Transmigrated: I Became My Nemesis's Woman

The car finally came to a halt before the Emerson mansion. But as soon as Xander and Taylor stepped out, their brows furrowed in confusion.

Butler Rupert, along with the rest of the servants—and even Freda—were all standing outside.

"Why are they outside?" Xander muttered, his gaze sharpening.

"What’s wrong? Why are you all—" he began, but Butler Rupert quickly stepped forward.

"Master, the young master has—"

"What happened to the young master?" Taylor cut in, stepping forward urgently.

A bad feeling settled in his chest. Ever since the attack, he had suspected something was off about Ivy—possession, trauma, something unnatural. And now, hearing that Leo was alone with her made his heart pound.

Noticing Taylor’s unease, Xander turned back to Butler Rupert. "What about Leo, Butler Rupert? And where is Ivy?"

"Master, the young master and Madam are inside. They asked us to wait outside."

The moment those words left his mouth, Taylor’s eyes widened.

"Ah... boss, I’m telling you—that witch is planning something with the young master."

The uneasiness within him only intensified at the thought of Leo being alone with her.

Butler Rupert frowned at Taylor’s remark. "Mr. Woods, that’s not what—"

"Butler Rupert, you don’t have to be afraid," Taylor interrupted confidently. "I had a bad feeling the moment I saw that woman this morning. But now that the boss is here, she won’t be able to hurt any of you."

The servants stared at him in utter disbelief.

Xander, however, was no longer paying attention to Taylor. A strange unease tugged at his chest. Seeing everyone outside while Leo and Ivy were alone inside only made his concern grow.

"Argh! Leo, where are you?!" Ivy’s voice suddenly echoed from inside.

Taylor stiffened instantly.

"Boss... we need to do something. That possessed witch is going to hurt the young master!"

He quickly grabbed a stick resting nearby and positioned himself behind Xander like a cautious cat.

Xander shook his head, while Butler Rupert and the others looked on in confusion. Without another word, he strode past them and pushed the door open.

Taylor silently followed right behind him.

***

Inside the mansion, Ivy stood in the middle of the living room, a blindfold tied over her eyes.

"Just where in the world did he go?"

Her senses were sharp, easily picking up the soft patter of footsteps darting across the room. It would have been effortless for her to catch the boy within seconds—but she chose not to.

After all, Leo had cleverly tricked her into playing this game, proving he had indeed learned from what she taught him earlier.

Now, it was her turn—and she was losing.

A small smile tugged at her lips.

Leo was clearly enjoying himself.

And surprisingly... so was she.

Raven had never truly experienced a normal childhood. So for once, as she found herself caught in this simple, playful moment, she didn’t have the heart to end it too quickly.

Ivy tilted her head slightly, lips curving with quiet amusement.

"Leo... I can hear you," she teased, taking a slow step forward, her movements deliberate despite the blindfold.

A soft thud echoed to her right.

She turned instantly.

There.

The faint shuffle of feet. The held breath. The tiny, suppressed giggle.

She lunged—but deliberately missed.

"Hehehe." A burst of laughter rang through the room as Leo darted away again.

"Hey! That doesn’t count!" he protested between giggles.

"Oh? Then come closer and prove it," Ivy challenged, her tone light, playful—softer than anyone had ever heard from her.

For a brief moment, the mansion felt... alive.

Normal. Warm. And then—

BANG!

The door slammed open. The sudden, sharp sound cut through the air like a blade.

Ivy froze, as her entire demeanor shifted in an instant.

The playfulness vanished and now her body went still—alert, dangerous.

Someone had entered.

Not Leo.

Her senses sharpened, locking onto a new presence. Heavy footsteps. A rush of movement. The faint scrape of something wooden—

Weapon.

Without a second of hesitation, she moved fast.

In a blur, Ivy closed the distance, her hand shooting out with precision as she grabbed the intruder by the throat and slammed him hard against the ground as a choked gasp tore through the air.

The stick clattered uselessly to the floor while Ivy pinned him down effortlessly, her grip tightening just enough to immobilize him—her knee pressing into his chest, her fingers firm around his neck.

"Who sent you?" she demanded coldly, her voice stripped of all warmth.

The man beneath her struggled, hands clawing at her wrist.

"Ghh—!"

His breath hitched as panic surged through him.

"T–Taylor?!"

Leo’s shocked voice rang out.

"Taylor?" Ivy stilled confusingly.

Taylor’s face had already turned red, his eyes wide with terror as he flailed beneath her.

"B-boss—! S-save me—! I—I can’t breathe—!"

The fear in his voice was real. Raw. Completely unfiltered.

Ivy’s grip loosened instantly. As if burned, she pulled her hand away and rose to her feet in one swift motion, yanking the blindfold off.

Her sharp gaze landed on Taylor sprawled on the floor, gasping for air like a man who had just escaped death.

For a split second silence filled the room and then—

"What... exactly are you doing?" Ivy asked flatly, her brows knitting in faint irritation rather than concern.

Taylor coughed violently, clutching his throat as he rolled onto his side.

"I—cough—I was saving the young master from you, you crazy woman!"

Leo blinked, looking between them, then burst into laughter.

"You got caught so easily!" he said, pointing at Taylor.

Taylor looked utterly betrayed.

"Y-you call that ’caught’?!" he wheezed. "She almost killed me, young master!"

Ivy crossed her arms, unimpressed. "If I wanted to kill you, you’d be dead."

"That’s not comforting at all!" Taylor snapped weakly.

But then they notice another person standing by the door in sheer silence.

Xander.

He stood there, watching the scene unfold—the scattered stick, Taylor on the floor, Leo laughing, and Ivy standing in the center of it all.

His gaze lingered on her while his mind replayed, noticing the shift.

The woman who had just been playing... and the one who reacted like a trained predator within a heartbeat.

This wasn’t the first time he had seen Ivy act in reflex. First it was to save him and then fight his men. She had a strange way of surprising him. And every time she acted like that, he found himself staring at her, surprised.

Ivy, on the other hand, turned to face him, her expression returning to its usual calm indifference.

"You’re enjoying it, aren’t you?" she asked, as if she hadn’t just nearly strangled his assistant moments before.