He interpreted Min-ha’s words as if she’s desperately trying to stay in the mansion to make use of his money. The man glared at her with a colder look compared to the one earlier.

“Since you knew that you were almost going to lose, you’re pretending to be crazy now?”

“…. Pardon?”

“You can avoid this situation with a lie, but you’ll still be kicked out of the mansion. Just like how you hate Noah and me, I’m sick of you too.”

Min-ha still hasn’t grasped what was going on.

“What the hell are you saying?… Who is Noah?”

That’s when he lost it. He said cold words towards Min-ha, who is still confused about the current situation, and left the room angrily.

Slam!

Min-ha alternately looked at the closed wooden door and the spot where the man stood. Why is the man, who I saw for the first time today, angry at me? And, why isn’t he answering my questions?

…. More importantly, where am I?

Min-ha suddenly realized that she did not know where she was. She desperately held her head with her hands because she still could not figure out the situation.

So, early in the morning, I went to the internet café to register for the next semester. Then, I headed to Dongdaemun and got everything I needed to make handmade dolls.

While carrying everything and heading back to my Apartment, I ran into an old lady who told me that she was on her way to her son’s house. But, she thinks that she lost her way. She then asked me if there was a police station nearby, so I led her to an alley.

… Oh!

That’s right. All of a sudden, some rugged looking men appeared. So, I ran like crazy. I’m sure the old lady and those men were on the same team.

Who knew that something like this would happen to me. Anyway, I remember I kept running and ended up crossing a road with no cross-walk, but I can’t remember what happened after that.

‘… Did I get into an accident? Was I hit by a car and taken to the hospital? If that’s the case, is this a hospital?’

However, the interior of the room was too luxurious for a hospital room.

A bed table made of cherry wood, colourful flowers in pots, bedsheets embroidered in golden and silver threads, four pillars on the bed, and dark purple curtains. Moreover, the ceiling had a round shape that was usually seen in old European buildings or cathedrals. There were even murals of angels and knights.

Min-ha was looking around the room with a blank face. It’s as if she came to an ancient place in medieval Europe. A woman came into the room wearing an old pine-colored long dress, and came to her with a tray of silver platters.

Then she put the tray on the bedside table, while looking down at the floor, as if she was facing someone scary.

“…… Madam.”

“……?”

“I know you’re in a bad mood, but you still have to eat. The Duke told me that he’s comfortable letting you go out of the country even if he’s already about to divorce you.”

“…. Madam? Who’s my husband? And, let me go where?”

When Min-ha asked those questions, it was as though she had never met the woman before. The woman looked at Min-ha with astonished eyes.

“Whose wife? Of course, it’s the Duke, Seth Persen. The ring on

your finger was a token to prove that you are his wife. …. But, of course, you’ll have to return it in a few minutes.”

As Min-ha shifted her gaze to where the woman was pointing at, there was a blue diamond ring that was about twice the size of a fingernail.

‘Why the hell is this on my finger?’

Min-ha, who looked down at her hands with surprised eyes, soon found out that not only did she have a blue diamond ring, the clothes she was wearing were also different from what she usually wears.

She was neither wearing the comfortable hoodie nor jeans she was supposed to be wearing. Instead, what she had on was a long black dress that only shows her hands and feet. Moreover, her hair, which had always been rolled up in a bun, is now loose. Most of all, her own hair, that seemed light, was now blonde. It was definitely black, I’ve never dyed it before!

‘Did that man just put hydrogen peroxide onto my hair?’

Min-ha hurriedly screamed the moment she touched her hair.

“Hey, bring me a mirror!”

“What?”

“Get me a mirror!”

“Y-Yes! Madam!”

The woman, who pretended not to hear at first, quickly answered when Min-ha raised her voice. She went to the dressing table and gave a small hand mirror to Min-ha.

“……!”

The moment Min-ha looked in the mirror, she was so surprised that it seemed like her heart would drop at the sight of her own reflection.

