Chapter 4.2

Chapter 4.2

She gripped the sofa’s armrests with both hands and pushed, and the heavy furniture slowly scraped back across the floor.

Creak—

A dry, grating sound echoed through the quiet room.

After pushing the sofa entirely into one corner, Luna took a deep breath, then carefully lifted the thick carpet laid beneath it.

Beneath it, the marble floor.

At first glance, it appeared to be an ordinary, flawless arrangement, but upon closer inspection, the edge of one particular section was subtly raised.

Luna placed her hand on it without hesitation and applied a slight pressure.

With a dull clatter, one of the marble slabs shifted slightly.

As she carefully lifted it, a hollow space hidden beneath the floor was revealed.

Inside, a beautifully folded Paper Crane lay neatly.

The moment she discovered it, Luna’s movements froze.

A Paper Crane. She knew its meaning all too well.

In the past, Luna had been an orphan, abandoned in front of an orphanage in Trannel.

One day, the Ruthenberg Marquis and Marchioness visited the orphanage for a volunteer effort. Seeing how strikingly similar Luna was to Adelia at the time, they brought her to the Marchioness Manor, and that fateful connection had persisted ever since.

Placed side by side, Luna and Adelia were astonishingly alike, so much so that when Luna was dressed similarly to Adelia, it was difficult to tell them apart at a glance.

That was when it began.

Adelia, who rarely showed interest in studies or etiquette, often tasked Luna with acting as her stand-in. And the signal she sent each time was a Paper Crane.

If a Paper Crane was placed somewhere in Adelia’s room, that day was when Luna had to become Adelia.

Fortunately, Luna found a strange fascination in the task.

As she diligently learned etiquette, speech, and posture, she gradually became adept at convincingly imitating a noble young lady.

In those moments, she truly felt as if she had become a genuine noble young lady.

Her young heart even harbored a subtle longing, but as time passed and their faces matured, such opportunities naturally faded away.

Gazing at the Paper Crane she encountered after so long, Luna suddenly recalled memories from that period.

Her heart pounded violently, as if it would burst at any moment.

The fact that all of this… had originated from Adelia’s hands became even clearer.

Luna carefully unfolded the Paper Crane with trembling hands.

Inside, a familiar handwriting was clearly etched, as if confirming her suspicions.

[Keep in mind that while the Grand Duchess position may look appealing, it is a very dangerous one.]

Becoming the Grand Duchess had pulled her far from the comfortable, tranquil life Luna had once dreamed of. To think all of this had been planned by Adelia.

Luna, who hadn’t once considered that Adelia might have deliberately swapped bodies, couldn’t help but be thrown into utter confusion. Her mind was as tangled and complex as a knotted ball of yarn.

Only then did the conversation they’d had the day before the wedding resurface in her mind.

Adelia’s meaningful words, all the scattered pieces, began to click into place within her mind, as if finding their proper positions.

Adelia, sketching on an easel with her chin propped on one hand, spoke with an air of nonchalance.

“Luna, you’re so lucky.”

Her pristine white canvas was filled with indecipherable scribbles and abstract lines.

Adelia had been doodling on that canvas all day.

And then, she abruptly addressed her maid.

Luna, the maid watering Adelia’s cherished potted plant, waved a dismissive hand.

“What? For Your Ladyship to envy me, of all people—anyone listening might think you’re mocking me.”

In truth, this wasn’t the first time Adelia had acted like this.

In such moments, Luna always brushed it off with a laugh.

“Mocking? Why would I? You’re free, aren’t you? I’m truly serious. It’s like… I’m forced to wear clothes that don’t fit me. I’ve always wanted to leave, Luna. But if I become the Grand Duke’s wife… I’ll have to live constantly mindful of my husband and the Imperial Family’s scrutiny.”

Adelia had stopped her scribbling, her gaze now fixed on the window.

Her mind seemed to be perpetually elsewhere. Her bright brown eyes appeared hollow, utterly vacant.

Luna, watching Adelia with a worried gaze, quickly shook off her unease.

She recalled hearing that women often felt uneasy and restless before their weddings.

It was, after all, akin to leaving their parents’ shadow to become the lady of a household and begin the second act of their lives, so it wasn’t entirely incomprehensible.

Luna replied to Adelia, offering her characteristically bright smile.

“Every young lady in the capital probably envies Young Lady Adelia.”

“Why?”

“Because you lack nothing—neither looks nor family—and you’ve even secured the most envied groom in the empire.”

“Then… you envy me too, don’t you?”

“Of course! If I could be a young lady for just one day, I’d have no other wish.”

Instantly, Adelia’s eyes shifted, taking on a peculiar, meaningful light. She asked Luna again, her voice slightly eager.

“Really? If you were me, how would you want to live?”

Adelia’s gaze, as she posed the question to Luna, held a strangely serious light today.