Chapter 1: RMLIP

Chapter 1

"I'm late!"

The moment I entered the mansion, I dashed up the stairs. The cherry pie I had bought from the shopping district bounced with every step.

"Your Grace, I'm back...!"

I whispered as soon as I stepped into the bedroom.

The room was dark.

Is he asleep?

Quieting my footsteps, I walked toward the wardrobe.

But on top of it sat only the tiny bed I had made for him.

"Your Grace?"

After confirming that the bedding had been neatly arranged, I tilted my head.

Where did he go?

If there was anywhere Lishid would go...

I looked around the spacious room, searching every narrow corner.

Under the shelf.

Behind the dresser.

Between the books on the bookshelf.

Even the cracks in the floor.

Lishid was nowhere to be found.

I lifted the bed skirt that reached the floor and muttered toward the darkness,

"Knock, knock... Are you in there?"

Just then—

"Airel Blandiche, why are you only coming back now?"

I nearly jumped.

A low, cool voice came from behind me.

Compared to when we had first met, his voice had softened somewhat, but his blunt tone remained the same.

"Your Grace! I'm sorry. Have you been waiting long? I stopped by the information guild and bought a pie on the way..."

"You've been coming home late these days."

When I turned around, my eyes met the Grand Duke's.

He was sitting on the windowsill.

His crimson eyes flickered as they looked at me.

"The sun is already setting. Did you not spare a thought for the one waiting for you?"

Lishid crossed his arms, clearly displeased.

The breeze blowing through the open window gently stirred his black hair.

Looking past him at the crimson sunset fading into the horizon, I blinked.

"...You went outside, Your Grace?"

The window was open.

Erasing the smile from my face, I reached toward it.

The Grand Duke flinched and avoided my gaze.

With a sigh, I firmly shut the window.

"It's dangerous outside. I told you not to do that. You promised me."

When I forced another smile and looked down at him, he glanced at the now-closed window with a sullen expression.

"Meanwhile, you seemed awfully happy with that man—the master of the information guild."

What? How does he know that?

I narrowed my eyes in surprise.

The Grand Duke sighed and stood up.

"A gift."

"...Huh?"

Looking annoyed, Lishid drew his sword and pointed at a neatly folded handkerchief resting on the table.

I blinked in confusion.

"A handkerchief? What's this for?"

Did he buy it while he was outside?

But with that tiny body... how?

Puzzled, I picked up the handkerchief.

On the white cloth trimmed with pink lace, I saw carefully embroidered letters.

Airel Blandiche.

My name—

A name I still wasn't used to—

Had been embroidered in gold thread.

...No way.

I hurriedly looked around the table.

The basket of fabric, needle, and thread I had been using recently was still sitting there.

"Your Grace... did you make this for me?"

But why?!

My eyes widened.

If Lishid Eppenterion were ever to give me anything...

I had thought it would only be death.

But a handkerchief?

A handkerchief with my name embroidered by his own hand?!

As I stared at him in shock, his indifferent voice followed.

"You've been helping me, so I'm simply giving you an appropriate reward."

Using the tip of his toothpick-sized sword, Lishid pointed toward the portrait of himself decorating one corner of my room.

"So don't misunderstand. Just because I gave you something like this doesn't mean I share your feelings."

Good grief.

I bit the tip of my tongue.

Yes, judging by this room alone, it certainly looked like I was in love with the Grand Duke.

And yes, the original Airel had been hopelessly in love with Lishid.

But that's not it.

It really isn't!

I'm not even the real Airel!

This was bad.

I had only kidnapped the male lead by tricking him because I wanted to survive...

"Though if you can lift my curse, I'll allow you to hold my real body and sleep with it for one day."

Lishid's sword traced an arc before pointing toward a cushion embroidered with his face.

Avoiding my eyes, the tips of the Grand Duke's ears gradually turned red.

"...Why do you look so disappointed, Lady? Weren't you helping me because you wanted my body?"

What was I supposed to do?

I stared at him in despair.

Because the person who had placed the curse on him...

Was me.

Airel Blandiche.

"I heard the Grand Duke of Eppenterion has already finished subjugating the monsters and is returning. The capital is going to become lively again."

