“Since he knows you’re here, Miss, it shouldn’t take too long.”

“I’m fine…”

“Hehe, it’s okay. How could waiting be boring when we’re enjoying delicious food in such a beautiful room?”

Aristie, who had just opened her mouth, turned her head in surprise. The woman opposite her had casually interrupted her words.

The woman visiting the imperial palace for the first time seemed to be in high spirits, smiling constantly.

Is this what Khalid meant when he said she was innocent? Even so, interrupting someone else’s words…

Though she didn’t feel good about it, Aristie closed her mouth, not wanting to make an issue of etiquette. The servant also seemed quite taken aback by Estelle’s attitude.

“Then please rest. I will escort His Majesty here as soon as the meeting ends.”

Having fulfilled his role, the servant left, seemingly wanting to avoid any conflict. Only Aristie and Estelle remained in the reception room.

Aristie silently observed Estelle for a moment.

Her hair was as red as the sunset sky, and her eyes were a slightly lighter shade, reminiscent of pink pearls.

Even to another woman, she was truly lovely.

Moreover, that necklace positioned between her collarbones… perfect in color and design. It suits her well.

‘Did Khalid give it to her as a gift?’

As that thought crossed her mind, a corner of her heart ached subtly. She was glad she hadn’t worn a necklace.

As she was thinking about how to start the conversation, Estelle, who had just swallowed a pastry, spoke first.

“What are you staring at?”

“…What?”

Aristie looked at her with a face as if she’d been slapped.

Doubting her own ears.

Seeing her dumbfounded expression, Estelle chuckled. It wasn’t the bright smile from earlier. It was clearly a sneer.

Then, leaning back leisurely, she mocked,

“What, did you expect me to go ‘Oh my, Miss! It’s an honor to meet you!’? That’s hilarious. Who do you think you are? Just a villainess who goes crazy with jealousy, makes a fool of herself, and ends up deposed and dead.”

“What… are you talking about…?”

Aristie asked again. She couldn’t understand the words coming out of Estelle’s mouth at all.

As if what she had just heard wasn’t overwhelming enough, Estelle calmly said something even more surprising.

“What am I talking about? I’m saying that’s your role. No matter how pretty or accomplished you are, you’re just a supporting character meant to highlight the protagonist.”

“Supporting character?”

“Yes. Supporting character. A pathetic side character.”

Estelle emphasized each word distinctly. Then, narrowing her eyes mischievously, she leaned forward.

“You know what, I’ll tell you a secret. You won’t believe it, but…”

Setting it up like that, Estelle revealed in a whisper.

“This is actually a world inside a book. The romance novel I was crazy about.”

Her next words sounded almost like a joke.

“I came from another world.”

***

“Another world…”

Aristie muttered blankly. Estelle’s words were so outlandish that they hardly felt real.

Hadn’t Khalid said? That the woman he met was intelligent yet innocent in a way.

But where? Those words? That expression?

That’s just…

Isn’t she crazy?

“As expected. You don’t believe it at all, do you? But listen. I’ve been so frustrated all this time. Holding back from shouting ‘You’re all just novel characters!’ to everyone around.”

Regardless of how the other person saw her, Estelle expressed her feelings with exaggerated gestures.

For some reason, she seemed determined to confess her secret to Aristie, which she had been hiding all this time.

“I bought this novel that was recommended to me because it was so interesting, you know? I read it whenever I had time, and before I knew it, I was so immersed in the story that I could recite it by heart.”

“Wait a moment. What on earth are you talking about…”

“But one day, I woke up and found myself really in it! In the world of the book!”

“The world of a book? What nonsense…”

“I was so dumbfounded. At first, I thought maybe I’d come to Europe for filming, or my manager was secretly shooting a hidden camera prank, all sorts of thoughts crossed my mind.”

Estelle rambled on, ignoring Aristie. Without giving her a chance to interject, Aristie was forced to listen to her story.

Unfamiliar words kept popping up. Europe, filming, manager, hidden camera, and so on.

What does all this mean…

However, she was more curious about Estelle’s intentions than the meaning of the words. The red-haired woman who seemed innocent at first, then suddenly turned vulgar, and now even arrogant.

