Chapter 6: The Vineyard of Broken Dreams
The southern estate, Villa de Sol, was supposed to be a crumbling ruin of salt-stained stone and overgrown weeds. At least, that’s what the tax records said. To Seraphina, it was perfect. It was three hundred miles away from the Crown Prince’s temper tantrums and the capital’s toxic tea parties.
As the carriage creaked to a halt, Seraphina stepped out into the humid, citrus-scented air. The Mediterranean-style villa sat on a cliff overlooking a sea so blue it looked like liquid sapphire.
“Finally,” she breathed, stretching her arms. “No more corsets. No more ‘My Lady-ing.’ Just me, the sun, and enough wine to forget Excel ever existed.”
Ixion stepped out behind her, his eyes immediately scanning the perimeter. He looked out of place in the bright sunlight, a dark, jagged shadow against the gold of the coast.
“The walls are low,” he noted, his hand resting on his sword. “The cliffs provide a natural defense, but the rear entrance is exposed. I’ll need to set traps.”
“Ixion, please. The only thing I want you to trap is a nice sea bass for dinner,” Seraphina said, walking toward the heavy oak doors.
The villa wasn’t empty. A small staff of locals had been kept on retainer. They stood in a line—five of them, looking absolutely terrified. At the head was a stout woman with flour on her apron.
“Welcome, Your Grace,” the woman stammered, bowing so low her forehead nearly hit the gravel. “I am Maria. We… we didn’t expect you so soon. The ‘Villainess of the North’ usually stays in the north.”
Seraphina winced. “Let’s drop the ‘Villainess’ title, shall we? From now on, I’m just the eccentric lady who pays your wages on time. Is the master bedroom ready?”
“Yes, but… the previous owner left some… baggage.”
Seraphina pushed past her and into the grand hall. It was beautiful, but the walls were covered in strange, glowing murals. Her heart skipped a beat. She recognized these symbols. They weren’t decorative; they were Ancient Mana Circuits.
In the novel, this villa belonged to a “Mad Sage” who disappeared. It was supposed to be a minor plot point—a place where the Female Lead, Eara, would eventually find a secret power-up.
“Oh, you have got to be kidding me,” Seraphina muttered, touching a glowing rune on the wall. The moment her finger brushed the stone, the entire house hummed. A hidden door in the floorboards clicked open.
Ixion was at her side in a heartbeat, sword drawn. “Stay back.”
“No, wait,” Seraphina said, her eyes wide. She peered into the secret compartment. It wasn’t gold or jewels. It was a library of forbidden agricultural magic—spells for “Infinite Harvest” and “Soil Purification.”
In her past life, Seo-yun had been a city girl who couldn’t keep a cactus alive. But in this world, knowledge was power. If she could master these spells, she wouldn’t just be a retired Duchess; she’d be the most powerful wine mogul in the history of the Empire.
“Maria!” Seraphina called out, a manic glint in her eyes. “Forget the sea bass. Bring me every seed catalog in the province. And Ixion?”
The knight looked at her, confused. “Yes?”
“You’re going to help me plow the north field tomorrow. We’re going to grow grapes that make people weep with joy.”
Ixion stared at the hidden magical tomb, then at his new master. “I was trained to topple kingdoms, not grow fruit.”
“Well,” Seraphina said, tossing her sun hat onto a hook. “If you can kill a battalion, you can certainly handle a few weeds. Welcome to retirement, Sir Knight.”
But the peace didn’t last an hour. A messenger bird, emblazoned with the Imperial Seal, crashed into the window. Seraphina unrolled the parchment with a groan.
To Lady Seraphina,
The Emperor has fallen ill. The Crown Prince is being pressured to marry immediately to secure the throne. He has refused every candidate and insists that ‘only the woman who dumped him’ is fit to be Empress. > He is coming to the south. Hide.
— Your ‘Friend,’ Marquis Valerius
Seraphina crumpled the note and threw it into the fireplace. “Ixion?”
“Yes?”
“Forget the traps. Build a moat. A big one. With sharks. Does this world have sharks?”
