I blinked involuntarily, stunned by the headline emitting a brilliant light.

I thought I might have seen wrong, but the light was definitely coming from the newspaper.

“A secret… of birth?”

Instinctively, goosebumps rose all over my body.

The brilliant golden letters separated from each other as if alive and moving, then formed a different sentence.

[Would you like to begin the transaction to discover the secret of your birth for your happy ending?]

My heart sank.

The only available responses in the status window before me were ‘Yes’ and ‘No.’

As I stood there in a daze, the mysterious message flashed several times, as if urging me to respond.

“……”

Was something like this in the original story?

No matter how much I searched my memory, I couldn’t recall any similar scene.

“Is this some kind of transmigration bonus…?”

That might be possible.

Thinking it would be best to try it regardless, I reached out as if entranced and placed my hand on the newspaper.

Choosing ‘No’ would be no different from declaring I’d follow the same fate as the original Lea…

Pop!

As soon as my hand touched the ‘Yes’ text in the newspaper, a sparkling mound of light shot into the air.

[No resources or abilities available for transaction at this time.]

“What?”

[First, find a way to survive.]

What kind of ridiculous response is this?

The letters that had risen above the paper with the light completed the final message before converging at my fingertips.

“Gasp…!”

As I exhaled, the light disappeared spitefully.

I wondered if I was hallucinating from being hit too much, but the sensation and thrill of the message that had just touched my fingertips remained as a distinct feeling.

Well, the message had clearly asked about making a “transaction.”

That would mean I needed something to trade with, but I currently had nothing.

Still, telling me out of nowhere to find a way to survive first?

Unable to shake off the unsettling feeling, I was about to put down the newspaper when the originally printed image of the castle caught my eye.

“Grand Duke Hedegen’s St. Berte Castle… attacked?!”

The title of the article depicting the magnificent castle was talking about St. Berte Castle.

So this place is a castle, not a mansion?

“Who Attacked the God of War, Grand Duke Hedegen’s Castle!”

The subtitle beneath the headline caught my attention.

The article expressed unfiltered anger about the attack on Grand Duke Hedegen, the empire’s hero.

At the end of the article, the ‘grand duchess’ was mentioned, making me focus even more.

The grand duchess is considered a suspect, and developments are being closely watched.

(Omitted)

Finally, amid growing rumors about her conduct—including her complete absence from major social activities in the empire, her failure to inspect the Straschel Bridge construction, and her indifference to charitable activities—everyone is cautiously expressing regret about this incident.

According to an insider, the cause of the grand duchess’s rudeness can be attributed to an unhappy marital relationship.

However, if she relieves the stress of failing to move Grand Duke Hedegen’s heart by neglecting her duties, isn’t this improper behavior for a grand duchess?

“It seems this woman was so focused on attacking the Grand Duke that she completely neglected her duties as grand duchess.”

Even for an article… is it acceptable to write like this?

If even supposedly objective articles were written this way, I could roughly guess what her reputation was like here.

But who had placed this newspaper in the bathroom?

Most likely it was the servants who had prepared the bath.

Since I claimed to have lost my memories, perhaps they intended for me to realize things on my own.

“…Sigh.”

A woman with a terrible reputation.

With no idea where to begin or what to do, I put on the prepared robe, tied it securely, and turned to the next page of the newspaper.

There might be another article about the St. Berte Castle attack.

“Countess… Broi?”

“Countess Broi: Will She Receive Unprecedented Divorce Compensation in Serzhan History?”

The article could be summarized like this:

Countess Broi, unable to endure her husband’s infidelity, gambling, and irresponsible behavior, filed for divorce and, after an intense legal battle, proved the divorce was entirely her husband’s fault, entitling her to compensation!

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Countess, not the Count, determining that the devoted wife who led charitable relief activities had suffered severe mental and physical damage to her previously respected status.

It also noted that testimonies from locals and servants supporting the Countess lined up, showcasing the fruits of her past accomplishments.

Compensation!

At that moment, a light switched on in my mind, illuminating the path I needed to take.

Even if I left this castle, the Azanie family would want to kill me for fear I might reveal their secrets, and all the empire’s citizens hated me, leaving me with no one to help.

The safest place was right here, in the grand ducal household.

Though the Grand Duke thoroughly despised me, judging by his actions, he seemed intent on keeping me alive until he discovered exactly who my accomplices were.

