Leena had always been careful. That evening, she was walking home after a long day at the office, thinking about deadlines and emails. The streets were unusually quiet, the air crisp against her skin.
A sudden screech of tires. A blinding flash of light. The world tilted, and then… nothing.
When she opened her eyes again, she was lying on a soft bed, surrounded by curtains of silk and a room that smelled faintly of roses. Panic gripped her chest. Everything felt… wrong.
Slowly, she sat up and saw herself reflected in a gilded mirror.
Snow-white hands. Long silver-pink hair spilling over her shoulders. A face so delicate it could have been carved from marble.
Leena's heart skipped. This can't be me… can it?
Before she could make sense of anything, the door opened. A young maid hurried in, her eyes wide with relief and tears glimmering at the corners.
"My lady! You're awake! We were so worried!"
Leena froze, staring at the maid. "Who… who are you?"
The maid's face went pale, voice trembling.
"M… My lady… you don't remember me?"
"I… I don't."
The maid's lips quivered. Without another word, she rushed out, muttering something to the butler. The sound of her footsteps echoed down the hall.
Moments later, a group of doctors entered, their expressions serious. They examined her carefully, whispering among themselves.
"It seems the lady suffered a head injury," one said finally. "It caused amnesia. She remembers nothing—not even herself."
Leena swallowed hard. Her mind spun. Nothing about this room, this body, or this life made sense.
Then, the butler announced the arrival of the Duke and Duchess. They entered the room, their eyes sharp and their expressions stormy.
"Yvonne! What were you thinking? Drinking poison just because Prince Cassian chose Liliana as his fiancée? Can't you be happy for your sister?"
Leena froze, every word sinking deep into her chest.
Yvonne?
Her pulse raced. The name, the voice… it all came back. The novel she had been reading yesterday. The story of a spoiled daughter, jealous and reckless, who lost everything to a girl named Liliana. The villainess. The cannon fodder.
And now… I am her. I can't believe this…
I became a character in a novel. Not just any character—I became the villainess, the cannon fodder who dies after being rejected by her crush… Prince Cassian.
Why am I so unbelievably unlucky?.
She glanced at the Duke and Duchess Florent sitting before her, forcing a smile, while her mind raced, replaying the plot of the novel she had read.
The Duke and Duchess Florent had always doted on their adopted daughter, Yvone Florent. Even after they discovered their long-lost biological daughter, Liliana, their love for Yvone did not waver. They treated both daughters equally, hoping to maintain harmony in the household.
But Yvonne was ungrateful. Not only did she accuse her parents of favoritism, she also treated Liliana cruelly, teasing and humiliating her whenever she could. The couple hoped that time would soften Yvone's arrogance, but instead, it only grew.
When Yvonne saw Prince Cassian—the young man she secretly admired—treat Liliana kindly, her jealousy boiled over.
Her envy became an obsession, and she began to plot against Liliana.
During a hunting competition, Yvonne decided to act. She poisoned Liliana's tea during teatime and planned to lead her into the forest, where carnivorous beasts roamed. "If the poison doesn't work," Yvone thought coldly, "perhaps the beasts will finish the job."
But her plans did not go as she had hoped. Liliana was saved—first by her own cleverness and then by Prince Cassian, who arrived just in time to protect her from danger. Yvone's plot failed spectacularly, leaving her rage and jealousy to fester even more.
Yvone began to openly looking down on Liliana, sneering as she spoke. "A country bumpkin," she would whisper, "you know nothing about proper noble etiquette. You don't even belong in the same room as me." She refused to use Liliana's name, referring to her coldly in the third person as if she were invisible.
Her cruelty didn't stop at words. During Liliana's debutante ball, Yvone deliberately ruined her gown, tearing delicate lace and smearing fabric with spilled wine. Later, she even tripped Liliana as she walked past, sending her stumbling into a cake and leaving her humiliated in front of the guests.
Liliana had grown up in an orphanage. She didn't know the rules of noble etiquette, nor had she ever experienced what it was like to be the center of attention. The stares of the guests made her uneasy, as if she had committed some unforgivable crime.
When Yvone deliberately tripped her into the cake, Liliana's humiliation became too much. Tears blurred her vision as she fled the ballroom, her heart pounding, until she reached the rose garden. She sank to the ground behind a flowerbed, hiding herself among the fragrant blooms, and began to cry.
It was at that moment that the Second Prince arrived at the mansion, intending to meet Liliana. As he approached, he heard the soft sound of someone sobbing. Looking around, he spotted her—small, trembling, tears streaking her face, sitting alone on the ground.
Prince Cassian's eyes narrowed as he noticed Liliana's tear-streaked face, and he immediately realized what had happened—it was Yvone's doing. Without a word, he knelt down to meet Liliana's gaze, gently brushing away her tears.
"Don't cry," he said softly. Then, he instructed his guards to prepare a new dress for her. When Liliana reappeared, the gown was breathtaking—a deep blue that matched her eyes perfectly. Around her neck rested a rare blue diamond necklace, one that many nobles had fought over at auctions.
Together, they entered the ballroom. Yvone spotted them immediately. Burning with jealousy, she marched toward them, intending to humiliate Liliana once more. She shoved Liliana and reached for Prince Cassian's hand—but he immediately pulled Liliana closer. In the struggle, it was Yvone who stumbled and fell to the ground.
She looked up, expecting the prince to help her rise, but he ignored her completely. Instead, he took Liliana's hand and asked her to dance. As the music began, the guests paired up, but all eyes kept returning to the pair.
"Prince Cassian and Lady Liliana look perfect together," whispered one noblewoman.
"Yes, they're a flawless match," another replied.
Yvone's anger boiled over. She stormed toward Liliana, shoving her aside, and demanded, "Why are you so good to this country bumpkin? She doesn't deserve it!"
Prince Cassian's expression darkened. He had long disliked Yvone—her overbearing obsession and arrogance had made her intolerable. With a swift motion, he pushed her to the floor, helped Liliana up, and said firmly,
"Lady Yvone, I love Lady Liliana. I could never like someone as shameless as you."
Gasps rippled through the ballroom. Without hesitation, he scooped Liliana into his arms and left. Guests whispered in shock, their eyes wide at the prince's bold declaration.
Yvone, humiliated and enraged, stormed out of the ballroom, her cheeks burning with fury.