GDASP 03

Chapter 03…

You’re saying something that sounds like an echo…

Cynthia stood with a slanted posture, arms crossed.

Dale looked at her with a kind, gentle smile.

“Our proposal is very simple. You will simply visit the Duke’s residence whenever we ask and spend some time with Lady Elizabeth’s fiancé, Grand Duke Tession Lumanov.”

“…Just spend time with him?”

“Yes. The meeting will take about an hour, and all you need to do is have a light conversation. The two of you have met only once before, very briefly. So, you don’t need to worry about your previous meeting.”

Dale took off his glasses and began wiping them with a shiny cloth he took from his pocket. Even in that simple action, there was an air of controlled precision.

The perfect image of a loyal aide from the Bailey family…

As she quietly observed him, Cynthia recalled Grand Duke Tession Lumanov.

Tession Lumanov—the official fiancé of the original novel’s heroine, Elizabeth, and one of the twenty-one male leads.

He had been by her side the longest, the closest, yet was known as the man of iron will who had never shared even the smallest physical touch with her.

After losing his sight in a tragic accident as a child, he had lived in darkness until regaining his vision only near the end of the novel…

Thinking quietly, Elizabeth spoke again.

“No matter what, Grand Duke Tession isn’t an idiot. There’s no way he wouldn’t notice his fiancée has changed.”

“Please don’t worry about that. Lady Elizabeth was raised in the Bailey family’s rural estate and has been in the capital for less than a year. Even then, she rarely left the mansion due to her etiquette lessons. She’s also known for her delicate and sensitive nature…”

“…”

“In short, not many people have seen her. The same goes for the Grand Duke.”

“So what?”

“As long as your hair and eye color match hers, there shouldn’t be any major problems.”

Cynthia still looked doubtful.

“And if I go along with this and someone discovers who I really am—then what?”

“As I said earlier, the Bailey family will ensure your safety to the best of our ability.”

“…It really is five million mint, right?”

“Yes, it is.”

Dale nodded with a gentle smile. Cynthia held out her small hand, palm up.

“Give me the advance payment first.”

“Of course. This way, please.”

The Bailey mansion’s study.

Cynthia followed Dale into a high-ceilinged room.

Dale went straight to the desk, pulled open a drawer, and took out a sheet of paper stamped with the Bailey family seal.

He picked up a fountain pen and began scribbling a few lines.

That must be the contract… and that’s a blank check, isn’t it?

Cynthia stared in disbelief, her mouth slightly open, before snapping out of it.

“But Dale…”

“Yes, Cynthia?”

“Why are you going this far?”

“Pardon?”

Dale lifted his head from the desk.

Meeting his gaze, Cynthia shrugged slightly.

“Elizabeth died, and yet… no one seemed sad. Instead of mourning her, everyone looked desperate not to break off her engagement with the Grand Duke.”

“…”

“And your offer is strange, too. You’re not asking me to ‘fill the void left by our dear Elizabeth’—you’re asking me to pretend to be her.”

At her words, Dale stopped writing. He stared at his fountain pen for a moment before looking up at her.

“…You’re perceptive. I can’t tell yet whether that’s good or bad.”

“Huh?”

He raised an eyebrow.

“I’ve said this several times today, but this is the Bailey mansion. Things like affection, warmth, or love don’t exist here. The Baileys aren’t a family—they’re more like a corporation.”

“What? But someone died—”

“Exactly. That’s why they’d rather put up a replacement than let the engagement fall apart. The Baileys never cared about Lady Elizabeth herself—only about the benefits her engagement could bring.”

Cynthia frowned.

In the Bailey family, where daughters were rare, Elizabeth had been adopted just months ago as a distant relative, only to secure a political marriage with the Grand Duke.

“And what’s so important about that jewelry company they’ll regain through the engagement?”

That business—originally the Bailey family’s—hadn’t even been a major focus in the original novel.

Cynthia knew Elizabeth had suffered under her greedy relatives, but she hadn’t realized it was this bad.

That novel had only focused on its explicit, adult scenes…

Ahem.

Cynthia cleared her throat awkwardly.

