_saintrose

Beatrice Da Ville was meant to be the villainess. Arrogant, cruel, and doomed to die. But when a 21st-century woman wakes up in her body, she refuses to meet that fate.

Avoiding execution should have been simple: keep her head down, stay out of trouble, and let the story run its course. But the world refuses to let her disappear. The nobles are always whispering about her, the royal family won’t leave her alone, and worst of all—the cold, calculating Crown Prince keeps watching her like he knows she’s up to something.

But the deeper she gets entangled in the kingdom’s growing tensions, the more she realizes something terrifying. This story was never just about the heroine and villainess. And if she’s not careful, she won’t just die. She’ll play right into the ending that was always meant for her.

If the script won’t let her live, then she’ll just have to rewrite it herself.

The Villainess Refuses to Follow the Script

The underground market was everything Beatrice had expected, and worse.

The moment they stepped through the hidden entrance, ducking past a heavy velvet curtain, they were hit with a wave of noise, scents, and flashing colors. Merchants called out their wares, some with the charm of seasoned salesmen, others with the desperation of those trying to offload something possibly stolen. The air was thick with incense, spices, and the occasional whiff of something less pleasant.

"Now this," Lila declared, spinning on her heel with a grin, "is what I call an adventure."

Beatrice adjusted the hood of her cloak, keeping her face angled slightly downward.

Lila shrugged. "Depends on how the night goes."

Francois, dressed far too stiffly for their surroundings, kept a step behind them, his eyes scanning the market with suspicion.

"We shouldn't linger too long. Places like these—"

Chapter 56