a simple conversation with his little brother would take a great amount of patience. But Kyojuro didn't mind. 

Even if it took all day, or if it took all eternity, Kyojuro would find himself waiting on his brother no matter the Circumstances.

That's part of the reason why he wanted to meet With the noblewoman so much, Senjuro wouldn't stop speaking about how kind (and a little scary) she was.

“It's about Lady Claudia….” He finally gets out.

“What…Do you think about her?” Senjuro asks. Out of all the questions he wanted to ask, this was the one he wanted to know the answer to the most. 

“She was quite nice, but she doesn't seem to like me that much.” is all Kyojuro says. Senjuro is confused by his brother's answer.

“But she seemed pretty fond of you when we met a few days ago.” He retorts. 

“I guess you wouldn't know but I've spoken with Lady Claudia before our meeting at the restaurant.” The eldest of the two informs him. 

“You've met before?” Kyojuro nods his head and starts to recall the story of his first encounter with Lady Claudia.

✦•┈๑⋅⋯ ⋯⋅๑┈•✦

A young Kyojuro, roughly twelve years of age attends a ball with his current guardian Sir Urokodaki Sakonji. The landed knight is in charge of the Rengoku’s affairs until Shinjuro Rengoku is deemed fit to return as head of the household.

He Stands next to the old man, as he talks to his comrades In arms about things that the young boy had no interest in. Board and full from the banquet that had just taken place, the young Kyojuro finds himself exploring the many gardens that surround the palace.

He aimlessly wanders around looking at various plants and such, when he hears crying. Following The sound, he finds a young girl trying her best to wipe her tears away, but the onslaught of droplets doesn't seem to stop. 

Feeling sorry for her, he reaches into his pocket to grab a sweet pastry he had been saving for later. Noticing his presence the girl had finally Stopped crying, now looking distressed at the fact that he had seen her in such a state. 

Kyojuro politely Offers his pastry to her, wanting for her not to feel upset anymore.

“Why….” he hears her mumble.

“Because enjoying something sweet always cheers me up when I'm sad.” He truthfully answers with a bright smile, hoping the sad girl smiles in return.

“Why….WOULD I EAT A PASTRY FROM AN IDIOT THAT KEPT IT IN HIS POCKET ALL DAY” she shouts at him, giving him an uppercut strong enough to knock him off his feet. 

✦•┈๑⋅⋯ ⋯⋅๑┈•✦

“After that, she kept glaring at me for the rest of the night. that punch was so strong, I suspected that she was secretly a knight in training.” Kyojuro finishes recounting his story, laughing as if he were reminiscing on a fond memory.

"After that one night, we never seemed to cross paths until recently.” 

Just as Senjuro thought, (y/n) Claudia truly is an outstanding woman. He's witnessed firsthand how much of a powerful person she is. Even though she hasn't been at the academy for some time, his tormentors haven't touched him or even looked in his direction since the day she defended him.

There's even a rumor stating that she's plotting a terrible revenge against the brothers, Some going as far as to say that she's plotting their death, or is conspiring with witches to get revenge.

“Were you bothered by my response to Lady Claudia's offer?” Kyojuro asks. His brother gives him a deadpan expression, but he interprets it as a look of worry.

“worry not dear brother, I do not intend on making any thoughtless or rash decisions on the matter.” He tries to reassure Senjuro, but the young boy looks even more worried than before.

They hear the distant chime of a church bell, Signaling that lunchtime is over. Not wanting to be late to his next class, Senjuro collects the boxes of finished food and hurries off to the academy after a quick Farewell to his brother.

The younger Rengoku brother makes it to class on time. Even after his teacher starts to lecture, his mind is still filled with thoughts about the noble lady Claudia and his brother.

When it comes to things like finding a lover, Senjuro doesn't recall any memoirs of his brother speaking of one. That's not to say his brother isn't popular among the Populace, it's quite the opposite in fact. He's seen many people attempt to relay their romantic affection towards his brother, only to get rejected. Senjuro wonders why his brother hasn't courted anyone yet. 

Maybe Kyojuro is waiting to meet the right person or “ that special someone” He's heard Sir Tengen speak of, but what kind of person would that be? Maybe his brother just doesn't know how to go about courting. Could it be that his brother unintentionally, rejected Lady Claudia because he just doesn't Know how to properly court someone?

If that's the case Senjuro truly fears for his brother's well-being, he can't just sit back and watch his brother's love life crumble before his very eyes. The best way to learn how to do something new, is just by doing it! (According to Sir Tengen)

So instead of watching his brother obliviously walk the path of romance by himself, Senjuro vows to help his brother navigate the ordeal called love successfully.

Once he’s done with classes for the day, Senjuro makes his way towards the training ground to meet his brother. When he arrives he sees his brother talking to Sir Urokodaki, they seem to be conversing about something serious judging by his brother's expression.

“Senjuro, how have you been? Have Classes finished already?” The older man speaks, checking the time on his pocket watch.

