Chapter 1
The first thought that crossed the woman’s mind when she opened her eyes was, *“I want to die.”*
The next thought that followed was a strangely familiar self-loathing.
*“Not now, though.”*
She slumped against the window and looked at her reflection in the glass. The face staring back at her was nothing like her original self.
Her chubby face was dotted with freckles, and her curly, carrot-colored hair framed it.
Her teal-colored eyes were dark and dull, revealing just how lifeless a life the owner of this body had led.
She had been hunching for so long that straightening her automatically curved shoulders and leaning her back against the wall was a small relief.
*“So… this is what they call, being inside a novel.”*
After spending several weeks here, with no way to return to her original world and having realized this situation wasn’t a dream, she had no choice but to accept it and live.
But there was a big problem.
This world was the one inside the novel she had read before her death, titled *The Saint’s Wish*.
*“…Have I possessed someone?”*
*The Saint’s Wish* was a fairly ordinary romance fantasy.
The heroine, Aria, had no distinguishing features except for her very beautiful appearance. One day, she discovered that she was the saint.
Acknowledged as the saint, Aria ascended to the capital and went about her duties, experiencing various events along the way.
*“So far… ordinary enough.”*
The main male character who primarily interacted with Aria was the crown prince of the empire, Sylvester. Despite his status, his position was ambiguous, and he hid a curse to maintain his standing.
And this curse could gradually be undone through contact with Aria.
*“Even so… still ordinary, I suppose?”*
The unusual twist was the secondary male lead, Benjamin Felton.
Benjamin was the Duke of the North, yet unlike the main male lead with black hair, he had brown hair and filled the “kind-hearted man” role. He also had green eyes.
Brown hair and green eyes were said to guarantee kindness, but imagining a northern duke looking like a puppy was… difficult.
But the more peculiar twist was that he was married.
*“Why give a man who flirts with the heroine a ‘married’ trait?”*
The woman thought. Perhaps the author had watched some illicit affair drama with too much interest before writing this. There was no other explanation.
Of course, the novel mentioned repeatedly that his marriage was unwanted. The woman muttered and shook her head.
*“…What’s the point of that?”*
After all, she had entered this body and was gradually assimilating into it. Though, the memories of this body weren’t fully intact.
Wallowing in regret about why she had possessed this body was already pointless. The water had already spilled, so to speak—even if she hadn’t been the one to spill it.
The woman let out a deep sigh while curled up by the window, and the maids standing in the corner hesitated before speaking one by one.
“Milady, shall we bring you some of your favorite food?”
“We’ve also brought plenty of your preferred tea leaves.”
“Y-Yes! A new tea set has arrived as well! The limited edition!”
Since she had not stepped out of the room at all since possessing this body, everyone was nervous.
At least now, things were somewhat better.
Naturally. No one could act so calmly when they first entered a completely new world—and in someone else’s body.
“It’s fine. No, I’m fine.”
“Mi-milady…”
The maids looked despondent at her response.
Ignoring them, the woman stared at her faint reflection in the window.
She pressed her forehead against the glass, feeling its coldness.
*“…Might as well get some fresh air.”*
The maids, overhearing her quiet murmur, jumped in panic, worried their mistress’s mood might change.
“What a wonderful idea!”
“We’ll prepare an outfit right away!”
“You’ll feel better if you wear your favorite dress and go for a walk!”
“No, first you must take a bath!”
They moved busily, not giving her a chance to retract her statement.
*‘Why is everyone so nervous around me?’*
She rose from her seated position. Her heavy body made movement awkward.
Her reflection caught in a nearby mirror.
*“…”*
Before possession, she had been bedridden until just before her death. Simply being able to stand on her own two feet was satisfying.
*‘If I can even be healthy, all the better.’*
Yet, since entering this body, what dominated her mind was an intense self-loathing.
After staring at the mirror for a long while, one maid’s face went pale.
“Shall I remove the mirror?”
“I’m fine.”
The woman wondered why such a simple glance into the mirror made them so restless.
She knew why.
*‘It’s inevitable.’*
She had inherited fragments of the body’s memories. The original owner had hated herself intensely.
*‘That’s probably why the self-loathing blooms.’*
It had been so awful that she could only free herself from the self-hatred after repeatedly reminding herself that she wasn’t the original owner.
*‘Honestly, she wasn’t that ugly.’*
Her muscles had atrophied and she had gained weight from staying indoors, but otherwise she had an ordinary appearance. The original owner simply hadn’t thought so.
“Milady, the bath is ready.”
“Shall we serve you today as well?”
“….”
The woman shook her head and entered the bathroom alone.
Having attendants bathe her felt awkward. Fortunately, the woman before possession had also disliked it.
Immersed in the warm water, she muttered:
*“It must have been the embarrassment of showing my body.”*
Still, the long-overdue bath soothed her mood. Some of her pessimism began to fade.
⋆★⋆
Most of the clothes in the wardrobe were dark-colored.
*‘They all look about the same.’*
The designs seemed indistinguishable to her, though the maids eagerly picked outfits.
The reasoning was that she needed a good outfit for the long-awaited walk.
Wearing a dark navy dress with almost no lace or ribbons, she stepped outside without hesitation, startling everyone.
*‘She rarely goes outside, and since I entered this body, she hasn’t taken a single step out of the room.’*
Still, she didn’t shrink back.
No, it would be more accurate to say she forced herself not to shrink.
Instead of the usual secluded backyard garden, she headed toward the grand garden by the main entrance.
The gardener tending the garden was visibly startled, hiding for a moment.
Seeing the garden up close, which she had only glimpsed through the window, it looked even more vibrant and splendid.
*“So this is how it looks up close…”*
“Her master instructed us to ensure it could be seen well from your room’s window!”
The maid trailing her smiled brightly.
“The lord?”
“Yes!”
She was like a puppy seeking praise. The maid, nodding vigorously, emphasized how carefully she had tended the garden.
The woman, however, found the comment amusing.
*‘No way.’*
She knew the situation of this body all too well.
While she was processing this, she heard someone else approaching.
“Madam.”
A gust of wind scattered the leaves.
“….”
She looked at the man who had appeared before her.
“Why have you come out here, Madam?”
“Was I not supposed to come?”
“That’s not what I meant.”
Her teal eyes reflected the man.
Warm brown hair, eyes like fresh leaves green.
The handsome man smiled gently.
“And then?”
“I was worried.”
She scoffed inwardly at the word *worried*.
*‘Sure, right.’*
The man standing across from her was Benjamin Felton, the secondary male lead in *The Saint’s Wish*.
And the body she had possessed was Grace Felton, who had never directly appeared in the novel…
The secondary male lead’s wife.
⋆★⋆
Grace Felton, née Grace Linden.
A daughter of a minor noble family, forcibly married off by the royal family, who could no longer strengthen the power of the Felton Dukes.
Though her family had noble history, it had dwindled to near-peasantry, making a match with a duke highly unlikely.
Grace met Benjamin only three times before their wedding and shortly thereafter disappeared from society.
*‘If that’s all, it wouldn’t matter.’*
Grace glanced at Benjamin walking behind her.
He smiled each time she glanced back.
Grace would then turn her head forward again, still uneasy.
Their marriage had been arranged by the royal family; many readers sympathized with Benjamin.
*‘He married an unremarkable, unappealing woman to prove loyalty to the crown.’*
According to Grace’s fragmentary memories, they hadn’t even kissed at the wedding, let alone performed any marital duties.
It was purely a marriage of convenience, not a real partnership.
If that were all, Grace could have comfortably lived under the duke’s protection.
However, in the latter half of the novel, Grace dies from a mysterious illness.
