“If you’re ashamed of our relationship, you should never have approached me in the first place.”

Turbin Turtlik’s words brought the room to a standstill. Ciela, who had been listening in disbelief, let the gift box she was holding slip from her grasp.

A thud.

The muffled sound echoed through the party hall and drew everyone’s attention to her. As Lilia blushed in embarrassment, Ciela broke the silence.

“What did you just say?”

“Sister…”

“Lilia, did you really talk to my fiancé first?”

Lilia shook her head frantically and tried to get closer to Ciela.

“Please, let me explain. Just hear me out.”

“Don’t come any closer. Speak from where you are.”

Avoiding Lilia’s outstretched hand, tears streaming down her sister’s face, Ciela instinctively took a step back.

“……”

The nobles held their breath, sensing the tension in the air. Lilia, always considered sweet and lovable, had never been the subject of the slightest rumour since her debut in society. And then there was Ciela, the so-called villainess, who was known to envy and torment the flawless Lilia.

That had been the story between the two – until now. But now their roles seemed to have been completely reversed.

“It’s all a misunderstanding. Please don’t be deceived, sister.”

Lilia pleaded, the tears in her desperate eyes threatening to overflow.

“I was the one who told you that your fiancé had confessed to me, wasn’t I? If I had been the one to approach him first, do you think I would have told you?”

“That is true. But what about what Lord Turtlik just said?”

“What he just said was just out of anger – he’s trying to get back at me for not accepting his confession.”

Lilia’s tear-filled, innocent eyes shone with an almost impossible sincerity, as if she were incapable of deception. Her flawless, immaculate appearance – like a blank canvas – made her words seem undeniably true.

But.

“Can I really trust you this time? I’m not sure.”

Ciela said, her voice trembling. She was on the verge of collapse, her face contorted with fear.

“No, I have to trust you. I have to trust you.”

Her shattered, shocked appearance drew pitiful looks from the assembled nobles.

“But this is the fifth time…”

Ciela whispered, her voice tinged with bitterness. You’ve stolen my fiancé.

“Sister!”

Lilia cried out suddenly, cutting her off as she fell to her knees with such force that the ground seemed to shake beneath her. The unnatural abruptness of the action sent a murmur of confusion through the crowd, but Lilia, desperate beyond measure, paid no attention to the stares or whispers.

“Why would I ever have feelings for Lord Turtlik when my heart belongs to someone else? Please do not let these false accusations deceive you.”

Tears streamed endlessly down her delicate, innocent face, making her look heartbreakingly fragile. But Lord Turtlik, unable to bear her crocodile tears any longer, finally exploded in anger.

“You are the one who secretly seduced me with a letter, claiming you wanted to get closer to me!”

“I have already explained, I only wanted to grow closer as a future family. I never imagined that you would stoop so low as to destroy the bond between my sister and me just because I rejected your confession.

“You…!”

Once the two had spoken sweetly to each other, their eyes filled with affection. But now their gazes were sharp, filled with venom, as if such warmth had never existed. Each was determined to blame the other.

Finally, both turned sharply towards Ciela.

“Ciela.”

“Sister.”

Their eyes bored into her, heavy and demanding, silently begging her to believe them. Ciela’s body trembled as her eyes darted between her sister and her fiancé.

“…I…”

She swayed like the last leaf desperately clinging to a fragile branch in the wind. Eventually, her naturally frail body gave way and she began to collapse to the ground. A noblewoman in the crowd, unable to bear the sight, closed her eyes tightly.

But Ciela never hit the floor.

“Can’t you see when someone is in pain?”

Before anyone could react, a man who had approached unnoticed caught Ciela as she fell and held her tightly in his arms. His jet-black hair and crimson eyes, glittering with a sinister aura, exuded an oppressive presence that seemed to choke the very air around him. But Lilia’s attention was consumed by a devastating truth – this man she had admired for so long had chosen to protect Ciela. Overcome with shock and fear, she bit her lip hard enough to draw blood.

“Disappointing.”

“Your Grace, the Duke…”

Lilia’s voice trembled, the icy tone of his words cutting through her like a blade.

Calix didn’t spare her a second look. He turned away, holding Ciela close as if to shield her from the world. As he moved, Ciela’s lashes fluttered slightly, revealing pale blue eyes that rested quietly on the bowed form of Lilia.

Lilia.

Ciela had feigned unconsciousness just to create chaos in the hall, but she had not been shocked, nor had she suffered in the slightest.

‘Things don’t always go your way.’

Her lips curved slightly upwards – an invisible but deeply satisfying smile.

1.

“Sister!”

The door burst open without a knock. Having anticipated Lilia’s intrusion, I calmly put down the book I was reading and looked up.

“I… I have something to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“Your fiancé… um…”

Lilia hesitated, her lips trembling as if the words were too hard to utter. After a long pause, she lowered her head, her golden hair cascading down like waves of sunlight.

“Your fiancé has confessed to me!”

Tears, large and shimmering like dewdrops, fell from her eyes as she raised her head to meet my gaze.

