The man pushed harder to stab me but I was much stronger than him. He was too focused on stabbing me not realizing that my legs were free. I kicked him in the stomach and he flew a mile away from me.

The man stood up again and grabbed his knife, this time he was angrier and his eyes glaring at me with murder intent. I prepared myself for the worst-case scenario and thought how will I escape death? He ran towards me and aimed at my stomach, but I saw right through his movements and my body shifted in the other direction dodging his attack. One wrong move and that could've put a hole in my stomach. He attacked again, I dodged it again. I can see his movements so clearly because it was as if he was moving slowly. I just followed my body's instinct and dodged all of his attacks. This time, I know for certain that I need to attack him. I waited for his other attack and I slammed down his arm where he was holding his knife and the knife flew from us then I looked at his neck which was wide open and aimed to strike his carotid sinus, which was located on his neck slightly behind the jaw. The sudden strong strike to his carotid sinus made my killer unconscious.

"Take that!" I yelled to the unconscious killer.

I called the inn owner and he was surprised to see a man unconscious in my room. I told him what happened and he immediately helped me tie up the killer with chains that they surprisingly had. I unmasked his face and it was a normal-looking man with a big scar across his face. I tried to recall if this guy knew or met Sophie before, but no memories of him.

"I will call some guards, Madam," he said.

"Alright, please do."

As the owner went out, I splashed cold water on the killer and he woke up surprised.

I pointed the knife to his face and said, "Who sent you?"

The killer laughed and tried to break free, but failed. He chuckled and spit on the floor, "Why would I tell you that?"

I know that he would say that. The moment I heard his answer, I punched his nose three times and blood gushed out from his nose.

"Don't make me use your knife, I know there's poison in this." I threatened him again. I can tell by the strong pungent smell from his knife's blade that it was poison. He chuckled again even though his nose was bleeding from my punches and then looked at me with a smug smile. "So it is true that you've lost your memories. You don't know who I am, do you?"

I didn't answer. He laughed so hard and I was ready to punch him again but he stopped and said something I never expected to hear from him.

"I was the one who arranged the carriage accident where it led to your demise!" he said, he spat again on the floor and this time it was blood.

My lips curled up and showed intimidation as I pointed the knife at him again. "Did your master send you to finish the job that you failed to do?"

"My master? Do you mean the mastermind behind the carriage accident?"

"Probably, who else are we talking about?"

This time he laughed again and I was getting irritated as to why this killer seemed to be losing his mind. I was about to punch him in the gut but he blurted something again.

"This is so fun, Your Grace! You don't remember? I was hoping that you were just faking your memory loss yet here you are forget everything! This is so comical!"

"Tell me! What do you know about the carriage accident?!" I yelled at him.

"The mastermind who orchestrated the carriage accident was you, Your Grace. It was you!" he smirked.

"No, you must be mistaken. Why would I orchestrate that accident? You're lying!" this time my anger got me and I put the knife on his throat. He was chuckling and I pushed the knife harder to his neck as a warning. He was wounded with the knife, but he was still mocking me.

"Stop it! I don't want to hear another word!" I yelled at him and put my other hand on my head.

My head was aching and there was ringing in my ears but his words were still clear I could hear it with the ringing. I want him to stop talking.

Word after word, I couldn't bear to hear it more. Who is this man? Who are the CRAIGS?! 

I tried to keep my composure at bay and removed the blade to his neck. I breathed in and out easily and tried to process everything myself. I have many questions that need answers, so I mustn't let this man be handed to the authorities. I paced back and forth the room and he was still smirking with that stupid face of his.

"Is that why you're here? Or did someone order you to kill me?" I asked him. It took me a while to realize that the killer was suddenly silent. I looked back at him and I felt something was wrong. The man who was smirking was choking on his breath and he was shaking like a rabid dog. His mouth foamed and his eyes were all white, I was scared and didn't know what to do. I dropped the knife and took a step back away from him. A few seconds later, he stopped shaking and was unconscious. His skin turned pale and he wasn't breathing anymore. He was already dead.

I sat down on the floor and was stunned; Did I kill him? Did I kill him with that blade?

