Chapter 01
I opened my eyes because of a burning thirst.
From that moment, pain spread through my entire body. Especially my head.
When I came to my senses and opened my eyes, there was a huge tree in front of me, and a bow was held in my hand.
How did I end up falling from a tree while holding a bow?
Before I could find the answer, an unfamiliar sight entered my eyes.
The bow in my hand was different from the bow I knew.
“Huh?”
It was not the bow I had cherished and polished for five years.
It was not the bow that had shared my joys and sorrows throughout my time as an archery athlete.
The clothes I would never normally wear, and even my hair that I noticed only later.
This was not the place where I had lived.
‘I need to get out of this forest quickly.’
With only that thought in my mind, I started walking.
I had not walked for long before my breathing became heavy, and then I heard a horrifying beast-like sound nearby.
Grrrrr—
My body reacted instinctively. I lowered myself and minimized my movements.
“Fortunately, it doesn’t seem to be this way.”
I adjusted my grip on the bow and carefully moved toward the direction of the beast’s sound.
Soon, I saw a man lying against a tree and a beast that seemed to be targeting him.
I raised the bow I had firmly prepared.
I was wondering whether I should kill the beast or just scare it away, when the beast suddenly rushed toward the man leaning against the tree.
The moment I saw that, I quickly pulled the bowstring and released it.
Twang—
The arrow left my hand lightly and flew through the air at high speed.
Swoosh—
And it pierced the beast’s neck exactly.
The man turned his head and looked at me.
Even though he had not reacted to the beast in front of him, he reacted sensitively to the presence of a person.
The beast was still alive and crawling toward the man, so I pulled the bowstring once more.
Only after seeing the beast collapse without making a single sound did I walk toward the man.
“Excuse me, are you alright?”
However, the closer I got, the stronger the man’s guarded attitude became, so I stopped walking.
“I didn’t mean to scare you. You seem badly injured, so don’t move too much. I’ll leave.”
Whether he heard me or not, the man did not respond and hid himself behind the tree.
Just as I said, I had no intention of doing anything to him.
Still, shouldn’t he at least say thank you to the person who saved him?
It was embarrassing that he was avoiding me this much.
Thinking that he would manage since I had saved him from the beast, I turned around and tried to hurry out of the forest.
“Help me…”
The man’s voice reached me.
From his voice, which sounded like he was forcing himself to squeeze out the words, I could tell how serious his injuries were.
It was ridiculous that he had been cautious toward me until just a moment ago but was now asking for help. However, since someone in that condition asked for assistance, it was difficult to ignore him.
I slowly walked closer, and the man’s appearance became clearer.
Only his eyes and hair were visible above the mask covering his face.
Our eyes met for only a brief moment, but even that short moment almost made me lose myself.
It was not because a certain part of him was beautiful or impressive.
Simply making eye contact with him felt strangely captivating.
His hair was a mixture of gray and black, scattered unevenly.
The marks looked as if something had been erased from it.
“Help me leave the forest.”
Only after looking at his clothes did I become certain.
This was not the world where I lived.
“The way you speak is more arrogant than I expected for someone asking for help.”
The man gave no answer to my words.
“Do you know the way out?”
“I do.”
“Good. Then guide me. This is my first time in this forest.”
I helped him stand and let him lean on my shoulder.
“By the way, is this forest usually full of dangerous beasts?”
“No.”
“Then the beast that attacked you?”
“That beast does not originally live in this country.”
Then that meant someone had intentionally released it.
The existence of the man beside me was already confusing enough. There was no need to investigate the dead beast too.
Get a grip, Jang Hyea!
Following the man’s directions, we soon left the forest.
When we reached what looked like the entrance of the forest, the man refused my support, saying he was fine now.
“You don’t need to leave the forest completely?”
“Someone will come soon. Since I owe you my life, I will repay the debt.”
“Do you even know who I am?”
“Whoever you are.”
