Chapter 2
It was the worst.
She had to feel the pain of death in full, and after that? Her next body could be anyone—man or woman, newborn or elderly—with her entire form changing at random.
Sure, she was a noble now, but what if she got unlucky and synchronized into a slave next time? She didn’t even want to imagine it.
‘So I can’t even die. I just have to wait it out, no matter what.’
In other words, until the system restored itself, she’d have to survive in this absurdly realistic dream world—or virtual world, whatever it was.
Survive first, complain later.
“Dreamcatcher!”
[Yes. I am listening.]
“Do I really have to speak out loud for you to answer?”
People didn’t talk to themselves unless they had mental issues. In all those regression or transmigration stories, the protagonists always had some kind of blessing or cheat to help them get started. And here she was, shouting “Dreamcatcher” like an idiot just to use a basic search function.
To anyone else, she’d look absolutely unhinged.
[You can assign a code name. Once set, you can call me simply by thinking it.]
“Register code name.”
[Please state the code name.]
“Dream.”
[Code name registration complete.]
At last, Eunchae felt a small measure of control return. Her breathing calmed.
‘Dream.’
[I’m here. Please select a function.]
‘Can you insert the contents of the novel The Broken Clockwork Doll directly into my memory?’
[User safety protocols are active. Memory manipulation is not allowed.]
‘So you allow full-body synchronization, but not that?’
[Mental and memory alterations pose ethical risks. User safety protocols are automatically activated.]
Memory manipulation…
Now that she thought about it, the system had a point. If a developer ever abused this, they could implant fake memories and ruin someone’s mind in an instant.
‘Then how do I view search results?’
[Pop-up windows visible only to the user will be provided.]
‘Start from chapter one, please.’
[Search complete.]
Just like a mini beam projector, a small pop-up made of light appeared before her, displaying text.
‘Dream.’
Before reading, Eunchae called the system again.
[Yes. Please select a function.]
‘Search for information on Eliana Acklera.’
Eliana wasn’t in the original novel. Since she was now inhabiting Eliana’s body, she needed at least basic info.
[Search complete.]
A second light-based window popped up, resembling one of those celebrity profiles from a portal site.
Search: Eliana Acklera
Name: Eliana Acklera
Age: 19
Image: Portrait
Nationality: Wespera Empire
Affiliation: None
Height: 159 cm
Weight: 38 kg
Note: Diagnosed with an eating disorder (anorexia). Residual toxic substances found in body. Health status: Critical.
The profile was the bare minimum—just basic facts.
‘Wow. Is that even an adult’s body weight? Oh… anorexia.’
The shocking stats made her glance down at herself—and suddenly, everything made sense.
‘Well, at least this novel world is fair in its own twisted way.’
Sure, she was gorgeous—but completely flat in the volume department.
Somehow, even a fantasy world managed to be realistic in all the wrong ways.
‘Dream.’
[Yes. Please select a function.]
‘Search for Duke Ascher.’
Having learned about Eliana, Eunchae was now curious about the Ascher Dukedom—the family she was supposed to marry into. The name seemed… familiar.
[Search complete.]
Search: Duke Ascher
Name: Michalis Ascher (Private)
Age: 27
Image: Portrait (Unavailable)
Nationality: Wespera Empire
Affiliation: Ascher Dukedom, Southern Navy
Height: 187 cm
Weight: 82 kg
Note: Inherited the title following the previous Duke’s death a month ago.
No official announcement has been made yet.
Current officially recognized Duke: Theopha Ascher
‘Twenty-seven? So, the Duke isn’t some old man after all.’
As she studied the search results, Eunchae felt the pieces start to fall into place.
This was before the original story had even begun.
‘So even restricted data is accessible? This might be more useful than I thought…’
But that one “restricted” tag—that was the real issue.
The original Eliana believed she was being sold to an old Duke infamous for his sadistic and perverse desires. The stress broke her, driving her into anorexia, and ultimately, she took her own life—never knowing she was to marry his son, not the man himself.
‘And of all people… it had to be Duke Ascher.’
The bigger problem? Duke Ascher doesn’t even appear in the novel until chapter 30. Worse yet, The Broken Clockwork Doll only has 33 chapters released and has been on hiatus ever since.
‘So I basically know nothing about him.’
Had she known, she would’ve picked a completed novel. Now, her knowledge of the plot was barely helpful at all.
It had been two weeks since synchronization when Eunchae—now living as Eliana Acklera—arrived at the Ascher Dukedom in the southern continent.
