The Grand Duchess of the North Was Secretly a Villainess

"Your Highness, are you listening?"

To the aide's question, I answered halfheartedly, shaking the wine glass in my hand.

"Yes."

The day I first possessed this body, about a year ago.

I spent all day in my study and thought about Eloise's personality and future all day long.
'Especially, I thought a lot about Eloise position. Only then I will be able to play Eloise perfectly'

Although her personality was indifferent in the original story, she was a dark character that hit the back of the reader's head as well as the male lead. She was only portrayed poorly, and she might have been a bad-tempered master to her subordinates.

'Anyway, since you killed a saint in the story, you're in the villain's position, right?'

If everyone wanted me to act like a villain, then I was willing to act like that. Whether it was a duke, or a wicked woman, the name given by others did not matter.

For me who was possessed overnight, the top priority was not to be caught.

'I thought....'

I mean, until the men who are famous for brutally slaughtering monster act sweet.

"Look at this. Isn't this rabbit so cute?"

Jayden, my aide, asked me as he pushed the slender cotton ball he was holding in his arms.

'You look really sweet that doesn't fit your size.'

Although Eloise was a villain, she seemed to have been nice to her subordinates.

'Well, isn't that the basic condition for a charming villain?'

At Jayden's words, I glanced at the rabbit. The white rabbit in his wide arms was very small. It was so small and thin that it felt like it was going to be crushed by that big hand at any moment.

"It looks like it's going to be crushed in your hands soon."

"What do you mean crushed? How can you say such cruel things about this animal?"

I don't think that you, who killed the demon, easily hurt because of my words, right?  Jayden maybe big, but he has awfully delicate heart.

...... Although, I'm not sure if delicate is entirely  the right word for someone who can tear apart demonic beasts.

"Yeah, it's cute."

I answered halfheartedly again.

It had been over a year since I struggled to find out Eloise's personality.

'I remember working like a dog as soon as I was possessed Eloise body.'
 

*****

I couldn't even sleep at night. I sat on the bed no different from when I was hit by a homework bomb just before the midterm exam.

"I might die before I meet the male lead..."

It's been less than a day since I thought it was screw up, and yesterday I almost died. I was locked up in Eloise study room and planning <How to Survive as Eloise> and an assassin came in.

"This is crazy."

As I was bending over and pulling my hair out, I heard a knock.

'Can you please leave me alone?'

However, I was aware of the daily routines of nobles in romance fantasy novels.

"Come in."

Contrary to my mental breakdown, fortunately, my voice came out peacefully.

'If I don't act like Eloise, everyone will be puzzled. At that time, it's hard to fix it, so let's have a conversation no matter who comes in.'

Thanks to reading the story, I thought I could roughly tell who it was just by looking at his face.

"Your Highness."

The door opened with a clatter and a man came inside.

'Oh...You're handsome.'

A tall and big man came in with modest steps. A man with dark brown high-haired had a horizontal torn scar on his face

'If it's that scar... it must be Eloise's aide, Jayden.'

I'm glad he came. I was going to find out something while talking to him.

'It doesn't matter if it's small. If you're an aide, you'll know Eloise's schedule, so I can move accordingly.'

"Your Highness, you look tired."

"I can't help but be tired."

I stood up from the bed, picking my sword as best as I could. Jayden shook his head and patted his chin.

"Well, how tired you must be when the flies are sticking to you. I heard that you took care of it yourself yesterday too."

The case Jayden was talking about was literally an incident that almost killed me. It's also only a few hours after my soul possessed this body.

'As expected, assassins are her daily lives.'

Based on Jayden's calm expression without making a fuss, the assassin's attack seemed nothing special.

'I'm doomed.'

What can I do? Can I survive? I wanted to sit down and tear my hair off right away, but unfortunately, my aide stood in front of me.

'It means you have to work.'

The arrival of an aide meant that I had to work as a duchess.

'I almost died yesterday, but I'm working today? ... I think it would have been better to possess an extra.'

I had a useless thought.

"What about the body?"

I asked, picking up a hair tie on the table and tying it high. It was a familiar behavior, like Eloise's habit.

"Of course I threw it on the border."

If it's the border... it's where the monsters live. Wait, isn't one of the Grand Duchess responsibilities in managing the monsters?

'Do we have to kill the monsters? I'm going crazy.'

I didn't think I'd have a problem with handling the sword. I did kendo before I was possessed, and most of all, yesterday's attack made me realize one important fact.

'The fact that my body moves according to Eloise's instinct.'

As Jayden said, I was able to deal with the assassin myself thanks to the body's instinctive movement.

'But moving the body instinctively and mental problems are two different things.'

I was worried about whether I would be able to properly deal with monsters.

"Good job."

