The prize for the most shameful death officially goes to me. I managed to die from a coma caused by alcohol. Even in the most distant thoughts, I did not imagine such a fate for myself.
I wasn't hit by a truck. My ex didn't ambush me or stab me outside the door. I just... I got drunk. Moreover, it happened right after I was dumped. It was probably the most ridiculous cause of death of all.
I was grateful that even in the body of the spirit I did not have to attend my own funeral. Otherwise, I would have died of shame again... Instead, I was immediately transported here. The next morning I woke up with a heavy head, as if after a long binge.
But it wasn't the alcohol that was bursting at the seams. In a matter of moments, a huge amount of information poured into my head. A bunch of shapeless memories of childhood and growing up of a girl I don't know. I've lived my whole life in just a couple of minutes.
To be honest, it was not the most pleasant experience. But then at least I started to understand what was going on.
So, it's been exactly a year since I was reborn in another world. What have I learned? At least the fact that I am now in the body of a character from the novel "Darker than Black". I found out about it completely by accident. When she unobtrusively asked the nurses what the name of this empire was and who ruled it.
My main suspicions have been confirmed.
Yes, you were not mistaken. Nurses. I came to my senses for the first time as a patient at St. Favonius Hospital. It was an elite medical facility for aristocrats. Despite the luxurious decoration, the atmosphere here was not the best. Most of the patients were seriously ill or elderly people with dementia who were sent here by their children. And I found myself in a similar place. A fragile seventeen-year-old girl.
I took over the body of Camille de Walt, a faceless character who wasn't even part of the extras in the novel. My name was not mentioned in any chapter. My father, the Duke de Walt, was one of the many dukes of the Empire. It was he and my older brother, the contender for the next duke, who sent me here.
In fact, if you are reborn as a descendant of a noble family in an Asian novel, you can have only two ways of developing events. The first, the most reliable, is that your family loves you unconditionally. You were literally born with a diamond spoon in your mouth. Your parents dote on you, and your older brother is ready to carry his younger sister in his arms.
The second case is the exact opposite. You will be ignored and insulted from childhood. Your father often doesn't care about your existence. And it so happened that of these two options, the last one fell to me.
It so happened that there were few happy families among the aristocrats. This was a consequence of arranged marriages, which were concluded on the basis of mutually beneficial cooperation. In other words, it's just a family business. There was no question of any love here.
However, until recently, the de Walt family was one of such rare exceptions. The Duke was quite a wealthy man. He had a wife, the first beauty of the empire. And the eldest son, the heir of the family, is a smart and talented boy.
Harmony and well-being reigned in their home. At least, until I ruined all that happiness. The Duke and Duchess were looking forward to the arrival of their youngest daughter. But who knew that it was these births that would take the life of a woman.
My mother died of complications during childbirth. Of course, the best and most magnificent woman in the three worlds was killed by a child like me. At least, that's exactly the conclusion these two smart guys were asking for. After all, they could not think of anything better than to blame the death of their wife and mother on the newborn child!
After the death of the Duchess, the head of the family was depressed for a long time. And my older brother never smiled anymore. With the departure of the mistress of the manor, everything seemed to have become gloomy and abandoned. And, of course, it was my fault again.
I clearly remembered that these two had hated me all these years. The Duke never called me his daughter. And Yufil just pretended that I wasn't there. They completely ignored my existence. And when I tried to get their attention, I invariably received insults.
Eventually, at the age of sixteen, I was sent to a private hospital for aristocrats for treatment. It so happened that I was born with poor health, and during my life I had to undergo several courses of treatment. This was supposed to be the last one. However...
I could do it at home. All that needed to be done was to call a doctor a couple of times a week and put the necessary ivs. But instead, my father was kind enough to send me to another place for treatment. Of course, it was just an excuse to get rid of me for a year.
It was during this period that I was reincarnated in this body. I came to my senses for the first time in a hospital bed. At first, it was quite strange to be here. To be honest, I'm not used to being in the hospital for a long time.
Since it was an establishment for aristocrats, everyone treated me well. I've always had the best food and service. However... Would you agree that nothing can make a hospital stay less depressing?
In any case, everyone wanted to get home as soon as possible. And I was no exception.
On the other hand, I had a whole year to get used to my new life. So now I felt completely at ease in the body of the duke's youngest daughter. In addition, at that time, this hospital, located on the outskirts of the capital, was one of the safest places in the empire.
Considering the chaos that was going on outside...
Walking through the corridors of the hospital, I kept eavesdropping on the conversations of the elderly. Since the only entertainment they had left was reading newspapers, they were animatedly discussing all the news among themselves.
— They say that the Crown Princess has killed someone again. At this rate, there won't be a single inhabitant left in our empire...!
— The dark army attacks cities and kills civilians, — the second one was indignant, — Why does the emperor just turn a blind eye to this?!
"Even if she is the crown Princess, is it possible to commit such crimes with impunity!!!"
