Chapter 4
When the newly awakened master asked with a bewildered expression, the girl’s face—who had been inspecting the woman’s body—was filled with confusion.
“Huh? I’m Ariane, my lady. I’ve always served you…”
Ariane replied in a trembling voice, tinged with sadness.
“…Ariane?”
Louise, who had never heard the name before, frowned and stood up from the bed, trying to ignore the pounding in her chest.
The bed, which seemed old and unused for a long time, creaked before settling into silence.
“Ah, my lady! You shouldn’t get up so suddenly! You still need more rest…!”
Louise couldn’t make sense of what the desperate maid was saying, nor did she understand why she was here.
‘It’s not here.’
No matter where she looked—here or there—there was no mirror to be found in the shabby room. Growing anxious, Louise asked Ariane with a tense voice.
“Where’s the mirror?”
It was a simple question, but Ariane looked at her master as if she’d said something strange.
“My lady, please calm down a little. You’ve just woken up after being asleep for five years…! You mustn’t push yourself.”
Ariane’s voice wavered, unable to even touch her master, filled with anxiety.
“Five years…?”
“Yes… Yes. It’s already been five years since that day, my lady. As for the mirror… while you were asleep, the Duke and Duchess ordered them to be removed. They said a lady like you doesn’t need such a luxury…”
The Duke?
The unfamiliar word began to connect the dots in her mind. Suddenly, everything began to make a strange sort of sense.
Just as she feared the thought might be true, her fingertips started to tremble.
“Hey… what’s my name?”
“Why are you acting like this, my lady? You’re Ella Garrett Meyer.”
The maid answered kindly, though on the verge of tears.
Looking into the small hand mirror Ariane had secretly brought her, Louise—or rather, Ella—couldn’t hide her shock.
“This… can’t be…”
The reflection wasn’t the face she knew.
Though the woman in the mirror wore rags unbefitting a noblewoman—let alone a duke’s daughter—her beauty was undeniable.
Her skin was as clear as freshly fallen snow, and her red lips looked sweeter than fruit. Her platinum hair was radiant, bright enough to light up the dull room, and her pale blue eyes gave her a divine aura.
It was a rare, ethereal combination of colors—but the hair was dry and unkempt from neglect.
Quickly analyzing the situation, Ella feigned amnesia from trauma and asked Ariane various questions. From their conversation, she learned several things:
The world she was now in was the same one where “Louise” had lived before her death.
It had been five years since “Louise” died.
For some unknown reason, Louise’s soul had entered the body of “Ella Garrett Meyer,” the only daughter of the Duke of Meyer.
Ella had fallen into water, lost consciousness, and been in a coma for five years—until today.
Most people would struggle to accept such a bizarre situation, but Ella embraced it surprisingly easily.
In fact, she was elated to have opened her eyes in another’s body.
“It’s the same world. I can finally complete the revenge I couldn’t finish…”
The corner of her lips lifted ever so slightly.
She didn’t know how her soul ended up in the body of a stranger, but who cared?
“The Meyer family?”
It was perfect. The House of Meyer was known as a devout papalist family, loyal to both the Pope and the High Council.
As their only daughter, she could now meet people she could never have dreamed of approaching before.
“I ought to thank the nanny who killed me.”
Thank you, Nanny. Because of you, I get to finish my revenge.
Just then, Ella stared at her unfamiliar hands, a thought crossing her mind.
“How did this body’s owner end up drowning in the first place?”
She didn’t know for sure—but something inside told her the answer.
Just like a newborn instinctively breathes without being taught, she somehow just knew.
The girl named “Ella” likely drowned by her own hand.
And the reason? Ella could already guess.
The room she was in was far too small and shabby for a duke’s daughter. With a single window, barely letting in light, it looked more like a storage closet.
And even though their daughter had just woken up after five years, neither the Duke nor the Duchess had come to see her.
No one from the household had, except for Ariane.
“The real Ella clearly wasn’t treated like a proper noble lady.”
Not even by her own parents.
And before long, Ella discovered the reason why the original Ella had been shunned.
The once-peaceful Duke of Meyer’s household fell into tension after the young lady woke up.
In the kitchen, young maids whispering while preparing the duke and duchess’s meal:
“Isn’t the young lady treated like she doesn’t even exist?”
“She woke up after five years, but the duke and duchess haven’t visited once. Stop gossiping and clean those dishes.”
“I’m new here. I didn’t know… but is it true?”
“What is?”
“That the young lady is… a mage.”
“Hey! Keep your voice down. If anyone hears that, you might disappear without a trace. What we see and hear here—take it to your grave.”
“I know… but still! Isn’t it crazy? The only daughter of the House of Meyer, a mage? I heard she burned down a whole annex when she was five!”
“Yeah. The servants had a hell of a time rebuilding it back then—ugh! M-my lady…!”
The two girls froze when they realized Ella had walked right up to them. Panic filled their minds.
“How much did she hear?”
Hands trembling, the maids waited for the inevitable scolding.
But Ella merely walked past them indifferently.
Reaching the kitchen’s entrance, she calmly addressed another maid.
“Bring some tea to my room.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Hearing the response, Ella turned and exited the dining area.
The gossipy maids sighed in relief and returned to work.
Meanwhile, Ella replayed their conversation in her head.
“This body’s owner… is a mage?”
She scoffed. Ridiculous.
The only daughter of the devout Meyer family—mages were heresy!
“…Wait.”
Then why had she never heard any rumors about the Duke of Meyer’s daughter?
The original Ella was well past debutante age, yet no one in society had ever spoken of her.
A proper noble lady should have had a grand debut and been well known.
“Even as a lowly border noble, I would’ve heard of someone like that.”
Could it be…?
A bad feeling crept over her. She had to confirm it.
Back in her room, Ella glanced around. If she really was a mage, her revenge wouldn’t just be difficult—it would be impossible to even leave the house freely.
She needed to confirm whether she could actually use magic.
What should she try? Her eyes landed on a framed picture on the wall.
“Let’s test it with that.”
She decided to try and erase the dust-covered frame—but how?
She had no knowledge of magic, so using it was pure guesswork.
Maybe if she concentrated power in her fingertips?
She waved her arms through the air, muttered nonsense “spells” from children’s fairy tales her parents once read to her.
Nothing happened.
“Disappear!”
She glared fiercely at the frame and reached out with focused intent.
Still—nothing.
Ella chuckled bitterly at how ridiculous she must have looked.
Maybe she was doing it all wrong. Still, at least she hadn’t accidentally blown something up.
If she truly were a mage, wouldn’t the magic leak out uncontrollably?
Her glare softened. She relaxed and let her hand fall—only for a sudden jolt to strike her fingertips.
Zzzt—
Like static electricity, a sharp sting shot through her hand.
The nausea she had felt earlier vanished completely.
Frowning in confusion, she brought her hand to her nose.
A smell.
Something was… burning.
Ella’s head snapped around—and her body froze at what she saw.
Chapter 4
When the newly awakened master asked with a bewildered expression, the girl’s face—who had been inspecting the woman’s body—was filled with confusion.
“Huh? I’m Ariane, my lady. I’ve always served you…”
Ariane replied in a trembling voice, tinged with sadness.
“…Ariane?”
Louise, who had never heard the name before, frowned and stood up from the bed, trying to ignore the pounding in her chest.
The bed, which seemed old and unused for a long time, creaked before settling into silence.
“Ah, my lady! You shouldn’t get up so suddenly! You still need more rest…!”
Louise couldn’t make sense of what the desperate maid was saying, nor did she understand why she was here.
‘It’s not here.’
No matter where she looked—here or there—there was no mirror to be found in the shabby room. Growing anxious, Louise asked Ariane with a tense voice.
“Where’s the mirror?”
It was a simple question, but Ariane looked at her master as if she’d said something strange.
“My lady, please calm down a little. You’ve just woken up after being asleep for five years…! You mustn’t push yourself.”
Ariane’s voice wavered, unable to even touch her master, filled with anxiety.
“Five years…?”
“Yes… Yes. It’s already been five years since that day, my lady. As for the mirror… while you were asleep, the Duke and Duchess ordered them to be removed. They said a lady like you doesn’t need such a luxury…”
The Duke?
The unfamiliar word began to connect the dots in her mind. Suddenly, everything began to make a strange sort of sense.
Just as she feared the thought might be true, her fingertips started to tremble.
“Hey… what’s my name?”
“Why are you acting like this, my lady? You’re Ella Garrett Meyer.”
The maid answered kindly, though on the verge of tears.
Looking into the small hand mirror Ariane had secretly brought her, Louise—or rather, Ella—couldn’t hide her shock.
“This… can’t be…”
The reflection wasn’t the face she knew.
Though the woman in the mirror wore rags unbefitting a noblewoman—let alone a duke’s daughter—her beauty was undeniable.
Her skin was as clear as freshly fallen snow, and her red lips looked sweeter than fruit. Her platinum hair was radiant, bright enough to light up the dull room, and her pale blue eyes gave her a divine aura.
It was a rare, ethereal combination of colors—but the hair was dry and unkempt from neglect.
Quickly analyzing the situation, Ella feigned amnesia from trauma and asked Ariane various questions. From their conversation, she learned several things:
The world she was now in was the same one where “Louise” had lived before her death.
It had been five years since “Louise” died.
For some unknown reason, Louise’s soul had entered the body of “Ella Garrett Meyer,” the only daughter of the Duke of Meyer.
Ella had fallen into water, lost consciousness, and been in a coma for five years—until today.
Most people would struggle to accept such a bizarre situation, but Ella embraced it surprisingly easily.
In fact, she was elated to have opened her eyes in another’s body.
“It’s the same world. I can finally complete the revenge I couldn’t finish…”
The corner of her lips lifted ever so slightly.
She didn’t know how her soul ended up in the body of a stranger, but who cared?
“The Meyer family?”
It was perfect. The House of Meyer was known as a devout papalist family, loyal to both the Pope and the High Council.
As their only daughter, she could now meet people she could never have dreamed of approaching before.
“I ought to thank the nanny who killed me.”
Thank you, Nanny. Because of you, I get to finish my revenge.
Just then, Ella stared at her unfamiliar hands, a thought crossing her mind.
“How did this body’s owner end up drowning in the first place?”
She didn’t know for sure—but something inside told her the answer.
Just like a newborn instinctively breathes without being taught, she somehow just knew.
The girl named “Ella” likely drowned by her own hand.
And the reason? Ella could already guess.
The room she was in was far too small and shabby for a duke’s daughter. With a single window, barely letting in light, it looked more like a storage closet.
And even though their daughter had just woken up after five years, neither the Duke nor the Duchess had come to see her.
No one from the household had, except for Ariane.
“The real Ella clearly wasn’t treated like a proper noble lady.”
Not even by her own parents.
And before long, Ella discovered the reason why the original Ella had been shunned.
The once-peaceful Duke of Meyer’s household fell into tension after the young lady woke up.
In the kitchen, young maids whispering while preparing the duke and duchess’s meal:
“Isn’t the young lady treated like she doesn’t even exist?”
“She woke up after five years, but the duke and duchess haven’t visited once. Stop gossiping and clean those dishes.”
“I’m new here. I didn’t know… but is it true?”
“What is?”
“That the young lady is… a mage.”
“Hey! Keep your voice down. If anyone hears that, you might disappear without a trace. What we see and hear here—take it to your grave.”
“I know… but still! Isn’t it crazy? The only daughter of the House of Meyer, a mage? I heard she burned down a whole annex when she was five!”
“Yeah. The servants had a hell of a time rebuilding it back then—ugh! M-my lady…!”
The two girls froze when they realized Ella had walked right up to them. Panic filled their minds.
“How much did she hear?”
Hands trembling, the maids waited for the inevitable scolding.
But Ella merely walked past them indifferently.
Reaching the kitchen’s entrance, she calmly addressed another maid.
“Bring some tea to my room.”
“Yes, my lady.”
Hearing the response, Ella turned and exited the dining area.
The gossipy maids sighed in relief and returned to work.
Meanwhile, Ella replayed their conversation in her head.
“This body’s owner… is a mage?”
She scoffed. Ridiculous.
The only daughter of the devout Meyer family—mages were heresy!
“…Wait.”
Then why had she never heard any rumors about the Duke of Meyer’s daughter?
The original Ella was well past debutante age, yet no one in society had ever spoken of her.
A proper noble lady should have had a grand debut and been well known.
“Even as a lowly border noble, I would’ve heard of someone like that.”
Could it be…?
A bad feeling crept over her. She had to confirm it.
Back in her room, Ella glanced around. If she really was a mage, her revenge wouldn’t just be difficult—it would be impossible to even leave the house freely.
She needed to confirm whether she could actually use magic.
What should she try? Her eyes landed on a framed picture on the wall.
“Let’s test it with that.”
She decided to try and erase the dust-covered frame—but how?
She had no knowledge of magic, so using it was pure guesswork.
Maybe if she concentrated power in her fingertips?
She waved her arms through the air, muttered nonsense “spells” from children’s fairy tales her parents once read to her.
Nothing happened.
“Disappear!”
She glared fiercely at the frame and reached out with focused intent.
Still—nothing.
Ella chuckled bitterly at how ridiculous she must have looked.
Maybe she was doing it all wrong. Still, at least she hadn’t accidentally blown something up.
If she truly were a mage, wouldn’t the magic leak out uncontrollably?
Her glare softened. She relaxed and let her hand fall—only for a sudden jolt to strike her fingertips.
Zzzt—
Like static electricity, a sharp sting shot through her hand.
The nausea she had felt earlier vanished completely.
Frowning in confusion, she brought her hand to her nose.
A smell.
Something was… burning.
Ella’s head snapped around—and her body froze at what she saw.
