Page 11 of The Villainess Chose Naps Over Death Flags

"He gives Caroline anything she wants materially," Lumi continued. "This room, her clothes, her jewelry—he told his steward to provide her with whatever she desires. He just... keeps his distance."

Carol looked around the insanely opulent bedroom with new understanding. "This isn't love. This is a bribe to stay away from him."

"Pretty much," Missy confirmed.

"Well," Carol said, squaring her shoulders. "That's about to change. If I'm going to survive this, I need to turn my marriage from hostile to... at least neutral. Friendly would be ideal."

"How are you going to do that?" Lumi asked.

Carol smiled. "The same way I got promoted three times at Sterling Capital Markets. Strategic niceness, competence, and making myself invaluable." She walked back to the windows, looking out at the beautiful grounds. "First, I need intelligence. I need to know the layout of this estate, understand the household dynamics, and most importantly..." She turned back to the sprites. "I need to observe my husband. Figure out what makes him tick."

"You're going to spy on him?" Missy perked up. "Okay, NOW we're talking!"

"Not spy," Carol corrected. "Conduct reconnaissance. There's a difference."

"Is there though?" Lumi asked, but she was smiling now.

"In the corporate world, we call it 'understanding stakeholder priorities,'" Carol said with a straight face. "I'm just gathering information to better serve my... partnership."

"You're going to spy on him," both sprites said in unison.

Carol didn't dignify that with a response. Instead, she started planning. "I'll explore the estate today. Get the lay of the land. See where the Duke spends his time. Maybe catch a glimpse of him from a distance—nothing creepy, just basic information gathering."

"The household staff is going to be shocked when you actually leave your rooms voluntarily," Lumi noted. "Caroline rarely did that unless forced."

"Good. Let them be shocked. It's the first step in showing I'm different." Carol felt energy building inside her, the same energy she used to get before tackling a difficult project at work. "I can do this. I survived quarterly reports, hostile meetings, and a boss who threw staplers when he was angry. I can survive being in a fantasy world with death flags."

She turned to look at herself in the mirror again. The beautiful face of Caroline Vanthorn looked back at her, but this time Carol saw it differently. This wasn't a death sentence. This was a challenge.

And Carol Reed had never backed down from a challenge in her life.

"Alright," she announced. "New plan. I'm going to treat this like my job. Except instead of a cubicle, I have a palace wing. Instead of business casual, I have designer gowns. Instead of coffee breaks, I have tea in the garden. And instead of a difficult boss..." She smiled at her reflection. "I have a husband who is immune to poison, can manipulate matter with his mind, and is called The Butcher of the North. How hard can it be?"

"That sounds really hard," Lumi said quietly.

"Definitely doomed," Missy added.

"You both have so much faith in me," Carol said dryly. "Now, I need to—"

A knock at the door interrupted her.

Carol froze. "Who's that?"

"Probably Daisy and Millie," Lumi said. "Your personal maids. They usually come to help you dress around this time."

Right. The two loyal maids. The ones who actually liked Original Caroline despite everything.

This was going to be interesting.

"Come in!" Carol called out, trying to sound natural.

The door opened, and two young women in maid uniforms entered. One was petite with dark curly hair and bright, expressive eyes. The other was taller with straight auburn hair pulled back in a neat bun.

Both of them stopped short when they saw Carol standing in the middle of the room, fully awake and seemingly alert.

"My lady!" The petite one exclaimed, her eyes widening. "You're awake! And out of bed! Are you feeling alright?"

Daisy and Millie—Original Caroline's memories supplied their names easily. Her two personal maids from home.