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John Burbom was an ordinary man born into a baronial family, fortunate to be a noble vassal of Marquis Gwendolyn. While their fief was not as extensive as those owned by other nobles, Gwendolyn was generous; many barons often had no fief at all. As the only son in the Burbom family, John was assuredly set to inherit his father's title without any issues.

Since his coming-of-age ceremony two years ago, he has been working in the finance department of Gwendolyn's family, earning a flawless reputation for honesty and integrity. John was recognized for his sense of responsibility. His calm and unambitious nature made Marquis Gwendolyn confident that he would be a suitable match for his youngest daughter, Eleanor. Eleanor was known for being reclusive, struggling with communication, and disliking crowds—precisely the opposite of the usual noble ladies who thrived in banquets and tea parties.

Therefore, the Marquis decided to hold a small engagement party for the two, attended only by close family, before Eleanor left for the academy. He feared that during his absence, other nobles might target her selfishly. He wanted Eleanor to live in peace, free from the ambitions of others.

The Burbom family rejoiced at this engagement, recognizing it as an opportunity to elevate their status. John vowed to work harder and maintain his composure, determined not to bring shame to the Gwendolyn family as Eleanor's fiancé.

However, in an unexpected turn of events, John—the seemingly reliable young man—was seen dancing in the imperial palace's grand hall, hand-in-hand with Cecillia, the only daughter of Duke Emmeline, just moments before the announcement of the Crown Princess Selection Tournament. This left Eleanor Gwendolyn standing alone in the center of the hall, abandoned and vulnerable as if discarded by her fiancé.

John's appearance with the heroine marked the beginning of the main story, heralding the start of Eleanor Gwendolyn's miserable fate—the body I now inhabited.

'... How could I forget him?' I thought, feeling my body grow cold and weak as my mind struggled to recall everything associated with the character John, Eleanor's fiancé.

Unfortunately, Eleanor's memories offered little else aside from the engagement ceremony, as if they had scarcely met after that prominent event. My head began to throb.

"Ugh...!" I moved my stiff fingers to massage my temples, which were aching from the effort to remember Eleanor's perspective on John Burbom.

'Why are there no significant memories? Isn't this your fiancé, Eleanor?!!' I lamented internally.

"Lady!" Tina reacted immediately, grabbing a handkerchief to wipe the beads of sweat that were beginning to trickle down my forehead.

With a heavy sigh, I attempted to steady my erratic breathing, realizing I had panicked and lost control of my expression in front of the maids.

"Oh my! My Lady, should I call a doctor?!" The two younger maids reacted slightly later than Tina, both shocked and alarmed.

I hurriedly shook my head, secretly exhaling my anxiety while trying to offer them a reassuring smile.

John Burbom...

'I had thought his name was rather simple for a noble. Did my brother give him a random name, considering he was merely a temporary conflict character destined to be disposable?' I pondered, which helped soothe the chaotic thoughts in my mind.

Straightening my posture, I elegantly resumed sipping my tea, which effectively eased my troubled mind.

"I overreacted a little; I apologize for startling the three of you," I said with a bittersweet smile.

"There's no need to apologize, My Lady. It's our fault for speaking inappropriately in front of you while you're unwell. We are willing to accept punishment!" Tina and the two younger maids quickly knelt before me, trembling.

They believed it would be preferable to face Eleanor's reprimand than suffer the consequences from the Marquis and Marchioness, whose punishments could be far more severe.

I frowned in disapproval. "Don't do that. My head will ache even more if you stay down like that. Please sit up again," I said softly, yet firmly.

Tina and the other two maids looked up, noting my calm expression, their focus drawn to my furrowed brow as I endured the pain.

"... We are deeply grateful for your kindness and magnanimity, My Lady," they replied, swallowing hard in silence.

They slowly resumed their positions, still lowering their heads in quiet submission, fearful of saying anything that might worsen their lady's headache.

"So… what rumors have you heard about my fiancé?" I broke the silence on the balcony, causing the three maids to turn and stare at me stiffly, like robots.

The two younger maids shook their heads inwardly, hesitant to speak. They were afraid of saying anything that might worsen their lady's condition, fearing they would be blamed for it later.

'Help us, Tina!' Adel and Erin silently pleaded with Tina, believing that her words would lessen their lady's distress, as she was her personal maid.