“Sir Urokodaki! I've been alright, thank you.” Senjuro greets his caretaker. Although he gets nervous around adults, Senjuro feels comfortable around Urokodaki. The reason being that he's been the only other person, besides his brother and servants, to treat him nicely.

Senjuro then greets his brother, asking him how his day was. The three Gentlemen talk amongst themselves for a moment, until Senjuro points out the envelope in Sir Urokodaki's hand. 

“Oh, I've been meaning to have this delivered to sir Claudia….”

“I'll deliver it for you!” The younger brother offers. This is his chance to speak to Lady Claudia and possibly help his brother's love life! He'll meet with the Lady after delivering the note and offer his help in winning his brother's heart! That's assuming she doesn't hate him for embarrassing Her in public a few days ago. 

“I wouldn't want to trouble you with such a trivial Task.” The older man says, but Senjuro reassures him that it's not a problem.

“I'll tag along then.” Senjuro's heart stops at his older brother's words. 

“Y-you Don't have to come, brother, I know you're busy with your training and all..” he tries to reject his brother's offer. If Kyojuro ran into the girl he embarrassed publicly just a few days prior, who knows what chaos would ensue 

“Nonsense! It's dangerous for you to travel alone, and I know how hard it is to talk to strangers.” 

He can't Argue with that.

reluctantly Senjuro accepts his brother's offer, and both go on their merry Way to the Claudia estate. On the carriage ride there, he prays that the (y/n) Claudia is out and that she doesn't return till after they leave.

Once they've reached their destination, the brothers are greeted by a butler at the door. He takes them to wait in the parlor room as he makes their presence known to Sir Claudia. In the room, they see a young boy and a maid conversing.

“Thank you for returning my pouch Tanjiro!” The maid tearfully thanks him, and the boy reassures her that it was not a problem.

“I'm sorry the madam wasn't here to meet with you, she has been busy…doing..things” she apologized. 

“It's no problem whatsoever, I wasn't expecting someone so important to have time to see me.” the boy named Tanjiro confesses.

“Please don't think of it like that, the madam really did want to meet with you, it's just that she isn't feeling too well at the moment.”

“Is Miss Claudia ill?” Kyojuro Curiously Interjects.

“Brother, you shouldn't interrupt people's conversations,” Senjuro whispers, lightly scolding his brother for his bad manners.

“My apologies.” The eldest apologizes.

The maid, who just now seemed to notice them, bowed her head in apology. The young boy Tanjiro follows suit.

“Please forgive my rudeness gentleman, I apologize for failing to acknowledge your presence.” She says 

“I too should apologize, I was too distracted to have noticed you had entered the room.” Tanjiro apologizes as well.

“you may lift your heads, there's no need to apologize! We've just entered the room after all!” Kyojuro states. The boy and the maid lift their heads, relief washing over their faces.

“So! Is Lady Claudia alright?” The oldest Rengoku brother asks.

“Oh! An incident happened a few days ago, and she hasn't been feeling well ever Since” the maid explains to them, and Senjuro feels a wave of guilt and embarrassment wash over him. Just as he thought, the Lady is still upset about what happened at their meeting the other day.

“That's quite unfortunate, what could have caused such a dilemma?” Kyojuro stupidly asks. 

“I-im not at liberty to say….” the maid awkwardly Says.

“Well, I have to go check to see how my lady is doing, sorry for my behavior earlier, goodbye!” The maid quickly scrambles out of the room.

“Could it be because of the thief?” Senjuro hears the boy absent-mindedly speak to himself.

“Thief?”

“A few days ago,  Lady Claudia had helped me when a thief stole Something of mine.” 

“The Lady did?” Senjuro finds himself asking, surprised. Both brothers listen in awe as the boy recounts the story of how the noblewoman helped catch a mugger.

“How exciting! Although I never would have imagined Ms.Claudia to care so deeply about the affairs of strangers!” Kyojuro states truthfully, recalling how she had protected his brother when he wasn't there to do it himself. Although Kyojuro wasn't one to thoughtlessly believe in rumors about people he barely knew, he couldn't help but have an established image of the type of woman Lady Claudia was. 

It certainly wasn't that of a selfless heroine.

“It shouldn't be that Hard to imagine, she did save me after all!” Senjuro responded to his brother's comment.

“The Lady had helped you as well?” The burgundy-haired boy asked curiously promptly Making Senjuro go on his own tangent on how the noble Woman rescued him from his tormentors. 

Kyojuro watches Fondly as his brother steadily Converse with the stranger. the boy, Tanjiro, has such an inviting aura that conversation with him seems to come naturally to Senjuro. Seeing his brother like this makes him hope that the two will become friends and that Tanjiro’s extroverted Nature rubs off on him.

“Sir Rengoku, young master Senjuro, His Grace is ready to see you now. I shall escort you to his office.” A Butler interrupts the cordial moment, reminding the brothers why they were here in the first place.

