The Grand Duke ordered the butler to bring something, and the butler promptly instructed the servants to move quickly.

Commissioner Marcel glanced toward the Grand Duke.

“What problem are you referring to…?”

“The grand duchess is in no condition to be questioned.”

“Pardon?”

Marcel’s eyebrows contorted in surprise as he looked back and forth between the Grand Duke and me, like someone receiving unexpected news.

The butler, having received documents from a servant who had rushed off, approached the table with quick steps and set them down.

Marcel’s expression hardened as he urgently examined the papers.

“Memory loss…?”

What he was looking at were the diagnoses from seven doctors who had visited since morning.

All confirming that Lea d’Orleang von Hedegen suffered from amnesia…

“As you can see, that’s the situation.”

“But…”

“So many people want my grand duchess.”

The Grand Duke rose from his chair, lightly tapping the table with his fingertips as if to dispel the tense atmosphere.

“Even if she hadn’t lost her memory, taking the grand duchess from this place would be impossible.”

“Your Highness.”

“If the grand duchess is the culprit…”

The Grand Duke approached me, surrounded by police officers.

As the officers instinctively stepped back, he firmly gripped my shoulder.

The feeling of gaining a reliable shield provided some comfort.

“Killing her or torturing her… that’s all for me to do.”

…Huh?

What did he say?

I automatically looked up at him, doubting my ears.

“I don’t understand why anyone would try to deprive me of that pleasure.”

My mouth fell open involuntarily at the pressure of his grip.

What is this man saying?

A sinister premonition flashed through my mind. Had I saved a madman while trying to avoid the guillotine?

At that moment, the Grand Duke looked down at me with a disturbingly twisted smile.

“I should do it all myself, shouldn’t I?”

D-do what?

“If the culprit is the grand duchess, that is.”

A chill ran down my spine, but he merely smiled faintly while looking at Commissioner Marcel.

Marcel flinched under the Grand Duke’s gaze, then straightened his back and saluted with intense formality.

“I understand, Your Highness. Since her amnesia has been confirmed, questioning the witness is currently impossible. However, please notify us immediately when she regains her memory. This case involves an extremely disrespectful crime…”

“Of course. I also wish for this matter to be properly resolved.”

“Thank you for your understanding, Your Highness. We’ll take our leave now.”

After the Grand Duke’s quick response cut him off, Commissioner Marcel bowed deeply and left the reception room with his subordinates.

Countess Azanie and Lily, who had remained behind, exchanged glances before hesitantly speaking.

“Th-then about us taking Lea to care for her…”

“Is the situation difficult to understand?”

“N-no, not at all. I just thought we might be of help. Don’t worry about it.”

The Countess hurriedly denied this while waving her hands, awkwardly rising to her feet. Lily likewise half-lifted her bottom from the chair, following her mother.

“Go.”

At the Grand Duke’s arrogant command, Countess Azanie and Lily bent their knees in a curtsy before quickly disappearing from the reception room.

What should I do now?

With my mind in turmoil, I stared blankly at the closed door until I felt a sharp gaze on my face. I raised my head sluggishly.

Grand Duke Hedegen was watching me with cold eyes.

“Um…”

This unsettling feeling—he seemed to have saved me, yet not saved me.

I felt a terrifying premonition that he would kill me within days.

But all I could do was smile vacantly as if I had no such premonition at all.

Yes, I know nothing.

I have no idea what’s going on in this situation…

“Hehe, thank you.”

As I pretended to trust only my husband, he removed his hand from my shoulder as if brushing me off.

“Wash yourself.”

“…Pardon?”

The Grand Duke, who had been looking down at me with contemptuous eyes, bent his waist to examine me more closely.

“Is it your hobby to make me repeat myself? I hate that.”

“Wow… No wonder he said that.”

A sigh escaped me as soon as I saw my reflection in the mirror.

My pink hair, which I hadn’t noticed before, was matted. Dark circles stretched under my eyes like a panda’s, and an overall gloomy atmosphere surrounded me.

