TDLWW CHAPTER 11

Chapter 11

After a brief moment of awkward silence, Arahan let out a deep sigh and extended his hand toward me. I ignored it and climbed into the carriage on my own.

I adjusted my wig and turned my gaze back to the window.

The carriage moved in silence, passing through the forest and eventually reaching the main street. Whether his intentions had been pure or not, one thing was undeniable—he had used Elizabeth’s feelings for the Emperor at the ball. No matter how hard I tried to look at it positively, irritation continued to simmer beneath the surface.

Being mocked, only to be told afterward, “That’s not what I meant,” didn’t exactly make things better. Once you became the target of someone’s teasing, it wasn’t easy to simply brush it aside.

That was exactly how I felt now.

“Please let me off at the street ahead.”

“…It’ll be dark soon. It may be dangerous.”

“It seems far more dangerous if the Arahan family’s carriage heads toward the Arlesia estate.”

“…Then I’ll let you off at the Vincent Marquis’ residence.”

I didn’t respond.

The silence stretched until the carriage came to a stop in front of Marquis Vincent’s estate.

Arahan stepped out first and opened the door, once again extending his hand toward me.

His ingrained thoughtfulness.
His escorting habits.

I didn’t need any of it.

Ignoring his hand, I stepped down on my own.

“Ah… I’ve upset you again, Lady.”

“You said it was a pure intention. What reason would I have to be upset?”

“Lady—!”

“Oh dear. My grandfather must be waiting. I’ll go inside now. Please take care.”

I offered a shallow bow and hurried toward the entrance.

Only after I passed through the gates did Arahan’s carriage begin to move, as if it had been waiting for me to enter safely.

…There was no reason to be upset.

Arahan was Elizabeth’s enemy—that was all there was to it.

Repeating that to myself, I lifted my gaze to the Vincent estate.

“I ended up at the Vincent Marquis’ residence by accident.”

The scale of it was entirely different from the Arlesia Count’s estate.

The original novel had explained it briefly, but the Morc Empire had an unmistakably rigid class system—especially among the nobility. And the mansion before me was a clear product of that hierarchy.

Much like the Silla-era caste system, the size of one’s residence depended strictly on status. Wealth alone wasn’t enough. If a noble’s rank was low, they couldn’t own vast land or employ large numbers of servants, no matter how rich they were.

“…To think I’d see the Vincent family estate with my own eyes.”

Despite my sour mood from Arahan, I couldn’t deny the excitement of witnessing something I’d never experience in my original world.

Within the vast Morc Empire, only the imperial palace surpassed the estates of the Vincent and Arahan families. Though officially a marquis, Vincent wielded power equal to a duke. His estate’s scale, the mansion’s grandeur, and the number of servants all reflected that reality.

The Vincent family even possessed their own knight order—the Guardian Knights—complete with a dedicated training ground. It was no exaggeration to call them one of the empire’s most powerful houses.

“And Elizabeth is the only granddaughter of that family…”

“I’m in a bad mood, but I might as well enjoy what I can before I die.”

White pillars trimmed with gold rose majestically, reminiscent of the Parthenon. A massive fountain occupied the center of the grounds, with a neatly trimmed hedge maze off to one side.

It was the very image of a magnate’s estate.

Creeeak.

I stopped admiring the scenery and carefully opened the front door. It was already late, and I hadn’t sent word of my visit—surprise was inevitable.

“…!! Lady Elizabeth?!”

As expected, the butler—who had been overseeing the estate—froze in shock before bowing deeply.

His name was… ah.

“Jerome.”

“If you had informed us in advance, we would have gone out to greet you. My apologies.”

“…I didn’t plan to come. I just ended up here. Where’s Grandpa?”

“He’s in his office.”

“Alright.”

Though Jerome was much older, Elizabeth addressed him casually, calling him by name. Fortunately, Elizabeth had always spoken to most people that way. Thanks to that, no one seemed suspicious of my slightly altered demeanor.

Perhaps that strange note—and the black figure—had something to do with it.

I made my way toward the office.

Anais Vincent—the head of the Vincent family and commander of the Guardian Knights—was a grandfather who adored his granddaughter to an extreme degree. When Elizabeth’s execution was decreed, he had been the first to oppose it publicly.

After Elizabeth’s death, he disappeared from the story altogether, just before the novel went on indefinite hiatus. Readers speculated endlessly—rebellion, forbidden magic, even attempts to revive her.

Those rumors existed for one reason.

Elizabeth had died far too early.

She wasn’t a mid-boss.
She was the final boss.

A truly malicious villain.

What kind of man would raise someone like her?

Everyone I’d met so far had been far more attractive than I imagined. For some reason, my heart skipped a beat at the thought of her grandfather.

Knock, knock, knock.

“Come in.”

He clearly didn’t realize I’d arrived.

His deep voice was dignified, yet warm.

“What is it—Elizabeth?!”

Anais looked up from his work, eyes widening in shock. He immediately set down his pen and stood.

“If you had sent word, this old man would’ve gone to meet you himself. What a shame.”

His jet-black hair—utterly unlike Elizabeth’s—made his presence even more imposing. Graphite-colored eyes gleamed with authority. Despite being in his fifties, his physique was solid and well-trained, his sharp jawline lending him the air of a man still in his prime.

“Wow…”

Before I could admire him any longer, Anais pulled me into a tight embrace. Beneath his clothes, his solid muscles—honed through years of discipline—were unmistakable.

“Are you hurt? I heard that damn brat used you to stir up the newspapers. Don’t you dare lie to me.”

That ‘damn brat’ must be Arahan…

Why he assumed the empire’s only duke would exploit the daughter of a mere count baffled me—but the fact that his instincts were partially correct was unsettling.

“I-I’m fine. How have you been, Grandpa?”

“Well, aside from missing you terribly, I’m doing just fine.”

…Excuse me, but when a handsome middle-aged man says something like that with such sincerity, it’s unfair.

“Haha… I’ll visit more often.”

“Good. But what brings you here so late?”

“…Ah…”

I decided not to mention Arahan. If I did, Anais would probably storm the duke’s residence and turn it upside down—for my sake, of course. And I had no desire to end up in tomorrow’s headlines.

“I was walking through the city and thought of you.”

“…I see. In that case, I’ll have Horn arrange things.”

“Okay.”

Guided by a maid, I was led to my room.

I couldn’t help thinking about Osborne, whom I still hadn’t met. Because of Arahan’s interference, I hadn’t been able to visit his tailor shop. I’d have to go another day.

If I remembered correctly, the next major event was a tea party at Osborne’s residence.

“Please rest comfortably.”

The maid bowed and quickly withdrew.

The room, glowing warmly despite the darkness outside, was clearly one Anais had prepared for Elizabeth. It was filled with her belongings—a rabbit doll from her childhood, a portrait of her late mother.

Looking around, I felt a strange ache.

“…She was truly loved.”

I murmured it quietly, as if speaking to Elizabeth’s absent soul.

Where had her real soul gone?
If I died, this body would perish with me—but if this really was a novel, perhaps her soul still lingered somewhere.

Many readers had believed so.

“…But that doesn’t matter now.”

“What matters is how I die as a villain.”

Shaking my head, I forced myself to focus.

“First, I attend the ball. Then I meet Osborne—and torment him in front of the Emperor.”

It was simple villainy, but effective. The Emperor loved Osborne. Seeing Elizabeth mistreat him would surely provoke a reaction.

And the Emperor, according to the novel, wasn’t exactly subtle.

…But wait.