New Life as Duchess Vivian Thornfield

Hana, now Vivian Thornfield, stood frozen in front of the mirror, her heart racing. She still couldn't believe what was happening. How could she end up in the world of a novel she had just been reading a few hours ago? Even worse, she had transmigrated as Duchess Vivian, the main antagonist and enemy of Damian Thornfield, a villain destined to destroy this world.

"This can't be... it can't be..." she whispered softly, her hands trembling as she touched the elegant face in the mirror. It felt so unfamiliar yet incredibly real. Her skin was smooth, and the gown she wore was heavy and luxurious. Everything felt like a nightmare.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

The knocking on the door interrupted her thoughts, jolting her back to reality. Quickly, Hana tried to calm herself.

"Madame, breakfast is ready," the servant's voice sounded again, more insistent this time.

"W-what?" Hana stammered, still lost in her confusion and shock. She stared at the door for a moment before taking a deep breath. Okay, she needed to think fast.

"Alright... breakfast... Yes," Hana responded with a firmer tone, trying to mimic the aristocratic manner she imagined Vivian would use in the novel.

Carefully, she walked to the door and unlocked it. A maid stood outside, dressed in a simple gray uniform with white lace trim. Her head was bowed respectfully, but there was a slight tension on her face.

"Madame Vivian, the Duke is waiting for you in the dining room," the maid said with a polite, albeit slightly awkward, tone.

Hana only nodded, trying to maintain a cold, composed expression even though she was filled with overwhelming anxiety inside.

"Very well," Hana mumbled softly, barely audible.

"Is there anything else Madame requires?" the maid asked, attempting to be courteous, though Hana could sense the awkwardness in her voice. It seemed like this maid wasn't used to seeing Vivian so disoriented.

"No, I'll be fine," Hana replied quickly, realizing her strange behavior might already be drawing attention. She needed to be more careful.

As they walked through the grand halls of the mansion, Hana couldn't help but take in every detail around her. The walls were made of white marble with gold accents, while large paintings lined the corridor. There were images of battles, portraits of noblemen, and stunning landscapes of the city.

"How much time do they spend cleaning all of this every day?" she thought, slightly impressed by the mansion's grandeur. But this grandeur also reminded her of the daunting situation she was in.

"Of course, it's a noble's mansion," she thought, trying to steady herself. "I need to be cautious. If I mess this up, things could go horribly wrong for me..."

The maid in front of her glanced briefly at Hana. "Madame, are you alright? You look... a little pale."

Hana snapped out of her thoughts. "Ah, I'm fine. Just... a bit tired."

"Would you like me to prepare some herbal tea to help you relax?"

"Herbal tea?" Hana pondered for a moment. "Yes, that might be a good idea. Thank you."

The maid bowed slightly. "I'll inform the kitchen, Madame."

They arrived at the dining room. The large wooden doors, intricately carved, creaked open.

CREEEAK.

Revealing a long table filled with lavish food. At the far end sat a man with a broad, imposing figure, dressed in a black noble's cloak adorned with the Thornfield family crest. His face was stern, and his eyes were sharp like a hawk's. This was Duke Marcus Thornfield, her husband.

Hana held her breath for a moment. This was an important moment. She needed to tread carefully.

"Vivian," Marcus called in a low, commanding voice, not fully turning from his meal. "Sit down."

"Yes, Marcus," she replied evenly, trying to mimic how Vivian would have spoken in the novel.

She sat at the opposite end of the table, and the atmosphere in the dining room felt tense. Hana could feel the cold stare from Marcus, as if it pierced right through her.

"You're late," Marcus remarked coldly, without even glancing fully away from his food.

"I... I was late because..." Hana searched for a reasonable excuse. "I wasn't feeling well this morning."

Marcus gave a slight nod. "Don't let it happen again. We must maintain our family's appearance, especially in front of the other nobles."

Hana swallowed hard. "Of course."

"Damian?" Hana finally mustered the courage to ask. This was perhaps the most important issue, even more so than interacting with Marcus. She needed to know where Damian was, the child destined to become the main villain.

Marcus glanced at her briefly before resuming his meal with calm indifference. "Damian is in his room. As usual, he refused to come down for breakfast."

"I see..." Hana nodded slightly, thinking quickly. She knew that the relationship between Vivian and Damian was terrible. Damian hated his stepmother, and Vivian had never tried to fix that relationship, at least until Hana had taken over her body.

Marcus suddenly stopped eating and looked at her sharply. "What's wrong? You seem... different this morning."

Hana was startled by the question. She needed to come up with a quick answer. "I'm just... a little tired. A lot on my mind lately."

Marcus only gave a small nod, seemingly uninterested in pursuing the matter further. "Make sure you take care of yourself. I don't want any problems in our family, especially with Damian already being a big enough issue."

"Damian isn't the problem," Hana blurted out, surprising even herself. But the moment the words left her mouth, she realized Marcus wouldn't agree.

Marcus raised an eyebrow, staring at her. "You're paying attention to the boy now?"

Hana paused, gathering her thoughts. "I just think... maybe there's another way to approach him."

Marcus scoffed lightly. "Damian has isolated himself for too long. You might think that, but I won't waste my time on it."

Hana bit her lip. She knew Marcus didn't care about Damian, but she couldn't let that attitude continue. "I... I might try talking to him."

Marcus only scoffed again before focusing back on his meal. "Do what you want. But don't waste my time with false hopes."

After breakfast, Hana left the dining room and made her way to the east wing of the mansion, where Damian's room was located. She couldn't delay this any longer. If she wanted to change Damian's fate, she had to start building a connection with him.

Arriving at the door to Damian's room, Hana stood there for a moment, taking a deep breath.

Knock knock knock.

No answer.

Knock knock knock. This time, she knocked harder.

"Damian, it's me... Vivian," she said as softly as she could manage, though she could feel the tension weighing down each word.

The door remained shut. Hana sighed, feeling that a gentle approach wasn't going to be enough. But she also knew that forcing her way in wouldn't help either.

Just as she was about to turn and leave, she heard faint footsteps approaching. From behind the door, a cold and soft voice spoke.

"I don't need anything from you. Go away."

There it was, Damian's voice. Hana held her breath for a moment, feeling a slight relief in hearing his voice, even though it was full of bitterness. She knew this was going to be difficult, but this was the first step in changing everything.