Days have passed since the day that the wicked Lady of Chavez was decapitated in front of Ibanez and its people. The Lady was the talk of the town, and all of her wicked deeds were exposed to the people of Ibanez.

Maria Eleonor's head was hanging at the gates of the Kingdom.

They couldn't understand it.

How could a Great Duke like Evan have a daughter like her? Perhaps it was because that child was tainted with her mother's blood.

People only cared about the juicy news and rumors about the decapitated Lady.

She deserved it, that's what they all thought.

A woman in a black robe stared above the gates of the Ibanez kingdom. Her midnight eyes were staring at the decapitated head of the Lady named Maria Eleonor. Standing beside her was a man who was her brother.

She knew that this was part of the Novel's plot, but seeing this gruesome scene was a little terrifying for her.

If she did not escape on the day that she remembered her previous life and the original story, she will also end up dead with her little brother. She knows that the Lady whose head was hanging to the gates was the Villainess of this world, but she thought that she was a little pitiful.

"Gabriel, you look sad, do you know that woman?" Gabriella asked her brother.

"I met her days ago..." Her brother replied in a monotonous voice. "She's quite pitiful."

"That's a criminal, Gabriel," Gabriella told him. "Why do you find her pitiful?" She asked.

"You also find her pitiful, you idiot."

Gabriella became silent as she took a deep sigh. After all, her brother is correct, she felt pity for the young Villainess...

She felt pity for her despite knowing the terrible things that she has done to the female lead. Her bullying was terrible enough to cause trauma for Cheska, the female lead. Maria's Punishment won't be able to erase those traumas for Cheska.

Can you imagine the pain of losing your child? The female lead must've been restless, terrified, and distressed after losing her child. According to the novel 'You Shall Pay' when Maria accidentally killed Cheska's child, she became depressed, she lost her smile, and she can't even laugh.

Even if Cheska and Ian had a happy ending, she cannot completely live happily remembering the child that she could have.

But Gabriella felt also felt pity for Maria Eleonor because she knew that the villainess is a broken child. Somehow, Gabriella felt responsible for Maria Eleonor's character.

Gabriella knew the story, Gabriella understood that Maria was not completely evil.

If she did try to change Maria Eleonor's fate that day, Gabriella wonders if she could've changed Maria Eleonor. Gabriella met Maria Eleonor years ago, and she realize that Villainess was a broken soul. She offered the Villainess a hand to run away from her home.

But Gabriella hesitated that day...

If she can also change Maria Eleonor's fate as the Villainess that day...

What will happen?

Gabriella does not know the answer, she had already missed the very regrettable chance.

And the fact that she could've saved Cheska and Ian's child and changed the Villainess made her a little regretful. For a person who knows something and could've changed something, Gabriella felt guilty.

"She's a criminal, but this kind of death is too humiliating for that woman. I wonder if her father ever had a thought of retrieving his daughter's corpse," Gabriella mumbled with a shrug. "That old Duke is such a scummy father."

One of the reasons why Maria Eleonor turned that way is because of her father's negligence. If the Duke showed a little affection for her, the outcome could've changed.

The Duke never abused the Villainess, but he was a scum for neglecting his child.

He was the Boss Villain after all.

"Old... Duke?" Gabriel mumbled. "Have you ever seen the Duke?"

"Never, and I don't have a plan either. I bet he'll be looking like an old man with white hair and a beard on his face. Why would I want to meet an old man?" Gabriella, who was currently an Old soul said. "He's also the boss Villain after all..." She mumbled.

Gabriel frowned while looking at his sister. He suddenly rolled his eyes.

"You're such an idiot," Gabriel mumbled while shaking his head. "Don't you know that mana can keep a person looking young?"

"What? Really?" Gabriella uttered in surprise, but her surprise turned into confusion as she glanced at her brother. "But so, what?" She asked.

Gabriel glanced at her with a dumbfounded face.

"Never mind, you've never seen the duke anyway," Gabriel frowned as he turned his back from his sister as he started to walk away. "I'll go to Leonardo now. We'll return to our home in an hour, make sure to quickly return to the inn and do not cause trouble."

"Yeah yeah, and by the way, won't you find yourself a good wife?" Gabriella teased with a grin on her face. "There are lots of pretty women in this place. Time to make a family, you don't have to end up like me, an old lady with no husband."

"No thanks," Gabriel replied. "I already missed the chance."

"Miss the chance?" Gabriella mumbled. "What do you mean...? OI- GABRIEL- WAIT---"

Before she could utter another question, Gabriel immediately used a teleportation scroll from his pocket and disappeared into thin air.

"Wasteful bastard, does he know how much a teleportation scroll is?" Gabriella mumbled.

Gabriella clicked her tongue before turning back her gaze to the decapitated head of the poor Lady. Finally, Gabriella decided to take off the black ribbon on her hair and tied it to the gates of Ibanez as a sign of pity for the Villainess.

Maria Eleonor, who was a victim of the original plot...

"I hope you are well in your next life," Gabriella mumbled to herself.

Gabriella raised the tip of her dress and respectfully bowed her head in respect for the dead Lady. She stared at Maria Eleonor's head for a moment before she averted her eyes.

Gabriella turned her back from the gates of Ibanez, but her eyes darted at the man who was only a meter away from her. Gabriella didn't notice his presence when he came, but it seems like the man had just arrived.

Hair as white as snow...

The man looked handsome...

The man was staring above the gates of Ibanez with a blank expression on his face. However, as Gabriella observed the man, she could notice a trace of restlessness in him.

There was a dark circle under his eyes, and there was a gloomy atmosphere around. He was wearing a black suit as if he was mourning for the dead. Gabriella finally noticed the confused expression on his face as he suddenly glanced at her.

