Chapter 01

Prologue

Tears streamed down Ye-an’s cheeks like rain.

“Damn it. I knew this would happen…!”

The novel she had waited six long months for, counting down every upload, had finally ended.

With the one ending she wanted the least.

Sure, it was a genre novel, so it was only natural for the protagonist to get a happy ending.

But still!

Ye-an clenched her trembling fists, barely resisting the urge to throw her phone.

Damn it!

A 36-month installment plan.

I still have 24 months left to pay. I have to endure it.

“If only I were rich, I’d bribe the author to keep my favorite character alive. Sob…”

<The Beloved Saintess>

The protagonist of this novel was a Saintess.

It was a simple story about a commoner girl whose life completely changed after awakening as the Saintess one day.

Just like the title suggested, she was loved by everyone.

Without accomplishing anything through her own efforts, the Saintess simply accepted everything the male leads handed to her.

Then she married the Emperor.

The end.

It was truly an unbelievably easy life.

But…

“My favorite isn’t the heroine!”

That’s right!

Of course the Saintess would end up with the Emperor since she was the protagonist!

“But why did my favorite have to die, Author?!”

To be fair, her favorite had raised plenty of death flags.

She tried to kill the Saintess because she couldn’t stand seeing her beside the Emperor.

In the end, she even started a rebellion, declaring that if she couldn’t have the Emperor, she would rather kill him.

Ye-an knew a tragic ending was only natural.

Still…

She covered her mouth.

“Sob… Bring my favorite back…”

Proud.

Elegant.

Liz.

Liz, who stylishly destroyed annoying people with water magic.

Unlike the heroine, who obtained everything effortlessly through sheer luck, Liz was different.

She fought desperately for everything.

She struggled with all her might to obtain what she wanted.

That was why Ye-an couldn’t help but fall in love with her.

“You stayed true to yourself until the very end… but Liz! Liiiiz! You can’t die like that…”

Who was it that said love was beautiful?

Love is desire.

To endlessly exploit.

To make another surrender.

To possess them.

That was what she had been taught.

That was how she had lived.

Standing before the window, Liz looked out at the Emperor’s army without a trace of hesitation.

Then she drank the poisoned wine.

This life had never begun by her own will.

At least its ending should.

Warm blood rose into her throat.

Even so, she straightened her back with the same elegance as always.

Though I could never have you…

I gave everything I had.

I have not a single regret.

Feeling the strength leave her body, she smiled faintly.

But…

If only I had known how to love the way all of you did…

Would things have ended differently?

That meaningless thought was her last before her consciousness sank into endless darkness.

Forget that Emperor who never loved you!

You should’ve found a gentle, obedient man instead and lived happily ever after with him!

No.

This wouldn’t do.

She had to message the author and demand a sequel with Liz as the protagonist.

Our Liz…

She said she had no regrets.

But she clearly did.

Opening the social media app on her phone, Ye-an prepared to send the author a message.

At that very moment—

Screeeech!

The sound of tires scraping across asphalt echoed through the air.

Her vision flipped upside down.

Huh…?

Why… am I looking at the sky…?

Her head lolled weakly to one side.

Blood flowed across the ground like a winding snake.

Through her fading vision, she saw a motorcycle lying on the road.

Did Heaven really get moved by how much I loved my favorite?

Even so… you didn’t have to send me to her like this…

That was her final thought before everything went dark.

She thought she had died.

But…

Where on Earth Is This? (1)

When she opened her eyes after the traffic accident…

She found herself in another world.

Isn’t this the kind of thing that only happens in novels and comics?

The very first thing that greeted her was a huge portrait hanging proudly in the middle of the room.

Silvery-blue hair that resembled moonlight.

Sharp, cat-like eyes.

Bright blue irises as clear as the sky.

With growing suspicion, she checked her reflection in a mirror.

Looking back at her was a frail beauty with the exact same face as the woman in the portrait.

An hour had passed since she woke up.

Hoping this was only a dream, Ye-an slapped herself across the cheek.

Again.

And again.

It only hurt.

She never woke up.

“…Ha. I actually transmigrated.”

She was inside <The Beloved Saintess>.

How did she know?

Because the memories of this body’s original owner naturally surfaced, as if they had always been her own.

Rachel Agnes.

The head of House Agnes, one of the founding ducal families of the Castor Empire.

Six months ago, after the previous Duke and Duchess died in a carriage accident while traveling, she inherited the title.

There’s no way I wouldn’t know House Agnes.

It belonged to her favorite character.

So what role did this body play in <The Beloved Saintess>?

“…Heh.”

“None.”

She was simply the older half-sister whom the author killed off before the story even began—

All so the novel’s villain, and Ye-an’s favorite character, Liz Agnes, could enter the ducal family.

“Are you kidding me?! I’m Liz’s half-sister?!”

Liz was the illegitimate daughter of the previous Duke of Agnes.

She grew up as a commoner outside the family.

After the original Rachel died young from alcoholism, Liz was brought into the family and became the new Duchess.

Young and innocent, Liz inherited a ruined duchy.

She endured countless humiliations as its head before gradually falling into darkness.

“Let’s see… this is ten years before the original story starts, right?”

Which meant…

This body would die from alcoholism within a year.

Thinking of myself as someone with only one year left to live suddenly gives me chills…

“I-It’s okay.”

“I just have to stop drinking!”

In the original story, Rachel died from alcohol.

So as long as she stayed away from it, she’d be fine.

Going back to her original world would only leave her with the broken body from the traffic accident.

She couldn’t even contact her parents.

And her bank account was practically empty.

But now?

She had become the owner of this vast duchy.

And on top of that—

She was her favorite character’s half-sister!

Since she’d already transmigrated…

She was going to live happily in this world with her favorite until they both became old grandmothers!

Just as she imagined her wonderful fangirl life ahead—

Creak.

Someone opened the door.

No knock.

Rachel—formerly Ye-an—looked toward the newcomer in disbelief.

Brown hair.

Brown eyes.

A woman in her early sixties.

The moment their eyes met, the woman froze in surprise.

That woman is…

Thanks to the memories remaining in this body, information naturally surfaced.

Abigail.

The head maid.

Once a countess, she had become a widow and spent the last ten years strengthening her influence as the mansion’s head maid.

“…What business do you have barging in without knocking?”

“M-My apologies! Didn’t I knock?”

“Why are you so absent-minded this morning?”

(Translation continued…)