Your Majesty, I’m Not that Man - Chapter 1: Preparing to Escape (1)

“Miss! Miss, are you awake?”

Lavinia blinked as she looked up at Maggie, her nanny, who stood by the bedside, her face pale with worry. Oh no. Of all places, it had to be here!

“You fainted in the corridor! I knew you’d been looking weak lately, but—”

Weak? Lavinia knew better. Maggie was simply fussing again, as she always did about her thin frame.

“I’m fine, nanny.”

Though her face had gone pale from the shock, she forced herself to maintain composure, sitting upright.

She was Lavinia Wendell, and her memories of living in this world were intact. But equally vivid were the memories of her previous life as Kwon Yoonhwa.

How could this have happened…?

She recalled the voice she had heard upon her death. It had to be the voice of the divine. That divine being had granted her desperate wish to survive, even if it meant being reborn in a book.

The deity had even fulfilled her wish to become a protagonist—but Lavinia hadn’t known that. By the time the divine being had spoken those words, she was already crossing into the world of the BL novel, The Emperor’s Lustful Prison.

Reborn as Lavinia Wendell, this wasn’t exactly transmigration in the strictest sense. But with her past life’s memories far more vivid than her current ones, it felt like one.

She still remembered everything about being Lavinia. Yet the sharp clarity of her memories as Kwon Yoonhwa made everything she had once accepted seem alien and unsettling.

Why did it have to be Lavinia? If I follow the plot and run away, the entire Wendell family will be doomed!

Even if Albert took her place and went to the emperor, everyone would still die—except for Albert’s biological father, Hans.

Lavinia was at a loss for words.

“To think they wanted to marry me off to Hans’s son!”

The sheer audacity of it was infuriating. Hans wasn’t just any servant—he was a low-ranking one. The highest-status servants in the duchy were often of noble blood, but Hans? He was a commoner, a man without even a surname.

Yet, Hans’s illegitimate son, Albert, born outside the duchy, had been passed off as the son of Baron Trid and adopted into the Wendell family. Worse, to claim Albert bore noble blood, he had been betrothed to Lavinia.

Her father, Duke Maxim Wendell, had orchestrated all of this, knowing full well the truth. Now that Lavinia could see things from her own perspective, she was overwhelmed with disgust and betrayal.

As a mere reader in her past life, it had been nothing but a story to her. Living it, however, was another matter entirely.

In Adalaxus, it was possible for a woman to inherit a title. Lavinia was the rightful heir to all that the Wendell family possessed. Yet Maxim not only gave everything to Albert but also intended to give Lavinia herself to him—all in the name of love.

“Some love that must’ve been!”

Even in the original novel, Maxim had saved only Hans, sending him away from the duchy when disaster struck. Hans, despite pretending to love Maxim, had merely used him to elevate Albert to the position of duke. Though Hans later regretted not being able to reciprocate Maxim’s feelings, that was their business, not Lavinia’s.

“I’m 23 now, and the engagement with Albert is still in place. I have no idea when the emperor’s decree to annul the engagement will come…”

The novel only specified that these events occurred when Lavinia was 23. There was no indication of the season, leaving her unsure if it would happen next month, the month after, or even later.

“Once the engagement is broken, the wedding will follow quickly. I have to act fast!”

The timing of her memories returning felt like a cruel twist of fate. Yet, it was also a small blessing. Lavinia was determined to save everyone in the Wendell duchy, no matter what.

Despite her deep disappointment and feelings of betrayal toward Maxim, he was still her father. And there was also her mother—a woman who had been pushed aside by Hans’s presence and left unable to fully embrace her role in the family.

“The original Lavinia didn’t know about these dynamics in the Wendell duchy…”

In her previous life, Yoonhwa had last been reading the moment when Albert followed Cassion to the palace, right before their first intimate encounter. She had debated whether to finish reading at the convenience store or wait until she got home when the accident happened.

“I hope that kid’s okay…”

The thought seemed ironic, considering her own circumstances, but she couldn’t help worrying about whether the child had witnessed the crash. It was a distant memory now—23 years in the past—but still vivid in her mind.

“…I’m feeling a bit tired. I’d like everyone to leave now,” Lavinia murmured.

“The physician will arrive shortly,” Maggie said, her voice pleading.

Lavinia shook her head firmly. She already knew why she had fainted: the shock of regaining her memories from her previous life.

No need to involve the physician for this, she thought.

“Really, I’m fine. I just fainted briefly, that’s all. When the physician arrives, apologize and send them back. Or, better yet, send someone ahead to tell them not to come.”

“…Understood, miss,” Maggie replied, her worry plain.

Despite her lingering concern, Maggie did as Lavinia instructed. After ensuring that the maids, servants, and even the nanny had all left the room, Lavinia let out a deep sigh.

Now, what was she supposed to do?

I can’t run away like in the original story. If I do, Albert will take my place, and things will unfold just as they did before.

Cassion had been portrayed as a tyrant in the novel, but his wrath was directed solely at the nobles and royals who had wronged him. Even with Maxim, he only threatened him to achieve his goals, never resorting to outright harm.

Those who renounced their titles and fled the empire were rarely pursued.

So, my only option is to marry the emperor. Then escape.

However, she couldn’t do it as his empress. She would need to become one of his concubines instead. It was entirely different for a concubine to escape than for an empress.

In the original story, Cassion had let a concubine who fled go without much concern. She was a princess from a small, distant kingdom offered to him as tribute.

Lavinia reasoned that her situation would be similar. A Wendell duchy lady, though noble, would be ranked lower than a princess from a foreign kingdom.

When the princess fled, her home kingdom was forced to pay a heavier tribute, but Cassion didn’t bother sending his armies after her. After all, he had countless concubines. People whispered that he let her go simply because she was a woman rather than a man.

