Episode 8
“Please go inside.”
Clip-clop, clip-clop.
The carriage dropped me off at the end of the forest path where the duke’s mansion came into view, then left. I had prepared well in case I got caught, but luckily, I got out safely. The coachman must’ve been skilled and knew the hidden roads well.
After I walked about a hundred steps toward the gate, the gatekeepers spotted me and shouted in surprise.
“What?! My lady?!”
“Hurry, inform the master and mistress!”
One of them ran inside to report, while the other two quickly guided me into the mansion.
The Duke’s mansion was, of course, massive.
In front of the large and fancy building, there was a wide garden carefully taken care of by professional gardeners. It couldn’t even be compared to the Grand Duke’s country house I just left. Of course, that wasn’t his official residence.
When I reached the mansion, I saw two people running toward me.
“Oh dear! Eilin!”
“Eilin, are you alright?”
The Duke and Duchess, who were my “parents,” had rushed over after hearing their kidnapped daughter had returned. They anxiously checked if I was safe, looking me over from head to toe.
But honestly, I wasn’t just safe—I had actually gotten healthier and gained some weight.
Even I could see I looked like I had just come back from a relaxing retreat.
“I’m fine.”
I meant to say it to comfort them, but it was literally true, which made me feel a little awkward.
It was my first time meeting the Duke and Duchess. Seeing them made me realize again that I had really been reincarnated into this novel world. Treating strangers as my parents felt very strange.
But I was never really close with my real parents, so it didn’t bother me that much. I just had to act like I usually did.
But… that wasn’t how they acted.
They were totally different from the proud and cold Eilin Cowet I knew.
“Thank goodness. Really.”
“Thank you, oh heavens.”
They hugged me and prayed with tears in their eyes. Eilin had warm, loving parents.
Despite their high status, they cared more about their child’s safety than their reputation or appearance. That showed how kind-hearted they were.
It was honestly a good thing for me too. I was thankful for that.
After this emotional reunion, we went inside the mansion.
Apparently, Eilin was well-loved here. Every servant I passed welcomed me warmly. Some got teary-eyed and called out “My lady!” while the nanny straight-up hugged me and cried loudly.
“Oh, my lady! This old woman couldn’t sleep from worrying!”
“I’m okay now. I’m back, aren’t I?”
“Yes, yes! Heaven helped us. Thank you.”
I gently patted the nanny’s back to comfort her.
After this grand welcome, I was finally able to enter Eilin’s room.
“Please rest for a while, my lady. We’ll call you when lunch is ready.”
“Okay. Thank you.”
After Claire, the maid taking care of me, left, I was finally alone.
“Haa…”
I sat down on the edge of the bed, feeling exhausted.
The room was spotless. They must’ve cleaned it daily, even while I was gone.
It had a calm but elegant feeling—just like Eilin’s personality. Everything was different shades of green, from the wallpaper to the sofa to the window frames, just like her green eyes.
As I looked around, my eyes stopped on a beautiful vanity table.
A mirror.
I walked over and sat on the cushiony chair. Then I saw the reflection of Eilin Cowet in the big mirror.
I had been so busy admiring the Grand Duke that I hadn’t taken time to really look at myself.
Now that I had the chance, I finally saw her.
A woman who looked like she came out of a fairy tale was staring back.
In this fantasy romance world, the characters always looked unreal—like they stepped out of a storybook. But even among them, Eilin’s pink hair and flawless skin made her look like a fairy.
I used to wish I could live a day with a face like a celebrity’s. And now, looking like this… I had to admit, it wasn’t so bad.
Seeing how pretty I looked cheered me up a bit after the sad goodbye with the Grand Duke.
But one thought popped up as I looked in the mirror.
Why did Emperor Kyle abandon someone as beautiful as Eilin Cowet?
I tried to recall the original story.
After Eilin returned home safely without a scratch, she stopped going outside at all.
Rumors spread through the city and the noble circles. People said she had been “used” by a man during her kidnapping and was too ashamed to show her face again.
