"Host Dumbball called—"
"Who the hell are you calling host?" Ria snapped. "Damn parasite, stop giving me chills. And can't you take a form or something? It looks like I'm talking to thin air. It's weird."
Dumbball went silent.
Then, suddenly, a small purple cat appeared—no bigger than a palm, floating lazily in front of her.
"Don't be shocked," Dumbball said. "Only you can see me. I can take any form that cannot be explained by science. Anyway… sorry, Host Ria."
Ria stared at it. "…You look stupid."
Dumbball coughed and continued. "Be honest. Have you never done a task before? I expected mistakes. How did you know that girl was Natasha? You cried like you were made of water. And how did you know she was after your fiancé?"
"Is that really hard?" Ria scoffed. "It's extremely easy."
She crossed her arms. "First of all, green tea bitches, white lotuses, and drama girls all recognize each other. Especially when you're one yourself. From afar, I could already smell her fakeness."
Dumbball listened quietly.
"You told me I was pushed down by my best friend, yet she didn't even bother visiting me. So obviously, the first person to welcome me would be her—pretending to explain that she 'didn't mean it,' while making herself look innocent."
Ria laughed softly.
"And when that so-called ex-boyfriend walked in and spoke the way he did, everything became clear. Link that with Natasha pushing the original body? It clicked instantly. She likes the fiancé. She was planning to break us up."
She tilted her head. "Anyway, what's with this fiancé situation?"
Dumbball replied, "It's obvious. The engagement was arranged by both families to unite them. When your identity as the fake heiress was exposed, he became close to the real female lead—the true daughter."
"The fiancé is the second male lead. His name is Kai Claus. He comes from a blue-blood family."
Then Dumbball fell silent..
"Tsk. Still being stingy with information," Ria muttered. "You said the male lead is the nanny's son. I doubt he's her real son, but whatever."
She paused. "Have I met him yet? Have I started bullying him?"
"No," Dumbball answered. "You don't know he's the nanny's son yet. You only find out after seeing the nanny visit him. You were attracted to his looks, but he ignored you."
"He works at a bar at night. When you later discover he's a servant's child, you feel disgusted. You threaten the nanny and force him to move into the servant quarters so you can bully him."
"That is your task. Make him move there—but slowly."
"I see," Ria murmured. "So he doesn't attend this school yet."
She smiled. "That makes things harder… but not impossible."
She was about to ask another question when Dumbball vanished.
"Bastard. I don't even know his name," Ria cursed.
She stood up to leave—
—and the clinic door suddenly opened.
A girl with red, swollen eyes rushed in.
She dropped to her knees.
"Ria Voss, I love King. Please don't take him away from me," the girl sobbed. "You have a fiancé. You have everything. You can do whatever you want, so why ruin my life?"
Ria blinked.
Then smiled.
"Wow," she said lightly. "For a mistress, you sure have a lot of guts."
She crouched slightly, mimicking the girl's trembling tone.
"You're rich. You're beautiful. You're powerful. You have everything—so why not give me your boyfriend?"
Sandra stiffened.
Ria tilted her head. "See? I can say the same thing."
"You're poor. Not as pretty as me. Not even worth carrying my shoes. You have nothing to live for, so why don't you give me your scholarship? You don't need it. Your life is already miserable—what difference would it make?"
Sandra's face went pale.
"I know I'm poor!" Sandra shouted, clenching her fists. "To people like you, I'm just a dog! You think I'll never make it! You don't understand how hard it is—how much I suffered to get here without help!"
"If you're a dog, then bark," Ria said coldly.
She straightened. "And look at you. When I said 'give me your scholarship,' you snapped.
"Yet you expect me to hand over my boyfriend like he's served on a gold tray?"
She leaned closer. "Because I'm rich, I should give you everything? Because you're poor, I should die for you? Is that what you mean?"
Sandra trembled.
"You say you worked hard," Ria continued calmly. "I can see it. Sleeping with King must've taken real effort."
Her lips curved into a cruel smile. "Let me guess—you thought you caught a golden goose."
Inside, Ria scoffed.
Talking about suffering? Has she ever survived on nothing but water for a week? Has she ever thrown away morality—not by selling her body, but by playing with people's emotions like toys?
Being poor isn't a sin. Thinking the world owes you everything because you're poor is.
"If you want to use a man to climb up, then do it properly," Ria thought. Everything is fair in war for money—but don't disgust others while doing it.
Aloud, she said, "Anyway, I don't need King."
She stood up. "He's a walking infection.
Who knows how many girls he's slept with?"
"I'll give him to you."
Ria walked past her, then stopped without turning back.