Recently, the atrocities of Crown Princess Kaena Hessen de Ronan have become more frequent. The girl was wreaking havoc and destruction in her own empire. No one could control her. This explained the discontent of the residents about this.
— How long will this lawlessness last? — the old nobles complained.
— And don't tell me... So many innocent people have already suffered over the past year. When will our government finally come to its senses?
— This crazy woman... Are we really going to trust her to run the country? When that happens, our empire will finally fall.
"We can only rely on Her Second Highness!" Someone exclaimed, "She must save us all from this disaster!"
There were cheers.
Ha... As expected. The plot of the original novel was now in full swing. The Crown Princess was rampaging and wreaking havoc in the country. Several internecine wars have already occurred in recent years. The empire was at its limit and tired of the constant battles.
Amid all this strife, the second Princess Jerica was like a ray of light in the eyes of the common people. Most of all, people hoped that the title of crown Princess would go to her. The girls themselves have been openly feuding with each other for many years.
A couple of months ago, the emperor sent Kaena to defend the southern border, where the Ruthven Empire had a conflict with the neighboring empire. Therefore, there is a temporary lull here now.
In the current situation, a bloody battle between members of the imperial family was becoming inevitable.
It remained only to predict who would win.
People's opinions were divided into two camps. Despite the general support of the second princess, few people were sure that the Crown Princess would actually be overthrown.
After all, this girl was truly a monster.
I was the only one who wasn't worried about it at all. After all, I already knew what would happen at the end, thanks to the spoilers from the novel. Kaena will not be long before she pays for her sins and goes to the next world. Upon returning home, certain death awaited her.
I stretched lazily. After the death of the main villain, I will finally be able to live a full life.
The final part of the novel was about a month away.
Fortunately, despite the terrible content of the novel I got into, I was not hurt at all. Being in the hospital played into my hands in this regard. Now I was going to go home and continue to enjoy the luxury.
Today is the long-awaited day of my discharge.
"Lady, young Mr. de Walt has come to pick you up," the nurse announced as she entered my room.
It looks like my older brother has arrived. Well, it's about time. I remembered how this asshole bullied me as a child. I wonder if he has changed even a little now?
— Okay, I'm coming.
The nurses escorted me downstairs with all my things. For the first time in a long time, I wasn't wearing hospital clothes, but something else. It was a cute yellow dress with airy ruffles. The perfect check-out outfit.
Yufil de Walt was waiting for me on the threshold of the hospital. He didn't even go inside.
Our eyes met.
This handsome guy, who looked like a porcelain doll, was four years older than me. Slim, toned figure. Curly blue hair and light brown eyes. In fact, apart from the color of our eyes, we didn't look much alike. Probably because Yufil took after his father more, and I took after my mother.
Yes. A year later, the same cold mug. "You could at least smile a little at the sight of your younger sister!" The former Camille, who loved her brother very much, despite his bad attitude towards her, would have rushed to him with hugs. And he would have thrown her away in disgust.
I knew this well from their past relationship, which has always been like this.
But I wasn't that Camille anymore. I didn't care what that pompous youngster thought of me. Boy, actually, you and I are the same age inside. That's why I didn't see the need to stand on ceremony. At the moment, I was interested in something completely different. I finally found myself at "freedom". Wow, I've been waiting for this for a long time! What should I do first? I indifferently walked past Yufil without even saying hello. The man turned around in surprise.
We spent the rest of the journey in the carriage in silence. Yufil was sitting on one side of the cabin, and I was on the opposite side. We didn't communicate with each other. I stared out the window, blissfully dreaming of what a great future lay ahead of me.
To be honest, when I first realized that I was in this particular novel, I was terrified. After all, this is not a typical pink fairy tale — where in the end even the main villain repents of his sins and remains alive. In front of. You'll be lucky if you survive at all.
In this novel, the characters die like flies. You can go to an ordinary bar, where, without foreshadowing trouble anywhere, a random passerby will stab you with a knife. That's how the heroine's ally died. One of the central characters, the brave knight who accompanied Princess Jerica on her entire journey, unexpectedly died just before the finale.
Many characters died simply because they did not like the main villain, Kaena de Ronan. In other words, this world was like one solid minefield. One careless step and you're dead.
If I had been reborn as a commoner, things would have been much more complicated. I probably wouldn't even have lived to see this moment. But, fortunately, the Gods had mercy on me, and I became an aristocrat.
The youngest daughter of a not-too-famous ducal family. But it was enough to avoid money problems from childhood and lead a relatively carefree life.
By the way, that's exactly what I was going to do.
Now the capital and the entire empire were being terrorized by a Dark Army — the personal army of the Crown Princess, subordinate only to her. These people practically controlled the country from the inside. Because of this, it was quite dangerous to go outside now.
Considering the possibility of running into these villains, I definitely wasn't going to take any chances. It would be much safer to hide in the manor at such a time.
As I said, at first I thought I was terribly unlucky. It did happen to be reborn in an R-19 rated novel... but then I came to realize that my rebirth was actually a blessing. After all, where else could I get a lot of money without doing anything? And now I don't even have to work!