Whether that was true or not didn’t matter.
The Emperor used that as an excuse to break the engagement, saying he couldn’t marry a woman with such rumors.
The key point is: he had been waiting for a reason to dump her.
That’s why readers hated him so much.
What a jerk! A coward!
The author clearly wanted to show how terrible he was before his redemption arc. But still, he was the male lead.
In this world, the male lead is always favored by the story. In short: “He’ll be fine no matter what.”
That’s why I usually don’t like stories with regretful male leads. But Taming the Crazy Emperor felt like fate.
I had just finished another web novel and was scrolling through the app looking for something new.
I didn’t even read the title when I clicked on the cover.
What caught my eye was the image of Grand Duke Raymond Ruslit.
My eyes widened.
“Wow. This guy… He’s totally my type!”
That’s how I fell for a 2D character for the first and last time.
I didn’t regret reading the novel since it gave me the Grand Duke. And I didn’t mind being reincarnated into this world if it meant I could meet him.
But now, I needed to accept that I was Eilin Cowet.
If I didn’t, I’d just keep getting confused in my head.
“Hoo…”
I took a deep breath and looked directly into the green eyes in the mirror.
I always did this when making an important promise to myself.
I am Eilin Cowet. Eilin Cowet.
The only daughter of the Cowet Dukedom, and currently the official fiancée of the Emperor.
Even though that engagement will soon be broken, I’ve decided I will support Grand Duke Ruslit with everything I have.
I gripped my fists tightly, promising myself.
Even in this novel world where the author controls the beginning and end—I will take control of my own life.
Knock knock knock.
“My lady, it’s lunchtime.”
“Okay. I’m coming.”
It was time to take my first step forward.
“Today, you’ll be dining with the Duke and Duchess, so we’ll go to the First Dining Room.”
“Everyone’s eating together?”
“Yes. As you know, they’re normally very busy. But they made time for you today.”
Claire smiled kindly as she led me.
They must’ve made time on purpose to comfort their daughter who had just returned after being kidnapped.
When I entered the dining room, the Duke and Duchess were already seated. And the lunch spread on the table looked like a feast.
Wow. So much delicious food…!
The table was full of healthy, fancy dishes. It felt like the parents were trying to make up for the time they’d lost with their daughter by feeding her well.
Everywhere I went, there was delicious food. Maybe the reason I ended up in this novel was to eat like royalty.
“Eilin, drink water first.”
“Make sure you chew your food well.”
As I sat down and started eating, the Duke and Duchess kept fussing over me kindly.
They probably weren’t always like this, but after what happened, they couldn’t help but be overly caring.
While sipping soup, I glanced at them.
Eilin probably got her pink hair from her dad, and her green eyes from her mom.
Was her dad handsome? Hmm, he was okay. Her mom? She was quite beautiful.
That meant Eilin’s looks came from a good mix of both.
Yep—good genes matter!
As I was thinking this, my parents argued over who she took after.
“Her pink hair is just like mine. So lovely.”
“Her green eyes are from me. So charming. Hohoho.”
They were clearly trying to keep things light and happy.
People who’ve been through trauma often struggle when reminded of it. Maybe that’s why they never once asked me about the kidnapping.
Even though they must be dying to know, they didn’t bring it up at all.
I truly respected them for that.
So the Duke and Duchess were actually good people.
This wasn’t really shown in the original story, so it felt new and a bit touching.
“Eilin, do you remember your cousin Jennifer? The one who got married a year ago? She’s pregnant now.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful news. I should send her my congratulations.”
“Yes. She’ll be happy to get a letter from you.”
Thankfully, pretending to be Eilin wasn’t that hard. She was quiet and gentle. My careful, awkward behavior seemed to match her personality perfectly.
Sometimes they mentioned people or events I didn’t know, but since I’d just returned from being kidnapped, small memory gaps weren’t suspicious.
So, on my first day at the Duke’s mansion…
I adapted well.
But from the next day…
My soul took a serious hit.
