Chapter 1

Prologue

"Cough, cough!"

My chest tickled and a cough came out. I even felt dizzy.

'I'm screwed.'

This was my first thought since I was possessed by a novel.

'This is the kind of role that I have to play…"

I was possessed by the role of 'Laria Rose Rostry' in the novel 'The Great Deal of the Empire.'

I liked her hot pink hair, sparkling purple eyes, and dense features.

'She's a little short, but she has round eyes and a gentle impression like a puppy.'

But that was all I liked.

I was a supporting role.

Even at the age of 14, she was on the verge of death.

'I died when I was 21 in my previous life, and I'm doomed to again in this one.'

"Cough, cough!"

I was vomiting blood, and I had to cover my mouth with a hand towel.

"What, so, you're saying that there's only one daughter left in Rostry's immediate line?"

I was only 14 years old now, and it was the funeral of my parents, Count and Countess Rostry.

After being possessed, memories of the past naturally flooded in as if they were mine.

Her father, who was a hard worker, and her mother, who was very luxurious in return, died in a carriage accident, leaving only huge debts.

"Doesn't the Count have any money? Search!"

I wasn't happy at all.

It was the worst between my parents and the house was always noisy. My only brother was sent to study abroad in the East for the reason that he rebelled against father.

"It's a funeral, but where are all your relatives?"

"My money! There's only this ugly little guy who can take my money?"

I was being mobbed by debtors at a funeral in which all my relatives and friends were absent.

I kept glancing at the entrance, bleating the words of the debtors in one ear, because by now there would be someone to take me.

In the original novel, Laria did not know that her time was limited until she died. Only two people in the world knew.

One was her mother, the Countess Rostry, and the other was…

"Huh? He's, uh…."

"Why is Duke Icard here?"

A tall man with dark hair and ghastly red eyes strode into the mess.

'The villain walking is wonderful…'

Even just walking with his mouth shut, his overwhelming presence was enormous.

'Duke Icard.'

Duke Calaudin Ivan Icard.

He was a man who lived quietly in his own territory, but suddenly became power hungry after his wife's death.

He was also an original villain that did not cover his means and methods of taking control of the nobles and the imperial family.

Although he was not yet overwhelming in power due to his bleated entry into politics, he worked hard on his backstabbing, and eventually became the leader of the aristocracy a few years later.

'You made your son successful in marrying the princess.'

Of course, he wanted to achieve the goal he desired by acquiring the nobility and the imperial family but…

Princess Elani, the female protagonist, falls in love with the male protagonist, not his son, and his dreams come to nothing.

'Although in the original novel it never states what his goal was…'

The author said they would state it in the side book, but I only read the completed novel without reading the side book.

Anyway, the noisy funeral suddenly became quiet with his appearance.

The debtors chatted and soon lined up nicely in front of Duke Icard.

'This is the power of money and power!' I was amazed again.

'It's not mine, but it's beautiful. I'm glad it's the villain.

Then, Duke Icard came before me without hesitation. Then asked in a dreary voice.

"Do you have a place to go?"

None of my relatives came to the funeral in case they would have to take care of me. The countess's work was taken over by mortgage, and all the servants had fled.

"No, I don't… Cough!"

His eyes narrowed as I coughed.

I already knew what he was going to say.

"Then will you be my son, Evan's wife?"

It was a surprising development even though I knew it was coming. I can't believe he came in like this.

So he is proposing a premature marriage among the political expeditions of the nobility.

Early marriage was not uncommon in aristocratic society. By convention, children like me couldn't stay in a noble family for a long time as a guest, because in order to take in a young child and responsibility for them, they have to be bound to the family and be provided inheritance rights.

"Matilda was very close to your mother."

'Matilda…'

It was the name of the Duchess of Icard, who passed away while giving birth to her son.

"If Matilda was alive, she would have wanted to bring you back. So I've come to get you."

'Lies.'

I blinked my eyes and thought to myself.

Duke Icard was a man who was just being called to power. There was no way he would take me for such a romantic reason.

