Chapter 2

“There is no place for you here. Live your life forever in the northern Avalt territory.”

The order was to confine Sylvia Atlante in the abandoned wilderness at the farthest edge, bordering the land of demons.

“No. No, Father! Please don't send me there!”

Sylvia Atlante cried and begged, but her father, Duke Atlante, remained resolute.

“How long did you think I would turn a blind eye to your disgusting behaviors?! This is the end. I can no longer let you tarnish our family's name.”

In a cold and emotionless voice, he drew the line with his daughter, who was gasping for breath as if she were on the brink of death.

Sylvia dropped her head upon his icy, frigid tone that lacked any hint of warmth. Unable to persuade her father, Sylvia Atlante was eventually sentenced to a life in the abandoned land.

But Sylvia saw no way to survive in such a barren and terrifying place. Especially where she didn't know when she might encounter the demons.

Filled with despair and hopelessness, she was driven to the edge of the cliff. And what she chose at that cliff’s edge was none other than poison.

Sylvia Atlante got a lethal poison, which would lead to a painless death in just one sip and consumed it. And that day was her twentieth birthday.

***

Lady Atlante who had longed for love all her life but never received it, not even once, and who ultimately ended her life by drinking poison.

‘… But I became that woman?’

It was unbelievable.

“Mirror.”

“Excuse me?”

“Bring me a mirror.”

Maybe because Sylvia’s memories had flown into me? I naturally spoke in a casual tone, using no honorifics.

“My… My lady?”

Despite being asked twice, the girl next to me, no, Sylvia's maid Belle, just hesitated and didn't fetch the mirror.

“Um, should I really bring a mirror?”

“Yes. Bring a large one if possible.”

When I talked firmly, Belle, with droopy shoulders, walked away with a heavy step.

‘What's wrong with her when all I asked was for a mirror?’

Frowning in bewilderment, a memory of the body's owner suddenly surfaced.

Sylvia Atlante hated looking in the mirror. When she saw her reflection, she became agitated and furious.

So, it made sense that her maid was confused and frightened when Sylvia suddenly asked for one. She might have thought it was some kind of twisted plot to torment her.

“I… I brought it, my lady.”

Belle brought a mirror larger than herself. As I approached the mirror Belle was holding, a woman filling the rectangular frame came into view. Her figure was enormous, which seemed like two adult women of average physiques were combined.

‘It’s surprising she can even stand.’

Lifting my gaze, I saw a face with features buried in fat. And in that face, the distinctive beauty of the Atlante ducal family was nowhere to be seen. All I could find was mean-spiritedness, thickly accumulated on the face.

“Is this person really the biological daughter of Duke Atlante?”

“M… My… My lady!”

Belle beyond the mirror had a crestfallen expression, so I gave her a small smile.

“Just kidding, I’m joking.”

“What… What a joke… I thought my heart would drop.”

“Come on, it’s nothing.”

I deliberately used a light tone to just move on, but Belle tried to read my mind, still looking anxious. So, I decided not to say anything more. No matter what I said now, Belle wouldn’t take it at face value.

What I had just said was the body’s original owner, Sylvia Atlante’s, Achilles’ heel.

Sylvia Atlante would lose her composure and fly into a rage at the mere mention of something like, “Maybe Lady Sylvia isn’t the biological daughter of Duke Atlante, is she?”

But I, who wasn't the real Sylvia, had no emotional reaction to such words.

‘Whether Sylvia is the Duke's biological daughter or not, what does it have to do with me?’

I turned my attention away from Belle and looked back into the mirror. In the mirror, there was a fat woman who seemed like her buttons would burst.

Her facial features were buried in her flesh, making it difficult to recognize her original appearance, and her pale skin was unevenly colored as if she had a skin disease.

Above all, her malicious expression was enough to irritate anyone, even when she was just standing still.

‘If I grab and ask anyone on the street, they might say she probably has a terrible personality.’

Her light brown hair was similar to mine in my previous life, making it feel familiar.

‘But her tangled, curly hair from lack of proper care isn't great, though.’

On the other hand, her blue eyes, which I would only see in foreign movies, felt awkward. It was like wearing ill-fitting clothes.

‘It would have been nice if these eyes were just ordinary and plain black or brown…’

However, unlike me, the original Sylvia Atlante loved her eyes. It was because they were the only trace of the Atlante ducal family that could be found in her.

All the direct descendants of the Atlante ducal family had ocean-blue eyes––the exact same color as those of Sylvia Atlante, reflected in the mirror.

In a way, it was quite pitiful. How many times did she have to hear that she didn't resemble her parents before becoming so obsessed with having the same eye color as them?

But that obsession was understandable. Except for her eyes, there was no resemblance between Sylvia Atlante and the Duke and Duchess of the Atlante family.

As people doubted her birth for her entire life to the point where she had even developed neurosis, Sylvia Atlante had every reason to cling to the color of her eyes.

Anyway, this woman looked exactly the same as Sylvia Atlante from my memories, even down to the unimpressive color combination.

‘So, have I really become Sylvia Atlante?’

Slap!

“My… My lady!”

‘Considering how much my slapped cheek hurts, it's not a dream, though.'

Rubbing my stinging cheek, I asked Belle, who was staring at me as if I were insane.

“What year is it now?”

“It… It’s the solar year 392, my lady.”

“What? Did you say it's the solar year 392?”

“Huh? Yes.”

