Brief
The city night glowed beneath the shimmer of neon lights. Crowds pressed against one another on the sidewalk, yet Song Ji-hyo noticed none of it. Her head bowed low, eyes fixed on the glowing phone in her hand, fingertip scrolling line after line, lost in the words.
A title on the novel app caught her eye— “The Cold Duke Who Loved Only Her.”
The tale spoke of the noble young duke, Eros Weiscroft, who gave his entire heart to a single woman. The heroine, Elysia Rosenhelm, was the pure white rose of innocence. And the villainess, user de Vestria, proud daughter of a marquis, was painted as nothing more than a shadow—scheming, slandering, and fated to a pitiful end.
The further she scrolled, the deeper her heart sank into the narrative, never realizing the sudden flash of light from the side.
The roar of an engine. The shriek of brakes. Her phone slipped from her grasp, crashing onto the pavement. The screen froze on the line where the villainess was branded “the condemned.”
The world was swallowed whole by darkness— and the name Song Ji-hyo vanished in a single heartbeat.
Whispers spread through the grand hall like wildfire. The slender hand of User de Vestria still held the wine glass, its last crimson drop now staining the pristine ivory dress of Elysia Rosenhelm.
The pungent scent of red wine mingled with the fragrance of flowers from the banquet, weaving an atmosphere thick with unease. Every noble’s gaze fell upon her—as though she were a demon incarnate.
Elysia trembled, her clear blue eyes brimming with tears. Her lips quivered as she spoke in a voice so faint it was barely audible.
“I… I’ve done nothing wrong. Why must this…”
The heart of Song Ji-hyo, trapped within this body, pounded violently— This was the very scene where the villainess was scripted to torment the heroine! And from here, she would be branded as “the condemned.”
“Lady Vestria, this has gone too far!” a voice rang out. It was Lady Maria Vendros, feigning concern, though her blue eyes gleamed with satisfaction.
The lips of Duke Eros Weiscroft pressed into a hard line as he stepped forward, his towering frame radiating oppressive force. His blood-red eyes bore into User with icy disdain.
“Is this the conduct you deem worthy of House Vestria?”
At his side, Sergren Hald watched with wary vigilance, one hand inching closer to the hilt of his sword—ready to defend his Duke at a moment’s notice.
From the shadows, Ilya, the Duke’s quiet maid, observed in silence. Her gray eyes glimmered faintly, as though recording every word into memory.
And now… User de Vestria was no longer a mere character in a novel. She was the new vessel that Song Ji-hyo must answer for. And with a single heartbeat’s decision… she could change the course of the story forever.
