As the fire of determination filled her eyes, the stomping on the mansion's floor reached her ears.

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The steps were hurried.

People were approaching. Specifically, only one person was coming to her bedroom in a hurry. And that person was accompanied by many aides, guards, and servants. Knowing her new identity, it did not take long for her to realize who was coming;

"Did you inform father?"

"Y-yes, miss! I send someone to inform His Excellency,"

"Hmm,"

So that old man, Yao Ma was coming. From what she remembered, the Deputy Governor was corrupt. However, he was not so evil. He was just being used. And, from the novel, he was described as...

"My daughter!!"

The room's door was opened. It was him. Yao Ma, Yao Linlin's father. Bearing a strict pose and elegant manner, he was like a martial master. However, his martial capability was average at best. What made him looked so imposing, was because of his line of work. Being a government official made him stern in many ways. Unless you could act that way, people would just trample on you left and right.

However;

"M-my sweetie, you finally wake up~~"

"Huh?"

With tears in his eyes, he plunged onto his daughter, head hitting her stomach. Guhh-- The force of such a bear-hug was as if someone tackling you in a football match. Under such a force, Yao Linlin had no option but to vomit blood--

"Y-you stupid dad! What're you doing!"

"Ahh, my daughter! My precious! So glad you're alive!"

"So glad I'm alive? So glad you had to kill me yourself?! Let go!"

"Huhuuu--- You have no idea how worried I was~"

"You even listening?! Let go, you! Stupid geezer! See if I don't kill you today--"

What did she just say? It was outrageous words to speak, especially so with her father. It was the first time meeting him since she recovered her past life's memory. However, her mouth uttered such words as if it was the norm. 'Right,' she remembered. From the novel, this guy was described as...

A doting father.

So much that he ended up spoiling Yao Linlin and her younger brother. In fact, he became corrupted due to him covering for both of them. No matter what trouble or even crime they did, he would always take their side. Such a failure of a father...

Wuwuu~~

That father, was crying. While Yao Linlin was angry, she could not hit him. Even when he was such a failure, failing to raise his children well, his love for them was undeniable. Of course, the way he acted must be changed, else that shit brother of hers would only grow up to be a criminal!

"My daughter! How do you feel? Do you feel weird anywhere? Any itchy, anywhere funny?"

"What the hell! What do you mean anywhere funny?!"

"So you're okay? Head still in one piece? How many fingers do you see?"

"You think I'm blind?!"

While receiving his daughter's ire, he realized the maids were in a row, kneeling to her. Seeing so, he asked;

"What happened? Did they offend you again? My daughter~ you shouldn't bully the maids too much. Of course, a little bit is okay..."

"When did I bully them? I only asked them questions..."

"Did she?"

"Y-yes, master. She only asked us questions... Absolutely no-bullying-whatsoever happened!"

Hearing the maids said so, he just grew curious.

"Questions? Oh, my poor daughter must still be confused... After that accident, hm... Don't you worry! Your daddy will ensure justice is delivered! Just wait and see,"

"Justice is delivered? What nonsense are you speaking of?"

"Lin-er... You don't remember?"

"Actually, my memory a little blurry... Ah, I can't even remember who I was just now... So I had to even ask the maids who my father was..."

"W-what! You lost your memory?!"

"Not lost! Just a little blurry--"

"My poor daughter! Hmph, justice will prevail! I assure you! No, I assure the world--"

"You're not even listening..."

Patting her head, her father made a serious face.

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"That arrogant bitch, hurting my precious daughter,"

"Dad? Who are you talking about?"

"Don't worry about that and just rest. Your daddy will take care of the rest. That peasant, hmph, she shall regret ever crossing the Yao family,"

Turning to the maids, he ordered them to take care of her with utmost attention. With that, he left her with much confusion. Still puzzled, she turned to the lackeys-- I mean, maids. She demanded explanation.

"You really don't remember, miss?"

"Well duh... That's why I'm asking. You think it's funny having a memory loss?" She picked the stool by her bedside, "Wanna try?"

"N-no! I shall explain to the fullest..."

"Alright. Leave no details behind,"

The maids nodded furiously. One of them was there, so it was a first-hand experience. It was the youngest maid who misspoke earlier, the little one called Ting Ting. As a new maid, she was young, around her age. She had a small figure and a cutesy face. However, her eyes were a bit like a panda, and her skin was pale. She looked as if malnourish, or perhaps lacked sleep. While observing her, Yao Linlin's eyes were sharp. Her eyes sent shivers down her spine. While stuttering a bit, the girl explained -- Three days ago, the young miss had fallen the stairs and hit her head at a family restaurant. It was quite serious, and the guards, who failed to protect her, was reprimanded and lost their job. Fortunately, Ting Ting was only reprimanded and was able to keep her job.

"So that's what happens... Eh?"

"I said, in details,"

"Errkkk! Y-yes, young miss!"

Seeing Yao Linlin's face, she almost lost the grip on her bladder. Since the young miss could not recall the event leading to the accident, she went into details --

During a stroll in the city outskirt, a certain restaurant caught her attention. She was curious as to how such a poor-looking restaurant, was so popular. It was not lacking visitors at all. At her insistence, she went in with Ting Ting and the two guards, taking a table on the more spacious second floor. Soon after, the meal was served.

However, the food did not suit her palate. She complained out loud, that the food tasted awful, even downright insulting. Her ruckus disturbed other customers, so the waitress tried to calm her down. Still, she was brazen, demanding the boss to come out.

"T-then! The owner comes out. He clearly was not aware of your background miss. He insisted that there was nothing wrong with the food... He even dared to taste the food you ate earlier, how shameless. How could he even understand how high your taste was..."

"Alright, alright... Quit buttlicking and get down with the story... What happened then?"