“Oh….” Senjuro is pulled back Into reality from the little bubble he and Tanjiro built during their conversation.

“Thank you for taking the time to entertain my stories, young master Senjuro, sir Rengoku.” Tanjiro deeply bows to the young boy and his brother. Senjuro panics for a moment, not sure how to properly proceed with this Sudden act of gratitude he received from a stranger he unusually feels a sense of closeness to. 

“There's no need for such formalities young man! Though we didn't quite catch your name.” Kyojuro swoops in to save Senjuro from any embarrassment from his lack of speaking.

“Kamado Tanjiro, sir.” 

“Alright then Tanjiro! It seems that we'll be taking our leave. It was a pleasure meeting you.” Kyojuro tells the boy.

“The pleasure is all mine.” He turns to the younger brother and gives him a small wave. 

“goodbye Senjuro.” the younger brother mumbles a shy ‘goodbye’ before turning to follow the butler to their next destination.

As they walk down a long corridor, Senjuro mentally beats himself up for being so timid when saying their goodbyes. Even though he had only known Tanjiro for a few minutes, talking to him was easy. It was Almost like he was talking to a friend, and he had to ruin it with his sheepish attitude.

Once again Senjuro is pulled out of his little bubble when he feels his brother tug him to his side. Only in passing did he notice The old maid hurriedly rushing past them, not once acknowledging their presence. She seemed too focused on getting away, that she didn't Register that she had dropped something. Senjuro picks up a costly-looking ring, its Sapphire gem shines bright in the sunlit hallway. 

“Young master, may I please see what you have picked up?” The butler escorting them politely asks. The boy relinquishes his hold on the ring and watches as the butler inspects it. Once he is done examining the ring he places it in his pocket, apologizes for the maid's rudeness, and reassures the boy that he'll return the ring to its rightful owner.

Once they reach Lord Claudia's office the butler announces their presence and opens the door to let them in. The older man sees the older brother and Immediately greets him.

“Young Sir Rengoku! And…..” he starts, then his eyes fall on Senjuro.

“An exact copy of you!” He says walking from his desk to shake Kyojuro's hand. 

“My younger brother Senjuro!” The merchant then turns to Senjuro and extends his hand, and the boy bashfully accepts.

“It's a pleasure to meet you Senjuro! Now, to what do I owe the pleasure for this surprise visit?” Mr.Claudia asks, Ushering the boys to sit on the couch in front of His desk. The merchant quickly gets back to the Mountain of papers on his desk as he waits for one of the boys to answer.

“We won't take up much of your time.

Sir. Urokodaki  has sent us to deliver this Letter to you.” Kyojuro hands him the envelope.

“Oh, thank you….” the older man seems as if he has something else to say, but the socially inept Kyojuro does not pick up on this and begins to say his farewells.

“W-was there something else you wanted to discuss sir,” Senjuro asks, giving Mr.Claudia a chance to say what's on his mind. 

“Y-YES!” He clears his throat.

“ I wanted to discuss a rumor I had heard regarding Sir. Rengoku and my daughter.” 

This piques the interest of both brothers, as They sit down to hear of the rumors that have Spread about the eldest brother.

“I had heard that my Daughter had inquired for you to be her knight. Is this true?” 

“Yes, she had asked me in the garden of your spouse's Café. I didn't have an answer for her at the time but had told her I would give her one after giving her request careful consideration. ” Kyojuro answered truthfully. The older man sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose to relieve what can only be assumed to be a headache.

“So you had a rendezvous… that girl never tells me anything.” Mr.Claudia speaks to himself. Inkles of worry paint his face before he begins to speak again.

“Sir Rengoku, I am obligated to ask you to please consider accepting my daughter's proposal.” His expression stern, yet full of thought. 

“You see, My daughter is a young woman who causes a lot of trouble for others. She's as prideful and Audacious as her mother, and doesn't think of the consequences of her actions.” One would think he is speaking ill of his daughter if only hearing him speak in passing, but the somber smile on his face makes it clear he truly cares for her.

“But because of this she probably has many people waiting to do her wrong. her brother and I can only do so much to protect her so….” He briefly stops to get up from his desk to bow his head at the older brother.

“lord Claudia! Please, there is no need for such-” the noble Duke continues his disquisition.

“I know how difficult that girl can be, but please consider accepting the proposal. I will pay any price you offer.”

There's a thick sense of anticipation in the air, as silence fills the room. Kyojuro Rengoku is quiet in thought when the tension is aggressively cut by a knock at the door.

 A peeved lord Claudia responds with a quick ‘we are busy’, only to be followed by a sound of muffled urgency through the door. Once the older gentleman opens the door to address the person who disturbed them, the maid hurriedly begins to relay a message that neither of the guests can hear. Lord Claudia lets out a distressed sigh and turns to face the two boys.

