Chapter 2

Hope woke up the next day, still exhausted from the overwhelming realization that she had become Evelina. Her mind, clouded with disbelief, prompted her to pinch her own cheek, hoping the sting would prove this was just a dream.

"I can't believe this is real..." she muttered, wincing at the sharp sensation.

Her body felt foreign—sluggish and uncoordinated. Every movement lacked the natural grace Evelina must have possessed. It was as if she had been forced into a costume that didn't quite fit.

A knock at the door pulled her from her thoughts.

"Come in," Hope responded instinctively, her voice carrying an unintended authority—one that belonged to Evelina, not her.

The door creaked open, revealing Shiri, Evelina's personal maid. She entered with a soft smile, bowing slightly as she greeted her.

"Good morning, Miss. I've prepared your bath."

At that moment, Hope realized just how vastly different this world was from her own. Every task, no matter how small, was handled by servants. She didn't have to lift a finger. The maids even bathed her, styled her hair, and dressed her as if she were a fragile porcelain doll.

Staring at her reflection in the mirror, Hope let out a small chuckle.

"Rich and beautiful… I guess I could not get used to this," she mused, before shaking her head.

But how long am I going to be here? she wondered. It's not like I had much waiting for me back home, but… I still have my dear friends.

Shiri stepped forward hesitantly. "Miss, about breakfast…"

Hope pushed aside her thoughts and straightened her posture. "Bring it to my room. If anyone asks, tell them I've been advised to rest and won't be leaving my bed today."

Shiri paused for a moment, as if weighing her response, before nodding. "Understood, Miss."

As the maid left, Hope's expression darkened.

Evelina—no, she—had woken up from an illness, yet not a single family member had come to check on her. Not one.

She scoffed, leaning back against her chair. "I suppose I should be grateful. I wouldn't even know how to act around them right now. Avoiding them seems like the safest option."

While the other maids moved around the room, tidying with practiced efficiency, Hope sat at the writing desk, trying to piece together her situation. She needed to understand where she was in the novel's timeline.

Grabbing a quill, she began jotting down everything she remembered.

The novel's setting rushed back to her: a world where supernatural beasts and monsters coexisted with humans. For years, humanity had been at a disadvantage until the gods bestowed special abilities upon them. From this blessing, the Bloomers were born—humans capable of wielding extraordinary powers through an energy source called Mana.

The strongest Bloomers were deemed fit to rule, and for generations, the empire's emperors had all been powerful Bloomers. Nobles, with their ancient bloodlines, typically inherited the most potent forms of Mana, granting them high positions in the empire. Even commoners, if born with this gift, could rise to serve under the emperor.

The current emperor had five sons, and the most powerful among them was the Crown Prince.

Crown Prince Caelum.

In the novel, he was beloved by the people. On one of his missions, he met the female lead—Evelina's younger half-sister, Selene Greystone.

Evelina had an infamous crush on the Crown Prince. Everyone knew about it. She would follow him everywhere, bombard him with letters, and make grand gestures to gain his attention. But the Crown Prince never spared her a second glance.

Selene, the prodigy of the prestigious Greystone family, was a rare Bloomer blessed with extraordinary abilities. In contrast, Evelina, who had yet to "bloom," was deemed a failure. Consumed by jealousy over her sister's popularity, she became the villainess of the story.

Her downfall was swift and merciless. After orchestrating multiple schemes against Selene, she was cast aside by her own father and married off to a prince from a neighboring kingdom. From that point, she all but disappeared from the narrative.

All of it had been written simply to add drama to the female lead's struggles—to make Selene shine even brighter in the eyes of the Crown Prince.

But Evelina's misdeeds didn't end after marriage. Eventually, she was executed.

Hope sighed, resting her forehead against the desk.

"How do I get out of this mess?" she muttered. "There was never any mention of Evelina being sick. What does that mean for me? Am I ahead of the story? Or did something change?"

Her thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock. Shiri had returned with breakfast, carefully balancing the tray in her hands.

"Miss," Shiri began hesitantly, her expression unsure.

Hope didn't miss the maid's nervous posture or the way she avoided eye contact.

Of course. Evelina had a reputation in this household. If even her personal maid was this wary of her, she could only imagine how terribly she must have treated the servants.

Hope let out a quiet, wry laugh.

"Just as I thought… this won't be easy."