As a woman, Lavinia believed she would also be overlooked as insignificant once she became his concubine. If she spent just one night with him and then bided her time, she could slip away unnoticed. After that, she could carve out a proper life for herself.

The Wendell duchy might face challenges after her escape, but it would be entirely different from Albert’s situation in the original story.

Still, to avoid the original outcome, she would have to drive Albert out before the emperor officially announced their engagement. While it might be difficult to get rid of Hans, expelling Albert would be far more manageable. Lavinia now understood exactly how Albert, a commoner, had been passed off as a noble adoptee.

With her mind set, Lavinia got out of bed. Since she had fainted suddenly, she was still wearing her everyday clothes.

As she opened the door, she startled at the figure standing just outside. The person had been about to knock when Lavinia pulled the door open.

“Leni.”

The sound of her familiar nickname on Albert’s lips made Lavinia’s brow furrow.

Albert knew the truth of his origins. He felt guilty toward Lavinia but could never admit the reality for fear of what might happen to his father, Hans. At the same time, his unrequited love for Lavinia bound him to her side.

Even so, when the original Lavinia begged him to run away with her, he hesitated. That was why the original Lavinia felt betrayed and fled alone.

“I heard you fainted. I was hesitant to disturb you since you were resting…”

Albert’s fumbling concern would have struck Lavinia as endearing in the past. With his black hair and gray eyes, Albert’s cold appearance belied his gentle and earnest nature. As the protagonist and the submissive in the original BL novel, such traits were fitting.

Lavinia could still vividly recall when Albert first came to the duchy. The beautiful boy with dark hair had been trembling with fear but couldn’t take his eyes off her. He had fallen for her at first sight.

But from the very beginning, Lavinia disliked him. To her, Albert was a thief—someone who had taken everything that rightfully belonged to her. All because he happened to be born a man.

“He’s not even a branch member of the Wendell family. He isn’t the son of Baron Trid either…”

Noticing her stiff expression, Albert seemed flustered. Lavinia had always treated him kindly, even if she didn’t like him.

In the original story, Lavinia had viewed Albert as a kind older brother figure, free from ulterior motives. But the reincarnated Lavinia saw him in a different light. Perhaps her past life’s experiences, though not consciously remembered, subtly influenced her perspective.

“Albert,” Lavinia said coldly, her voice sharper than a winter breeze. “I heard something terrible.”

Albert’s gray eyes widened, his breath catching. Lavinia clenched her teeth.

“Are you really Hans’s son?”

Albert stared at her, stunned, his lips parting slightly. Could he deny it? If Hans were present, he would have surely done so. But Albert, burdened by guilt, could never bring himself to lie. The original Albert had been softhearted and overly kind.

“My lady…”

Albert knelt before her, just as he had when he first entered the Wendell household, before becoming her betrothed.

“It wasn’t done with malicious intent. My father only did it out of love and concern for me…”

“You’re 24 this year, aren’t you? You came to this household when you were 14, correct?”

Her icy voice cut through Albert’s explanation. The corridor was empty, as Lavinia had instructed no one to disturb them.

“Ten years. For ten years, the Wendell duchy raised you as a legitimate heir. They even had the audacity to make you my fiancé—a mere commoner.”

“I am sorry,” Albert said, bowing his head so low it nearly touched the floor.

Lavinia looked down at him with a mix of emotions swirling in her chest.

“If I were to expose you and your father, it would cause a massive scandal for the Wendell duchy. Its honor would be dragged through the mud…”

Lavinia hesitated, weighing the consequences. If this truth came to light, it might tarnish the Wendell family’s reputation enough for Cassion to reconsider taking her as his fiancée. But on the other hand, Hans and Albert would likely be unable to survive the fallout.

The lives of the Wendell family versus the lives of Hans and Albert. The choice was clear—she would always prioritize the former. But at the same time, she couldn’t bring herself to condemn Albert, the protagonist of the original story, to death.

“I know I’ve committed a grievous sin, my lady! Please, I beg you… I’ll leave this household quietly with my father!”

“No,” Lavinia said firmly. “Albert, you must leave. Alone.”

“What?” Albert looked up at her, bewildered.

Albert stared at Lavinia with a look of shock and disbelief. Lavinia met his gaze steadily, her expression unreadable.

Albert might leave quietly, but Hans was a different story. His life, shaped by both his stunning beauty and the harsh realities it brought, had turned him into a broken, ruthless man.

Hans would undoubtedly try to manipulate Maxim to buy time, and in the meantime, he might even hire assassins to kill Lavinia and anyone else who knew the truth.

Lavinia doubted her father would protect her in such a scenario. This was the same man who had been willing to sacrifice his daughter to secure a future for his lover’s son.

“You know what your father is like,” Lavinia said, her voice cold and resolute. “If he learns I know the whole truth and plan to expel you, he’ll likely use the money he’s stolen from the duchy to hire someone to kill me.”

Albert’s shoulders stiffened at her words. Though kind-hearted, he wasn’t foolish. He knew Hans was fully capable of doing such a thing.

“Write a letter,” Lavinia continued. “Say you’re leaving because you feel ashamed of hiding your commoner origins. Don’t mention your father or the duke. As for Hans… well, he has enough money saved up to come after you if he wishes.”

Albert hesitated for a moment, then lifted his head. His face was filled with a quiet despair.

“When should I leave?” he asked softly.

“Right now. I don’t want to be deceived by you or your father any longer.”

A single tear slid down Albert’s cheek as he nodded. In the original story, Albert had loved Lavinia deeply. To be cast out without ever being able to express that love must have been heartbreaking for him.

“I understand, my lady,” Albert said, his voice trembling. “I’ll do as you say.”

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