Chapter 2

I, Yoon Ha-neul, was an ordinary citizen living in the 21st century.

I mean, I was… just a day ago.

‘Oh, no…’

I couldn’t help but sigh with dismay.

I looked around with a pale face, failing to manage my facial expression.

Shining chandeliers, fancy clothes, elegant gestures, elegant melody flowing through the ear and people dancing accordingly to it.

‘What a surprise for an ordinary morning…’

I was an introverted person born with a dislike of crowded and complex spaces and had no social skills.

Why was I in such a crowded space when the only thing I remember socializing with people was when I was forced to be at a dinner party?

Feeling a physiological repulsion, I stepped back and stuck myself to the wall.

People in colourful clothes gathered in a group of three or five and made loud noises. Some laughed loudly, while others gossiped about an innocent person as a victim.

For example, someone like me.

“What a coincidence.”

“Oh, it’s only after this comparison.”

“I guess even when you are wearing the same clothes, it can make some difference. Even though clothes are called wings, I guess they do still cover people.”

“What a pity…”

Those who were gathered around me openly laughed at me with sarcasm.

I looked down at my clothes senselessly, listening to the giggles of laughter. Seeing my appearance, I saw no reason for me to be ridiculed and to be laughed at.

A cream-coloured dress with silk lace and pearls. It was in the form of Robe à la Française representing the Rococo Era, an inflated skirt, a square neck, and a cute hem decorated with different ribbons.

*(Robe à La Française- The sack-back gown or robe à la française was a women’s fashion of the 18th century.)

*(Rococo Era- was an artistic period that emerged in France and spread thrartisticoughout the world in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. )

I’m not sure, but a dress that would have been popular only in the 18th century, emphasizing such a chest and waist, must have been a trend in social circles here today because everyone else was wearing it as well.

‘But the reason why these people are gossiping is probably…’

Glancing.

I looked up and caught an angelic, beautiful pair of men and women that looked like they descended straight from heaven. At that moment, the light shone brightly on their heads, making them look as sacred as a masterpiece.

‘The Crown Prince Werner, and…… Charlotte.’

And now I’m watching them as ‘Ayla Mertensia.’ the rare ‘villainous’ woman of this novel.

No, to be more precise, I was the writer who wrote the novel \, “Yoon Ha-neul,” and was currently possessing the body of an evil woman in the novel.

“How can dreams be so vivid?”‘

No, how long can I deny it? The reason it was so vivid was that this wasn’t a dream.

While sighing about my situation, the nobles who were desperate to bite Ayla chewed her like a snack for their wines.

“It’s known how the young lady of Mertensia is so obsessed with His Majesty, the Crown Prince, that she could choose any means or methods just to get his attention. I’m sure everyone here knows that.”

“Oh, I’m sure she got the information, and deliberately wore similar-coloured clothes.”

“But how could she have thought she could overlap the other young lady’s beauty?”

“Oh, my God, it’s embarrassing. I’m sure she’s so embarrassed that’s why she can’t even look up.”

Their reasoning was right. In this scene, Ayla was dressed to match and look like the lover of the crown prince.

But for me, it was unfair to be dressed up as someone else as soon as I opened my eyes.

“So, who is that young lady?”

“It looks like this is her first social debut, but she sure stands out. She’s like a lily.”

‘Crazy, lily…..’

I grasped my skirt in shame when I heard Charlotte’s upcoming socialite nickname.

No one said, ‘She looks like a lily flower.’ but it’s still the line I wrote.

Oh, come on.

“It must be Viscount Angelo’s daughter?.”

“Oh, I see.”

The young man, who asked about Charlotte’s identity, felt regretful about her rank, but soon looked at her again and blushed. He was completely fascinated by Charlotte’s unique atmosphere, which was strangely eye-catching.

Then, someone whispered in secret.

“If she’s the young lady of Viscount Angelo, I heard it’s on the verge of bankruptcy… Oh no, I think I’ve said something rude.”

“So she’s looking for a husband? With that appearance and grace, she will attract attention in the wedding market.”

“I don’t know if it’s because His Majesty and her dress code complement each other, but standing side by side makes them a good match, unlike anyone else.”

Both of their sunlit hair seemed to melt when touched by their hands, and their clear blue eyes seemed to reflect the sky.

On the other hand, I was humiliated by wearing the same cream-coloured dress as Charlotte, which was like a sack of borrowed barley.

Ayla didn’t suit this cream colour. She was an eye-catching beauty with sparkly hair that curved down to her waist and dark green eyes. Dark and seductive colours would look better on her than these bright colours.

Of course, I do think this great appearance would suit anything, but it was a different story in front of Charlotte.

Charlotte was not a great beauty that caught someone’s eye at once, like Ayla, but as the main character in the novel, she has a pure and simple beauty that became increasingly eye-catching.

Her creamy white dress and lovely flowers, embroidery and lace, raised hair, and pure looking pearl ornaments fit her perfectly as if it was created only for her.

