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Chapter 8
“Please, go on inside.”
Clatter, clatter.
The carriage dropped me off at the end of the forest road where the duke’s estate gates came into view before driving away.
I’d prepared for every possible contingency in case someone discovered us, but thankfully everything had gone smoothly. The coachman clearly knew the back roads well.
After walking about a hundred steps toward the gate, the guards spotted me and cried out in shock.
“My lady?!”
“Hurry! Inform the Duke and Duchess!”
One guard ran inside to report my arrival while the other two hurried over and escorted me through the gates.
The Duke’s estate was, unsurprisingly, enormous.
In front of the grand mansion stretched a vast garden, meticulously maintained by professional gardeners. It couldn’t even be compared to the Grand Duke’s country manor where I’d just been staying.
Well, that wasn’t his official residence, though.
By the time I reached the mansion itself, I saw two people rushing toward me in a panic.
“My goodness! Eileen!”
“Eileen! Are you hurt?”
The Duke and Duchess of Cowett had apparently come running the moment they heard their kidnapped daughter had returned.
The instant they reached me, they examined me from head to toe, checking every inch of me to see whether I was injured or mentally traumatized.
Actually… your daughter isn’t just fine. She’s even gained a little healthy weight…
Even I thought I looked as though I’d just returned from a relaxing retreat.
“I’m fine.”
It was supposed to be something reassuring to say, but in my case it was literally true, which made it a little embarrassing.
This was my first time meeting the Duke and Duchess.
Looking at them made it sink in all over again that this was the world of a novel and that I’d transmigrated into it.
Treating complete strangers as my parents overnight was incredibly awkward.
Still, I’d never been especially affectionate with my own parents in my previous life, so it didn’t bother me much.
I’d just act the way I always had.
Suddenly—
They wrapped me in a tight embrace.
My expectations had been slightly off.
These two were nothing like the proud, aloof Eileen Cowett.
“Thank goodness… truly.”
“Thank you, dear God.”
Holding me tightly, the Duke and Duchess offered tearful prayers of gratitude.
So Eileen had been blessed with warm, loving parents.
Despite their lofty status as one of the highest-ranking noble families, they cared more about their child’s safety than maintaining dignity or appearances.
That alone proved what kind-hearted people they were.
And honestly, that suited me much better.
I was grateful for it.
After our emotional reunion, we entered the mansion together.
Apparently Eileen was well loved throughout the estate, because every servant I met welcomed me back with genuine joy.
“Lady Eileen!”
Some trembled with excitement. Others wiped away tears.
Her old nanny even hugged me tightly and burst into loud sobs.
“Oh, my precious young lady! This old woman couldn’t sleep a wink worrying about you!”
“I’m alright now. See? I’ve come home.”
“Yes… yes, you have. Heaven has truly protected you. Thank goodness…”
I gently patted her back to comfort her.
Only after the lengthy welcome finally ended was I able to enter Eileen’s room.
“Please rest for a while, my lady. I’ll come fetch you once lunch is ready.”
“Thank you.”
Claire, the maid assigned to look after me, bowed before quietly leaving.
Finally, I was alone.
“Ha…”
Feeling strangely drained, I flopped onto the edge of the bed.
Even though the lady of the house had been kidnapped, the room had apparently been cleaned every single day.
There wasn’t a speck of dust anywhere.
Its calm, elegant atmosphere perfectly reflected Eileen’s personality.
The wallpaper, sofa, and even the window frames were decorated in various shades of green inspired by nature—the same color as her eyes.
As I looked around the room, my gaze landed on an elegantly decorated vanity.
A mirror.
I walked over and sat down on the plush chair in front of it.
At last, Eileen Cowett’s reflection appeared before me.
Until now, I’d been far too busy admiring the Grand Duke to spare a thought for myself.
Only now did I finally have the chance.
The woman reflected in the mirror was breathtakingly beautiful.
In romance fantasy worlds like this, even the supporting characters looked as though they’d stepped straight out of a fairy tale.
Among them, Eileen’s soft pink hair and flawless translucent skin honestly made her look like a fairy.
I’d often watched actresses on television and wished I could spend just one day with a face like theirs.
Now that I’d actually become this beautiful…
It wasn’t bad at all.
Seeing my gorgeous new appearance even eased some of the sadness I’d felt after parting with the Grand Duke.
But looking at this face raised an important question.
Why on earth had Emperor Kyle abandoned someone as beautiful as Eileen Cowett?
I hurriedly recalled the original story.
This was what happened afterward.
After returning home completely unharmed, Eileen shut herself away inside the Duke’s estate and refused to appear in public.
Rumors immediately began spreading through both the marketplace and high society.
People whispered that the Duke’s daughter had been taken away by strange men and violated, and that the shame kept her from showing herself.
Whether those rumors were true or not didn’t matter.
The Emperor declared that he couldn’t possibly take a woman burdened by such disgrace as his wife.