Black hair, black eyes. That was the usual colour of the hair and eyes of Koreans. Her hair and eyes, which were supposed to be black, were blond and green instead.

That’s not all.

The face reflected in the mirror was a face Min-ha had never seen before in her life. A clean forehead, soft-looking fine eyebrows, gentle-looking big eyes, a pointed nose, and rosy red lips. She was as beautiful as a heroine in a novel.

Min-ha couldn’t believe what she was seeing, so she used various expressions, yet the same was being reflected in the mirror.

“…… Is this me?”

Is there a hidden camera? Or maybe I was injured in the head when I was hit by the car? Is this another world….did I reincarnate?

Min-ha turned her head like a broken robot and talked to the woman with a look of fear.

‘I don’t know what it is, but even if something goes wrong, it shouldn’t be as far as something like this.’

“…. Excuse me, do you know me?”

“…. Madame?”

“… Who am I?”

“You’re acting so unusual today. Are you sure you don’t know who you are?”

“Well, that’s why I’m asking!”

The woman gave a frown instead of a clear answer. Min-ha, who became nervous, raised her voice once again, and said, “Hurry up!” Only then did the woman seem embarrassed, but soon she frowned again. Then, she turned her head slightly, and murmured in a low voice.

“What’s wrong with you?”

“What did you just say?”

“Oh, it’s nothing. You want to know who you are? OK, Madam. I’ll let you know. But, don’t get upset.”

“Oh, don’t worry. Tell me.”

“… If you say so. Then, I shall inform you about everything. You are the Duchess of Persenga, Minase Persen. Before entering the Persen household, your previous name was Minase Florence. Former royalty and the only daughter of Marquis Florence.”

“… Duke?…. Husband? By any chance, was the man I spoke to earlier, the Duke…?”

“Exactly. The person you spoke to was His Excellency, Seth Persen, whom you married three years ago.”

The more I listened to the woman, the more shocked I became.

 So, Kim Min-ha was reincarnated as Minase Persen, whose name was originally Minase Florence. Former royalty and the only daughter of Marquis Florence.

Since she was a noble and the daughter of Marquis Florence, she was considered one of the candidates for the Crown Prince’s bride.

Thanks to her splendid appearance, beautiful voice, outstanding art, and musical talent, she has always been the center of attention in aristocratic society. On top of that, she is the person envied by all the noble young ladies.

However, she stopped being a social flower four years ago. That is because Marquis Florence died in disgrace after making constant mistakes in the war against the neighboring empires four years ago.

The honor of the general who lost the war was no more than bread soaked in muddy water. She lost her honor because her father died in disgrace. Furthermore, her mother, who was indulged in drinking and gambling because she could not accept what happened, made her lose her wealth as well.

Under such circumstances, it would have been nice if she had cut back on spending and taken care of some land, but she could not give up her luxurious life even in difficult circumstances. Because of that, she became penniless.

In the end, the Florence family was destroyed in both wealth and honor, which made Minase Florence abandoned by the aristocratic society.

The only thing that could help Minase, who was desperate enough to worry about how she would be able to eat a meal the next day, was to marry a man of noble status. Despite her attempts, no nobleman wanted to marry Minase Persen, who lost both her honor and wealth and was left with nothing but herself.

But, Duke Persen was the person who gave her a hand.

Seth Persen’s mother was a concubine of a Korean-American aristocrat who was originally a commoner. Because of that, he lived as a commoner all his life.

Then, it’s as if God gave Seth Persen the power of Mars and the wisdom of Athena. He was on a roll as a mercenary. His distinguished military fortune also reached the Emperor, and so he was formally ordained by him to join the battlefield.

Having established his position in the war, he officially became an aristocrat after receiving a “self-made” position. He did that by defeating the enemy with just thousands of troops and subjugating the territory Marquis Florence lost despite mobilizing tens of thousands of soldiers.

There was something that Seth Persen, who seemed to have no one to envy as he was such an emerging aristocrat, desperately wanted, and that was a higher status. No matter how much success he made in the war, he was envious of the aristocrats who despised him for his poor status.