“He has been visiting the place where I volunteer for some time now. Since he’s your fiancé, I’ve welcomed him warmly and…”

“Enough.”

I interrupted, cutting her off before she could continue. I had heard more than enough.

“I see. Don’t worry – I’ve already sent a request to annul the engagement.”

“H-how did you know?”

“How did I know?” Isn’t it even more surprising if I didn’t know?”

This was the fifth time. From my first fiancé to the fifth, every single one had betrayed me and fallen for Lilia.

“You and Lilia may share the same hair and eye color, but everything else about you is completely different.”

If this kept happening, how could anyone not be suspicious? Even with a new fiancé, the pattern was too clear. To prepare for the worst, I had someone discreetly spy on my fifth fiancé as soon as the engagement began. That’s how I discovered all the secrets Lilia had been hiding.

“I only sent the letter because I wasn’t happy with his behaviour.”

“I’m sorry, sister.”

“It’s all right. There’s no need to apologise, I’m exhausted, so if you’re finished, could you leave?”

Instead of leaving, Lilia ignored my request and came closer.

“You’re pretending to be okay because of me, aren’t you?”

Lilia said, grabbing my hand and falling to the floor. Tears streamed down her face, soaking my hand.

“Hic… I’m so sorry. How it must hurt to have your fiancé stolen from you by your own sister. I feel terrible for you, sister.”

“……”

“But you know, don’t you? That I am not interested in your fiancé. I already have someone I like.”

I couldn’t help but wonder what nonsense she was going to say this time. I suppressed my indifferent expression and forced a smile on my lips.

“Yes, I know you’re in love with the Duke.”

Lilia had harboured a deep, feverish longing for the Duke for much longer than I had realised. She hadn’t exactly tried to hide her feelings, but it hadn’t been obvious to me until now.

“Because I read it in the novel.”

The Marchioness’ Adoptee is So Adorable!

This world came from a book, and Lilia was its main character. She easily won the affections of everyone around her, and quickly captured the hearts of the Marchioness and her husband, who had adopted her. Eventually, she even won the heart of the Duke, her long-time secret crush and the most eligible bachelor in the realm.

“The only one who hated Lilia was, essentially, the villainess.”

I was the only legitimate heir of the Marquise’s family, the one who envied and tormented the heroine. A villain who finally met a tragic end, cast out in disgrace as a lesson in justice. That villain was me.

The only silver lining? I regained my memories of my past life on the very day Lilia was adopted.

“I tried to twist the original story, somehow.”

Although I had come to terms with an incurable, terminal illness, there was no way I was going to accept the tragic ending of the novel. I’d done everything I could to escape that fate.

I didn’t hate the sister who suddenly appeared in my life. I didn’t covet what wasn’t mine, nor did I do anything to make my family despise me. I tried to be a good daughter and sister. I believed that if I endured and persevered through all the injustices, I would one day escape the role of the villain. I was so sure.

“Is this the power of the novel?”

Even though I did nothing wrong, at some point, I slowly began to be labeled as the villainess, just as the original story dictated.

“It really is easy to become a villainess.”

I patted Lilia’s back, laughing bitterly to myself.

“Your tears hurt me more, so don’t cry.”

And hurry up and leave.

As I continued to console Lilia out of obligation, she suddenly lifted her head without warning.

“Since it’s come to this, why don’t you lower your standards a bit and find someone truly good, sister?”

“Sorry?”

“Stop being so fixated on marrying someone from your own class and try to broaden your perspective a little.

With a determined look on her face, Lilia spoke clearly and confidently.

“Even if it’s someone from the lesser nobility in the outskirts, you could find someone and still live happily, couldn’t you?”

“It’s okay. For now, I just want to rest and not think about anything.”

For a moment, Lilia’s face seemed to darken, but she quickly broke into her trademark endearing smile.

“If that’s what you want, then do it.”

“Now, you should get back to your room. It’s almost dinnertime.”

“You should rest too, sister.”

When I confirmed that Lilia had finally left the room, I threw my arms in the air and cheered silently, victory!

“Finally, she’s gone.”

I quickly pulled out the suitcase I had hidden under the bed and started packing the few things I had left. Most of my things were already in the house I was moving to tomorrow, so there wasn’t much left to pack.

“Goodbye, miserable original story.”

Seeing the fifth fiancé fall for Lilia was the last straw. No matter how hard I tried, nothing changed. So I decided to leave the confines of the story altogether, to stop being a villainous side character and become someone who didn’t even exist in the story.

“I want to spend what little time I have left living properly.”

The issues of money and housing were already taken care of. All that was left was one thing:

“I just need to sneak out tonight.”

As I watched the sunset through the window, my heart fluttered with excitement. Time passed quickly and before I knew it, it was time for everyone to go to bed.

“It’s quiet.”

Carrying my light suitcase, I cautiously descended the stairs. Just in case, I glanced around and noticed a sliver of light spilling through the slightly ajar door to my mother’s room.

“She’s with Father.”

Father had a habit of leaving the door slightly open, so it was easy to tell when they were together.