“It seems I'll have to cut our conversation short, there are important matters I have to attend to.” he says sternly. After a profound apology from the Duke, the brothers are escorted back to their carriage.  Both were left in deep thought as they made their way home.

Chapter Text

You watch as a young girl, no older than 12 years of age, cry into her pillow in anger. 

She balls her fists and kicks her tiny legs against the bed. Her fiance Had left, angry And displeased after she had accidentally thrown up on his shoes.

It wasn't her fault, those stupid maids had mixed pepper in her tea again, just as she was trying to show off how elegant she was to her dear beloved. It was just days prior she learned to properly hold a teacup from her Etiquette teacher.

This Is the day! Today was the day that he would finally see how she was truly the one for him, and once he did she would never have to be alone ever again.

She couldn't spit the burning tea out and risked looking immodest in front of her future fiance. So she grits her teeth as the heat of the liquid burns her throat and stomach,  Evidently decorating the shoes of her prince with the contents of her evening meal. 

Soon it is quiet.

In her bed, She lies, embarrassed and tired.

With no one to cry to, and no one to find comfort In.

‘It was supposed to be today..” She whispers. 

You walk to the young lady Claudia and sit beside her. She looks up at you, eyes puffy and red. 

You say nothing, what word could you possibly form to soothe the ails of this pitiful child? You reach out to her,  Beconing the young girl into your arms.  

As if it was all she's ever wanted, she rushes to your embrace and you hold her tight. 

‘Never again’ you murmur. 

As she Hugged you tightly and closed her eyes, you opened yours.

A dream...

A dream that makes the wounds on your arm ache so much more. 

“Aria, what do you know about witches?” 

“Witches my lady?”

“Yes, any stories or rumors that you've heard.” the Maid, Aria, stares at you for a moment. You lean on the table you sit in front of, your head lazily resting on the palm of your hand. 

“Is this about revenge ?” She asks carefully, her eyes wander to the bandages that cover your arm. A cold wind blows as you move your head to return her stare.

“I wouldn't do something so precarious.” You start, moving to fully look at her. 

“with the way things have turned out, I have to consider all the weapons my enemy could use against me.” 

You're currently outside, and although a bit cold, the feeling of the sun on your skin puts you at ease. You'd like to enjoy it while it lasts, soon winter will come forcing you to stay indoors. 

After you had found the needles in your bed, you went to your father's office right as the sun began to rise. Unfortunately, you had caught him on his way to an important meeting.

‘If it's about the maids, confide in your brother, he'll take care of it for you.’ Is all he said before leaving. 

Begrudgingly, you went to find your brother, if you could even call him that. 

In the novel Sasro Casval Claudia is described as a selfish man who Despises his sister, it was said that everything he's ever done was for his own gain. And nothing proves that more than when he betrayed His own family by exposing his sister's treasonous actions. 

To be honest you don't blame him, having a prince-obsessed, borderline murderous psycho as a sister doesn't leave you with many other options. However, you don’t appreciate how he throws the rest of his family under the bus, leaving him with everything under the Claudia name. 

Ungrateful brat.

All he had to do was wait a few years, and his father would have given him a spot in the merchant's guild. It's his birthright anyway. Instead, that arrogant bastard almost caused an economic crisis, by carelessly running the family business to the ground. 

How could you possibly confide in such an idiot, you'd be thoroughly surprised if you were able to get a somewhat coherent conversation with him. 

Alas, you followed Aria to where your brother resides, replaying the many ways this could end in disaster in your head. 

“We're here madam” 

You announce yourself then knock on the door and Patiently wait a few moments, when there is no answer you knock again. Soft giggles can be heard coming from the room, which started to piss you off the longer you waited.

Having enough of this nonsense, you burst through the door fully preparing yourself to be traumatized by whatever you might be walking in on. There your brother sits with a giggling maid in his lap, like a dog in heat.

It takes a moment for Them to finally notice your presence, both seemed thoroughly surprised to even see you there. It's nearly impossible to find the esteemed (y/n) Claudia anywhere near her brother's chambers, and yet here you are standing right in front of him. 

“Good day to you as well brother.” You say sarcastically.

“Is it not Common courtesy to wait for permission before entering one's room?” he asks, annoyed. 

Common Courtesy would imply that your brother isn't some conniving creature that betrays his family name in a few years. The only thing that idiot deserves is a good smack to the back of the head, and you'd happily provide that for him If only he didn't have power over the servants.  If you did decide to hurt him in any way he'd send the maids to you,  like a master Sends his hunting dogs to catch small and helpless prey. 

“And is it not Common Courtesy to reprimand the ingrates that harmed your own sister?” You show your bandaged arm to him. The maid that sits in his lap giggles at your misfortune, which urks you deeply.

“Honestly sister, what do you expect me to do about it? Maybe if you weren't such an insufferable idiot these things wouldn't happen to you.” He laughs.

You Think you're about to pop a vein, but now isn't the time to cause a scene. You take a deep breath and smile at your brother, which seems to make him uneasy.

