The moment I opened my eyes, I knew something was wrong.
The ceiling above me was unfamiliar—far too luxurious to belong to the tiny apartment I had lived in before dying. Crystal chandeliers glittered overhead while sunlight poured through enormous velvet curtains.
Dying.
Right.
I died.
I remembered it clearly now.
The sound of screeching tires.
People screaming.
Pain.
Then darkness.
"…Lady Alexandra?"
A soft voice snapped me back to reality.
I turned my head slowly and nearly screamed.
A maid dressed in a black-and-white uniform stared at me nervously.
"Are you feeling unwell, my lady?"
My lady?
I blinked several times before sitting upright. The bed beneath me was ridiculously soft, and the long silver hair cascading over my shoulders almost made me choke.
Silver hair.
No way.
No, no, no.
My trembling hands rushed toward the mirror beside the bed.
And there she was.
A beautiful girl with icy blue eyes, pale skin, and elegant silver hair stared back at me.
Alexandra Raine.
The villainess from Adeline.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
My voice came out weak.
Out of every possible person I could reincarnate as… why her?!
Alexandra Raine was one of the most hated characters in the novel. She was the daughter of Duke Raine, one of the most powerful nobles in the empire. Beautiful, talented, rich—
—and completely obsessed with Crown Prince Cedric.
Which led to her downfall.
Because the prince fell in love with Adeline Augustus instead.
I buried my face into my hands.
"This is bad."
No.
This was worse than bad.
I remembered every detail of the novel because I binge-read it two days before my death.
Alexandra publicly humiliated Adeline.
She spread rumors about her.
Destroyed her dresses.
Locked her in a freezing garden during winter.
And in the end?
She was executed.
Executed.
As in—head rolling on the floor executed.
I suddenly grabbed the maid by the shoulders.
"What year is it?!"
The poor maid looked terrified.
"My lady… it is the year 873 of the Imperial Calendar…"
Right before the academy arc.
Which meant—
I still had time.
I released the maid slowly before collapsing back onto the bed in relief.
Okay.
Calm down, Ahn Sun.
Think rationally.
The story hadn't started yet.
Adeline hadn't entered high society.
The prince hadn't met her.
And most importantly—
I hadn't bullied anyone yet.
That meant there was still hope for survival.
"I just need to stay away from the female lead," I muttered.
Simple.
Easy.
Perfect plan.
No bullying.
No harassment.
No execution.
I'd just live quietly with my ridiculous amount of money and avoid every major event in the novel.
Honestly, Alexandra was crazy for wasting this face and wealth chasing a man.
I mean—
If I looked like this in my previous life, I would've become an actress instead of dying from exam stress.
"My lady?" the maid called cautiously. "You seem different today…"
Different?
Of course I was different.
The original Alexandra would've already thrown a teacup at someone by now.
Before I could respond, another maid hurried into the room.
"Young Lady! The Duke requests your presence immediately."
My body froze.
The Duke.
Alexandra's father.
One of the coldest characters in the novel.
He loved Alexandra dearly but raised her harshly, which only made her desperate for affection from the crown prince.
I swallowed nervously.
"Tell Father… I'll be there shortly."
The maids bowed before leaving.
The second the door closed, I rushed toward the mirror again.
"Okay," I whispered to myself. "Step one: survive."
Then I paused.
"…Actually, step one should probably be learning how to walk in this dress."
Alexandra's room was absurdly huge.
No, "huge" wasn't even the right word.
It was the size of my entire apartment from my previous life.
The floor was covered in cream-colored carpets so soft my feet sank into them, and the walls were decorated with gold patterns that probably cost more than my college tuition.
I stared at everything with disbelief.
"So this is what being rich feels like…"
The original Alexandra had truly lived like a princess.
A dangerous princess destined for execution.
The thought immediately ruined my mood again.
I walked toward the wardrobe and nearly fainted.
Inside were dozens—no, hundreds—of dresses arranged by color. Jewelry sparkled under the sunlight while shelves of expensive perfumes lined the side.
Meanwhile, in my past life, I owned exactly three hoodies.
"This world is unfair."
