Chapter 2

I nodded my head heedlessly. This is why you need to be nice while living.

“…I’m not that kind of person.”

“That’s a relief.”

He was somewhat feeling discontented with my answer and creased his forehead, but I followed him as if I didn’t know.

*Step*

*Step*

The sound of footsteps was heard ringing in the long hallway. When only the sound of footsteps and their breaths reverberated in the space for a long time, it was the Duke who began to open his mouth again.

“But…..did you really think that I was going to do that?”

A slightly uneasy voice came out from the Duke who was ahead of me. As if he never thought of himself that way before.

‘It’s worse than you think.’

I clenched my teeth at the handsome back of his head.

“Why aren’t you answering?”

When I was swearing inwardly at him, I momentarily closed my mouth.

“It’s….It’s because of the rumors.”

There’s no way I could tell him that his reputation is worse than dog shit. My life is precious!

“Rumors, huh? Don’t believe that. Rumors are created by foolish people who want to drag others down just to protect themselves.”

His sharp eyes looked very uncomfortable. As if he was having a seizure just by hearing the story about his rumor.

The Duke, who looked so displeased, took the lead. Like a dog who follows its master well, I faithfully followed him from behind.

I was amazed that every servant I encountered throughout the way didn’t even care about me.

‘Well, two stepmothers had come before, so they must be familiar with it.’

It seems that we’ve arrived at the destination, so the Duke in front of me stopped his stride. His hand stretched out to unlock the old wooden-door.

“You can stay here.”

My gaze naturally turned to where he pointed. Anyone can tell it’s an old room. The wooden room that didn’t look fancy at all, looked weak as if it would be opened just by shoving my shoulder onto it.

“Is this not to your liking?”

Contrary to my expectation, the room was surprisingly neat. The warm sunlight shone through the wide window, and all the furnishings looked new.

This room was too good for this body’s owner, Leona, who had suffered a lot in her own house.

Even though she’s the daughter of that family, Leona practically dwells in the attic all her life.

“I thought the Duchess’s bedroom would be too excessive for you.”

“I think so, too. This room is nice.”

“Huh?”

As if he was bewildered by the unexpected answer, the Duke caressed his chin awkwardly. Only then did I realize that he was testing me.

“I don’t think you’re a fool. You know your position very well.”

‘Bastard, bastard, bastard.’

I tried to let out a genuine smile as much as possible and swallowed my resentment. It’s clear that the ‘irrevocably dark’ wasn’t only about Rebecca, but also the Duke himself.

“Then have a good rest. You have to take care of the child tomorrow.”

That was his last greeting.

Having said all he had to say, he left without even closing the door. I closed the door only after I made sure that he has left.

“Haa…I hate him more than Rebecca.”

No. I want to run away.

I wouldn’t be concerned if I was the second or fourth stepmother, but the third time is an automatic death penalty.

When the contents of the novel flashed into my mind, my future was getting murkier.

Rebecca Petri, the supporting character and the villainess. Her mother died in childbirth. There were even rumors about Rebecca’s birth because her mother’s identity remained hidden.

In the meantime, Rebecca was sick. So her father did everything she wanted, and she grew up to be a wicked woman.

“Just like now.”

No matter who my opponent was, my downfall was inevitable.

Rebecca’s wickedness went too far to the point it exceeded what a human could do. She poured hot water at the young noble ladies that she hates, and she even impaled her escort’s arm with a sword just because he didn’t properly discard the rocks that were hindering her path.

That’s not all. She treated her fiance, the Crown Prince, similarly.

“How could you raise a child to grow up awfully like Rebecca?”

Eventually, when her fiance, the Crown Prince, took another woman to be the Crown Princess, she fed her with poison.

Of course, she’ll get executed for it.

I sat in front of the mirror after organizing my thoughts about Rebecca for a while.

“I have a greater problem than Rebecca.”

I looked over the mirror, which had been polished smoothly without any cracks. The silver locks and blue eyes that glisten under the light. It’s obviously Leona who was reflected in the mirror.

In fact, ‘Leona’ was never mentioned in the novel. But Rebecca’s third stepmother has been mentioned.

According to the book, the third stepmother who was formally listed on paper was slightly different from before.

Perhaps that’s why the third stepmother, who was different from the previous stepmother, ended up crippled because of Rebecca.

“Haa….How pitiful you are.”

