Unable to judge whether the otherโs kindness was sincere, she decided to reject it outright.
Now more than ever before, Fros Camille understood clearly that it was her own weaknessโher tendency to easily compromiseโthat had allowed a group of abnormal people to shape her into what she had become.
She could trust no one, could place no hope or luck in others, and even family was unreliable; thus, she had no choice but to put more hope in herself.
With that thought, she drove Elka out of the room.
Whether the elven lady was heartbroken by Frosโs attitude or bewildered by the planโs failure, she didnโt know.
In any case, after so many twists and turns, Fros finally had the opportunity to be truly alone.
โBastardsโฆ all of them are scum, sluts.โ
Slipping out from under the covers, she sprawled on the bed, staring up at the canopy above.
Using the foulest words she could imagine, Fros cursed all those she had ever sincerely trusted, each and every one having without exception inflicted pain upon her.
Was her judgment flawed?
Was her ability to read people flawed?
She had thought her parents loved herโthat they truly cared.
She had thought her comrades shared genuine bondsโthat they were willing to take risks with her.
โI really treated this world like a fairy tale, like playing house.โ
Lying there, Fros could only reach this conclusion.
Tears welled up again.
What the old world denied her, this world used to torment and destroy her.
Friendship, family love, romantic loveโthe beautiful bonds she had dreamed of became, once her innocent filter was torn away, cruel reality.
Her parents saw her as a tool for earning money and gaining fame.
As for her companionsโฆ
Fros pondered for a long time before she could roughly guess how she appeared to Moria and the others.
First, she was a useful servantโdoing laundry and cooking without complaint.
If praised, she wouldnโt mind how tiring the work was.
She was a lowly commoner, and bullying her brought others a sense of superiority.
Most crucially, she had the abilityโa talent for efficiently healing wounds.
Though the side effect was intense pain leading to fainting, the recipients of her healing felt no ill effects.
Ahโฆ
โIsnโt this just a damned beast of burden, a slave who doesnโt even know sheโs being exploited?โ
Fros turned over, the harsh conclusion too much for her to accept.
Irritated, she got up and sat back down at the dressing table, thinking through the precise reasons behind her current treatment.
From a purely utilitarian perspective, her ability was important, so they had to control herโcouldnโt let her die, nor let her fall into othersโ hands.
Tatashimiken certainly saw her this way, but what about Moria?
Her childhood friend, the playmate she once believed had transcended social classesโwhat kind of attitude had turned her into this?
Looking at her reflection in the mirrorโyes, she was indeed beautiful.
Those brows and eyes paired with a pale face embodied gentleness and purity.
โFros Camille.โ
She softly repeated the name.
When she wanted to quit the team, they used penalties to threaten her.
When the penalties failed, they bound her by her family.
And when even that failed, they turned her into what she was now.
In this world, names contained the power of the lawโthey were the original blessing and curse upon living beings.
If she did not accept herself as Fros Camille, or if she did not kill those who named her, like Moria and the others, she could not fully wield the power she possessed.
If this name represented a once-living person, her body and mind would be assimilated by the name, losing her original self.
With this in mind, Fros picked up a pen and wrote in her notebook:
ใI am Fros Camille, a hopeless idiot.ใ
She fell silent.
Because what she had originally wanted to write was โFros Camille.โ
[Are you planning to use me as someone elseโs substitute? Moriaโฆ]
Their initial encounterโwas it really because she carried someone elseโs shadow?
Perhaps those werenโt means to stop her from quitting the team, but rather a plan to guide her toward suicide.
Maybe, regardless of whether her past self chose to resist, she had always been acting according to Moria and the othersโ plan.
They knew her parentsโ true stance. Letting her return home was meant to make her utterly despair of her family, to induce suicidal thoughts.
Thus, Fros Camille would relinquish her original body and name, and be easily transformed into Fros Camilleโthe person who might not even have existedโallowing them to obtain a substitute and control her healing power.
Then, was Elka truly feeling guilty toward her?
Fros could not conceive any reason that would make this elf choose to conspire with Moria and the others, other than extreme selfishness born from not wanting to be bullied.
She desperately wished it was all false.
This was the cruel delusion her sharp mind arrived at in despair.
Heartache and bitterness brewed within her as she lay on the desk, preparing to cry hard for once.
Since she had become a girl, she might as well not hold back her tears this time.
Every movement Fros made in her room was observed by the three people in the villaโs study.
โIsnโt this different from what you expected, Miss?โ Tatashimi asked Moria, who looked a bit lost in thought.
According to the original plan, Fros should have obeyed Elka and prepared to escape, only to be caught by the maids and sent back so they could continue the next phase of โinterrogation.โ
At least, the current Fros should have been kept in a relatively broken stateโnot showing such fragile behavior.
When Elka was rejected just now, she wanted to take immediate action, but Moria stopped her, saying they should observe a little longer.
Doesnโt the daughter of a duke understand the principle of striking while the iron is hot?
โNo, itโs all as expected, Tatashimi. This is exactly the reaction I wanted from her.โ
Coming back to herself, Moria answered calmly.
Her composed demeanor was enough to make even the rational Tatashimi swallow her words.
Tatashimi was a student sponsored by the Delan family, and from before joining the team had been Moriaโs advisor.
Though she managed the team, important decisions had always been left to Moria.
But Moria didnโt intend to be cryptic. She smiled and continued:
โI know what kind of person she is. If you let the wound scab over before reopening it, thatโs when it will hurt. Otherwise, sheโll silently endure it all until it explodes, just like what weโve done to her over these years.โ
โSoโฆโ
Tatashimi disliked this kind of torment, but since noble dirt was nothing new to her, and she herself wouldnโt be subject to Moriaโs schemes, she was somewhat indifferent.
Still, hearing such words gave her chills.
โI never expected Elka to get her out. She wonโt grow or realize our love for her without hardship.โ
When Moria spoke of love, her tone faltered.
She let out a short laugh, as if even she didnโt believe her own lofty words.
โTo control her, brainwashing would be enough. Youโre really ruthless, using such complicated means.โ
Elka, who was daydreaming nearby, frowned.
โArenโt you afraid sheโll become extreme?โ
โFrom what I know of her, before she becomes like that, sheโll realize what Iโve done is actually for her own goodโand thatโs enough.โ
โI just donโt understand human thoughts.โ
Elka waved her hand irritably.
Having lived so long, this was the first time someone had rejected her sweet words, and the frustration was hard to shake.
She didnโt like the other two in the room either, making it difficult for her to maintain any goodwill.
โUsing forbidden arts consumes too much energy. I need to recharge and rest. Iโll attend the ball.โ
โAlright, see you in a week~โ
Moria smiled as she saw Elka off.
Tatashimi, finding it dull, excused herself under the pretext of handling finances, leaving the room empty.
โSee? Your family treats you as a tool, those two treat you as a toy, and I alone am thinking of fulfilling your wishes, making you the center of attention, Fros.โ
She put away her smile, whispering to the image of the girl on the screen.
โYouโll understand one dayโI truly have your best interests at heart. Wellโฆ for now, start by mastering noble etiquette.โ
Moria clapped her hands, eyes full of expectation as she looked again at the girl.
Soon, a knock sounded.
Amid Frosโs startled cry, a group of maids burst into her room and forcibly stripped her down to her undergarments.