The Double Life of a Wicked Woman

Admiring my tteokbokki-like appearance in the mirror, I spoke to Maya.

“Maya, thank you for your hard work.”

“Oh my, it’s such an important day today! It’s the day the young lady makes her social debut at the imperial ball for the first time!”

This was Elisabeth’s first time attending such an event since just coming of age. They called this a debutante, I think. It was said to be the most significant moment for a lady. And now, not Elisabeth herself, but me as Elisabeth was about to take that stage. This was… a little…

“Exciting, isn’t it?”

“Pardon…?”

“Oh, nothing. Just— it feels thrilling.”

“If I’m this excited, I can’t imagine how you must feel, my lady! Oh dear, time is already up. The carriage is waiting outside, so please hurry.”

“Yes. I have a feeling my feet are going to hurt when I come back…”

“I’ve already planned to prepare the bathwater~.”

I gave Maya a smile and left the room, taking in the extravagant sight of the Count’s residence. The chandelier, so luxuriously crafted, sparkled like raw jewels, and the wallpaper surrounding the hallway was a soft beige, but when sunlight hit it, faint silver particles glimmered. Was it pearl dust? Surely, even for nobles, they wouldn’t coat wallpaper with actual gem powder. But if they did… how much would all this cost?

As I walked, calculating rough estimates in my head, I reminded myself that Elisabeth was the only granddaughter of the Vincent family. That was probably why the Count’s household, despite being a Count’s estate, was so lavish. Maybe they really did coat the walls with gemstone powder—it wouldn’t be too far-fetched.

‘Saint Ozben’ described Elisabeth as a villainess indulging in luxury and debauchery, a witch who would spare no one who crossed her. Her signature symbols were extravagant jewels and dazzling dresses, with silver and red being particularly renowned as “Elisabeth’s colors,” firmly cementing her image as an arrogant villainess enamored with opulence.

The reason no one dared to speak against Elisabeth’s villainous acts was simple: the Vincent and Arlesia families, while overflowing with men, were short on women. Elisabeth, being the cherished granddaughter raised amidst this rarity, ended up as… Why. Just why!

“Ugh… Honestly, I’m jealous.”

Mumbling softly to myself, I stepped outside to find an impeccably decorated carriage. Once inside, the reality of being in the book’s Morrk Empire hit me even harder. The Morrk Empire. It was the grand empire established by the first emperor, Eiffel Senil Morrk, who unified four continents. In doing so, he demoted the royal families of the former kingdoms to marquis status, leaving only two ducal houses, granted to the founding contributors of the empire.

The Vincent family had declined the title, leaving only one Duke in the empire. That singular Duke was none other than Rat Arrahan, Saint Ozben’s romantic lead and the male protagonist of this book. He, too, was attending today’s ball, if I remembered correctly…

Neighhh!

The sudden halt of the carriage interrupted my thoughts. Scratching my head, I peeked outside to see what was happening. A deep blue carriage, the color of a serene night sky, passed hurriedly by, and through its window, I caught a glimpse of golden hair. It could only be Saint Ozben Luciella.

“Wow… So Ozben is attending, too.”

Saint Ozben, whose full name was Ozben Luciella, was the beloved daughter of the Marquis Luciella family and the protagonist of this book. Lauded as God’s chosen child, she possessed radiant golden hair, the imperial color, and emerald green eyes symbolizing harmony and reconciliation. She was known as the Daughter of God. Unlike Elisabeth, Ozben was kind—so kind it made one wonder if a person could be this virtuous. And tormenting this saintly Ozben was…

“…The role of villainess Elisabeth.”

After Ozben’s carriage passed, my own carriage resumed its journey and arrived 20 minutes late, by which time the ball was already in full swing. As I stepped out of the carriage, dressed head to toe in red, sharp gazes immediately pierced through me.

It was as if those eyes were saying, “Behold the infamous witch, Elisabeth Arlesia.” But such stares were nothing compared to the sly looks my bosses would give me back at work. And right now, I wasn’t Isehwa—I was Elisabeth, a villainess who would brazenly endure such looks and more. Well, I hoped I could manage. Thankfully, I remembered Elisabeth’s mannerisms, and since this scene was straight out of the original novel, I knew exactly what would happen next.