As if he’d been waiting for the perfect excuse, he cast Eileen aside.
The phrase “as if he’d been waiting for it” was the important part.
Readers absolutely tore the Emperor apart over that scene.
Scumbag!
Coward!
The author clearly intended to show just how awful the Emperor had been before his eventual redemption.
But no matter how despicable he was, he remained the male lead.
The one favored by both the author and the world itself.
Male leads always ended up with happy endings.
That’s just how these stories worked.
Normally I disliked the “regretful male lead” trope.
But reading I Tamed the Mad Emperor had been pure fate.
That day, I’d just finished another web novel from beginning to end and was browsing for something new.
“What should I read next?”
I scrolled aimlessly through the platform until a certain cover caught my eye.
I hadn’t even read the title before clicking.
What I’d seen was the illustration of Grand Duke Raymond Luslitt.
The moment I saw him, my eyes went wide.
Wow…
He’s exactly my type!
That was the first—and last—time I’d ever fallen head over heels for a fictional 2D character.
If this novel hadn’t existed, neither would the Grand Duke.
So I didn’t regret reading it.
Because it let me meet my favorite character, I didn’t even resent having transmigrated into this world.
Still…
From now on, I needed to fully accept that I was Eileen Cowett.
Otherwise, I’d only keep confusing myself.
“…Hoo.”
I took a deep breath and slowly let it out.
Then I looked directly into the green eyes reflected in the mirror.
It was a habit I’d had whenever I was about to make an important resolution.
I am Eileen Cowett.
Eileen Cowett.
The only daughter of the Duke of Cowett.
The Emperor’s official fiancée… for now.
That engagement would eventually be broken.
And when it was…
I would devote myself completely to helping Grand Duke Luslitt.
Clenching my fist tightly, I reaffirmed my resolve.
In a world where the author had decided both the beginning and the end…
I would carve out my own life.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
“My lady, it’s lunchtime.”
“I’m coming.”
It was time to take my very first step.
“His Grace and Her Grace will be joining you for today’s meal, so we’ll be dining in the First Dining Hall.”
“So we’re eating together?”
“Yes. As you know, they’re usually extremely busy, but they’ve made time especially for you, my lady.”
Claire smiled warmly as she led me toward the dining room.
They’d probably cleared their schedules to help their recently rescued daughter feel at ease.
When I entered the dining hall, the Duke and Duchess were already waiting.
The table was so lavishly prepared it looked as though its legs might collapse under the weight.
Wow…
What an incredible feast!
Every inch of the table was covered with delicious, nutritious dishes.
Their precious daughter had finally returned home.
Naturally, they wanted to make up for everything she’d suffered.
Everywhere I went in this world, there was delicious food waiting for me.
For a moment, I even wondered if I’d transmigrated into this novel just so I could eat.
“Eileen, drink some water first.”
“And remember to chew your food properly.”
As soon as I sat down to eat, my parents fussed over me with endless affection.
Surely they hadn’t always treated their grown daughter like this.
It was probably because the kidnapping had frightened them so badly that they couldn’t help themselves.
While spooning up my soup, I studied them one after another.
It looked like Eileen had inherited her pink hair from her father…
…and her green eyes from her mother.
So was her father handsome?
He wasn’t bad.
What about her mother?
She was actually remarkably beautiful.
Putting the two together…
No wonder Eileen had turned out so gorgeous.
See? Balance is everything!
While I was amusing myself with that thought, my parents were busy competing over which one of them she’d inherited her beauty from.
“Your pink hair is especially beautiful today.”
“Oh, but those lovely green eyes came from me. Aren’t they magnificent? Hohoho.”
They deliberately kept the conversation focused on everyday matters.
Victims of violent crimes often suffered immense stress simply from being reminded of what happened.
Perhaps because they understood that, they never once asked me about the kidnapping.
Even though they’d spent nearly a week desperately searching for their missing daughter and must have been dying to know what had happened…
They kept those questions locked behind tightly sealed lips.
I couldn’t help admiring them.
So the Duke and Duchess had truly been this kind-hearted.
The novel had never really mentioned it, making it a pleasant surprise.
“Eileen, do you remember your cousin Jennifer? The one who got married last year?”
“Yes.”
“She just found out she’s expecting a child.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful news. I’ll have to congratulate her.”
“I’m sure she’d be delighted to receive a letter from you.”
Fortunately, pretending to be the original Eileen wasn’t particularly difficult.
She’d always been quiet, reserved, and graceful.
The caution and awkwardness I naturally felt ended up matching her personality almost perfectly.
Occasionally people mentioned things I didn’t know.
But since I’d just returned from being kidnapped, everyone accepted the small changes in my behavior without question.
I was incredibly fortunate.
Thus, my first day back at the Duke’s estate passed without incident.
I settled in surprisingly well.
…However, beginning the very next day, my soul suffered a devastating blow.
