"Am I the Duchess?" she said the word out loud with a flushed face.
The man and the maids whom were around looked at her with such confusion.
"Really? What in the world is going on?" she mumbled silently to herself.
The man became even worried upon seeing her pale face. He looked up at her and asked, "Are you really okay Her Majesty?"
[ How in the world should I respond to that? I think I'm a duchess so ... how should I act in front of them? Ughh!! I don't know anymore. Let's just think all about this tomorrow. For now let's get the hell out of this situation first ]
Doesn't know what to do, she acted like she's in serious pain ( With all of the cuts around her body, of course she's really in deep pain. Just that she's used in having such wounds. ) and said, "The duke! My husband! Huhu!" she placed both of hands in her face and faked a cry. She even teared up.
She took a peek and the man becamw flustersd and started panicking as he doesn't know how to calm her down.
[ A duchess crying. They can't do anything but to worry right? ]
It's not her intention but she caught a glimpse behind the man and saw some disdainful eyes fixed towards her. She can't help but pondered.
[ Is the owner's body being disrespected by her subjects? Isn't duchess a high position just like a prime minister? Why are their gazes like that? It's so provoking. ]
Trying to console her pitiful state, the sudden commotion upstairs caused the entire mansion in distress. One of the knights who rushed upstairs shouted, "Butler Ian! It's bad! The duke, His Majesty ...!"
The man who were a butler named Ian, jolted up in an instant and anxiously said, "What happened to His Majesty?!" his eyes widen and his lips began to quiver.
The knight lowered his head, "His Majesty is ... dead" with such despair.
Hearing those words as signal, she immediately acted her part. She also jolted out of her seat and with a stuttered voice; she speaked, "What?! Is it true?! Is His Majesty ... really ... dead?!"
Acting in despair, she cried herself out and faked a faint. Trying to feigned everything she heard, she began her impromptu act.
"No ...! It can't be!" she took a step forward and knelt on the floor. "His Majesty ... is dead?" after that sentence, shw slowly leaned her body sideways and slowly closed her eyes as she faked a faint.
The voice of the butler loudly entered her ears. He was really worried but there's nothing that she can do. With her eyes closed, she can hear rushed footsteps and panicked voices from her surrounding.
[ I don't also really understand what is happening. Sorry but ... this is all I can do for now. ]
And while she's pretending to be unconscious, she really did sleep soon after. Probably because of fatigue.
After a few days, she woke up and slowly rose from the bed. Feeling fazed and confused, she fixed her bedhair and wiped her drool as she blinked her dry eyes several times.
The reality didn't struck her yet. She thought that she went back to Earth and assumed that she's in a hospital.
"Am I back to Earth? What a weird dream" what slipped her mouth as she rubbed her eyes.
Fully awaked, the evidence of being in another world were laid properly in front of her. Feeling dejected, "Ah ... So I'm still here huh?" she was disappointed.
Right after waking up, she assessed the whole room and the unbelievable situation that she's in.
The room was in full red wallpaper. The bed was king sized. The carpets looked expensive and everything in the room were fancy and luxurious.
[ If there's a slight chance that this is a dream, please wake me up!! ]
Seeing all of this all at once, she closed her eyes and unhesitantly slapped herself ... A loud one to be exact.
'SLAP!'
[ Ouch, it hurts! ]
She sat down on the bed and caressed her red cheeks. The place where she slapped herself. As she looked around, she contemplated and began constructing a realistic explanation for everything that's happening.
"So that damn Kang Tae Seong untied the rope making me fall from a freaking high building and soon after, I woke up with a pervert Duke on top of me? Hmm?" she pondered seriously and began scratching her head.
"How in the world should I make myself a logical explanation? Are all of this even explanable in the first place?" she mumbled as she began throwing tantrums.
She enraged in silence.
With an exhausted expression, she said "Ah ... Whatever! As long as I'm alive then who cares."
As she still assessing everything that happened, a sudden knock at the door made her curse in shock.
"Her Majesty? Are you awake? It's me Grace. Can I come in?" said by the girl at the other side of the door.
[ Who? Grace? Who the heck is that? ]
She immediately fixed her expression and instantly transformed. With a calm yet mellow voice, she shouted back "Grace? You may come in."
'CREAK!'
The door creakily opened and an elegant girl with golden brown curly hair dressed as a maid entered with light footsteps.
Still sitting on top of the bed, she walked in front of me and bowed down in respect.
[ I should get used being treated like this. ]
"Her Majesty, is your condition alright? Should I call the head doctor and have a thorough check up on you?" she said with a worried face. Same expression with the butler had that night.