Of course, he would clearly want to divorce me!

“Yes, yes…”

I could stay here, stall for time, make the Azanie family believe the Grand Duke was protecting me, and meanwhile arrange both a divorce and an escape route.

I could flee the empire, even by smuggling myself out, then earn money to discover the secret of my birth.

So…

“…I do have a conscience, and I won’t ask for much.”

Just enough funds to escape from here, Your Highness.

If I used the compensation to trade for discovering my birth secret, I’d be a bad person, right? I’ll truly just gather enough money to escape by ship.

“The question is how to get that compensation.”

According to the article, Countess Broi was able to receive compensation because her devotion and service were recognized by servants and local residents, while the man had many problems.

So now I need to…

“Fulfill my duties as grand duchess excellently, become a queen of domestic support, and turn public opinion in my favor to become an admirable lady.”

Only then could I claim the divorce was entirely the husband’s fault!

But I needed to create clear grounds.

“That’s difficult.”

Making him the guilty party by leading him into gambling would be wrong since it could wipe out all his assets.

As for me suffering physical *buse…

“He does seem like the type who could hit a woman.”

No way. The Grand Duke’s hands were so enormous that one blow could kill me.

“Then there’s only one option left.”

A scandal!

Yes, even for the Grand Duke, being with a beautiful, wonderful woman would be far better than living with a woman from a family that tried to kill him.

Helping him find his true love would also be my way of apologizing!

Since receiving compensation from him would be regrettable and prick my conscience, I’d at least wish for his happiness this way.

“Good. As a beautiful and admirable woman, I must definitely…”

“Are you done talking to yourself?”

“…!”

At that moment, a sharp voice came from behind me.

“Eek!”

I turned around in shock, goosebumps rising, to find the Grand Duke, who’s tall enough to be a head taller than most people, looking down at me with his head tilted, having somehow entered without my noticing.

I unconsciously clutched my robe tighter.

He looked at me so nonchalantly that I couldn’t tell if he was treating me like a criminal, or if he was simply a pervert from the start.

“As a beautiful and admirable woman, I must definitely… What comes next?”

Gasp, how much did he hear?

I closed my gaping mouth and tried to recall what I had said.

Come on, brain! I need to answer something!

“Um, so…”

“So.”

“So as a beautiful… and admirable woman I must definitely… grow up!?”

“What?”

“Yes! I’ll become a beautiful and admirable woman worthy of Your Highness. Definitely!”

When I clenched my fists and shouted with burning determination, the Grand Duke’s expression immediately darkened as if he’d heard a declaration of war.

His face showed he wasn’t pleased at all.

“Just cover yourself up.”

“Pardon?”

His glance was directed below my neck.

Ah! The robe had come loose around my chest.

I quickly tightened the sash while he spoke in a low voice, seemingly indifferent to whether my face turned red or not.

“From now on, come out immediately when called. Don’t overthink it.”

“I wasn’t overthinking.”

He was about to turn away without hesitation but paused and looked back at me.

His expression was complex. I couldn’t tell if my talking back was the problem, or if conversing with me at all was strange to him.

However, he quickly withdrew his cloudy gaze and spoke calmly.

“Hardly.”

“It’s true. When did you call for me?”

“The maids said they called and waited, but you never came out.”

“That’s… strange.”

I couldn’t possibly have missed someone calling from outside while in this quiet bathroom.

As I tilted my head in confusion, I noticed the Grand Duke’s gaze lingering briefly on the bathtub.

“……”

I might have been mistaken, but his eyes seemed to sharpen momentarily, as if lost in thought while looking at the tub.

His gaze soon returned to me.

“Come out.”

“Yes, yes!”

Since living here was the safest option for now, I needed to make a good impression on the castle’s owner.

The Grand Duke went ahead, and I hurried after him with quick steps.

That’s how it started, but…

“Huh…?”

Suddenly my head began to spin, and everything went black.

“Aah…”

My head.

When I opened my eyes, bright morning sunlight was streaming through the canopy of the bed.

I must have lost consciousness last night.

After lying down for four days with only minimal nutrients to sustain my life, and having just a glass of water after waking up, it was no wonder my strength had failed.

“I’m thirsty…”

“Drink.”

“Yes, thank… Ack!“

Unconsciously sitting up to drink, I let out a shriek when I met a pair of deep blue eyes, a chill running down my spine.