Chapter 2

There’s nothing to do.

There’s absolutely nothing to do, to the point of shock.

When I first possessed this body, it was a refreshing summer, but now it’s the dead of winter.

This land, surrounded by massive mountain ranges, rarely sees the opening of its gates unless it’s for hunting demons.

What are you talking about?

It means that the cold Duke and his insane Duchess have to face each other at the dining table every day.

“Don’t you have an appetite?”

“No, it’s just that…”

Salted meat and boiled potatoes are not to my taste at all.

Maybe if they spiced up the potatoes with chili sauce or something, I wouldn’t mind. But dipping plain bread into thin soup brought tears to my eyes.

I understand. Even this is considered a luxury.

Being far from the capital, the sea, and any source of fresh fruits and seafood, it was common to rely on preserved food during winter.

“If you have something you want to eat, tell the chef. Don’t make unnecessary fuss.”

“What do you mean by fuss?”

“I mean, instead of sending a letter to Duke Magnolia like you did last time.”

The Magnolia Duchy was Adriana’s hometown. Shortly after their marriage, Adriana had been greatly shocked by the cuisine and simple way of life here and had once pleaded with Duke Magnolia, whom she considered family.

Still, it seemed that Duke Magnolia had some leverage over the Duke due to their only daughter…

“Petty kid.”

“…What?”

“Oh, no. What did I say?”

“You just-“

“It must have been an echo. Well, anyway, if you’re asking so persistently, there’s something I need.”

“What is it?”

The Duke piled up gold in his treasury but refrained from indulgence.

He might be ruthless with demons, but he took care of his subjects in his territory.

Well, a protagonist who couldn’t do anything like a typical Korean couldn’t stand it.

Whether Callian was the main character, a sub-character, or the final villain, he did well.

If only he had worked diligently like a cow.

“…Well, never mind.”

Please let me eat ramen with capsaicin in it, please.

In this world, bread was the staple food, and the upper class always had meat with their meals.

You couldn’t find rice anywhere in the high-class Duke’s domain.

Even though I loved bread, eating only bread for six months was torture as a Korean.

The Duke, who was used to a simple life, had little interest in gourmet food, and the menu was always the same. Bread, soup, salad, roasted meat.

After that, there was no more talk about meals with the Duke.

Unlike the Duke, who was always busy with his duties, the Duchess had a lot of free time.

“Catherine.”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

A typical duchess would take charge of the household in the territory, but Adriana did nothing.

Even before I arrived, she consistently did nothing, which was admirable.

I didn’t know what she was up to, but the Duke was busy, and his advisors who followed him were also busy.

Based on my six months of investigation, Adriana didn’t seem to indulge in luxury or pleasure, nor did she smack her servants’ cheeks to assert authority like a wicked boss.

Then what was it? Adriana, who looked like a typical villainess, unexpectedly didn’t engage in salacious shows with eleven beauties supported by alcohol and meat, nor did she plot revenge through schemes.

She might be capricious, petulant, and lazy, but she wasn’t fundamentally evil.

So, what exactly was Adriana’s role? What was the identity of this novel?

“Your Grace, please tell me anything.”

“Ah, yes. Um, can I go to the kitchen for a moment?”

“Right now?”

“Yes. Um, no. Could it be in about two hours?”

“If Your Grace wishes, I’ll bring them right away.”

“No, two hours from now will be fine. Yes, I’ll do it then.”

I didn’t know what kind of novel it was, but this novel was a light romance fantasy.

It wasn’t the kind of trashy novel where someone kills and reincarnates repeatedly.

How did I know?

“But what’s the reason for going to the kitchen…?”

“Um, a snack? I want to make and eat it myself.”

First of all, the country is extremely peaceful. The Emperor is virtuous, the climate is stable, and there’s no succession struggle in sight.

Under the wise Emperor and the virtuous Empress, the talented and kind Crown Prince has gained a reputation, and he has no siblings.

Apart from the Crown Prince, the only ones with a claim to the throne are Callian and Duke Winter. However, Callian, who is both the Emperor’s nephew and the Crown Prince’s cousin, is indifferent to the throne.

