If she went to the imperial palace without warning, people would find her strange. Should she speak to him at a banquet? Or should she show her face often in places he frequented?

Wait. Was it not a waste to only indulge in her fandom? Could she not become his lover?

Desire gradually rose in Annette’s heart as she became deeply absorbed in her thoughts. The male lead was already decided, after all. That made her want to change Kynel’s life.

When she read the novel, she felt regretful and sad that his love did not come true, but things were different now. The fact that he was still alone meant she had a chance to approach him.

How far along was the story now? The princess met him early in the story, so whether they already met was important.

Kynel began to develop feelings for the princess some time after she became a princess. If it was before then, Annette still had a chance to become Kynel’s lover.

“When was Princess Rachel acknowledged?”

“It was not long ago. A week ago.”

If it was a week ago, that was before she connected with any of the male leads. Oh! That meant she still had a chance!

What if I meet him first, before he meets her?

Annette raised both hands to cover her mouth, overwhelmed with emotion. She already knew how Kynel fell in love, so she could win him over.

The problem was whether it was all right to steal the second male lead’s love halfway through. Could she change the original story however she wanted?

She worried that disrupting the original story’s flow might bring unpredictable consequences…. Should she just do it?

She carried many regrets from her previous life because she could not do what she wanted. This time, she wanted to try everything she wanted without regret.

As Annette entertained that bold thought, she could not take her eyes off Kynel. The maid beside her then asked with a puzzled expression.

“Do you perhaps like Lord Howard?”

“Ah, am I not allowed to?”

The expressions on the maids’ faces as they looked at Annette were unusual. Their gazes were not disapproving so much as filled with concern.

Annette, the eldest daughter of Count Bathurst’s family, and the second son of the Howard Ducal household. She thought someone of her status could aspire to him, but was she wrong? Was he too far above her station?

When she looked at the maids anxiously, they smiled.

“…Why would you not be allowed? That is a relief. We welcome it, if anything!”

Huh?

Their reaction was strange. That brief silence left her feeling uneasy. It appeared there was no issue with their social status, but the maids seemed to be hiding something.

“Did I do something strange?”

“T-There is no way.”

The maid’s stammer made her seem even more suspicious. She also avoided Annette’s gaze, deepening her suspicions. One issue continued to trouble her. Was there a character named Annette in the novel?

Annette Bathurst.

Since she possessed someone else’s body, she thought she might recall at least some memories of the former Annette, so she tried to remember what she knew about her.

Now that she knew she was in the world of a novel she loved, Annette should have existed in the story too. Yet no matter how hard she tried, nothing came to mind.

Was she an ordinary noblewoman who did not stand out, so Annette could not remember her? Even though she read the novel many times, the name did not ring a bell. Was she simply a passing extra?

The Bathurst family was neither tremendously wealthy nor poor. Still, they seemed affluent enough for Annette to enjoy a life of luxury.

That meant she was probably an ordinary noble lady. Still, why did she feel so unsettled?

“I will help you and Lord Howard get together.”

Lost in thought, Annette snapped back to her senses at the maid’s welcome voice.

“Really?”

“Yes. I will help you with all my ability!”

Seeing the maid’s determined gaze, she decided not to dwell further on the questions that came to mind. Nothing would change even if she recalled Annette’s past.

Instead, she wanted to think positively. Perhaps being born into this new world was a sign that she should get together with a character she loved.

Her previous life was so difficult that she wanted to believe God was giving her good fortune. Thus, Annette decided to like Lord Howard as much as she pleased.

I will help you escape that lifelong, heartbreaking unrequited love!

She did not know whether she could change the original story, but since she received a new life, she wanted to live as she wished. To do that, would it not be best to change her style first?

She thought seducing Kynel would be impossible with her current style, so she needed to change her entire image first.

The moment Kynel disappeared completely from view, Annette immediately went to the shops with the maids. She chose styles entirely different from the dresses in Annette’s wardrobe.

“How about this? Don’t you think it will make me look lively?”

When she held up a yellow dress and a pale green dress, the maids asked with disbelieving eyes.

“Can you really wear these dresses?”

“Why would I not be able to?”

“You usually wear only dresses in dark colors.”

“I want to change my style from now on. Is it strange?”

“Not at all. They actually suit you very well. How about this one? They say this design is fashionable these days.”

They were flustered at first, but soon began recommending dresses even more enthusiastically.

“It’s pretty!”

Annette tried on many dresses and bought several that suited her. She felt burdened because she never freely bought what she wanted in her previous life, but she needed to boldly act shamelessly to adapt to this new life.

She wanted to wear the dresses she bought today and attend a ball….

She desperately wanted to, but she could not attend a banquet yet. She had none of the manners expected of a noblewoman, and she might embarrass herself if she was careless.

Annette had no choice but to relearn etiquette for a week. Fortunately, Annette’s body already remembered it, but the process took longer than she expected, making her anxious.

Still, she had plenty of time ahead, so she decided not to rush. Learning enough etiquette to blend into noble society without awkwardness would make it easier to adapt to this new world.

Lord Howard, wait for me!

After getting closer to Kynel, Annette planned to fully enjoy her life in this new world. Nothing would happen in a single week.

* * *

“Move aside!”

“Don’t touch me.”

Rough-looking men carrying an order of confiscation forcibly shoved aside the maids and servants blocking their way. Annette watched with empty eyes as the maids fell after colliding with them.

One week. That was how long she enjoyed a peaceful life as a noble.

Exactly one week after possessing Annette’s body, Count Bathurst’s family went completely bankrupt. Before she could even meet Kynel, she could no longer live extravagantly as a noble.

How could a family fall apart overnight? Was this divine punishment for trying to change the original story?

The reason for their bankruptcy was a ship carrying goods from Count Bathurst’s family.

Count Bathurst exported products from the territory he owned. This time, it seemed he took on debt and invested in expanding his business. Once the ship reached the neighboring empire, his business was supposed to flourish greatly.

Success was right before his eyes, but the ship suddenly encountered fierce waves and ran aground. As a result, Count Bathurst’s grand dream of becoming the richest man in the empire vanished overnight.

They could barely repay their debts only by selling the estate and all the land they owned. In the end, they had almost no money left, but they should be grateful that they were free of debt.