Chapter 02
The Extra Doesn’t Know
The sticky liquid splashed from the lump, instantly making the inside of the carriage a mess.
“Oh my! Miss!”
The maid didn’t even check herself and hurriedly looked at Do-yeon first. Her face was pale blue, her eyes shaking. Do-yeon looked on the verge of crying. The maid, holding out a handkerchief toward her, also looked white as a sheet.
The carriage was complete chaos.
The coachman, realizing what had happened, quickly stopped the running carriage.
Do-yeon looked around the ruined interior and noticed a lump on the floor.
It was mixed with black soil, small stones, and grass.
“This is mud?”
It was clumped mud.
“Oh my, it must be those kids, Miss.”
The maid pointed to a group of four or five scruffy boys standing nearby, grinning like mischievous little devils.
A man, probably the coachman, poked his head through the open door.
“Are you okay, Miss? I’ll go catch those kids right now.”
The boys screamed and ran away as he glared at them.
Watching the laughing, fleeing kids, Do-yeon finally realized whose body she had possessed.
‘Vivian Ester.’
The late wife of the monstrous Duke.
An extra who barely had a proper role in the story.
A sudden, sharp headache struck her.
“Miss? I’ll catch them soon…”
“How could they do this… They must be taught a lesson, Miss.”
What could she do even if she caught them?
Do-yeon shook her head, stunned.
“Just leave them. No one’s hurt, it’s only the clothes that are dirty…”
She thought about it.
Vivian, the illegitimate child of the vile Marquis Kihees; the monstrous Duke Leon, forced into a marriage using her as leverage.
A story not fully shown in the novel. The world that existed only in the past of the male lead, Leon Rohberger Ester, was now unfolding before her eyes.
It all felt like a dream.
A nightmare she couldn’t bear.
She thought and thought.
What should she do next?
‘How much money is that… I need to get back.’
There was only one answer.
Get out of here.
She had to find a way back to her world and retrieve her winnings.
As she made this resolve, a huge and ominous mansion appeared outside the window.
The carriage slowed as it entered the garden of the mansion.
Through the window, she saw the silhouette of a man waiting to greet her, standing completely still and watching.
The red-haired maid squirmed like a desperate puppy as they neared their stop, making Do-yeon even more uneasy.
“You can’t meet the Duke like this, Miss.”
Ah, I know.
“What can I do now anyway?”
Do-yeon replied sulkily. The maid rolled her eyes and babbled.
“…You should at least change your clothes…”
Do-yeon understood her concern, but it was pointless.
No matter how fair her skin was or how beautiful her dress, Duke Ester wouldn’t care about Vivian at all.
It was mentioned multiple times in the novel.
A loveless marriage. A couple who never had a personal conversation.
After all, what attachment could there be with a wife who died just one month after marriage?
Especially when the wife had been taken as a hostage, there would be no real interest.
Do-yeon looked sympathetically at the maid, who was frowning.
Soon, the sound of horses’ hooves came, and the carriage stopped.
‘What will happen to Vivian Ester’s fate from here?’
Do-yeon already knew the answer.
Poisoning by someone unknown.
Probably someone in this mansion.
The mastermind was her father, the Marquis Kihees, but the novel didn’t reveal who he had colluded with in the mansion.
The author didn’t bother giving the extra’s death any detailed backstory.
Meaning, the readers didn’t know who poisoned Vivian’s food.
If the readers didn’t know, then neither did Do-yeon.
She made a vow.
From now on, she would eat nothing offered in this mansion.
Creak—
A small door on the carriage opened, and a white-gloved hand reached inside.
Vivian tried to place her hand on the white glove but failed—less than three seconds later.
The person noticed a stain on the sky-blue velvet glove and pulled back sharply. Vivian almost fell trying to grab it.
“No, Miss… what is all this…?”
The man wasn’t Duke Ester.
He was an elderly gentleman, at least thirty years older, glaring as he withdrew.
Then, suddenly, he bowed sharply.
“Ah, I am at your service, Miss. I am Sigmund Lindemann, your secretary.”
