I stared at the ceiling all night.

I couldn’t sleep at all.

‘What’s going to happen to me now?’

‘What am I doing right now?’

The diary was intact.

The burnt cover, the pages torn by a knife.

It had returned to its original state as if nothing had happened.

‘Could what the diary said be true?’

I pulled the blanket over my head and closed my eyes.

This is a dream.

I just got hit by a car that day and became a vegetative patient.

That’s why I keep having these strange dreams.

There’s no way a world like in novels could actually exist, right?

Human imagination is limitless, so this must be just my imagination.

How do I wake up from this dream?

“Your Highness,” a voice called from outside.

“Shut up. Is Rose Estanya inside?” His Highness demanded.

Thump thump thump. I heard someone knocking on my door.

A familiar voice. It was the male protagonist from ‘Empire of the Blood Moon’.

That novel wasn’t even my favorite.

Why am I dreaming about this novel of all things?

“Rose Estanya! Rose! Aren’t you answering?”

My name isn’t Rose Estanya.

I absentmindedly twirled my hair with my index finger.

Completely pink hair can’t exist naturally.

Suddenly, the knocking stopped.

I held my breath at the sudden silence.

‘If I die in a dream, can I wake up?’

I carefully covered my mouth and nose with my hand.

“…Rose?”

The male lead’s voice was heard again from outside the door.

I’ve seen it on the internet before.

They said to induce a strong sensation to wake up from a dream, so let’s hold my breath until just before dying.

“Damn it, Rose!”

Bang! The sound of the door being smashed echoed through the small room.

I still kept my eyes tightly shut and continued holding my breath.

If I wake up from this dream, I can return to either the hospital or my own bed.

The diary is lying.

“Rose Estanya!”

In an instant, along with the male lead’s annoying voice, my dark vision brightened.

The blanket I had been covering myself with fluttered to the messy floor, and the male lead stood before me, looking agitated.

“What… is this……”

The male lead stared at me with wide eyes.

I instinctively curled up.

This is a dream.

“You, there’s blood on your hands… Damn it, breathe.”

Calix looked at the letter opener that had fallen near me. Then he forcibly removed my hands that were covering my mouth and nose.

If only I could have held on a little longer, I could have woken up.

“I said breathe!”

“Cough, gasp, huff.”

It felt like something was stuck in my throat. My body didn’t seem to listen to me.

“Rose, snap out of it! Rose!”

My breathing became erratic.

I want to go back. I missed my family. I longed for my bed in my room.

I desperately missed all the little things in my life that I used to take for granted.

“Damn it, what are you doing! Call him, call the palace doctor!”

I looked at the male lead and shook my head.

I can’t… breathe well.

I think I’ve made a terrible mistake.

What if this isn’t a dream but reality?

What if I actually die instead of waking up from a dream?

I don’t want to die.

“Save, gasp, save me……”

The male protagonist Calix looked at me.

He, who was holding my shoulders, seemed to have a more pained expression than me. He looked like he was about to cry.

“Damn it!”

That’s when it happened.

Large, firm hands cupped my cheeks, and soon hot breath entered my lungs.

I could clearly feel the sensation of life on my lips.

And steady breathing flowed in through my lips.

My heart was still beating irregularly, but suddenly my mind cleared.

‘This isn’t a dream.’

***

I sat up abruptly.

Had I just fallen asleep?

I quietly examined both of my hands.

There was a cut-like wound on my finger.

Restoration impossible

Main body does not exist.

I lifted my head and tried to get up.

The diary. I needed to check the diary.

But then.

“Where are you going?”

A large hand grabbed my wrist.

I knew who this voice belonged to.

“Y-Your Highness? How did you……”

“This is my room. Rose Estanya.”

It was Calix.

And he seemed furious.

“Ah.”

“…Ah? Did you just say ‘ah’?”

I looked around at the incredibly luxurious surroundings and smiled awkwardly.

Haha, why am I here?

Memories started to surface hazily.

Me, suffering from a sudden bout of hyperventilation.

And Calix, who recklessly pressed his lips against mine.

“That artificial respiration or whatever you taught me, it worked.”

This is crazy. I understood why Calix was glaring at me like he wanted to kill me.

Caught in a panic, I had committed truancy for the first time in my life, and whether he was worried about me or just wanted to give me a hard time, Calix had come to my room.

‘And… he kissed me.’

Without realizing it, I wiped my lips with the back of my hand.

Damn. I’m screwed.

“What are you trying to do now?”

“Well……”

A red flag went up in my head.

I thought I even heard the sound of sirens.

I’m really done for.

“I, I have committed a mortal sin, Your Highness! I dared to be late during work hours and caused trouble for Your Highness, I, I am deeply sorry, Your Highness!”

I immediately prostrated myself. I must have been bewitched by the diary.

I might not understand everything else, but I knew one thing for sure.

The reason I was trapped in Rose’s body was all because of that damn Morisias.

“Are you trying to play games with me now?”

“P-Please kill me!”

I glanced up at Calix while lying flat on his bed, and Calix, with his face bright red and veins popping on his neck, shouted at me.

“Get up right now!”

“Yes, sir.”

I quickly stood up following Calix’s order.

Calix seemed at a loss for words at my action, grabbing the back of his neck and furrowing his eyebrows furiously.

“Is this a new assassination attempt?”

“Pardon?”

“Thanks to you, every day is so new I feel like I’m going to die.”

Calix said with a terrifying laugh.

It was chilling.

“…You mustn’t die, Your Highness.”

I muttered, trying hard to avoid Calix’s gaze.

For a moment, Calix was at a loss for words.

Wondering why it was so quiet, I glanced up to see Calix’s face even redder than before.

Soon, he let out a thunderous shout.

“If you’re sick, say you’re sick! If you’re struggling, say you’re struggling! Shouldn’t you say something? And didn’t I clearly tell you to rest? Why don’t you listen? Is disobeying orders your hobby?”

I thought he was a rapper for a moment.

“W-Well, it’s not exactly a hobby……”

“Stop! Stop babbling nonsense.”

Calix yelled at me, even pointing his finger.

Still, it was a bit touching.

To think he was worried about me! I felt like I might cry, with a bit of exaggeration.

“You’re on forced rest for 1 week. I’ll move your room from that cramped place to somewhere else, so keep that in mind.”

I looked at Calix with wide eyes at his words.

He let out a short sigh looking at me, and continued in a gradually softened voice.

“During your break, you should visit your parents or something.”

I tilted my head at his words.

“I heard it’s the anniversary of their death.”

What? This was news to me.

Today is the death anniversary of Rose’s parents? I understood why Calix hadn’t questioned my earlier state.

My goodness. What a coincidence.

“…Ah.”

“Not ‘ah’. Say ‘yes’.”

“Yes……”

I nodded obediently.

At this, Calix frowned as if annoyed, but soon, as if realizing something, he rubbed his forehead with his index finger and smoothed his expression.

“It’s not a suggestion, it’s an order. Understand?”

“Yes……”

“Your voice lacks strength. Answer properly.”

“Yes!”

I answered energetically as Calix ordered. Finally, he gritted his teeth, came close, and whispered as if warning me.

“If you’re still weak when you come back, you’d better be prepared.”

“A-Alright, Your Highness.”

“If you collapse in front of me one more time, I’ll personally consider it an attempted assassination of a royal family member.”

No, that’s crazy. How is that an assassination attempt, you madman!

“Why do you look like you don’t understand anything? I’m telling you I almost died of a heart attack because of you.”

“Your Highness, that’s a bit of a stretch……”

“Are you talking back to me now?”

“Ah, no. Yes……”