Jacquelyne's battle started in the High Society from the elegant Ballroom – gold, diamond, silver objects found left, right and center. The chandelier was way too avant-garde, and so were the stylish garments of the attendees.

She stuck out like a sore thumb, and of course, it attracted all the attention.

"I—I think you're misunderstanding something here, dear!" Océane softly whispered. "Child, it's not that kind of relationship you and I share—"

"I know," Jacquelyne mumbled back, tightening her grip. She had learnt about this in her classes, but now her gamble lay on these minor rumors and misconceptions. Her heart was beating out of her chest – filled with fear.

This damned Ball they were forced to attend, these damned people thriving on rank and status, and this damned lady trying to marry her brother – Jacquelyne hated the situation at hand.

But, somehow, she couldn't exactly concentrate because Océane's cologne was too strong for her. And hence, she just happened to make him conscious of it, which flustered Océane and his ears went red.

—Which was kind of, well, inappropriate.

Abrielle burst out laughing at Olivie – who seemed to be constipated – and then coughed, trying to cover up her giggles.

Olivie's fist was balled, trembling in rage. She would have to turn Jacquelyne into one of her dolls soon.

But Josephine – Jacquelyne, whatever – wasn't supposed to be so bold! She had even planted a fake Nameless – her spy – Déodat Fay, just to obtain enough information about everything. Sure, these two were rebellious, but this kind of behavior was beyond unexpected.

Not to mention, Jacquelyne would be the Duchess – and the title Duchess is of a higher rank than herself, a Marchioness. She was hoping to pretend some good will, and keep her triumph cards for the end, but—

This pest was ruining her plan—!

"Madame." Olivie bit her lips just to speak with exaggerated kindness. She couldn't believe she had to call a Nameless Madame... she was only continuing to deny that, for her, the Nameless were a tool to immortality. Why, the Nameless need her, she didn't need to Nameless! "I believe you do not understand what you are claiming right now. He's your blood-related—"

"Why? You speak as if I am supposed to love a man belonging to another family. What's wrong with loving someone who you share a birth mother with?" Jacquelyne smiled, her hands around Océane's waist. "All the big talk about Love has no boundaries and Love is blind, only in name? And when it truly happens, I have to bear such disgust in your faces?"

However, if even her parents couldn't defy her power – what was Josephine?

Olivie saw Josette as the real problem here.

Her second plan, that would help her take ahold of some considerate knowledge as well as resources was: a political marriage with a man desired by many yet out of their reach – Duke Océane Abrielle.

He was not known to show any intimacy or interest in women, but that person, if it was for his family, he'd do anything. And it was not like any man would refuse having the chance to become the King; though Océane could be a special case – for which too she had a plan intact.

In short, Olivie had to show him the advantage of her companionship in this Ball.

Just as Océane was a man all women desired, Olivie was a woman all men desired. The union as a couple was inevitable – pure Fate.

Therefore, all Josephine had to do was to become her doll, a bait to fish out Océane.

But this preposterous girl, who was supposed to be timid and easy to trick, lacked common sense, was it?

—Or did she regenerate too much?

...Possible.

"Child." Océane gently untangled her hands and detached himself from her. "Olivie has something to say. This is very disrespectful to her. So, like a good girl, why don't you apologize, and then I have a small talk with her? We can surely enjoy together after that."

Jacquelyne whined like a little baby. That woman didn't even seem sane, to say the least. And, in her classes, she had already heard about Olivie – so she was apprehensive of this Marchioness from the beginning.

And Abrielle had already seen this Ball event as a possibility of Océane's death, so she tagged along.

Olivie was way too fixated to have Océane escort her to an isolated balcony for nothing but a short talk, alongside a marriage proposal. She wasn't backing out, even after what Jacquelyne did, and neither did she seem shaken.

Ah.

It wasn't infatuation, after all.

"Contractual relationship?" Jacquelyne asked. "Or a concubine? Which one is it?"

Attending the Ball was the frustrating part – if Océane wasn't the Duke, he could've ignored it.

Océane knew it was a bad idea to get the two along. Their faces, for one, weren't known – so their identities from their previous days were concealed – and hence, Océane felt a very slight reassurance from there. They weren't acquainted to High Society at all, though, which made him oppose their demand. However, just like Olivie here, they were resolute and stubborn, so he had no choice. "Child—"

"You're going too far," Olivie warned dangerously.

"Look who's talking." Abrielle finally inserted her stance. "A lady trying to woo a man – whilst crossing all lines of privacy, respect, and decency – believes to have been wronged. If he doesn't wish to go, you are no one to force him. If Jacquelyne wants to cling to him, she can. You can't."

Jacquelyne noticed it then. She grabbed her brother's arm suddenly, and breathed into his ear: "She has a knife, brother. A peeling knife. Please don't get me wrong. I'm really scared."

This little interaction went unnoticed by Olivie, who was too busy fuming at Abrielle. Olivie had wanted to use her identity against her to gain her third chess-piece – and though the Queens were strong than the Knight, she couldn't form a relationship with the Queens without the Knight!

"Dear Josette—oops. Did I say something wrong?" Olivie beamed. "Well, I did warn you—"

So, this 'hero' who was fated to bring Diane down – how did she already find herself as the 'fake'?

Well, for one, knowledge doesn't guarantee a thing.

She could become a thorn in Diane's path, sure, but taking her down was an entirely different matter altogether.

Secondly, she wasn't a Soulless, so that would complicate the concept of Immortality for her.

And thirdly—

If Diane was 'fake', so was she.

"Now that I have verified your identity, why don't you get that knife out in full display?" Abrielle asked just as politely. "Don't be shy; come on! Everyone knows that there's a screw lose in your mind and your moral radar is malfunctioning. It's not that your twin brothers' absences went unnoticed."

Josette was the real problem here.

There was a reason why she was so extraordinary and mature from the beginning. She had lived more years than her age. Just as Olivie had.

—That was when Olivie whipped out her stopwatch.

Things went awry the moment Josette mentioned the knife and her missing siblings – because that was one of the strongest identifying factors of Forbidden Spells, alongside bones. It could end up in execution for her if Josette was able to prove her stance.

And her dolls weren't exactly hidden.

She needed a reset – and blank memories.

~~

= 1283 words

A/N: I swear I planned to kill Olivie today but I couldn't... I'm sorry, but it so seems that she's going to live long in this story. This is why you should never trust your Pantser author here.

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