Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 137017 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 685(@200wpm)___ 548(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 137017 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 685(@200wpm)___ 548(@250wpm)___ 457(@300wpm)
All right. Three months. Whatever.
In this life, I had emerald-green eyes, long, golden brown hair, and the kind of face that would stop traffic, plus—and excuse me for saying it like this—one hell of a banging body.
It was a fantasy novel, after all.
I couldn’t say I was mad about it. I’d always wanted to try dying my hair darker, and having supermodel level looks would only help me in my quest to find a husband.
That’s right.
I was officially on the hunt for a husband.
I’d agonised over it for the last three days, but it was the only solution I’d come up with. If I was married or even engaged to someone else, then my father would have a difficult time agreeing to Grand Duke Kalon’s proposal. Although there was a chance that he could demand I marry him instead thanks to his high rank, my father could also offer my half-sister’s hand in marriage to fulfil the business deal.
I had yet to see Sophia since waking up, but the memories that had been left behind meant I had no love for my younger sister. In fact, I’d relish the chance to send her to the bitterly cold Stein with Kalon instead.
Let her freeze her murderous little butt off in my place.
“Are you sure everyone is out, Bella?” I asked, pausing at my bedroom door and peeking out.
She nodded. “Yes, my lady. The marquess is at the palace, the marchioness is at Duchess Trelawney’s tea party with Lady Sophia, and aside from Lord Edward who is still away at school, Lord Vincent and Lord Michael are at the knightage.”
Right. Edward was the youngest of us all at fourteen and had an aptitude for magic, so he was studying at the academy run by the Magic Tower. Sophia did next to nothing with her days except shop, gossip, and sup tea on her way up the social ladder, and my brothers Vincent and Michael were both knights in the royal order, although Vincent would soon leave to work with Father on the family business before he inherited the title.
This was my chance to get out and get back before they all did.
Not that running into Vincent would be all that bad. He was the only one of my four half-siblings who was nice to me, and that was probably because he was the heir. We were both different.
“Then let’s go!” I grinned at Bella and skipped out of my room, grabbing my skirt as I did so. I still wasn’t used to the manner of dressing here, but my thanks went to the author for having the fashion not be completely conservative.
Ankles weren’t considered sexy here, thank God.
There was no way I’d survive wearing floor-length dresses twenty-four-seven.
The previous soul had clearly felt the same way, given that a good portion of my wardrobe was fitted out with knee and midi-length dresses and skirts.
She’d had excellent taste. I hadn’t been much of a dress girl in my last life, but I couldn’t wait to dive into her wardrobe.
My dress today resembled a blouse and skirt more than anything, with a white off-the-shoulder bodice with short floaty sleeves and a light blue skirt that clinched in at my waist. The hem of the skirt was embroidered with a pretty floral pattern, and Bella had affixed a matching blue flower accessory to my hair.
I looked every inch the noblewoman, which was why I’d requested two cloaks from Bella earlier today.
I didn’t want to be recognised where I was going.
Not until I needed to be, anyway.
I got into the carriage with the helping hand of the coachman and took my seat. Bella quickly followed me, pausing only to relay my instructions of where to go to the coachman.
He glanced at me with surprise but said nothing as he secured the carriage door. Really, even him looking at me like that was cause for admonishment in this world given how strict the social hierarchy was, but I just wanted to get this show on the road.
Acting like the perfect noblewoman was going to be hard as it was.
“Are you sure that’s where you want to go, my lady?” Bella asked, fidgeting with her pouch in her lap. “It’s quite out of the way and not where you usually go.”
I nodded. “There’s something I need to find out. Do you have the cloaks?”
She opened the basket next to her and handed me one. “It seems dangerous.”
“Would I ever put you in danger, Bella?”
“Of course not.”
I smiled. “Then relax and trust me. I promise you that where we’re going is perfectly safe.”
“Yes, my lady.”
I understood her apprehension since the area that I’d instructed the coachman to take us to wasn’t the kind of place nobles walked around freely, but it was vital I went there today.
I had the one thing I needed to survive here—vast knowledge of this world. Information here was traded, and to get such a thing, one went to information guilds. They took on many shapes and sizes. Some were disguised as fancy tea houses, some were trading companies, and others were just downright hidden.