CHAPTER 6
The moment I realized those sharp, golden eyes were locked onto me, my mind went blank.
“……”
Right, I was trying to slip away quietly. I was supposed to make my exit without drawing attention. So why is the Emperor standing right in front of me? He should be over there laughing and chatting with Osborne—why is he here?
And how did he get here so quickly? I’m still on the stairs, and he was just dancing with Osborne a moment ago. Did he teleport? No, that’s not the problem. Running away?
“Running away? How ridiculous…”
“I will warn you, Lady.”
Excuse me, sir, if you’re not planning to actually listen, why even ask? Watching the Emperor cut me off mid-sentence to speak his own line, I lowered my head in resignation. Of course, it’s my unlucky fate that I now have to seduce this prickly man to fulfill my role as a villainess. Don’t blame him for this.
Fine, if he’s only going to say whatever he wants, then I’ll do the same. After all, it’s not even my body. I should just humbly respond with ‘I apologize,’ but my feet hurt too much to care about that right now. Escaping this situation was my priority. Not just because I had no more words to offer, but also because the gazes of the nobles were too heavy, and speaking in Elizabeth’s formal tone felt as uncomfortable as wearing clothes that didn’t fit. Especially the high heels she insisted on wearing.
To get away from this, I flashed my practiced service smile—the one I always wore for clients—and spoke softly, playing the role of Elizabeth, head over heels for the Emperor.
“Oh my, for His Majesty the Emperor to personally see me off…! I’m truly touched.”
‘Ugh, that’s so cringey.’
I cringed internally, even though those words came out of my mouth. The Emperor seemed to feel the same way; the expression on his face twisted in discomfort, which almost made the situation amusing. So, Karlcia can’t stand cheesy lines like this? Was it because they were coming from Elizabeth? Who cares? I just needed to save my poor feet.
“It broke my heart that you didn’t even look at me in the ballroom. But for Your Majesty to personally see me off, to warn me about the dangers of the road…”
“That’s enough. Go back inside.”
Cutting me off again, the Emperor ended the conversation sharply, as though he couldn’t bear to hear another word. With what seemed like a signature dismissive gesture—or maybe it was something reserved just for Elizabeth—he waved his hand, signaling me to leave.
I might have unintentionally handed the Emperor a big “screw you.” How’s that, Your Majesty? I’ll have to get used to this body if I’m going to keep serving up these little burns. After all, I need to seduce him somehow. Might as well do it while delivering subtle jabs. To everyone else, it’ll look like I’m hopelessly infatuated with him, while he’s utterly horrified. It’s a win-win.
And if my antics make him jealous of Osborne to the point of committing villainous deeds, then that’s a triple win. Sure, it stings my pride a bit, but so what? Getting out of here comes first. Plus, taking a jab at this arrogant Emperor is just a bonus.
‘Wait, am I getting used to speaking like Elizabeth…? Nah, must be my imagination.’
I decided to think about that later. For now, I quickly bid farewell, worried Karlcia might try to stop me again.
“Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Your Majesty. I’ll take my leave now.”
After a bow, I turned and stepped away, glancing back to see the Emperor climbing the stairs, his face twisted with disdain, as if shaking off something unpleasant. I stuck my tongue out playfully, thinking, ‘Let’s see how far I can take this groveling act.’
Once he disappeared back into the hall, I made my way toward the carriage waiting at the entrance. As soon as I sank into the comfortable seat, I kicked off my shoes. My feet were a mess. My awkward gait must have taken its toll because my toes were swollen, and the backs of my ankles were raw and wounded.
The noble society of fantasy novels set in the Middle Ages was truly something. Corsets were one thing, but high heels with no cushioning? Ridiculous. If I stepped on a banana peel, I’d probably do a full slide across the floor. These sky-high heels were the worst for someone like me, who preferred low-heeled shoes. Elizabeth’s image, personality, and fashion—it all clashed with Sehwa.
“…They’re so swollen.”
‘Our poor girl, your feet must hurt so much. Why didn’t you wear sneakers?’
There was no one left to say that to me. Even if I went back to my original world, it would be the same. My mom passed away five years ago in a car accident. My dad? He ran off with the insurance money. All I have left of her are a photo and a few keepsakes.
Sigh… Thinking about it, even if I go back… I’ll only have the Neighbourhood Watch Team waiting for me.
If someone asked why I wanted to go back, I’d answer without hesitation: it’s because of the Neighbourhood Watch Team. That, and because my mom’s there, even if she’s not alive.
