Chapter 1. Foolish and Pitiful

A woman with a vacant expression was reflected in the transparent icicles hanging from the edge of the eaves.

Her faded blonde hair, as unkempt as overgrown weeds, tumbled down to her waist.

Seated on a tree stump, she suddenly glanced around and reached out to grab an axe.

Her arms, so thin they seemed skeletal, trembled under the weight of the iron, like a tree branch weighed down by freshly fallen snow.

The moment she brought the axe close to her body, a man who resembled a bandit tossed aside his cart and ran toward her, screaming.

“Stop! Stop right now!”

The man snatched the axe from the woman—me—who still had that vacant expression on her face.

“It’s dangerous! What do you think you’re doing?”

“I just…”

As I opened my mouth to speak, an icicle fell from the eaves and landed on the snow-covered ground with a soft thud.

It sank into the powdery snow, as if piercing someone’s heart. Squinting against the brightness, I continued speaking.

“I just thought my hair was messy and wanted to cut it.”

“With an axe?”

“Well… it’s not impossible, is it?”

“Good grief.”

The man scratched his scruffy beard and clicked his tongue.

“For a second, I thought you were trying to kill yourself.”

Clearly embarrassed by his misunderstanding, he coughed awkwardly a few times before extending a hand toward me.

“Come inside. You’ll catch a cold.”

I stared blankly at his rough hand for a moment before pushing myself up from the edge of the stump. Passing by him, I opened the wooden log door, and warm air spilled out, thawing my cold face.

“I wouldn’t die here, even if I wanted to.”

Even beasts understand the grace of being cared for. So how could I, a human, die in this place?

“I can’t cause trouble for the people who saved my life. So… no need to worry about finding a corpse here.”

“N-no, that’s not what I meant…!”

“Honey! What about the firewood?”

From inside, a middle-aged woman emerged, pressing her damp hands against her apron.

“I’ll bring it in now!”

“Were you cold? I told you to wear fur if you’re going out. You’ll catch a cold!”

They say couples start to resemble each other, and sure enough, they both nagged at me in the exact same way.

“It’s fine. I’ll peel the potatoes and carrots.”

I said, shaking my head as I walked into the kitchen. The rusty faucet let out water so cold it felt like ice.

The sudden chill snapped me out of my haze. Not that I had been wandering in a dream or anything.

A reflection stared back at me from the narrow windowpane—a face I didn’t recognize.

A woman who looked like she could drop dead at any moment.

The woman who had betrayed her father and brought ruin to the royal family—Mine Molière.

❖　❖　❖

“You really don’t have to come along…”

Mrs. Kimber sighed for what felt like the hundredth time as she fussed over the front of my robe. She even draped a fox stole around my neck, but it seemed she still couldn’t relax.

“Can’t you just stay home with the dog? I’m worried you’ll catch a cold, truly.”

“I’m fine now. You even brewed that herbal tonic for me, remember? I drank it and got completely better.”

“You’re still too thin…”

Mrs. Kimber’s eyes scanned me with suspicion. Worry dripped from her like honey from an overfull spoon.

“Well, that’s not something that changes overnight, but I’ve been eating as much as I can.”

“‘As much as I can,’ you say? Funny way to put it. Eat lots, Myrda. Eat and get healthy quickly.”

“If I get plump, are you planning to eat me?”

“Oh my! Hoho, you caught me. Truth is, when we found you by the river, I breathed a sigh of relief. I thought, ‘We’ve got our winter provisions now!’”

Mrs. Kimber had a sharp sense of humor, and her jokes always landed. While she laughed so hard she had to clutch her sides, I quietly slipped onto the driver’s seat of the wagon.

“Let’s get going.”

The Kimber couple lived a modest life in a mountain cabin, surviving off hunting.

Once a week, they went to town to sell animal hides and buy supplies, and today was one of those days.

Having stayed with them for over two weeks now, I figured it was time I earned my keep. That was why I volunteered to go to town with Mrs. Kimber in her husband’s place—he had hurt his back while moving firewood yesterday.

It would take two hours by wagon to reach the nearest village and another two to get to the town. Since winter days were short, even leaving in the morning meant we’d have to spend a night in the village before heading back.

“Myrda’s riding up front, so the horse is behaving now. Acting all macho like that… Oh, hoho.”

Mrs. Kimber clearly had a habit of cursing, but it seemed she was trying to tone it down around me, speaking more gently than usual.

She didn’t need to, though. I wasn’t above swearing myself.

“Looks like even the horse knows how to appreciate a beautiful lady.”

“Oh, please. It’s probably just remembering the carrot I gave it yesterday.”

“Even your words are so refined… Are you sure you’re not secretly some highborn noble?”

