I thought it would take a long time for me to meet my favorite character in this story. But apparently, fate was in speedrun mode, and yes, the time had come.
After reading a few chapters of the novel Mary brought, I let out a long sigh like an opera singer who had just been dumped and scammed.
The writing on the pages converged into an endless swamp of boredom.
Truly, it was as if the author had a personal vendetta against the concept of "entertainment."
Mary, my poor maid, stood in the corner of the room like a remorseful coat hanger.
Her knees looked ready for early retirement at any moment. Feeling guilty (and slightly socially conscious), I, the Lady who had just crowned herself as the "best version" told her to sit down.
On a stool, of course. Not on my luxurious bed. I wasn't that nice yet.
Silence enveloped the room.
The setting sun painted the window in romantic reds and golds. A view usually used by couples to exchange eternal vows.
But no. There was only Mary and me. Two girls, one sunset, and one villainess whose boredom had reached astronomical levels.
"Mary," I finally broke the silence, "what do I usually do when I'm this bored?"
Mary froze. Poor thing, she must have thought it was a fatal trap from the old Liliane. With a trembling voice, she replied, "Usually... you attend the Ladies' tea parties and..."
"Great! A tea party! What a sweet and elegant idea!"
"...But you usually go uninvited."
STAB! That arrow hit my tiny heart precisely.
"And at those parties," she continued even softer, "you often create... incidents. Shouting, insulting the host, sometimes getting into physical fights. At the last party... you poured hot tea over Lady Genevieve's head."
"...Wait. Poured tea? On her head? What am I, making a human teabag?!"
My sweet smile wavered, then cracked into pieces like antique porcelain held by a toddler.
Seriously, wasn't there a single good thing about this body? At least a hobby of knitting, a doll collection, or maybe a private zoo? Something?
"...And at home," Mary added quietly as if carrying a ticking time bomb, "you often scolded the servants. Everything we did was always wrong. You shouted, threw plates, smashed antique vases, and then blamed it all on us."
"STOP! ENOUGH! I get it! I am a two-legged natural disaster." I waved my hands, as if I could shoo away her words like pesky mosquitoes.
Oh God. There wasn't a shred of goodness in this villainess's life history. Zero. Nil. It was like trying to polish a rotten potato into a diamond.
"...What about Father? What does the Duke usually do?" I asked, hoping to divert the topic from my terrifying past disgrace.
"The Duke is usually busy working. Or soon he will have dinner with—"
"Yes! Dinner! Brilliant idea!" I jumped out of bed with the grace of a baby giraffe learning to walk. "Mary, prepare me. Tonight I'm having dinner with Father."
Mary's eyes widened like serving plates. "B-but My Lady, you usually never join the family dinner."
"That was the old me. It's different now. This is Liliane 2.0 - Newest and Improvised Edition." I puffed out my chest, like a peacock who had just won a beauty contest.
Right. The first step in Mission: Reputation Repair was to seek favor from Daddy Duke.
"What possesses her? Hey, most beautiful Lady in the world, what brings you to this dinner you despise so much?" said a man with cotton-candy blue hair. His golden eyes scrutinized me sharply as if observing a rare species in a zoo.
Ah, he must be my older brother. Just look at our hair, which seems to come from the same candy shop.
"Cute Liliane misses you all~" I said with a prolonged sigh, placing both hands on my chin while winking one eye. Right at that moment, the cotton-candy hair guy spat out his drink.
"Insane, she's truly insane, Father! I thought the maid's report was exaggerated, but it turns out... this is more pathetic than I imagined!" he continued. Father immediately gave him a deadly glare, but my clueless brother just became more agitated.
"What's pathetic, brother? This is called the Lili Reformation Project!" I replied confidently. But my brother looked at me like I was an alien.
Well, my modern vocabulary certainly wouldn't reach the brain of an ancient human like him.
"The point is, the gods love Lili, brother. They knew if the old Lili kept continuing her sins, then a tragic death was an inevitable fate. But the gods cherish Lili! That's why all my memories are gone. Vanished. It's like being reborn. The innocent, positive-energy Lili will fill this mansion!" I said, spreading my arms wide like a newly freed dove.
Meanwhile, the blue cotton-candy guy was still staring at me with a face mixed between horror and confusion.
Unlike Father and my other brother. They both just sat silently, blinking a few times with the cool face of magazine models.
"What's wrong with her? Brother, look, I'm getting goosebumps all over. Hey, you, is there a wandering ghost possessing this strange woman?"
"Dominic, your words," the Duke said with a heavy voice that could freeze lava.
Dominic, the cotton-candy hair, finally shut his mouth.
"If what you say is true, little sister, then I, as your brother, am very grateful. 'Positive energy'? That doesn't sound too bad," said my other brother with a slight smile. He looked very much like Father—like a successful photocopy.
"Exactly, brother! It won't be bad, Lili promises! Oh yes, what's your name?" I asked straight to the point. While this "amnesia" drama was still believed, might as well take full advantage of it, right?
But everyone at the table fell silent immediately and stared at me blankly.
I just blinked innocently while chewing a piece of meat in my mouth.
"You truly forgot everything?"
"Yep, I forgot."
More precisely, I never knew. My character in the novel only appeared briefly before dying tragically. Even your identities were never clearly mentioned.
Truly god-level bad luck.
"Maximilian."
"So I can call you Brother Max?" I said with sparkling eyes.
I would charm them with this newest cute version.
Prepare to be trapped by my charm!
"Father, this isn't bad, but I'm not used to it. She's too... drastically changed," Dominic whispered to Father, but with a volume still audible across the field.
"Then get used to it, Brother Dominic! I assure you, this newborn me will not harm anyone!" I declared loudly.
Well, what I said was true.
In the novel later, because of Duke's Daughter Liliane's actions, this entire family faces total ruin. In the end, the family's affection, which demanded revenge for Liliane's death, causes them to be destroyed by the male lead.
I don't remember the details, but...
This is too sad. Liliane, who hated her family so much, ends up receiving such a great sacrifice.
I, who have been an orphan since childhood, truly cursed this injustice in my heart.
These sad thoughts made me oblivious to the various topics being discussed at the dinner table.
Until finally, one major topic managed to grab my attention.
"Regarding the party tomorrow. Lili, you don't have to attend. You should rest first; that party will be very tiring for you," Father said.
"Party? A noble party, Father?" Father just nodded silently.
"Do all the nobles come, including Duke Tristan?" I asked with burning excitement.
"Yes, Duke Tristan is coming too. But wait—" Father said, but before he could finish the sentence, the blue cotton-candy guy interrupted.
"HEY LILI! How do you know that bastard's name? You forgot Brother Max's name, but you remember his?!"
Oh my god, I let it slip.
"Uh... I heard it from the servants' gossip," I said, pretending to be busy cutting the meat.
"They said there's an extraordinary Duke who earned his title at a very young age, and he—"
"Wait, why is that bastard so great in your eyes?"
"Because he is that great, brother!"
"HEY, YOU... don't tell me you forgot about your fiancé? Instead of thinking about him, you're thinking about another man!"
"My fiancé?"
"Alistair Sterling! The Crown Prince!"
Thump!
I completely forgot about this fatal status.
I, Liliane Hohenberg, am the fiancée of the Crown Prince of this empire.
The Male Lead of the novel.