I Thought It Was a Common Transmigration

The Duke’s year-end party was prepared completely differently than before. Crystal chandeliers, the finest champagne, expensive gifts and food made with rare ingredients… The budget was enough to cover three previous year-end parties. Cliff and the Duchess tried to stop her several times, but Lise spoke as if she was frustrated with them.

 

“We must use this opportunity to properly show the prestige of the Ludwig family, which has become the Emperor’s closest confidant. There will never again be a family as foolish as the Rigelhof family.”

 

It was an excuse she added with the desire to put Edith down, but contrary to her intention, the Duchess sighed as she remembered Edith, who had been frugal and thin. Anyway, the year-end party was so extravagant and extravagant that it was eye-catching, just as Lise had planned. Lise was introduced as a hostess who successfully prepared a large banquet in her first year of marriage, and even Princess Catherine attended, raising her status.

 

‘Yes, this is it!’

 

It felt like Lise was finally able to breathe as she saw people’s praise and envy in her eyes for the first time in a long time. She would not think of anyone like Edith in this place. She was even able to become closer to Count Lieberman, who was the purpose of the year-end party.

 

“Would you like to dance a song with me this time, Lady?”

 

Watching him suggest a dance with a somewhat trembling voice, Lise was internally delighted. She danced with him, shared a glass of champagne, and her heart fluttered for the first time in a long time. Cliff’s expression hardened by the minute, but Lise completely ignored him.

 

‘It’s a fish I caught anyway, so what?’

 

That day, Lise had no doubt that her life would blossom again as brightly as the original. Because Count Lieberman brought up the story of the crown prince to her, just like in the original work.

 

“Did I tell you that I studied with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?”

 

“Yes? With His Highness the Crown Prince?”

 

“Yes. In fact, my father was His Royal Highness the Crown Prince’s history teacher. Haha!”

 

Even his slightly arrogant tone of voice was welcome.

 

“Awesome. I have only seen His Highness the Crown Prince from a distance.”

 

“Is that so? Then, why don’t you go to the crown prince’s palace with me sometime? His Royal Highness will also be delighted with the lady’s visit.”

 

“Really… Can I go?”

 

“Sure! Let me tell him. Ha ha ha!”

 

Lise was relieved to see his smiling face as if he was infatuated with her.

 

‘Also! No matter how much the power of the original work has been weakened, big events still happen!’

 

Now, if Lise could meet the crown prince, solve his problems, and even find the Emperor’s lost nephew, she would be able to win the Emperor’s favor. She was happy, anticipating a future that would continue as the original, but a few days later, something happened that changed that feeling.

 

“A New Year’s greeting letter has arrived from Miss Edith, no, Countess Rysen!”

 

Butler Philip handed out Edith’s letter to the Duke and Duchess, Cliff, and Renan with a happy face. Even Philip, the head maid, the gardener and the yacht manager seemed to have received a letter. The atmosphere of the mansion, which had been somewhat heavy recently, suddenly felt brighter with that one letter. Even Cliff smiled brightly and handed the read letter to Lise.

 

“She also asked about you, Lise.”

 

The letter she received with great excitement was full of information about her busy life at Ryzen, the rewards she received, and questions about their well-being.

 

[…How are you doing, Lise? After marrying Cliff, you will probably be helping her mother more with her work, but I’m worried that you might be putting too much strain on your frail body. Even though I was confident in my physical strength, I felt my body getting weaker after playing the role of a countess here.

 

No matter how much Lise eats, she won’t gain weight, so I hope you eat better and takes better care of her health…]

 

It was as if she was worried about her close sister-in-law. However, Lise could not take those words literally.

 

‘This is being sarcastic, right?’

 

Her teeth were ground apart. Because Edith met all the conditions, she lost the power of the original, but Edith was having a happy time in Ryzen. Even the Duke’s people, who were on her side in the original, acted as if they missed Edith.

 

“Where are you going, Renan?”

 

Seeing Renan going out on a rare occasion, Lise asked lightly to say hello, but the answer that came out of Renan’s mouth hit her nerves sharply.

 

“I’m going to the post office to mail a letter.”

 

In his hands were several letters tied with string. Considering that there were various types of envelopes, it was clear that they were not written by a single person, and if letters written by multiple people were sent to one place, the destination would definitely be Ryzen.

 

“…is it so? Come back safely.”

 

Lise didn’t have time to pay attention to what her expression looked like or what her voice sounded like.

 

‘So, they said that Renan helped save Edith, right? I won’t leave him alone.’

 

The burning hatred extended to Renan. From that day on, Lise started picking up on every little thing about Renan. Of course, Renan never once embarrassed or gave in to Lise. But Lise also did not give up. The crown prince would soon be on her side.