“You're right brother,” you say to him, Making your way out the door.

“What?” You can hear the uncertainty in his voice

“it really is my own doings that have caused my misfortune, I suppose it's time for a change.” you walk out of the room, ignoring your brother calling your name.

 You make your way back to your room, Aria quickens her pace to catch up to you. Although you hate your brother you have to hand it to him, he's good at making you angry all over again. It just adds fuel to the fire that Is your revenge, you're more determined now than ever.

Things in this house Have to change.

From now until you get handed the responsibility of your estate's workforce, you'll have to get serious.

"Aria.” You start, grabbing the attention of your trusted attendee. 

“How would you like to go on a vacation?” 

……..╔══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╗……..

You're filled with a sense of dread.

Everything is currently going exactly as you have planned it, yet there is a pit forming deep in your stomach. It's the same feeling as when you're about to go on stage for a school play, or being next in line for presenting a class project.

The maid Kazemi carefully fixes your hair, she's become far more attentive than she was before. So have the other few maids you've chosen to take Care of you while Aria is ‘away.’

The maid steps back and watches anxiously As you assess her work in your mirror. 

“Not bad Kazemi…Perfect Almost!” You say Cheerfully.

“Clearly deserving of a reward.” you point To your jewelry box. 

You watch as the maid gingerly opens the gold box, the light that reflects from the expensive jewelry shines a youthful glow on her skin. Her eyes sparkle with delight as though she is hypnotized by the dazzling Jewels. 

She grabs a beautiful pair of ruby earrings and places it in her apron pocket. It would have gone great with the ring she  ‘lost’ the other day, Thankfully, a gracious butler returned it to you.  Satisfied with her choice, She closes the box and waits for you by the door. 

“Kazami?” 

“Yes, my lady?” She ardently answers.

“ Inform the kitchen I will enjoy breakfast with my father this morning.” 

“WHAT?!?” She says bewildered, as you walk past her through the bedroom door.

“I don't have all morning, I'll be expecting breakfast made for me as well,” You tell her already heading towards the dining room.

The maid Kazami quickly scurries to the kitchen, not wanting to do anything that would end your new dynamic.

You laugh to yourself a little.

All those rich people were wrong, money does buy happiness. Just look at how that foolish maid practically skips her way to the kitchen, if this isn't happiness you don't know what is.

You walk into the dining room where your father converses with the blood-related ingrate you call a brother.

Upon seeing his daughter, the esteemed Lord Claudia almost Jumps from his seat, and your brother makes a Snide remark which you promptly ignore. 

“My sweet daughter! What brings you here this fine morning” he happily motions for you to come near him. 

As you approach your father, you intentionally push your brother's seat in while passing by, causing a bit of his food to fall on his jacket.

“Are you so inept that you ca-”

“Oh forgive me, dear brother, I was simply too excited to see Father after so long!” 

“What?” your brother knew you were lying through your teeth, and was about to call you out when your father interjected.

“It Was just an accident Sasro, you'll forgive your dear sister won't you?” you flash him a cagey smile, and he returns it with a glare.

You find a seat next to your father, who is  Seated at the head of the table. Unfortunately, that leaves you sitting right across from your brother. Ignoring his questioning glances, you turn to speak to your father.

“Father! I have something to ask” You start. Both the men at the table look at you nervous, the youngest Claudia never asked anything of anyone. Whether it was for a favor or an opinion, If she wanted something of you she would just order you to do it. Your father motions for you to continue, and you do.

“I was hoping to change my current Curriculum to one that is more business-oriented.” You mirthfully continue. Both men looked astounded, your brother more suspicious than surprised.

“business oriented?” Lord Claudia asked

“yes!” you answered simply.

“Why?” honestly both men have no idea why you would want to do something like that.

“Oh father,  is entrepreneurship not what it is to be a Claudia!?” You ask 

“For years I've used this family name to try and get what I want, but it's only recently I have truly begun to ponder something?”  

“And that is?” Your brother asked skeptically. You shoot him a glare as you continue your blarney.

“What it truly means to be a Claudia!” ignoring your brother's scoff, you try to discern the look on your father's face. Servants enter the room and gracefully present your breakfast as your father continues to try to understand where this sudden enthusiasm for the family lineage had come from. 

“Don’t think about it too hard Father,” your brother begins, putting an egregious amount of sugar in his morning coffee as he dismisses the conversation prior.

“It’s obvious this is some ploy to get the prince’s attention.” He says passively while taking a sip of coffee. Your father looks at you, face full of concern and something else. 

“I’m serious father, since I’m getting a formal education I don’t want this opportunity to slip by.” You try to convince him as a maid places a plate before you, but he still seems hesitant. 

Damn, that idiot brother of yours! You’ll give him a good beating when you get the chance, but for now, you’ll have to shift gears a little.