Sigmund Lindemann—strict to the extreme and even stubborn, the real power in the mansion.
He managed the mansion and served as Leon’s personal secretary. A frequently appearing but minor character in the story.
“Hello… Mr. Lindemann.”
“Stop for a moment, Miss Vivian.”
When Vivian awkwardly greeted him, Sigmund pinched his nose and frowned.
Why pinch your nose?
“Oh, it’s nothing like that.”
“What is all this?”
“It’s just mud.”
As Vivian approached the hesitant Sigmund, he narrowed his eyes slightly.
“Mud?”
“There was a little accident on the way here.”
He was silent for a moment, then nodded as he understood.
“Seems you had a rather rough welcome. Anyway, welcome.”
Even though the future Duchess had been attacked by the locals, Sigmund seemed unconcerned, smiling slightly.
Seeing his reaction, Vivian understood even more about her position.
After stepping out of the carriage, she took a moment to look around.
The mansion was far bigger than she had imagined.
Countless chimneys rose from the steep roof, and there were even more windows.
Arch-shaped designs and unknown symbols were engraved around the entrance.
It was luxurious but somewhat barren, with no flowers, exactly like Leon’s home.
“The Duke is currently in the Irakma region. There’s news of monsters appearing.”
A fool obsessed only with war.
Do-yeon nodded. The red-haired maid stepped down from the carriage too.
Seeing the mud-covered maid, Sigmund clicked his tongue quietly.
“Hello, Mr. Lindemann. I am Ivyne, the Kihees family maid. Starting today, I will serve as Miss Vivian’s personal maid.”
Sigmund nodded shortly in acknowledgment, then looked at Vivian.
“You must have had a long journey. Now, please come inside.”
As Sigmund tried to escort her, Ivyne stepped in.
“Wait, Mr. Lindemann. How can she come in like this…?”
“You have to come inside to change anyway. You may enter through the servants’ door. Miss, you go this way.”
Following Sigmund, Vivian entered the enormous mansion.
“Shall we greet people later, Mr. Lindemann? Look at me now…”
The doors opened, and Vivian faced the group lined up in the main hall, startled.
Sigmund clapped his hands loudly, and everyone bowed to Vivian at the same time.
What was happening?
A sudden rush of embarrassment overwhelmed her.
The rows were five people wide, ten rows deep, with Sigmund standing in front.
He pointed to each person, making them formally greet Vivian.
As if deliberately trying to embarrass her meticulously.
Each person greeted politely, stating their name and position.
Mostly maids, some servants.
About fifty people. Vivian observed them carefully.
It wasn’t many for such a huge mansion, but enough not to appear pitiful.
‘Someone in here killed Vivian.’
Now was the time to stay alert.
After the upper-level maids finished, the kitchen maids began greeting her.
Kitchen maids—most suspicious.
They cooked the food, so it would be easy to poison. A strong group of suspects.
“Pleasure to meet you, Miss. I am Merianne Weisse, head cook of the mansion.”
A middle-aged woman with gray-streaked hair bowed.
Her tightly pressed lips gave an impression of stubbornness, not someone to mess with.
‘Head cook and four maids.’
Vivian took note of all of them in a line.
Then—
Bang—
The grand double doors carved with intricate patterns swung open. A black shadow jumped out into the bright sunlight.
A huge silhouette, walking heavily, exuding a strong metallic scent.
The shadow approached, and finally the face appeared in the light.
“Leon…”
The cold-blooded ruler of the harsh North, commanding an unmatched knight corps.
A Sword Master the empire couldn’t do without, untouchable even by the royal family.
Tall, broad-shouldered, black-haired, cold and blunt—but endlessly gentle to his woman.
The Leon Rohberger Ester of the novel.
But in reality… Leon looked impossibly cold.
His strong body and long legs couldn’t be hidden even by the crow-feathered cloak. Under messy black hair, his eyes were chilling.
His snow-white face emerged in the sunlight, facing Vivian.
“…What is this filth?”
He lifted elegant fingers to pinch his nose.
Why is everyone pinching their nose?