“…I miss you, Mom.”
If she were here, she’d probably say, ‘How dare that Emperor ignore my daughter? What’s wrong with my daughter?!’
Outside the carriage window, the sun had set. Hadn’t I left under the morning sunlight? Whatever the case, I had to adapt to this body and grow accustomed to villainy before I could return.
After traveling for a while, the carriage finally came to a gentle stop at the mansion.
“Miss, we’ve arrived.”
“…Ah, right.”
Being addressed as “Miss” still felt strange. Just yesterday, I was called Isehwa, Ms. Sehwa, or just Lee Sehwa. Now, overnight, I’d been promoted to “Miss.” If only it were a proper promotion in real life, rather than some isekai noble title.
“Ah, the bath water has been prepared. Would you like to go to the bathroom now?”
“…?”
Ah, I had forgotten. I had asked Maya to prepare the bath water. Yes, getting used to the service of these maids was also something I’d need to adapt to. So many things to get used to in this world. Sigh.
“…Would you mind?”
“Of course.”
Someone dressing me, undressing me, washing my body, drying me off… Is this what it feels like to be treated like royalty? Following Maya’s lead, I walked toward the bathroom and found myself staring, wide-eyed, at the bathtub adorned with intricate golden rose patterns.
Wow… Nobles are really something. Just one of those golden roses must be worth millions, I bet.
“Mm…”
As I instinctively reached for the straps of my dress, the maids rushed to untie them. Maybe they thought I was signaling them to hurry. This is what bourgeois life is like, huh?! After the maids finished undressing me, I was finally freed from the corset that had been squeezing my belly, and I exhaled deeply as if to release all the tension I had been holding back.
I cautiously dipped myself into the bath. The moment I sank in, the maids didn’t just leave me to relax; they massaged my shoulders and used bath salts to calm my mind. Some even fanned me in case I got too hot. It’s just so hard to adjust. Would it be okay if I just bathed alone…? I almost said it out loud, but then I remembered that I was Elizabeth, and I quickly shut my mouth. Even in this awkward situation, I found myself lost in thought.
This feels so strange…! I’ve never been pampered like this, so it’s even more embarrassing!
However, Maya, oblivious to my thoughts, spoke up.
“How was today, my lady?”
“…Today?”
So much happened. I had almost trampled Osborne, asking for compensation; I sneezed in front of the only Duke in the Empire, Rath Arahan; danced with him for the first time; and got ignored by the Emperor, the man Elizabeth loved so much.
“Hm, it was fun.”
Yeah, the best part was definitely throwing that big “screw you” at the Emperor. I’ll never forget that.
“Hehe, I’m glad you had fun. The Count was so sorry he couldn’t join you… and the Marquis sent gifts to apologize for not being able to escort you either!”
I assumed that the Count and the Marquis Maya mentioned were Elizabeth’s father and grandfather. Her father’s name was probably… Horn Arlesia, and her grandfather’s name, well, it was unforgettable because he had such an important role. How could I forget the name Anais Vincent?
“My father and grandfather?”
“Yes! After your bath, you can take a look at the gifts they sent.”
It was customary for noblewomen to be escorted by men when entering the ballroom. If they had a fiancé, they would be escorted by him; if not, they would often go with a knight from their family. But I was the exception. I had entered alone without a fiancé or a knight, which must have concerned Count Arlesia and Marquis Vincent. Technically, they were Elizabeth’s father and grandfather.
After finishing my bath and returning to my room, I found the gifts sent by Marquis Vincent spread out before me. Gorgeous shoes, various accessories, and dresses. The items looked so expensive that I couldn’t help but stare at them in awe. Worried the maids might notice, I cleared my throat and quickly ordered them to tidy up the clothes before lying down on the bed.
The large canopy bed. My life had changed overnight. It felt like I was living in the world of a book, as though everything was just a dream. I wondered if I had become so immersed in books that I was confusing a dream with reality, like a Gounmong (a dream-like story). Lost in these thoughts, I fell asleep, only to wake up to find that the world of the book was still real.
“…What time is it?”
It felt like I had slept in for the first time in ages. That kind of thing was impossible in my original world. But, I guess it was possible because I was a noble here—this kind of life wasn’t so bad, I thought. I’d only been in this novel world for two days.
“Who was it that said humans are animals that adapt?”
It felt so natural that I was already adapting to this society, to this world.
