Estelle Will Not Forgive a Second Time: The Condemned Noble Lady Returns in Elegance to Dance with the Incompetent Prince - Chapter 1

Upon the execution platform, I—Estelle Grandier—resisted with all my might to stay conscious until the very last moment before the blade fell.

“Die, you wretched woman!”

“Burn in hell!”

“Ha! Look at her face—what a disgrace!”

Cheers or jeers—by then, it was impossible to tell what was reaching my ears anymore.

The last thing I saw was that man—Victor Wiesenberg, First Prince—smiling coldly.

“Heh… disappear from my sight for all eternity, vile woman.”

(Victor…!)

I bit my lip hard enough to draw bl00d, consumed by frustration and rage.

As I cursed every single one of those who had betrayed me, I felt the sharp edge against my neck—
—And the world went dark.

…Or so it should have. And yet—

When I opened my eyes, I wasn’t on the execution platform. I was in a room.

“…What…?”

Instinctively, I looked around.

This was… my room, from some time ago.

The white ceiling, the pale beige wallpaper, the potted plant by the window—all of it looked younger, fresher, than I remembered.

As I took in the scene, I gasped.

I couldn’t believe I was still breathing.

“I was supposed to be dead… No, I definitely died back then…”

I muttered in a hoarse whisper as I brushed my fingers over my neck.

My skin was smooth. There was no bl00d, no wound—nothing.

And yet, the pain from that final moment on the execution platform was still vividly etched into my mind.

“What… is going on?”

I couldn’t stop myself from speaking aloud.
The fear I didn’t want to recall crept back, and my hands trembled.

But the moment I rose from my bed and glanced around the room, it struck me with undeniable clarity—this was not a dream. This was real.

The calendar confirmed it—three years ago.

No matter how I looked at it, I had returned to the past.

“I’m… back? Is that what this is?”

It made no sense. I couldn’t comprehend it.

Even so, if this was real—then this was before I became engaged to Victor.

The plot that led to my betrayal and downfall had yet to begin.

Even now, the faces of those who turned on me remain seared into my memory.

“Those traitors…”

The flames of revenge naturally ignited within me.

“Revenge… That word meant nothing to me back then.”

Three years ago, I had naively dreamed of a future as the prince’s beloved fiancée, believing I could endure the jealousy and whispers of others with grace.

Even Clarissa, my former best friend, was someone I had once trusted.

But in the end, they all betrayed me and aided Victor’s scheme.

They used me as a pawn—
—To be branded a villainess and publicly condemned.

“Never again will I suffer the same fate. This time, I will take everything back.”

I couldn’t stop the words from slipping out as I pounded my fist against the bedside.

The frustration was enough to make me want to scream, but anger burned hotter than sorrow.

The humiliation of that execution platform, the disgrace broadcast across the royal court—those memories will never vanish.

“Victor, I haven’t forgotten the look in your eyes.
I am no longer the same girl I was three years ago. I’ll make you realize that—personally.”

The moment I spat those words, a soft knock echoed through the room.

I stiffened and turned toward the door, where a maid’s voice called out.

“Young Lady, are you awake? I thought it was still your resting hour…”

“Ah, yes… I just happened to wake up. I’m fine—nothing’s wrong.”

I replied calmly, though inwardly I scoffed, “As if I could possibly be fine.”

Still, there was no use in causing a scene now.

Three years ago, I was still a proper young lady. If I suddenly acted out of character, it would only raise suspicion.

“My apologies. Please call if you need anything.”

The maid knew when to take her leave.

As the sound of her footsteps faded softly beyond the door, I exhaled in quiet relief and pressed my hand to my forehead.

“Ah… that’s right. This is still that time. I need to act naturally.”

To pull off a complete reversal without anyone suspecting a thing, I first needed information.

Who stood where three years ago? Where was the weak point to strike first?

I had already learned from the failures of my previous life.

The traitors… the cousin who tried to steal my fiancé… the so-called friends who smiled at me while seething with envy behind my back—

I knew all of them now.

“But… how should I begin?”

A small chuckle escaped my lips.

I wondered what the old me would think, seeing myself now, scheming with such dark intent.

The pure and foolish Estelle of the past no longer existed.

“I’ll take them down, one by one—hm, no. I can’t rush this. First, I need to figure out how to dismantle Victor’s faction. Perhaps I can turn his own schemes against him, corner him instead.”

No doubt, Victor would present himself as the “ideal First Prince” again, whispering sweet words in my ear.

In my past life, I was enchanted by that façade.
But now I know better—he is nothing but a cold, ruthless opportunist.

Behind the scenes, he scorned his younger brother Leonhardt as the “Incompetent Prince” while secretly plotting with his sycophants to destroy me.

Then and now, he likely sees everyone else as mere pawns, disposable and beneath him.

“But I know all that now. No matter how black-hearted that prince is, if I seize the initiative—heh…”

Thinking back on society three years ago, I remembered the string of events: balls, social gatherings, court banquets.

Victor would use them to ruin my reputation and status in one fell swoop.

I was framed for a crime I didn’t commit, and even my own relatives turned their backs on me.

Before that happens again, I’ll lay the groundwork myself.

“I’ll crush you completely. Prepare yourself, Victor Wiesenberg.”

Breaking the silence of my room, I muttered lowly.

My voice trembled—was it from rage, or joy…? Perhaps both.

I had died once, and now I was reborn—body and soul.

I had tasted despair, lost everything. There was nothing left to lose.

“Clarissa, you’ll regret it too. You laughed while I was destroyed, but now it’s your turn to suffer.”

I couldn’t keep it inside any longer—I had to say it aloud.

Never before had my bl00d boiled with such fury.

It was as if the humiliation of the execution had become fuel, solidifying my heart into one driven solely by anger and vengeance.

Suddenly, my gaze landed on the mirror above the dresser.

The face reflected there was mine from three years ago—still youthful, untouched by hardship or urgency.

My silver hair shimmered in soft waves, flowing freely without need of styling.

I remembered Victor once complimented it:
“Your hair, like moonlight, shines most beautifully under the glow of the ballroom chandeliers.”

Back then, my heart fluttered. Now, the memory made me sick.

“So young… But I’m no longer the same.”

I tried smiling.

But the image in the mirror was tainted—my smile carried a shadow, and my blue eyes glinted with a dangerous light.

I had to keep this smile hidden. No one could discover what lay behind it.

Even with revenge burning in my heart, I must remain the “ordinary young lady Estelle” to the outside world.

“If I’ve been given a second chance, I won’t waste it. I refuse to die again.”

I stood abruptly from the chair, stretching.

It felt as though the world itself was welcoming the dawn of my “second life.”

Whether it was a miracle or a contract with the devil, I didn’t know. But from here on out, the stage was mine alone.

“Young Lady, breakfast is nearly ready…”

The maid’s voice called from beyond the door. I forced a smile and replied:

“I understand. I’ll be there shortly—please wait a moment.”

The smile I wore now wasn’t the true me. It was the mask of the innocent Estelle from three years ago.
Even I could tell my lips were stiff with effort.

But it was fine. In time, I would grow used to it.

“Victor, Clarissa… all of you, just wait. Estelle Grandier, returned from three years past, will be the one to bring you to ruin.”

With those final words, I grasped the doorknob.

Bathed in the light of morning, I looked down the long corridor ahead—clutching the resolve blazing within my heart.

This second life… is the stage upon which I will change my wretched fate.

From the depths of hell, the new Estelle now rises—and her tale begins.