GDE~02

~Chapter 2~

“Kyyaaaah—!!”

With a piercing scream, the red-haired girl jolted upright in bed.

“My lady! My lady, what happened?!”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

“My lady! I’m coming in!”

The woman called anxiously from outside, pounding on the door. When no answer came, she threw it open in panic.

There, on the bed, the young girl sat trembling violently, her arms crossed tightly around herself as though trying to hold her very soul together.

“My lady! My lady, what’s wrong?!”

“……”

“My lady! Lady Eleanor!”

“……”

“Oh heavens, look at this cold sweat… Please wait just a moment. I’ll bring water and fresh clothes.”

“Hic… sob…!”

“My lady… are you crying?”

The woman, who had been about to leave, froze at the sound of quiet sobbing and hurried back to the bedside.

“My lady… what on earth happened?”

I’m alive?

Am I… really alive?

Hic… I was so scared.

The woman stayed by her side, gently comforting her until the girl’s sobbing slowly eased.

Nestled in the arms of the pale blonde woman whose softly curled hair brushed her face, the red-haired girl cried for what felt like forever before finally beginning to calm down.

“Hic… sob…”

Sniff…

I’m alive… aren’t I?

Wait… then who’s holding me right now?

“My lady. Are you feeling better now?”

“Hic… who are you?”

As her breathing steadied, she finally heard it clearly.

My lady.

“My lady…?”

My lady? Me?

Did she just call me that?

And who is this woman calling me—

Wait.

This… isn’t my voice.

“What are you saying, Lady Eleanor? It’s me, Sharmel.”

Sharmel?

Who’s Sha—

Wait.

Did she just call me Eleanor?

And what’s this red thread?

“Ow!”

“My lady! Why are you pulling your hair?!”

Hair?

She had grabbed the red strand that fell before her face, thinking it was thread—but the sharp sting on her scalp proved otherwise.

Hair…?

So this isn’t thread?

That hurt…

“If you’ve calmed down, I’ll prepare water for your bath. Please wait.”

“Um… you said your name is Sharmel, right? And… I’m Eleanor?”

“Yes, my lady. But… why do you keep asking strange things?”

To Sharmel, the young lady she served was behaving most oddly indeed.

First, she had awakened screaming, trembling in terror.

Even if it had been a nightmare, now she was acting as though Sharmel were a complete stranger.

“My lady?”

Sharmel tilted her head in confusion.

I’m Eleanor?

That’s impossible.

How could I be her?

I clearly died in a traffic accident…

Wait.

Then… what I saw before wasn’t a dream?

No way.

Then… when she jumped from the tower…

Did I somehow become trapped inside her?

Is that why everything feels so real?

“My lady! My lady! What’s wrong?”

As Eleanor wrapped her arms around herself again and bit down hard on her lower lip, Sharmel rushed forward, gripping her shoulders tightly.

I became Eleanor?

I lived… and became her?

What did Eleanor say before…?

Something about giving me her memories…

…Then why don’t I know what the Emperor or Grand Duke Einhardt look like?

If I inherited her memories, shouldn’t I at least know their faces?

Haah…

What exactly am I supposed to do?

At the very least, you could’ve shown me their faces, Eleanor!

“My lady, what is wrong with you? You’ve hardly ever been ill before, but you’ve been bedridden for days now. Just what did the Baron and Baroness say to you?”

I was sick?

Why?

The Baron and Baroness… her parents?

Why would Sharmel ask that?

…Come to think of it.

Eleanor had always been compared to her twin sister, Elizabeth.

Just like I was always compared to my older sister, Haeryeon.

And then—

Suddenly—

Fragments of Eleanor’s memories surged into her mind.

‘What is this?’

‘The man you are to marry.’

‘I’m only seventeen! I haven’t even had my coming-of-age ceremony yet!’

‘Girls marry at seventeen all the time.’

‘I don’t want to! Marry off Elza instead!’

‘What nonsense are you spouting?! Are you the same as Elza?! You can’t do anything properly, so the least you can do is help this family through marriage! You should be grateful we’re marrying you to a wealthy nobleman!’

‘But this is too much! He’s far too old!’

Smack!

‘How dare you talk back!’

‘Oh, Eleanor… Surely our precious jewel Elizabeth must marry well. We can’t send her to some disgusting old man who only lusts after young women, no matter how high his title may be. But if we send no one, your father’s business will lose his support… So though you are lacking, you must go in her place. Win him over, and become our family’s source of funds.’

Eleanor’s eyes widened.

Marriage?

To an old man with title, power, and wealth?

Are those people really her parents?!

This is even worse than what I read in the book…

How could they do that?

They’re her parents!

Compared to this… my own life was nothing.

No.

I can’t let this happen.

If I really became her…

If I really am Eleanor now…

Then I have to change this.