Although Seth Persen’s wealth was overflowing because of the victory of the war and the land gained from the new subjugated territory, he always had a sense of inferiority compared to the others because of his lineage. He wanted someone who had a nobler lineage than the aristocrats who despised and ridiculed him, so that he and his younger brother, Noah, would never be ignored again.

What Seth Persen needed was a political marriage. He was looking for a woman who was willing to sell her genealogy’ when he offered her his money, and the target was Minase Florence.

Seth Persen offered Minase Florence a marriage in return for helping their family gain back their honor and sending her mother to a hospital. She accepted the offer as she had no choice but to do so.

The marriage of the two was simply the worst.

Minase Florence, who became the Duchess of Persenga, did not love Seth Persen, the man who bought her with money. It would have been nice if she just didn’t love him, but she despised him as well because of his low status.

The fact that ‘a vulgar man’, who wouldn’t dare to look at her if her father didn’t pass away, became her husband and stayed in bed with her every day. It was unbearable for her.

So, Minase Persen ignored and despised his husband, who was affectionately attached to his one-time wife, even though it was a political marriage involving money and fame. She also deliberately neglected and emotionally abused his only brother, Noah Persen, without him knowing.

She treated his servants so badly, not to mention her husband and brother-in-law. If she was offended, she would not only whip them but also kick them out of the mansion. The servants did not dare to even make eye contact with her.

However, Seth Persen put up with everything because she was his wife. But, it did not last until it was known that she had an affair with another young nobleman. As soon as he heard that, all of his patience had been cut off.

‘I couldn’t bear it when that vulgar man’s hand touched my body, Rupert.’

Seth Persen, who had returned earlier than expected from the borders, coincidentally witnessed Viscount Rupert Guinivis of the inner circle trying to cause trouble when Seth was away dealing with the disputes at the border.

As a result, Seth Persen looked into Minase Persen’s past. In the process, it was revealed that she consistently abused Noah Persen, which made the barely maintained martial relationship simply broken.

No matter how much money she spent, it was a political marriage, but at least as a couple and as a family, she should be doing her duty as one. The Duke of Persen thought he was greatly betrayed by Minase Persen.

Seth Persen, who couldn’t stand it anymore, notified Minase Persen of the divorce, which she rejected. The reason was neither that she loved him nor she felt sorry for him, but because she could not give up the wealth that she had enjoyed as his wife.

“…..That’s what happened.”

When the woman finished speaking, Min-ha’s face became pale.

Minase Persen was simply a self-conscious person. Marriage without love could have been hard. But that’s a choice I made because I couldn’t give up my ‘luxurious life’.

Minase Persen’s behavior was incomprehensible to Min-ha.

Min-ha sighed and murmured.

“……Oh, that’s why. Minase Persen is such a terrible woman.”

“……Pardon?”

The woman looked a little surprised at her unusual reaction of lowering her head with a somber expression. Min-ha did not have the time to care about her though.

‘…..I finally understand.’

A while ago, the man looked at me with contempt as if he didn’t even want to look at me. This woman was constantly averting her eyes when she talked to me and was scared at the sight of me.

She dared to abuse his only brother, even committed an affair, only stayed because of his wealth, and would often punish the servants according to her mood. In many ways, Minase Persen doesn’t deserve to keep staying in this mansion.

‘….Why on earth did I possess a woman like this.’

Minha lamented.

“……Excuse me.”

“Please say what you have in mind, Madam.”

“You. Ah, it’s rude of me to keep calling you this way. What’s your name?”

“It is Ella.”

“Ella. For now, did Minase….No, did I bother you too?”

“Pardon?…..No.”

Ella turned her head away as tears welled up in her eyes from Minha’s words. With her avoiding eye contact, it felt that Min-ha had just been given a death sentence.

Come to think of it, it was strange that Ella was the only one who cared for Minase Persen, who was said to have fallen. Under such circumstances, Min-ha could once again infer how Minse Persen treated her husband’s servants.

