“What? Me? What am I supposed to do?”

“Marriage! Miss, your wedding!”

“Me getting married? Is it really me? So…… the marriage I have to do is the one where a man and woman live together?”

“The Prime Minister has decided, and you’ve agreed, Miss. Why are you acting like this today? You should never joke about this, even for fun.”

I was already confused, but now I was almost in a state of panic.

After being dazed for a moment, I started laughing in disbelief.

“Hahaha. So you’re saying today is my wedding day? That’s what you’re saying. But why would I get married…… Hahaha, I…… This is a rather late and sorry question to ask now, but who am I? And where is this place?”

At my question, the faces of the three women simultaneously changed to bewildered expressions.

The nanny, who seemed to think she needed to end this situation, sighed deeply and quickly answered.

“Miss is Miss, who else would you be~ The only daughter of the highest ducal family in the Oneroad Empire, Leila, daughter of Grand Duke Nathan Whyman, the Prime Minister! There, are you satisfied now? No more time for jokes. You’re already late. The wedding is only hours away!”

Whether from sitting in hot water too long or because of this absurd situation, I felt my mind growing faint.

And my body slowly sank into the bathtub.

“Miss!”

The screams of the three women in my ears gradually faded, and I lost consciousness.

* * *

After some time passed, I regained consciousness.

However, I was too afraid to open my eyes.

Afraid that I would still be in that place even after opening my eyes……

But this wouldn’t be resolved by avoiding it, so very, very carefully, I slowly opened my eyes.

Just seeing the high ceiling, I could tell that the dreamlike situation was still continuing.

I closed my eyes again and began to organize my thoughts.

Why are those people still here? Why am I still here?

Why won’t this dream end? Am I still not awake? What on earth is happening?

What’s reality and what’s a dream?

Haah……

The maids seemed to notice the sigh I unconsciously let out.

“Leila Miss seems to have regained consciousness.”

“I’ll go inform Madam Mariam. You stay and watch over Miss.”

Hearing the maid hurriedly leave, I thought I should be careful even with my sighs.

Could I be mistaken?

Was Jo Yun-ah a dream?

Ha, crazy. That can’t be. How could someone call me Leila when I’ve lived as Jo Yun-ah for 27 years until just a few hours, no, minutes ago……

Right! The accident. What happened with that?

If the accident wasn’t a dream, did I become Leila after the accident?

Really…… does this make any sense?

So if I get into multiple accidents, could I become Queen Elizabeth or something!

What the hell is this! How can such a nonsensical situation exist!

Just then, I felt the door open and the nanny and maid enter the room.

“She doesn’t have a fever. She definitely took a deep breath earlier, but she hasn’t woken up yet.”

I am awake. For quite some time now. But I’m too scared to open my eyes.

I graduated college and studied like crazy for three years to finally get a job, and now this bolt from the blue……

“We can’t delay any longer. Contact the doctor immediately!”

Ack! A doctor! I’m not sick. My head just hurts a bit because my mind is in chaos.

Why are you doing this to me! Heaven or earth, if anyone is there, please answer me!

* * *

One month before the accident, 2019, Republic of Korea.

The civil service exam was over, but I had no money and felt awkward leaving my room, so I just binge-watched dramas.

After crying and laughing, the 16-episode drama ended, and I was hungry.

But since my mom would still be home, I thought I’d wait until she left to eat, so I picked up my phone.

And I was so surprised I almost screamed “Huk!”

“Kyaaaaaak!”

I screamed with joy and jumped around.

I had made it to the final interview, but couldn’t guarantee I’d pass, so I had been sitting in my room watching dramas to avoid getting in my family’s way. Finally, sunlight began to shine on my dark life.

“It’s finally over! I have a job now! My humiliating life as a reclusive shadow is over! Goodbye!”

Overcome with emotion, I patted myself on the back and praised myself.

“You did well! You’re no longer a job seeker but a Level 9 civil servant of the Republic of Korea!”

In fact, it had been 3 years since graduation, but 5 years if counting from when I was a student.

Since I was young, my younger sister had always been better than me. She got hired by a major company in her senior year of college, which made me feel even more self-conscious and withdrawn.

I endured a long time under the watchful eyes of my parents and sister, and finally today! I proudly passed the Level 9 civil service exam.

Oh heavens! Oh earth! Thank you all. Now I’ll truly become an excellent civil servant who lives for the country!

I, who had been living like a reclusive shadow without making a sound, kicked open my door proudly and shouted.

“Mom! I passed!”

I must have cried for the past 5 years to finally bloom with this success.

After that, every day was happy. I received plenty of pocket money from my family, went shopping, and met friends and seniors I hadn’t seen in years……

I ate, drank, and enjoyed myself as if releasing the frustration of the past three years since graduation, spending days of happiness that couldn’t be exchanged for anything.