Her journey from the northern rural territory was long and grueling; there was no intercity portal in the countryside, forcing her to travel to a central city first to use the portal system.
‘Wow… this place feels like the Mediterranean.’
It was almost like an unexpected vacation. Freed from the brutal motion sickness caused by portal travel, Eliana had even forgotten her nausea, too busy soaking in the scenery.
Smooth, stone-paved roads stretched wide, lined by rows of white buildings, most with rooftops painted in various shades of blue. The view resembled European coastal towns she’d only seen in photos.
‘Are we getting close?’
“My lady, look—there’s the castle.”
Amy’s voice wasn’t exactly cheerful, as she still didn’t know the truth about the Duke’s identity.
“Yes… it’s beautiful.”
The carriage approached a massive white-walled fortress, built along endless seaside cliffs, with twelve soaring spires. It was called the White Shield, a fortress known for repelling countless foreign invasions—but from afar, it looked less like a military stronghold and more like a work of art.
As the salty sea breeze filled her lungs, their carriage finally stopped before the pearly white gates of the outer castle wall.
“Greetings, Lady Acklera. I am Iadis Concerto, aide to His Grace, Duke Ascher. From here, I will escort you.”
“Pleased to meet you, Sir Concerto. I’m Eliana Acklera.”
A man approached the carriage to greet them—clearly informed of their arrival. He was handsome, with delicate gold-rimmed glasses that suited him perfectly.
“Due to the long absence of a duchess in the household, the estate may feel somewhat stark. I apologize in advance for any discomfort.”
Upon entering the outer walls, Eliana could immediately sense that this was, indeed, a fortress.
Dozens of soldiers stood at intervals atop the high stone walls, their eyes scanning the coastline. Occasionally, knights passed by in neatly aligned formations, adding to the tense atmosphere.
“Ah, I see. Thank you.”
“The estate is divided into outer and inner castles. The outer castle is open to all verified citizens of the Empire. The inner castle, however, is accessible only to members of the Duke’s household, retainers, or invited guests.”
Riding beside her, Iadis offered a concise explanation of the castle’s structure.
“Please wait in the drawing room. His Grace will join you shortly.”
“Yes, of course.”
After escorting her from the gate to the inner castle’s drawing room, Iadis bowed and exited. A maid entered, pushing a trolley with cool refreshments and finger food.
‘So I’m finally going to meet him…’
The empty teacup across from her weighed heavily on Eliana’s chest.
This was still before the story had officially started.
[Steal the Duke before the heroine appears.]
That was Eliana’s first goal in this world—to survive.
‘I hope we can actually talk this through…’
Nerves crept up her spine. In the novel, Duke Ascher had no scandals and remained unmarried until he met the heroine.
No one knew how he’d react to a fiancée who had nearly died before they even met.
‘Well… at least the drink is cold.’
It wasn’t until ten minutes later that Eliana took a sip of her drink.
Some kind of fruit-infused sparkling juice—a blessing in the scorching heat of the southernmost region.
Had it been hot tea, she wouldn’t have been able to stomach it.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
At the soft knock, her brief moment of calm was instantly replaced by anxiety. She stood, her body tense.
“Lady Acklera, His Grace has arrived.”
“Eliana Acklera of the Baron Acklera family, at your service, Your Grace.”
As the door opened, Eliana instinctively grasped her skirt, lowering herself in a polite curtsy toward the man standing beside Iadis.
“It’s an honor to meet you. Michalis Ascher.”
A calm, unfamiliar baritone voice resonated through the room.
His tone was deep, smooth, and undeniably pleasant.
“You must be tired from your journey. Please, have a seat.”
Following his gentle prompt, Eliana sat and finally dared to lift her gaze to his face.
‘Wow… he’s insanely good-looking.’
He looked exactly as described in the novel. It was a face beyond anything she’d seen in real life, and her jaw nearly dropped.
‘Is this that “decadent charm” they talk about?’
His skin was tanned just enough, paired with neatly styled black hair. His cobalt-blue eyes seemed to pull her in, drowning her thoughts.
Broad shoulders, lean muscle, a physique like that of a refined predator—elegant yet dangerous. Her eyes drifted to the veins on his forearms, visible beneath the rolled sleeves of his crisp white shirt.
She swallowed hard.
He wasn’t just handsome.
He was devastatingly attractive. The kind of man for whom the word “sexy” was far more fitting than simply “good-looking.”