"Goodness. Then the welcoming ceremony will be moved up as well. I need to call the designer and order a new dress."

I froze with a spoonful of bibimbap halfway to my mouth while sitting in front of my computer.

Huh...?

Wait... why... why does my mouth taste like potato soup?

What happened to the tteokgalbi I spent three hours making?

And the fried egg I just cooked?

It was even sunny-side up!

"...My bibimbap!"

Has anyone ever transmigrated in the middle of a meal?

I wasn't hit by a truck.

There was no warning before my vision went black.

I simply blinked...

And suddenly I had transmigrated.

Without even getting to eat more than a single spoonful of the bibimbap I had poured my heart into making.

Are you kidding me?!

"Airel Blandiche."

Just as I shot to my feet in panic, an elegant voice reached my ears.

A woman with golden hair pinned into an elaborate style frowned as she set down her knife.

"What is this commotion during dinner? I'm certain I told you not to disgrace the honor of House Blandiche."

Clicking her tongue, she looked me up and down.

"It seems you'll need etiquette lessons again. Ever since you started shamelessly chasing after the Grand Duke of Eppenterion..."

Wait.

Airel Blandiche?

The Grand Duke of Eppenterion?

No way.

The woman's lecture continued, but I was too busy processing the situation.

I hurriedly touched my hair.

As I pulled out the ribbon securing it, my long hair spilled over my shoulders.

And then...

...I'm doomed.

I stared at the dazzling silver hair cascading down my back.

Airel Blandiche.

The main villainess from the web novel My Boss Baby.

The novel's male lead, Lishid Eppenterion, was the Grand Duke of the North who guarded the mountain range where monsters constantly appeared.

And Airel—

The beautiful silver-haired villainess—

Secretly loved Lishid and placed the Doll's Curse on him, causing him to shrink.

The operation mentioned in the novel was infamously known as...

Operation Pocket Boyfriend.

The name was so ridiculous that readers joked it sounded like a comedy novel.

Fortunately...

The plan failed almost immediately.

On his way back from subjugating monsters, the cursed male lead happened to climb aboard the carriage of the heroine, who had just been appointed the new Saintess and was on her way to the Grand Temple.

As befitting a Saintess, Seria purified Lishid's curse.

Naturally...

The two fell in love.

The middle portion of the novel followed their sweet romance as they purified the monsters threatening the world.

But then... as for me—Airel Blandiche...

Not only did she curse Lishid...

She bullied Seria...

And eventually evolved into a full-fledged villain who used dark magic to control monsters and endanger the world.

And what happened to her?

She was expelled from her family... and killed by Lishid!

Abandoned by everyone.

Dragged through endless misery.

Only to meet a horrific death.

In short...

She reaped exactly what she had sown.

Seriously... why did I have to read this right before eating bibimbap...?

I clutched my pounding heart.

More frightening than the fact that I had transmigrated into someone else's body—

Or into a romance fantasy novel—

Was the future in which I was destined to die.

I wanted to live.

It was the moment I realized that humanity's survival instinct was stronger than the shock of transmigration itself.

Has the original story already begun?

Just then, a voice answered my question.

"I heard the new Saintess appointed by the High Priest is someone you know, Edwin?"

The Saintess.

That's the original heroine.

I quickly looked up.

The Duke, who had been chatting cheerfully with everyone except me, was looking at the young man seated beside me.

"Yes. We have a small connection, so I've been assigned to escort Lady Seria to the Grand Temple."

"Being escorted by our house is an honor for the Saintess as well. Do your best."

The young man smiled and nodded.

His gentle appearance contrasted with the same golden hair as mine.

Edwin Blandiche.

In other words...

The original story's second male lead.

And the one who would eventually expel me from the family.

"Why are you staring at me like that?"

Noticing my gaze, he frowned as though I'd seen something I shouldn't have.

This is driving me insane.

I lowered my eyes with a helpless sigh.

Being thrown out by my own brother...

And destined to die at the hands of the man I supposedly loved.

No matter how I thought about it...

That absolutely could not happen.

The first reason Airel dies is because she cursed Lishid, right?

I quietly kept my head down until dinner ended.

The moment I returned to my room, I called for Airel's maid, Jenice.

The very first thing I had to do...

Was cancel the curse.