Chapter 0: Prologue

“…Huh?”

When I opened my eyes, I saw an unfamiliar ceiling.

It might sound like a description from a manga or novel, but there was no other way to express it.

The usual LED lights I was used to were gone.

A chandelier, the kind I’d only seen on the internet, was hanging there.

“Where am I.”

As I slowly looked around, I became even more confused.

A room far larger than any I knew.

Ornate jewel decorations that were best described as brilliant.

Elegant pajamas that I had never bought nor worn before.

“What in the world is this?”

I shot up in bed, completely startled.

And in that moment, I was genuinely bewildered.

“Woah?”

My body felt light.

The body that had always felt as heavy as if it were waterlogged was now so incredibly unburdened.

What on earth happened?

Slowly, naturally, I got out of bed.

My body didn’t tremble at all.

And I stood in front of the mirror beside it.

“Who are you.”

The brittle hair and haggard face were gone.

These weren’t the emaciated limbs that would make one frown.

Well-kept, reddish-brown hair, even though I had just woken up.

Sharp eyes and stoic-looking blue irises.

A young but healthy body that looked as if it had been consistently trained.

The mirror was reflecting someone I had never seen before.

Only then did I realize.

“…Regression, possession, or reincarnation.”

It’s a common cliché in web novels, a shorthand for regression, possession, and reincarnation.

To think something like that would happen to me.

Does that mean I died?

I wasn’t particularly surprised.

It was something I had been preparing for a long time ago.

Every day had been a struggle, and the doctor had told me I wouldn’t live past 20, even at the longest.

I was actually grateful that it ended without any pain.

And to start a new life with a healthy body.

I’m getting kind of excited.

“First, is this medieval? Or modern? Is this body from a noble family?”

The lavishly embroidered decorations and the aura of this body were telling me several things.

‘It’s probably not reincarnation.’

Regression was out of the question from the start.

If so, what story have I entered?

Usually, in these situations, people end up in the last story they read.

What was the last thing I read?

“…I don’t know.”

My last memories in my original body were just of me lying down, unable to move properly.

Even just turning a page made me break out in a cold sweat, and lifting a smartphone was nearly impossible, so I just lay quietly in my hospital bed, doing nothing.

It must have been well over a year since I last read any text.

“Well, who cares.”

Whenever I read stories that started with possession or reincarnation, I always wondered why the protagonists were so calm, and now I think I understand a little.

The anticipation for a new beginning feels much greater than any immediate fear or confusion.

At least, it did for me.

My heart pounded with the hope that I could enjoy a wonderful life in a healthy body.

It would be nice if this was a peaceful and ordinary world.

“Young Master Ike. Are you awake?”

As I was looking around again in wonder, a woman’s voice rang out along with a knock.

The Korean language, so out of place in this setting, seemed to prove that this was indeed the world of some story.

By the way, Ike.

It’s a name I think I’ve heard somewhere.

It’s not familiar, but it feels like I might have heard it once.

Was there a protagonist with that name in a novel I read?

“Hmm.”

No matter how hard I tried to remember, nothing came to mind.

“I’m awake.”

“Lady Reyna will be arriving shortly.”

…Reyna?

This was definitely a name I had heard somewhere.

I feel like I could remember if I just thought about it a little more by myself.

“Young Master?”

But I couldn’t keep her waiting outside for my answer.

“Yes, I’ll be out soon.”

“Very well. Shall I guide Lady Reyna to the reception room as usual?”

“Please do.”

“Understood.”

The presence disappeared along with quiet footsteps.

It seems I don’t have much time right now, so I should get moving.

Maybe meeting this guest named Reyna will jog my memory.

*

“…I’m not too late, am I?”

I took too much time changing my clothes.

In the end, I had to get help from the maid who came back for me when I didn’t come out after she’d waited for so long.

Thinking of her awkward smile made my face feel like it was turning beet red all over again from embarrassment.

“Is this it?”

I stopped in front of a huge door.

The plaque on it clearly read ‘Reception Room’.

“This is still awkward.”

No matter how I looked at it, this was a Western-style mansion.

Seeing Korean in a place like this was more awkward than I thought.

How on earth did the protagonists in novels endure this awkwardness?

I let out a small sigh and knocked quietly on the door.

“I’m coming in.”

This was clearly this body’s house, but since I didn’t know the identity of the guest inside, I thought it was best to be polite.

“Hurry up and come in.”

Permission was granted in a quiet voice.

It was a beautiful voice.

A clear tone, like morning dew.

“Understood.”

Naturally tensing up, I slowly opened the door.

And inside was a single girl.

She looked young, around the same age as this body.

But her aura was different.

Her dignity was different.

I could feel a sense of nobility.

She was so radiant.

Her long, straight platinum-blonde hair seemed to hold the moonlight itself.

Her bright violet eyes suited her sharp features perfectly.

Her snow-white skin and red lips were clearly contrasting colors, yet they weren’t awkward at all.

Like a doll.

No, the girl was beautiful enough to make a doll seem like a trifle.

I couldn’t help but stare, completely captivated.

“What’s wrong?”

The girl named Reyna tilted her head as if questioning why I wasn’t moving a muscle.

And only then was I able to snap out of it.

“Ah, yes.”

As I hurriedly sat down, she frowned as if something was unpleasant.

“Is something wrong? You’re using formal language, which is unlike you. …Did you perhaps hear the news?”

“Ah, huh? No. What news?”

Did the owner of this body speak informally to a girl like this?

The thought that he was bold just came to me.

“Well, whatever. It’s probably fine to tell you in advance. I’m engaged to the Crown Prince.”

“Engaged, to the Crown Prince?”

“Yes.”

My mind flashed.

It was a cliché expression, but there was no other way to put it.

“…I remember now.”

I remembered everything.

Her beauty couldn’t be captured by a mere illustration.

The author’s descriptions failed to bring out even a fraction of her charm.

The name of this body, Ike.

The beautiful girl named Reyna.

The engagement to the Crown Prince.

The girl named Reyna, sitting in front of me with a cold expression, will die by beheading in the future.

This body, Ike, plays the role of her childhood friend.

He was a man who served as a device to explain just how isolated she would become in the future.

A girl who dreamed of ordinary happiness.

But a villainess who lived a lonely, solitary life, unable to rely on anyone.

She was different from me, but she was someone I empathized with and felt a kinship towards.

Reyna Roselia.

This was the world of a story where she would one day fall, all alone.

My favorite story.

This was the world of ‘She Heals the Wounded World.’