I'm going crazy! How long am I going to be stuck here?
I've tried everything, including sleeping, hoping I'd wake up in my own body. But nothing. When I looked in the mirror earlier, I barely recognized myself. The body I'm in now is incredibly beautiful, with a perfect figure and tall stature. So different from my real body.
Actually I thought I might have been transmigration to another wolrd like a Korean novel or comics or anything like that. But I've never read such novels or comics because I'm too busy working.
So, I have no idea about this world. I don't even know the true identity of this woman.
...Wait, what was her name...?
"Duchess… Ri… Riana?" I muttered, trying to remember.
A duchess? Oh, I see. I also overheard that handsome cosplayer earlier calling me the 'Duchess of the Northern Region.' What does that mean?
But isn't this dangerous? What if they find out their leader is now possessed by a stranger?
I immediately imagined the worst-case scenario.
🥷 : "Who are you?! How dare you entered her Grace's body!"
🌻 : "No! Please listen to me!"
🥷 : "You will be put to death!" His sword was drawn, and my head was immediately cut off.
...No, no, no! That can't happen! I need to get back to my own body.
I started to panic, pacing back and forth in this fancy room. I tried everything, from opening the wardrobe, drawers, even checking under the bed. But there wasn't a single clue to help me escape this body.
When I stood in front of the mirror again, the reflection was absolutely stunning. Sharp eyes with a confident look. A strong jaw, a high nose, and naturally red lips. Her skin was flawless.
"God, what products is she using?" I thought for a second, then realized this isn't the time to be thinking about skincare.
I need to focus on finding a way back. But for that, I need information. And the only way is to get out of here. But...
"Thank goodness, you're awake. The knights were really worried about you."
That handsome cosplayer said that earlier. Knights? That means there are a lot of them. If I wander around without knowing anything, one of them is bound to catch me. And if that happens...
🥷 : "Your Grace? What are you doing here?
🌻 : I froze in place and put on a friendly smile. "Um, I was just bored and walking around for a bit..."
🥷 : "I see..."
🌻 : "Y-yeah." I hurry up walked away.
🥷 : "Hey, wait." He pulled out his sword and pointed it at my neck. "Do you think I don't know? You're not the real Her Grace."
🌻 : "W-wait!"
🥷 : "How dare you use our Grace's body! You deserve to die!" His sword was drawn, and my head was immediately cut off.
...No, that can't happen either! How am I supposed to fool them? I need to act like this woman, but I don't even know what her personality is like!
A long sigh escaped my lips. I gave up for the moment and lay back on this soft bed.
"Let's think about it later. My brain's too overheated..."
I closed my eyes, hoping that a little rest would help me think more clearly.
_________________
Xavier's Pov.
Several hours have passed, and Her Grace still hasn't come out. I've sensed something's off ever since Her Grace woke up, so now I'm keeping an eye on her room from a distance, far enough that she won't be able to detect my presence.
Her Grace's gaze earlier was terrifying. When was the last time she looked at me like that? Ah, right. It was when I joined Duke Brawn's household, about 10 years ago. Back then, Her Grace was still the Duke's daughter, not yet a Duchess. I was appointed as the Eternal Sword of her, which meant it was my duty to protect her with my life.
I remember when she asked my name in a cold tone, her eyes piercing through me.
I don't know if it's just me, but Her Grace seems to be returning to her old self.
...Could it be because of that incident that night?
"What really happened that night?"
Let me give a quick flashback.
That night, about two days ago, a monster attack shook the Northern Region. The Knights, including me, gathered in chaos in a special meeting room.
"Your Grace! Please give us a strategy!"
The Knights looked really anxious. It's understandable because usually, aftershock like this don't happen, especially with the snow falling. It was like something was driving them to attack.
Her Grace remained incredibly calm. Well, that's nothing new.
When has she ever looked panicked? In my entire life, I've never seen her anxious.
"A strategy? Should we need that? We'll just behead them all."
Her Grace's firm and cold words left everyone in the room shocked. Her Grace was truly amazing, even in a critical situation, she still looked so cool.
"You take care of the central, southern, and western zones. I'll handle the rest. If you leave even one monster alive, your heads will be the replacement."
...Cool, huh? I take my words back.
Because of Her words, the whole room suddenly went tense.
It wasn't the most strategic plan, but we had no choice. Her Grace's trust in her knights was so great that we couldn't help but trust her.
Everyone prepared their horses, waiting for the gates to open. All the knights had left with their horses. Only I and Her Grace were left.
"Your Grace, let me help you."
"Xavier, take care of the central zone properly."
"But Your Grace—"
She didn't even give me a chance to argue and left me behind. She truly is a woman who's hard to understand.
I immediately headed for the central zone. It really wasn't a good day, with all the roads covered in snow, making it hard for the horses to move. The battlefield itself was also quite disadvantageous for us.
I could hear the commotion from ahead. It was definitely the Brawn knights fighting the monsters.
Even though it was really tough, I fully believed we could win.
30 minutes passed...
It took a long time to clear the aftershocks. Dozens of monster corpses were scattered on the snow that was red with blood. There weren't many monsters, but the snow hindered our movement. It wasn't easy, but we done it.
"Clear these carcasses, I'll catch up with Her Grace."
"Understood!"
Without wasting time, I mounted my horse and rode off quickly. The reason I was in such a hurry was that Her Grace hadn't come to meet us. This was a personal strategy that required us to split up. Normally, she'd come to us as soon as her mission was over, which is why I was worried.
...Why hasn't she returned yet? Did something happen?
Strangely, I couldn't see any signs of a battle here. I stopped my horse and dismounted.
"Your Grace!"
I started searching the area around me, noticing some monster tracks. But there was no trace of a fight anywhere.
"Your Grace—"
My heart raced, and my legs felt weak. The figure in front of me was lying unconscious on the snow-covered ground. I quickly ran to her, kneeling down immediately.
"Your Grace!"
I checked for a pulse and her breathing.
...She's still alive!
"Damn it...! Damn it..." I lifted her up and carried her back to the mansion without letting the other knights know.
She slept for two days. I suspected she'd been attacked by a monster, but there were no wounds on her body. There were no signs of a fight where she had collapsed.
...What really happened?
The knights were growing increasingly worried and restless. I just told them that Her Grace had a high fever from the cold temperatures. I wasn't sure what other explanation to give.
And when she finally woke up... she became like this.