Prologue
She was never the heroine.
She wasn't the main villain either.
She was only a side character... a girl whose only purpose in the original story was to be used, abandoned, and forgotten.
Born into one of the empire's most prestigious noble families, she spent her entire life chasing something she could never have.
Love.
No matter how hard she studied, how perfectly she obeyed, or how much she sacrificed for her family's reputation, their eyes were always fixed on her brilliant brother.
Still, she never gave up.
She believed that if she became useful enough, they would finally call her their daughter with pride.
The only warmth she ever received came from a stranger who comforted her when she was a crying child. That single act of kindness stayed with her for ten years, quietly growing into a one-sided love.
But he belonged to someone else.
In the end, her family betrayed her, the man she loved never truly knew her, and the world remembered her as nothing more than a jealous villain.
That was how her story ended.
Until...
A young orphan from the modern world, who had loved the novel more than anyone else, opened her eyes inside the body of that forgotten side villain.
She already knew the ending.
She knew exactly who would betray her.
She knew who would survive.
And she knew one thing for certain.
This time...
She would never waste her life chasing people who never chose her.
But changing fate is never easy.
Especially when the person she chooses to protect herself with...
...is the cold, ruthless Duke.
The man destined to become the final villain of the story.
Sometimes, the happiest ending isn't found beside the hero.
Sometimes...
it's hidden in the pages no one bothered to read.