 

* * *

 

Did she predict success too early?

 

‘Nothing works.’

 

In the carriage on the way home from the Crown Prince’s Palace, Lise nervously bit her lip. It went smoothly just like the original, until the crown prince was introduced to the heir to Count Lieberman. The crown prince who she met today should have bounced a little in front of her, but soon fell in love with her personality and wisdom and expressed his liking for her. However, the crown prince’s attitude was a little different from the original.

 

“I heard from Isaac. In fact, even if Isaac did not tell me, one can hear everywhere that you are the most beautiful woman in society.”

 

The grinning face of the crown prince felt a subtle difference from that set in the original work.

 

‘Does this mean he heard something about me?’

 

Although he said it was a story about a woman who was ‘the most beautiful woman,’ the slightly crooked smile seemed to have a hint of mockery.

 

‘Am I oversensitive?’

 

She thought that was the case and tried to move on, but the prince, who was supposed to be meeting her next time by the time she got up from her seat, didn’t say anything.

 

“I’ll see you next time when I get a chance.”

 

That was the end. In the original work, he suppressed his regret and invited her to his own social gathering with his depressed eyes… 

 

‘If this happens, I won’t be able to introduce the crown prince to my close associates!’

 

In the original work, Lise interacts with the crown prince and her immediate entourage, appealing to her own wisdom. It was an opportunity for the nobles, who still felt antipathy towards her due to the fact that she was an illegitimate daughter, to change their attitude toward her in her favor.

 

‘No. Let’s not feel too anxious. It is possible to change the nobles’ attitude in other ways.’

 

It’s been a few days since Lise felt bad about an episode that didn’t go as she expected, and she looked for another way. But her anxiety, which had been tormenting Lise all her life, revealed itself around noon one day.

 

“Call Lise!”

 

Duke Ludwig, who returned from visiting the imperial palace, gave her an angry command with a very angry look on his face. It was the first time he had called Lise this angry. And when a confused Lise entered his office, the Duke asked Lise without even looking at her.

 

“Have you ever met His Highness the Crown Prince?”

 

The day Lise went to meet the crown prince, she kept her schedule a secret. That way, later, when she received the support of her crown prince, the duchy would be more amazed by her hidden abilities. But the Duke seemed to already know everything.

 

“Yes. Not long ago, with the introduction of the heir to Count Lieberman…”

 

“You mean you didn’t say a word to me or Cliff on your way to see the royal family?”

 

At those words, Lise’s forehead wrinkled slightly.

 

“It was a meeting that took place thanks to the favor of the heir to Count Lieberman. I just had a light cup of tea. Do I have to report to you every time I go out for tea?”

 

“It might have been tea time with other wives or ladies, but it was with the royal family! Have you ever thought about what that would look like in the eyes of His Majesty the Emperor?”

 

No way. That’s what she met the crown prince for. Lise became even more confused.

 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

“While His Majesty the Emperor is still correcting the after treason, the eldest daughter-in-law of Duke Ludwig came out from the Crown Prince’s palace while flirting. In other people’s eyes, it would be easy to misunderstand that Duke Ludwig is already lining up for the crown prince.”

 

“It’s not like His Highness the Crown Prince doesn’t meet anyone personally, but isn’t that a big leap?”

 

In response to Lise’s protest, Duke Ludwig let out a long sigh, as if melting away his boiling anger.

 

“The problem is that it is Ludwig, not someone else. Because you threw last year’s year-end party so extravagantly that everyone in the empire knew about it, everyone thought that our family had finally entered the political arena!”

 

“What…?”

 

Duke Ludwig told her that the Emperor personally called him and asked, ‘What was your daughter’s intention in skipping me and meeting the crown prince?’

 

It was said that Duke Ludwig, who had taken power into his own hands, was beginning to become anxious, fearing that they might point their sword at the Emperor himself.

 

“I did it for the Ludwig family! I didn’t know that His Majesty the Emperor would misinterpret it and accept it like that!”

 

Although Lise was clearly angry, she was embarrassed on the inside.

 

‘It wasn’t like this in the original…?’

 

Her vision was dark. From then on, Lise lost her temper for a while. Although she knew that the original story had already been destroyed, when reality turned out differently than she had expected, a fear she had never felt before engulfed her entire body. Lise became sharp, as if it were tightly packed with sharp thorns. At a party, she slapped a lady who seemed to be ignoring her, and she got into a big fight with Cliff because he was angry at her for hitting a host. 

 

Everything was a mess.

 

Meanwhile, Renan, who was a thorn in her side, quit his job as a Duke’s assistant and left for Ryzen. Lise felt like she was going crazy because everything seemed to revolve around Edith.

 

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Translator Note: