So I Was the Persecuted Grand Duchess Destined to Die? Chapter 53

Chapter 53

Warm spring air drifted through the ducal castle.

“La la~”

Light on my feet, matching the weather, I headed for the library. I figured I’d finally enjoy a little peace and read for once.

The massive library welcomed me as grandly as ever. Honestly, it felt like I’d need a full hundred years to read everything in there.

“Hm. Should I explore a new section today?”

Come to think of it… I’d never been to the stacks way in the back.

On a whim, I marched straight toward the most tucked-away shelves, the area I’d never even bothered with because the shelves near the entrance were already overflowing.

I went straight to the last bookcase along the wall and, out of habit, scanned the spines.

And then—

“Huh? What’s with this?”

Among the neatly lined books, one volume was sticking out by itself, like it had been shoved in wrong.

It’s weirdly annoying.

I casually pulled it out, planning to push it back in properly.

Rumble—

“Eek—what?!”

A loud sound erupted, and the entire bookcase slid sideways.

“Cough! Cough! D-dust…!”

Dust exploded into the air so thick my vision went hazy. I flapped my hands like an idiot and waited for it to settle.

This looked like a space nobody had discovered for at least ten years.

Clutching my thumping chest, I stared with wide eyes.

W-wait. What is this?!

A random event suddenly triggering in my peaceful daily life?!

Instant dopamine.

I felt like a kid who’d stumbled on a secret passage, excitement bubbling up in my chest.

And behind the shelf was—

“This is…?”

Amazingly, there was another bookcase hidden behind it.

And the titles on those books were… not normal.

Couples’ Clinic: War and Love
Why Did Madam Give Meat to the Attendant?
The Daughter-in-Law Returned
The Marquis’s Wife’s Dizzifying Seduction
…

Gulp.

Every title made my throat go dry in a very different way.

Oh my god—this world has genre fiction too?!

I slid out the last book, The Marquis’s Wife’s Dizzifying Seduction, and opened it at random.

—

“Y-you’re… Mimi?!”
Everyone at the banquet gasped.
Mimi, who they’d all believed dead, walked in as if nothing happened, arm-in-arm with a stunning man!
Even the mistress who’d clawed her way into the position of the ‘second marquis’s wife’ couldn’t help but panic.

“N-no! That’s not Mimi! Look—she has a mole the size of a watermelon seed on her cheek! Mimi doesn’t have a mole!”

“Oh my. Who is Mimi? I’m Princess Chacha from the neighboring kingdom.”

Mimi, now fully becoming Chacha, ground her teeth and screamed inside.
I even planted a giant beauty mark on my cheek for this.
Marquis, I’ll seduce you again and ruin your entire house!

—

“…Holy crap.”

Dopamine shot straight to my brain so hard my vision nearly blurred.

Wait—so does that mean everything here is trashy melodrama?

“Jackpot!”

No one was watching, so I bounced in place, practically squealing.

Sure, I’d been satisfied—very satisfied—with my peaceful life here.

But once you’ve tasted twenty-first-century dopamine, you can’t exactly forget it.

“Of course. This is where people live, too. There’s no way they don’t have pulp fiction.”

What a gift. What should I read first?!

Just reading all the books on that shelf alone would take a while.

I was seriously considering my options when I noticed something odd tucked into the corner:

A hardcover notebook with no title.

“Huh? What’s this?”

It wasn’t a book—more like something someone had accidentally left behind.

I opened it, and sure enough—

Not a book.

A diary.

Or, more accurately—

—

The Marquis’s Wife’s Dizzifying Seduction
Rating: ★★★★★
A perfect masterpiece. Mimi’s journey to becoming Chacha was so heartbreaking. The scene where the marquis goes insane with regret and kisses Chacha’s feet is legendary.

Why Did Madam Give Meat to the Attendant?
Rating: ★★★☆☆
Great energy, but the logic is weak. I wish the attendant’s pure devotion had been emphasized more. Still… that scene was… worth reading for that alone.

—

“A reading journal…? Like reviews?”

Each title had a short review and a meticulous star rating.

A little dazed, I checked the first page.

Other than the initials D.S. written small at the top, there was nothing.

“Hm. Was there a romance-novel addict among the ancestors?”

Whoever it was… their taste was suspiciously close to mine.

Either way, it was fantastic news.

“I’m going to use these reviews as a guide.”

Without hesitation, I grabbed The Marquis’s Wife’s Dizzifying Seduction again.

“…Insane.”

I covered my mouth without thinking. Even the novels in this world were surprisingly well-made.

They were shocking enough to feel fresh to someone like me, rotted by short-form, high-speed twenty-first-century dopamine.

“God. Ella was Sincere’s daughter… I can’t.”

I’d already become a full-on obsessive fan, smacking my forehead like a lunatic.

My head was buried so deep in the text I practically got sucked into it when—

Knock knock knock!

A rather aggressive knock, followed by a prim voice.

“Renée! It’s Katharina.”

“Oh—uh…!”

I snapped the book shut.

But Katharina was faster than me, already flinging the door open and marching right in.

“You’re reading again? Hmph! You haven’t even gone out with me lately. What on earth are you reading that’s so fascinating?”

“Haha…”

There was no way I could admit I’d been reading scandalous trashy romance.

I mean, even I had some dignity as the Archduchess.

“W-wanna read it too?”

Katharina shook her head with absolute conviction.

“I have an illness where if I read more than two pages, I fall asleep!”

…So proud of it, too.

“I see…”

“Anyway! Let’s go to the vegetable patch. The cabbage I planted is already fully grown! It’s huge, I’m telling you!”

She clung to my arm, cheerful and affectionate.

“Alright. Let’s go.”

I shoved the book deep into the drawer and hurried after Katharina.

Later that day, a slightly late lunch.

“…Hm? Why is no one out here to greet me? Karl!”

Adjusting her wide-brimmed hat, a style you rarely saw in the North, Diana stepped into the castle lobby.

But unexpectedly, the lobby was empty. Not even a servant in sight.

“I did return without warning, but still…”

A faint wrinkle formed between the noblewoman’s calm brows.

“My goodness—Lady Diana!”

At that moment, Karl came running from the far end of the corridor to greet her.

“You’ve finally returned! Did you fare well in Fielle?”

“I was… fine.”

Diana swept her eyes over Karl, surprised.

His face was practically glowing, his whole atmosphere different, like someone who’d been living an easy, blessed life.

“Karl… it seems you’ve been doing rather well.”

The unfamiliar feeling made Diana clear her throat and look away.

This was the castle she’d lived in her entire life, yet—

Somehow it felt unfamiliar.

Even the air felt softer, gentler.

Karl noticed her reaction and gave a quiet chuckle.

“Haha. While you were away, Lady Diana… quite a lot has changed in this castle.”

“Oh? Such as?”

“Well… would you like to see for yourself?”

The old butler’s eyes curved warmly beneath his monocle.

“That sly old snake…”

“Lead the way.”

Diana followed Karl with practiced elegance.

But then—

“…Is that… Xavier?”

The sight in front of her was so absurd that even Diana, queen of the social scene and master of expression control, couldn’t help but gape.