Well, an objective evaluation was also because she was the main character of this novel. The whole universe will come forward and help her get the attention no matter what happened, perks of having the protagonist buff.

I glanced down again at the dress I was wearing. The colours weren’t the only ones that matched Charlotte’s clothing, even the design was similar, maybe because it was made from the same dressing shop.

“Like a saint and a witch.”

Laughing came from all over the place as if it was an accurate metaphor.

***

“It’s still cringing.”

I prayed eagerly for the end of the banquet, and as soon as the atmosphere of the repercussions died out, I immediately rode a carriage to the mansion.

And as soon as I got to my room, I threw the evening bag I had in my hand onto the bed and shuddered.

“Ugh. I can’t believe my dark past just happened right in front of my eyes.”

Wow, it was unbearable torture.

Fortunately, I slipped out quickly. If I heard another line I wrote, I would probably break all of my reasoning and jump down from there.

I sighed to the ground and looked around with a feeling of hopelessness.

An antique room, which was comparable to a five-star hotel. It was the size of dozens of one-rooms I used to live in, and all the furniture was gold.

I looked up for a moment. Michelangelo’s 〈Creation of the Heavens and Earth〉 was spread out over the ceiling.

‘I thought I went crazy when I saw it as soon as I woke up in the morning.’

I looked around and screamed, I looked in the mirror and screamed, and I screamed when I saw the servants running in surprise.

I was only able to figure it all out after hearing the name the servants calling out to me.

Ten years ago, when Internet novels became popular, I wrote a romance fantasy novel after getting addicted to reading novels.

The title was .

It was the first and last novel I wrote, and it was a novel that embodied the fresh sensibility of a high school student, so it was cheesy and cringy in many ways. It was also my dark past that I wanted to forget about.

‘It was a novel I wrote ten years ago, so I already forgot about it.

However, I was now possessing the body of the only daughter of the Duke of Mertensia, Ayla Mertensia, who was also the villain of this novel.

No matter how it was, isn’t it too much to throw me into my dark past from 10 years ago? I don’t know who it was, but do you have a conscience? I sighed.

‘By the way, that’s not the important thing right now…’

[“You’ll have no choice but to love me…”]

[Until the moment she stopped breathing, she mumbled like that.]

In the novel 〈Lady Lily〉, the villainess Ayla loved Crown Prince Werner.

She always harassed Charlotte, who she saw as a thorn and eyesore to her life. And by the end of the day, she was so jealous that she reached the point where she secretly sought curses to curse Charlotte.

But of course, that fact was soon discovered, and her curse failed to be appropriately placed. She was tortured, pierced by Werner’s sword, and finally faced a lonely death in a cold prison.

Like most romance novels, Ayla also faces a miserable and painful end, suited for a wicked woman like her.

‘What is this? It’s either I’ll die on shame or die in the hands of the male lead, just like in the novel.’

Without even thinking about removing my make-up, I sent the maids away who was constantly looking at me and fell on my bed.

‘Why the Villainess, Ayla?’

It doesn’t suit me at all.

I’m timid. Because of this, I can’t even think of inflicting pain to others or even interacting with them; even if they hurt me and act unreasonable, I never consider retaliating. Even with all that happening, I still do what they asked me to do.

That was me, Yoon Ha-neul.

I don’t have a memory of when I’ve done anything just because I like it.

Except once, ten years ago, when I first wrote “Lady Lily” despite my parents’ abuse.

‘Right, I don’t know if it’s cheesy now, but I used to have pure fun and enjoy writing this in those days.’

Suddenly I felt struck by thunder and jumped out of bed.

Yes, this world was a meaningful place with precious memories that I made for the first time with my own will.

I can’t die here.

I couldn’t die like this.

I spent my whole life pouring water into school expenses, rent, tuition for my younger siblings, and I finally got rid of it. I’m finally free from my hell-like life where I run around every day.

So why would I die?

Ayla faces a miserable end as a villain in the novel because she tormented and cursed Charlotte.

“Well, it would be fine as long as I’m not villainess, right?”

If I don’t act like the evil girl Ayla, I won’t die and Werner will not trample on the Mertensia family.

“Why don’t you just enjoy what Ayla has given to you for the rest of your life?”

Money, power, honour, beauty, everything.

She was not even gold but a diamond spoon.

‘Ah, I’m such a stupid being. I’m foolish for worrying uselessly.’

It’s such a simple matter. As long as I avoid Charlotte and Werner, I will at least save my life, and I won’t have to struggle in pain while watching my dark past take place here.

‘I don’t need to meet anyone in the first place. I don’t have to do anything. I can just play and eat the way I want.’

A ray of light seemed to shine from the sky. This must be a gift I gave to myself 10 years ago.

Money is the best.

For ten years, I became a rotten adult who believed in money rather than love. So I could still be happy and blessed even if I was currently possessing the villainess’s body.

I decided to live up to the life of a rich unemployed person that I had dreamed of all my life.

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