Then I heard a scream from a girl, it was Kila. She saw the dead man in chains and the knife was a few feet away from me. I heard footsteps rapidly going towards my room. The guards have arrived along with the inn's owner. All of them looked worried and some were astonished. I suddenly felt dizzy and my consciousness was getting kind of hazy. I blinked hard but my body was not listening to me. My whole body felt heavy and numb.  I staggered from my stance and sat on the floor for I couldn't support my weight anymore. Then, I saw the side of my arm bleeding. There was a wound, a small open wound. I was poisoned with the same blade. I tried to recall the fight earlier, but then I realized I did get wounded but it was too late. I chuckled at myself and thought how dumb I was. I was too naive to believe that this body was powerful. Well, so much for a new life. This life is too complicated anyway, might as well pray to the Gods to reincarnate me as a simple farm girl in a magical world. I don't think this drama is for me.

 "Her vitals are now stable and she might wake up anytime." I could hear voices near me.

"Thank you, doctor." another voice said.

I slowly opened my eyes and saw a blinding light from the ceiling. I was hoping this was my new life, but I was wrong. My hopeful wish for a new reincarnated life faded because it was the same chandelier that I woke up to every morning. I was in Sophie's room.

"Your Grace! You're awake, we were so worried." A maid said, hugging me as if I was her friend. From the moment I saw her, I knew this maid. It was one of the maids who used to bully the Grand Duchess before. She was the mastermind of the harassment the Grand Duchess went through. She was the Head Maid, Feria. She fed her rotted food, gave her old ripped clothes, and also humiliated her because she was weak. But they didn't know, that this Grand Duchess was hiding her true self. I couldn't fathom that she was able to endure these things for 3 years.

I sat up and removed her arms from me. She was about to glare at me but I glared at her more intensely.

"Who are you? I don't know you, get out of my room this instant. And also, touch me again I will order the guards to cut off your hands." I said coldly.

She took a step back frightened and the unfamiliar doctor approached me with a smile. It wasn't Doctor Dom, it was another person who was bullying her. This doctor has been in this Dukedom for years, and he didn't like Sophie. He despised her to the point that he would give that maid potions for them to torment her. Luckily, there was Mary who would always sneak into his infirmary and take antidotes to Sophie.

"Where's Doctor Dom? I only want Doctor Dom to look after me." I said to him. His eyes narrowed and smiled, but I knew that smile was fake. 

"Your Grace, he was arrested. The Grand Duke arrested him and the maid named Mary for they didn't tell us that you were awake. They will be punished for neglecting you." he said with a sly smile.

"What? They didn't do anything wrong! They're innocent, I was the one who ordered them to do it." I yelled at them. But they just smiled at me as if telling me that I was defeated. I wanted to punch his face so badly and strangle that maid too.

"Your Grace, it was the Grand Duke's order. I'm sorry." this time it was Sir Albert. I didn't notice him earlier because my vision was still in a haze. I looked at his face and the wound I inflicted on him was already gone. Perhaps, he already cured it. He looked at me worriedly and this made me more guilty for what I've done to him. I could feel my body was still weak and all I could do was endure it. I wanted to have an audience with the Grand Duke and plead for Doctor Dom and Mary.

"Please look after her, Doctor," he said as he wore his coat.

Sir Albert was about to leave but I grabbed his coat and said, "Please, stay. There are some things I want to tell you, Sir Albert."

"Your Grace, Sir Albert is very busy at the moment. Don't be selfish and let go- -" The maid was cut off when Sir Albert raised his hand as a gesture to shut up.

"Leave us for a moment," he said to the two of them.

"But," the Doctor reacted.

"It's an order, leave the room." Sir Albert said it this time with a more authoritative tone. Both of them couldn't answer back and they bowed as they left. The maid took a glance at me as she left, and then I smiled at her with the most evil smile I could pull off.  Her face turned red and she left muttering some words I couldn't hear.

Sir Albert cleared his throat and I realized I was still holding his coat. I immediately removed my hand and apologized.

"Your Grace, what do you want to tell me?" he said. 

