I Thought It Was a Common Transmigration - Chapter 10

“But, Count Riegelhoff is no ordinary cunning man. I wonder if he might have started the rumor on purpose that he’s siding with Archduke Langston.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“That he started the rumor to get Duke Ludwig on his toes, and then offered him a marriage alliance to convince him of his innocence. Isn’t it amazing how easy it is to become a duke’s in-law?”

“What a despicable thing to do!”

Damien huffed and sipped his tea again. But Leila’s scowl didn’t lift.

“And what good news is that, anyway? It doesn’t change the fact that Count Riegelhoff is now Duke Ludwig’s in-law.”

“Oh, my naive Leila. Do you think that just anyone can be a duke? Duke Ludwig is not that stupid.”

“Stop talking in circles and just tell me!”

Damien smirked and leaned toward Leila. “Of course, if Count Riegelhoff is willing to stoop to the level of a hostage for his daughter, he probably won’t miss the chance to become an in-law with Duke Ludwig.”

“What, are you mocking me now?”

“Well, Count Riegelhoff is greedy. He’s been jealous of Duke Ludwig for a long time. Eventually, he’s going to make a move before the year is out, and Edith Riegelhoff is just a pawn to be used as a covering and then discarded.”

That Count Riegelhoff loves his daughter dearly is known to everyone in society. But few knew the truth.

Damien knew something else besides the rumors about Duke Ludwig’s relationship with Count Riegelhoff.

He still couldn’t get over what he had witnessed while attending a party.

“Stupid bitch! You can’t do anything right!”

“I- I’m wrong, Father!”

Count Riegelhoff, who usually seemed to listen to everything his daughter said, slapped her on the cheek, and Edith, who usually stood tall and proud in front of her father, hunched her shoulders and begged for forgiveness.

At first, he thought he was mistaken, but the conversation was unmistakable.

“How many times have I told you it’s not Count Rayvarton, it’s Count Avarton! Get it right this time. You’re going to approach Count Avarton and get information on the cost of the Anchorton Bridge. Do you understand?”

“Yes, Father. I’m sorry, I won’t make a mistake this time.”

After watching them for a while longer, Damien was convinced.

‘Edith Riegelhoff’s image as a wicked woman was completely made up!’

Sensual and beautiful, Edith drew all the attention wherever she went, and there were plenty of men who coveted her. And she charmed them, digging up the information her father needed.

“No way! Count Riegelhoff would die for that girl Edith!”

“Everyone thinks so, but this is solid information, and you don’t go running your mouth. This is top secret, okay?”

“Yep. Okay!”

Damien smirked as he watched his sister, who had been so impatient and sassy earlier, nod meekly.

Then he added sweetly, “Hang in there, Leila. Killian Ludwig and Edith Riegelhoff’s marriage is only valid until this year, and next year when the iron ore distribution rights will be in our family, I will give you a seat at Killian Ludwig’s side.”

Suddenly, Leila’s face lit up. “Brother……!”

“So relax, then. No man likes a girl with a furrowed brow.”

“Yes! Thanks, brother!”

Leila smiled happily as she thanked her brother, as if she had never thrown a teacup before.

***

For a while, I was at peace as Philip showed me around the mansion and gave me a little insight into the Duchess’ work that I would have to help with in the future.

Perhaps my peace was enhanced by the fact that I was observing the three main characters but trying not to actually interact with them.

I also decided to shrug off Killian’s unnecessary comments. It was the way the character was set up in the first place, so who am I to argue?

“Ah, the weather is so nice.”

Closing the book I was reading, I took a long stretch and yawned.

Aside from my precarious situation, this moment was so peaceful.

There hadn’t been a day since I came of age that I hadn’t worried about money.

But now I don’t have to worry about money, I don’t have to worry about work, I don’t have to worry about my parents or my brother.

I feel like I’m really alive after I died.

Suddenly, I wonder what happened after my death.

‘What would my brother do after I fell down the stairs and died?’

My brother’s eyes were not normal; they were the eyes of a complete gambling addict.

He couldn’t see reality in his eyes. He was always looking at the golden castle in the faraway fantasy and chasing it.