A maid carefully approached me.
"My lady, shall I prepare your outfit for breakfast with the Duke?"
Breakfast.
Right.
I needed to act normal.
"Something simple," I answered instinctively.
The maid looked confused.
"…Simple?"
Ah.
Wrong answer.
Alexandra Raine definitely did not wear "simple."
"I mean," I corrected quickly, "simple… but elegant."
The maid finally nodded in understanding.
A few minutes later, I found myself squeezed into an outrageously expensive pale blue dress while maids worked on my hair.
"This feels like historical torture," I muttered.
"My lady?"
"Nothing."
One maid suddenly gasped quietly.
I stiffened.
"What?"
"Y-You smiled…"
"…What?"
The maids exchanged nervous glances.
"In the past," another maid whispered carefully, "you would usually yell during preparations."
Oh.
So Alexandra was that kind of noble.
Great.
I sighed internally.
At this rate, everyone in the mansion would think I got possessed.
Technically, they wouldn't be wrong.
After surviving the hair-pulling ritual known as noble preparation, I followed the maids through the enormous hallways of the Raine estate.
Servants immediately lowered their heads the moment they saw me.
Some even looked frightened.
…How horrible was Alexandra exactly?
The deeper I walked into the mansion, the more nervous I became.
Because I remembered the Duke clearly.
Duke Raine was cold, strict, and terrifying enough to silence an entire ballroom with one glance.
Even the emperor treated him carefully.
And unfortunately for me—
he was Alexandra's father.
The dining hall doors opened slowly.
A man with silver hair sat at the head of the massive table, calmly reading documents while drinking tea.
His sharp blue eyes lifted toward me.
The pressure in the room instantly changed.
This man was terrifyingly handsome.
No wonder the fandom called him "Dilf of the Century."
"…Father," I greeted awkwardly.
The Duke studied me silently.
Every instinct in my body screamed danger.
"You're late."
"I apologize."
The maids nearby looked shocked.
Ah.
Right.
Alexandra probably never apologized either.
The Duke narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Sit."
I obeyed immediately.
The breakfast table was large enough for twenty people, yet only the two of us sat there in silence.
The atmosphere was so tense I felt like I was attending a funeral.
I carefully picked up my fork.
Then froze.
Wait.
How do nobles eat again?
Before reincarnating, my diet mainly consisted of convenience store ramen and iced coffee.
Now I was expected to survive aristocratic table manners.
Fantastic.
I copied the Duke's movements carefully.
Slowly.
Gracefully.
Like a person who definitely knew which spoon was for what.
The Duke suddenly spoke.
"You seem different today."
My hand almost slipped.
"…Different?"
"You're quiet."
That's because your daughter got replaced by a sleep-deprived Korean student.
But obviously I couldn't say that.
"I simply didn't sleep well."
The Duke stared at me for several seconds.
Then—
"You no longer wish to attend the imperial banquet?"
I blinked.
Imperial banquet?
WAIT.
My memories finally clicked together.
This was the banquet.
The exact banquet where Alexandra first saw Adeline Augustus.
The beginning of the entire novel.
In the original story, Alexandra became jealous after Crown Prince Cedric danced with Adeline.
Then the bullying started.
Which eventually led to Alexandra losing her head.
My appetite disappeared instantly.
"No," I answered quickly.
The Duke raised an eyebrow.
"No?"
"I mean—yes. I do not wish to attend."
The entire room went silent.
One maid nearly dropped a plate.
The Duke slowly set down his teacup.
"Explain."
Because I enjoy living.
Unfortunately, I couldn't exactly say that either.
"I simply have no interest in social gatherings lately."
The Duke's gaze sharpened.
"Your obsession with the Crown Prince seems to have vanished overnight."
COUGH.
I nearly choked on air.
So Alexandra's crush was really that obvious.
"I was young and foolish," I said carefully.
Technically true.
The Duke stared at me for so long I started wondering if he could actually see souls.
Then finally—
"…Good."
I blinked.
Huh?
"The Crown Prince is not suitable for you."
Wait.
WHAT?
This was new.
