Chapter 1 – The Situation of Diana Wellington

I always liked men who were different on the inside than they appeared on the outside.

Like the cold Northern Duke who’s sweet only to his wife.
Or the aloof Tower Master who panics the moment my name is mentioned.
Sometimes a noble prince, a high priest, a knight commander, or even a transcendent being beyond human.

I wanted to experience what it was like to be deeply entangled with a man hiding a painful secret.
But… not like this.

“Please, I beg you. If you just give me a little more time, I promise next time I’ll…”
“Your situation doesn’t concern me.”

His cold voice was sharp enough to cut off limbs.

Ian Crawford.
A young duke known for being kind and fair to everyone.

“Have you forgotten how many chances I’ve already given you?”
“Aaagh!”

The villain, smiling gracefully, was now ruthlessly crushing someone’s fingers.

Why—why did I choose this break room of all places?
Why did they come in here for a secret meeting?
And why did my shoe have to break today of all days?!

“The money from the royal casino is practically mine. And you dared to touch it.”
“I’ve sent someone reliable to fix it… please, believe me!”
“What am I supposed to do with such incompetence? My business partner would’ve just killed you already—and frankly, it’s not a bad idea.”

Without meaning to, I ended up overhearing the villain’s secret conversation.
All I could do was hold my breath and pray for the moment to pass.

“I’ll give you two weeks. If you still can’t find those fools and clean up this mess…”
“Y-Young Duke…!”
“I’ll sell your organs to cover the debt.”

If you value your life, pay up.
This wasn’t just a threat—it was a robbery without a knife.

But when a narrow-eyed villain says that kind of line, it evolves from robbery to straight-up murder.
Same threat, but with way more danger.

“Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“Y-Yes!”
“Get out. Before I really decide to kill you.”

The subordinate scrambled out of the room in terror.

Now, the only person left in the break room… was me.

Please spare me! I was just sitting here like leftover pottery, breathing quietly!
I just wanted to get some fresh air on the balcony!

“……”

But even though I screamed silently inside, Ian Crawford didn’t leave.

“This scent…”

He suddenly started sniffing around like he was searching for something.

My heart felt like it was about to explode.

What’s he doing? What’s he looking for?

Then—his footsteps rushed in my direction.

“……!”

Panic set in. I frantically searched for a place to hide.

But it was too late.

The balcony curtain that had been hiding me was flung aside—and Ian Crawford stood before me.

“Miss Diana?”

“Gasp…”

His blood-red eyes locked onto me like I was his prey.

I knew it immediately.
If I wanted to survive, I needed to pay up or talk fast.

I took a few shaky steps back, only to bump into the railing.

“What are you doing here?”

“I-I just… needed some air. My stomach felt upset…”

“Did you hear our conversation just now?”

“……”

I couldn’t say anything.

No matter what answer I gave, there was no escaping this situation.
That’s how dangerous Ian Crawford’s aura was.

“I’ll ask again. Did you hear our conversation, Miss Diana?”

His usual polite smile had completely vanished.

Gone was the fake friendliness he’d shown when we first met.

Now, all I could see was the cold, serious face of the villain I’d been desperately trying to avoid.

‘I’m doomed.’

If this is the fate of someone possessed into a novel, then it’s way too unfair.

Up until a few days ago, I had zero connection to this man.

‘Someone—please help me!’

To explain how things got this bad, we need to rewind two days.

“Get married.”

My mother said it calmly as she sipped her tea.

“I can’t wait any longer. Diana, get married.”

“Mother…”

Here it comes.

Diana closed her eyes like she had a headache.

Helena was an ideal mother who was easy to talk to.
Except when it came to marriage—then she became impossibly stubborn.

It wasn’t the first time, but as someone who hadn’t fully given up her modern mindset after being possessed, this topic still tired me out.

‘Please let today be the day she backs off a little.’

That’s what Diana hoped as she tried to half-listen. But the conversation took a sharp turn.

“A marriage proposal came in.”