“Would you like me to be a noble, Mrs. Kimber?”

Her cheeky laugh bubbled up as she skillfully handled the reins.

“That’d be wonderful, wouldn’t it? I could make a fortune! Hoho. Was that too greedy of me? But hey, a little dreaming doesn’t hurt.”

I gave her a wry smile and played along. But inwardly, I resolved to leave the cabin as soon as possible.

The sky was crisp and clear, though the air was chilly.

Even in winter, the town pulsed with vibrant energy. The square bustled with people trading goods and food.

While Mrs. Kimber visited her regular buyers, I stayed outside, observing the market. But I soon noticed several men stealing glances in my direction.

Feeling self-conscious, I pulled my hood down lower over my face.

It was rare for commoners to recognize Mine Molière’s face, but I had cast a recognition-blocking spell just in case.

Mrs. Kimber emerged from the market with her pockets full, humming a cheerful tune. Like a duckling, I stuck close to her side.

“Why are you pulling that hood so far down? It’s hiding your pretty face!”

“I don’t like the way men keep staring…”

“Ugh, those wretched fools! I ought to gouge their eyes out!”

“…Shall we start shopping now?”

“Yes, let’s buy food and some essentials.”

With my face well-covered, Mrs. Kimber expertly navigated the crowded marketplace, ensuring I didn’t get jostled by the bustling crowd. It was clear she was a seasoned pro.

“How about this? It’s a goose-down quilt, and they say it’s incredibly warm!”

“It feels soft and nice.”

“What about the color? Which one do you like?”

I thought about the gray curtains in their bedroom and replied, “I think most colors would match, but my personal favorite is this pink one.”

“Great! Pink it is!”

Mrs. Kimber spent her money freely, pulling out her pouch without hesitation. I wondered if I should stop her, but I held back.

‘My wife has a generous hand, you see. That’s why our life is always so abundant. If we need more money, I just work harder to earn it.’

Mr. Kimber’s words suddenly made sense.

After spending the entire afternoon following her around and helping carry the shopping, my arms were aching by the time the scent of evening began to ride the wind.

“Oh, look at me, forgetting how tiring this must be for you, Myrda. Let’s head in for the night.”

I didn’t even have the energy to offer polite reassurance. Instead, I just gave her an awkward smile.

The inn Mrs. Kimber had chosen was undoubtedly the most expensive one in the village. The interior was warm and cozy, and the furniture in the lounge was so clean it looked nearly new.

She even rented two separate rooms to make sure I wouldn’t feel uncomfortable.

“I’m fine sharing a room, really… Maybe we could ask them to combine the reservation into one room instead—”

“No, no, no. You deserve a room to yourself, a nice, pretty one. I made sure to get you the best room they had.”

And she wasn’t lying. The room had a charming elegance. A continental-style tapestry adorned the wall above the bed, and a vase of pink roses sat nearby. The flowers didn’t have much of a fragrance, but they brightened the room.

After unpacking briefly, I soaked myself in a tub of warm bathwater. Taking a deep breath, I submerged my entire body, including my head.

There had been days when I nearly drowned in water.

Days when I only listened to sad music and read tragic stories.

I even picked the most gut-wrenching web novels to read, crying until my eyes swelled shut. After a good cry, I’d sleep deeply and wake up feeling slightly better.

It was my way of dealing with despair—a kind of catharsis.

Mine Molière was a villainess from one of the tragic novels I had devoured, <Bitten by a Mad Dog.>

The “mad dog” in the title referred to the male lead, Neumonte Acalepto—a young, ambitious general who led a military revolution to overthrow a feeble monarchy.

He seduced Mine, an illegitimate princess, and coaxed her into stealing military secrets from the royal family, all while whispering promises of marriage.

Blinded by love, Mine helped him succeed in his coup. Naturally, Neumonte had no intention of keeping his word. He slaughtered the entire royal family and locked Mine in a high tower prison.

Her fate was to be betrayed by the man she loved and die in despair.

Fifteen days ago, I had also been submerged in water—not warm bathwater like this, but ice-cold, bone-chilling water.

When I came to my senses, soldiers with spears surrounded me, cornering me on the edge of a cliff.

I didn’t know who I was or where I was, but my instincts took over. I leaped off the cliff, thinking it was better to fall to my death than be impaled.

But I didn’t die.

The Kimber couple found me drifting in the river. Their kindness rekindled the dying embers of my life.

Over three days, fragments of my memory slowly returned.

At first, it was a chaotic jumble—pieces of my original life mixed with unfamiliar memories. It took me a while to understand what had happened.

I had somehow ended up in the world of <Bitten by a Mad Dog.>

And I was none other than the infamous villainess Mine Molière—the woman who had escaped from prison the day before her execution.