If she treated people well, then maybe it wouldn’t have been as bad as this. Patched walls and broken cosmetics stained the floor. They must have come to fix the Duchess’s room every time something happened. Nevertheless, the remaining traces gave a very clear idea of what Minas Persen’s personality was like.

‘My goodness….’

Min-ha sighed loudly and said.

“No, I doubt what you are saying is true. Did I bother you a lot? It’s just, I’ve been doing a lot of unforgivable things.”

“I’m sorry, madam.”

“….You don’t have to feel sorry for me. So you’re telling me I’m about to be kicked out for having an affair, committing violence, and child abuse?”

“Madam….”

“So when am I going to be chased out?”

“About that……”

Under the current circumstances, no one will believe me even if I insist that the one inside this body is me, Kim Min-ha, not Minase Persen.

At least she could explain if she had her original face, but the face that was reflected in the hand mirror was very different and pretty compared to hers. It’s obvious that they only see me as Minase Persen in more ways than one.

So far, Minase Persen has been living without restraints, and it looks like the time has finally come for her to receive her punishments.

Since I don’t know anything, let me take a step back and figure out the situation, Minha said to herself. Ella hesitated quite a bit and sighed loudly. However, as soon as Minha sent her a look, she wet her dry lips and barely opened her mouth to speak.

“You do know that when noble families plan to get married or divorced both require the approval of the Vatican, right?”

“Pardon?….Yes.”

Of course, it was the first time I heard such a thing, but even if so, I said yes anyway. Ella continued.

“Usually, the Vatican’s deliberation council discusses these matters for about 4 weeks, but you’ve been causing trouble here and there.”

“……….”

“I heard that the divorce, signed by both of you, will take place as soon as tomorrow.”

“…..Tomorrow?”

“Yes, it’s due tomorrow. So, the Duke will probably come again in the evening and urge you to sign the divorce papers.”

“……It will happen way faster than I expected.”

It was unfortunate for me to possess this body, and the timing wasn’t good either. Tomorrow. I’ve just arrived in this world. It was huge trouble for me to know nothing at all.

Because of that, I had a worried expression on my face without realizing it.

Ella looked at Min-ha’s face and said carefully.

“Don’t worry too much, madam. The Duke won’t let you go empty-handed. I’m sure you’ll have enough money to buy a mansion to live in.”

“…..What? He’s still going to give me money after I’m kicked out for child abuse, violence, and an affair?”

Min-ha asked in disbelief when she heard Ella’s words. Of course, I already expected that I’ll be kicked out without anything. But, I can’t believe he’s going to give me enough money to buy a house. Truthfully, I thought I would experience even worse things. I was thinking of secretly running away but when I asked Ella, stuttering with a surprised face she said.

“…..Pardon? Yes, but I don’t think you have enough property to maintain your dignity.”

“Oh, but I’m being chased out because of an affair. I have no time to fuss about such a thing like a dignity.”

“……..”

“In addition, he’ll already be giving me enough money to buy a house. That’s a relief.”

So, should I think about how I’ll be earning to keep myself alive now? What can I do here? Min-ha stopped talking and began to agonize at the thought.

Ella looked at her, surprised.

Usually, after hearing such words, you’ll be angry, pull your hair, break your things, throw a fit, but just now you acted so strange and unusual, it’s as if she’s completely a different person.

Elle pondered, looking at Min-ha with a look of surprise.

While Min-ha understood her situation and agonized over what to do in the future, it was already evening.

Elle went out of the room, saying she should help in preparing her meal, while Min-ha, who was left alone, was still thinking about her future course of action.

It is hard to imagine that Seth Persen, who couldn’t stand anyone not responding to his knock, quietly opened the door.

“…… What are you so preoccupied with? Enough that you can’t even hear me knocking?”

“Ah!”

At the sudden voice of Seth Persen, Min-ha stopped thinking and raised her head. Then, she found him by her side, looking at her as if he was observing her closely.