In my previous life, I could not be called a wealthy person. Since I was a teenager, I had to work hard to provide for myself and help my family. And now I finally have a long-awaited vacation. Perhaps it was a reward for all my efforts.
It remains only to wait for the end of the novel. When the main villain dies, the Dark Army will also be disbanded. Once that happens, the world will be safe and I will be able to spend money right and left. Isn't that real happiness?
Carried away by my fantasies, I did not immediately notice that we had already arrived. The carriage stopped in front of a luxurious burgundy mansion.
I remembered this place well from Camille's memories. She grew up here and at the same time suffered a lot of sadness and pain. This girl didn't even realize how lucky she was. It didn't matter that his father and older brother were such scoundrels. At least she can live in luxury and not starve like the majority of the empire's population.
And the family... After all, she is not chosen.
I got out of the carriage and took a deep breath of the smell of luxury. Ah... How wonderful.
"Hey, aren't you going to greet your father?" Yufil asked.
Just as I was heading towards the manor, he suddenly called out to me. I froze in disbelief.
— Why?
— Eh?
"He doesn't want to see me anyway."
My words puzzled the duke's eldest son. This was the first time Camilla had refused to meet her father on her own. Before that, the girl shed a lot of tears, even when she was leaving. A year ago, she wanted to stay at home until the last minute, but the duke wouldn't let her.
And now she's so indifferent to everything.
"If that's all you wanted to say, then I'll go."
And I just left. The guy looked after me with a puzzled expression on his face. "Since when did this whiny girl suddenly start acting so strangely?"
But I really didn't care. Usually, in such a situation, the main characters try to do everything possible to correct their situation. In other words, to win the love of your loved ones and attract them to your side. This formed the basis of the plot of most of these novels.
Her father and brothers, who hated this girl at the very beginning, are ready to give their lives for her towards the end. Many people were really interested to see this. To be honest, sometimes I also wanted to read something similar. Because in real life, this practically does not happen.
And now... Once in the "skin" of such a heroine, I suddenly realized that I was completely too lazy to do this. Wasting time on idiots who are not even able to realize that a baby in principle cannot be responsible for the death of an adult woman? It hurts.
The years of my life and the nerve cells were clearly not worth it all. So I decided in advance that I would just leave it as it is. Let them continue to hate me as much as they want. And I will enjoy my new luxurious life.
When I entered the house, I immediately remembered where my room was. A whole year has passed. I wonder if anyone cleaned there in my absence.
Passing by the living room, I saw a huge portrait hanging on the entire wall. It was my mother, Annette de Walt. A beautiful woman with blonde hair and noble features. She had big blue eyes like sparkling diamonds. It was no wonder that she was called one of the most beautiful women of the Ruthven Empire.
I looked very much like her. Except that because of my age, my face was more childish and doll-like. In fact, I couldn't tell if I missed "mom" or not. More precisely, I didn't know what it was like, because in my previous life I also grew up without her.
My mother left my younger brother and me and went to look for a better life in another country when I was not even three years old. Since then, we have been raised by a single father, who was far from the best parent. My father often drank and left us alone without supervision.
I've never had an example of a good family. That's why I'm not upset at all that I don't have it now. I've long been used to relying on myself in everything. Whether I'm the daughter of a locksmith or the daughter of a duke, I'll just live the way I've always lived.
Although, I must admit, I also did not feel much sympathy for the woman in the portrait. After all, she's the reason I've been bullied for years.
After standing by the painting for a short time, I went on.
When I got to the right floor, I saw that my room was still in good condition. It was quite modest, but cozy. I was happy to lie down on the big bed, arms and legs outstretched, as it is usually not appropriate for a noble lady to do.
Right now, I just wanted to take a break from recent events. And this is despite the fact that I have already spent a whole year in a hospital bed. After that, I could take a hot bath and relax.
I lay there until the evening. I didn't want to get up until the maid knocked on the door.
"My Lady, His Lordship invites you to dinner."
— Dinner?
Oh, right. Before, dinner was the only opportunity for Camilla to see her father. He was usually very busy and, of course, did not want to spend time with her. However, in memory of his late wife, the Duke preserved the long-standing tradition of their family - to gather at the table together.
However, it didn't feel like a real family dinner. The atmosphere was usually extremely tense and gloomy. No one talked during the meal, and poor Camilla was left out again.
— Tell him I won't be able to attend, — I said lightly.
— what? — The maid was very surprised.
Thinking that she hadn't heard me, I repeated my words to her.
"Are you really not coming down?" The maid asked, perplexed.
Camilla usually never skipped meals and always ran to the dining room first. Therefore, such an unusual behavior of the hostess clearly puzzled her.
— Yeah.
The girl swallowed.
— But... Then what reason should I give His Lordship?
— hm...
I've been thinking about it.
If you think about it, it was quite a long way from my room to the dining room. It would be easier to ask them to bring food directly to me. That's what I decided to do.
"Tell them it's too much of a burden for me to have dinner with them."
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