Her father had recently died while testing his newest invention, a hot air balloon. Her brother took over his father's position and became the new Baron. He had already apprenticed with his father to become an inventor and spent most of his time in his lab. This may work in my favor! Alisa mused.
If Alexander was too busy to deal with his sister's debut ball and arranged marriage, then she could use this opportunity to sneak out and run away. She had no feelings for this new brother other than disgust at how he treated the original owner of this body. Then an idea struck her, He may just want to get rid of his sister quietly and marry her off without a debut! He could use the death of their father as an excuse not to throw a party since there was supposed to be a year of mourning.
He hated her enough to do it without caring how it would affect her reputation or how her new husband would treat her. All he cared about was getting rid of this eyesore and keeping the Count happy, so he would continue to fund Alexander's inventions.
I have to leave as soon as possible! I don't want to wait around and risk it! Alisa thought to herself
as she hurriedly finished her bath. She toweled off and wrapped her hair with a towel to let it dry faster. They had some version of a hair dryer, but she thought it might be too loud and did not want to wake her brother or anyone else who might stop her from running away!
Alisa packed her belongings as quickly as possible, but she didn't have much to take with her. Her brother really hated her, and even though she was the daughter of a Baron, he didn't give her any allowance and only bought enough clothes to keep up with appearances. She had a few jewels that had been the original mothers, so she packed them, thinking they might come in handy to help fund her escape.
She wasn't emotionally attached to anything in this world and could use anything to leave
and start her life over. Alisa had read the original novel many times while she was sick and loved how the main characters improved this world! Katie had helped Al to reestablish the Independent Nation of Kanta and made many contributions to their new home. Her sister Abby later came over and helped to bring entertainment and set up a school for the children. Blaise had helped train
their new army with warriors from Shibatsu.
Oddly enough, the original owner of this body was a distant cousin of the Du Ponts! Her mother had been a cousin of the Earl of Du Pont. Alisa thought about the Kanta region and decided it would be the best place to start her new life! It was less advanced than Stanarussi, but she could help them improve their technology. She had been a children's author in her original world and was also a great cook. She started to list all the improvements she could make in Kanta clan.
If she told Katie and Abby her secret of being a transmigrator from Earth, she hoped they would welcome her with open arms. They seemed like nice people, and she had a lot to contribute to their new society. They loved to incorporate things from Earth into this novel world! One thing that she thought of from the story was how much Katie missed the food from home. It just so happened that Alisa knew how to recreate condiments from scratch! She had learned how to cook by watching her grandmother and aunt. They used real herbs and ingredients when they cooked, so
she knew how to make the things that Katie craved, including mayo!
These thoughts lightened her mood considerably. She had a plan now! She packed and dressed as well as she could and quietly made her way to the lab. She chose the most comfortable looking dress in the closet. It was an ankle length purple dress with long sleeves. Why are there so many dresses? Where are the pants and shirts? I thought this was a steampunk kingdom, where are the leather pants and belts? She thought to herself as she dressed herself. She would have to buy some clothes once she escaped.
Her brother was asleep in his room, so now would be the best time to make her escape! She tiptoed past her brother's room and quietly opened the door to the lab. It made a slight click as the steam was released from the door lock. She held her breath for a minute and sighed in relief when she did not hear anyone stirring.
That was unexpected, but this world was different than her own. The steampunk aesthetic was
heavily used in this room! There were gadgets and gears everywhere she looked, and near the balcony was the hot air balloon! Her brother had been working on a steam-powered flying machine as an upgrade to this one, but it was not completed yet. Alisa decided to steal the functioning one and a few of the gadgets in the lab! She noticed the blueprints for the original and the new flying machine on a nearby table! Awesome! She nonchalantly rolled them up and added them to her knapsack!
Maybe once she arrived in Kanta, she could use the blueprints to help them set up an aerial defense army! She was happy at the thought of yet another contribution! Her thoughts were cut short as she heard someone coming down the hall. Alisa quickly gathered her things and started the balloon. She had read about them in her home world, one of her ancestors was the first women to ride in a hot air balloon! Reading about it and doing it were two different things!
She figured out how to light the brazier and waited as the gas started to inflate the balloon. Luckily, the balloon had not completely deflated as it was left on the balcony. She heard the door click and she quickly untied the balloon and jumped into the basket! Her heart raced with fear and anxiety.