It was neither death from overwork nor a truck accident—it was an unexpected transmigration.

If I had to find some reason for this, perhaps it was because I expressed disappointment about the ending that didn’t meet my expectations on the social media account of the author of my favorite romance fantasy novel 〈How to Take the Hero of the Century as Your Husband〉.

“It must have been an ending you chose after much deliberation. However, as a reader who has watched these two people miss each other for so long, the conclusion feels too abrupt and lacking explanation.

“The days I spent forcing down sweet potatoes, hoping that someday I might drink something bittersweet like grapefruit ade, if not completely refreshing, now feel sad.

“If it was going to be like this, from the beginning……”

Though I knew my words might hurt the author, I rationalized it as expressing affection for the work, using several days of overtime work and poor condition as an excuse.

I even meddled shamelessly, suggesting that if the story had developed in various other ways, it wouldn’t have dragged on so much.

Fortunately or unfortunately, I regained my senses less than a minute after pressing the submit button. When I went to delete the comment, thinking “oops,” I discovered the author’s brief reply beneath my post:

“I’m sorry to have disappointed you. I hope you can find a more satisfying ending than mine.”

Was it just my imagination that those words sent a chill down my spine?

“What does that mean? Did my comment hurt them that much?”

But when I tried to leave an apology saying I seemed to have been too rude, the author’s reply had already been deleted.

Even after quickly deleting my comment and trying to calm my uneasy feelings before going to bed, I had no idea. I couldn’t have known that day’s actions would lead to this outcome.

And when she opened her eyes, she found herself facing an unfamiliar ceiling and strange people in peculiar attire looking down at her with concerned expressions.

“Natalie! Are you conscious?”

“Miss! Are you alright? We were so worried when you suddenly fainted.”

Strangely, she wasn’t that surprised. As soon as she came to her senses, Natalie Pereira’s memories flooded into her mind.

Blinking her wide eyes in disbelief several times, she assessed her situation.

She adapted quickly. She didn’t waste time slapping her cheeks thinking this was a dream or believing she would soon wake up.

After reassuring everyone and sending them away, the first thing she did was organize her rapidly fading memories of the original story as much as possible. She separately classified events where she might be able to twist the flow and organized the expected results. Perhaps because she normally worked analyzing data and predicting results, it wasn’t difficult to identify events with high potential for change.

‘What about work right now? Does automatic dismissal happen with unauthorized absence and no contact? In just a month, my years of service would reach ten years and my seniority allowance would increase, but I can’t just be stuck here.’

Since she had no memory of dying, she clung desperately to the hope that she could return.

The goal was to get back as quickly as possible.

No matter how much she thought about it, the only thing that could have caused the transmigration was the post she left on the romance fantasy author’s social media, so she tried to believe that if she created a happy ending that would satisfy everyone, she could return to her original life.

While calming her anxious heart, she studied how to solve difficulties in a way befitting Natalie. When occasionally gripped by inevitable anxiety, she tried to take comfort in the fact that she hadn’t transmigrated into a villainess who would be condemned, nor into an extra character who would find it difficult to influence the story’s flow.

‘These days, the trend in romance fantasy transmigration stories is to transmigrate into extras or villainesses, but I got the female protagonist—that’s something.’

With Natalie’s talent, beauty, and good reputation, she could easily twist any development or cliché.

The only regrettable thing was the timing of the transmigration.

Unfortunately, she had transmigrated right after the bankruptcy of Natalie’s father’s business, leaving little time to prepare for countermeasures.

Although Natalie had talent as a mage and had graduated from the academy with excellent grades, currently working as a new researcher at the magic tower, it was insufficient to repay her father’s debts.

‘Soon, rumors will spread widely that a count’s family with no son to inherit the title is about to go bankrupt after a business failure.’

Because they had placed a principal guarantee agreement at the time of the investment contract, creditors were demanding to recover at least their principal, and eventually Natalie’s father collapsed as well. As if they had been waiting, a fierce competition began among counts and wealthy men below that rank to change their titles through marriage.