“And….” You begin to say, a solemn look is seen on your face as you look away from your father.

“What is it?” your father asks, surprised by the sudden shift in your mood.

“It’s…….NO, I CAN'T SAY!” Lord Claudia is taken aback as you try to cover the tears that slip down your face as you begin to cry.

“What is it my princess, don’t cry, you can tell me anything.” As soon as you hear him call you princess, you know you’ve caught him in your trap. Since the youngest Claudia was a child her father would always address her as ‘princess’ to appease her whenever she was upset. 

“It’s just that we haven’t spent much time together, you're much busier nowadays ” You give him a saddened look with tear-stained cheeks. 

Your brother audibly scoffs at the performance you've put on for your father. 

“I also wanted to help you with your work once I had learned enough from my studies.” You say somberly. 

“Oh sweet child, I never knew you had felt this way.” Your father looked touched at your act of kindness. It’s true that he’s never really had the time to interact with you, to make up for it he would give you anything you ever asked for hoping it would make up for his absence. For the longest he thought that it was sufficient enough to keep you happy, never would he have thought that his precious daughter was worried about him all this time.

“It’s only natural that a daughter worries about her father.” You say, wiping the tears from your eyes.

“I'll speak with the dean as soon as possible.” says your doting father. 

“Oh thank you, father. I promise I’ll work hard to surpass your expectations.” 

“As expected of my lovely daughter.” satisfied with your response, your father turns to converse with your brother. While they go on about things you've yet to understand, you decide to eat breakfast and immediately head to campus. Just The thought of riding in the same carriage with your half-wit brother fills you with displeasure.

You take a bite of the eggs prepared for you and are surprised by the crunch that greets your teeth. You sigh and discreetly bring a towel to your mouth to spit out whatever you have just eaten. 

Eggshells……….

The chef here has never tampered with your food before, so you can only assume it was whatever group of Maids assisted in the kitchen this morning.

You get up from your seat and announce your departure from the table.

“You're leaving so soon?” Your father asked,  worry decorating his face as he looked at your unfinished breakfast.

“I would like to get a head start on my studies so I will be leaving for the campus early.” You explain to him. He seems a bit dejected by your leaving but wishes you save travel Nonetheless.

“Father!” You call out to him just before you leave the dining room.

“Let's enjoy breakfast together from now on.” with that you leave your father to his breakfast, hoping that your words console him. However, you have a feeling you won't get to enjoy breakfast as much as he will.

Walking towards the entrance of the estate, you pass by many maids and butlers indulging in gossip. Between their scurrilous talks of people they hardly know, faint whispers of a new addition to the manners staff can be heard.

……..╔══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╗……..

Himorogi College is well known not only for its high-ranking attendants but also for the vast amount of books, letters, and overall collection of informational material that can be obtained from the institution’s library.  

The addition of the library itself was a gift from the current king to his wife Amane Himorogi. It’s said that while she was attending the college she had often mentioned how troublesome it was to go to the palace whenever she needed a book since the college didn't have a library. To appease his betrothed he had given her family a hefty donation to the college, and filled it with as many books and materials needed as possible making it the second-largest archive in the country. 

Through its many years of use, it has seen many students and scholars walk past its doors to read the assortment of books and manuscripts that adorn its walls. From noblemen to common folk,  the library has seen its fair share of people of all ages, and statuses diligently look through its shelves.

But never has it been blessed by the presence of the kingdom's infamous (y/n) Claudia.

Until today……

The library patrons gaze in shock as the famous youngest Claudia walks up to the information desk and asks for a book on economic history. Like paper catching fire, the onlooker quickly begins to speculate about why Lady Claudia would need such information.

“ is this another ploy to get closer to the prince?” 

“Is this a plan to run another family out of business?” 

Many questions desperately needing of answers, but no one dares to ask out loud.

Curious eyes follow the figure of the elegant young woman across the library until she disappears from their field of vision, breaths still with anticipation.

As you follow the librarians helping you find the books you need, you see a tuff of yellow and red from the corner of your eye. You turn your head to find the youngest Rengoku brother reading by himself in an empty corner, he sits comfortably in his seat by an open window.

Once you retrieved the books you wanted, you contemplated going up to the boy.  You leisurely flip through the pages of one of the books you have as you try to come to a decision.

Once again you see the somber boy, he faces the window as sunlight pours into the room.  His brows are knitted together staring intensely at the book in his hands but, you have a feeling that the Book isn't that interesting. His eyes look glossy and his shoulders begin to shake when he brings the book to cover his face,  and finally, you make up your mind.

You place your books on the end of the table near Senjuro and take out your fan as you walk towards him. He doesn't seem to notice you're there until He sees a closed fan appear on the page of his book.

You use the fan to move the book to get a better view of his face, watching as the weeping features of the boy come into view. 

“ The book couldn't possibly be that enticing.” You offer him a small smile and in return, he silently offers you their book in his hands. You quickly discern it to be a book on mathematics, and set it down on the table.