Meanwhile, Tina cursed her coworkers under her breath for placing this heavy burden on her alone. Yet she recognized that it was her duty, having been by their lady's side the longest.

"... He… Sir John was rumored to have wandered around the slums a few years ago," Tina finally said.

"A few years ago?"

'That means when Eleanor was still at the academy? This detail isn't mentioned in the novel...' I thought, maintaining my calm demeanor, though my heart raced.

'Is this the first sign that John began acting up, targeting the heroine? Perhaps this was deliberately left out of the novel because it was deemed an unimportant detail?'

"Yes, he was often seen lurking in the same area repeatedly. Initially overlooked, people started to recognize his presence and became suspicious of him."

I carefully absorbed Tina's words, comparing them to the events narrated in World For Her, but found nothing particularly alarming about the rumors.

Taking a deep breath, I nodded to myself.

"What did he do that turned his visits into rumors, even after all this time?" I asked, adopting an innocently curious tone.

'I need to gather information myself; I can't rely solely on the contents of the novel,' I concluded calmly.

"That's because Sir John still frequents the area. At least the local residents say he visits the slums every month."

I tapped my index finger rhythmically on the glass table, nodding slowly.

"Do those people know where he goes? There's no way they wouldn't follow him once they recognized his identity," I replied softly.

Caught up in the tone of our conversation, Adel blurted out without thinking, "They said he visited a brothel."

"...!"

Tina instantly covered Adel's mouth with both hands, her eyes wide in panic as she glared at her. She silently scolded Adel, her expression conveying, 'Are you crazy? Do you want to make Lady Eleanor pass out again from shock?!!'

The three maids directed their anxious, worried, and fearful gazes toward me, and even Tina signaled Erin to be prepared to fetch a doctor if my condition worsened after hearing Adel's revelation.

As for me, I froze for a moment, processing the information. Then I burst into laughter, unable to contain myself as I digested it like I had just heard the funniest joke of the year.

'Hahaha, a brothel?! John Burbom goes to a brothel?'

'He's an ordinary man with an inexplicable ambition to align himself with the noble elite. There's no way he would seek out lowly women in a brothel!'

'This explains why John Burbom left Eleanor, who would never inherit a title from the Marquis family due to her two elder brothers. That cunning John prefers the heroine, the only child of the Duke Emmeline, who lacks a son for succession.'

A smile involuntarily surfaced on my lips as I recalled that detail, which was fortunately included in the original plot.

"You serve the Gwendolyn family, known for their intelligence and wisdom handed down through generations. Therefore, you should be wary of believing baseless rumors, especially regarding my fiancé," I said softly, reprimanding the three young maids, who had previously lowered their heads but now looked at me in amazement.

"Understood, My Lady!" The three of them nodded obediently, still in awe of the rare, graceful laughter they had just witnessed—a sight they had never seen since beginning their service at the Gwendolyn household.

I offered a slight smile before setting my teacup down on the glass table. "Alright, you may leave. I've taken up too much of your time."

The young maids nodded in understanding and stood up in an orderly fashion.

"Also, I ask that you keep our conversation a secret from the others, alright?" I glanced at each of them, my gaze almost pleading.

"Don't worry, My Lady!" they replied in unison, eager to reassure me.

After all, they knew that if this reached the ears of the other servants, their reckless words spoken in front of their ailing lady would surely be reported to the Marquis and Marchioness. Such an outcome would result in severe punishment, a consequence they were desperate to avoid!

I smiled as I watched them swiftly clear the teacups and bow politely before leaving the balcony and my chamber.

Once they were gone, the smile that had graced my lips faded instantly.

'Even if John Burbom doesn't actually go to the brothel, he must have a specific place he frequents each month,' I pondered, recalling what I knew about him. But what could he be doing there?

'But if the rumors were true. The Marquis… my father wouldn't allow his daughter's fiancé to sully the Gwendolyn's reputation like that.'

This engagement should have been called off a long time ago.

But for now, at least I know Eleanor is still engaged, even though they didn't mention John at all. Could it be because of my accident?

I contemplated the possibility that the plot of the novel World For Her and the reality of this world might differ somewhat, yet it seemed improbable since the main story hadn't even begun.

'It's only been two days, and I'm already feeling stuck,' I thought as I began massaging my temples once more.