As I walked gracefully, my eyes landed on a golden-haired woman surrounded by a crowd. Ozben. Naturally, I approached her, only for the people encircling her to tighten their formation as if to say, “We won’t let you get near her.” Even the faint sight of her golden hair disappeared. And thanks to their stomping feet, the only thing I gained was the pain of my trampled toes.

‘Ugh, at this rate, I can’t even get close, let alone commit any villainous acts! This can’t happen—my readers are waiting for me!!’

Biting my lip, I raised my voice and called out her name. The sound of “Ozben” echoed through the hall, and the crowd parted like Moses parting the Red Sea. Smiling awkwardly, Ozben turned to me and greeted me with a shy bow.

“Oh my! Lady Arlesia! It’s a pleasure to meet you!”

The meeting of the saint and the witch. The onlookers seemed worried that I might taint her just by being near her, but ignoring their concerns, Ozben approached and took my hand, speaking again.

“I’ve heard so much about you! Oh, and…”

She seemed to notice something as she glanced over my attire. Her eyes landed on my slightly scuffed white shoes, and her gaze turned pitying. Somehow, her expression looked even more heartwrenching than a puppy’s mournful eyes. Probably because she was Ozben Luciella, the saintly protagonist of this book.

Her next action only confirmed how true to the original character she was. For a noblewoman, especially the daughter of a Marquis family, to lower herself to inspect the shoes of a Count’s daughter who had approached her was unthinkable.

“Are you alright, Lady Arlesia?”

“……”

Ah, what kind of reaction am I supposed to show here? Doing something villainous in front of such a kind person? This is making me feel so guilty! Can’t she at least leave some cracks in her armor or act kindly in a way that feels less overwhelming? That way, I wouldn’t feel this bad. I closed my eyes tightly, then opened them and spoke.

“…It hurts quite a lot. Everyone here seems to think I’m about to devour you whole, Lady Luciella.”

Yes, the real me. Good job! Doesn’t that sound a bit sarcastic? As if to confirm my words, Ozben looked genuinely apologetic, her face scrunched up in distress. She gently wiped the dirt off my shoe with her hand before straightening up. For a moment, the air around us grew silent.

“I’m so terribly sorry… What should I do? I’ll apologize on behalf of everyone here.”

Sister, don’t bow. Don’t bow, I said!

But Ozben didn’t hear my inner cry. Not only did she lower her head, but she bent her waist into a full 90-degree bow as she apologized. Instantly, every person in the hall turned their attention to the witch Elisabeth. Their expressions seemed to say, “Is this really something to be so upset about?” Feeling dizzy under their gazes, I swallowed hard, trying to steady myself. If I lose my composure over this, it’ll disrupt all the villainous acts I need to pull off in the future. Pull yourself together, Isehwa!

Ozben remained bowed, while Elisabeth stood elegantly in front of her. No one dared to say a word. Not because they feared Elisabeth, but because they were too dumbfounded to speak.

‘Haha, Elisabeth. How on earth did you endure all these stares? Don’t tell me… you’re an M, are you?’

Elisabeth loved attention. But I wonder—did she also enjoy these contemptuous gazes? I’m not sure. Regardless, it wasn’t me who had faced such stares; it was the infamous villainess of Saint Ozben, Elisabeth Arlesia. And now, I—a mere office worker and fangirl—had to perfectly portray this infamous villainess, Elisabeth Arlesia.

Although this situation was slightly different from the original, I was certain Elisabeth would say something like this to Ozben: “Because of you, my shoes are dirty. You should take responsibility.” She might even utter something harsher to wound Ozben. In the original story, after her first encounter with Elisabeth, Ozben had cried, and comforting her had become the male protagonists’ job. The problem was that, in the original, there hadn’t been any incident of her feet being stepped on, so I had no idea what to say in this scenario.

“Ah, this is so difficult.”

With Elisabeth’s distinctive raised eyes, I gave Ozben a cold stare. Despite Ozben’s face looking as though she was about to burst into tears, Elisabeth wouldn’t waver. So, I had to become that Elisabeth and speak to her. Slowly, clearly, and with as much sarcasm as I could muster, I said:

“It feels like my toe is broken. You’ll have to compensate me, Lady Luciella.”