The Double Life of a Wicked Woman

The moment I realized those sharp, golden eyes were focused on me, my mind blanked out.

“……”

Right, I was trying to leave quietly. I was supposed to make my exit unnoticed. But why is the Emperor standing right in front of me? He should be laughing and chatting with Osborn—so why is he here?

Not only that, how did he get here so fast? I’m still on the stairs, and he was just dancing with Osborn a moment ago. Does he teleport? No, that’s not the issue. Running away?

“Running away? That’s ridiculous…”

“I will warn you, Lady.”

Excuse me, sir, if you’re not going to listen to me, why even ask? Watching the Emperor cut me off mid-sentence to deliver his own line, I lowered my head in resignation. Sure, blame my unlucky fate for having to seduce this prickly man to become a villainess. Don’t blame him.

Fine, if he’s only going to say what he wants, then I’ll do the same. After all, it’s not like this is my body. I should humbly respond with, ‘I apologize.’ But my feet hurt too much for that. Getting away quickly was my priority, not just because I had nothing more to say, but also because the nobles’ gazes were burdensome, and speaking in Elisabeth’s formal tone felt as uncomfortable as wearing clothes that didn’t fit. Especially her favorite pair of high heels.

To escape this situation, I put on my practiced service smile—the kind I always wore for clients—and spoke in a soft tone. Of course, I played the role of Elisabeth, head over heels for the Emperor.

“Oh my, for His Majesty the Emperor to personally see me off…! I’m truly touched.”

‘Ugh, that’s so cringy.’

I cringed internally, even though it was my own line. The Emperor seemed to feel the same way; the way his expression twisted in discomfort was almost entertaining. Judging by this, it seemed Karlcia couldn’t handle cheesy lines like this. Was it because it was Elisabeth saying them? Who cares? I just needed to save my poor feet.

“It broke my heart that you didn’t even look at me in the ballroom. But for Your Majesty to personally see me off, to warn me about the dangers of the road…”

“That’s enough. Go back inside.”

Cutting me off mid-sentence again, the Emperor ended the conversation brusquely, as if he couldn’t stand to hear any more. With what seemed like his signature dismissal gesture—or maybe it was something reserved for Elisabeth—he waved his hand, signaling me to leave.

I might have unintentionally handed the Emperor a big “screw you.” How’s that, Your Majesty? I’ll need to get used to this body if I’m going to keep serving these up. After all, I have to seduce him somehow. Might as well do it while delivering subtle burns. To everyone else, it’ll look like I’m infatuated with him, while he’ll be utterly horrified. It’s a win-win.

And if my antics make him jealous of Osborn to the point of committing villainous deeds, then that’s a triple win. Sure, it stings my pride a bit, but so what? Getting out of here takes priority. Plus, taking a jab at this arrogant Emperor is just a bonus.

‘Wait, am I getting used to speaking like Elisabeth…? Nah, must be my imagination.’

Deciding to ponder that later, I quickly bid farewell, worried Karlcia might try to stop me again.

“Thank you for your thoughtfulness, Your Majesty. I’ll take my leave now.”

After bowing, I stepped away, glancing back to see the Emperor climbing the stairs with a look of disdain, as if he were shaking off something unpleasant. Sticking out my tongue playfully, I thought, ‘Let’s see how far I can take this groveling act.’

Once he disappeared back into the hall, I made my way toward the carriage waiting at the entrance. As soon as I sank into the comfortable seat, I kicked off my shoes. My feet were a mess. My awkward gait must have taken its toll because my toes were swollen, and the back of my ankles were raw and wounded.

The noble society of fantasy novels set in the Middle Ages was truly something. Corsets were one thing, but high heels without any cushioning? Ridiculous. If I stepped on a banana peel, I’d probably do a full sliding fall. These sky-high heels were the worst for someone like me, who preferred low-heeled shoes. Elisabeth’s image, personality, and fashion—it all clashed with Lee Sehwa.

“…They’re so swollen.”

‘Our poor girl, your feet must hurt so much. Why didn’t you wear sneakers?’

There was no one left to say that to me. Even if I returned to my original world, it would be the same. My mom passed away five years ago in a car accident. My dad? He ran off with the insurance money. All I had left of her were a photo and a few keepsakes.

“Sigh… Thinking about it, even if I go back… I’ll only have the Neighbourhood Watch Team waiting for me.”

If someone asked why I wanted to go back, I’d answer without hesitation: it’s because of the Neighbourhood Watch Team. That, and because my mom’s there, even if she’s not alive.