The novel never mentioned this.
The Duke continued calmly, "A daughter of House Raine should not chase after someone who does not value her."
For a second, I forgot this man was terrifying.
Because underneath all that coldness…
he sounded like a father genuinely worried about his daughter.
"…I understand, Father."
Something in his expression softened slightly.
Only slightly.
Like maybe 0.1%.
Then the butler entered the room nervously.
"Your Grace, there is news regarding Baron Augustus and his family. They have arrived in the capital."
My soul left my body.
Adeline Augustus.
The female lead.
She was here.
The story had officially begun.
The Duke nodded calmly. "Prepare an invitation for the imperial banquet."
I almost slammed my hands onto the table.
Wait.
WHAT happened to not attending?!
"Father," I said carefully, "I thought I just mentioned I had no interest in social gatherings?"
"You do not have the luxury of avoiding them forever."
…That was annoyingly reasonable.
The Duke folded the newspaper neatly before looking directly at me.
"You are the daughter of House Raine. Your presence is expected."
I wanted to cry.
No.
I wanted to fake my death a second time.
But nobles apparently had responsibilities, and unfortunately I was now one of them.
"…Understood."
The Duke stood from his seat.
Even his movements looked expensive.
"I have business at the palace. Do not disgrace the family name at the banquet."
With that final terrifying sentence, he left the room.
The moment the doors closed behind him, I collapsed face-first onto the table.
"I'm doomed."
A nearby maid panicked.
"My lady?!"
"You don't understand," I groaned dramatically. "I'm walking straight toward my execution."
The maid looked horrified.
"I-I shall call a doctor immediately—"
"No!"
She froze.
I sat upright and forced a smile.
"I'm perfectly fine."
Mentally? Absolutely not.
The maids looked unconvinced but continued serving breakfast.
I barely tasted any of it.
My brain was already spiraling into panic mode.
The imperial banquet was one of the most important events in the novel.
That was where Crown Prince Cedric first noticed Adeline.
And where Alexandra publicly embarrassed herself trying to get his attention.
If I remembered correctly…
Alexandra wore a ridiculously flashy ruby dress and insulted Adeline for wearing something "plain."
Then the prince defended Adeline.
Then Alexandra got angry.
Then the fandom started hating her.
And then eventually—
Execution.
Why was every road leading to execution?!
I buried my face into my hands again.
Maybe I should just run away.
I had money.
Probably.
Couldn't I just escape to the countryside and open a bakery or something?
Actually…
Did I know how to bake?
No.
I couldn't even cook instant ramen properly in my previous life.
Hopeless.
Absolutely hopeless.
"My lady," a maid said hesitantly, "there is also another matter…"
I looked up weakly.
"What now?"
"The young ladies from House Valentine and House Everett have requested to visit this afternoon."
I froze.
Oh no.
Oh no no no.
Those were Alexandra's friends.
Correction.
Those were Alexandra's fellow bullies.
The villainess squad had arrived.
And if I remembered correctly, they absolutely hated Adeline later in the story.
One of them even poured wine on her dress.
I suddenly stood up so quickly my chair nearly fell over.
"Tell them I'm sick."
The maids blinked.
"My lady?"
"I'm dying. Gravely ill. Tragic condition. Very contagious."
"But Young Lady, you appear healthy—"
"I'm emotionally sick."
Silence filled the dining hall.
The maids looked deeply concerned for my sanity.
Honestly, fair enough.
I took a deep breath.
Okay.
Think positively.
Maybe things could still change.
This wasn't the original story anymore.
Because the Alexandra standing here now wasn't the same villainess from the novel.
I wasn't going to bully Adeline.
I wasn't going to chase the crown prince.
And I definitely wasn't going to die.
…Hopefully.
Still, one terrifying thought lingered in my mind.
What if the story couldn't be changed?
What if no matter what I did…
the ending remained the same?
A cold chill ran down my spine.
Outside the mansion windows, the bells of the capital rang softly in the distance.
The beginning of the story had arrived.
And somewhere in this enormous empire—
the heroine was probably smiling without knowing the villainess feared her more than death itself.