Changing ingrained habits was not an easy task. Moreover, having lived freely until now, assigning meaning to every action, be it dining, speech, or gait, felt incredibly suffocating.
But I couldn’t just ignore it. Now, as Lady Clare Mackein, it was necessary to adapt. So, what did it matter if I couldn’t remember the last month? Adapting to my current life was challenging enough.
“Sigh, nobility isn’t just about living leisurely…”
I sighed deeply when I heard a knock at the door.
“Miss, the lady has requested your presence in the garden for tea.”
“Alright. No, I mean, I understand.”
Speaking down to the servants was another custom I struggled to get used to.
“Do you need help changing?”
“No, that’s fine. I can manage. I’ll be ready soon.”
“Please call if you need anything.”
I responded and rushed to the wardrobe. Nobles had to be formally dressed even at home.
Even if not meeting anyone, changing outfits at least twice a day was customary, and there was a specific dress code for having tea in the garden.
“The Mackein family is indeed wealthy.”
I smiled contentedly at the array of clothing in the wardrobe.
While adhering to formalities in every small aspect was uncomfortable and stifling, changing clothes twice a day was something I enjoyed. Wearing beautiful dresses I never thought I’d wear felt like a sweet reward.
“I never thought I’d wear such flowing dresses…”
Due to financial constraints and the nature of my work as a pharmacist, pretty dresses weren’t practical. The most important considerations for clothing were comfort and durability.
The colors were dark and deep, like ink, to hide stains from herbal concoctions. Bright-colored clothes were impractical.
Unlike my modest wardrobe, Clare’s was filled with various, luxurious garments. The fabrics were soft and high-quality.
There were dresses with lots of delicate lace and others embellished with small jewels. Even the seemingly simple outfits had intricate details.
I admired the delicate workmanship of the fabric while choosing an outfit.
“For having tea in the garden, light and airy colors… was it a blouse with ruffles and a long, pleated skirt?”
I selected an outfit for having tea in the garden as Ileina had taught me.
I chose a blouse with lace around the neck and ruffled shoulders, and a long, heavy skirt with pleats.
I carefully changed to avoid ruining my hair, not wanting to bother with having it restyled. I tied a ribbon around my waist and checked my appearance in the mirror. I was quite pleased with how I looked.
“Though, looking in the mirror feels like spying on someone else through a window…”
Every time I looked in the mirror and saw Clare’s face, it felt unfamiliar and awkward.
“I wish there was even a slight resemblance. How did I end up in this body when we look so different…”
Clare was petite and dainty. I felt almost 15 cm shorter than my original height.
The soft pink hair, reminiscent of flower petals, and her flawless, porcelain-like skin gave Clare an ethereal, fairy-like appearance. Her long eyelashes fluttered like butterfly wings with each blink. Her stunning beauty made every outfit suit her perfectly.
If I had worn those clothes, they would have looked awkward on me, maybe even ridiculous.
That’s why, every time I dressed up and looked in the mirror, it felt like playing with dolls. No matter what I wore, it always seemed to fit perfectly, making me gaze at my reflection in the mirror in amazement.
Suddenly remembering something, I felt the back of my head.
“There should be a big scar there…”
I had heard that Clare was kicked in the head by a horse’s hoof while saving Prince Daniel. The bleeding was so severe that it soaked the floor, so a significant scar should have remained, but I didn’t feel anything unusual.
“Now that I think about it, the healer exclaimed it was a miracle that the wound had healed. I was out of it at the time, so I didn’t understand what he meant. Was he talking about the scar on the back of my head disappearing? How strange.”
It seemed a miracle had indeed occurred, as the healer had said. Though my life was filled with too many strange occurrences to fuss over a scar not remaining.
“Coming back to life in another person’s body is the real miracle.”
Judging from my last memory of choking on the thick, hot smoke under the golden dragon grandfather clock during the fire, it seemed I had died in that incident.
Of course, there was the suspicion that I might actually be Clare and had created a fictional character named Jane the pharmacist due to a memory disorder after a head injury. Such cases do exist.
But my memories as Clare were non-existent, whereas my life as Jane was vivid, except for the recent month. It seemed too clear to be a delusion caused by a head injury.