“…I miss you, Mom.”

If she were here, she’d probably say, ‘How dare that Emperor ignore my daughter? What’s wrong with my daughter?!’

Outside the carriage window, the sun had set. Hadn’t I departed under the morning sunlight? Whatever the case, I had to adapt to this body and grow accustomed to villainy before I could return.

After traveling for a while, the carriage finally came to a gentle stop at the mansion.

“Miss, we’ve arrived.”

“…Ah, right.”

Being addressed as “Miss” still felt strange. Just yesterday, I was called Sehwa, Ms. Sehwa, or just Lee Sehwa. Now, overnight, I’d been promoted to “Miss.” If only it were a proper promotion in real life, rather than some isekai noble title.

“Ah, the bath water has been prepared. Would you like to go to the bathroom now?”

“…?”

Ah, I had forgotten. I had asked Maya to prepare the bath water. Yes, getting used to the service of these maids was also one of the things I had to adapt to. There are so many things to get used to in this world. Sigh.

“…Would you mind?”

“Of course.”

Someone dressing me, undressing me, washing my body, drying me off… Is this what it feels like to be treated like royalty? Following Maya’s lead, I walked toward the bathroom and found myself staring, wide-eyed, at the bathtub adorned with intricate golden rose patterns.

Wow… Nobles are really something. Just one of those golden roses must be worth millions, I bet.

“Hmm…”

As I instinctively reached for the straps of my dress, the maids rushed to untie them. Maybe they thought I was signaling them to hurry. This is what bourgeoisie life is like, huh?! After the maids finished undressing me, I was finally freed from the corset that had been squeezing my belly, and I exhaled a deep breath as if to release all the tension I had been holding back.

I then cautiously dipped myself into the bath. The moment I sank in, the maids didn’t just leave me to relax; they massaged my shoulders and used bath salts to calm my mind. Some even fanned me in case I got too hot. It’s just so hard to adjust. Would it be okay if I just bathed alone…? I almost said it out loud, but then I remembered that I was Elisabeth, and I quickly shut my mouth. Even in this awkward situation, I found myself lost in thought.

This feels so strange…! I’ve never been pampered like this, so it’s even more embarrassing!

However, Maya, oblivious to my thoughts, spoke up.

“How was today, my lady?”

“…Today?”

So much happened. I had almost trampled Osborn, asking for compensation; I sneezed in front of the only Duke in the Empire, Arahan; danced with him for the first time; and got ignored by the Emperor, the man Elisabeth loved so much.

“Hm, it was fun.”

Yeah, the best part was definitely throwing that big “screw you” at the Emperor. I’ll never forget that.

“Hehe, I’m glad you had fun. The Count was so sorry he couldn’t join you… and the Marquis sent gifts to apologize for not being able to escort you either!”

I assumed that the Count and the Marquis Maya mentioned were Elisabeth’s father and grandfather. Her father’s name was probably… Horn Arhelcia, and her grandfather’s name, well, it was unforgettable because he had such an important role. How could I forget the name Anais Vincent?

“My father and grandfather?”

“Yes! After your bath, you can take a look at the gifts they sent.”

It was customary for noblewomen to be escorted by men when entering the ballroom. If they had a fiancé, they would be escorted by him; if not, they would often go with a knight from their family. But I was the exception. I had entered alone without a fiancé or a knight, which must have concerned Count Arhelcia and Marquis Vincent. Technically, they were Elisabeth’s father and grandfather.

After finishing my bath and returning to my room, I found the gifts sent by Marquis Vincent spread out before me. Gorgeous shoes, various accessories, and dresses. The items looked so expensive that I couldn’t help but stare at them in awe. Worried the maids might notice, I cleared my throat and quickly ordered them to tidy up the clothes before lying down on the bed.

The large canopy bed. My life had changed overnight. It felt like I was living in the world of a book, as though everything was just a dream. I wondered if I had become so immersed in books that I was confusing a dream with reality, like a Gounmong (a dream-like story). Lost in these thoughts, I fell asleep, only to wake up to find that the world of the book was still real.

“…What time is it?”

It felt like I had slept in for the first time in ages. That kind of thing was impossible in my original world. But, I guess it was possible because I was a noble here—this kind of life wasn’t so bad, I thought. I’d only been in this novel world for two days.

“Who was it that said humans are animals that adapt?”

It felt so natural that I was already adapting to this society, to this world.