The moment I opened my eyes, I saw an unfamiliar ceiling looming above me. As my dazed gaze wandered, I beheld a silk canopy and curtains embroidered with gold thread that filled my vision with an unfamiliar splendor. Everything within my line of sight, from the dark carpet covering the entire room to the antique bedside table close enough to touch, appeared both excessively lavish and utterly foreign.

At first, I assumed the scene was merely lingering in my mind from the novel I had been reading before falling asleep. But the moment I moved, I realized that was not the case.

Even the sensations beneath my fingertips felt strange. A thin silk nightdress glided over the back of my hand, while the blanket I held felt thick and heavy.

Moreover, her unnaturally pale, slender fingers and flawlessly smooth hands were completely different to my own rough hands, which bore the marks of years of hardship.

My heart began pounding as I realized that something was terribly wrong. At that moment, I noticed a full-length mirror standing a short distance away.

Steadying my breathing, I lowered my feet to the floor. Even the sensation of my feet touching the floor felt foreign.

I stepped onto the soft carpet and approached the mirror. In the reflection, I saw a woman I had never seen before.

Her chestnut-brown hair fell to her chest, framed by eyebrows and long, luxuriant lashes of the same shade. Her eyes were as vivid as the deep blue sea. With her porcelain skin and lips that seemed to have been painted with the finest brush, the woman in the mirror was me — and yet she was not.

I stood there, frozen to the spot, when I suddenly realized that the woman in the mirror looked strangely familiar. I had never met her or seen her in a photograph or video before. But I had seen her in an illustration from a novel.

Suddenly, the woman’s name came to me.

Judith Everlyn.

She was a supporting villainess from a novel I had recently read, a woman who had been ruined after becoming embroiled in a scandal that left her the subject of ridicule. Desperately clinging to the hollow title of the male lead’s fiancée, she ultimately became a laughing stock and was abandoned by everyone.

I frowned and the woman in the mirror did the same. Seeing her move at my command, I sighed. I desperately wished it were a dream, but it wasn’t.

I looked around. The furniture and decorations filling the spacious room, and even the view outside the window, were exactly as described in the novel.

As I approached the bedside table, I noticed a small silver bell, a book that had been left halfway through reading, a half-empty bottle of perfume, and a handkerchief with a name embroidered in gold thread. It was only when I saw ‘J. Everlyn’ stitched into its corner that the reality of the situation truly sank in.

‘This is insane! Why did I become Judith?’

I roughly swept my long, cumbersome hair back and sank into thought. I no longer had the luxury of standing around in shock. I needed to work out where I fitted into the timeline of the novel.

Judith Everlyn had made a dazzling entrance into high society as the fiancée of Duke Arsen Valcar. She drew attention wherever she went, yet Arsen himself was the one person whose attention she could never capture.

He had no feelings for her. She alone was desperately clinging to their relationship.

In her attempts to win Arsen’s affection, Judith had incurred enormous financial losses and ruined her family’s reputation. Recognizing her mistakes, she endured society’s contempt and her family’s cold treatment with humility. However, Arsen’s increasingly distant and indifferent attitude caused her unbearable pain.

Then, on the day he called off their engagement, the heartbroken Judith drowned her sorrows in alcohol and fell to her death from a balcony. The novel described it as an accidental fall caused by intoxication. But was that truly all there was to it? Perhaps it was because I had become Judith, but I had a feeling that her death was not as simple as it seemed.

The longer she was engaged to Arsen, the more broken she became. In fact, she should never have loved or desired him in the first place.

Knock, knock, knock.

At the cautious knock on the door, I instinctively turned my head. Before I could answer, the door opened and a maid entered.

“My lady, you are awake.”

Upon seeing me seated on the bed, the maid bowed politely.

“We must begin preparing early today, so I came ahead of schedule.”

I quietly studied the maid’s face. Although she had never been mentioned in the novel, she was one of the maids who had served Judith for many years. Perhaps because I had become Judith, the memory surfaced naturally in my mind.

Keeping my tone as indifferent as possible, I asked,

“What preparations are you referring to?”

The maid readily replied.