I looked at Leona’s miserable face over the mirror. Her slightly dry skin was as white as porcelain as if she was nurtured in a loving family, but that’s not the case at all.

“This is why they sold me. Am I going to be crippled?”

I wouldn’t even have to worry about this if only I became Leona a little faster. I’m living a shitty life.

Leona’s life is much worse.

Eventually, I decided to remove my worries and leaped into the bed. Contrary to what it looks like, the bed was soft and didn’t make any creaking noise so I burrowed myself comfortably into the warm, soft sheets.

“Tomorrow’s work begins tomorrow!”

Talking about this and that alone doesn’t change anything right away.

The fact that I became Rebecca’s stepmother remains unchanged.

“Ha…”

Perhaps because I spent the entire day being nervous about going to the duchy, as soon as I lied down and closed my eyes, the feeling of fatigue went all over my body.

Even when I was on the verge of a life and death situation, my instinct could not defeat my exhaustion. Shortly after, I fell asleep.

***

Ever since I heard the word, “Get lost.” I haven’t seen Rebecca for days. The biggest reason is that I can’t meet Rebecca.

The vast duchy mansion consists of three buildings. Three buildings were attached with a cave-like hallway.

That’s why I can’t find Rebecca’s room when I first came here. Let alone finding her room, there’s no way I could go around looking for Rebecca by opening more than a hundred doors.

I asked the passing servants about Rebecca’s room, but I was ignored.

They would either speak vaguely or run away saying they don’t know.

By the time I was ignored for the seventeenth time, I could understand it perfectly.

“Ah. I guess I’m being cast out.”

Realizing the truth in a few days, I returned to my room at ease.

“I’ve done my best.”

That’s how I reassured myself.

Still, I don’t have to worry about being starved to death because the meal was placed in front of my room, although it was delivered irregularly.

‘It was a hard bread though.’

Two hard loaves of bread were always delivered without soup or a drink. Just like a criminal, I spend my days leisurely while picking up and eating the bread.

I wish they would just forget about me like this.

Unfortunately, a week later, the duke came to visit me personally. Without knocking properly, he opened the door and looked very angry.

“I brought you in to take care of my child, but you didn’t look for her even for a day? You’re a lot different from the women before.”

As I was enjoying the view outside the window, I turned my head and greeted him with a big smile.

“Ah! That’s great.”

“Great? What’s so great?”

“Because someone finally here to guide me? No matter how many times I asked, nobody would tell me the room. Where is the room, and should I go now?”

Rather, it was he who made an absurd expression.

“…Are you making excuses that you couldn’t go because you don’t know where her room is?”

“Excuse? It’s the truth.”

“Ha. Do you think I’ll believe that?”

The Duke’s face was contorted for a moment.

It was me who should be annoyed. Why would I want to stay here for a week?

I asked all the passing servants about Rebecca’s room, and I even opened up all the fancy doors because I couldn’t stay still.

Of course, I was stopped every time.

“Whether you believe it or not, it’s your choice. But I’m sure you knew that.”

“What do you mean?”

“Are you sure you didn’t know? Did you not know…that the servants ran away when I tried to ask them?”

I looked at him while narrowing my eyes.

There’s no way that he could stop me from running away without knowing it.

Those servants, who pretended to not know when I asked them about Rebecca’s room, always appeared at a wonderful time and stopped me whenever I attempted to get out of the duchy.

‘It might be Rebecca’s work that prevented me from coming into her room, but the Duke also neglected me.’

Watching his subtle change of expression, I took out the paper from my arms.

“I asked a total of 38 people, and their answer was written precisely there.”

When someone tries to bully me, all I have to do is collect evidence.

“What is this?”

“It’s to prove that the Duke, who thinks I did nothing at all, is wrong.”

I laughed proudly at him, who was perplexed.

“…”

“You’re already here to show me around, so let’s go. Now that the Duke is here, I can finally see the precious princess’ face. You don’t know how much I missed her.”

I took the lead by acting exaggeratedly.

The Duke’s gaze was sharply pointed at the paper that I held out to him for a long time.

Then, as if he had made a decision, he took and folded the paper, then put it in his chest while turning around.

“This way.”

I, who proudly followed him from behind, even lost my direction with confidence.

“Where are you going?”

Even when he was going to the left, I turned the opposite way.

“…That way.”

“…I’m beginning to believe that you didn’t know the way.”

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