“Don't lie and tell me the truth. You’re saying it’s not the year 397, but 392?”

Belle replied with a puzzled expression, “Yes, it… it is 392, my lady. You even had your birthday party yesterday. But why do you keep asking…”

There was not a hint of deceit in Belle's teary face.

“Are you not lying?”

It was unbelievable. Sylvia's last day, the day she had died from drinking poison, was the beginning of the year 397.

And that day was also Sylvia’s twentieth birthday, so I was sure about yesterday's date. But…

“What did I do yesterday?”

“My lady, you attended your birthday party held at the mansion yesterday. After the party ended, you stayed in your room. And then…”

Bell hesitated, being unable to continue her words, and glanced at me as if trying to gauge my reaction.

“Go on.”

“That… That’s all.”

With that, Belle tightly closed her eyes, probably thinking that I would scold her. However, I just stared blankly at Belle.

‘That face can never be made up.’

Then, for real…

“Did I go back in time?”

“Excuse me?”

“By 5 whole years.”

Maybe that was why Belle looked younger than herself in my memories. No, but anyway, how on earth did this happen? My head was spinning.

‘Can someone please explain what’s going on here?!'

Knock knock.

While I was tearing my hair out and crying desperately in my thoughts, there was a knock at the door.

‘Who is it?’

No matter how hard I searched my memories, there was no one who would come to Sylvia's room. She wasn't on good terms with her family, had no friends who would visit the house, and no place for letters to come from…

‘Of course, there's none.’

Before I even had a chance to say, ‘Come in,’ the door opened. And the one who entered was the head butler who managed the entire mansion of the Atlante ducal family.

Seeing me standing in front of the mirror, he opened his eyes wide in astonishment. It was obvious that he was surprised for the same reason as Belle.

‘Is he curious why Sylvia Atlante, who would usually get angry when looking in the mirror, is quietly looking at it now?’

However, unlike Belle, who stood blankly for a while, the butler quickly composed himself.

“My lady, His Grace requests your presence.”

Master.

The only person to whom he would address as ‘Master’ was the same individual now and five years later. The owner of this grand mansion and the ruler of the esteemed House of the Atlante dukedom––Duke Atlante.

‘He is also, personally, the father of the body I now occupy.’

Debating whether to call him ‘Duke’ or ‘Father,’ I eventually chose the latter.

“… Father?”

“Yes, my lady.”

‘Why would the Duke summon me?’

The Duke was originally cold-hearted; even his children were not exempt from it, as he didn’t treat them tenderly. I didn't know how he treated other siblings, but he treated Sylvia worse than a stranger.

Except when she was very young, he never called Sylvia to talk when there was no specific matter to discuss.

But that Duke had summoned me…

“It seems he’s upset about what happened yesterday. Please hurry, my lady.”

“Huh? Okay…”

‘Yesterday? What happened yesterday…?’

Since it took place five years ago, it wasn’t easy to recall what it was about.

‘What on earth is it?’

***

My meager curiosity disappeared the moment I saw the Duke’s cold eyes. His blue eyes were filled with clear contempt. It was such a cold gaze, hard to believe he was looking at his own child.

My shoulders involuntarily hunched at his gaze, a reaction engraved in my body. The body’s owner, Sylvia, was afraid of her father, so much that her shoulders hunched at even a brief glance.

“You did something pathetic again yesterday.”

From what I just heard, it seemed like Sylvia had caused some trouble yesterday. But the problem was that I couldn't remember what the trouble was. Instead of answering, I lowered my head.

The Duke continued, “They say it’ll take a month for Eileen’s arm to heal.”

Ah! I finally remembered. Something pathetic the Duke mentioned was Sylvia causing a scene at the birthday party held yesterday.

Yesterday's party was a celebration of Silvia's birthday. However, even though it was an event to honor Sylvia's birthday, the main focus of the celebration was not Sylvia, but Eileen.

People only gave Sylvia perfunctory congratulations and then flocked to Eileen, showering her with all sorts of praises.

Surrounded by people, Eileen was the center of attention while Sylvia, the actual birthday girl, was alone and angry; therefore, she picked a fight with Eileen.

“Why are you wearing such a fancy dress to my birthday?! You did it on purpose to attract attention, huh? Right?”

Sylvia engaged in an absurd argument, but Eileen maturely responded.

“If you feel that way, I'm sorry, Sylvia. I'll change my dress and come back.”

Then, admiration erupted again from those around them.

“How can Lady Eileen be so kind like that?! She even accepts the ridiculous tantrums of the Duke's ugly daughter!”

Upon hearing this, Sylvia became angrier and shoved Eileen. Right, she pushed her.

In fact, Sylvia didn't do it intentionally. Because she was just so angry, nothing came into her sight, and she just acted instinctively.

Growing up being ignored and neglected, Sylvia couldn't control her anger. She had to throw a tantrum to feel better when she felt upset or disrespected even a little bit.

Perhaps she had too many pent-up feelings? Or maybe it was because no one would listen to her? Nobody could pinpoint the exact reason, but since she was ten, Sylvia had a bad habit of breaking things around her or hitting people when she was angry.

She committed these acts in a semi-conscious state, so she would be terrified when she came to her senses. And that was also the case when Eileen fell and her arm snapped with a crack!

After witnessing the horrible accident she caused, Sylvia trembled with fear.

However, no one was there to comfort or care for Sylvia. Everyone just rushed to Eileen and fretted about what to do.