Senjuro wipes his tears with the handkerchief previously tucked in his jacket's breast pocket. He looks down at his hands ashamed that he had been caught in such an unsightly manner, you always seem to find him in the most shameful of circumstances.

What must you think of him now?

In actuality, you feel a sense of likeness towards the poor boy. In your past life, you too had your fair share of difficult interactions with a self-destructive parent. You'd like to ask what had happened but know it would be better to let him open up when he's comfortable.

Plus you're a stranger to this boy, and even though you know the ins and outs of his sad family dynamic, it would be weird if you just asked him to spill his secrets to you…..

“Mathematics is the bain of many people's existence.” you sigh, Senjuro looks up at you questionably.

“ in fact, you are not the first person I've seen moved to tears by it, i've seen many scholars cry due to the study.” 

“You have?” the boy finally speaks.

“ yes! Although I've only seen it happen with my previous mathematics tutors! I wonder why that is?”  offering a small chuckle as you fain ignorance to your self-deprecating joke. Senjuro turns away and tries to hide his laugh, it would be rude to laugh at you but the implication that you are so bad at math enough to bring your previous teachers to tears is very humorous to him.

As you both laugh the sound of the distant echo of a bell rings, signaling students to hurry before their lectures begin. You collect your things and say your farewells to senjuro, just as you make your way out of the library the young boy calls out to you. 

He rushes towards you, he berates himself for forgetting something as he walks up to you.

“I- if you aren't too busy….” he begins, 

“My bother and I would be grateful if you were to grace us with your presence during our lunch period!”  he held his breath for an answer, and you couldn't help the look of surprise that appeared on your face. You've been trying to come up with an excuse to interact with Kyojuro for a while, now that senjuro has given you a reason there is no way you could refuse.

“ We’ll see…” you vaguely answer him, before making your way to the dean's office. Of course, you’ll spend your lunch with them, but outwardly accepting an invitation to spend time with someone isn’t something The original (y/n) Cludia would do. 

Talking to the dean was surprisingly easy. After explaining your desire to switch classes, he had his secretary draft the classes you would need to take and had someone escort you to the lecture room.

‘How convenient, I’ll attend the lectures, then make my way to the training field!’ on that note…

“Oh!  before I leave, how am I to place an order through the Kitchen,”  you ask politely 

When you reach the correct room, You inform the instructor of your attendance and quickly find a seat In the back to quietly observe the lecture. You try your best to absorb the information given, but find it difficult due to the stares of your classmates.

Outwardly you look unperturbed, but internally you're super freaked out. It's like They're not even trying to be subtle about it! Almost every pair of eyes seems to be glancing or taking peeks at you.

This continues to happen in several other lectures as well, each one as unsettling as the last.

Once the current lectures finishes you almost let out a sigh of relief when you hear the afternoon bell, signaling for break time.

You begin to rise from your seat when you feel the familiar sting of eyes following your figure. When you turn to cut a sharp glare at whoever is rudely Staring at you, you're met with an angelic beauty.

Her calm and graceful demeanor almost makes you nervous. Someone as pretty as her must be an important person m, but you can't seem to remember who it is.

You try to rack your brain for any information but quickly find it pointless because even if Ms. Claudia were to have met her at a social gathering, the only memory She Would retain would have been that of her fiance.

The elegant young woman walks up to you and offers a polite greeting.

“Good day, My lady”

You return the greeting, but say nothing else signaling the young woman to say whatever it is she needs to say, so this conversation can be over.

“It's the first time we've met in quite a Long time, so I'm not sure if you remember me…” 

“To be honest I'm not entirely sure, Have we met in a past gathering perhaps?” You try to be polite as you basically tell this girl you have no idea who she is. 

You open your fan and cover your mouth, as an awkward Smile threatens to form. Most of the previous lecture attendance has yet to leave, and they idly chat amongst each other as you wait for this mystery woman to tell you who she is.   Internally you're begging the heavens for this awkward conversation to end soon.

“It's Hinatsuru tengen..” Ok that name sounds vaguely familiar, but you still can't- 

“When we were younger you threatened me for being too close to your fiance, then spread a terrible rumor regarding The size of my chest,”  she says all while keeping her calm demeanor.

The room goes silent as you're fan nearly breaks from how tightly you're gripping it.

‘WHO THE HELL INTRODUCES THEMSELVES LIKE THAT????’

Seriously, what do you even say In a situation like this? What Should You Do? 

She gives you a polite smile, seemingly having no care in the world after giving you the shock of the century.

Firstly you try to calm yourself down and think of a way to turn this conversation in your favor. After a second or two of thinking you decide to just apologize and leave.  You have plenty of enemies as it is now, and the faster you begin to rebuild (y/n) Claudia's social image, the better.

Plus it's pretty fucked up that Ms.Claudia would even do such a thing, she sincerely owes this girl an apology.

