Splash!

Cold water seeped through Hayeon’s clothes and enveloped her entire body.

Feeling each vivid sensation pierce through her, Hayeon sank into the darkness. All she could see was impenetrable blackness.

Suddenly, a fear as sharp as frost stabbed through her entire body.

The fear that she would never reach the light again.

Hayeon instinctively flailed.

Clank—

Something cold and heavy coiled tightly around her ankle.

The darkness dragging her toward the depths below, the ray of light receding into the distance.

The more she struggled, the deeper she sank into the endless darkness.

Gasp!

Reana’s eyes flew open as she released the breath she had been holding.

Calming her heaving chest, she slowly surveyed her surroundings, moving only her eyes. An ornate ceiling, a large window, antique furniture.

“Ha… I’m still inside the novel……”

Reana gazed quietly at the ceiling, recalling the dream she had just had. Although the details had blurred almost immediately, it seemed to have been influenced by her memories of life as Hayeon, before she entered the world of the novel.

She had no memory of her former life. The only things she remembered were the name ‘Kim Hayeon’ and a single novel. In that one novel, she had played the role of a supporting character: Princess Reana Carter.

“Ah!”

Lost in thought as she absently brushed her neck, Reana quickly pulled her hand away at the stinging pain and sat up. She got out of bed and approached the mirror.

“……”

It had been more than a week since she entered the world of the novel, yet the woman she saw in the mirror still felt unfamiliar. Her skin was as white as a plaster statue, her platinum hair had a faint lemon tint, and her blue eyes seemed to contain the sea.

Her gaze dropped to the stinging spot on her neck, where a red scrape marred her pale skin. She must have scratched herself in her sleep. Reana let out a quiet sigh as her headache returned. Even that little bit of movement had been enough to bring it back.

She went back to bed and took the medicine her doctor had left on the bedside table. Then she lay down again and considered what lay ahead.

Princess Reana Carter was a supporting character who had secured her engagement to the male lead, Grand Duke Claude Grey, after years of obsessive, unrequited love. However, the moment he reclaimed the Verona Estate, which had once belonged to the Grand Duchy of Grey but was now in the possession of her father, Duke Carter, he would cast her aside without a second thought.

After being rejected, Reana was essentially sold into marriage to the wealthy, elderly Count Payson to compensate for the loss of the Verona Estate. Ultimately, she would die young in his household.

She was the daughter of a villain and the sworn enemy of the male lead. While there were stories in which a man fell in love with his enemy’s daughter, that was unfortunately not the kind of story Hayeon had entered.

Even with so little information, one thing was clear: she must not become engaged to Grand Duke Claude Grey.

However, she had arrived too late, as Reana had already been confined to bed after falling down the stairs and ruining her engagement ceremony with Claude.

A week had passed since then.

“If only he would call off the engagement because I ruined the ceremony…”

He had not visited his fiancée once during that time. Perhaps she could allow herself a little hope.

***

Having fallen asleep under the influence of the medicine, Reana slowly opened her eyes and looked towards the light.

The sun must have been setting, she thought, as golden light tinged with red streamed into the room through the large window.

With sleepy eyes, she stared blankly at the light spilling over her body.

“You’re awake?”

Startled by the cold, low voice, Reana turned toward its source.

A tall man stood leaning against the wall, watching her with a chilling gaze.

As he straightened, Reana warily sat up in bed.

‘Who is he?’

He was the man who had entered Princess Carter’s room while she slept, without permission.

Reana looked directly at the man striding towards her, trying to work out who he was. His features became clearer as he approached.

He had glossy, jet-black hair and cold eyes, yet there was a hint of gold in them that seemed at odds with his demeanor.

‘Golden eyes?’

There was no mistaking who this man was.

“Claude… Grand Duke Grey?”

The only person in the novel with golden eyes. This man was Claude, the protagonist of this world and the fiancé who would coldly abandon Princess Reana Carter.

‘Wow… No wonder Reana was so obsessed with him and desperate for his affection!’

Reana inwardly marveled at Claude’s appearance, unable to tear her eyes away.

But she had little time to admire him before he closed the distance, seized her arm, and yanked her roughly toward him.

Caught off guard, Reana pitched forward.

“Ah!”

Pain shot through the arm in Claude’s grip, as though it might snap.

“Are you satisfied?”

“…What?”

Taken aback by the sudden turn of events, Reana blurted out the brief question.

“I asked whether you are satisfied now that you’ve ruined my plans for a quiet engagement, Princess.”

His voice, rough with anger, grated against her ears and sent a chill through her.

“What… Surely you don’t think I ruined the engagement ceremony on purpose…!”

“Didn’t you?”

Claude’s cold face drew within inches of hers, making Reana freeze.

“Thanks to you, the entire empire is in an uproar.”

“It was… an accident.”

Struggling not to buckle under his overbearing presence, Reana forced out the words.

Claude scoffed derisively and took a step back.

“An accident? Aren’t you a bit too unscathed for someone who supposedly fell down the stairs?”

His gaze travelled slowly from her face, down her shoulders, and over her body. Unsettled by the unpleasant feeling of his eyes sweeping over her, Reana pushed him away and placed her hands firmly on his chest.

A flicker of puzzlement crossed Claude’s face.

Hurriedly pulling up the covers, Reana concealed her figure, which was clearly outlined beneath her thin nightgown.

“So you’re unhappy that I’m not hurt badly enough?! You must have hoped I’d simply died while I was at it.”

Reana lifted her chin and snapped at him.

So abruptly cornered, she had forgotten that she was supposed to be playing the role of a woman hopelessly in love with this man.

“And who gave you permission to enter my room? We may be engaged, but does that give you the right to barge into a lady’s room like this?”

“Ha!”

Claude gave a disbelieving laugh.

“A lady…”

One corner of his mouth lifted.

“You gave me permission.”

“…Pardon?”

Reana, who had been pouring out her words in a fluster, fell silent for a moment and stared blankly at him before asking weakly.

“I… gave you permission? To do… what?”

“Permission to enter your room whenever I pleased. No, you begged me to come in.”

‘You were out of your mind, Reana!’

“But don’t misunderstand. I didn’t come in because I wanted to.”

“…Then why?”

“When I heard you were asleep, I was just about to leave, but then the Duke asked me to see you one last time before I went. I didn’t really have much of a choice.”

Reana abruptly came to her senses, remembering the role she was supposed to play. Realizing her mistake, she slowly lowered her chin and bit down hard on her lower lip.

But a large hand soon tilted her face up again. This time, however, its touch was gentler.

“So, have you already finished your little performance of pretending to be a proper lady? It was quite unlike you.”

Smiling as though he had found it amusing, Claude was beautiful enough to enchant anyone.

As Reana stared at him in a daze, seemingly under his spell, she saw his eyes turn cold in an instant.

“From now on, mind your words and actions at all times. Until now, your misconduct has been House Carter’s concern alone, but it now concerns House Grey as well, and I will no longer allow you to do as you please.”

His piercing gaze and tightly controlled voice left Reana frozen.

“I will not tolerate anything that tarnishes my family’s reputation. Remember that if you wish to remain a member of House Grey.”

Leaving her with that stern warning, Claude released her face indifferently, turned away coldly, and left her bedchamber.

Only after making certain he had left the room and the door had closed could Reana release the breath she had been holding.

“Ha… Someone that cold is the male lead?”

Male leads might often be kind only to the heroine, but his coldness was excessive.

Enough to freeze even her heart.

It was a chill she never wanted to face again.