Chapter 2 Cleaning the Room

    On the way, the Duke asked if he should deal with the President, but Lucy declined, stating there was no need. It wasn't because she harbored any lingering feelings of fondness or love. Rather, he wasn't worth her time. Moreover, if it weren't for the President, this rebirth of her might not have occurred. She should even thank him. Upon arriving at the mansion, the shopkeepers awaited in the living room, left there by the Duke after receiving a call from the school about Lucy's accident. Choosing Lucy over his duties, the Duke made his decision without hesitation, even though Lucy often caused him trouble. But from now on, Lucy intended to make her father proud and erase the ‘foolish, boy-crazy’ label for good!

    Lucy assured the Duke she was fine and urged him to attend to his pending tasks while she rested in her room. Now in her fourth year of secondary education, with only two years left before university entrance exams, Lucy aimed to enter the country's top university to make her father proud and have something to boast about in his social circle.

    Stepping into her room, Lucy couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow in consternation. If she wanted to shed the ‘foolish, boy-crazy’ label, the first step was to clean her room anew. Looking around, she couldn't help but feel embarrassed by her past self's pride in chasing after those men, doing so mindlessly. Lucy's room walls were covered with photos of popular boys, adorned with numerous pink pen-written post-its and red hearts declaring "Lucy loves everyone, mwah." The thought of her past actions made her face flush with embarrassment and goosebumps. Moreover, if these images were ever leaked, Lucy could be jailed for indecency - not just any indecency, but high-class indecency involving royalty. Lucy, known for her patience, unfortunately, used it in the wrong ways, including her brilliant (in the past) photography or drawing skills, which she also misapplied.

    Lucy used her patience to climb up a tree to stealthily wait for the boys to change, able to stay perched for two to three hours for a shot of their bare chests. With her photography skill, every image was detailed and sharp, even capturing the prince's pink nipples. If these photos got out, her family could be executed. So, why wait? Destroy the evidence now! Get rid of the past entirely. Lucy ordered the maids to remove all the wall pictures and take down every drawing of the boys in various poses, hastily pulling every piece out and throwing them into a large box beside her, regardless of whether they were framed or self-made posters. While Lucy tore them down in a frenzy, she noticed the maids delicately removing the images and placing them gently into the box.

    "How long will it take you to remove them all at that pace, huh? Do it like this!"

    Rippp!!

    The maids were startled, looking at each other in shock. Previously, their Lady had cherished these photos, and any damage or loss could lead to severe punishment. But now, she was ripping them up carelessly. What on earth was happening?! These were the photos Lucy once proudly bragged about.

    ‘Every photo was taken by me. Look at this one of the President changing his shirt. I endured ant bites for ages to get this shot. But it was worth it. Look at those six-packs. Scream! The President has six-packs.’

    "If you understand, then get to work. After that, have someone repaint the room walls to cover up the glue marks. I'll sleep in another room for a couple of nights until the paint dries. Got it?"

    "Yes, yes," the maids hesitated for a moment before quickly pulling the picture in front of them off the wall. The sound of the photo tearing made them dizzy, then they quickly looked at their Lady to gauge her reaction. But Lucy showed no signs of complaint and continued to pull off the pictures. Seeing Lucy not object, the rest of the maids also started to remove the pictures rapidly.

    They then arranged for a decorator to come and redecorate Lucy's room and temporarily moved her clothes and belongings to another room. Lucy ordered the butler to place the box filled with photos and drawings of the boys in front of the house. Now, in casual attire, Lucy walked down with the demeanor of a queen. In her past life, she was a general manager of a seven-star hotel, so her presence was both credible and dignified.

    The maids and butlers lined up on either side, sensing some pressure in the atmosphere around Lucy, unlike before when they didn't feel this kind of fear or pressure. They dared not even look up as her footsteps approached, stopping by those paper boxes.

    "Bring the oil," the butler quickly handed Lucy a bottle of oil, which she opened and slowly poured over the boxes until the bottle was empty, then threw the bottle onto the paper boxes. She then took out a lighter, put on black sunglasses, lit the fire, and tossed it towards the boxes.

    Whoosh, crackle.

    The sound of the fire and the heat that burst forth, along with the smoke, filled the air. Lucy stood with her arms crossed, watching the boxes burn away until she was sure they were completely consumed by the flames!! Along with her years of foolishness, let it burn completely, before turning to walk away.

    "Oh, don't put out the fire until those things are reduced to ashes," she instructed the maids standing nearby, then walked back into the mansion.

    "What's that burning smell? What are you burning, huh, Lucy?" Duke Gracius asked curiously. Lucy slowly took off her sunglasses and looped her arm through her father's.

    "Don't worry about it, just burning some worthless things. They were cluttering my room, so I decided to get rid of them."

    "You could have donated them," Lucy gave a faint smile. If she had donated them, she might have ended up in jail for sure.

    "It was just some useless stuff I've kept for too long, Father. I'm hungry, let's go eat," knowing he couldn't refuse his beloved daughter, the Duke accompanied her to the dining room. While eating, Lucy spoke up.

    "Father, I would like to learn self-defense as a form of exercise."

    "There are many ways to exercise, Lucy. You don't necessarily need to learn self-defense," Lucy shook her head, still wanting to pursue it. She thought about the future, where, if nothing changes, at least she would have the skills to protect herself from the assassins that the hero hired to kill her for the heroine. Hmm, the heroine, Angela. Lucy shook her head slightly, wishing only to stay out of her way and not intending to harm her.

    "I really want to learn, Father."

    "It's not possible," Lucy understood that her father was concerned for her.

    "How about this, Father? If I can get the top rank in the upcoming midterm exams, you have to let me study it," Duke Gracius laughed, accepting the challenge. With only a few weeks until the exams, Lucy wouldn't possibly be able to catch up on her studies. Moreover, Lucy's exam results were always at the bottom, consistently ranking around four-hundredth. It was impossible for her to jump from four hundredth to first.

    "When the time comes, don't try to wriggle out of it, Father," Lucy sipped her water, her face scheming. With the brain of her past thirty-something-year-old self, she was confident she could tackle the high school exams.