Wearing a black military uniform and a black sword at his waist, he looked cold and overbearing. The eyes that looked down at her were as cold as the deep sea.

His expressionless face was hard to see, but Min-ha could tell at least one emotion he is feeling. That would be hate. That he hates her very much.

Min-ha, who had been looking into Seth’s frosty gaze, turned away as she felt his gaze become very burdensome. Then, as if he was more offended in comparison to the last time they talked, Seth spoke in a colder voice.

“You don’t want to see me any more?”

“Pardon? No, not really.”

“Well, that’s good. If that’s what you desire, then this conversation will end quickly.”

Hearing her uninterested response, Seth put out the parchment scroll he was holding in his hand. Then, he pointed to a blank space and said,

“Just sign here. After that, you’ll be free from me, someone who makes you sick just by looking at his face.”

“……”

Seth spoke in a determined voice and looked at her with cold eyes.

Min-ha looked at the parchment and then fixed her gaze into Seth. Then, he said, raising one eyebrow.

“Why are you looking at me like that? You’re not going to tell me that you still can’t sign it and divorce me.”

“No, that’s not it. I’ll sign it as you wish. Minase…. No, I’ve done a lot of cruel things. Both to you and your brother.”

“…… That’s it?”

“I don’t want to be forgiven. I can’t be forgiven.”

It was not Min-ha’s fault, but after hearing the situation from Elle, she said it in a sense wherein it was not unreasonable for this handsome man to behave in this way.

Min-ha continued, thinking so.

“You can hate me forever. Because I think it’s natural for you to do that.”

“……….”

“So, Minase Persen…. No, I hope you don’t forgive a woman like me for the rest of your life, and meet a woman who’ll treat you better and live happily.”

“What did you say just now?”

Seth asked Min-ha, as if he couldn’t believe what she was saying.

And Min-ha could fully understand why he reacted that way.

Minase Persen is a woman with big pride, hence she wasn’t someone who could admit her mistake so easily.

However, the one living in the body of Minase Persen is Kim Min-ha. Therefore, I should act like myself, not like her.

Min-ha continued to speak while looking into Seth’s eyes as she understood that he still had his doubts.

“I mean it. I don’t have any hidden intentions.”

“………”

Seth’s eyes showed that he was surprised by Min-ha’s subsequent remarks, making it seem like the words that came out of her mouth were totally unexpected.

Min-ha carefully opened her mouth to ask a favour for her future course of action that she was thinking about a while ago.

“Well, by the way…… I’m really, really sorry, but can you please listen to a request of mine?”

“…… Did you just apologize? What’s wrong with you?”

His eyes, slightly puzzled by the word ‘please’, turned cold again.

He was suspicious of her sudden weak attitude, thinking that she was doing this to avoid divorcing him.

Min-ha said, feeling overwhelmed by Seth’s current appearance.

“I have a final request. I want you to listen to what I have to say.”

“Alright. Tell me, I will give it to you unless it’s an increase in alimony.”

“No, it’s not that. I don’t need alimony if you do me this favour.”

“Then, what is it?”

“Please prepare a job for me.”

“…… What?”

“Or, let me stay here until I get a job. That’s my request.”

Seth’s face stiffened when he heard her say those words. It was as though he had heard something he shouldn’t have heard. No, as though it was the first time in her life ever that he had heard something like that.

Seth stared at Min-ha’s face. Then, soon, he snorted and looked suspiciously at her.

“What new way of negotiation is this? What are you doing?”

“…… Pardon?”

“Are you trying to increase the alimony by doing this? Or are you trying to turn this situation around and then tell me to never get divorced?”

“…… Excuse me?”

Min-ha was secretly annoyed at Seth’s sarcastic attitude.

Of course, it’s not that I don’t understand what Minase Persen did to him, but isn’t it kind of unreasonable of him to keep responding like this?

Min-ha looked up at Seth and said,

“When did I ask for more alimony? I just asked you to prepare a job for me. Why don’t you listen to what people say?”

