Chapter 01…..
The smell of money stung my nose.
It was a scent I had never encountered in my entire life—strong enough that I felt like I was developing a sinus infection I never had. I swiped under my nose with my index finger.
Well, it was the crown prince’s birthday banquet, so maybe this much extravagance was normal. But after staring at the lavish hall, the luxurious food, and all those people dressed like peacocks trying their best to show off…
After two straight days of this, anyone would frown.
Today was the second day. Tomorrow would be the last.
Meaning, the crown prince’s birthday celebration—so extravagant it reeked of money—was scheduled to last for three whole days.
The largest banquet hall in the imperial palace. The white marble floor gleamed, and the four-tiered chandelier hanging from the ceiling almost blinded me. The carved pillars along the hall looked like they were made of gold.
The shock I felt when entering this place for the first time had been almost identical to the moment I realized I had transmigrated into a novel.
I brought the crystal glass of champagne to my lips. The sweet flavor spread through my mouth. I wondered how much something like this cost, and just as that thought crossed my mind, the aching pain from my heels reminded me to look around and sneak off to a secluded corner behind a pillar.
“I want to go home.”
I sighed, leaning against the column, and let out the words without thinking. Then I burst into a small laugh.
Four months since I transmigrated. This place had become my home.
Maybe it was because Eliana Rudd’s memories still remained fully within my body. I was Han Seo-ha, born and raised in South Korea, but I was also Eliana Rudd.
I peeked around from behind the pillar. I spotted my mother and father speaking with others across the hall.
Pulling out a handkerchief, I wiped the sweat trickling down. Seeing my father stiffly smiling beside my mother—far more nervous than I was at my first banquet—made me smile as well. My anxious heart eased a little. I scanned the room again, looking for the male lead of this world—Kylen Liverieden.
“Not here.”
That face was impossible to hide. Even among the ostentatiously dressed nobles, he stood out unmistakably.
Well, he was the protagonist.
Gold hair brighter than the golden decorations on the walls. Green eyes like fresh spring rain in May.
And when Kylen Liverieden curved his unusually red lips into a smile, his halo seemed to shine even brighter.
On the first day of the banquet, he always had a crowd following him, so it was easy to tell whether he was present or not.
Honestly, that face was exactly my type…
I clicked my tongue regretfully and downed the remaining champagne.
Why regret? Of course I knew why. Even if he was totally my type, I had no intention of crossing the River Jordan anytime soon—so I needed to stay far, far away.
Since middle school, I’d spent every allowance I earned on web novels—probably contributed enough to build at least a brick of some platform’s building. Even when I became an intern journalist in the social affairs department—sleep-deprived and staking out police stations—I still read whenever I could, eyes bloodshot.
A few months after finishing that hellish internship and becoming a full-time reporter, I followed a politician rumored to have gang connections with the senior reporter one class above me.
We were heading home after a fruitless investigation when a dump truck ran me over. And the moment I opened my eyes, I was Eliana Rudd.
So who was Eliana Rudd…?
Just thinking about it made me sigh. My future had been pre-assigned as miserable.
The novel I transmigrated into was “The Fake Saintess Who Saves the Male Lead.” Not a particularly famous work.
Eliana Rudd, a frail and timid country noble lady, was the minion of the lady who had a crush on the male lead—and then the minion behind that minion… maybe fifth in line, at best.
Basically, she was an extra who didn’t even deserve a full sentence of description.
A tiny obstacle to the protagonists’ love, destined to die in the most pointless, ridiculous way!
Honestly, calling her an “obstacle” was generous. If anything… she was like a fake speed bump—painted on, but not actually raised.
To die such a meaningless death—no thanks. So I made a decision.
I would run away.
Not that I hadn’t considered the alternative. Since I transmigrated, maybe I should cling to the male lead, stir things up, and live life to the fullest? But once you’ve experienced an unfair death even once, that stops sounding like a good idea.
Art should be appreciated from afar. I would live my own life.
If I could just get through this crown prince’s birthday banquet, I’d be safe. Kylen Liverieden was the prince, and I was a mere baron’s daughter—there was no reason we’d ever cross paths again.
I’d live quietly, keep my head down, and when the time was right, I’d retreat to our estate. Then, once the original story began, I’d use my knowledge to invest, make some money, travel the nations—doing all the things I couldn’t in my past life.
Once the protagonists found their happy ending, I would be free. Freedom.
A peaceful, leisurely life awaited me.
Goodbye, Kylen. Farewell.
The thought of never seeing that handsome face again—even from afar—left a faint bitterness on my tongue.
Well. It’s not like I’d get another chance to enjoy this much luxury. Once I started working on investments, I’d need to tighten my belt. Champagne like this? I wouldn’t be seeing it again anytime soon.
I called over a servant for more champagne, and soon a small stack of empty glasses accumulated on the table beside me.
But where there’s input, there’s output.
“Where was the restroom again…?”
My cheeks were flushed, and I felt pleasantly buzzed. While congratulating myself for my future, the sadness of never seeing the handsome male lead again had completely vanished, replaced by bubbling cheerfulness.
I stepped out of the banquet hall into the corridor. Cool air brushed against my heated cheeks. I hummed to myself as I walked in what I vaguely remembered to be the direction of the restroom.
Unlike the noisy banquet, the corridor was quiet.
My small humming echoed faintly. But the joy was short-lived.
“Where… is the restroom?”
My humming stopped as my bladder tightened. My steps grew urgent. The clicking of my heels against the marble floor became frantic.
“No… absolutely not. Hold it. You can do this. You can!”
I encouraged myself, throwing everything into my desperate search for the restroom. After checking door after door for several minutes—
“Oh, thank the heavens.”
At last, I found it.
Relief.
Yes, that was definitely relief. Stepping out of the restroom, free from the torment of my bladder, my strength returned slowly.
The drunkenness had long since vanished.
I sighed and looked left and right.
“Which way was the banquet hall?”
Left? Right? The palace was so huge and everything looked the same that I couldn’t remember where I had come from.
“Well… it’ll work out somehow.”
It was a fifty-fifty chance. And if I got lost, I could always ask someone. So I marched confidently forward—only to soon realize how wrong I was.
“How is there no one here?”
Not a person. Not even an ant. Only faint music from a distance hinting at how far I’d wandered from the banquet.
Should I turn back? I looked behind me.
An empty corridor, lit only by lanterns glowing softly in the darkness.
Suddenly, a chill shot up my spine—from my tailbone all the way to the back of my head. I rubbed my arms as goosebumps erupted everywhere.
This was my past life’s instincts warning me. I shouldn’t be here. I needed to move.
Fast.
Only my footsteps and breathing echoed in the corridor. My new shoes were already cutting into my heels—probably bleeding by now.
The dress my mother had ordered months in advance from the capital’s most popular boutique felt unbearably heavy.
I didn’t know why I felt the need to run, but the only thought filling my head was that I needed to escape this place.
The long hallway ended, and I turned a corner.
That’s when I froze.
“…Something’s burning.”
Faint, but unmistakable—the smell of smoke.
Sweat formed in my palm where I held up my dress to walk quickly.
Was there a fire in the palace? On the day of the crown prince’s birthday banquet?
The bad feeling tightened in my chest. I turned around to head back the way I came.
But just as I lifted my foot—
Thud!
I hit something hard and stumbled backward.
I’m falling!
I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing myself for my skull to crack against the marble—
But someone grabbed my arm and yanked me forward.
A forest scent tinged with moisture. That refreshing fragrance mingled faintly with smoke. Startled by the sudden warmth and scent, my eyes flew open.
Green eyes stared down at me.
And I recognized him instantly.