The country is peaceful, and there are no people starving in the Empire, with thriving trade. In such circumstances, there are only two possibilities for the novel’s development: either someone plots a conspiracy, or an intense romance begins.

There might be various other factors, but I don’t want to think that far. Besides, this novel was clearly a casually researched time-killer.

While the social hierarchy is strict, advisors are on par with dukes, and Adriana’s maids and servants, although they serve the Duchess, speak to her comfortably. It’s almost like asking a kind bodyguard what they’d like to eat.

Well, I wasn’t a kind bodyguard or anything like that, though.

“Then I’ll help with the dressing.”

“I’ll just wear it as is.”

Since throwing the corset flamboyantly in the transition from summer to autumn, no one has meddled with my attire.

I’ll probably be allowed to wear a nightgown soon if I pick one up.

Oh, I discarded the corset I threw at that time. I wanted to wrap it around the sturdy waist of His Grace the Duke, but it’s a pity. Perhaps dense, intricate muscles shine the most when wrapped in delicate lace, don’t you think?

Moreover, Callian is a winter cool-toned person, so deep primary colors, white, and black suit him very well.

Especially, if you were to place even a hint of jewels on his cool-toned skin, how mesmerizing it would be…

“Madam?”

“Ah, yes! Yes!”

Ah, let’s calm down, let’s calm down. Although the original relationship between Callian and Adriana was indescribable, it wasn’t so intense that they had to resort to poison in tea and hiring assassins like melodramatic villains. To put it plainly, they were like colleagues at work.

If we must compare, they were rather like ordinary coworkers, right?

Although Callian’s gaze when looking at his spouse was subtly familiar…

“Madam! The ingredients you mentioned have been prepared!”

“Thank you, Sophia. … Um, if there’s no urgent matter, can you leave?”

“Yes, yes?”

“It’s just that if someone else sees, it might make me uneasy… There’s still time until dinner, right? I’ll take a short break. Only those with urgent matters should stay.”

The servants exchanged glances and then promptly bowed their heads under Catherine’s gaze and left the kitchen.

The owner, capricious as she may be, ensured generous rest times and vacation allowances.

This was the reputation of Adriana that Catherine had heard from the head maid not long ago.

It’s fortunate that the owner isn’t too eccentric or difficult to handle. The kitchen was quite familiar to her, as she visited it almost as often as her bedroom.

“Madam, what would you like to make?”

“Just some bread.”

Perhaps.

In an environment without gochujang, and even without sugar and flour, I might have truly gone insane.

It’s a harsh world where you can’t find a single grain of rice or a drop of soybean paste or soy sauce, but fortunately, there is bread and pasta.

Following the advice I heard from the head chef a few weeks ago, I kneaded some flour.

Bread for breakfast, bread for lunch, bread for dinner. Bread! I must be crazy about carbohydrates.

Anyway, it’s a hobby I started out of boredom, but I feel like I’ll give up on this soon.

Baking is fundamentally too tiring, and

“It doesn’t taste good…”

I felt like I had cursed hands.

Ugh.

After failing for the fourteenth time in baking, I took a walk in the garden.

From spring to early summer, the roses were in full bloom, but on days like this, the landscape was endlessly melancholic.

As I imagined a gloomy, high-society romance unfolding in a mansion covered in blooming roses, Catherine, who was walking beside me, cautiously asked.

“Will you be wearing one of your dresses again for the upcoming Crown Prince’s birthday celebration?”

“A dress? What dress are you talking about?”

“Well, there’s the Crown Prince’s birthday celebration coming up.”

“Ah, right.”

“Oh, come on! Madam, it’s been a while since you’ve gone out!”

“No, I went out not too long ago—”

“That’s not what I mean, my lady. Since you’re visiting the capital for the first time in a while, why not freshen up?”

“But dresses are so bothersome. Putting them on and taking them off, putting them on again. You should relax and not just wear Schmiz.”

