Chapter 2: Chapter 2

“Hey, you.”

Yet Vivian couldn’t listen to any slashes of whip across her cheeks. Instead, the Young Countess had only lifted Vivian’s chin before turning her face to and fro.

“Don’t you want to enjoy a bloody good movie?”

Vivian was amazed at how bewildered she was by the Lady’s words. Everything that the Lady had said seemed to be some sort of a test against Vivian herself.

“You, act as Alexia Britton in my stead.”

Vivian’s own surprise seemed to leave herself speechless. Even as Vivian dared to sneak a glance over the Young Lady’s face, she didn’t look away at all.

“You look quite similar to myself and also to my physique.”

Nevertheless, she was frowning at Vivian rather than looking at her.

“The face is disparate though. I’m just glad that the person is temporarily blind.”

By the time she finished, she went back to her seat while relaxing both of her tensed hands. On the other hand, Vivian was still in a state of confusion.

Acting? Was that all you had to say?

“If I may ask, what do you mean by looking at me like that?”

“Instead of me, you are going to meet the monstrous Grand Duke—as a Britton.”

Vivian’s face was tinged with bitterness as the Young Countess had casually ignored her. If it was one of the Brittons, then it was just until a little while ago that she had been one of the people who were working for them.

Recently, the monstrous Grand Duke had to suffer from a grave illness that had been identified to be an aftermath from enjoying too much human flesh. The rumors revolved around him were still terrorizing the masses yet, they also passed by as “word of mouth”.

Vivian was also one the masses.

She thought that she was in an insouciant situation where she had nothing to do with it. Therefore, the task hit Vivian like a thunderbolt as she was just laughing and even enjoying herself before with the rumors announcing the monster’s killing spree.

“If, if it’s about the monst—Grand Duke, isn’t it My Lady that was supposed to be in his fiancée’s place? How could I…”

“It’s fine. He never had the time to face his fiancée anyway.”

Alexia uttered as if there was no problem at all.

“When I heard about the betrothal, I thought that I was going to have a terrible fever and then, it hit me. Look at this, my horrible face. Aren’t I pitiful? So, you are to go there in my stead.”

As she was talking, she suddenly gave a frown.

“By the way, you are so filthy. Don’t you know that you smell? Have someone washed her all up.”

Vivian’s eyes flickered at the Young Lady’s surprising words. It was not before long when she got surrounded by the maids. As she tried to resist, they had her restrained before dragging her to the bath.

Vivian could not bring herself to scream as she had entered a large bathroom that was only used by the Lady rather than having her bath with the small barrels that the maids were used to. She had only realized that she was in a torturous state when an unfamiliar touch was cleaning her skin as she was soaking herself in the water.

Still and all, her body was soon lathered in an aromatic perfume and her hair was also done lustrously with scented oil, which was usually used on the Young Countess’ body.

In less than an hour, Vivian had been scrubbed clean from head to toe.

She was sitting upright in front of Alexia when she was still deemed to be unsatisfactory. Nevertheless, she was already cleansed from her original appearance.

“But, you’re still quite unpleasant.”

Alexia remarked as she brought out a hat from her closet.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Especially those freckles of yours.”

At that moment, she placed a large brimmed hat on top of Vivian’s small head. As the attached lace had made it quite difficult to distinguish her face, a satisfying smile spread across Alexia’s face.

“This is good enough.”

Vivian carefully opened her mouth as she listened to Alexia’s humming and wondered if the Young Lady was feeling delighted.

“…My Lady.”

“No, not ‘My Lady’.”

Vivian sank horribly as she was reprimanded.

“You are Alexia from now onwards. The Young Countess, Alexia Britton.”