According to the original novel, he happened to know about my illness and was trying to marry me to his son to take advantage of my scheduled death.

'I know the original story! I know the intentions of your dark mind. I'm not following you willingly…'

"I will repay all your parents' debts and promise you a decent living."

"I look forward to your kind cooperation, Father."

I answered quickly.

I was that 'who'.

This was the enemy's strategy even if I knew all about the original work.

It is better to die early than die among debtors after living in luxury in the original version.

"… Father?"

Duke Icard's eyes gazed at me with a piercing look.

A minor supporting actor like me was scared to stand in front of the huge villain.

I answered in a very intimidated manner.

"So-sorry. N-now that you're family…"

There was a moment of silence.

"It's all right."

He said that in a very low, cool voice that made everyone nervous.

"Let's go."

That's how I got to follow Duke Icard.

On his way to the duchy, Duke Icard stopped by the Imperial Palace to submit the marriage registration. And with that one document, my name became Laria Rose Icard.

'As expected… There won't be a wedding or anything.'

My husband, Evan, who was one year younger than me, was at the academy, so I couldn't even see his face.

Evan was a supporting character in "The Great Deal of the Empire" without even a few lines of description. His weight is so small that he can't even be called a sub-male lead.

And since I was the ex-wife of that supporting actor, I had nothing more.

'If I look at the capability of my soul, I have to take the picture of an evil woman… I can't believe I've possessed a body like this.'

With my bad luck, the evil woman lost a talent.

Usually the wicked had a lot of money. The reason is that even bad things could be done with money. But there's nothing I can do with supporting roles that have no money, wealth, or characteristics.

'I should have possessed a rich and strong villain.'

I was immediately assigned a large room and a maid of the duke.

Sadly, the flow of the original story is the best for me, who has limited time.

Of course, it wasn't that I didn't know the cure.

'Oclasia tree fruit.'

I had an older brother, Fred.

He, who has the same pink hair and purple eyes as me, had been away studying abroad in the Eastern Continent, where exchanges had been blocked for several years due to the current habitat of monsters.

He comes back only after I die, there comes a scene of him sobbing in front of my grave, saying the cure.

"Garbian lung disease was common in the eastern continent… it is a disease that heals just by ingesting ten of the fruits of the Oclasia tree every day for five years…"

So, my disease is classified as an incurable disease in the empire because they do not know the cure, but it means that it is a disease that has already been conquered in the east.

Still, it isn't exactly helpful to me.

'Oclasia trees are a rare species. In addition, even if the berries are in season, they are difficult to store and even more difficult to obtain…'

It was very difficult to get the Oclasia fruit in the market because it would be sold in no time.

How could I even get one or two? There was no way I would be able to get ten consistently.

I had already finished analyzing the subject realistically.

It was the best ending to die after idling comfortably in another's house.

'Let's aim for the next life. I can do it once or twice. Please, a rich, wicked woman, please, please…'

But what changed my mind was when I was walking alone in the patronage near the assigned room.

'Oh? What's this?'

I stopped walking.

In the patronage of the duke's house, like a lie, there were a lot of Oclasia trees planted with beautifully hanging seeds.

'Hey, does this make sense? Is this a possessed character' buff?'

As if someone arranged it.

'Is it a divine revelation to live a new life? Or is it a revelation from the devil to destroy the original story by force?'

Ha… This must be a joke to give me a horrible role and put the cure right in front of me…

"Thank you for the meal."

It wasn't a joke, of course, I was very grateful and gracious.

I took a moment to pray with my hands together to express my gratitude, whether it was the God of intent or the evil of the original.

"Even so…"

Still, if you saw me as an easy person to eat in such a situation, you're mistaken.

"I can't eat just because I'm in a hurry."

I am an easy person, but I was the one who carefully picked and ate ten of the most ripe fruits.

'Come on, then.'

The small fruit was as small as a thumbnail, so it went in one bite, and it was very sweet.

I thought with my eyes shining.

'Good. Let's live longer than twenty-one years old in this life!'