Chapter 2

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 2

Chapter Title: Lancelot Hotel

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The ship departing from Le Mont arrived at its destination after just ten hours. It was around the time the setting sun began painting the sea in shades of red.

The ruddy twilight, the vibrant bustle, the chaotic medley of voices. The panorama of Britt Kingdom's capital unfolded before Olivia and Anne as they stood on the deck.

"Look, Anne. It's Litton!"

Olivia shouted, pressing down hard on the brim of her bonnet flapping in the sea breeze with both hands. Anne turned her gaze in the direction her slender finger pointed.

In the distance, Litton's landmark clock tower shone brightly with its elaborate lights, instantly catching the eye.

Olivia took in the approaching city with eyes brimming with anticipation and curiosity.

Her heart raced. The depth in Olivia's gaze grew as she looked down upon this unknown world.

The moment she thought she had died, she opened her eyes to find herself in another world. A utterly commonplace romance fantasy she'd been idly reading.

And in that world, she had become Olivia Blanchett—the illegitimate child born of an affair from the Blanchett Earldom, the mere facade of a wife to the noble Duke Johann Leopold.

Han Jian remembered that woman's name.

A woman blinded by jealousy. A pitiable and foolish woman.

In the original story, Olivia Blanchett's love—something she had never truly received—ended in failure. Clinging foolishly to twisted emotions that couldn't even be called affection until the bitter end, she met her ruin.

'For the attempted murder of Clara Sinclair, and the commissioned murders by Diane Brooke and Matilda Fairbakes, the defendant Olivia Blanchett is sentenced to death.'

And so she resolved.

This time, she would survive.

Olivia gripped the handle of her trunk firmly as she gazed at the city bathed in sunset.

To her second life—may fortune favor it.

The passengers disembarked once the ship was ready.

After completing immigration procedures at the customs office, porters swarmed like bees.

A boy in a newsboy cap swiftly snatched their travel bags and approached Olivia and Anne.

"This way, ladies."

The two hurried after the boy as he darted off quickly.

The carriage stand was some distance from the pier, so by the time Olivia and Anne arrived, their faces were flushed and they were panting.

"Have a great trip! That's one penny."

The boy greeted them brightly in his clear, ringing voice.

"Thank you. I hope you have a wonderful day too."

Olivia smiled sweetly at his rosy cheeks and placed two bills in the boy's palm.

"You gave me an extra one."

The boy lifted his forehead beaded with sweat and offered back one penny.

"There were two bags."

Only then did the child grin bashfully, carefully folding the bill and tucking it into the inner pocket of his jacket before dashing energetically back into the crowd.

As the porter boy vanished from sight, Olivia turned to the coachman. She didn't notice Anne's eyes widening.

"Are we leaving right away?"

Olivia asked the coachman.

"We wait till it's full."

Olivia made an offer to the coachman, who replied indifferently while loading the bags onto the carriage.

"How much for a full carriage? I'll pay double. I'm tired and want to get to the hotel quickly to rest."

The coachman readily agreed to Olivia's gentle smile and opened the carriage door.

"Where to?"

"To Lancelot Hotel, please."

The carriage soon departed, and Anne silently stared at Olivia sitting across from her.

The young lady still gazed out the window in a daze, just as she had on the deck.

Even as Litton's harbor receded into the distance, gilded by the fading sun, she didn't tear her eyes away.

The young lady Anne knew had never handled money before.

Locked away in the Blanchett Earldom, she had no need for it. And after marrying Duke Johann Leopold, his assigned secretary handled all her expenses by issuing checks to merchants.

So Anne couldn't help but be shocked by how naturally the young lady had acted just moments ago.

Paying the porter boy, haggling with the coachman—those were things far removed from her world.

Yet seeing this utterly human, ordinary side of her brought Anne a sense of relief mixed with anxiety. It reminded her of the saying that people change before they die.

Anne quickly shook her head to dispel the ominous thought.

Exhausted from the journey, the two headed straight to bed after dinner upon arriving at the hotel.

Anne meticulously brushed Olivia's lush brown locks, now in nightclothes, gathered them neatly, and tied them into a single braid.

Olivia burrowed into the soft covers. Anne lay down beside her after finishing evening prayers.

"Good night, Anne."

Olivia's voice was already drowsy.

"Sweet dreams, miss."

Anne whispered softly.

Her own mother, once head maid of the Blanchett Earldom, would have scolded her for it, but since Mother wasn't here, Anne decided not to worry.

The young lady, who had miraculously survived falling into the lake, suffered nightmares on rainy days. Anne would rush in at her screams to find her soaked in sweat.

'Anne, will you sleep with me?'

The plea in her pale face was too earnest to refuse. And so they shared a bed.

How long had she slept when the fragrant breeze from the hotel garden wafted through the open window, carrying the gentle breath of dawn? Tickled by the breeze on her cheek, Olivia slowly opened her eyes.

In the quiet world seemingly lulled to sleep, Olivia cautiously rose and approached the window. The clear sky, like spilled cerulean paint, twinkled with a dawn star.

This sky, no different from the one in her original world, stretched endlessly, and at its end, perhaps lay the world where Han Jian had lived.

'I wonder if that person is safe.'

Missing him intensely, she recalled the man who had lightly tousled Han Jian's hair with his large hand and smiled.

"Miss?"

Startled by Anne's voice from behind, Olivia whipped around. Anne was propping herself up, looking at her.

