Chapter 1: The Worst Possible Reincarnation

Lilic Aster woke up gasping.

Her body felt strange—too light, too unfamiliar. Her head pounded as memories swirled together in a messy, chaotic blur. She squeezed her eyes shut, willing herself to focus. Slowly, the sensation of cool silk against her skin registered, followed by the distinct scent of expensive perfume and burning lavender candles.

She was in a bedroom. A very fancy bedroom.

She cracked one eye open. The ceiling was carved with intricate golden patterns, the walls lined with delicate paintings of noblewomen who all had the same sharp features. There was a vanity with expensive jewelry scattered across it, a wardrobe so massive it could hide a small army, and a velvet chaise positioned beside a tea table set with an untouched breakfast tray.

She sat up, the silk sheets pooling around her. Her heart pounded. This isn't my room.

Then, as if the universe had been waiting for her to wake up, the memories hit her like a slap to the face.

Lilic Aster. Illegitimate daughter of Duke Aster. Destined to be murdered by her brother.

Oh, you have got to be kidding me.

She shot out of bed, ignoring the dizzy spell that followed. Stumbling over to the vanity, she gripped the edge and stared at her reflection.

Wide violet eyes. Pale skin. Long, soft curls of silver hair.

Lilic Aster. I… am Lilic Aster.

She wanted to scream.

Of all the stories, of all the fictional worlds she could have reincarnated into, why did it have to be this one?

A cringe-inducing romance novel she regretted finishing, where the female lead was the most pitiful, poverty-stricken girl to ever exist. She was hired to work as a maid in the estate of Duke Aster—aka Lilic's home—where the male lead, Leor Aster (her own brother), saw her scrubbing floors and fell in love at first sight.

Then came the endless nonsense: stolen glances, forbidden dances, heart-wrenching misunderstandings, and the ridiculous moment where Leor ripped apart his own expensive shirt just to wrap it around the female lead's scraped knee. (Just ask for a bandage like a normal person!)

Lilic had hated the novel. The story was painfully predictable, and worst of all, she had been killed off in the most lazy way possible.

Leor had murdered her as an act of revenge against her mother (who was already dead, by the way) and to secure his position as heir to the family. And that was it. No emotional weight, no dramatic tension—just an easy excuse to make the male lead seem dark and brooding.

She had ranted about it for days after finishing the book. And now?

Now, she was Lilic Aster. The doomed, disposable side character.

She groaned and collapsed back onto the bed, covering her face with her hands. "Why couldn't it have been a good book?"

It wasn't even a novel she had liked! She had read it out of pure curiosity and then suffered through the cringe-fest, only finishing it because she had an annoying habit of never leaving books unfinished, no matter how much she hated them.

And now?

Now she was paying for it.

She sat back up, running a hand down her face. "Alright. Think."

Panic could wait. Right now, she needed a plan.

First, she wasn't dead yet. That was a huge improvement. She had time.

Second, there was no sign of the female lead yet, which meant she hadn't arrived at the estate. That gave her an even bigger advantage.

Third… well, third, she was stuck in a world she absolutely despised, but she'd deal with that later.

The important thing was that she refused to die like some throwaway character. No way. She was going to live. She was going to avoid all the idiotic drama. And most of all, she was going to make sure Leor Aster never got the chance to kill her.

She took another deep breath.

Right. Step one: survive.

Step two: figure out how to live a peaceful, drama-free life.

Step three… don't get involved with the main plot.

Lilic straightened her back, staring at herself in the mirror. "Alright, new life. Let's make something out of you."

A sudden knock at the door made her jolt.

"My lady?" A voice called from the other side. It was soft but firm. "Are you awake?"

Lilic exhaled. A maid. Good. Normal.

"Yes," she called back, quickly smoothing down the dress she hadn't even realized she was wearing. A silky nightgown. Fancy, but comfortable. At least she wouldn't have to worry about itchy corsets this early in the morning.

The maid entered, curtsying. She was young, probably around Lilic's age, with a neat uniform and a well-practiced expression of polite indifference. "The Duke requests your presence at breakfast."

Lilic stiffened. The Duke. My father.

She barely remembered much about him from the novel. He had acknowledged Lilic's existence, but only just. She was an illegitimate child, tolerated but not truly accepted. He was distant, strict, and largely uninvolved.

Which was perfect. She had no interest in making things complicated.

"Understood," she said, standing up. "I'll get ready."

The maid nodded and left without another word.

Lilic exhaled.

Okay. Breakfast with her distant, terrifying father wasn't ideal, but at least it wasn't Leor.

Yet.

She turned back to the mirror, giving herself one last, firm nod.

No dying. No getting involved in the love story. No unnecessary drama.

That was the plan.

And she was going to stick to it.

…Probably.