IBOCDH 02

Chapter 2

To think she had slept with her foot on a sick person.

Alice quickly scrambled backward.

No—why did I get possessed, but my sleeping habits stayed exactly the same?

“I’m sorry.”

He wouldn’t be able to hear it, but Alice whispered the apology softly to her husband anyway.

Then she stared blankly at his handsome face for a moment.

Black hair like pure darkness, and a sculpted face with sharp features.

“He’s handsome even in the morning. Well… it’s not like being handsome disappears just because it’s morning.”

But what good was it if he was handsome?

This man, lying there with his eyes closed like a painting, was the husband she was supposed to kill.

And if he died, she would die too.

Alice Dearrot—the tragic character sacrificed in a ridiculous novel.

After realizing the truth last night, the first thing she did was slam her head against the wall.

She had hit her forehead about five times, desperately hoping this reality was an illusion, but all that happened was her forehead turning red.

Because no matter how many times she turned away from the wall, her husband was still lying in the bed.

At that moment, that beautiful face looked like the male lead from a horror film.

Anyway, Alice first went through denial…

Then she entered a second stage: complete mental breakdown and surrender.

I’m supposed to kill you, and then I die too. I already died once, and now they want me to die again? Hohoho…

Alice Dearrot would do exactly what her mother-in-law ordered and kill the Duke of Dearrot.

And then she would be framed for poisoning him and executed by hanging.

Like a hunting dog thrown away after its usefulness was over, she would be discarded by her mother-in-law.

That miserable ending was the fate of the Alice she had possessed.

So how could she not lose her mind?

If she had to possess someone, she wished she’d possessed Alice as a child—before the marriage.

Then she could’ve run away before the wedding.

But instead…

To become Alice on the wedding day, in the bridal chamber of all places?

This was practically God setting the table for her and telling her to choke on it.

As Alice complained internally while staring at her unconscious husband’s face, she couldn’t fight off the sleepiness that kept washing over her.

Sleep was one of the three great human desires, after all.

In the end, she crawled onto the bed in resignation.

They weren’t close enough to share a bed yet, but Kailus was unconscious anyway—he wouldn’t notice even if she snored or ground her teeth.

Lying on the soft bed, she turned onto her side and looked at her husband.

He’s ridiculously handsome… but he has to die. And I’ll be hanged…

Alice murmured hazily.

Then—

If you wake up by some miracle… could I survive?

That thought was the last thing on her mind before she fell asleep.

And she ended up having a strange dream.

A dream where she was chased and caught.

A terribly ominous dream.

Was it a warning of her future?

That no matter how much she ran, she’d eventually be caught and hanged…

“No! No way!”

Alice shook her head furiously, her neck suddenly feeling cold.

“It’s just because I’ve been under too much stress.”

Of course she’d be stressed—she became someone else overnight.

Alice forced herself to shake off the uneasy feeling.

Then she pulled the blanket back up over her husband, since it had slipped down during her restless movements.

Even as she moved about noisily, Kailus Dearrot didn’t stir at all.

He lay exactly the same as he had before she fell asleep.

“……”

Alive, but not truly living.

The young Duke, once incredibly capable, who had collapsed after being poisoned by his stepmother.

And in the end, he never opened his eyes again until the day he died.

In the novel, it had only been described in a few lines.

But seeing him lying here like this made Alice feel strangely unsettled.

What would it feel like…

To lie there, waiting for death?

Was it better that he had no consciousness?

Just as Alice began to feel a bitter sense of sympathy—perhaps even affection—

Knock knock.

A knocking sound echoed through the quiet bedroom.

“Madam, are you awake?”

It was an unfamiliar woman’s voice.

Alice flinched and stepped off the bed.

“…I’m awake.”

The door opened, and a maid with brown braided hair entered.

“Greetings, Young Madam. I am Maris, the maid who will be serving you from now on.”

Maris lifted her head.

Her expression was stiff, and her eyes clearly showed displeasure.

Alice immediately knew.

This maid had been sent by her mother-in-law, Lady Quillian.

Since Alice had become the Duchess only to carry out Lady Quillian’s orders, it was only natural that she’d assign a watchdog.

And Maris looked like she truly disliked her.

“I brought your wash water.”

Maris spoke without bothering to hide her disrespect.

Alice looked down at the silver tray Maris had placed.

That must be what she meant by wash water.

But strangely, Maris just stood there after saying it.

