Hope’s body felt heavy, weighed down by an unfamiliar discomfort. Her head throbbed with a dull, aching pain as she slowly blinked her eyes open, her surroundings foreign and strange. A young girl hovered by her side, her expression filled with worry.

"Miss, you're awake!" the girl exclaimed, her voice trembling. "Someone, please fetch the physician!"

Hope tried to sit up, but her body protested with sharp aches. Where am I? She thought, panic tightening her chest. Who is this girl, and why is she calling me ‘Miss’? **

Her mind raced with questions, but her throat felt dry, her voice lost. The pain was overwhelming, disorienting her further.

"Miss, are you alright?" the girl asked again, her maid’s uniform clearly indicating her role, though it only deepened Hope’s confusion.

Is this a dream? Hope wondered, her thoughts spinning. Some kind of elaborate joke? **

But there was no hint of humor on the girl’s face, no sign that this was a prank. Panic surged through Hope’s veins. What’s going on? **

Without another thought, she forced herself out of bed, fighting through the pain. Her legs wobbled beneath her, but she stumbled forward, determined to escape. She pushed open the door and found herself in a grand hallway. The walls were adorned with intricate tapestries, the floor lined with polished marble. Everything around her looked opulent, regal—and none of it made sense.

*This can’t be real…* she grasped at the remnants of her memory. She had been with friends at the market, crossing the street. A car. Yes, a car had hit me… After that, everything blurred into darkness. **

“What happened to me?” she murmured, wandering aimlessly down the hallway. Eventually, she came across a massive, ornate mirror and froze. Her breath hitched as she took in the reflection.

It wasn’t her.

The woman staring back at her had long, glossy black hair that tumbled past her shoulders, framing a face with striking blue eyes. The unfamiliar yet beautiful face confirmed her worst fear. *This isn’t my body…*

Her heart pounded in her chest. Who is this woman? Hope thought wildly. What happened to the real owner of this body?

Steeling herself, Hope turned back to the room, her mind buzzing with unanswered questions. She had to figure this out. When she re-entered, the maid stood there, visibly startled.

“Miss, I didn’t mean to upset you! I’m so sorry if I did something wrong,” the girl stammered, her face pale with worry.

Hope swallowed her confusion, trying to appear calm. "No, you didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just… I’m having trouble remembering things. Can you remind me—who are you?"

The maid’s eyes filled with tears. "Miss… I’m Shiri, your personal maid. You fell ill suddenly two days ago, and you’ve been unconscious ever since." Her voice cracked as she added, “Now you don’t even remember me?”

Hope’s mind raced. *So\, this body has been unconscious for days…* She took a deep breath, trying to think clearly.

“Shiri, I need you to help me,” Hope said, her voice firm but gentle. “I need you to tell me everything—everything you know about me.”

Shiri hesitated for a moment before nodding. “You are Miss Evelina Greystone, the eldest daughter of Duke Greystone. After the duchess passed away when you were young, you’ve had a difficult relationship with your family…”

Hope’s heart sank. *I’ve taken over the body of a Duke’s daughter…* The weight of the situation was beginning to settle in. She had read stories like this, but living it was something entirely different.

“Shiri,” she said quietly, “for now, I need you to keep this between us. Don’t tell anyone about… my condition.”

Shiri sniffled but nodded resolutely. “You can trust me, Miss. I won’t say a word.”

Before Hope could ask any more questions, a man entered the room—a physician, judging by the medical bag slung over his shoulder.

“How are you feeling, Miss?” he asked, examining her with practiced hands. “You’ve just recovered from an unknown illness. It was quite alarming—symptoms I’ve never seen before.”

“I see,” Hope replied, trying to keep her voice steady.

“I’ve prescribed some medicine to aid your recovery,” the physician continued. “Make sure to take it regularly and rest as much as possible.”

“Thank you,” she murmured, her thoughts distant.

Once the physician had left, Hope turned to Shiri. “I need to be alone for a while. Don’t let anyone disturb me.”

Shiri looked hesitant but nodded. “Of course, Miss.”

As the door closed behind her, Hope collapsed onto the bed, staring up at the ornate ceiling. How long am I going to be stuck here?

Her thoughts drifted to the name Greystone. Evelina Greystone… Where have I heard that name before? **

Suddenly, it clicked. Lovely Lady Selene!  The fantasy romance novel she had once read. The villainess of that story was none other than Evelina Greystone, the elder sister of the main character, Selene Greystone.

Hope’s hands trembled as she gripped the blankets. This can’t be happening. I’ve actually transmigrated into the villainess of a novel. **

She shook her head, slapping her cheeks lightly, trying to wake herself up from what felt like an impossible dream. But no matter how hard she tried, she remained in that grand, foreign room, in a body that wasn’t hers.

“There’s no doubt about it,” Hope whispered to herself, her voice shaky. “I’ve become Evelina Greystone…”

Exhausted by the whirlwind of thoughts and emotions, Hope couldn’t fight the drowsiness that tugged at her. Despite her best efforts to stay awake, her body finally gave in, and she fell into a restless sleep.

Hope woke up the next day, still exhausted from the overwhelming realization that she had become Evelina. 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 Evelina’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,” Hope responded reflexively, her voice laced with an unintentional authority that belonged to Evelina, not her.

The door creaked open, revealing Shiri, Evelina’s personal maid. She entered with a soft smile, bowing slightly as she greeted Hope.

