I groggily opened my eyes halfway.
When did my bed get this soft?
Wait—what is this? Am I wearing a dress? Where are my heart-print pajamas?
I finally opened my eyes fully.
The room was furnished with antique Victorian-style furniture, filled with what looked like expensive items, and the bed I lay on was enormous.
Maybe I'm dreaming. I should just close my eyes again.
Suddenly, the door swung open, and I heard footsteps approaching.
It must be my mom… yep, definitely a dream.
"My Lady, how long do you plan on sleeping?"
I immediately sat up. In front of me stood a young freckled girl dressed in a maid uniform.
Stammering, I asked,
"W-where am I?"
The maid rolled her eyes slightly.
"My Lady, is this one of your jokes again? They're getting stranger by the day. I don't find it funny at all. Now please get up. Your father, Count Richard, is waiting for you at breakfast. If you're late again, he's going to be furious."
I had no idea what she was talking about. But—Count Richard?
Isn't that from…Saintess's Lylia?!
Wait a second… Is this really happening?
Did I actually get transported into my favorite novel?!
Hold on—then who am I?
If the Count is my father, then I must be… the villainess… Melanie?!
No way. That has to be the worst possible role.
I barely last halfway through the story before I get executed on Duke Heilon's orders.
Honestly, Melanie totally deserved it.
When she died, I literally cheered and walked around with a stupid grin on my face for a week.
Guess the joke's on me now.
The maid entered again and held up an extravagant red dress decorated with gemstones.
"My Lady, I brought your outfit. Come now, why do you look so shocked?"
This dress… I wouldn't even wear something this flashy to my sister's wedding.
Still, I need to adapt. If I really am in the novel, I must change how the story unfolds.
"Ah, alright. You can go now. I'll change and come down on my own."
The maid frowned, clearly confused.
"Change on your own, my Lady? What are you talking about? Don't you want me to help you dress?"
"What? No, no—it's fine. I'll handle it. Anna."
"Huh… very well then. Please don't take too long."
Wait… did I just guess her name and get it right? Hah!
I mean, there's always a freckled maid named Anna in these types of novels. If she had corrected me, I'd have just said it was part of one of my "weird jokes."
Alright, time to throw on this over-the-top dress and meet my dear father, the Count.
...
So here's what I look like now:
Long, jet black hair, emerald green eyes, extremely fair skin. My body and height? Totally ideal.
I'm… actually pretty stunning.
Back in my old life, I was just average.
This beauty must be a gift from the heavens.
Just as I was admiring myself, I remembered—
I'm Melanie.
This is a new beginning.
I've lived this story in my head so many times.
I always imagined I was the good girl, the main character—Lylia.
But here I am, given a second chance.
Now, I want to do everything I couldn't before.
I want to live freely in this luxurious life without worrying about a thing.
I followed Anna down the hall and found myself in a grand dining room.
It looked like something straight out of a movie, with a ridiculously long table at the center.
Across from me sat the Count—brown hair, green eyes.
His brows were furrowed, and he looked at me with complete indifference.
"You're late again," he said coldly.
His voice was stiff and grumpy.
"I apologize, Daddy. I'll make sure it doesn't happen again."
The Count dropped his fork and looked at me with surprise.
Why was he staring like that? I didn't get it.
I sat down in one of the empty chairs.
Even the servants were watching me closely.
Right. I'm a noble now—I should eat with proper etiquette.
I used to practice fancy dining manners for fun whenever I visited upscale restaurants.
Guess those rehearsals are finally paying off.
I placed the napkin on my lap, took the knife in my right hand and the fork in my left.
Steak for breakfast? Truly a rich person's meal.
I carefully cut it into small pieces and ate slowly.
The Count still seemed stunned.
Even though I didn't eat much, I was already feeling full.
My stomach must be tiny.
Then he spoke again:
"Come to my study after breakfast. There's something we need to discuss."
And with that, he left.
Anna leaned toward me.
"'Daddy'? My Lady, that was unexpected. You always called him 'the Count.' Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed today?"
Right… Melanie was always rude and spoiled. Her relationship with her father was distant.
But I'm not the old Melanie. I'll act how I want.
And I want to have a good relationship with the man who provides me this luxury.
I asked Anna to take me to my father's study.
I followed her with quick steps until she stopped in front of a large wooden door.
She nodded, and I knocked twice before entering.
...
The Count looked very serious.
Maybe he's always like this?
He motioned for me to sit.
The room was spacious with dark walls.
A massive desk stood between two leather armchairs.
When the weather is already hot, do I really have to sit on leather chairs too?
I sat down across from him.
He began to speak:
"Melanie, I need you to listen carefully. This is something important. You've grown up, and I believe you can understand this now.
As you know, the kingdom's foreign relations are in a dire state.
Our closest neighbor, the Bastond Kingdom, has been involved in border conflicts with us.
They've occupied a strategically crucial region and refuse to negotiate.
By King Marx's orders, we've decided to go to war.
Our family must participate.
We've served the crown faithfully for generations, and I intend to uphold our legacy.
A week from now, I'll lead our forces to battle.
While I'm gone, you'll be the head of the household.
Just behave, and everything will be fine.
I'll leave instructions with the butler. If anything goes wrong, write to me."
It felt like the story was slowly uploading into my brain.
Suddenly, the butler rushed in, saying the Count was needed elsewhere urgently.
"I understand, Father. I'll think about what you said.
Seems like you're busy, so I'll take my leave."
The Count nodded.
As I stood up— The entire room echoed with the creaking sound of the leather chair.
Squeak.
We made eye contact. This sound was like I farted.
The butler smirked and turned his head.
The Count remained completely serious.
No no no—that sound was not what you think!
I blushed deeply.
"Well then, eheh… good luck," I muttered and hurried out of the room.
I really, really don't like leather chairs.
I returned to my room and flopped onto the bed.
I buried my face in the pillow, trying to erase the embarrassment…
Then the Count's words came back to me.
This scene happened early in the novel.
It took a while, but I finally remembered.
Oh no…
I jumped up and started pacing the room.
If I really am Melanie and there's a war coming—
That means the Count is going to die.
I don't remember how, but…
Melanie's life changed completely after that.
She ruined the family estate and ended up in complete ruin.
She started drinking and wandering through taverns.
She wasn't evil—just brash. But after her father's death, she lost control and caused all sorts of problems for Saintess.
I need to write down everything I remember.
I called Anna and asked her to bring me paper and ink.
It was hard to recall everything about my favorite novel in one go.
It had so many chapters, characters, and plotlines.
Even though Melanie was a side character, writing everything about her took nearly a full day.
Sleep-deprived, I sat like a zombie at my desk.
Anna would probably come to wake me soon.
I need a plan.
This is the turning point in Melanie's life.
The Count must not die.
I'm done living a miserable life.
Mission One: Save the Count.
Let it begin.