TUWSD 03

The maid hesitated, unsure whether she should answer or not.

“…So the reason you’re stationed at the annex isn’t to serve me but to watch me?!”

“N–No, ma’am, that’s not it.”

“Then answer my question quickly.”

The maid pressed her lips together tightly, then finally replied to Grace’s question.

“He went to the Rondel Canal to do volunteer work.”

“The Rondel Canal.”

Grace rolled the words around in her mouth as if tasting them.

“Is Saint Aria there by any chance?!”

“Uh… yes, apparently the temple is holding a large-scale purification ceremony and volunteer event at the Rondel Canal today…”

“……”

That meant Saint Aria was indeed there.

Grace withdrew her gaze from the maid and looked out the window.

She could see the empty garden and her faint reflection in the glass.

“I see.”

There was no need to go all the way to the mirror to check her appearance again. Looking now wouldn’t magically change how she looked.

It must be hard to love a wife who looks like this.

Grace brushed her cheek with her index finger, feeling the freckles dotting her skin.

Her complexion had a dull, grayish tone from lack of sunlight, and her skin felt rough.

Her hair, though carefully arranged by the maids, was frizzy and already sticking out everywhere. No matter how luxurious the dress, it was like “a pearl necklace on a pig.”

And I’m literally wearing a pearl necklace, so it fits perfectly, she thought bitterly as a mocking voice echoed in her head.

That’s right.

She couldn’t deny it. Grace silently agreed with the voice.

“…Huh?!”

“Ma’am?!”

Grace snapped out of her thoughts to find the maid looking at her anxiously.

“Oh, it’s nothing.”

She shook her head to reassure the maid, but the strange voice lingered in her mind like an unpleasant aftertaste—eerie and unsettling.

Was I just too immersed in my thoughts?!

Grace knew exactly what Aria looked like.

Even though she had never seen her in person, the novel’s author had constantly sung Aria’s praises in the narration:

Hair as white as pure snow, golden eyes that shone like the sun, flawless skin, and a slender figure.

She was Grace’s complete opposite.

It almost felt inevitable that Benjamin would be drawn to Aria.

The maid stood awkwardly, unsure what to do as Grace stared out the window in silence for a long time.

Then Grace spoke.

“…I’ve made up my mind.”

“Wh–What about, ma’am?”

“I’m going to start exercising.”

“Exercising?”

“Yes, exercise.”

Realistically, no amount of exercise would make her beautiful overnight. But her current physical state was genuinely concerning.

She had finally gained a body that could move freely, and she wasn’t about to die young from illness without ever living properly.

Besides, this body has almost no stamina.

She could tell she’d collapse gasping for breath after just a few meters.

That would make her no different from her previous life… except that back then, she couldn’t walk at all.

Now that she had a working body, Grace wanted to live healthily—body and mind.

She resolved to get fitter and lose weight for her goal.

And then I’ll get a divorce.

Grace wanted to live a long life.

Benjamin was already involved with Aria. She had no idea when he might decide to get rid of her.

On top of that, since Grace rarely left the mansion, she had no idea how far along the novel’s plot had progressed.

I don’t know when I’ll die, and that makes me anxious. Well, no one knows when they’ll die, but still…

Either way, if Grace wanted to survive, she needed to divorce Benjamin as soon as possible.

Only then would Benjamin stop seeing her as an obstacle—and stop trying to quietly “erase” her.

…Though it wasn’t absolutely confirmed that Benjamin was the cause of Grace’s death.

The reason she wanted to lose weight before the divorce was simple.

First, if she divorced looking like this, rumors like “She got dumped because she was too ugly” would spread even more.

At least if I’m slimmer, I won’t look quite so pathetic.

Second, dieting was easiest when one was wealthy.

With money and servants, she didn’t have to worry about trivial things. She had access to expensive ingredients, she could exercise anytime, and she didn’t have to work herself.

Being in an environment where you can focus entirely on self-care is a blessing.

Regardless of what others in the ducal estate thought of her, Grace was still the duchess.

Not just any duchess, but one who didn’t have to manage household affairs. She felt a little guilty about that, but there was no reason to reject the comfort she’d been given.

Of course, a mistress who doesn’t manage her estate is considered incompetent.

Maybe the old Grace had been different, but the current Grace was undeniably incompetent.

If she were told to handle the estate’s finances, she’d probably only be able to say, “This is a number, and that’s a chart.”

“So from now on, I need to manage my diet and exercise.”

“M–Ma’am…”

“I’m serious.”

Grace had made her decision:

She would lose weight, divorce Benjamin, and escape this tragic storyline to live a long, peaceful life on her own.

The basics of dieting were a balanced diet, regular habits, and moderate exercise.

In Grace’s case, since she’d been extremely sedentary, she couldn’t start with anything too intense. Up to now, her “maximum activity” had been walking around the garden behind the annex.

Her stamina was worse than that of a baby deer. She didn’t need workout clothes—besides, such a thing didn’t even exist in this world.

“Hmmm.”

Grace looked at herself in the mirror and said to the maid,

“Do we have any clothes that fit me snugly, not these oversized ones? If so, could you bring them?”

“……”

The maid swallowed nervously, startled by Grace’s sudden change in attitude. Grace had always hated showing her figure.

She never dressed up and always tried to hide her body.

The maid stared at her, forgetting her manners, shocked by this unexpected shift.

Unaware of the maid’s gaze, Grace continued,

“If we don’t have any, then let’s resize a few dresses. Should we call a tailor?”

“Are you planning to order entirely new dresses, ma’am?”

“Hmmmm…”

Grace thought for a moment, then nodded.

“If my allocated budget allows it, yes. Is there someone skilled and fast who can make a variety of clothes?”

The maid glanced at Grace nervously.

“Sh–Should I call the usual tailor?”

Her voice carried a hint of reluctance, but Grace didn’t notice and nodded.

“Yes, that’s best.”

There’s no benefit to calling a new tailor and spreading knowledge of my appearance further.

When Grace said “my appearance,” there was a lot packed into those words.

…Fat, freckled, frizzy carrot-colored hair…

Grace grabbed her tangled hair half-heartedly, then let it go.

Because I look like this…

These weren’t Grace’s current thoughts, but the lingering emotions of the body she inhabited.

All I need is to move. I just want to be healthy.

She wondered how much the original Grace must have despised herself, gazing into the mirror again.

Sensing Grace’s mood, the maid hesitated, then Grace gestured for her to leave.

Once Grace was alone, she closed all the curtains.

She hadn’t adapted to being “Grace” overnight after possessing this body.

At first, she had been overwhelmed by negative thoughts and inexplicable despair—so much so that she wanted to die and could do nothing.

Only after escaping that torment did she realize she could move her body freely.

And only after that did she realize this wasn’t the hospital where she’d stayed.

Then eventually, I looked in the mirror. And much later, I realized this was the world of the novel.

Ever since she had regained her composure in this body, she had been searching for one thing:

Where on earth is Grace’s diary?

She had already searched her study thoroughly but couldn’t find it anywhere.

Her current memories were too hazy. For now, she could avoid suspicion by minimizing contact with others, but as time passed, her limitations would become apparent.

I can’t stay in this mansion after the divorce, after all.

But she couldn’t just ask the maids what kind of person Grace used to be.

The only thing she could rely on was the diary that Grace had supposedly kept without fail.

The problem was—because of her vague memories, she had no idea where it was hidden.