Unlike my seemingly endless time as a civil service exam student, the time until entering the training institute passed faster than getting tickets for an idol concert.

And on the morning I took my first step as a Level 9 civil servant of the Republic of Korea, I boarded the bus to the training institute with my parents’ loving send-off.

* * *

No matter how much I thought about it, that accident clearly wasn’t a dream……

Rather, this current situation with these people who were making a fuss about bathing me in a bathroom bigger than a house while I wore a Barbie-style dress seemed more like an unreal dream.

But unfortunately, the current situation where I had become Leila or Lilac or whatever was also reality.

Maybe if I close my eyes and open them once more, I’ll become a fairy or goddess or something.

This was truly more shocking than repeatedly failing the exam.

I still couldn’t believe this was happening to me.

Oh heavens! Oh earth! How could you do this?

I struggled through hell and finally started to live like a proper person……

Why now of all times? After walking through thorny paths, gravel roads, and muddy roads, I finally reached the flower path. What a cruel fate to not even take one step on it……

Then suddenly, a thought I had been missing until now crossed my mind.

But there was an explosion in the accident. I think I lost consciousness then……

So what happened to my body? Did I die? No way…… that can’t be.

Ah! What happened to this Lilac person?

Where did she go? Why did I become this woman?

My thoughts endlessly chased one another, but no answers came.

The important thing now is survival!

I decided to pretend to be Leila for now.

I don’t know whether I switched bodies with this woman or unilaterally entered her body, but I can live as Leila while finding a way to return to my original self, Jo Yun-ah.

If I came in, there must be a way out, right?

It’s a human world after all, so it should be similar, right?

Let’s pretend to be Leila and find a way back!

After steeling my resolve, I slightly opened my eyes to look around.

The first thing I need to do as Leila is……

Ah…… marriage. This is like trying to eat watermelon seeds and choking to death!

Why is my fate like this! I can’t see any light!

Every day, no, every moment is darkness, and what occasionally visits me is a damn explosion!

Talk about determination lasting only three seconds? Forgetting my firm resolve from just moments ago, I quickly closed my eyes.

Marriage! Why marriage of all things! How can I get married? I’ve been single all my life! It’s unfair. Why should I marry a man I don’t even know?

If I had known this would happen, I would have lived promiscuously with different men in college instead of just drinking.

But who am I marrying anyway?

* * *

“Your Majesty, you must prepare now.”

When Charte, the Emperor of the Oneroad Empire, wore a fierce expression that seemed to say, ‘Just try me! I’ll strip the flesh from your bones and bury you,’ no one dared to speak to him.

It was natural for Charte to be in a bad mood on his wedding day, but his state was particularly severe.

Even the maids who brought his wedding attire were too frightened to speak and were trembling.

When Viscount Catano, who was supposed to attend to the Emperor for wedding preparations, was nowhere to be seen, Knight Commander Rad cautiously spoke.

Knight Commander Rad, who had protected Charte since childhood, looked at him with a sad face.

After being betrayed by Empress Yasrin, the smile—no, the vitality that humans possess—had disappeared from his face.

The warm, virtuous ruler had transformed into a cold-blooded tyrant, personally demonstrating what the hell of human distrust was.

Knight Commander Rad’s face grew bitter and regretful as he wondered how wonderful it would be if Leila Whyman, the highest noble lady of the Oneroad Empire, could return Emperor Charte to his former self.

Today is the wedding day of Emperor Charte and the Prime Minister’s daughter, Leila.

The marriage was the result of special measures taken by the Prime Minister and high-ranking officials who feared that if Charte continued like this, the Oneroad Empire—called an earthly paradise for its peace and prosperity—might self-destruct and disappear from the map.

In fact, after Yasrin left, they tried everything—forcibly bringing in concubines every night, arranging “coincidental” meetings with noble ladies—but nothing worked.

His aversion to women was at the highest level, leaving the women brought in as concubines with wounds, humiliation, and indelible trauma.

After all these strategies failed, the officials thought what Charte needed most was emotional stability, so they tried to restore everything to how it was before by arranging a marriage with a lady from a good family.

However, the importance of family background for becoming an empress caused many nobles to fall into great anguish.

Initially, ambitious noble families sent their daughters as concubines only to be disappointed, and the council chamber was filled with chilling silence.

What father would want to send his daughter into danger! No matter how much of a noble or official he might be.

While everyone hesitated to send their daughters to an emperor who had lost his heart, even though it was necessary for the country, Nathan Whyman, the Prime Minister from the highest family in the Oneroad Empire, stepped forward.

“My family’s daughter seems suitable.”