Of course, there was a solution to that as well.

If she waited a little longer, McClain, the male protagonist, unable to bear seeing her thrown into an unwanted marriage, would offer a contract marriage while canceling the enormous debt.

That’s how it should have been—if only things had gone that way, there would have been no problem.

“Why on earth is this man so fast? Where did he say the interview was?”

Natalie hurried her steps to follow the man who had already disappeared into the building.

※※※

By the time she found the interview location after asking around, the interview was already over.

Natalie spotted a man who looked not just small but frail, walking out into the corridor after just finishing his interview. She approached him with a sigh of relief.

“It’s been a while, Tommy McAvoy. What a coincidence meeting you here.”

“Huh? Natalie Pereira? How are you here… Wait, did you also come for the combat mage interview?”

But before Natalie could answer, Tommy shook his head as if it made no sense and answered his own question.

“No, that can’t be. They said I was the only applicant. And you were scouted by the magic tower as a researcher even before graduating. I heard you’re rapidly rising as a great prospect there too. There’s no way someone like you would come to a combat position interview. What brings you here? Ah! You’re acquainted with Sir McClain Lindhart, right? Are you here to see Sir Lindhart?”

“No, your first thought was correct. I’m here for the interview.”

“Right, the interview—wait, what? Interview? What about the magic tower? Don’t tell me you quit?”

Natalie stared at Tommy, who was standing with his mouth agape in disbelief, then let out a small chuckle.

“No, I haven’t quit yet, but seeing you makes me think I should find a replacement first if I’m going to resign.”

“W-what? What exactly do you mean?”

Looking at Tommy, who was blinking as he tried to understand what he’d just heard, Natalie asked with downturned eyes that conveyed sympathy.

“But Tommy, isn’t it difficult for you to be away from the imperial capital for long? I think I heard that Lady Mariel’s condition hasn’t improved. You need to stay by your mother’s side.”

“……I’ve actually been worrying about that too. I’m the only one who can take care of my mother, and the cost of medicine keeps coming every month. The money I’ve saved is almost gone. I don’t have the skills to enter the magic tower like you. I need to earn money somehow, and when they told me I was the only mage who applied here and they would treat me well…”

Looking at Tommy, who was standing with slumped shoulders and a tearful expression, Natalie raised her voice dramatically.

“Oh my, what about your skills? Your graduation grades were in the upper ranks too. That’s more than enough to work at the magic tower. I could strongly recommend you as my replacement and give you all the tips while thoroughly handling the handover. The research funding just came in abundantly too, so the income would be much better than following these people on an expedition.”

“Y-you, d-do you mean, p-perhaps you’re saying you’ll get me into the magic tower…?”

“Yes, and regarding that, I think I need to have a serious conversation with you, but as you can see, I need to go in there for a moment. Can you wait here for a bit?”

“O-of course! Quickly—no! Take as much time as you need. I’ll wait for you at the café just ahead until you come out.”

After smiling and nodding at Tommy, who suddenly looked excited, Natalie slowly walked toward the interview room.

Through the slightly open door, she could hear men roughly exchanging opinions.

“That person is the only mage who applied for our combat position interview, Commander. We don’t have any alternatives.”

“If we take someone that feeble, it’s obvious he’ll desert before we even reach the erosion zone.”

“I’ve asked around everywhere, but it’s hard to find a suitable mage. You know too, Commander, don’t you? The number of mages has decreased a lot these days, and anyone with decent skills is already in the magic tower. If we have to, I’ll carry him, hold him, and coax him all the way there.”

“Even if we take him, it’s a problem. How on earth would he fight if we encounter demonic beings? Did you see how he was trembling just at the mention of demonic beings earlier?”

“That’s true, but still…”

Listening to McClain’s stubborn voice, Natalie carefully opened the door and entered the room.

The long-haired blonde man looked surprised as a woman entered and asked with a puzzled voice.

“Uh, how did you get in here?”

“No way, Natalie, seriously.”