When you lose that much money, you should realize that it’s a mirage that will never be caught, but apparently, the gambling establishment makes sure someone wins every once in a while so they don’t lose customers like my brother.

‘He probably took my wallet first. It would be nice if he could have hidden my corpse in a decent place, but there’s a good chance he would have left it as it is……’

If time passes the same way between here and there, my brother would have been caught by now.

The old multi-family house I lived in didn’t have CCTV, but across the street from it was a luxury apartment complex. There’s no way my brother wouldn’t have been captured on CCTV at the entrance to the complex.

‘I’d rather he was caught, punished severely, and come to his senses……’

I hope so. Not out of revenge, but because I want him to at least live up to his part as a human being.

‘I wonder if Mom and Dad were sad?’

My parents, who farmed in the countryside, were responsible for our clothing, feeding, and taking us to the doctor until we were out of high school, but they were basically not that interested in their children.

They didn’t want to know about how well I or my brother were studying, what our friendships were like, what our dreams were, or what our problems were.

And when they found out he was gambling and borrowing my money, they didn’t care.

Maybe they thought it was just a nuisance, but he’s still human, so at least they could pretend to be sad……

I’d rather they not be sad. If they loved their children so much that they lost the will to live after my death, that would be more of a headache.

‘Mom and Dad probably took a few days to move on. They would have cared more about my brother than about me.’

Besides my family, I thought about my coworkers and my ex-boyfriend, but I didn’t really have much of an emotional connection.

They would have been surprised by my death, but they would have gotten over it quickly.

I felt a little lonely thinking about how no one would have cared about Choi Soo-na’s absence, but it was a good thing for the people left behind.

‘Okay, that’s it.’

With that thought, I decided to stop worrying about the people left behind in my previous life.

I sighed, and then Anna told me that the Duchess was looking for me.

‘Let’s focus. Now is the time to worry about the people in my current life, not the people in my previous life.’

Feeling a little sentimental about my previous life, I braced myself and stood up.

The Duchess received my greeting as graciously as if seeing a true daughter-in-law, and in a generous voice she broke the good news.

“Edith, I have summoned the dressmakers, as you requested the other day. They’ll be here tomorrow morning, so if you want to order anything, you might want to think about it.”

“Wow, already? Thanks for the favor.”

“You’re welcome. Thanks to you, Lizé and I will finally be able to match dresses after a long time.”

After all, you can’t leave out the female lead Lizé.

‘Oh, come to think of it, wasn’t this an episode in the original story?’

I called the dressmakers to get my dresses altered, but in the original story, Edith calls to order expensive dresses. And then Lizé is called in, and it’s like a battle of taste between Edith and Lizé……

‘Wow, that’s creepy. Whatever my intentions were, the original plot is still going strong, isn’t it?’

I actually had goosebumps on my arms.

I asked to call the dressmakers without much thought, but that’s the flow of the original story……

‘What happened in this episode?’

I pieced together my hazy memories.

I think they each order a design of the dress they want to wear, Lizé for something that suits her, and Edith trying to outdo Lizé with a dress that has lots of embellishments.

There’s no way a dress that’s “too much” can be good, and when Lizé compliments her on her dress, Edith is furious, accusing the dressmakers of poor workmanship.

This leads to an argument with Killian, who overhears, and then criticizes her.

‘Well, I’m not buying a new dress, so the outcome would be completely different.’

I just kind of shrugged it off.

I spent the rest of the day picking out the dresses to drop off at the dressmaker and figuring out where and how to fix them.

The long-awaited next day.

“Miss, there’s someone from the boutique to see you in the Duchess’ parlor.”

“Oh, finally. Thank you, Anna.”

I followed Anna into the Duchess’ parlor, feeling overjoyed.

Lizé was already seated in the parlor.

“Thank you for inviting me, Mother. Hello, Miss Lizé.”

“Oh, hello!”

Lizé jumped to her feet, pleased that I had greeted her first.

It’s been a while since I’ve seen her, and she’s still dazzlingly beautiful.

‘I’m going to have to get used to it soon, but…… I think I’m going to be swooning every time I see her beauty.’

I almost made a silly face again, but managed to keep it together with an awkward smile.