“The banquet taking place tonight, my lady. Madam instructed us to take special care with your preparations. She said it will be your first official appearance since the announcement of your engagement.”

My mind began racing. Judith’s long-held admiration for Arsen had blossomed into love by the time she made her first official appearance after the engagement announcement. Fortunately, the main events of the novel had yet to begin.

When the maid opened the window, the refreshing morning air flowed into the room. Standing before the mirror once more, I gazed intently at my unfamiliar reflection.

I needed to grow accustomed to living with this face as quickly as possible. More importantly, I had to lead a completely different life to the Judith in the novel.

The maid brought over an elaborate gown. Fashioned from cream-colored silk interwoven with pale gold thread, it had a tightly cinched, corseted waist and a neckline densely set with pearls. Anyone who saw it would immediately know who was meant to be the center of attention at the banquet.

The maid stepped behind me and removed my nightgown. First, she dressed me in a cool petticoat, and then in a rigid corset. The pressure on my ribs made breathing properly difficult.

Half of my hair was swept up and arranged neatly, and small pearls adorned my earlobes. The only adornment around my neck was a slender silver necklace set with tiny pearls. When the maid suggested something more extravagant, I shook my head.

“This is enough.”

Unlike Judith in the original novel, I had no intention of doing everything I could to capture Arsen’s attention. My only goals were to assess the situation, end the engagement swiftly and secure my own future.

By the time the lengthy preparations were finally complete, Judith’s mother entered the room.

She was a stern, cold-hearted woman who cared only for her son. She had often told her only daughter, almost as though trying to indoctrinate her, that she must benefit the family and never become a burden to it.

“You will not cause any trouble on a day like this.”

Her cold gaze swept over me from head to toe as though appraising every detail. Her words were both a reminder and a warning.

“Yes, Mother.”

I answered obediently, just as Judith would have. Her mother toyed with the fan in her hand as she continued.

“You must not behave in any way that could invite misunderstanding. Speak as little as possible. It is better to be called taciturn than to make a mistake.”

“Yes, Mother.”

I answered meekly once again. Surprisingly, her advice was helpful.

In the original novel, Judith had been far too honest about her feelings, always saying and expressing more than she should have. Even when Arsen exchanged just a few words with another woman, Judith’s reaction was unmistakable. She might have thought she was faking it, but her feelings had always been painfully obvious.

After Mother left the room, I gazed at my reflection and made a firm resolution. For tonight, at least, I had to keep my emotions tightly in check so that no one could tell what I was thinking.

***

Before the sun had fully set, our carriage left the estate. As I watched the scenery recede beyond the window, I quietly clasped my hands together. Although I thought I was fully prepared, my heart pounded with anxiety as we travelled towards the banquet hall.

Even if I could not bring myself to bring up ending our engagement at an occasion intended to officially announce it, I could still accomplish one thing. If I could stop Judith from falling in love with Arsen when she saw him, then I would at least be taking the first step towards ending the engagement.

The ducal family’s banquet hall was located in a separate annexe, away from the main residence of the estate. When I stepped out of the carriage, I could hear music drifting through its open doors.

I gathered the hem of my gown lightly and climbed the few steps leading to the entrance. Inside the vast, magnificent hall, laughter and conversation mingled with the lively clamor of music from a variety of instruments. The nobles who had already arrived stood in small groups, sipping from their glasses, while attendants hurried around them.

The moment I entered the hall, every gaze turned towards me. Perhaps because this was my first official appearance with Arsen since our engagement was announced and Judith’s reputation had not yet been tarnished, the looks I received were remarkably favorable.

I accepted a glass of champagne from an attendant but stood there without taking a sip. Beside me, Mother quietly exchanged a few words with a noblewoman.

“Has His Grace not appeared yet?”

“There he is.”

Despite how brief our exchange was, the atmosphere around us changed. Some people averted their gaze, pretending indifference, while others lowered the glasses they were holding.

It was only then that I realized I was gripping my glass too tightly, so I forced my fingers to relax. Despite trying not to look, my head turned instinctively towards the central figure of the evening.

“My lady.”

An attendant approached and bowed respectfully.

“His Grace is waiting for you.”

The moment I heard those words, my heart plummeted.