A wave of tension, fueled by the sheer impossibility of his situation, caused him to wobble dangerously. He realized he was standing on top of a ladder. A very tall ladder. His sudden shift nearly sent him tumbling.

"Whoa, whoa, no no— damn it!"

He clutched the shears tightly, arms flailing for a second until he stabilized himself. His heart pounded.

"Great. First dead Chapter and I’m one slip away from dying again . "

Before he could process any more, a loud, furious shout cut through the air like a whip.

"DO YOU CALL THIS CLEAN?!"

The shout hit him so hard he nearly lost his balance. Startled, he wobbled on the tall ladder he was standing on, clutching the shears for dear life. His head whipped toward the sound.

Down below stood Evelise.

But this wasn’t the Evelise he knew.

She was human. Entirely... human.

Her silver hair was neatly braided, the loose strands behind her shimmering as they fluttered in the wind. She wore a noblewoman’s red dress, elegant and layered with intricate gold embroidery that caught the light like fire. Her skin was flawless, her posture perfect and yet, her expression burned with fury.

Standing beside her was another woman, tall and intimidating, with long light blue hair tied in a strict ponytail. She wore a black suit that fit her like armor, her gaze cold and unreadable. And kneeling before Evelise was a man in a servant’s uniform, trembling violently as her voice tore through the air.

"I told you to sweep the east hallway before the wind changed!"

Evelise snapped, her tone venomous.

"Now look what you’ve done— dust is everywhere!"

She ran a gloved hand along her arm, as if even the air itself had dared to touch her.

"Do you know what it feels like to have dirt cling to silk? To my skin?"

"N-No, my lady!"

The servant stammered, bowing so low his forehead touched the ground.

"Please, forgive me! I was—"

"Excuses,"

Evelise hissed, her red skirts flaring as she took a step forward. "

This mansion is a reflection of my family’s name. And you bring shame to it with your incompetence!"

Sid gripped the ladder, his jaw tightening as he watched the scene unfold. This... this was the real Evelise— the same attitude she showed when they cleaned the cabin together, that commanding tone, that confidence. But this version of her was different. She was colder now, proud, and carried herself with a terrifying sense of royalty that sent a chill down his spine.

"Is this... her past? This can’t be real."

The tall blue-haired woman leaned down slightly toward Evelise.

"Shall I discipline him, my lady?"

Evelise’s ruby eyes narrowed with contempt, and she scoffed sharply at the question.

"You insult me, Oshan; why would you even ask something so obvious?"

Her voice dropped to a level of chilling composure as she issued the brutal order.

"Bring out the whip and correct this man immediately; let this be a forceful lesson to every single person here."

The woman in the black suit— Oshan, bowed her head once.

"As you command, my lady."

She stepped forward with military precision, her heels clicking against the marble path. From her side, she pulled out a black whip, coiled and gleaming under the sun. The sound of it unrolling was sharp like a snake waking from its sleep. The servant on the ground began to shake uncontrollably.

"My lady, please! It won’t happen again! I beg you!"

Evelise said nothing. Her eyes were cold, unblinking. She merely lifted a finger.

"Do it."

CRACK!

The whip tore through the air and landed with a sound that made Sid flinch from the ladder. The man’s scream pierced the courtyard.

CRACK!

Again and again, the sound echoed through the open garden, each strike heavier than the last. Sid’s hands trembled on the shears. He had seen violence before in this world, in battles, in death but this was something else entirely. This was control. Power. Fear turned into order.

The other servants in the courtyard froze where they stood. A woman dropped her watering can, and another quickly picked it up for her, terrified to make a sound. Even the birds had gone silent.

After the fifth strike, Evelise finally spoke.

"That’s enough, Oshan. Don’t waste your energy on filth."

Oshan stopped instantly, bowing her head again. The man on the ground lay motionless, his back bleeding through his uniform, breath ragged. Evelise stepped past him without a second glance, her heels clicking softly against the stone.

"Let that be a reminder,"

She said, her tone calm now, but no less terrifying.

"If any of you think you can slack off, remember this. Failure will not earn my mercy— only punishment. Either perform perfectly or prepare for the torture chambers."

The servants scattered instantly, rushing back to their work like insects under firelight. The courtyard filled with the frantic sounds of pruning, scrubbing, and shuffling. No one dared speak. No one dared look up.

Sid remained frozen on the ladder, his knuckles white around the handle of the shears. His heartbeat pounded so loud it drowned out everything else. Evelise walked past below him, her red dress flowing elegantly as if nothing had happened. She didn’t even glance at the bleeding servant, or the faces of those trembling before her.

Sid swallowed hard.

" This can’t be her. She’s... she’s a completely different person.

As she disappeared around the corner, he exhaled shakily, still staring in disbelief.

"She didn’t even flinch... she didn’t even blink."

Then a low whisper came from beside him. Sid turned slightly and saw another servant high up on a nearby ladder, trimming a hedge. The man didn’t look at him he kept his eyes focused on his work but his voice trembled.

"Don’t stare."

Sid jolted, the man’s face was pale with fear.

"Don’t stare at Lady Evelise. If she catches you, she’ll order your eyes gouged out."

"She’ll— she’ll what? You mean she’ll actually forcefully remove my eyes?

The man nodded quickly, hands still moving with robotic speed.

"Yes. I’ve seen it before. She doesn’t bluff."