“Of course you would say that.”
Leaving the man behind, I walked a fairly long distance out of the forest.
Then a group of people rushed toward me. Or rather, toward this woman’s body.
“Miss! You were already supposed to come out long ago, and since there was no news, we were about to send people inside.”
“Summer, the young lady has come out, so stop now.”
I did not know my name.
I did not know who I was.
I did not know who the people in front of me were.
Just as I was about to say something, a warm and thick liquid flowed from my nose.
I grabbed my nose in surprise, and the white glove began turning red.
The servants watching me were startled and rushed over.
Before the voices calling my name could even fully reach my ears, my eyes closed and my body tilted.
“Miss….”
When I opened my eyes, I was inside one of the many romance fantasy novels I had read.
And I had a fiancé.
‘I don’t want to marry Marquis Ter Giuer. But like he said, if our family is to prosper further, I have to sacrifice myself.’
‘I just want to leave this world. I want to exchange souls with someone and live differently.’
However, the owner of this body, Eloa Lumania, also did not want to marry Ter Giuer.
And I learned that Ter Giuer was threatening Eloa with family issues to force her into marriage, although I did not know exactly what he had said.
And then….
‘I heard from a shaman I met in the market that there is a soul exchange ritual. I will spend all the money I saved and find him to exchange souls.’
Eloa, who did not want to marry, had performed a soul exchange ritual.
I found this information written in Eloa’s diary by chance.
Lastly, I, Jang Hyea!
As a huge fan of romance fantasy novels, my favorite character exists in this novel!
The warm and kind second male lead who is like sunshine, Siobhan Akane.
Although he never ends up with the female lead in <The Lady Holding the Leash>, he was more than enough to capture my heart.
Alright.
Fate is something I create myself.
Since I was possessed into this world, I will marry my favorite character!
Why am I here?
I do not know how many times I have asked myself this question already.
No, maybe it was several million times.
One thing was certain.
Since entering this body, this was the thought I had the most.
Attending the imperial palace social party was fine.
But I never wanted to be Marquis Giuer’s partner!
At first, I had hoped I might meet Siobhan.
Even if I could not meet him, my goal was to eat delicious desserts and enjoy seeing the outside world.
But because of that damn Marquis Giuer, my perfect plan was ruined.
While thinking over Marquis Giuer again and again, my eyes fell on the beautiful flowers in the imperial palace garden.
The moment I approached the flowers, a familiar voice was heard.
“Lady Lumania!”
Ter Giuer.
That bastard who looked like a fish.
The person who ruined my dream-like plan.
I ignored every letter Giuer had sent me until now.
There were times when I threw the letters into the pond immediately after receiving them and claimed they had fallen in.
Other times, I put bird feed on top of the letters so birds would carry them away.
Sometimes, I pretended they had blown away in the wind and threw them into the fireplace.
Every time I said I had not received his letters, Marquis Giuer eventually came himself.
And this time, he came saying he would take me as his partner to the young ladies’ social party!
“Lady, attend this social party as my partner.”
“Oh my, Marquis, I am still not feeling well… Even if I wanted to attend, I do not think I could.”
“But Lady, did you not win first place in the hunting competition held among the young ladies last time?”
“That was only because I was lucky.”
“Staying in bed too much is not good for your health. Then I will come to pick you up on the day of the party.”
That was how it happened.
Since it was a social party hosted by the imperial family, I had not actually planned to skip it.
But I had never once planned to enter as Ter Giuer’s partner.
The rumor that I would marry Marquis Giuer had already spread throughout high society.
However, since I planned to break off the engagement, attending an official event with him, especially one held at the imperial palace, was never part of my plan.
Yes.
In this world, having a fiancé and appearing alone would have looked stranger.
So, unwillingly, I attended with Giuer as my partner and planned to quietly hide in a corner.
At least, that was the plan.
Until countless young ladies began approaching me.
