Chapter 2
The moment I saw a few drops of blood from a nosebleed, I fainted on the spot, accompanied by the fading screams of a maid.
As I lost consciousness, the true memories of Eckette Dermond began to gradually flow into my mind.
As expected, her life was one of no presence. She was essentially a figurehead—only a duchess in name, but in reality little more than a decorative presence.
Not only was she never mentioned in the novel, but even within this world’s setting, she received no attention from others.
She was the daughter of a minor viscount family barely maintaining its title. A daughter of a humble house with no standing in imperial politics or high society.
The point at which her life seemed to change slightly was her marriage to Duke Dermond.
Duke Kaelion Dermond. A young but powerful duke.
There was no romance in their marriage. It was a decision made purely based on convenience and benefit. The only reason was that she was the daughter of a powerless minor noble family.
Among the high-ranking nobles of the empire, it was customary that one must marry upon reaching a certain age. To the duke, it was an inconvenient tradition.
The pressure to marry, along with the many noble families trying to attach themselves to him, was bothersome. For him, there were far more important and grand goals than marriage or family.
The duke’s goal was to kill his second half-brother, driven by revenge over the past.
He had already killed his first half-brother, and he intended to track down and eliminate the second one who had fled in fear.
To carry out such ruthless acts, he had even formed a secret knight order and attacked a temple.
However, all of this was strictly confidential. No one knew that he was the leader of the knight order or that he was hunting down his second half-brother.
No one in the empire had yet discovered his true identity.
What the duke needed was a duchess who would neither take interest in nor interfere with his affairs, while simply filling the role appropriately. That way, he could continue his work while also resolving the troublesome matter of marriage.
Eckette was vaguely aware of the duke’s attitude toward marriage.
She knew that the duke did not love her at all. She was not foolish enough to expect love from such a man.
She herself also harbored no romantic feelings toward her husband, and had agreed to the marriage solely with the desire to be of some help to her family.
On the day after the wedding, her husband left the house without even consummating the marriage.
After the marriage, Eckette spent most of the past year alone, maintaining the ducal estate.
Once he left on a trip, her husband would not return for months. Even when he did come back to the estate, he would stay only a few days before leaving again.
It wasn’t that she was saddened by being treated like she didn’t exist. She had known all along what she was getting into.
However, staying alone in such a large mansion made her miss her family back home. Because of that longing, she often found herself sighing while looking out the window.
Living alone in the house, occasionally encountering contemptuous glances from other nobles outside…
That was Eckette’s daily life.
Yes, it was a life with many unfortunate aspects. But…
…at the very least, she hadn’t been in pain.
Then why on earth did I suddenly collapse after a nosebleed?!
While I was unconscious, I came to understand Eckette’s memories up until the moment of possession.
And I also learned that she had never once had a nosebleed, coughed up blood, or fainted.
I opened my eyes, rejecting this confusing situation. My consciousness was returning.
“Ah, ma’am! You’re awake?”
The maid I had seen earlier, Ria, must have been keeping watch beside the bed the whole time.
Noticing that I had opened my eyes, she quickly approached me. Her face looked like she was about to burst into tears.
“Are you alright? Do you recognize me now?”
“…Yes.”
“You scared me so much earlier, sob. You suddenly couldn’t remember your name, then collapsed with a nosebleed… I was really worried.”
“We were all worried, ma’am.”
At the sound of voices, I finally realized there were others in the room. Not just Ria, but other servants had gathered around the bed as well.
Since nothing like this had ever happened before, everyone must have been quite shocked.
I was shocked as well.
It didn’t make sense that someone who had been perfectly healthy until now would suddenly become weak the moment I possessed her body.
I had never seen such a possession story. In most cases, when someone is possessed, they retain the healthy body and beautiful appearance of the original character.
This must have been just a one-time incident. The body likely suffered a temporary shock due to the possession—perhaps fainting because it was overwhelmed while inheriting Eckette’s memories.
