Elphie sat in bed as a curly, brown-haired maid handed her a cup of tea. The maid was young, perhaps in her early twenties, and most of her hair was tied back and covered in a bonnet. This was the maid who had been beside her mother when she woke up.

Because Elphie had just recently recovered, her parents urged her to get some more rest and fussed over her well-being. She met her father the Marquis for the first time. He was a tall but slender man, appearing more like an erudite than a soldier. His hair was chestnut-brown and eyes golden, a pair of circular glasses perched on his nose.

Though he looked like a scholar, that was not to say he was not strong. The Marquis was a famed ice mage, and he had also stood on the battlefield back when he was younger. He had since retired from the military, focusing more on the strategic side of political affairs.

When he heard that Elphie had finally woken up, he rushed back from the castle, asking after her health. His eyes were slightly wet, “Elphie dear, how are you feeling?”

“I’m a lot better now. Thank you, Father.” Elphie politely responded back, to which he gently nodded. By the bedside, her mother handed Elphie a plate of fruit.

Marquis Alfred Elraba continued saying, “It’s great that you’re finally better. We were so worried about you.”

Seeing an opportunity to finally ask, Elphie quickly put on a weak face and held her forehead, “I’m still not completely recovered, but I can’t seem to recall… how did I fall sick?”

Her mother and father exchanged a glance before her mother worriedly said, “You consumed too much mana and fell into a deficient state.” At this point, she made a confused face, “But normally, you wouldn’t be able to drain your mana to such an extent. However, all the doctors could tell from your condition was illness stemming from depleted mana.”

While only a certain percentage of the population could actively use magic, all living beings contained mana. When a being’s mana was depleted, they would enter a mana deficient state and suffer from extreme lethargy or weakness until their mana is recovered.

Some beasts would enter a state akin to hibernation to slowly recover their mana naturally, while some wicked people would purposely absorb mana from other beings. A being’s mana cannot be completely depleted through one’s own consumption, but consuming all of one’s mana would lead to death.

All beings existed with mana, and one could not be alive without it.

Somehow, Elphie’s body teetered on the borderline of total mana depletion, which caused her to fall into a coma for over a week.

Perhaps, Elphie did die, and that’s how I entered her body.

Cha Seo-yeong, now Elphie, thought to herself. It was another mystery as to how she ended up in this state. This scene wasn’t expounded upon in the novel, but if there was someone working to harm her in the shadows…

Elphie frowned. Suddenly, she felt a gentle touch on her brow. When she looked up, she met a pair of warm blue eyes. They twinkled with light, and she felt her heart calm. She then glanced at her father, who returned a gentle smile.

She could deeply feel that this was a warm family that really cared for one another. Inside, a second reason beyond her own survival and return to the real world began budding.

It was a tragedy that such people met their doom for ridiculous reasons like the novel’s plot. In fact, Elphie found the entire novel’s plot absurd. Why would just another rofan story contain so many twists and turns, all to only end in a bad ending?

Now, there was another reason to change the plot trajectory. Like all of the rofan transmigrators before her, she would forge her own story and change the predestined ending.

Elphie’s father glanced at his watch, “I must return to work now. Please rest well, and I’ll see you tonight.”

“Yes, see you tonight.” Both Elphie and her mother waved goodbye. After watching her father close the door behind him, Elphie’s mother turned to her with a mischievous smile: “So, is there something on your mind?”

Slightly caught off guard by the childish smile on her mother’s face, Elphie replied: “Not really.” She thought for a moment and something came to mind, “Actually, I’m a little curious. How has Ariadne been recently?”

“Ariadne?” Her mother touched her chin, “That child came to visit when you just fell ill. Now that you mentioned it, we haven’t notified anyone that you’ve woken up yet. Are you looking forward to a visit?”

Elphie smoothly replied, “I thought that she would be worried if she knew that I was sick. It may be best for me to schedule a visit with her.”

“Oh! You’re right. She would surely be relieved to learn that you’re recovering.” Elphie’s mother quickly called over a maid and relayed some instructions. The maid bowed and went to deliver the news.

Her mother turned back to continue speaking, “But it may not be necessary to schedule a visit. After all, the royal banquet will be in three days. Do you think you’ll recover by then?”

“Royal banquet…?” Elphie racked her brains, trying to remember the plot. Banquets happened frequently throughout the novel, but there was only one that was key to the plot: the welcoming banquet for the Northern Duke.

