The main character was looking a bit more well fed, thank Christ. Lucy would have to really work on that malnutrition -- shit, how was she supposed to treat something like that -- but so long as she didn’t starve the poor girl, she’d turn out fine. 

“Girl.” 

The main character let out a squeaking sound befitting a small animal. Coupled with how cute she looked and Lucy could honestly say she knew why some of the male leads had been so drawn to her.

She was adorable, with big blue eyes, long blonde hair that went down to her back, and a natural blush to her almost chubby cheeks. She was small, petite, and yet had her fair share of curves. And the way the girl stared up at Lucy, eyes shining with apprehension and a faint shred of hope -- 

Everything about her just screamed, “cute cinnamon roll, too pure for this world”. Even Lucy, the one who knew better than anyone else how dangerous this girl could be to her, had to resist the urge to coo over her. 

She had always been weak to cute things. Why else would she have taken in six abandoned dogs and eight baby kittens back in her old world? 

God, she hoped her pets were okay. Were they fed? Had they been taken into good homes? Her asshole neighbor’s kid better not have thrown baseballs at them again.

Lucy’s new body, on the other hand, didn’t look nearly as cute. No, it was just smoking hot. 

Seriously, as evil as Lucille was in the story, she was drop dead gorgeous. Long silver hair that seemed to shine in the light, light purple eyes that almost glowed, beautiful unblemished skin, mile long legs, and a bust that wouldn’t quit -- she was stunning. The novel really didn’t do the woman justice. 

Seriously, out of all the jarring things that she had to get used to while she was here in this shitty novel, waking up to see a fucking supermodel in the mirror was by far the hardest thing to come to terms with. She wasn’t exactly ugly back in her home world, but compared to Lucille she might as well be. 

“Y-Yes, Lady Rabold?” 

“Duchess Rabold,” she corrected her, though not too harshly. “You would do well to remember the proper terms and phrases, stepdaughter. You are a part of the noble house of Rabold now.” 

The protagonist straightened up slightly and gave Lucy a determined nod. “I will!” 

“Now, I believe it would be polite for you to introduce yourself.” 

“Yes!” The protagonist hopped in place before lowering herself into a deep curtsy. Being who she was, she managed to get it completely right on the first try and without proper guidance. “My name is Mary Anne! It’s nice to meet you Duchess Rabold!” 

“Mary Rabold is your new name,” Lucy gently corrected her. 

Mary fidgeted in place. “S-Sorry! It’s just that --” 

“I know. Having a new name, a new identity can be jarring.” Lucy’s smile may have come out as a little bit bitter. “But you will come to accept it as your own in time. As I have.” 

She stood up from the couch and Mary hesitantly stood up with her. “Now, I believe my husband has given you a room, as well as a new wardrobe?” 

“Yes Duchess Rabold!” 

“If so, why are you wearing...this.” Lucy gestured towards the -- well they couldn’t possibly be considered clothes. Rags were more like it. 

In the original story, Mary wore nothing but commoner’s clothing for a good portion of the initial story. Lucille had ripped up all the new dresses and clothes her father had given her, lighting them with fire magic right in front of Mary’s horrified face. The only real times she got to wear noble clothing was during public appearances and events; and even then Lucille had made sure to make the dresses look as ugly and as unappealing on Mary’s frame as possible. While also destroying them afterward while Mary watched. 

And because Mary was basically in poverty before she got taken in by her new father, she only owned two dresses, a single pair of socks, and two mismatched shoes. All of which had been tempered by time and age, making them faded and torn. By the time the Deus Ex Machina Third Realm guy had flown in to make the story shitty, Mary was practically walking around naked. 

Lucy, not being a suicidal idiot, had taken pains to make sure that Mary’s closet was full of the best clothing she could get her hands on. She spared no expense, giving her everything from elaborate ball gowns to extremely comfy casual wear. She even threw in a few sets of male clothing, since Lucy recalled Mary crossdressing more than once over the course of the story. 

So why the hell was she still dressed in rags? 

