I Was Mistaken for the Reincarnated Evil Overlord-Chapter 54: Duchess Mary and her Boredom of a Legend

Duchess Mary of House Jade was drunk.

Again.

She lazily swirled the half-empty bottle of fine dwarven whiskey in her hand, watching the amber liquid slosh against the glass. The fire in the grand hall crackled warmly, casting a flickering glow over the luxurious, empty room.

She let out a long, dramatic sigh.

"Eighty years," she muttered, stretching out on the oversized couch, her long silver hair spilling over the cushions. "Eighty. Damn. Years."

Eighty years of being the Defender of the North.

Eighty years of repelling raids.

Eighty years of waiting for something interesting to happen.

Mary groaned, throwing an arm over her face. "I was ecstatic when I first got this job! The battles! The glory! The respect! And now?"

She waved her bottle vaguely at the air.

"Now I’m babysitting a peaceful border where nothing happens except trade disputes and the occasional drunken brawl between dwarves."

She took another sip.

It wasn’t always like this.

She still remembered her youth, when her name carried the weight of a war goddess. Back when the nobles of the kingdom tripped over themselves to gain her favor.

The duels. The declarations of love.

The letters.

Mary smirked, reminiscing.

Ah, those days.

Some nobles had dueled each other just for the chance to dance with her at a royal ball. Others had sent her extravagant gifts, trying to court her with promises of titles, lands, and riches.

And then, of course—

There was little Varian.

She chuckled, taking another sip.

That boy had sent her love letters every single week for years.

So desperate. So adorable.

But now that she thought about it…

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

He stopped sending letters two weeks ago.

She sat up, blinking.

"…Wait."

She never responded to any of them, obviously. But Varian was persistent. Why would he suddenly stop?

Did something happen?

Mary squinted at the ceiling, trying to recall the last bit of news she heard from the capital.

Nothing stood out. Just the usual politics.

Unless…

"…Oh."

She smirked.

"I think I heard something about him getting humiliated recently."

That would explain it.

Poor thing.

Mary grinned and took another sip.

Serves him right for being such a dramatic little brat.

Before she could dwell on it further—

Knock, knock.

A firm, precise knock at the door.

Mary groaned loudly. "Unless you brought more alcohol, I’m ignoring you!"

A pause.

Then a dry, familiar voice. "Duchess, a letter from the King."

Mary sat up properly this time.

"…Oh?"

She set the bottle aside and ran a hand through her silver hair.

A letter from the King?

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That could only mean one thing.

He was finally approving her retirement.

A wide grin spread across her face as she practically leapt off the couch, suddenly more sober than before.

"About damn time," she muttered, straightening her tunic. "Let’s see what took him so long."

She strode toward the door and swung it open.

Her butler, an older, impeccably dressed man, held out the letter with a neutral expression.

Mary snatched it eagerly.

Finally.

Finally!

She tore open the seal—

And froze.

Her smile twitched.

Her eye twitched.

She read the letter again.

Then again.

Then one more time.

The butler, still composed, cleared his throat. "Good news, my lady?"

Mary’s eye twitched harder.

She took a deep breath.

And then, in a booming voice that echoed through the entire estate—

"THAT—THAT SNEAKY, INFURIATING LITTLE—"

Mary’s rage was immediate and explosive.

She shook the letter in the air like it personally insulted her family lineage.

The butler, wisely, took a calculated step backward to avoid being caught in the impending storm.

Mary took a deep breath, then read the letter out loud with pure indignation.

To my dearest, most loyal, and definitely still capable Duchess Mary of House Jade,**

You may be wondering, ’Is this finally the letter that grants my well-earned retirement?’

No.

But it is something even better!

A promotion!

Mary stared at the paper.

Then at the butler.

Then back at the paper.

Her eye twitched violently.

"…I’m going to kill him."

She gritted her teeth and continued.

Since you have so graciously reminded me (over 200 times, I counted) that you have been ’lazily babysitting the north for eighty years,’ I have decided to relieve you of your boredom.

Rejoice! For I have chosen a replacement!

Mary paused again.

A flicker of hope shone in her violet eyes.

"…Wait. Maybe this isn’t so bad."

She scanned the rest of the letter—

And her hope died instantly.

However, my dear Duchess,

You are not retiring just yet.

You see, your replacement is… well, let’s call him ’a work in progress.’

He is a fresh talent. A blank canvas. A newly forged blade, untempered by the harsh northern winds.

In other words, he has absolutely no idea what he’s doing.

So,

You, my most patient and gracious Duchess, will be giving him the ropes about the north.

Mary’s eye twitched so violently it could have caused a minor earthquake.

The butler coughed politely, keeping his expression neutral despite the absolute chaos radiating from his Duchess.

Mary inhaled sharply and continued.

Now, I know what you’re thinking.

’Your Majesty, why must I, the great and beautiful Mary, spend my time babysitting some nobody?!’

Well, because I said so.

Mary ripped the nearest pillow off the couch and hurled it across the room.

The butler narrowly dodged it with expert precision.

Mary gritted her teeth and forced herself to keep reading.

If you do an excellent job training your replacement, and I mean an exceptional job, I might consider approving your retirement.

(Maybe.)

(Probably not.)

(But hey, it keeps you entertained, right?)

Mary’s hand clenched so tightly around the letter that it started crumpling.

She exhaled slowly through her nose, trying to suppress the urge to scream.

But the worst part?

The King’s final lines.

P.S. Before you throw this letter into the fireplace in a fit of rage—

Duchess, you are one of the strongest knights this kingdom has ever seen.

And despite all your whining, you love a challenge.

So do try not to pretend you aren’t already a little bit curious about who I’ve sent you.

Enjoy your new adventure!

P.P.S. His name is Darin. He’ll be arriving with friends.

Mary froze.

She slowly lowered the letter.

The butler, watching her expression shift, finally dared to speak.

"…Shall I fetch more whiskey, my lady?"

Mary tossed the letter onto the table, rubbing her temples aggressively.

"…Yes. All of it."

The butler gave a respectful nod. "Very good, my lady."

He turned to leave, but paused at the door.

"Ah. One more thing."

Mary glanced up, already tired. "What."

"The King also sent a small additional note."

He pulled out a second letter, much shorter than the first.

Mary snatched it and unfolded it quickly.

It contained only one sentence.

P.P.P.S. This is going to be hilarious.

Mary let out a guttural scream.