It was just a one-time mishap, and it wouldn’t happen again.
I repeated that to myself like a mantra.
And now, my body felt perfectly fine. The nosebleed had obviously stopped, and although I had fainted and woken up, I didn’t feel dizzy or disoriented.
I sat up.
“Ah, please lie down a bit longer!”
Ria tried to stop me, but I shook my head and sat up.
“I’m fine now.”
“Still, wouldn’t it be better to see a doctor?”
“No, it’s not necessary. I’m perfectly fine now.”
Even though I smiled brightly and reassured her several times, she still looked anxious.
“Are you really sure you’re okay? Earlier, you didn’t even recognize me… I was so shocked…”
“Haha, that was just a little joke.”
“A joke?”
Her eyes widened. Well, Eckette wasn’t the type of person who would make such absurd jokes.
“My nosebleed was probably just from being tired these past few days. People can get nosebleeds when they’re overworked, right? It’s nothing serious, don’t worry.”
At my words, Ria lowered her head as though she had committed a grave sin.
“Sob… I’m so sorry, ma’am. I didn’t even realize you were tired and couldn’t take proper care of you… Because of me… you had to go through all that…”
Moved by her concern for me, I almost shed tears. Eckette’s life may have been lonely, but at least the servants were on her side.
“It’s not your fault. Don’t blame yourself too much. More importantly, I’d like to eat something and regain my strength.”
I had fainted for a moment, but I believed that once I filled my stomach properly, I wouldn’t collapse again.
That’s what I chose to believe.
“I’m hungry, and my appetite is back, so please prepare today’s meal carefully. The finest course.”
Now that I had become a duchess, I intended to enjoy everything I could. And the beginning of that was a top-tier fine dining experience.
“Yes! I’ll have it prepared right away!”
Ria, who had been worried about my lack of appetite, responded energetically at the sudden change.
As I walked toward my first meal in this grand mansion, my steps felt light.
I was about to begin a gold-spoon life I could never have dreamed of in my previous life, and that alone filled me with energy.
The ducal estate did not disappoint—it was indeed vast and complex.
Now all that remained was to spend peaceful, prosperous days in this large house!
My lips kept curling upward.
However, Ria still seemed concerned about my condition and insisted on supporting me.
“If you collapse again, you could get seriously hurt. Please allow me to assist you, ma’am.”
She insisted on holding me up from the side.
In the end, I couldn’t overcome her stubbornness and placed my hand on her arm. As a result, our walking pace slowed.
“As you instructed, ma’am, I told the head chef to put all his know-how into preparing the finest dishes. I’m sure you’ll be very surprised when you taste them!”
On the way to the dining room, Ria chatted nonstop. She talked not only about the meal, but also about how shocked she had been earlier, and how even the other servants had been on the verge of tears.
“It would be nice if the master could join you for a meal when you’ve regained your appetite…”
By “the master,” she meant my husband, Kaelion.
“Why? I’m more comfortable eating alone.”
He barely comes home anyway, so we’re not close. Eating together would only feel more awkward.
I preferred to enjoy my meal in peace.
“Still… I think it would be nice if the master could see at least once what a kind person you are…”
The one with the indifferent husband was me, yet Ria seemed more upset than I was.
“Well, I think being alone is better.”
“Huh?”
Ria looked surprised at my un-Eckette-like words.
“I mean you don’t need to feel upset about it.”
“Oh, I see.”
Ria tilted her head at my changed demeanor but nodded nonetheless. However, she looked puzzled at my next words.
“I probably won’t have many chances to meet my husband, and I don’t particularly want to meet him either.”
“Then… won’t you see him off today? You usually always did, right?”
“Today?” That meant Kaelion was leaving today. It was the day he would return briefly and then depart again.
Once he leaves, this mansion will truly be mine.
What perfect timing for a possession.
“Seeing him off? No, I won’t go.”