Mary shrank in on herself, as though she were waiting to be hit. Lucy’s heart melted a little at the sight. “I’m sorry! I just -- it was all too fancy, too good for someone like me! I’m no one special and --!” 

She squeaked again when Lucy drew herself up and gave her a commanding look. “Mary. I want you to listen to me.”

She looked her in her eyes. “So long as you live in this household, so long as you carry the name of Rabold, nothing will be too good for you. You are the heir to the Rabold line. The Demonic Saint. Wielder of powerful magics. You are special, whether you like it or not.” 

The protagonist just trembled in place, looking overwhelmed and even more nervous than before.

It had been one of the more well written internal conflicts in the beginning of the novel. The protagonist’s struggle to come to terms with the new life she was living. She had likened it to waking up in another world, where everyone knows things you don’t, people seem to speak an all new language that you barely know, and all the while you’re struggling to catch up even as everyone seems to titter and laugh at you for trying. 

The protagonist had debated just giving up more than once, though one of her harem members always seemed to bring her back from the brink. 

Lucy wasn’t as nearly as lucky when it happened to her. Those first few months, waking up in a new world with a new body, had been true hell. 

So Lucy completely understood how Mary was feeling. Which was why, instead of saying the words she rehearsed the night before, she found herself laying a hand on her shoulder and saying, “I know this is overwhelming. I know that this all seems like it’s too much, too fast. But Mary?You can take all the time you need to adjust.” 

Mary’s eyes widened. “W-What?” 

“If you wish to dress yourself in… those clothes as a way of better coming to terms with your new station, then it’s completely fine. Take as long as you need to come to terms with things. Be it a day, a week, or even a month.” She felt her eyes soften, a smile coming to her lips. “Your father and I will be there every step of the way. So don’t worry. Just know that when you finally decide to wear proper clothing, that I’ll be happy to help you pick out the perfect dress.” 

Mary's eyes were shining, filled with gratefulness and relief. “D-Duchess Rabold…” 

“Duchess Rabold, you have a visitor. One Baroness Vangold.” 

Lucille’s personal butler arrived at the door, completely ruining the atmosphere and making Lucy realize that she had been holding Mary's cheek for some time now.

And also that three of Lucille's servant girls had been watching them the entire time. 

Shit.

She drew back, fixing the classic Lucille The Ice Bitch expression on her face once more. Acting as though nothing had happened, she nodded to her butler. “I see. While I’m gone, make sure to give Mary a proper tour of the estate. I don’t believe she received one yesterday.” 

“Of course, Duchess.” 

Lucy turned and gave Mary a small smile. “I do hope you keep in mind what I said, Mary.” 

Her eyes were still shining. “Yes Duchess Rabold! I will! And -- And thank you!” 

Lucy just nodded and left. Though outwardly she looked calm and composed, inside she was cursing herself. 

Dammit, she broke character again! God, you’d think after months of practice she would get this shit right!

It wasn’t like there was anything forcing her to act in character as Lucille. Lucy just found that things went so much smoother when she did. Her servants never went to the local priests to test for possession for one, and they didn’t send for a healer to see if she had sudden onset brain damage for another. Nor did they assault her with sudden and out of nowhere questions about her life and past to see if she’d been replaced by an evil clone. 

It’s been four months since those incidents and Lucy still caught the servants giving her suspicious looks when they thought she wasn’t looking.

Who knew that sudden and out of nowhere radical personality changes would be met with so much hostility? Lucy would’ve thought the servants and Lucille’s various minions and surviving family members would have been glad to see her act less like a colossal sadistic bitch! 

So Lucy had taken to acting like Lucille and gradually adding bits of her true personality in over time. It was easier that way, and seemed to be working since everyone had stopped bringing the priests and doctors over.

Sure she was still getting the occasional suspicious look -- like after she had that little heart to heart with the protagonist -- but it looked as though the people in her new life were slowly coming to accept the “new” Lucille. 

She entered the greeting hall and her guest a professional smile. “Baroness Vangold, how are you?”

The Baroness gave her a look that could freeze a forest fire. “Fine. Killed any puppies lately?” 

For the most part anyway.