"Don't fall for someone you only see as a source of money or hope," she said quietly. "There's no profit in that."
And she left—without glancing back even once.
Ria muttered to herself, "Tsk… now I know why you need a good villain. With these kinds of villains, it's so dumb."
Her hand still injured, she decided to leave. Calling her driver, she waited outside. When a sleek, black new-model Rolls-Royce pulled up, Ria felt like screaming in joy. She had never even stepped inside such a car before.
The moment she opened the door and slid into the back seat, she was greeted with pure luxury.
The leather seats were soft, black with subtle red stitching, and the interior smelled faintly of vanilla and leather polish. Ambient lights glowed softly along the edges, highlighting the clean, techy dashboard. A small minibar sat discreetly in the corner, stocked with chilled drinks.
She felt like royalty just sitting there, her excitement bubbling quietly.
The ride to the manor was silent, but Ria's mind raced with curiosity. When she finally arrived, the view left her breathless. The manor's exterior was a mix of modern minimalism and classic architecture—tall glass windows framed by marble columns, with perfectly manicured gardens stretching out like a painting.
Inside, the manor was even more astonishing. The hallways were adorned with art pieces ranging from abstract modern canvases to vintage sculptures. State-of-the-art tech gadgets were cleverly blended with golden chandeliers and velvet curtains.
Workers, dressed immaculately in black and white uniforms, moved gracefully, attending to guests and residents without ever making a sound.
Every corner, every detail spoke of wealth and refinement Ria had only ever dreamed of. She felt as if she had stepped into a palace meant for royalty.
Seated on a plush velvet couch in the living room, Ria's eyes wandered from one artwork to another.
She was so absorbed in the beauty around her that she almost didn't notice the soft steps approaching.
An elegant older woman appeared, her presence calm and dignified. "Young madam, do you want to go to your room? Or would you like to eat your usual—banana?" she asked gently.
Ria looked at her, tilting her head innocently. "Right… forget about that. Do you have any sons?"
The woman froze, caught off guard by the sudden question. "Son? Why do you ask? Did something happen?"
"Just answer me," Ria said sweetly, her tone playful yet probing. "Do you have any sons? Do any of the nannies? I'm curious. You all look so young to have children."
The woman blinked, confused but secretly pleased. After all, who doesn't like being praised? "Well… all of them have children, but I don't," she admitted softly.
Ria's eyes widened with curiosity. "Wow… I thought you'd have handsome and beautiful children with your good genes," she praised, trying to coax more information.
The woman blushed faintly. "Of course… but I only have a nephew. He's eighteen, still in high school. Very handsome. Would have graduated early, but… sigh… money," she said, her voice trailing with a hint of regret.
"Bingo," Ria murmured to herself, a small smile curling on her lips. "Tell me more… I'm curious, aunty…"
"Aunty Marta, I'm your personal nanny, right?" Ria asked, tilting her head innocently. It wasn't that unusual for her to speak to the staff; she was the spoiled Miss Voss, used to giving orders, not showing curiosity.
But the sudden interest in someone else's affairs made Aunty Marta blink.
"Oh… I—I'm Marta," the woman replied carefully, still trying to process the bold girl before her.
Ria's black cat eyes sparkled mischievously. "Good, good. Since you're my personal nanny, I should help you… right? Send me all your nephew's documents. I want everything—grades, school reports, medical files. I'll have my parents approve him attending my school for the first year.
"The rest? He can earn a scholarship to stay. That's the most I can do," Ria declared, her voice sharp, almost like a whip.
She stomped up the stairs, clicking her heels, leaving no room for hesitation or refusal. "Don't make me wait, Aunty Marta. I want the information now. And make sure there's a bonus for your troubles!"
Dumbball's tiny purple cat form hovered near her shoulder. "Are you so sure he's the male lead?" it asked tail flicking.
"As I said, the male lead will never be some ordinary nanny child. He's either a lost rich kid or one whose family paid the nanny family to raise him—switched at birth, or some cliché like that. Whatever it is, he must be the male lead. And if he's not? Fine. I'll just cancel everything—payments, arrangements, the whole plan," Ria said with a wicked grin.
"Wow… that's… wicked," Dumbball muttered.
"No, that's being a villainess," Ria said sharply. "This body? Spoiled, controlling, wanting everything her way. I'm just… playing the role."
She paused, surveying the hallway. "Which room is mine?"
To her left, Dumbball's voice echoed in her mind: "The biggest one."
Ria nodded, turning to the left. She could feel Aunty Marta's eyes on her back, a mix of awe and caution. Perfect. Everything was falling into place.