“…What?”

“It’s a letter from the Crawford family. The Grand Duchess herself has taken an interest in you.”

Helena handed her the letter.

As soon as Diana saw the sender, she froze.

“She has good taste. If it’s someone like the Young Duke Crawford, I would gladly accept him as my son-in-law.”

“Mother!”

“You’re meeting him at the Valentine Marquis’ party in two days.”

“I don’t want to. I’ve already told you—I don’t want to get married!”

“Why? Because you want to live your life as a wealthy heiress?”

Three years ago, Diana gained inheritance rights thanks to a land reform project.

Once she realized how hard it was to find a decent husband, she decided she’d rather live as a rich single woman.

But of course, her parents didn’t approve.

“I just want something natural—”

“If you’re about to say ‘I want to meet someone naturally,’ don’t even start. How many times have you used that excuse?”

“Ugh…”

“I’ll say it again. We can’t let you live alone forever and die by yourself.”

Helena said firmly.

“Just meet him. The Grand Duchess personally asked about you. Don’t be rude.”

“……”

Whether it was Diana’s silence or something else, Helena’s voice softened.

“He’s really a good man. I’ve met him a few times myself—men like him are rare.”

“But…”

“For a new noble family like ours, he’s the perfect match. Even your father agrees.”

She tried her best to persuade her daughter.

“Diana, you never know how fate will bring people together.”

Fate?

Sure, there was something like fate.

But in my case, it was the worst kind.

“I hope you won’t close your heart off too quickly. Just meet him—you’ll see.”

And with that, Helena left the room.

Left alone, Diana buried her face in her hands.

‘So this is how it ends?’

Diana didn’t always avoid marriage.

But something changed when she turned fourteen.

That’s when she began to recover another memory.

She remembered that this world was part of a romance fantasy novel called “Saving the Prince!”—and that she had been possessed into it.

Diana Wellington was just a minor side character.

To be precise, she was a disposable pawn used by the villain.

‘No wonder life was too easy. I’m just an extra who gets used for money laundering and dies. It really doesn’t get worse than this.’

Before regaining her memories, Diana’s life was smooth sailing.

It was like her crappy past life had been compensated with a perfect one.

“…All that effort, and it still came to this.”

She sighed as she looked at the letter.

Let the young people meet and see if they’re interested in marriage.

That’s basically what it said.

She had tried so hard not to receive this letter.

Anyone but the Crawford family.
She avoided the villain and hunted for decent men.

But every time she approached someone, they’d tear up and back off—telling her to find someone better.

‘So the story has to follow the original plot, huh?’

The novel’s invisible hand was terrifying.

Even as a beautiful, wealthy count’s daughter, Diana hadn’t received a single marriage proposal.

“Diana’s desperate love was repaid with poison.
She never accepted how much her fiancé had changed—not even until her dying breath.”

In the original novel, Diana fell in love with the villain at first sight.

Not only was she used, but she was also murdered by her own fiancé.

Her tragic death was meant to highlight how cruel the villain was.

She refused to accept that role without a fight.

‘Honestly, I’m beyond tired of this. But I still don’t want to die.’

She threw herself into finding a new fiancé, but it always ended in failure.

And once she realized the outcome would never change, her desire to survive began to erase her will to marry.

With that gone, only one thing remained—her mindset as a possessor.

‘Then let’s twist the plot however I can.’

She gathered the last bit of motivation she had left.

How could she change the story?

In other words: How can I stop looking like a convenient pawn of a fiancée?

After thinking it over, she came to a conclusion.

‘If I look weak, he’ll probably kill me. So I’ll act like I’m just as bad as him.’

Not a real villain, of course.

Just someone who looks hard to kill quietly.

If she could leave that kind of impression, she might be able to escape—or even break off the engagement.

Even her mother had started sensing that something was off.

She couldn’t keep pretending she wanted a “natural romance” much longer.

‘I’m not dying like this!’

Diana made up her mind—fast.