I Thought It Was a Common Transmigration - Chapter 8

“So, what was her reaction?” Duke Ludwig asked Philip, who had given Edith a tour of the mansion.

“She followed my instructions well, and has a surprisingly good grasp of the layout of the mansion, especially the Sistine Hall, where the artworks are displayed.”

“Did you notice anything strange?”

“No, not at all. In fact, contrary to the rumors, she was very dignified.”

“Ha! Count Riegelhoff must have trained her for that.”

Duke Ludwig furrowed his brow and tapped his fingertips against the end of his chair’s armrest.

She might have been trained by that snake, but surely Edith was not as rumored.

At yesterday’s wedding, in addition to her vulgar dress, she maintained an elegant and upright posture to greet the guests, and although she must have been tired, she didn’t lose her smile throughout the day.

Even after Killian’s rude behavior during the ring exchange, she kissed the ring bearers affectionately and didn’t make things awkward.

She doesn’t match the rumors that label her as arrogant and inconsiderate.

‘Rumors are often inflated by sensationalism……’

In fact, he and his wife had braced themselves for a visit this morning.

They had already heard that Killian had not spent the night in the bridal chamber.

They knew she would come and question them. Whether it was about how they raised their son or how he disrespected her, Edith had plenty to say.

But she literally came to say good morning.

The Duke tried to provoke her, but it only backfired.

‘Killian, he’s making things difficult, and we’re running out of things to say!’

It was no secret that Killian was in love with Lizé.

Duke Ludwig loved her as much as his own daughter, and had planned to make her his daughter-in-law.

But until this year, Count Riegelhoff had to be kept on a leash to keep him from aligning himself with Archduke Langston, so he could not refuse the offer of a marriage alliance with Edith.

As sorry as he was for Killian, he couldn’t give Cliff, his heir, the daughter of Count Riegelhoff, and after much persuasion, Killian and Edith were finally married.

“Don’t force me to be anything more than a couple on paper.”

Killian walked away with those words, looking as if he had lost his soul, and the Duke could say nothing.

But Edith was rumored to be a wicked woman, and Killian’s neglect of her would at least maintain his justification for expelling her later.

I never thought Edith would be so calm and docile……

Duke Ludwig sighed, and Philip coughed lowly beside him.

“As a matter of fact…… on our way back through the Great Hall, Miss Edith spotted Young Master Killian on the balcony opposite.”

“Balcony? No way……!”

Duke Ludwig frowned at the word ‘balcony’. On the balcony of the Great Hall, Lizé and his two sons often took tea.

“Yes…… Miss Lizé was having tea with Young Master Cliff and Young Master Killian.”

The Duke covered his forehead with his hand.

Yesterday was the wedding, and the groom had not even spent the first night in the bridal chamber. The next morning, the bride saw him flirting with another woman.

Even if the Duke was in Edith’s position, his blood would have boiled.

“There must have been a fuss.”

“Well……”

“Did he say anything? I mean, did he say anything to make her feel better?”

Philip was no stranger to the Duke’s nervous moods, as Edith’s reaction baffled him as well.

“It…… didn’t bother her at all.”

“……what?”

“I don’t know what she was thinking in her mind, but she didn’t make a fuss or get angry on the spot. She just moved on as if she hadn’t seen anything.”

Even Philip himself could not believe what he was saying, there was no confidence in his voice. For a moment Duke Ludwig was at a loss for words, because it didn’t make any sense.

He thought long and hard, and finally came to this conclusion.

“So Edith Riegelhoff isn’t normal either. Tsk.”

***

After returning to my room and having breakfast and lunch brought to me by a maid, I sat out in the sun on the balcony off my room and took stock of the situation.

I had already given up so much in this novel, but somehow I felt like I would be stretched thin just to survive.

‘The best thing would be to be part of this family and live a comfortable life, but will it be that easy?’

I vowed to give up my husband’s love and settle for a good life, but only if they accepted me.

‘Should I be honest about my situation and appeal for sympathy?’

Everything I’ve ever been was created by my father, and I was actually his abused daughter, if I appealed to them like this……

I thought about it, but then shook my head.

‘There’s no way the Ludwigs would believe me, and besides, why would Killian accept this marriage in the first place?

Once he realizes I’m not even worthy of being a hostage, he’ll have the marriage annulled in no time.

Then I would be kicked out without a penny, without being able to return to Count Riegelhoff’s family.

Worst of all, I could be killed for betraying my family.

‘Then what about divorcing and leaving?’

My marriage vows state that in the event of a divorce, I will receive a small mansion and enough money to live on for the rest of my life.

It would be the safest option, but I’d have to find out if divorce is possible in this world with only a woman’s will.

And even if I did, I’d have to prove that I wasn’t a spy of my family, and there was no guarantee that they wouldn’t come and harass me.

‘What a pain in the ass. Should I run away at night?’

Maybe this is the most realistic option.

‘Since I have to assume the worst, I have to figure out how this world works and raise some money.’

Of course, that’s a worst-case scenario plan, and the ultimate goal is to stay quiet in a corner of the mansion, sucking honey.

‘Anyway, I think I did a good job with the Duke and Duchess of Ludwig today, so I’ll focus on them from now on. Though it would be nice to get a good look at Lizé too……’

Lizé Sinclair is destined to be the female lead of this world, but her life before coming to the Duchy of Ludwig was not easy.

The children of the Sinclair family refused to recognize her as a sibling and bullied her relentlessly; to them, she was a doll they could play with.

‘Then the Duke and Duchess of Ludwig came to stay at the Sinclairs mansion, and Lizé saved the Duchess from falling off a horse and the Duke took an interest in her……’

When the Duke and Duchess learned of Lizé’s poor life, they were outraged that the young and innocent Lizé was being mistreated, and in exchange for a large sum of money lent to the Sinclairs, they received the “rights” to Lizé.

As a result, Lizé bore the Sinclairs’ surname, but the Sinclairs could not claim any rights to her, including parental rights.

‘So, how much money will Lizé get when she marries Cliff?’

As a daughter-in-law of the Duke, I could have secured a share in his fortune, but instead, I became his enemy, and that would be my downfall……

‘In a way, Lizé is a character who has all the luck in this world.’

With her on my side, I could easily escape my fate.

In fact, it was the first thought that came to my mind after I possessed Edith, but for some reason, I was reluctant to do so.

‘Is it because Edith is set up as Lizé’s enemy in the original story? I don’t feel comfortable dealing with her.’

It’s understandable. Lizé and Edith are like water and oil.

Even if it’s not a matter of personality, it’s more about how could the man I love hug another woman?

It was a condition that didn’t apply to me, of course, but knowing that Lizé was responsible for Edith’s downfall made me want to stay away.

‘In this situation, I think it is best to be friendly but keep a reasonable distance, as forcing yourself to be friendly might arouse suspicion.’

But I couldn’t just sit on my hands.

‘Let’s put being friendly aside, first of all, let’s observe the three of them unobtrusively.’

It’s a rule of thumb.

In order to survive in this world, I need to do some basic research, and the most important part of that research is the three main characters.

The next day, I dressed as simply as possible, brought along a pair of opera binoculars, and set out to observe the three from afar while pretending to memorize the layout of the mansion.

‘If I can find where Lizé is, the other two will follow.’

I recalled my memories of the original story and searched for where Lizé might be: the Great Hall, the courtyard, the second-floor terrace, and the garden.

‘Finally, I found her! But why outside, it’s still cold.’

Under a large tree in the garden, she was reading a book, looking as perfect as if she had been painted.