Overwhelmed with disbelief, I touched my rose-tinted pink hair and ran my hands over my face.

A peerless beauty, they said?

The most exquisite beauty in imperial history?

The woman in the mirror swayed limply with a face that looked like it had never smiled, thin as a twig from days without food.

In terms of beauty, Grand Duke Hedegen’s appearance was far superior!

No wonder it hadn’t worked when I’d tried to look pitiful with large tearful eyes in front of a man who could see beauty by simply looking in a mirror himself.

“We’ll help you.”

The maids spoke up as I was wondering where to begin undressing.

“Thank you.”

“It’s nothing.”

However, within minutes, I deeply regretted expressing gratitude to them.

Their hands were so rough that tears nearly sprang to my eyes.

I quickly grabbed one of the scrubbing hands.

“I’ll do it myself!”

“But my lady, with your head injury, it would be difficult for you to manage alone. You may handle your body, but we must take care of your hair.”

Their manner maintained politeness, but the emotions beneath were clearly hostile.

They were careful to keep the injured part of my head dry while washing my hair.

Left with no choice, I squeezed my eyes shut and waited for them to finish.

Well, it was obvious everyone would view me as a suspect. Why would these maids be any different?

I couldn’t leave my matted hair as it was, nor could I wash the back of my head alone, so enduring their unfriendly hands was my best option.

“Shall we wait outside the door?”

The maids stood up after finishing the shampoo.

At least they listened to me, that was something to be grateful for.

“Yes, that would be good.”

“As you wish, my lady. Call us whenever you need us.”

Ugh, how could I possibly call them when they’re so frightening?

With my strength drained, I barely managed to nod like limp seaweed as they curtly bent their knees in a bow before opening the door and leaving.

When I heard the door close, I cautiously dipped one foot into the bathtub.

“Ugh, it’s cold.”

As expected… even the water wasn’t warm.

I had suspected something when I saw no steam rising from the tub, and I was right.

I wanted to demand how they dared treat the grand duchess this way, but the maids would simply snicker if they heard me. Even if I complained to the head maid or their superiors, no one would take my side in this situation.

They were thoroughly the Grand Duke’s people and were disgusted by “me,” the woman who had attacked their master.

Even if I told the Grand Duke, the chances of him taking my side were absolutely zero.

“This is so miserable…”

I really didn’t do it.

I want to find the original owner of this body, Lea Azanie, grab her by the collar and ask: Why did you do it?

But what choice did I have?

As I showered in the cold water, I noticed bluish or dark red marks all over my body.

These were the places where Countess Azanie had hit me earlier.

“This clearly wasn’t her first time beating someone.”

My shins, sides—no part of me was unscathed.

Remarkably, they were all in places that would be covered by a dress.

“I should have scratched her more…”

Gritting my teeth in frustration, I scrubbed vigorously with the cold water, but I still couldn’t understand.

How could Countess Azanie cherish one daughter while abusing the other like this?

How could a mother beat her child so mercilessly, and how could a sister happily watch while eating snacks?

Isn’t that not how families should behave?

How could such a relationship be called a family?

Are they really family?

“This is completely bizarre. Come to think of it…”

She willingly sacrificed her life for her family. Just like a loyal servant in a story.

But in the original work, Lea Azanie, who married Grand Duke Hedegen, had no childhood memories and grew up only with *buse and brainwashing.

That day, her husband, Grand Duke Hedegen, drank tea laced with a powerful sleeping drug and was murdered on the spot.

Since Lea was present and had prepared the tea, she would inevitably be accused after questioning just a few servants.

Had she not anticipated that killing the Grand Duke would make her the prime suspect?

“That can’t be.”

Anyone with even minimal reasoning ability wouldn’t do that!

At that moment, something caught my eye.

Light was emanating from all directions, though I couldn’t tell when it had started.

It was coming from a newspaper on the side table next to the bathtub.

I quickly dried my wet hands on a towel and immediately picked up the newspaper.

[Congratulations! Lady Lea Azanie has finally begun her awakening!]