"They said that she deserved her death, why did you show respect for her?" The man suddenly asked her. His voice was cold and frigid. "Don't you also despise her?"

Gabriella became stunned by that question.

"Are you talking to me...?" She asked in a meek and quiet tone fearing that she misunderstood the man.

The man stared at her but he didn't respond to her question.

Well, that was so awkward...

She doesn't know who is this handsome man. Is he even talking to her?

Gabriella scanned her eyes to her surrounding, when she confirmed that the man was actually talking to her, she immediately cleared her throat and decided to answer the man.

"Well, ahem. She did bad things, yes, but she never did it directly to me. Naturally, I shouldn't care about these things," Gabriella answered the man. "But I did give her respect out of pity. She had already paid for her sins, people should give her corpse a little respect."

The man remained silent as he continued staring at her. Gabriella couldn't help but feel conscious around the handsome man, she knows that she is pretty thanks to her parents' genes, but to be stared at by a handsome man is a different story.

Gabriella returned to reality when she realized the black suit of the man. She slightly tilted her head when she realized that this man might be connected to the dead lady.

He looks like her...

"I cannot retrieve her body," the man suddenly mumbled.

"Retrieve..." Gabriella mumbled. "Your clothes are for mourning, are you her family?"

"Family...?" The man mumbled. "I am probably like that..."

"You're not really sure huh?" Gabriella shrugged her shoulders. "You were the only person I saw mourning for her, and you look sad while looking at her. You must be her family."

The white-haired man raised his brows with a confused look on his face.

"I am not sad," he told her with an expressionless face.

"This stupid handsome man doesn't know that he's sad," Gabriella mumbled to herself. "He's more stupid than me."

"Were you saying something?"

"I said Condolences," Gabriella answered him skillfully. "Anyway, you said that you couldn't retrieve her body, why is that? Is it because of the royal family? Can't the duke do anything about this? Oh, are you a noble?"

The man nodded his head in Gabriella's last question.

"Anyone who would retrieve her body will be considered a traitor, I cannot become a traitor to this country," The man answered in a cold tone. "My responsibility..."

"You can steal her body and bury her in a sunny place," Gabriella mumbled while shaking her head. "Then tell to people that an old enemy of hers stole her body as revenge to cover things up. You won't be a traitor if they will never find out."

"That..." The man was dumbfounded. He stared at Gabriella who suddenly averted her eyes as she cleared her throat.

"A-ahem, I know, I know that it's illegal. Just don't mind me," Gabriella mumbled. "Let's just hope that the Lady will live rightfully and be happy in her next life. She should make sure that she won't do terrible things anymore if God gave her a chance."

Live free from the original plot.

"Is there next life?" The man asked her.

"Yes, there is, I can vouch for that," Gabriella smirked.

"What makes you so confident about that?"

Gabriella smiled at him with a confident look on her face. "Because I was reincarnated."

The Man became silent as he stared at Gabriella who had a smile on her face. Gabriella shook her head as she sweetly giggled.

"I might be older than you, young man," Gabriella told him. "My real age should be around 41 this year."

"I'm 44," the man replied with a straight face.

Gabriella paused as soon as she heard him. "H-hah? 44?" Gabriella reacted. "No, that can't be, you look like you're in your '20s! Look at your handso-- face, no wrinkles yet!"

The man did not respond.

"Nevermind. By the way, we've been talking for an hour but I haven't mentioned my name yet. My name is Gabriella, a I may be impolite to ask you this since you said that you were a noble, but can you tell me your name, mister?"

The man stared at Gabriella who lifted her hand for a handshake. His eyes darted at Gabriella's face.

"My name is Evan," The man spoke slowly, but he didn't accept the hands that Gabriella offered to him.

"Evan huh..." Gabriella mumbled as she closed her hands in disappointment. "Your name sounds oddly familiar. Well then, I have to go now, Mr. Evan, I have to go home now, my brother might nag me if I returned to him late."

Gabriella bowed her head lightly as she started to walk away from Evan. She took a peek at him one more time and smiled at the handsome man.

Evan's eyes followed the trail of the lady, but as soon as Gabriella disappeared, he returned his gaze to his daughter's corpse that was hanging at the gate of this kingdom. His face was expressionless, but while staring at Maria's corpse, he felt something very uncomfortable inside of him.

He couldn't understand it, it's been bugging him for so many days, and it couldn't understand it.

Perhaps, he is indeed sad...

Perhaps...

No, you weren't sad Evan, you were supposed to be a man with no emotions.

A voice told him.

•••••••••••

Gabriella stared at the window of her carriage. She was in deep thought thinking about Maria Eleonor's death. Gabriella shouldn't be worrying about the original plot of the Novel, but something inside was bugging her.

She's very worried.

The rebellion against the current King of Ibanez, whose name is Ayan, is nearing. Prince Ian will finally become the King and he will rule the kingdom peacefully and live happily with his Queen.

The countryside won't be overly affected by this rebellion, but something is bugging her for some reasons.

Are they really safe?

"What are you thinking about, sister?" Gabriel asked suddenly asked.

"I just remembered something terrible," Gabriella asnwered her brother. "A rebellion might happen, we have to get ready."

"A rebellion...?" Gabriel mumbled in a serious tone. "What makes you say such things?"

"I just know it," Gabriella mumbled without mentioning her basis. "And now that we're connected with the Duke, we might get involved with this rebellion... ," Gabriella mumbled referring to her father.

Seeing the serious expression on his sister's face. Gabriel only nodded his head and decided to trust his sister's words.

"What shall we do?"

"If we cannot avoid being involved with this rebellion. Then, we will support the rebellion."

••••••••••••••