Chapter 2

As soon as I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was the ceiling with a strangely antique decoration.

‘What?’

‘I was lying on a folding mattress in my semi-underground room just a little while ago.’

I got up from the bed I was in now and looked around hurriedly.

The stylish four-person bed was so wide that even when I spread my arms, I couldn’t reach the edges.

This bed also had a canopy.

Instead of the high-neck sweater and sweatpants I wore as a substitute for pajamas when I first went to sleep, I was wearing actual pajamas with elegant lace decorations on my chest.

‘What is all of this…’

As I was getting out of bed, I got startled when I touched the floor with the soles of my feet.

There was surprisingly a soft rug on the floor.

I scrutinized my surroundings and saw a well-lit room with neat wallpaper, furniture, and two spacious windows.

There was also a small flower pot with fresh red flowers on the window sill.

“Wait, this is a scene I recognize,”

I mumbled unintentionally, then got startled by my voice.

‘That was coming from my throat?’

I didn’t know this language before, but I could speak and understand it naturally.

‘No way, right…?’

However, my head had already come to a conclusion.

I took a long breath and exhaled.

Of course, it wasn’t that I never dreamed of having a new life from possessing a story protagonist who had everything.

When I had those dreams, I was an orphan, and I was frustrated by my harsh life of going back and forth between part-time jobs.

Now I was suddenly here… But, the most important question was, ‘Who did I become?’

When I turned around, I saw a mirror on the wall.

I truly understood why so many possessors looked for mirrors in the first place.

The first law of possession.

It was when someone became a character in the novel they read about right before the moment of possession, or a character that they liked the most.

“At least, please don’t be Olivia…”

Just because someone liked a person didn’t mean they wanted to be that person.

The two are completely separate things.

Who would want to be a fake female lead who ended up with a bad ending?

But I had never been so lucky in my life.

My ominous premonitions were always right, so much so that fortune-tellers might’ve gone out of business.

I prayed earnestly for the first time to God, who I never believed in before. But, of course, God wouldn’t forgive the arrogant human who was once an atheist.

“…”

The mirror reflected gorgeous blonde hair that cascaded down to the waist, green eyes reminiscent of emeralds, clear skin as if sprinkled with pearl powder, and long, slender limbs.

There was a beautiful woman reflected in the mirror, but I knew better and held my hair in frustration.

Out of all the characters, I became the younger sister who swapped bodies with her villainess older sister and died?

If I had possessed Carinne, I would have had a happy ending.

It seemed that there was no luck for me in this life either. I grabbed my hair for a while, then lifted my head and met my eyes in the mirror.

“Calm down. I can’t die like that.”

I had to survive somehow.

I slowly pondered where, and how, to begin with my survival plan.

“First of all, I need to find out how the plot had progressed…”

Just as I was recalling the original story, I heard a rattle and a light ringing of a bell outside the door of the room.

“Lady Olivia, this is Mary.”

‘Hm?’

I narrowed my eyes.

Usually, the maids appearing around this time were loud enough to make their eardrums ring, and the door was bound to burst open.

But of course, they didn’t hesitate to do so.

Rudeness, contempt, and clever harassment from the maids were basic examples of a pitiful female protagonist in a sweet potato novel.

But, somehow…

“If my lady has woken up, can I come in?”

Her tone and choice of words were unexpectedly polite.

I blinked my eyes in confusion and met my eyes in the mirror again.

At that moment, a buzzing sound echoed in my head.

Olivia’s memories were being recalled little by little as if a light switch had been turned on.

The feeling of having someone else’s memories in my head was something that I couldn’t explain in words.

I thought while accepting her memories,

‘What?’

Suddenly, the transfer was cut off.

The reason was unknown.

It was certain, however, that only a fraction of Olivia’s memories had been recovered.

However, most of what I had recalled was more like information about this world rather than Olivia’s personal memories.

It felt like reading about a world or background description in a game.

‘At least I gained something.’

According to Olivia’s memories, this was earlier than the beginning of the novel.

Because the first incident in the novel hasn’t happened yet.

“My Lady, are you still sleeping?”

When the bell rang once more, I quickly came to my senses and answered,

“I’m awake, so you can come in.”

Then the door opened.

The maid who came in was a young-looking girl with plain brown hair and freckles.

I knew her name.

It was Mary, who was Olivia’s personal maid.

She was an extra that didn’t appear often in the original story.

Because, despite being Olivia’s maid, she neglected her work.

Thanks to that, Olivia often skipped meals, had an unorganized room, and experienced many other inconveniences.

“Good morning, my lady. You woke up earlier than usual today. Did you sleep well last night?”

I narrowed my brows slightly. I looked out the window and saw that the sun was rising in the middle of the sky.

‘Come to think of it, I think I read somewhere that nobles wake up later than others.’

I nodded my head, ignoring Mary’s question.

It was a good time to explore my situation, so I decided to not say anything frivolous or do something that stood out too easily.

“I’m glad you’re in good shape.”

Mary was too polite.

To the extent that it felt rather strange.

In the novel, Olivia had to endure her pain until she was freed from Viscount Brienne with the help of the Crown Prince.

Her father, Viscount Brienne, abused her, and her servants also secretly insulted and harassed her.

Because of that, I was skeptical of Mary’s actions.

‘Even if they are a different person now, it was too different.’

I had scoured through Olivia’s few memories, but couldn’t find any helpful information.

‘How could this be?’

It was strange.

I haven’t done anything yet to change the flow of the story.

Usually, the information about the original story was useful.

It was every possessor’s cheat sheet.

However, now that the initial settings have changed, the information I had was useless.

‘It seems like my journey ahead will not be a smooth one,’

I instinctively realized.

Then, Mary spread a white cloth on the table and spoke politely again,

“Now then, how about eating breakfast?”

‘Breakfast?’

Mary went out the door again, and soon came in, pushing a large tray.

With skillful hand movements, she began to place the plates on the table.

The food was surprisingly plentiful.

There was a light yet savory soup, a salad with fresh seasonal fruits, soft and warm bread and cheese, and a juicy steak.

‘Something is really wrong.’

If it wasn’t Olivia’s world that I had transmigrated to, I would have been able to enjoy the meal with happiness while exchanging jokes with the maids.

But right now, everything was too suspicious.

Even more so in this situation, where the gap between the original story and the current events was too enormous.

“Come on and have a taste.”

Perhaps it was strange to Mary that I was just staring at the table, so she said those words.

But in a situation where vigilance and doubts had already begun to sprout inside me, I could not raise my spoon easily.

It would be natural not to be able to do that.

The maid reassured me, as if to comfort me,

“You should eat some today. You haven’t eaten a proper meal in a while.”

I found a hint in her words.

‘Is Olivia’s health deteriorating?’

Come to think of it, Mary told me about my condition as soon as she saw me.

‘But my body seems to be fine.’

I checked my body just in case, but there was no particular pain or discomfort.

Once I had a hint of the situation, I nodded and said,

“I’m alright.”

“I’m really glad you’re feeling a lot better,”

Mary said with a smile.

It was a very gentle smile that comforted my heart.

If I had transmigrated here without knowing anything, I would have fallen for her kindness.