No wonder she turned out so unstable growing up in a family like that…

In the original story, Elizabeth’s lack of love and emotional emptiness were expressed through her intense, physical relationships with men.

Thinking about it now, her life must’ve been so lonely…

Feeling a strange heaviness, Cynthia looked back at Dale. He was still bent over the desk.

“One of the Bailey family’s territories, Luteria, was recently confirmed to contain an enormous quantity of gemstones.”

“Gemstones?”

“Yes. Enough to affect trade markets across the entire Dirrotein Empire and beyond. You don’t need the details, but… here.”

Dale handed her the finished contract.

Cynthia muttered under her breath as she quickly skimmed through it. The contents were as he’d said earlier:

She was to act as a fake noblewoman and fiancée until the Bailey family reclaimed the Ritemper Trading Company.

The initial term would be three months, extendable up to one year.

Her identity must not be discovered, and she was to perform her duties faithfully.

In return, she would receive 500,000 mint upfront and the remaining 4.5 million mint upon completion.

“No corrections needed.”

“Good. Then the contract is valid from this moment. Here’s your advance.”

Dale handed her a check for 500,000 mint.

“…Alright.”

Cynthia replied quietly, feeling oddly unsettled.

Either unaware or indifferent to her mood, Dale continued brightly.

“The meeting with Grand Duke Tession is scheduled for next week. Please visit the mansion starting tomorrow for training and preparation.”

A few days later, Cynthia returned to the Bailey mansion.

“You’ve arrived, Miss Cynthia?”

Dale greeted her with his usual kind smile.

Cynthia nodded curtly and followed him into the parlor. Sunlight streamed through the large windows, filling the room with warmth.

Wow, this looks just like the descriptions from the novel…

Cynthia looked around, impressed.

While she was busy admiring the parlor, Dale appeared carrying two large stacks of thick reports.

“Here!”

He dropped the piles onto the table with a thud.

Cynthia flinched and stared at the mountain of papers.

“Wh-what is all this?”

“Information on our late Lady Elizabeth. Please study it thoroughly before your meeting next week.”

“How am I supposed to finish all this in a week?”

She looked up at him with horror. He didn’t even blink.

“That’s not all. This stack here contains information on Grand Duke Tession. Study that as well.”

“Ugh…”

“For reference, our lady never made such strange noises. Please refrain from using that tone while impersonating her.”

“…Excuse me?”

I was born with this voice! And it’s not like I’ve ever heard Elizabeth’s myself!

While she fumed inwardly, a memory flashed before her eyes.

Right before the carriage accident, across the road, she had locked eyes with Elizabeth.

Something about that gaze had been strange—she’d wanted to look away, but it was as if a spell held her there.

Then, Elizabeth’s lips parted slightly…

“…Lu…”

What?

A crash—screech—!

She never heard the rest.

That was the last time she’d seen her. The carriage had struck before she could even process what she’d seen.

Cynthia fell silent, deep in thought. What had Elizabeth been trying to say?

“Hey! Focus!”

Her thoughts were broken by Dale clapping his hands in front of her face.

“Ugh…”

“Ugh what? Once you’ve memorized all this, let me know. We’ll have a test.”

“Ughhhh…”

“You have to earn that 500,000 mint, remember?”

Shameless—using money as leverage…

Cynthia shot him a secret glare before picking up the first sheet of paper.

“Hmmm…”

Some details she already knew from the novel, others were completely new.

At first, the idea of studying had made her groan, but as she read, it felt like reading an extended lore book for the novel. It was actually quite interesting.

Before she knew it, she had focused completely and was making her way through the dense reports one by one.

“Lady Elizabeth, this way, please.”

Dale smiled kindly as he led her toward the drawing room.

Cynthia fiddled with the tight dress clinging to her body as she walked. It was gorgeous—but so uncomfortable.

What a way to suffer from morning till now…

A week had passed, and Cynthia had spent every day since dawn being groomed by six maids, from head to toe.

Because Dale insisted she resemble Elizabeth as closely as possible, Cynthia had dyed her brown hair blonde and wore special lenses to mimic her light-green eyes.

What’s the point? It’s not like the Grand Duke can even see…

She grumbled inwardly as she stepped up beside Dale.