Secretly, through a maid, I found out that pharmacist Jane did exist and had died in a pharmacy fire a week ago. The fire was so intense that even the body wasn’t found, completely consumed by the flames.
At the time of my death, Clare had been unconscious due to an accident, considered almost as good as dead by the healers. It’s no wonder the healer was ecstatic when I woke up.
My theory was this:
I died in the fire. But perhaps, due to a strong will to live, my soul, upon finding Clare Mackein’s soul leaving her body amidst her life-threatening accident, promptly took her place.
“To think I would seize someone else’s body… I didn’t know I was so attached to life.”
It was just a conjecture. Without anyone to discuss or inquire with, all I could do was guess.
“Miss, are you ready?”
Startled by the maid’s voice, I hurried.
“Ah, right! I shouldn’t be dawdling. Ileina is waiting. I’ll be right out!”
I donned a light purple bonnet and hastily tied a pink ribbon under my chin, stepping outside.
Since it was an inexplicable situation by any ordinary standards, pondering over it was futile. Focusing on life as Clare was the priority now.
The Mackein family’s garden was well-maintained, a pleasure just to look at. White peonies bloomed vibrantly. While peonies are commonly known for their red hue, they come in various colors like white, pink, and light purple.
The peony trees had broad, dark green leaves and grew to about knee height. While not highly fragrant, their elaborate appearance made them a popular choice for gardens.
“Peony bark is effective for pain relief, and especially beneficial for wounds with pus. After the flowers wither, I should collect and dry them…”
One reason I looked forward to tea time with Ileina was the abundance of useful medicinal herbs in the garden. Although preparing them myself would be laborious, the mere sight of the garden felt fulfilling.
It was like a lord gazing at a barn filled with harvested crops…
Satisfied, I surveyed the garden and headed towards a white table and chairs. Ileina was already seated there, under the shade of a large tree, making it a comfortable spot to linger.
I silently waited for the maid to pull out a chair, then sat down gracefully, a skill I had learned from Ileina.
In the beginning, even sitting was awkward. I’d perch on the edge of the chair or shift uneasily, but fortunately, I had now become quite natural at it.
Ileina watched me sit down with satisfaction, her eyes moistening as if my progress brought many thoughts to her mind.
She was strict and firm when teaching me etiquette, but otherwise, she was incredibly kind. It made me wonder if sister-in-law relationships were always this warm.
Clare’s brother, the Earl Shuri Mackein, was surprisingly stoic. With Ileina and Clare being the only women in the house, their relationship was exceptionally close.
My Ex-Girlfriend Is The Regent In The Female-dominant World (Male lead transmigrates to the matriarchal world)
Two years ago, Gu Sui picked up a homeless woman in ancient costume from the street.
Apart from occasionally claiming to be a princess from a female-dominant country due to illness, her figure, appearance, intelligence, and martial arts skills were impeccable.
Naturally evolving from roommates to girlfriends, as time went on, Gu Sui found it increasingly difficult to tolerate her queen syndrome.
“Mu Jiulu, can you stop controlling me inside and out? Let’s break up.”
Gu Sui made a breakup call, and since then, he couldn’t find any trace of her.
A year later, Gu Sui, who was planning to move, woke up the next day and found himself in a different place.
“Young Master, today is the day you choose your Wife-master through martial arts competition at Jade Dew Pavilion. Please get up quickly.”
Gu Sui: Who am I? Where am I? What am I doing?
As the only son of a general’s mansion in a female-dominant dynasty, the young empress personally issued a decree allowing Gu Sui to select his Wife-master through martial arts competition. Whoever could defeat him could marry him.
Gu Sui: “……”
He didn’t inherit the original owner’s martial prowess, so anyone could defeat him! And what the hell is a Wife-master?
Forced to come to Jade Dew Pavilion, the densely packed women below made Gu Sui’s agoraphobia act up, and his face was full of resistance.
Until he saw the Regent sitting on the second floor, with a smile on the corner of her lips, her eyes wicked and nonchalant.
Hmm… she looked a little familiar.
It turned out that the Regent also found him a little familiar.
Mu Jiulu fiddled with her bone clasp, her deep gaze locked on the man who was out of place in this world.
“Finally, I found you.”
Male transmigrates into female-dominant world
One-sentence summary: What goes around comes around, taking turns in the crematorium