“Is that true?” The still silent room grows cold as you take a step closer towards Lady Hinatsuru.

You tuck your fan into the pocket of your dress skirt and take her hands into yours.

“If so, then it's only fair to say that I owe you an apology.” if the room grew any more Silent, you would think you'd have gone deaf.

The woman in front of you is stunned speechless, as you sincerely try to apologize for Ms.Claudia's past actions.

“I was a jealous and resentful child, and I had no right lashing it out on you. I know it doesn't excuse my behavior back then, but I hope you could find it in your heart to forgive me.” 

There! Short and sweet. 

After a few minutes of not getting any reaction other than complete and utter astonishment, you decide It's time for you to go to your promised meeting with the Rengoku brothers. 

“ I am currently running late to a rondevu, by the training grounds, so I'll be taking my leave.” 

You Leave the lecture room and begin to celebrate your successful escape when you hear Lady Hinatsuru calling for you.

You try to make quick and fast steps to Evade your pursuer, but Hinatsuru Proves to be much faster than you.  

“Lady Claudia, please Wait.” She says while Easily catching up to you.

“Please forgive me, I wasn't trying to get an apology from-” her shoulders tense as begins to calmly explain herself when you raise a hand to stop her. 

“Lady Hinatsuru, I didn't apologize because I was coerced to, I did it because I sincerely feel horrible for the way I acted in the past, and for the fact that I couldn't even remember it.” 

You physically see her relax and in turn, you let out a sigh of relief.

“I know an apology isn't nearly enough for what I did to you….” You hesitated for a moment 

“So if you ever need my assistance for anything please let me know.” You offer her a genuine smile, and for a second time today, Lady Hinatsuru is at a loss for words. 

“Then….” She ponders for a moment, then looks at you.

“I originally wanted to ask you a few questions. I’ll accompany you to the training quarters since I will be taking my break there as well.” 

This is the most ideal outcome, not only are you starting to reconcile with someone you’ve wronged, but they’re also showing you to your destination after realizing you didn't,t even know where you were going in the first place!

“Alright then, I’ll try my best to answer.” you gingerly reply as Lady Hinasturu leads you to your randevu.

……..╔══ஓ๑♡๑ஓ══╗……..

When it comes to men and women who choose to follow the path of knighthood, many aren't prepared for the grueling, almost life-threatening, training one must face.

“Come on, you all can run faster than that!” A white-haired man yells as those in training run their two-hundredth lap around an obstacle course. Although they whine and groan, those in training try to run faster not wanting to fall behind and get brutalized by their captain.

Those on the opposite side of the field hardly have it any better, as they try not to collapse from the plank they’ve been holding for the past hour and a half. Their fiery-haired leader showers them with words of encouragement, as they struggle to keep their position, though he barely looks like he’s broken a sweat.  

Senjuro stands under the shade of a tree as he waits for his guest who he’s not entirely sure will show up. The young boy approaches his brother, handling a large case of food across the spacious training field.

“ Training seems rather arduous today.” senjuro remarks in passing, the bell signaling for afternoon break has rung, and all at once it seems as if a whole field of trainees collapsed to the floor. 

“ Ha! They haven't even started the brunt of it, once break is over they’ll be training even harder!” Sir Uzui Tengen responds loudly enough for the trainees to hear.

“ the day is still young, I’m sure after a hearty meal everyone will be motivated to do another hundred laps around the field!”   Kyojuro voices.   

Although they are relieved of their torture for a brief moment, the poor groups of knights in training can’t seem to catch a break. 

“My, my, such a Hard-working group of knights, wouldn't you agree Lady Hinatsuru!” a few of them look up to see two stunningly beautiful women languidly approach them. Hinatsuru plays along and pretends to ponder before answering.

“ They do look awfully tired.” she chimes 

“Lady Claudia! And Lady Hinatsuru too..?” senjuro excitedly yells, as the infamous Lady Claudia, along with Lady Hinatsuru make their appearance. 

That’s certainly not a pair you see every day…

Many heads turn at the mention of the name ‘Claudia’, and whispers of curiosity and worry arise within the group of knights. some of which, unlike the academic portion of the institution, are of lower status. It is only by rumors and hearsay that most of them have heard of the “prince-obsessed” lady Claudia, and now they have the opportunity to see the crazy woman of rumors with their own eyes.

“Yes, they almost look dead! Which makes it even more convenient that I reserved and paid for you all to enjoy your lunch in the dining hall!” she looks at the group before adding playfully,

“ That is If you all have the energy for it!”

Those born into a lower status usually eat only what they can afford which is the standard mix of rice and protein. Most of them could only dream of getting the chance to enjoy the lavish and flavorsome food that most nobles eat. At that moment the fatigued knights in training all had the same thought,

‘Lady Claudia isn’t so bad!’ 

They all excitably get up and make their way to the dining hall, they all say their ‘thanks’ and praise as they pass by the esteemed Lady Claudia.