Episode 5 – I Became the Original Heroine in a World Where the Villainess Reincarnated
A cheer almost burst out of me in shock, but the man shaking the bell suddenly clamped a hand over my mouth.
“Miss. Shh!”
“Mmph!”
He glanced around quickly while covering my mouth. Fortunately, no one seemed to be paying attention to us.
Looking at me, he whispered quietly.
“If I take my hand away, stay quiet. Understood?”
I nodded, and only then did he let go.
He took the paper marked 1st Prize, looked at it, then folded it in half and handed it back to me.
“Miss, put this away quickly. Be careful not to lose it. You two! Come here!”
After whispering to me, he shouted toward the back of the banner.
Two massive shadows rose and moved forward.
What the—?
I thought they were luggage because of their size, but they were people?
Two huge men stepped out in front of the banner. I looked up at them with a trembling heart.
The bell-ringing man, unfazed, slapped their backs and spoke.
“Well then, it’s been half a month! Escort this young lady properly!”
“What is this…?”
“Don’t worry. They’re guards hired by the state for lottery winners.”
“Congratulations on your win. We are soldiers of the Imperial Guard. By order of His Highness the Crown Prince, we are responsible for ensuring the safe return of lottery winners.”
Why would lottery winners need guards?
I narrowed my eyes at them suspiciously.
“Does the Imperial Guard handle things like this?”
“Until the winner receives the prize money, they are protected by the Imperial Family.”
“If you doubt us, we can show you our identification.”
They pulled out rectangular IDs from their coats.
The crest of the Imperial Guard was engraved on them.
Come to think of it, in the novel, official emblems like these couldn’t be forged due to protective magic.
Only then did I properly look at them.
“I’m sorry for doubting you. It was just so sudden.”
“That’s understandable. This way, please.”
I followed their lead.
“If you have a carriage waiting, we can escort you there. Or would you prefer to go straight to the bank?”
I did have a carriage, but it would take some time to meet the coachman…
“I’ll go straight to the bank.”
“Then please ride in ours.”
Only after climbing into the carriage did I finally let out a long breath.
“Wow… I must be crazy. I must be.”
Unable to believe it, I unfolded the lottery ticket again.
The number 1st seemed to beam at me brightly.
I smiled back at it.
“Oh, you pretty thing. Good job, good job!”
Had I ever been this happy about first place in my life?
I never knew I was this lucky!
…Wait. Is this really just luck?
The thought made me look at the buff gauge.
The letters had already lost their glow, and the golden gauge was completely empty.
When the buff gauge had shone earlier, this first-prize ticket had shone too.
Judging by the circumstances, wasn’t it highly likely that the buff had something to do with this?
“Thank you, gauge! You really gave me money!”
Was this what they called the protagonist’s buff?
For the first time, I felt grateful to have reincarnated as Daphne.
The guards and bank staff were extremely kind, and thanks to them, I was able to receive the money quickly and comfortably.
By the time I came outside, the sun was already setting.
Wow… I’ve really been busy these past two days.
I carefully tucked the check into my robe pocket and returned to the carriage with the guards.
“But isn’t it dangerous to just write ‘1st’ on paper like that? Seems easy to scam people.”
At my small question, one of the guards smiled and explained.
“The first-prize paper has magic on it that ordinary people cannot detect. When you won, Sir Perol verified it.”
“Sir Perol?”
“The man who was ringing the bell.”
“Oh, that uncle.”
Sir? So he was a noble?
I nodded and climbed into the carriage.
After sitting down comfortably, a question suddenly occurred to me.
Come to think of it, how did I recognize the Imperial Guard’s crest?
There wasn’t any description like that in the novel.
The thought lingered briefly, but I decided to ignore it.
…Whatever.
I received the money safely. That’s what matters.
When I returned to the square, I transferred to Lady Rosanna’s carriage, which had been waiting for me.
It was time to head home.
That evening, I was undoubtedly the center of attention.
Lady Rosanna checked the check several times with a look of disbelief.
“It really is a check for 100 million gold.”
“Oh my, my little sister won the lottery! That’s wonderful!”
Maria was thrilled, saying I no longer needed to rush into marriage.
Lady Rosanna removed her monocle and handed the check back to me.
“To win exactly the amount you needed… It’s as if God is helping you.”
I scratched my cheek awkwardly.
How did you know? It does feel like God is helping me.
In a slightly unconventional way. Ha ha.
“Will you go repay it right away?”
“Yes. I’m sick and tired of debt.”
Just thinking about it made me frown.
Lady Rosanna tapped between my brows, saying a noble lady shouldn’t make such expressions, while Maria crossed her arms worriedly.
