I blankly watched everything unfold from the female lead’s perspective—her childhood, the moment she left her family as she grew into adulthood, meeting the crown prince, falling in love, fighting, and gradually growing stronger.

I was sure I had closed my eyes and fallen asleep… so why was I watching this in some unknown space?

‘This is not good….’

I tried closing my eyes again, hoping I’d wake up—but they wouldn’t shut. I tried moving my body, but I couldn’t budge at all. It was as if something was insisting that I had to watch the female lead’s entire life.

Only after hearing her laughter, paired with the happy smile of the crown prince—now her husband—was I finally released. As the memories faded like a passing montage, I was left alone in pitch-black darkness.

“This is insane…”

How was I supposed to get out of here?

Frustrated, I tried again to move my body—but it still wouldn’t respond. Then, from somewhere far away, I heard voices murmuring.

—Ruby Escart…!

Listening closely, it sounded like someone calling a name.

Ruby Escart… that was definitely the name of the female lead from the novel I had just seen.

But that wasn’t my name.

Why were they calling me that so desperately?

For a moment, my face twisted at the urgency in that voice—but soon, my vision began to turn white.

—Ruby Escart…!

The voice grew louder.

I couldn’t see anything, but somehow, it felt like I should move toward where the voice was coming from. Acting on instinct, I tried moving my body again.

This time, it worked.

Slowly, I began to walk.

—Ruby… Young Lady!

“Ah… that’s cold.”

The moment I reached toward the voice, a bright light poured over me. I squeezed my eyes shut.

When things seemed to settle down, what I felt next was a splash of cold water.

What now…?

I opened my eyes—and just like before, I found myself completely soaked, with that same strangely dressed woman standing in front of me, snickering.

Her orange hair and orange eyes were unlike anything I’d ever seen before. Her sharp, hostile gaze somehow felt… familiar, which made it even more unsettling.

Especially that outfit…

“…Wait. Marin?”

“Oh my, I’m so sorry, Young Lady. I accidentally splashed water on you. Are you alright?”

Marin spoke in a tone that sounded more mocking than apologetic.

But I was too confused to respond.

‘Marin? Is it really Marin? Then…’

I slowly looked around.

It was the same room I had seen before falling asleep.

I looked down at my hands. The rough, calloused skin from years of part-time jobs and housework was gone. Instead, I saw pale, delicate fingers that looked like they had never touched water.

I squeezed my eyes shut, then opened them again. I clenched and unclenched my fist.

But everything felt painfully real.

Too real to be a dream.

I bit my lip.

I didn’t want it to be true—but it was, wasn’t it? These memories, too…

I looked at Marin.

Her face was filled with dissatisfaction, not a trace of kindness directed at me.

I had definitely seen her before—in those panoramic memories. From childhood to adulthood, she had been one of the main culprits who constantly bullied the female lead. Throwing water like this was nothing compared to how persistent she had been.

That fearless maid had acted as if she were the noble lady herself. She had been the female lead’s longtime personal attendant.

‘…It seems I’ve entered the novel.’

And not just anywhere—but into the most frustrating part: the time when the female lead was still being mistreated by her family.

D*mn it.

“Young Lady? Why that expression? You’re not upset over my mistake, are you? It’s not like this is the first time…”

Marin looked at me as if to say, You wouldn’t dare get angry at someone like me, right?

Honestly, I wanted to grab that ridiculous orange hair and yank it until she begged me to stop.

But instead, I took a slow, deep breath.

Calm down. Figure out the situation first.

Despite the storm raging inside me, I formed a gentle smile.

If my close friends saw it, they would’ve run away instantly—it was the kind of smile I wore right before losing my temper.

Mimicking Ruby as best as I could, I spoke.

“…No. It’s fine. These things happen. I’m okay.”

“Of course! I knew our kind Young Lady would say that. You should change out of those wet clothes—just pick something comfortable from the wardrobe. I have somewhere to be, so I’ll be going now. Once you’re done, come down to the dining hall.”

As if she had expected that response, Marin rattled off her words quickly, then slammed the door behind her as she left.

It was a behavior completely inappropriate for a maid toward her lady.

The smile disappeared from my lips as I stared at the closed door, deep in thought.

Comparing this with the original Ruby’s memories, this body was now twenty years old—just having reached adulthood.

And yet Marin treated me like a child, making decisions on her own, doing whatever she pleased.

You couldn’t even tell who was the noble lady and who was the maid.

I had seen this behavior in the novel—but experiencing it firsthand was infuriating. 

I clenched my fists so tightly they turned white.

At least all those years of forcing myself to endure in society were paying off now.

Right. I could get angry later—after I understood the situation.

I got off the bed and walked toward the vanity I had seen earlier.

In the mirror stood the female lead—soaked like a drowned rat, wearing a dazed expression.

I pinched my cheek hard.

“Ow.”

The pain was real.

Rubbing my reddened cheek, I decided to change out of my wet clothes first and walked over to the old wardrobe in the corner.

I opened it.

“…What is this? Is this really a noble lady’s wardrobe?”

Not a maid’s?

I frowned.

Inside were only a few worn, dull-colored dresses.

Even so, she was the only daughter of a ducal family—wasn’t this treatment too much?

Letting out a short sigh, I chose the cleanest-looking dress among the few and changed into it.

It was uncomfortable—but better than staying soaked.

“…Ruby. Ruby Escart.”

Fully dressed, I stood in front of the mirror again.

The face hadn’t changed.

Slowly, I began to accept reality.

I had possessed the body of the female lead.

I didn’t know how something like this was possible—but thankfully, I had read the novel to the end. And after seeing all of her memories, I could recognize the people she knew.

That meant I didn’t have to pretend to have amnesia.

Besides, this wasn’t a tragic story. It wasn’t a dark or sad ending.

Once I got past this part, everything would lead to a smooth, happy ending.

All I had to do was meet the male lead—the crown prince—and I would naturally become the crown princess.

If I just followed the original storyline, everything would be fine.

The only issue was timing—leaving the family at the right moment.

…Well, it’ll be fine.

I clearly remember that part.

I’ll endure as much as I can depending on the situation, then leave at the right time. Or if I really can’t take it, I’ll leave earlier and wait for the crown prince.

Deciding not to overthink it, I adjusted my dress and stepped outside.

Normally, Marin brought meals to Ruby’s room—but once a week, Ruby went to the dining hall herself.

It was the one day the entire ducal family gathered for breakfast.

Strangely enough, in the novel, the family always ate together at least once a week.

Even though Ruby was hated, no one would care if she skipped—but she always longed for this time, hoping to be included among them.

And yet, every time she attended, the pressure and tension made her sick, leaving her clutching her stomach all day.

“…Wouldn’t it be better not to go at all?”

I clicked my tongue.

Even though I found her behavior foolish, my feet were already moving toward the dining hall.