She’s clearly not in her right mind, but if she were simply mad, Khalid wouldn’t have been fooled. Which of these rapidly changing faces is the real one?

Perhaps… she’s hiding her true colors and deceiving Khalid with a fake act?

“It’s so unfair. Why did I suddenly become a book transmigrator? If I were a loner with nothing to lose, it might be different, but I was a top star actress at the peak of my career!”

As Estelle complained like this, Aristie realized her guess was correct. If nothing else, she could understand the word ‘actress’.

That’s right. That’s an actor’s ability. To shape oneself as desired.

Estelle probably used such skills to capture Khalid’s heart.

“So… you’re saying you’re originally from another world and ended up here while reading a book?”

Khalid, who’s only adept in politics, is practically a novice when it comes to women.

On behalf of her fiancé who’s insensitive to romance, Aristie decided to probe Estelle’s intentions.

However, without much effort, Estelle spilled her guts as soon as she was asked.

“Yes! That’s exactly it. I tried desperately to find a way back, but this damn world has no exit. The body I’m possessing is just an extra that doesn’t even appear in the novel.”

Estelle grumbled quietly, “At least it’s pretty, so that’s something.”

“So after wandering, I made a decision. If I can’t escape, I might as well become the protagonist. You see, I haven’t missed a leading role since my days as a child actor.”

Child actor. So she’s been acting since she was young? To the extent of always taking lead roles?

Aristie focused on the conversation with Estelle. She seemed to understand roughly. Except for the unfamiliar words that kept popping up.

“My resolve solidified when I met the Emperor. Wow, he’s so handsome! A perfect man! I thought right away that I came here to have this man. I couldn’t let such a perfect male lead be taken by some insignificant female lead, could I?”

Once again blocked by the language barrier, Aristie couldn’t help but ask,

“Handsome? Perfect man…?”

“Oh, how frustrating. I mean he’s incredibly good-looking! Can’t you even figure that out?”

Seemingly annoyed at having to explain everything, Estelle scolded her harshly. The politeness she had shown when they first met was nowhere to be seen.

It would be shocking for anyone to see a commoner treating a noble like this, but Estelle’s words and actions were consistently bold. As if her claim of coming from another world was true.

Nevertheless, Aristie couldn’t believe her story.

“I understand what you’re saying. But I can’t take it at face value. Calling a normal world the world of a book. Unless you’re comparing the Creator God to an author.”

“Hmm, is that so?”

Estelle’s eyes glinted strangely at Aristie’s words.

“You can’t believe it? Even though I’ve laid it all out so plainly?”

“Wouldn’t it be stranger to readily believe such words?”

“Then how about this? The prophecy of the Saintess.”

Prophecy? What’s this about now?

“You must know that there’s an unfulfilled prophecy in the temple, right?”

“Why suddenly…”

Her voice was tinged with doubt as she asked the reason. She had indeed heard of such a prophecy.

The record of the last oracle left by the Saintess who passed away a hundred years ago. It was…

“<When the villainess from another world appears, a dark cloud will loom over the empire.>”

The oracle echoed in Aristie’s ears as she recalled the memory.

It was Estelle who had recited it.

Estelle grinned at Aristie, who was looking at her with astonished eyes.

“That’s me.”

“……!”

“The ‘villainess from another world’ that the prophecy points to. That’s me.”

“Such an absurd…!”

“Don’t you see? The dark cloud has already fallen over the empire as prophesied. Or do I need to make an even bigger mess for you to believe it then?”

Aristie unconsciously covered her mouth with her hand. Her belief that the other’s words were lies was shaken for the first time.

What if everything Estelle said was true? No, even if it was true, then why did she reveal her identity to me?

To someone she’s meeting for the first time, to the Emperor’s fiancée.

Surely there are plenty of other people she could confide her secret to.

“Did you tell His Majesty as well?”

Aristie asked with a hardened expression.

In contrast, a mischievous smile played on Estelle’s lips.

“Tell him what? That this is a world inside a novel? Or that I’m a villainess from another world?”