It was at this banquet that both the Northern Duke and Crown Prince took interest in Ariadne. It was also this banquet that marked the beginning of the downfall.

Elphie slowly asked, “Is it possible that the Northern Duke…”

“Yes! The Duke is finally returning to the capital for the first time in over 10 years!” Her mother excitedly gushed, “I heard that he’s a handsome lad, just like his father. Oh! But he’s not as dashing as your father, of course.”

Elphie smiled wryly. It seemed that her mother had a mischievous side to her. But now, she could confirm that this was the beginning of the novel plot. Nothing had been set in motion yet.

“Are you perhaps interested in the Duke?” her mother asked. “The Duke is around your age, and you have yet to–”

“Mom!” Elphie sighed in exasperation, “I was just curious. Besides, I’m looking forward to seeing Ariadne more. We have much to catch up on.”

She wasn’t very interested in falling in love, much less with a main cast character who fancied another.

The banquet was in three days. That was three days to recover physically and mentally prepare for what was to come. During this time, she would need to come up with a way to gauge the attitudes of the main cast, as well as stop the plot from developing in its final direction.

Four months until the death of Elphie’s family, and seven until the fall of the kingdom.

In the midst of the silent night, Elphie pinched her eyebrows and sat up. Different from the mayhem of the day, the night was utterly silent, with only the gentle breeze and moonlight accompanying her. She slowly got up and walked to the floor-length balcony door.

A huge garden expanded past her window, with an artistic vision befitting a noble family. Green pine trees stood tall and straight beside the main cobblestone path, and rose bushes formed concentric circles in four partitions.

Perhaps this was a perk of transmigrating… being able to enjoy a life that wasn’t yours.

Where did the original Elphie go? Was she really gone, or was she sharing a body with her?

Also, what happened to her own body in the original world? Did someone take her to the hospital? Did she pass away?

Though her thoughts began to run rampant through her head, Elphie’s golden eyes remained still as she gently laid a hand against the glass door. An unfamiliar reflection with pink hair and golden eyes gazed back at her. In the end, Elphie sighed and slowly made her way back to bed, tucking herself in.

The last day before the banquet was the most hectic. Numerous maids, stylists, and artists–not to mention her well-meaning but overzealous parents–bustled in and out of the space at an almost dizzying pace. At least four maids surrounded Elphie at all times, their hands pulling, tugging, and adjusting every piece of clothing, ensuring every detail was perfect. The stylist glared on with a sharp eye, asking her to either lift up her arms, put down her arms, stretch out a leg, strike a pose, etc…

He circled around her like a hawk, muttering approving or disapproving remarks under his breath as he made minor adjustments here and there. It felt as though the hours stretched on endlessly, and the constant stream of servants made her feel like her room was a revolving door.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the stylist was finally satisfied with the outfit for the event tomorrow night, bowing and exiting with an entourage of servants. At last, Elphie breathed out a huge sigh of relief and collapsed into a nearby chair. The brown-haired maid Rue bent down beside her and asked, “Would you like a glass of water, my lady?”

“Yes please…”

As Rue stepped away to fetch the drink, her mother smiled mischievously and walked up to tease, “Oh dear, but this is simply an appetizer compared to tomorrow.” There was a hint of excitement in her voice.

Elphie felt as if her soul was escaping her body. That’s right, tomorrow’s banquet would be an extravagant affair, with hundreds of guests trying to catch a glimpse of the rumored Duke. The event itself would also be held in the royal palace, which was a statement of its importance on its own.

Tomorrow would be time… Elphie silently placed a hand over her heart. She could feel her heart racing slightly under her fingers.

The Northern Duke was said to be cold like the snow, with jet-black hair and scarlet red eyes. Tempered by the harsh winter and scarce resources, he disdained the frivolousness of the capital and would openly mock other nobles.

An irritable temper, and prone to harsh remarks. At the banquet, he would tire of exchanging fake pleasantries and gave an excuse to the Crown Prince to step outside. Behind his back, the nobles’ mockery would be hardly veiled. Little importance did they place on the soldiers of the north, who bravely defended the border in order to maintain the opulence they currently enjoyed.

With a weary heart, the Northern Duke would idly walk through the palace gardens, coincidentally bumping into Ariadne.