In modern terms, Schmiz, which serves a role similar to sleepwear, is made of lightweight and breathable fabric. It’s made by layering thin cloth, and it feels nice as it rustles with each step.

“My lady.”

“But I told you it’s not like that.”

“I’m not even asking for a corset, my lady. Just don’t go unbuttoning your clothes at the reception hall or spreading your legs like a knight. You understand, right?”

“Catherine, do you think I’m some child?”

“Right? You’re not some debutante at a ball, my lady. Surely you won’t do such things.”

“Well… but adults don’t promise not to say things they can’t keep, you know.”

I gave Catherine a charming wink and turned her head, and with eyes filled with all sorts of confusion, she nodded. Well, I’m sorry for now…

***

In romance fantasy novels, the female lead often has one or more hidden abilities. She possesses the foresight to see one, two, or three steps ahead, an extraordinary memory that remembers the plot twists of novels she’s read once or twice, a kind heart, and some ability to communicate with spirits or have a connection with swords.

So, Adriana, who lacks any of these abilities, is unlikely to be the main character. But considering the two mines that lie ahead for Adriana, it might be better if she had some abilities.

Thinking of the silver and treasures that can fill the diamond mines and the capital’s mansions makes me feel as secure as if I’ve just had a hearty meal of bean sprout rice soup.

It may seem pointless to possess wealth and splendor that isn’t even mine, but I’d rather be dropped in an unknown place than be poor enough to wish for death.

No, speaking of which, did I ever say that I, a wealthy commoner, wanted to become a wealthy noble?

I might be a company employee in the rat race, or a slave in the Joseon era, but in a world where real slaves exist, I’m unnecessarily conscientious about exploiting the lower class for my own benefit.

The cloak draped over my shoulders is thick, so it’s quite warm.

The only noteworthy garden in the mansion was a rose garden, which the previous Grand Duchess lovingly nurtured.

Why is the Grand Duke always in the north, and why do they lose their parents at a young age? Is this setting a variation of Cinderella?

Well, whatever. The northern Grand Duke here had a talent for slaying demons, and as for the Grand Duchess… well, having a lot of money was her talent.

Adriana originally had a discerning taste and high standards, but that’s not my story.

So, what can I do then? Typically, when you’re transmigrated as the protagonist, you communicate with spirits to uncover the world’s secrets or awaken magical powers to prevent the world’s destruction.

How do you meet spirits anyway? Do you plant seeds and sing songs? The only nursery rhyme that comes to mind is “Wheat and barley grow, wheat and barley grow, wheat and barley are growing,” but that’s all I can think of.

Usually, in novels, spirits exist everywhere. It’s just that the culprits can’t detect them. They require special conditions or revealing abilities…

“I know everything that’s here. Shall we stop hiding and show ourselves?”

Shouting like this, someone usually comes out. But in front of me, there was only a cold breeze.

I heard the sound of dry branches brushing against each other.

Fortunately, Catherine was standing some distance away. My frozen cheeks felt hot.

Well, who would react to such nonsensical words?

“Quite decent.”

…Why are you coming from there?

“-Callian.”

“You claimed to have learned basic swordsmanship at the Duke’s Manor, but it seems you didn’t take it seriously.”

Callian’s facial features were as exceptional as ever today.

The Grand Duke, who didn’t change a single color in the cold, resembled an unusual vampire straight out of a fantasy novel.

Although he’s just a man in his thirties.

“Do you have quite a natural sense for it?”

“If you have time for that, go to the cellar and fetch some wine for me.”

Oh, I remembered. I recalled where I had seen the look in Callian’s eyes when he looked at me.

It was the same stifling expression I saw when I looked at a pitiful junior officer, not a colleague from my previous workplace.

My former boss at the previous workplace used to look at me exactly like that.

When I recalled the deputy manager from the previous company, who was about the same age as the northern Grand Duke, I felt nauseous.

I felt nauseated for a moment, but it was just a brief disgust.

Thinking that I had contributed to enriching the rose garden for next spring made me feel a sense of accomplishment, and I wanted to be fertilizer for the garden.