"W-well... Miss only said what was appropriate to the owner, and how poor-looking that restaurant was... Miss then reminded him to know his place... T-then, the waitress stepped forward, insulting you... She's the owner's daughter, I think?"

Yao Linlin recalled right away. She insulted the owner and the restaurant, forcing the daughter to step forward and told her off. She was in fact, asking her to be civilized, as befitting someone from a reputable family. Her comment hit the nail in the head, so she felt publicly shamed. The whispers from the rest of the customers, who sided with the owner and the daughter, sure did not help. Not so ready to accept a lecture from a lowly peasant, Linlin slapped her cheek and choke her in anger.

The situation turned from awkward and anxiety, to downright chaotic in an instant. The owner rushed in to stop the miss. The guards rushed in as well, but to stop him, not the miss. At the time, Ting Ting was too afraid to even come near. With that, nobody stopped Yao Linlin. She struggled with the waitress, who was defending herself. During the short chaos, they slipped by the stairs, and Yao Linlin fell headfirst. Then, everything turned blank and quiet.

Listening to the biased story narrated by Ting Ting, she recalled her behavior in the restaurant. She shriveled from the shame of her attitude. Shameless? No, more like brain-dead. Just how spoiled a young girl could be...

*Pei*

The sound flashed within her mind. Ting Ting did not relate this one fact, but Yao Linlin even spit towards the bowing owner. The spit fell on his shoulder. This was what caused the daughter to lose her patience, and stepped forward.

'Damn... Yao Linlin, you really are a demoness... A villainess... Just how damnable are you? You're clearly asking everyone to hate you... and the MC, to kill you!'

As she cursed how spoiled her old self was, she recalled what would happen to the waitress. Specifically, what was mentioned in the novel. The novel mentioned it only in a passing, but it was a prelude to something. It was justification for MC's action. Recognizing what it was, her heart beat like crazy...

'This is... the first ember!'

In the original novel, the family restaurant was seized and shut down. The daughter was charged in court, facing the most serious accusation possible despite it being an accident. As punishment, she had to do forced labor for two years in a remote mountain mine, working tirelessly in a place filled with criminals. It was there that she lost her purity. Life was tough, and many times she contemplated suicide. Still, she persevered. Tragically, two months before her release, she died when the mine collapsed. She was squished by the falling ground and rock, much like a bug would.

Shocked by the news, her mother fainted and passed away soon after. Two years after, when the MC returned to the city, he happened to witness the father, confronting Yao Linlin as a drunkard. As if triggered by a cue, the words flowed into her mind;

"My wife, my good wife... and my daughter! My precious daughter! You animal, you killed them! They're my only family! And you-- You took them from me! You snake! You think I can't see?! You're a demon in human skin! Curse you--"

With just her gesture, her bodyguards 'took care' of him, forcing MC to interfere. It was there that he recognized Yao Linlin, the spoiled girl who used to bully and insult him years ago during their childhood. While the incident was treated as a background incident in the novel, it was a justification for the MC to be brutal to his former bully, despite her being a girl.

Realizing so, her face lost all colors...

"Darn it... At this rate, I'll die young!"

Shivering at her seemingly undeniable path to doom, she ordered the maids to leave her be.

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"What to do?"

With this one thing in mind, she was walking in circles for the whole afternoon, biting her finger. Since her mind was a bit blurry, she needed time to organize what information she had. Again realizing this was another world, she recalled novels with that very same theme;

"Damn it, I don't have cheats..."

Since it happened all too sudden, she did not quite have time to check. However, even after calling for a status screen and doing whatever stunt she could, she concluded she might not have cheats at all...

"I don't have cheats! What do I have then! Uhhh,"

'I don't know what to do!' As she thought so, a certain phrase flashed within her.

"If don't know, then know! Knowledge... is power!"

Specifically, knowledge is potential power, ready to be utilized by those who were ready to take action. Then, she recalled one small fact;

"I already read the novel... almost to the end!"

Only now she realized. She could not read till the end, since the author seemed to be on his sick leave. But! While she did not have a direct cheat, it was an indirect one. What she knew from the novel could very well serve her. Besides, she had time. Around four years to go until the MC killed her off. She recalled the reason and background story, the very justification the MC had for killing her.

To save himself from the flood dragon, he threw her to the beast, buying himself time. And it seemed the readers were shouting 'Yes!', 'Finally,' and 'Begone, thot!' so loudly in online discussion forums. Knowing such event had such a popular response, she dreaded her fate;

"Of course, MC was a selfish mo**erfucker... but! The novel always had to find justification why he did so. So... I, the villainess, just have to erase that justification!"

Immediately, she called the maids and ordered for a brush, ink and papers. Taking some more time, she organized what she remembered, especially all the big events in the novel. For the small details, she could not quite recall. However, that was not important for now.

What's crucial was, to save her skin first! She was the first villainess, so it was the first time for the MC to actually kill a woman. Even after such a deed, the MC did not show remorse. His justification was, she deserved it. Well, when she was reading it, she had the same thought. But, now that she's the one in question...

"I had to do something!"

Fortunately, she still had time. It took hours, but she managed to organize what she remembered in one complete book. She was careful as to use her previous world's writing and not this world. This way, even if this book fell into the wrong hand, it would not be so easily cracked. It would be impossible anyway, since they would not expect the value of such book. Then again, she considered the possibility of someone with the knowledge of her old world to be wandering around. So just to be sure, she placed her very own encryption in the book, one she could easily crack on her own.

Soon after, her mind turned calm. She could feel it. Her current memory was assimilating with the memory of her last life. The gears of her mind started turning again. It had been a long time living as a spoiled brat, but now, the time had come. She decided, it's time...

"To save my own skin!"

With that, she hurried out towards the center of her mansion.

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