She didn’t bring the tray over to Alice.

Alice had never lived with maids in her past life, but she had read enough romance fantasy novels to know this wasn’t normal behavior.

This attitude was basically saying:

I set it down. Wash your own face.

Maris clearly didn’t acknowledge her as the Duchess.

Perhaps she saw Alice as nothing more than the Dowager Duchess’s pawn—sold off from a minor count’s family.

“Madam, I said I brought your wash water.”

Maris frowned, as if asking why Alice wasn’t moving.

Being openly ignored didn’t feel good, but Alice wasn’t exactly in a position to discipline a maid sent by Lady Quillian.

Fine. I’ll let it slide for now.

Suppressing her irritation, Alice smiled faintly.

“I see.”

At Alice’s obedient response, Maris’s expression stiffened in displeasure.

She likely expected Alice to get angry.

And if Alice did, Maris would run to Lady Quillian to tattle.

Then Lady Quillian would come and scold Alice harshly.

But the former Alice might have exploded at this kind of treatment…

This Alice, however, had survived countless humiliations in her previous life.

This was nothing.

Alice picked up the washbasin herself and placed it on the table, washing her face deliberately.

She expected the water to be freezing cold or burning hot, but perhaps Maris wasn’t bold enough for that—because the water was surprisingly lukewarm and comfortable.

After washing and drying her face, Alice looked at Maris, who was still standing there, and gave her a bright smile.

“The water temperature was perfect. Thank you, Maris.”

Maris’s expression darkened further, and she snatched the cloth away with a sharp snap.

“If you’re done washing, go to the dressing room and change quickly. The Dowager Duchess is waiting.”

The rude action made the cloth scrape her hand, but Alice didn’t even feel the sting after hearing the words Dowager Duchess.

Lady Quillian.

The woman who held her life in her hands.

If she could avoid meeting her, she would.

But she couldn’t.

“Alright.”

After changing clothes, Alice headed to Lady Quillian’s room with Maris.

* * *

“Dowager Duchess. The Young Madam has arrived.”

After Maris knocked and announced them, a voice responded from inside.

“Come in.”

Alice swallowed hard and stepped into the room.

The room was filled with glittering furniture, as if it perfectly reflected Lady Quillian’s taste.

Unlike Kailus’s simple, sparse bedroom.

Just looking at it, it felt like the true master of the Duke’s household was Lady Quillian.

And that wasn’t exactly wrong.

It had been over six months since the Duke collapsed—power had likely already shifted to her.

As Alice’s eyes wandered, her gaze met Lady Quillian’s.

Recalling the etiquette from her memories, Alice greeted her properly.

“Mother, did you have a peaceful night?”

“That’s enough greetings. Don’t just stand there like an idiot. Sit.”

“…Yes.”

Even if I greet her, she complains.

Alice swallowed the words in her throat and sat before Lady Quillian.

Lady Quillian narrowed her eyes.

“Why hasn’t Helkin arrived yet?”

At the irritation in her voice, the maid standing behind Lady Quillian bowed her head.

“I will go check.”

“Do that. How long is he planning to keep me waiting—”

“Dowager Duchess. Doctor Helkin has arrived.”

Before Lady Quillian could finish her sentence, a voice called from outside the door.

Doctor?

A doctor… meaning a physician.

Why would she call for a doctor?

At that moment, a man entered the room and greeted Lady Quillian.

“Greetings, Dowager Duchess.”

“Tch. Stand up. I sent for you long ago—why are you only arriving now?”

“Haha, my apologies. A rare poisonous herb pot was suddenly spilled, so I had to take care of it first.”

The man with gray hair spoke with a sly smile.

And the moment Alice met his brown eyes, a line from the novel flashed through her mind.

[Doctor Helkin was an eccentric genius who created bizarre poisons. That was why even the mighty Duke of Dearrot could not avoid falling victim to a colorless, odorless poison.]

That’s right.

The poison this man created was what caused Kailus to collapse.

And…

“Oh my. So this is the lady.”

“Yes. That’s right. She is the one who will help you and me kill my precious eldest son.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Duchess. I am Doctor Helkin Spence.”

He was another hunting dog.

Another pawn who would also be discarded by Lady Quillian once the job was done.

A fellow hunting dog…

The sudden appearance of this “comrade” she had completely forgotten about due to the shock of possession.

Maybe…

Maybe this could become a new path.

Alice’s golden eyes sparkled as she looked at Helkin.