I offered him to sit down to the chair beside me and I gave him Sophie's journal.

He looked at me curiously and asked, "Is this your journal?"

I nodded, "You must read the part I bookmarked, this will tell you something that you don't know about those two."

He flipped through the pages where the bookmark was and read it aloud; "The Grand Duke was so handsome, I wish I could hug him under the starlight- -"

"WAIT, THAT'S NOT THE ONE! THE OTHER ONE!" I shrieked as I realized it was the wrong page. It was the page where young Sophie was fantasizing about the Grand Duke. I felt my cheeks heat up due to embarrassment. Sir Albert let out a small smile and flipped through the pages.

As he was reading, I could see his expression darkened. He was reading the names of the maid and the other people who were involved in bullying Sophie. Sophie listed all the things they did and what date it was. The things they did and the things they've said. A few moments later, Sir Albert closed the journal and looked at me worriedly.

"How dare they do this to you?! This is disrespect to the House of Griffith! They should be hanged for these sins." he said angrily, he noticed that I was looking at him amusingly hence he stopped and shifted his emotions. I didn't expect him to react that way, because he was nonchalant in Sophie's memories. Now, I felt guilty about throwing him the teapot yesterday.

"Your Grace, I didn't know. I apologize for not seeing it sooner," he said.

"I know this isn't your jurisdiction, but the people I trust are in danger. I want them to be saved. I'm not asking for your pity, because it's too late. I am asking for your assistance, help me remove these people from this place or I will be the one who will leave this place."

"Your Grace- -"

"I will not stop escaping this place no matter how many times you guys will hold me captive. But if these people who bullied me are gone, I will behave and live my life here in silence until the Grand Duke will get sick of me."

He stayed silent for a moment as if he was thinking something.

"I can help you," he said, I smiled at his answer.

"But we need concrete evidence to make them admit their mistakes," he added, my smile faded. I thought hard about how to admit their mistakes. Suddenly a thought came to my mind, it's worth a shot but I do hope this world is more advanced than this.

"Do you have a magic device to record a certain scene or sounds?" I asked him, he tilted his head and was thinking momentarily. I prayed that they do because how on earth a magical world doesn't have some kind of magical thing that can record scenes or sounds?

"I think I have, I will bring it to you, Your Grace." he stood up and bowed to me.

He was about to leave my room but I said to him these words, "I'm sorry about what I did yesterday, Sir Albert."

He stopped for a while but didn't turn back, he muttered something before he could leave. I didn't grasp what he said but I think it was, "It's fine, Sophie." or was it just my imagination?

"Wake up, you bitch!"

I was awoken by a hard slap on my head. The slap was so hard that my ears rang. I glared at the person who was standing next to me, it was the head maid from yesterday.

"Why are you looking at me like that? Who do you think you are?" she yelled at me.

I heard a few snickering from her back, she brought an audience. It was the same group of maids that used to bully Sophie before. If I want to live as a Grand Duchess, I certainly wouldn't want weeds like them abusing me.

I sat up and fixed myself before I could speak. They all looked confused because they didn't expect me to act differently. Sophie would just fake cry and beg at them, but me? I don't beg and I certainly don't tolerate them. If Sophie can endure all of it, well I don't. I will stand my ground for I haven't done anything wrong to them or Sophie. We don't deserve this kind of maltreatment.

"And here I thought I was the one who had memory loss, did you have an accident maid that you don't remember your owner's wife?" I looked at them as I folded my arms.

"What?" the head maid looked confused for a moment.

"I am Grand Duchess Sophia Grace Griffith, the wife of the Grand Duke. If the Grand Duke heard about all of this what would he do to you?" I threatened them with the most cocky smile I could pull off. This made the head maid's face turned red.

The maids behind her started to feel scared but the head maid clicked her tongue and suddenly grabbed my hair in anger.

"You thought you could talk to me like that? Even if you tell all of this to the Grand Duke, he wouldn't even bat an eye on you, you useless prick! You're not right as a Grand Duchess! You're just a leech! Know your place!" then, she lifted my head and slapped my face hard.