‘Thank you… for liking me. You can change it. Please… become me.’

…Right.

I’ll change it.

I’ll change everything for you.

Then the very first thing I need to do…

Is leave this house before this marriage can happen—

Grrrrrrr…

…

Of all times.

How embarrassing.

I’m hungry.

First things first.

Food.

“You sweated so much, my lady. Wash first, and I’ll have your meal prepared immediately.”

Blushing bright red, Eleanor nodded.

“Then… where is Elizabeth?”

If this really is the world inside Eleanor’s book… and this is Baron Ricardo’s estate…

Then Elizabeth should be here too.

“My lady, you really are strange today. You keep speaking politely to me.”

“Ah… right. Elizabeth?”

“Two days ago, she left for the capital with the Baron and Baroness. They said that if things go well this time, they may be able to move there permanently.”

Right.

Baron Ricardo.

A minor rural barony.

That’s exactly how it was in the book.

So why would they suddenly have money to go to the capital?

…Ah.

Marriage.

Of course.

A source of funds.

‘Think carefully while we’re gone. About what would truly benefit you.’

Not me.

What benefits you.

This marriage?

Absolutely not.

If I’m going to stop it…

Then I need to run away while they’re gone.

I remember this.

The distance between Baron Ricardo’s estate and the capital…

Right.

Ten days round trip.

They left two days ago.

If they stay in the capital for two to four days…

Then I have about ten days.

Ten days to escape.

If this isn’t a dream—

If this is real—

Then I’m leaving.

“My lady, your bath is ready.”

“Yes— I mean… okay.”

Answering awkwardly, Eleanor stepped into the bath.

The water was neither too hot nor too cold.

“Eh? W-Wait, what are you doing?!”

“Attending to you, of course.”

“I-I can wash myself!”

“…Pardon?”

“I mean—I can do it alone. I’ll call if I need help.”

“If that is your wish, my lady.”

Still looking puzzled, Sharmel withdrew.

Once alone, Eleanor sank into the bath and leaned her head back.

Lifting a strand of floating red hair from the water, droplets slid down across her face.

I still don’t understand any of this.

Did I really become Eleanor?

If this is real…

Then from now on…

I have to live as Eleanor En Ricardo.

…Can I really do this?

I said I’d change things…

But I’m not confident.

I couldn’t even do much in my own life…

And seriously—

How am I supposed to avoid the Emperor when I don’t even know his face?

All I know is that he has blond hair and golden eyes.

Honestly…

If you were giving me your memories anyway,

you could’ve at least shown me the Emperor and Grand Duke’s faces!

Tch.

Eleanor, you little brat.

Wrapped in warmth, Eleanor slowly drifted off to sleep.

A young red-haired girl ran desperately, tears streaming from her eyes.

Ahead of her stood a silver-haired boy.

Who…?

[Brother! Brother!]

Brother?

So… her older brother?

[Don’t go! Can’t you stay?]

[Ellie. I’ll come back for you.]

[No! Don’t go! Father and Mother only love Elza! They don’t care about me! If even you leave… then I’ll really be all alone!]

[Once I graduate from the Academy and settle down, I promise I’ll come for you. Sharmel—take care of Ellie.]

Sharmel?

She’s young too…

Around his age.

[Yes, young master.]

Young master…?

[No! Let go! I’m coming too! Brother! Brother! Don’t leave me behind!]

The little girl broke free and chased after the carriage carrying her brother—

Only to trip and fall.

“Waaah!”

[You liar… You said you’d come back… I don’t want to get married… Why only me…?]

Marriage…

Right.

Sharmel said Eleanor had been sick for days.

Then this…

This must be Eleanor’s memories from before she fell ill.

So that little girl…

Was Eleanor.

And she had an older brother.

Right…

Now I remember.

The book briefly mentioned him.

Eleanor and Elizabeth’s older brother.

Five years older than the twins.

Allen Walker.

That was his name.

“Mi… lady. My lady!”

“Mmm…”

“Lady Eleanor, wake up!”

“Mm… who…”

A hand gently shook her shoulder.

When Eleanor forced her eyes open, something large enveloped her body.

A towel.

“You took so long, I got worried. Even in spring, sleeping in the bath like that will make you catch cold.”

“Sleepy…”

“Then go back to bed.”

Still half-asleep, Eleanor was wrapped in a large towel, supported by Sharmel, and guided back to her room.

The moment she touched the bed, she collapsed sideways and fell asleep once more.

And once again—

She dreamed of the Empress Eleanor.

Standing atop the tower.

Throwing herself down.

“AAAAAH—!!”

She awoke screaming.

Again.

And again.

No matter how many times she dreamed of Eleanor’s death…

She never grew used to it.

Even when other dreams came—

That nightmare always returned in the end.