Seeing the bright red blood, my head suddenly started spinning. The world was rotating in a circle. I felt dizzy. My vision alternated between flashing and darkening. Sounds began to fade away from me, and cold sweat started to form.

No, why am I like this? Why…

“Alisa!”

With Rashid’s call as the last thing I heard, I lost consciousness.

* * *

“Louise, I need water….”

“Yes, my lady. Just a moment.”

The bright red blood still flickers before my eyes. My heart wouldn’t listen and kept racing.

After gulping down a glass of cold water, I finally felt my head cooling down.

“Phew….”

After letting out a long sigh, I lay back down.

I, who had collapsed with a nosebleed in front of Rashid, found myself back in bed.

The doctor who examined me thoroughly diagnosed that blood had suddenly rushed to my head. Apparently, it was because of a sudden emotional change while my body hadn’t fully recovered yet.

The doctor earnestly advised that I should maintain my composure, saying that I was originally not in very good health and had become even weaker.

I didn’t think I was that excited… but if the doctor says so, it must be true. Even at a glance, I was worried about this thin and frail body.

“Are you feeling better now?”

“Yes, I’m not as dizzy anymore.”

“Still, to collapse in front of His Grace the Duke when he visited after so long, what are we going to do?”

“I know, right….”

Louise sat by the bed and scolded me. It felt like I was being reprimanded by Louise, which I didn’t like, but I decided to stay quiet out of embarrassment and shame.

Still, it was fortunate that it happened because I was unwell, not for any other reason. If I had been in good health, I might have been accused of getting excited because of Rashid.

It absolutely wasn’t that kind of situation, but rumors sometimes spread in the most absurd ways, so you never know.

“His Grace instructed me to take good care of you before he left.”

Oh, really? How unusual….

I stared blankly at the ceiling. I felt weak, probably from losing a lot of blood.

“Really, my lady, you cause so much worry.”

Louise said kindly as she wiped my forehead with a wet cloth.

“This is why I’m anxious to leave you alone.”

“Hmm?”

“I’m saying this out of concern for you, my lady. You can’t do anything by yourself, can you? But don’t worry, I’ll take good care of you.”

“Ah, yes….”

It seemed like a moment to say thank you, but those words wouldn’t come out of my mouth. At first glance, it sounded warm, but upon closer inspection, it made me tilt my head in confusion.

Louise had often spoken like this before. Listening to her, it felt as if Alisa was a fool who couldn’t do anything without Louise, and her way of speaking made it seem like Louise was absolutely necessary.

“So from now on….”

“Louise.”

I quickly raised my hand to interrupt Louise’s voice.

“Please bring me some warm tea.”

“…Yes, my lady.”

Dissatisfaction was evident in Louise’s expression. I stared at her, standing awkwardly, with a firm gaze. Louise then obediently withdrew from her position.

Seeing this, she’s certainly not lacking in perception. So her attitude towards Alisa must be intentional, knowing full well what she’s doing.

Anyway, left alone in the bedroom, I stared blankly out the window, sinking into more important thoughts.

At last, I finally met Rashid Penvernon. A being whose name appears exactly in the novel. A real character from the book. The male protagonist of 《Unavoidable Fate》.

According to the book, I was supposed to be his first love, but it seems that name is only permitted in death. That cold attitude towards me, the sharp sense of caution. The aura he emitted was so blade-like, it felt as if it was cutting my skin. It was truly an unforgettable and intense first meeting.

After facing him, this place felt strangely unfamiliar again. The world I crash-landed in is clearly fictional, yet here I am now.

A world that was merely letters on a page has become reality and overwhelmed me. The land where I wasn’t born and raised felt utterly foreign, and suddenly, I was afraid of it.

I was ink spilled on paper. I was a fake actor who should have disappeared backstage long ago but was still standing in front of the audience.

What should an uninvited guest who has erased the predetermined plot do from now on? As I tried to fathom the unfathomable future, a dark anxiety welled up in my chest.

Originally, this would be about two weeks after Alisa’s death. Rashid would probably be in the midst of intense regret by now.

But I, Alisa, didn’t die.

Therefore, Rashid doesn’t realize his feelings for Alisa. His regret becomes non-existent.

Because Alisa didn’t die, the position of Duchess remains occupied.

In this situation, what if the original female protagonist, Priscilla, appears?

Even if Alisa is alive, Rashid will probably fall in love with Priscilla. Because that’s his predetermined fate.

Then what will happen to me?

As things stand, I’ll become a hindrance to the original story. Not just a conceptual foreign object, but a real obstacle.

‘It’s not like I can jump back into the river and die again.’

I’m worried about deviating from the original story I know, but I don’t want to maintain the original at the cost of sacrificing myself.

Surely the principles or plausibility of this world won’t try to kill me just because I’m not supposed to be alive? I’m scared I might become an entity that forcibly disappears.

I need to be careful. I’d rather not die miserably twice.

The way back to the real world I used to live in seems far-fetched, and in a way, this is my second life.

Although I’m borrowing someone else’s body and sharing her memories, this is still another chance at life that has come to me. Even if it’s not the world where my original self was born and raised, I’m alive here at this moment.

‘This time, I need to live a long and quiet life.’

The world is complicated enough as it is, my goal is to live as comfortably as possible.

So how should I live from now on?

If all future events flow similarly to the original story, I shouldn’t remain here.

Imagining Rashid, who’s blinded by love, driving me out for Priscilla’s sake was all too plausible. Even now my position is ambiguous, but to think of becoming an ex-duchess who’s been cast aside… it’s utterly miserable. But perhaps I should even be grateful if I’m just driven out alive.

Needless to say, I don’t want to die like the original Alisa either.

‘Since I’m not the original Alisa, I can’t speak and act like her. So I need to quickly break away from the flow of the novel to avoid any suspicion.’

That was the conclusion I came to.

‘So I need to leave this place. I must find a way to be free as soon as possible.’

I should distance myself from the male protagonist to make room for the female protagonist, and move away from the center of the story to live peacefully. If everyone reaches their happy ending that way, everything would be perfect.

Although a variable has been introduced to the story, I already know the clear process to arrive at the right answer.

‘Whether it’s roundabout or not, as long as the place beside Rashid becomes vacant.’

I just need to think about how to make that process proceed properly.

* * *

“My lady, I’ve brought your tea.”

While I was lost in thought, Louise returned with an elegantly patterned tea set.

The tea, brewed perfectly with the finest leaves, had a surprisingly deep and rich aroma. The liquid flowed smoothly down my throat as I held it in my mouth. I quietly closed my eyes and savored the flavor of the tea. At least this luxury was a pleasant and happy experience.

The Penvernon Duchy was such an impressive family that I was surrounded by a world more splendid than I could have ever imagined as Kim Yeri, an ordinary 22-year-old college student.

At first glance, the Duchess’s bedroom seemed relatively simple in its interior decoration compared to the family’s wealth and prestige. But upon closer inspection, every single item was exquisitely luxurious.

The dark wooden furniture, polished daily by the maids to a glossy sheen; the carpet with its intricate, delicate patterns; the elegant chandelier reflecting the clear sunlight and sparkling brilliantly.