“You’re going alone? Shouldn’t you hire guards?”
“Yes, I’ll cover the cost of the guards separately, so don’t worry.”
That might be for the best.
The moneylenders’ base was a place called “Dark Street.”
It was a street where people with nothing left to lose crowded together, so even with a buff, going alone would be reckless.
I value my life, after all.
As I rubbed my sleepy eyes, Lady Rosanna spoke.
“You must be tired. Go rest.”
“Yes, get plenty of sleep today!”
“Good night, then.”
After receiving their send-off, I returned to my room.
Nana followed and quietly closed the door, smiling.
“Miss, I have something to show you.”
“Hm? What is it…?”
I answered absentmindedly as I slipped onto the bed.
Ever since reincarnating, I’d been running around nonstop. My body felt heavy as lead.
Ah, this is nice. I love beds.
Sleep overtook me the moment I lay down.
Nana hummed as she brought something from the corner.
“Ta-da!”
“Yaaawn… What is that?”
“A scented candle hidden in the baron’s study. I packed it while gathering our things. It was hidden so well that even the debt collectors couldn’t find it.”
She said I hadn’t been sleeping well lately, so she’d light it.
Sweet Nana.
But even without the candle, I felt like I could sleep soundly just listening to her chatter like a lullaby.
As a pleasant fragrance drifted through the air, I fell into deep sleep.
“Miss. It’s time to wake up.”
I slowly opened my eyes.
It was already morning.
Sunlight filled the room, and a gentle spring breeze flowed in through the open window.
I stared blankly at the fluttering linen curtains before stretching.
“Did you have a good dream, Miss?”
“I think… I did. But I can’t remember.”
“Dreams are hard to remember.”
She handed me a glass of lukewarm water.
Drinking a cup of water upon waking was one of Daphne’s habits.
I naturally took a sip when Nana asked,
“Would you like a simple meal in your room?”
“Mm… No!”
I sprang up.
“Today’s a day to get fired up. I’m eating properly in the dining room!”
“Then shall we prepare lightly and head there?”
“Yeah!”
After answering, I hesitated and asked,
“What are Lady Rosanna and Maria doing?”
“Madam has a meeting with business partners and went out. The eldest young lady has been invited to a tea party.”
“So they’re both out?”
“Yes. They wanted to stay with you, but they couldn’t cancel prior engagements and felt very apologetic.”
They didn’t need to.
It wasn’t that I disliked them, but I did feel uncomfortable.
At least they liked Daphne’s face more than the person herself.
If it were the opposite, I wouldn’t be able to lift my head from guilt.
After washing up, I changed clothes with Nana’s help.
Looking at the top of her head as she smoothed my skirt, I found it strange.
She was the one who truly liked Daphne as a person…
Yet I didn’t feel guilty about reincarnating in front of her.
That was why Nana felt comfortable.
Once I finished light makeup, my stomach growled.
“Ugh, I’m hungry. Let’s go eat.”
“Yes, Miss.”
That was when—
Knock knock.
Someone knocked on my door.
“Who is it?”
At Nana’s question, a deep voice answered from outside.
“It’s Philip, young miss.”
Philip was the butler of this house.
Nana looked at me, and I nodded for her to open the door.
A neatly dressed elderly gentleman entered.
“Young miss. You have a visitor.”
“For me? Who?”
“They claim to be from Baron Lafman’s house.”
“Baron Lafman?”
Where is that?
Seeing my puzzled expression, the butler stepped closer and whispered quietly.
“I am not certain, but I’ve heard they are one of the families connected to Dark Street.”
Dark Street? The debt collectors?
How did they already know? Their information network was terrifyingly fast.
“I’ve seated them in the reception room. Shall I send them away?”
“No. Let’s see them.”
I stood up.
At least they didn’t barge in causing trouble.
Maybe they’re not the same ones as before. Or maybe they’re cautious because this is Lady Rosanna’s residence.
Fine.
I’ll just hand over the 100 million gold right now and eat in peace.
That’ll save me the guard fees, too!
I followed the butler straight to the guest reception room.
He opened the double doors for me.
“Please enter, young miss.”
“Thank you.”
As I stepped inside, the first thing I saw was the back of a well-dressed man with broad shoulders.
He was looking out the window.
When he turned toward me, sunlight caught his silver hair, each strand gleaming beautifully. His pale face framed transparent gray eyes like glass.
The moment our eyes met, an indescribable shiver ran through me.
He stared at me as if observing, then curved his red lips into a smile.
“I’ve wanted to meet you, Daphne.”
With the unexpected appearance of the male lead, I froze in place.
