Ariana sat in the garden, waiting for her husband, her mind wandering through random thoughts. Her peaceful moment was interrupted when her child approached her with a sorrowful expression.

Seeing the concern on his young face, Ariana sensed that something was bothering him. She began with a simple question, “How was your sword training today?”

Her son, Ray, looked at her and replied, “Mother, today when I was learning sword techniques from father, I noticed his body was covered with deep scars, while the other knights didn't have as many.”

Ariana felt her heart clench at his words. Ray, barely eight years old, was already so aware of his parents' struggles. She could see how much he cared. Tears welled in her eyes, but she remained strong for him.

He continued, “Even though father has suffered so much, he always smiles at me and is kind to everyone. How can he do that?”

With a soft smile, Ariana gestured for Ray to sit beside her. “Ray,” she began, “I know it hurts to see those scars, but you should feel proud of your father. Those scars are not just marks of pain; they are proof of his bravery, of how hard he fought to protect this nation and us. Always be grateful to him. He’s not only your father, but he is also our sun, the king of our nation.”

Just then, a familiar voice called out, “What beautiful weather to spend time with family in the garden!”

Ariana knew that no matter how busy her husband, King Claude, was, he always made time for his family. She smiled and responded, “Ah, I was just waiting for my charming husband.”

King Claude joined them, and Ariana invited him to sit with them. The three enjoyed the calm of the garden, basking in the warmth of each other's company.

Ray, with a bright smile, suddenly asked, “Mother, Father, I want to know how you two met.”

His eyes were filled with curiosity. “Please, tell me your story.”

Ariana and King Claude exchanged amused glances, realizing their son wouldn't give up until he had the full tale. They both laughed, and then it was decided who would start first.

Ray turned to Ariana and asked, “Mother, how did you fall in love with Father?”

King Claude, playfully holding Ariana's hand, gazed at her with warmth. “Yes, my dear, I’d love to hear it too.”

Ariana hesitated briefly before agreeing. “Alright,” she began, “this story is full of drama. It might thrill you. When I was first told, I was going to marry your father, I was so scared... I decided to run away from my house.”

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Aisha, a 24-year-old software engineer, often found herself drained from overwork at the company. Her only solace came from indulging in comics and novels, her escape from a world that offered her little joy. As an orphan, she had no one to rely on, no family or close friends to turn to. The monotony of her life weighed heavily on her, and some days, she questioned whether there was anything left to live for.

One evening\, after a particularly exhausting day\, Aisha returned home feeling hollower than ever. She wondered aloud why she was even alive—there seemed to be nothing left for her. In an effort to distract herself\, she reached for a novel from her bookshelf\,*** My Life with You***\, a popular fantasy she had been meaning to read. The story quickly pulled her in\, so much so that she couldn’t put it down\, despite her overwhelming fatigue. Sleep tugged at her\, but the desire to continue reading was stronger.

Morning came, and by the time she reached the end of the first volume, there were only two hours left before she had to report to work. Exhausted, she finally surrendered to sleep, the book still clutched in her hands.

__

A voice echoed in the darkness, pulling Aisha from her sleep. A dull headache accompanied her as she opened her eyes, her vision still hazy. Before her stood an unfamiliar woman, her face etched with concern. The woman sobbed softly before saying, “Miss, you’ve finally regained consciousness.”

Panic seized Aisha’s body as she forced herself to sit up. Everything felt wrong. She took a deep breath, gathering the courage to speak. “What’s going on here?” she asked, her voice trembling.

The woman’s relief was evident as she quickly called out, “Miss is awake! We need a physician at once!”

Aisha’s mind raced. “Who are you? Is this some kind of play or drama? Where am I?”

“Are you alright, miss?” the woman asked gently, her voice filled with sincerity.

Aisha scanned her expression, desperately searching for answers. It didn’t seem like a prank, but fear gripped her heart. *Have I been kidnapped by some lunatics? * Panic surged\, urging her to escape before it was too late.

Without hesitation\, Aisha leapt from the bed and bolted for the door\, her only thought to find an exit. But her body\, weak and strained\, forced her to stop. As she looked around in disbelief\, it became clear she was in a castle. **How on earth did I end up here? **

Her mind began to reel as fragmented memories slowly surfaced. She remembered having a tiring day at work, then coming home to read the novel…

“What happened after that? Did I die while reading the book and end up here?” she whispered, fear gnawing at her.

Lost and confused, Aisha wandered aimlessly through the castle for hours, like a ghost searching for purpose. Eventually, she stumbled upon a pond and sat down by its edge. As she gazed at her reflection in the water, shock gripped her. The face staring back wasn’t hers. The reflection showed a young woman with pale skin, long black hair, and striking blue eyes.

**Did I somehow possess this body? ** She thought in horror. But then a more chilling question arose—**What happened to the original owner? **

Her thoughts were interrupted by distant voices calling out, “We found the young lady!” The words snapped her back to reality, and she turned to see a group of castle guards approaching. Among them was the same woman who had attended to her earlier.

The woman knelt before her; her voice filled with worry. “Miss, I was startled to see you running like that. Did I do something wrong?”

Aisha froze\, unsure how to respond. Then\, a terrifying thought crossed her mind: **Did I transmigrate into the novel I was reading? Am I the main character of My Life with You? **

But something felt off. In every transmigration story she had read, the protagonist would inherit the memories of the body they had taken over. But she remembered nothing. She was a blank slate, devoid of any knowledge of the life she now inhabited. Desperation clawed at her as she turned to the woman and asked, “My memory has been hazy since I woke up. Can you tell me who you are?”