I stepped out of the door that Jayden opened, uttering a completely different word than what I had in mind.  Thoughts of being ruined floated in my head, but I couldn't keep myself in the bedroom and run away with tears.

'Don't do anything suspicious.'

I was worried that the owner of the body was always under threat of assassination, but first of all, I had to pretend to be Eloise.

"What was my work today?"

I felt like I had to go around with Jayden and find out Eloise's lifestyle first.

'Let's worry about what to do in the future only when we are alone.'

I don't know if I'll be able to survive in this world, but I don't want to die, so my first priority was to figure out the body owner's daily life.

"Yohaim requested an audience. He said he wanted to discuss something regarding the Knightage."

"Then let's go check on the Knightage first."

"Yes. Today your highness also happen to have patrol duties at the border, so stopping by to see them on your way should work out perfectly."

" ....Border?"

I haven't even prepared my heart yet, but you want me to meet a monster?

"Yes. What's wrong your highness? You were happy to warm up after a long time, weren't you?."

Eloise was born to be a knight.

"....No, let's go."

I followed Jayden as I walked. Now that this has happened, I thought I'd bump into something.

'Yeah, well, I can deal with an assassin, so what could go wrong with a couple of demonic beast?'

On the second day of my possession, I realized that those who want to survive have no choice but to adapt.
 

*****

After a year, I got used to living here.

'Eloise's life is also satisfying in its own way.  No, it's not in its own way.  But very satisfying.'

The weather was rough, but it was warm inside the castle, and my subordinates followed me well. It was annoying because I had a lot of work, but it was tolerable for me who passed the Korean entrance exam.

'The best thing was that, it was still before the story started.'

The story begins with the death of the emperor and the male lead runs away.  And a year before the emperor was killed, I possessed Eloise's body.

'That's a relief. If I possessed it after the story begins, I would have been entangled with the male lead.'

I didn't intend to die under torture like the original story. I didn't intend to be involved in the battle for the throne and take on the troublesome tasks.

Instead of becoming the evil woman who killed the saint, I was thinking of settling forever in the north.

"Your highness."

Then, someone rushed inside and knelt.

It was Johaim, the Knight Commander.

I slowly drank wine and lowered my gaze. Johaim's gray hair caught my eye.

"There is a letter from the Imperial Palace."

"A letter?"

I frowned automatically.

I thought I knew the contents of the letter even if I didn't check it.

'Now, is the time when the original story begins.'

It was clear that the emperor died, and the only heir, the crown prince, disappeared.

'In the meantime, I didn't want to get entangled with the male lead, so I didn't even go to the Imperial Palace, but I can't miss it.'

It wasn't for nothing that I had turned down invitations from the Imperial Palace on the pretext of monsters.

'Has the male lead already escaped? There were no details in the story, but where did he hide?'

Actually, I didn't know where the male lead was hiding. Did he know how to survive? Without thinking deeply, I asked Joahim.

"Who brought the letter?"

"It was someone from Imperial Palace... He was attacked by a monster on his way and seriously injured. I don't think he'll be able to make it through the night."

It meant that there was no one to guarantee that the letter was received.

'That's great.'

I felt refreshed because things seemed to work out easier than I thought. I try to suppress the corners of my lips that were about to go up and gave orders to Johaim.

"Keep this matter confidential and burn the letter."

"Yes."

There was no objection to the order to burn the letter from the Imperial Palace. Eeloise's aides followed my orders without hesitation.

'I think, if I told you to die, surely you will do that. It's new, but Eloise is amazing.'

I can't believe you're making your men follow you so blindly.

'Well, that's why Eloise's subordinates must have followed her when she killed that saint and started a rebellion...'

As soon as Johaim was about to leave, I put down my glass of wine and called him up.

"Johaim."

It was to give one more order.

"Yes, Your highness."

The moment I realized that I was possessed Eloise body, and the moment I decided to live as her. I made up my mind. I'll stop imitating the righteous Grand Duchess of the North.

A duchess who wouldn't budge during the critical period when the crown prince disappeared. It seemed like a coward who kept quiet, but it didn't matter.

It didn't matter if others said I was a wicked woman. The fact that I'm the Grand Duchess doesn't change.

I would hardly ever go to the capital, and it would have been good for the people of my estate.

'No one cares about barking dogs, right?'

Even if they complained about me being a wicked woman, it was like a dog's bark to me. And I didn't mean to ruin the plan just because I was afraid of dogs barking.

'Instead of getting involved in the struggle for the throne, I will stay in the North until the male lead becomes emperor.'

I gave my order in a quiet voice.

"Lock the Northern gate."

To fulfill my plan, I had to lock the gates first. If you don't meet the male lead, you will never betray him or die miserably.

"Don't let anyone in without my permission."

I was reluctant to get involved with the male lead.