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

From that moment, Hope 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, Hope 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."

Shiri approached quietly. “Miss, about breakfast…”

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

The words felt bitter. “Evelina—that is\, me—woke up from a  illness yesterday\, and not one family member has come to check on her. Not a single one\,” Hope muttered under her breath once Shiri 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 Shiri disappeared to fetch breakfast, the other maids silently moved about, cleaning and tidying the room with mechanical precision. Hope sat at a reading desk, gathering her thoughts. She needed to understand her situation—what had happened to Evelina 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—Evelina’s younger sister\, Selene Greystone.

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

As Hope recalled, Evelina’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 Evelina’s role in the story ended—discarded and forgotten.

Hope 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 Evelina being ill for a month. My brain’s melting.”*

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

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

Hope smiled wryly. "Just as I thought... No one cares about Evelina waking up."

As evening settled in, the grand double doors of Evelina's quarters creaked open, and Duke Lucius Greystone entered with an air of authority. His cold eyes surveyed the room briefly before they landed on Evelina. Rather than offering love or concern for his daughter who had just recovered from an illness, he sat opposite her with an impassive expression.

"Evelina," he said curtly, "how is your health?"

Hope, trapped in Evelina’s body, felt her heart sink. The lack of warmth from the man who was supposed to be her father stung, and she couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness. In her previous life, she had never experienced parental love. A thought crossed her mind: *If I change my image, will he finally show some affection towards me? Will he see me as a daughter?*

Lucius continued, his tone unchanged, "Your younger sister, Selene, is well known across the empire for her remarkable abilities and her contributions, especially after assisting the Crown Prince in the recent monster outbreak. You, on the other hand, should focus on recovering." He paused, eyeing her carefully. "Since you have little else to occupy your time, I will begin looking for a suitable partner. You are of the right age for marriage."

Hope’s heart skipped a beat. *This is it,* she realized. *This is the part of the novel where the female lead meets the male lead for the first time. I'm at the very beginning... which means I have about a year left until I’m married off to that tyrant prince.*

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice Lucius' gaze harden.

“Evelina, I’m speaking to you.”

His voice pulled her back to the present. Panic surged through her. She had to act—quickly. Without thinking, she slid off her seat and knelt before him, her eyes welling up with tears. "Father, I’ve wronged you. My sincerest apologies for all the trouble I’ve caused." Her voice trembled, the emotions spilling from her were genuine—partly because of Evelina’s guilt, and partly because of Hope’s own longing for a family. "But I don’t want to be married yet. Since waking up, I’ve realized I’ve done nothing good to repay you for this life you’ve given me. Please, Father, give me a chance to prove myself first."

Duke Lucius’ expression faltered for a moment, surprise flickering in his cold eyes. He straightened up slightly. “Evelina, stand. We are nobles; kneeling like this is unbecoming of you. You will eat and rest. We can discuss this matter another time.”

Hope stood slowly, her legs trembling. Lucius cast her one final, unreadable glance before leaving the room without further words. Relief washed over her as the doors closed behind him, but fear still gnawed at the back of her mind. *What if he finds out I’m not really Evelina?*

As she sat back down, she noticed that her movements were becoming more fluid. The awkwardness she had felt in Evelina’s body earlier was fading. It seemed her unfamiliarity was being replaced by growing comfort.

Shiri, who had been quietly observing, stepped forward. “Miss,” she said gently, “you look troubled. Perhaps a walk in the garden might lift your spirits.”

Hope glanced at Shiri. Despite the servant’s formal tone, there was genuine concern in her eyes. Over the past day, Hope had grown attached to Shiri. She had a way of reading the room that impressed Hope—quick and intuitive, never missing the subtle shifts in mood.

“She really knows how to sense things,” Hope thought. “She’s sharp.”

According to the novel, Shiri was the only person Evelina had been close to. An orphan Evelina had taken in from the streets, Shiri had somehow caught her attention, and over time, she had become Evelina’s trusted maid. When Evelina was eventually married off to the tyrant prince, Shiri had gone with her, leaving behind the rest of the Greystone family.

With a small nod, Hope agreed. “A walk sounds nice. I need to clear my head.”

Together, they ventured into the sprawling garden of the Greystone estate. The evening sky was painted with hues of deep indigo and violet, with the first stars beginning to twinkle. The cool air carried the scent of blooming flowers, and the soft rustle of leaves filled the peaceful night. For the first time since she had woken up in this world, Hope felt her mind relax.

She wandered aimlessly, taking in the beauty of her surroundings. *This place is stunning,* she thought as she gazed up at the sky. *The night view is unparalleled.* She found a stone bench near a bed of roses and sat down, soaking in the stillness of the moment.

Time passed quietly, and Hope let her thoughts drift. She reminded herself of the dangers lurking in the novel's plot. *I need to stay away from Selene. She’s the heroine of this story, and Evelina is destined to become her enemy. The less I get involved, the better.*

The night air grew cooler, and a soft sneeze escaped her. Almost instantly, Shiri was by her side, concern etched on her face.

“Miss, the breeze is getting cold. We should head inside,” Shiri said gently, offering her a hand.

Hope smiled as she accepted the help, grateful for Shiri’s attentiveness. There was something comforting about having Shiri around—someone who, despite everything, cared for Evelina deeply.

As they walked back, Hope glanced at Shiri, noticing the small smile on her face. It was faint but genuine, as if she were relieved to see her young lady smile after so long.