Tears welled in the woman’s eyes as she replied, “Miss, it seems you don’t recall me either. My name is Rose. I am your personal maid.”

With a sorrowful expression, Rose continued, “You were bedridden for a month with a fever from an unknown illness.”

Aisha confessed that she didn’t remember anything about her life and asked Rose to help her piece together the fragments. As Rose recounted the details, Aisha’s suspicions were confirmed—she wasn’t the main character of My Life with You. Instead, she had possessed the body of Ariana Rencise, the infamous villainess of the novel, known for torturing the female lead. A villainess who was doomed to die a miserable death.

When Rose left, Aisha sat alone in the room, tears streaming down her face. Her heart ached as she realized the cruel irony of her situation. In her previous life as Aisha, she had endured so much pain, isolation, and hardship. Now, in this new world, she had been thrust into the role of a woman hated by everyone, a villain destined for a tragic end.

My life as Aisha was already so difficult, and now I’m Ariana Rencise, the Duke’s eldest daughter, notorious for her cruelty. What did I do to deserve this?

No matter what\, Aisha knew one thing—she couldn’t risk dying again. Returning to her old life held no appeal; there was nothing left for her there\, no family\, no friends. But in this new world\, as Ariana\, she was determined to survive. She didn’t know how Ariana had died or how she had come to possess her body\, but she silently promised herself and the girl whose life she had taken: **I will change your fate. I will survive\, no matter what. **

And with that resolve, Aisha—now Ariana—began to plot her path in this unfamiliar world, determined to rewrite the villainess’s story and carve out a future for herself.

 ARIANA RENCISE (21)

Height -166cm

_____

Aisha woke up the next day, still exhausted from the overwhelming realization that she had become Ariana. Her mind, clouded with disbelief, prompted her to punch her own face, as if testing if this was a dream.

"I can't believe this is real..." she muttered, wincing at the slight sting.

Her body, still foreign to her, felt unfamiliar and sluggish. She tried to move, but the elegance that Ariana’s body seemed accustomed to was beyond her grasp. It was like being trapped in a stranger's skin.

A knock interrupted her thoughts.

“Come in,” Aisha responded reflexively, her voice laced with an unintentional authority that belonged to Ariana, not her.

The door creaked open, revealing Rose, Ariana’s personal maid. She entered with a soft smile, bowing slightly as she greeted Aisha.

"Good morning, Miss. I’ve prepared your bath."

From that moment, Aisha realized just how vastly different this world was. Every task, no matter how small, was taken care of by the maids. She didn’t lift a finger. The maids even bathed her, styling her hair and dressing her up like a delicate doll.

As she looked into the mirror afterward, Aisha couldn’t help but chuckle.

"Rich and beautiful... I guess I could get used to this," she mused aloud, then quickly shook her head. "No, no, I shouldn’t think like that. Knowing my luck, it’ll all get jinxed."

Rose approached quietly. “Miss, about breakfast…”

Aisha composed herself and responded, “Bring it to my room. If anyone asks about me, just say I’m still recovering.”

The words felt bitter. “Ariana—that is, me—woke up from a serious illness yesterday, and not one family member has come to check on her. Not a single one,” Aisha muttered under her breath once Rose left the room. “I guess it’s for the best. I wouldn’t even know how to act around them right now. Avoiding them seems like the safest option for now."

As Rose went to fetch breakfast, the other maids silently moved about, cleaning and tidying the room with mechanical precision. Aisha sat at a reading desk, gathering her thoughts. She needed to understand her situation—what had happened to Ariana and where she was in the timeline of the novel.

She grabbed a quill and began jotting down everything she remembered about the world she was now trapped in.

____

 The novel’s setting came rushing back: a world where supernatural beasts and monsters existed alongside humans. Humans, suffering from unfair disadvantages, were eventually blessed by the gods with special abilities, and from those blessings, the Bloomers were born.

Bloomers—humans who possessed extraordinary abilities through the use of an energy source called ‘Mana.’ The strongest of them were deemed fit to rule, and so, for generations, the empire's emperors had all been powerful Bloomers.

Nobles, with their ancient bloodlines, typically inherited the most potent forms of Mana, and thus, they served directly under the emperor. Even commoners, if born with this gift, could rise to serve the empire.

The current emperor had five sons, with the Crown Prince, his second son, being the strongest. Crown Prince Caelum was a fire-type user, and as the novel's male lead, he was immensely popular among the common people. On one of his missions, he met the female lead—Ariana’s younger sister, Selene Rencise.

Selene was a special Bloomer from the prestigious Duke Rencise’s family, whereas Ariana, who hadn’t yet "bloomed," was seen as a failure. Consumed by jealousy over her sister’s abilities, Ariana began her descent into villainy.

As Aisha recalled, Ariana’s downfall was both tragic and swift. After a series of cruel acts against her sister, she was eventually married off to a tyrant prince from a neighboring country, her father having grown tired of her behavior. That was where Ariana’s role in the story ended—discarded and forgotten.

Aisha leaned her head on the desk, sighing heavily. “How do I survive this? I need to know which part of the novel I’m in. There was never any mention of Ariana being ill for a month. My brain’s melting.”

Her thoughts were interrupted by the soft knock of Rose returning from the kitchen, confirming what Aisha had already suspected.

“Miss,” Rose began, her voice hesitant, “no one has asked about your recovery.”

Aisha smiled wryly. "Just as I thought... No one cares about Ariana waking up."