“Listen to people, really?”

“Yes.”

“That’s the funniest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“What?”

When Min-ha got angry at Seth’s response, he snorted and continued.

“When there was a time when one had to worry about food, you wouldn’t move a finger, saying how would a noble lady such as yourself do something that only lower classes are supposed to do. You who have never washed your own face by yourself not even once, what are you saying you would do?”

“…… Yes? Wash my own face?”

Min-ha had an unknowingly bad expression on her face. She is from a class that doesn’t need to work, but how could she not even be able to wash her own face? I thought she could at least do those simple things.

Seth, who saw Min-ha’s expression, continued his words as if he wanted to see how she’ll respond.

“I don’t know what your intentions are, but wouldn’t it bother the person who you’ll work for?”

“E-Excuse me!”

“So, you’d better stop with your dirty tricks. Aren’t you taking it too far already?”

“………”

“But you’ve changed your mind a little, it’s a good thing.”

Seth went to where Min-ha was and grabbed the quill pen that was on the table. He used the pen to modify one phrase written on the divorce papers. Then, he said, handing the quill pen he was holding to Min-ha.

“I don’t know whose idea it is, but I’d say it’s a pretty good strategy to say you’re going to work to avoid leaving the mansion.”

“………”

“I’ve increased the alimony a little as you wished. So, stop your nonsense of trying to acquire even more money from me. I need you to sign here.”

“Ha…… This is your response to my request?”

“Yes. It’s enough to live a life of luxury for the rest of your life. But of course, it’s not for free. I need you to follow all the conditions stated here to acquire the alimony.”

“…… Really, your distrust for this woman is endless. Well, I’d do the same too.”

“What?”

Instead of answering Seth’s question, Min-ha quietly picked up the quill pen in his hand and found the part he had just changed earlier.

‘What? You think I can’t work?’

Who? Me? I studied so hard to get a full scholarship in college, and at the same time, I was doing four part-time jobs to give my parents living expenses.

I know it’s definitely a criticism directed at Minase Persen, but I was still angry when he said it while looking straight at me because it seemed like it was directed towards me.

Min-ha snorted and looked down at the amount Seth will be giving her as alimony.

Along with the amount that had more ‘0’s than I have expected, there was a detailed clause below it that was explained with more than one paragraph. Min-ha snorted again.

‘Oh, since you’ll be giving me this much, you want me to follow all these conditions? Let me see what they are then.’

[Condition 1. Do not use your title as the former Duchess of Persen for your benefit.

Condition 2. Once you leave the mansion after the divorce, do not tell anyone about the secrets of the Persen household, and do not interact with the Duke of Persen.

Condition 3. Do not exchange letters with anyone outside the Persian territory. If it needs to be done for urgent business, you must disclose the contents of the letter to the Duke.

Condition 4. If you intend to leave the Persian territory, make sure to follow the procedures of the said territory.]

Min-ha was dumbfounded by the conditions included.

‘No, you want me to live with all these conditions? I know you gave me a lot of money, but aren’t you being too harsh? There are so many things I don’t know about this world yet.’

No matter how difficult the situation was, it was unacceptable. Min-ha drew two lines above the number that Seth wrote, made an arrow next to it, and wrote the number ‘0’.

“Will you believe me if I do this? Moreover, if I don’t get this much money, I don’t have to follow conditions that are as many as these, right?”

“…… What is this?”

“You’re mistaken if you think that I’m saying this to get more alimony.”

“…….”

“Of course, you can’t believe it. You may not want to believe it. But I want you to believe this one thing. I’m going to change for the better. I’m not going to bother you, your brother, or your servants any more.”

Min-ha said so with sincerity. From her point of view, it was obvious that he wouldn’t believe what Minase Persen said even if she said it with sincerity, but she still hoped that he would believe this.

Min-ha suddenly added.

“Please, please.”

Seth’s cold blue eyes shook slightly.

Then, he stopped with his sarcastic attitude and stared at Min-ha with a serious face.