“This actually works out better. I can leave the letter for both of them at once.”

I wanted them to know why I was leaving. It was the last courtesy I could offer them as their daughter.

“Not that they’re the kind of people who would regret it anyway.”

Silently, I approached the door, holding my breath. As I got closer, their conversation became clearer.

“…a curse…?”

“That’s impossible. Her weak body… she’s dying… that’s all!”

“But why isn’t she dead yet? It’s been years since she turned ten!”

“Ha, exactly.”

A curse?

I completely forgot about the letter I had left on the floor and focused on my parents’ conversation instead. Thump, thump. My heart raced. I didn’t know why, but I had a gut feeling that I couldn’t afford to miss this.

“At this rate, part of the Arcel family’s fortune will end up in Ciela’s hands.”

“Why on earth isn’t she dead yet? Ugh.”

“You made the decision to avoid the fairy’s curse, so take responsibility until the end.”

“It’s still better than Lilia falling ill. You should think about Lilia more.”

“I am thinking about Lilia, which is why I registered that child as our legitimate daughter in the family records. So that Lilia wouldn’t suffer or die because of some petty fairy curse!”

“Tsk. She should just die. Instead, she lingers on, weak and sickly, but still alive. Put more pressure on Lord Turtlick. We must get her out of the family and married off as soon as possible.”

Their conversation fell abruptly silent. The lights in the room flickered out, leaving only darkness and an eerie silence. I couldn’t move an inch.

“What did I just hear?”

Cold sweat poured down my body like rain, soaking me.

“…A curse. Illness. Lowly blood. Family registry. In place of Lilia. And even my fiancé’s name…”

I gasped, sharply inhaling. The chaotic fragments of their words swirled in my head, all pointing to a single, undeniable conclusion.

…I wasn’t their real daughter.

“A scapegoat, disguised as their legitimate child, to bear the curse in Lilia’s place.”

Crunch. Crunch. The truth I had believed in shattered into countless pieces in an instant. Only the crumpled letter in my hand silently bore witness to my fury.

***

Clatter. Clatter. With every jolt of the carriage, my body swayed like a puppet whose strings had been cut. Yet the reflection in the carriage window remained unfocused. I was so overwhelmed with confusion that I could hardly remember how I had got into the carriage in the first place.

‘I wasn’t their real daughter?’

The truth I had stumbled upon burned like molten lava, far too hot to swallow.

‘Now it all makes sense… All the things I could never understand finally fall into place.’

My upper body collapsed forward. I buried my face in my thighs and stayed there for a long time.

I’d always wondered. Lilia was the heroine, adored by all. But I was her biological daughter – or so I thought. So why did my parents neglect me and shower all their love on her? Even when I tried to move on, the question never left me. It lingered, unanswered, haunting my every thought.

‘It wasn’t the influence of the novel.’

Why hadn’t I properly questioned or delved deeper into it?

‘Why, why?’

In the novel, Ciela was clearly described as the biological daughter of the Arcel Marquisate.

There was no twist like “In truth, Lilia was the real daughter of the marquis and marchioness!” Not until the very end. The question is: if you knew this world was from a novel, would you doubt the established story?

“How could I have doubted that?”

I clenched my fists so tightly that my fingertips turned pale. Even as my nails dug into my skin and crimson blood trickled between my fingers and onto the floor, I couldn’t let go. I was disgusted with myself.

“What is the point of all my effort and struggle now?”

I buried my face deeper into my thighs, curling up into myself.

My parents were fake. My identity was fake. Everything was fake. Everything I had been trying to protect was nothing more than a fabricated stage set up by the Marquis and Marchioness.

“All the while, what truly belonged to me was falling apart.”

I lifted my head slightly and looked down at my emaciated arm. I was dying. My rapidly deteriorating health in recent days was proof that, just as in the original story, I was steadily approaching the end.

“Damn it.”

The thought of dying because I bore the curse meant for Lilia made my insides churn with bitterness. I slammed my head against the window, but I felt no pain.

Thud.

Thud.

Thud.

As time passed, the hazy blur in my eyes, faintly reflected in the glass of the window, slowly began to clear. 

“…Originally, I just wanted to escape the story and live freely…” 

It was a decision I had made after much thought. After suffocating under the weight of my constant efforts to change the story, after crying until I ran out of tears, I finally understood that nothing would ever change. Only then did I decide to leave. 

I had convinced myself that there was no place for me in the heroine’s happiness. That I should leave the original story and go my own way. That was the vow I had made. 

But now… just the thought of their happy faces made my stomach turn.

“…”

I tore my eyes from the window and picked up the two letters I had brought with me, unable to throw them away. The blood dripping from my hand seeped into the white envelopes, staining them dark red, and the once pristine paper began to lose its colour. 

“Now I’m ready to dive right into the story.

Riiip.

The letters fell to the floor in a crumpled mess, their original shapes distorted beyond recognition. Reflected in the window was a face so devoid of emotion it was almost cold. Only the blue eyes, now dark and icy, hid a sharp blade in their depths.