[ Is she a loyal subject of mine? Let's test her out first. ]
Shin Hye gave her a warm smile, and responded "Don't worry Grace, I'm alright. It's just a few cuts. It's still incomparable to what His Majesty had suffered" she caressed her wounds one by one and acted like she's stopping her tears from falling.
Grace hugged her and suddenly began tearing. "Her Majesty ... Thank goodness, you're alright! I thought something happened when you still didn't wake up for the past three days" she uttered.
[ I'm sleeping for three days? I thought it's just like a day's worth of rest. So the owner's body didn't handle that kind of burden. I should start shaping my body back. ]
Leaving that matter aside, she caressed Grace's head. Grace looked up at her and Shin Hye just smiled as she wiped her tears from falling.
"Don't cry, it's okay now," she whispered.
"You really made me worried, Her Excellency" she uttered as she sniffed her snot.
Soon after, when her mind came back; Grace jolted out immediately and bowed down apologetically.
"I'm sorry for my rude actions, Her Excellency! I was just worried and on an impulse I ac--" she closed her eyes in guilt as she reasoned out. She didn't finish her sentence as she took a glance on Shin Hye.
While Grace was explaining, Shin Hye just gave and kept a gentle smile on her face. The moment Grace saw this expression, she blushed and was awed as she momentarily turned silent.
[ How cute! I guess she's a docile one. She looks like a trustworthy one towards the previous owner. Works the same with that butler. There's two people whom I can trust for now but still let's not let our guard down. ]
Shin Hye called Grace's name several times but she just kept on staring at her in silence. At that time, Shin Hye didn't have any idea how pretty her face was.
Shin Hye stood up and slowly walked towards the makeup vanity desk. Upon seeing herself, she almost collapsed in awe after seeing her beautiful face. She caressed her face and mumbled in silence, "Woah ... Is this really my face from now on?" she gave a foolish smile.
The daydreaming Grace, kept on staring at her and followed her towards the vanity desk. As she regained her mind back, "Her Excellency! Would you like to take a bath? Would you like me to prepare you a hot water?" she stuttered.
Can't refuse, Shin Hye agreeingly nodded while retaining a smile in her face. Grace happily left the room and Shin Hye instantly flopped down in exhaustion.
"What the heck. Is faking a smile really that exhausting? Then ... Am I going to keep on smiling from now on? No way?" she argued with herself and totally went crazy.
Not so many minutes have passed, Grace fetched her and assisted her in the bath. Grace prepared a luxurious hot bubble bath that she nevered ever experience. As soon as she entered that large bathroom, her jaw dropped in amazement.
[ Wow ... This bathroom is three times larger than my apartment. ]
Entering such luxurious bathroom, Grace naturally removed her clothes. Finding it weird, Shin Hye shouted, "What are you doing, Grace?!"
"Huh? What do you mean by that Her Excellency?" Grace looked at her pretty confused.
Shin Hye desperately refused Grace's help but Grace was not someone she can win over. In the end, Grace ended up scrubbing her fair skin.
[ Her endurance and stubborness is freaking high. You cannot defeat such enthusiasm and passion to work. ]
While relaxing in that luxurious hot bath, Grace told her something that made her show such a disturbed face.
"These cuts will heal soon Her Excellency! The head doctor already prescibed a cream that helps in healing wounds. Hopefully the wounds won't leave a scar" Grace felt dejected as she scrub her wounds cautiously.
"Don't worry, Grace. Even if I scarred myself, it's just a proof that I barely managed to escape death. It's also a symbol of His Excellency and my experience of that tragic night" Shin Hye ended up answering in a nauseatic, cheesy manner.
After she said that line, her expression went horried for a moment.
[ I almost puked myself. How in the world can I say these words. So creepy. ]
Grace sighed in relief, "I'm really thankful that Her Excellency is really alright. The Young Masters immediately cried after hearing His Excellency's sudden passing." she casually brought out.
Shin Hye felt weird after hearing that.
[ Huh? Pardon? Did I hear that right? ]
Doubting her ears, "Can you repeat what did you just said?" she clarified what she had heard.
Grace tilted her head in confusion as she repeated what she said, "The Young Masters cried after hearing His Excellency's passing?"
Upon hearing those words, Shin Hye abruptly jolted up in the bathtub. "Huh? Young Masters? I have children? What nonsense is this?!" she vociferated in denial.
[ It's already been a shock that I've became a duchess but now she's telling me that I also have children? What drama is this?! ]