"Sorry, I woke you."

"No. I always wake at this hour. It must be uncomfortable sharing the bed because of me. I can sleep on the floor."

"It's not you, Anne. The breeze felt so nice. That's why I woke. Come see, Anne?"

Olivia beckoned with a smile and turned back to the window. Anne smoothed her tousled hair, slipped on her slippers, and stood beside her.

"I love this time of day. And sunsets too. It feels like admiring the world's most dreamlike painting. See? Isn't it beautiful?"

The boundary between the crimson gaslight glow and the blue of predawn crumbled as the sun's red light began overpainting the world, starting from the distant sea where they had disembarked.

"It really is... beautiful."

The two stood motionless by the window for a while.

Johann Leopold, who had recently acquired a steel company, sat in his office chair, smoking a cigar and scanning the acquisition contract with irritated eyes.

He had bought it at a fair price, but one pesky fish had muddied the waters, forcing him to pay ten thousand pounds over his planned amount.

In other words, Johann was thoroughly annoyed right now, which meant his aide Morris, who had to report to him, was in a very awkward position.

Morris took a deep breath inwardly and spoke.

"Regarding Duchess Olivia Leopold—er hem. Correction: regarding Miss Olivia Blanchett."

Morris met the eyes of Johann, who glared up from his papers, cleared his throat a few times, and continued with difficulty.

"Miss Blanchett is currently..."

He couldn't get the next words out.

"Currently, what."

Along with the low growl came a look that said spit it out and get lost. Instead of answering, Morris placed the photo he held on the desk and quickly stepped back.

Johann picked it up to assess the situation.

In the sharply printed photo, the backs of two women entering a building—undoubtedly his ex-wife was one—but what immediately seized his attention was something else.

He snapped his head up, his fierce gaze making Morris stammer.

"As you see, she is currently st-staying at... Lancelot Hotel."

"Here?"

"Yes. That's correct."

Silence fell after Morris's reply.

After a few seconds, Johann's gaze slowly returned to the photo. He let out a shallow sigh, ran a hand through his hair out of habit, stared into space, then closed his eyes.

Since she couldn't do it under his nose, had she decided to stir trouble where he couldn't see? Otherwise, out of all the countless hotels in this tourist city, why this one.

Why Edgar Langcaster Lancelot's hotel, of all places.

Ah! So that's it.

Clear displeasure etched onto Johann's otherwise impassive face.

There was the answer to why she had come to Britt Kingdom, a place with no ties to her.

Edgar.

His mood, already soured by that bastard's interference in the steel company deal, plunged into the depths with his ex-wife joining in.

How had Edgar learned of this acquisition, which Johann had pursued in utmost secrecy?

Of course, he knew the man had eyes and ears planted around him, just as he did with Edgar.

But he had never imagined it could be Olivia Blanchett.

Since when.

The ash from the neglected cigar fell with a soft thud onto the desk from between his fingers. Once the seed of suspicion took root, branches spread uncontrollably.

Blood can't lie, is that it?

Johann opened his eyes.

"Monitor them thoroughly and find out what those two are plotting."

Johann gave a gesture that Morris could leave and looked back at the photo.

Olivia.

It seemed he had divorced her too easily. He should have handled sending away his wife more carefully and methodically.

A woman who claimed life held no meaning without his love—there must have been more when she brought up divorce.

Johann felt the need to ponder what he had overlooked.

The third morning dawned at Lancelot Hotel.

Olivia and Anne lazed in bed until they woke naturally, then headed to the first-floor cafeteria when hunger struck for a late breakfast-slash-lunch.

Anne sometimes worried idly that this peaceful routine might turn her into a slothful bear.

But as soon as the ornate three-tier tray she ordered arrived, she pushed her concerns aside and picked up her fork.

Following Anne's lead, Olivia enthusiastically took up her cutlery.

Now she had to live her life in this unfamiliar world. No longer as herself, but as Olivia Blanchett.

Nothing was set in stone yet, her future unclear, but she decided to take it slow.

For now, she had escaped Johann Leopold's shadow.

That alone was more than satisfying.

Spring desserts topped with plump strawberries filled the plates, wafting sweet scents.

"How did you find such a wonderful place, miss?"

Olivia had pored over a guidebook for tourists visiting Litton aboard the ship.

As she dipped a large strawberry into whipped cream and popped it into her mouth, she replied with a smile.

"They say the strawberry frais here is the best in Litton."

Olivia smiled brightly, chewing the strawberry.

In that moment, she looked to Anne like the happiest person in the world. Anne spooned some strawberry pudding into her mouth. Sweetness spread instantly.

Gazing at the young lady whose sweet tooth remained unchanged, Anne thought it fortunate that at least one thing hadn't changed.

After devastating the tray at a furious pace, clearing and tidying the table, the two sipped coffee, milk, and honeyed black tea.

A leisurely spring afternoon, with gentle piano melodies from the phonograph overlaid by drowsy sunlight.

The once-quiet cafeteria began filling with guests coming for tea after lunch.

That was when a group of noblewomen entered. One fretting over a dress for the Rose Ball gasped in surprise.

"Oh my, isn't that woman over there? The Duchess of Leopold."

The noblewomen's gazes snapped to where her fan pointed. A woman sat by the floor-to-ceiling window bathed in bright sunlight, laughing and sipping tea with her maid.

"Good heavens!"

It was unmistakably Olivia Blanchett.