Chapter 1
If you’re a reader, you’ve probably thought this at least once.
Why does the heroine always serve nothing but frustration?
She’s born with a perfect face, clearly different from ordinary extras.
Even if not every heroine comes from a powerful family, she’s surrounded by male leads who are young, rich, and handsome enough to make up for it.
In this rofan world where status and power are everything, the position of “female lead”—where all of that comes together—is practically absolute.
So then why?!
Why can’t she eat the perfectly prepared meal placed right in front of her?!
Every other day she’s put in danger by villains.
She gets slandered and framed by third-rate extras.
She dresses up nicely only for someone to pour alcohol all over her dress.
Yes.
Just like right now.
Splash—!
Wine spilled out of a glass and soaked into the dress.
Clear liquid dripped down over the bright red stain spreading across the ornate lace.
‘Yeah. I knew it. How am I supposed to comfort her today—’
…Huh?
What is even happening right now…?
“Eek! Leila! What do you think you’re doing?!”
“Oh my, my mistake.”
Lovely pink hair.
Soft sky-blue eyes.
The pure, delicate-looking heroine Leila casually tilted the now-empty wine glass in her hand.
The pitiful, fragile expression she always wore was nowhere to be seen.
Her long lashes lowered slightly as her eyes—still sky-colored—looked cold and sharp.
“I’m really sorry, Charviel. My hand just slipped.”
Everyone present clearly saw her deliberately pour the wine.
And yet, Leila didn’t even blink as she lied straight to her face.
Huh…?
At that shameless apology, a laugh escaped me before I could stop it.
I hurriedly covered my mouth in case someone saw.
I doubted my own eyes, but there was no denying it.
Leila was the one who poured the wine.
Not the one who got splashed.
In situations like this, isn’t it usually the heroine who leaves the party with her clothes ruined?
But right now, that cliché had been completely shattered.
What is this?
Is this really the pure, helpless, frustration-inducing heroine Leila that I know…?
I wasn’t the only one shocked.
All the nobles at the banquet were staring at Leila and Charviel.
The young ladies who had always bullied Leila under Charviel’s protection looked horrified.
Meanwhile, some noblewomen who had been frustrated watching Leila get pushed around looked thoroughly satisfied.
“I came all dressed up, but my clothes got dirty. I guess I should head back to the mansion for today.”
Leila wiped Charviel’s dress with her own handkerchief, wearing an apologetic expression.
Even though she clearly knew the stain wouldn’t come out, she didn’t stop.
Charviel’s face flushed red as she trembled in humiliation.
Deciding she couldn’t stay any longer, Charviel bit her lip and left the hall.
Leila glanced indifferently at the handkerchief she had used, then tossed it onto the floor.
Then she looked straight at me.
Like someone with a split personality, Leila suddenly changed again.
She smiled brightly, showing off her beauty.
“Tian!”
Leila ran over with a cheerful smile, linking her arm with mine and leaning her head against me.
Her eyes curved gently as she looked up at me expectantly.
“Did you see that just now?”
“…I saw it. And it wasn’t just me—everyone here saw it.”
At my answer, her eyes sparkled even more.
She looked at me like she was waiting for praise, like a puppy that had just shown off a trick.
Of course, she didn’t actually have a tail—
But it felt like a fluffy one was wagging behind her back.
Before I could stop myself, the words she wanted slipped out.
“Well done.”
At that, Leila’s smile widened dramatically.
Seeing her grin so happily, I finally accepted the reality I had been doubting all this time.
O-Our kid has changed!
I patted Leila’s pink hair as she clung to me like a puppy.
Maybe she hadn’t expected it—
Her expression stiffened briefly, but she quickly smiled again.
It had been 20 years since I was reincarnated—no, possessed—into the dark rofan novel My Lovely Saintess.
And never, not once, had I struggled this hard to control my facial expression.
I covered my rising smile with my hand and laughed silently.
‘Finally… my life of watching pure frustration is over…!’
“Are you insane?! Why is she the one getting trampled?! The villain should be the one getting wrecked!”
Reading romance fantasy novels after finishing my day was my small hobby.
That day was no different.
I shouted angrily while clutching a book.
I had binge-read it because I liked the cute, lovable heroine—
But as it went on, the story became unbearable.
What happened to the early chapters?!
Barely holding back my frustration, I forced myself to finish the novel and slammed it shut.
That was when I noticed a keyword printed on the cover that hadn’t been there before.
“Ultra-dark…?”
I had bought the full set without hesitation because I liked the keywords on volume one.
So seeing a new keyword now felt like a betrayal.
If it was going to be like that, they should’ve written it from the start!
I sighed deeply and turned off the lamp.
I pulled the blanket over my head and fell asleep—
And when I opened my eyes, I was somewhere strangely glittering.
‘Where am I?’
It didn’t take long to face reality.
This world was the very novel I had just finished reading: My Lovely Saintess.
And of all people, I had possessed the heroine’s childhood friend—
An extra named Tian Ellopez, who gets captured by a male lead obsessed with Leila and ends up killing himself.
Up to that point, it was manageable.
Sure, he was an extra destined to die—but there were ways around that.
If he died because he was Leila’s childhood friend, then I just wouldn’t stay close to her.
Simple.
Of course, the world wasn’t that easy.
Tiny, chubby hands the size of a kitten’s paw.
“Uuh…?”
I definitely meant to say “What is this?”
But what came out sounded completely different.
Right.
Unfortunately, I had possessed Tian Ellopez as a newborn.
And just to crush my weak plan completely—
Even before I could crawl, Leila Arvid was already right beside me.
“Tian, this is Leila. She’ll be your first friend.”
I hadn’t expected our parents to be close.
That first meeting caught me completely off guard.
And just like that, I was forced onto the childhood-friend route.
When I was old enough to speak properly, I looked at Leila and said firmly,
“I’m not playing with you.”
I used wanting to play with friends who suited me as an excuse.
I was determined to cut her off—
But that resolve didn’t last long.
Just like the heroine she was destined to be, she had max-level talent for being frustrating from childhood.
And as time passed, I realized something.
This was a novel.
Leila was the heroine.
Which meant every event revolved around her.
Even if I tried to distance myself, I was doomed to witness the frustrating plot up close.
It was already unbearable to read it.
Now I had to watch it happen in real life?
Absolutely not.
So I changed my approach.
Operation: If there’s no catharsis, make your own.
“…Hic. Tian, you really won’t play with me…?”
“I will. But only if you repeat something I say.”
“Really? If I do it, you’ll play with me?”
“Of course.”
“What is it…?”
The original story was still far away, and Leila was young.
If her problem was being too pure—
Then I’d just make her less pure.
“Alright. Repeat after me. Bastard.”
“…Huh?”
“You piece of trash who should drop dead in the street.”
I felt guilty teaching a little girl such filthy language—
But it couldn’t be helped.
They say early education is better the sooner you start.
I stared at the shocked Leila and taught her one more thing.
Apparently, my current-life sibling tattled to our mother, because I got scolded badly that day.
But I had no intention of stopping.
I kept teaching Leila whenever we were alone.
“You grab hair like this. Like this. Push your fingers deep inside and twist your wrist slightly.”
“L-like this…?”
…Ah.
Unfortunately, unlike my perfect teaching, Leila had absolutely no talent for it.
I should have stopped then.
But back then, I had no idea—
That I would regret this deeply in the future.
