TLVGAJ 48

~Chapter 48~

Clatter, clatter — the sound of the carriage wheels running could be heard.

I sat quietly inside, looking out the window.

It had been hours already. Outside was nothing but blue sky, white clouds, and green shade stretching out endlessly.

The Hartmann Duchy was in a rather remote area of the Empire, several hours by carriage from the capital.

Because it took so long to reach the estate, even after getting off the train we still had to travel until sunset.

“Snrrrk…”

Turning my head, I saw Sophie completely passed out.

Maybe it was from all the fatigue of the trip, but she was even snoring in her sleep.

Deon, sitting right beside her, was also resting with his eyes closed.

Well, traveling wasn’t exactly an easy task…

While I had just enjoyed the trip, they had to attend to me the whole time, so they must have been even more tired.

I smiled warmly as I looked at the two of them.

Then, the endlessly straight road seemed to end, and the carriage turned into a different path.

Soon, I began to hear the bustling sounds of people, like we were passing through a busy street.

“Snrrrk… huh—!”

Sophie, who had been snoring, suddenly opened her eyes.

As she looked around in surprise, I smiled at her.

“Awake, Sophie?”

“Yaaawn… My Lady…”

Sophie stretched and yawned before speaking.

“Wow. I must’ve been really tired. I slept so deeply. But, um… where are we now?”

“I think we’ve entered the duchy.”

“Oh, you’re right. We’re already in the duchy? I feel like I fell asleep just after we left…”

Sophie looked out the window and scratched her head in embarrassment.

“Did you not sleep, My Lady? You must be tired — you could’ve rested in the carriage.”

“I just… couldn’t fall asleep. I was thinking about a lot of things.”

Having just returned from a trip, I felt strangely like I’d woken up from a dream.

Of course, I was tired from the travel too, but for some reason I couldn’t sleep — so I just looked out the window, reflecting on the trip.

The past month on the train had flown by.

Now, there were about eleven months left until my death — assuming I wouldn’t die exactly as in the original story.

And I was heading toward what would likely be my final place of rest.

After a while, a huge, gray castle-like building appeared in front of me.

The Hartmann Ducal Estate.

The place where the villainess Irene lived — a house where countless maids had been dismissed in a single day.

Where she had burned with jealousy, hated her terminal fate, and lived in misery.

The carriage passed through the gates and continued for a long while before finally stopping in front of the grand building by the fountain.

Servants were lined up in neat rows, and at the very front were two familiar faces.

“Irene!”

“Our daughter, you’re finally home!”

It was the Duke and Duchess of Hartmann — Irene’s parents, who loved her more than anyone else.

Dinner was warm and welcoming.

To celebrate the young lady’s return from her trip, the chef had prepared a grand feast.

Honestly, I thought I’d be too tired to eat and would just want to sleep, but the moment I smelled the food, my appetite returned.

It was a strange feeling — I wasn’t actually Irene, but it felt like I was being served a beloved home-cooked meal after a long time away.

“So, did you enjoy the trip? Tell us about it.”

As soon as dinner began, Mother asked, clearly curious.

“Yes, I enjoyed it very much.”

I nodded with a smile.

“I visited a port city, rode a camel on the Liden desert tour, and in the Kingdom of Harmen I toured the temple and even saw the well where the goddess Irene was born. It was all very meaningful.”

Even though I ended up traveling with the male leads unexpectedly, the trip itself was very satisfying.

It felt like I had finally fulfilled the regret from my past life of never being able to travel.

“I see. We worried a lot even after sending you, so I’m glad you came back safely.”

“And you seem a little more mature now after the trip, my daughter.”

They both smiled, clearly pleased with my answer.

“I told the doctor, so you should get a check-up tomorrow morning. Nothing happened during the trip, right?”

“Well… yes. Except for my magic going out of control.”

“…What?”

Clatter. Mother dropped her spoon.

Father also stared at me, mouth slightly open.

I shrugged.

“But it was fine. I happened to meet the Master of the Magic Tower and traveled with him. He even taught me how to control the outbursts.”

“You met the Master of the Tower?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

I nodded. Their voices carried a heavy note of concern.

“A–are you alright? Did he do anything to you?”

As expected of Irene’s conservative family, they had their prejudices about the Magic Tower — believing all mages to be eccentric and the Tower Master to be a dangerous man.

“No. If anything, without Fabian, my magic would have gone out of control and I’d have become an international criminal. He’s my lifesaver.”

“…”

My firm answer left them stunned, exchanging looks as if they couldn’t believe it.

“In any case, don’t worry. In fact, our family should be the one thanking him.”

“Well… if that’s the case, then that’s good.”

They nodded awkwardly.

Silence fell for a while, broken only by the clink of forks and knives.

Then, as if remembering something, Mother spoke.

“Oh, by the way… While you were gone, quite a few letters arrived for you, Irene.”

“…Ah.”

I looked at her.

Letters. Most were probably party invitations from other young ladies.

In the novel, even when Irene was sick, she remained highly active in society.

Especially after her terminal diagnosis, she attended even more events, channeling her anger at her illness into her “villainess” role.

People talked badly about her behind her back, but as the Duke’s daughter, most still kept friendly ties with her.

‘Well, since it’s before the original story starts, my reputation hasn’t fallen to rock bottom yet.’

Thinking back, some of those parties were when events happened that ruined Irene’s name.

“I’ll have them put in your room, so you can rest today and reply tomorrow—”

“It’s alright.”

Whatever the case, I…

“Could you throw them all away for me?”

“Hm?”

Mother looked puzzled, as if she wasn’t sure she heard me right.

Of course, I had no intention of living as a villainess anymore.

I didn’t want to stay active in high society or build complicated relationships.

Now that my train trip was over, my next goal was…

“Since I’ve had my train trip, I plan to live quietly here in the estate from now on.”

A peaceful, carefree life!

No more standing out, just staying away from people and enjoying the rest of my life here.

I grinned and added:

“So please throw them away. And for any future letters, you don’t need to pass them on to me either.”

“…Huh?”

My parents looked at me with confusion.