Chapter 1: Prologue
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 1: Prologue
Tulia was pretty.
And she had a nasty personality. A veeeeery nasty one.
In other words, she was a villainess.
The kind of common villainess who, no matter which path she took, found only a death by drowning in her own blood.
If I had to find one thing about Tulia Frezier that was slightly 'less common,' it was that she wasn't a villainess in a novel, but a villainess in a game. That was the only thing, but…
I didn't expect one more thing to be added to that list just now.
Why on earth did I wake up as this absolute piece of trash?
* * *
My original name was Han Ina.
If I had to summarize Han Ina’s life, I could do it in a single sentence.
A ruined life.
My already rocky life truly began to fall apart after my mother and stepfather passed away in quick succession.
I never expected my older brothers—who didn't share a single drop of blood with me but were legally my siblings—to make such an absurd proposal.
'An arranged marriage meeting? I was only twenty-two back then.'
It hadn't even been six months since the funerals.
They babbled on about how he was the only son of a business partner or whatever. None of it registered.
What did it matter if his parents were loaded?
He was seventeen years older than me and already had two divorces under his belt.
The moment they ran the family business they inherited into the ground, my brothers tried to force this marriage on me. It was revolting.
When I told them that if it was such a great opportunity, they should marry him themselves, I got slapped across the face.
When I suggested my older sister should go instead since she was closer to his age, I was kicked out of the house.
Luckily, I managed to find a decent studio apartment right away. I spent my days juggling part-time jobs, my studies, and job hunting. Then, one day...
I was playing 'that game' as usual.
Why Did That Lady Give the Handsome Man Milk Bread?
Shortened to The Milk Bread.
It was a massive hit from the moment it was released, a legendary game that had remained at the top of the app store charts for years.
—The half-blood lady enters the Grand Duke’s household as a prospective daughter-in-law. Raise your stats to win over the family and the male leads! Power and love are all mine!
Don't they say 'classic is best'?
This game, a blend of stat-raising and romance, boasted a rock-solid fanbase thanks to its gorgeous illustrations, various plot hooks, and massive volume.
I was one of those fans who had been playing it on and off for years.
"If I had the money, I would've just bought all these endings and watched them already."
Like any other game, The Milk Bread allowed you to easily view various endings if you spent money.
But for someone like me, who barely had enough for rent, in-game purchases were a luxury. I chose to invest my time instead.
Thanks to that, I had been playing for a long time, but I never really got bored.
With hundreds of illustrations prepared, just looking at the supporting characters' faces was quite entertaining.
Lately, I had been obsessed with the pink-haired villainess.
When she first appeared, I simply thought she was pretty and glamorous, as expected of a character in The Milk Bread.
But the more I played, the more I realized she was a total lost cause.
Obsessed with status and elitism, she tormented the protagonist—who came from an illegitimate background—in every way possible. Her methods were exceptionally cruel and trashy.
Whenever the Grand Duke, her grandfather, doted on and trusted the protagonist like his own granddaughter, or whenever the male leads fell for the protagonist, she would inevitably appear to harass or try to kill her.
"Just how many death endings does this girl have?"
I’d been playing for years, but this was the first time I’d seen an illustration of her being skewered through the chest by a sword.
Executed by guillotine, drinking from a poisoned chalice, pushed off a cliff, run over by a carriage...
I thought she had died enough ways already.
Just as I was zooming in on the villainess's face, which wore a particularly psychotic expression...
—GAME OVER
"What?"
Why did a 'Game Over' screen pop up all of a sudden?
Even though I hadn't touched anything, the game abruptly stopped and displayed [GAME OVER]. Flustered, I gripped my phone properly.
But the phone wouldn't budge. Frozen on the words 'Game Over,' the dead phone felt eerie, like some kind of horror movie prop.
"Good thing I don't have my part-time job tomorrow..."
I fell asleep thinking I should go to the repair center as soon as I woke up, but...
I never saw the sun the next day.
I don't know how they found my studio, but my sister and brothers showed up in the middle of the night and practically forced me into a car.
"Ina, the CEO's son saw your Instagram. He said he really likes you."
They tried to coax me.
"He said you look so pure compared to girls these days."
They tried to persuade me.
"You selfish bitch! What are we going to do if all our business deals get cut because of you?!"
They threatened me.
It was a night of torrential rain, and the inside of the car, filled with shouting and fighting, was anything but peaceful.
"…!"
My last memory was the car skidding on the rainy road, my body tilting, and the screams of my brothers and sister as they desperately grabbed the steering wheel.
After that, everything went black.
How much time had passed?
When I finally opened my eyes and ran to the mirror, I couldn't help but scream.
A beautiful face with a chilling gaze that didn't match. The crazy villainess who had dozens of death illustrations waiting for her.
I had become Tulia Frezier!
Chapter 1
So, I had read in web novels about people dying and possessing a character in a story, or regressing back in time.
'If you were going to do this, you could've at least let me regress!'
I gnashed my teeth.
If I had regressed, I would have dealt with my siblings' bullshit much more firmly and cleverly.
No, I would've gone back even further and begged my mom through tears not to remarry and just live with me...
'Forget it.'
What's the use of thinking about that now?
What matters is the reality right in front of me.
If there was any silver lining, it was that all of Tulia’s memories from growing up came to me naturally.
Thanks to that, I was able to grasp the situation before long, even in this absurd predicament.
'I'm fifteen years old right now.'
I glanced at the painting hanging at the head of the bed.
That painting was sent by Tulia’s father, Marquis Frezier, for her last birthday.
The Marquis, who was currently stationed at the border where barbarians roamed, sent a small painting every year for Tulia’s birthday. Thanks to that, I knew my age immediately.
[Tulia Frezier, 15th Birthday.]
A painting with a blunt inscription, devoid of any common words of celebration or love.
'Because Marquis Frezier loathes Tulia.'
After the Marchioness died in an accident while eloping with her first love, Marquis Frezier stormed out of the castle and left for the empire's border.
As if fighting barbarians was preferable, he hadn't shown his face to Tulia for years.
The only gift Marquis Frezier sent for Tulia’s birthday was that one cheap painting.
Furthermore...
'He barely sends any child support.'
That was why Tulia grew up in quite a pitiful state until she started dabbling in all sorts of villainy.
Even though her father was Marquis Frezier and her grandfather was none other than the empire's sole Grand Duke Frezier.
In other words, Tulia was the Grand Duke's granddaughter.
Of course, she never received any affection. That was reserved for Corico, the protagonist of this game, not Tulia.
'Because that was the only way to see the good endings.'
Protagonist buffs exist for a reason, after all.
Due to the power struggles within the Temple, Corico enters the Grand Ducal House as a prospective daughter-in-law and, depending on the player's choices, easily earns the family's love.
Even Grand Duke Frezier, whom even his own children find difficult and terrifying, becomes as soft as if Corico were his real granddaughter.
The only ones who look down on Corico until the end for her illegitimate birth are a few small-fry supporting characters and Tulia.
'Besides, Tulia was already a famous sociopath in high society.'
Tulia was the type who couldn't stand to see anyone else have what she didn't.
And she harbored a deep inferiority complex toward the beloved Corico.
'Crazy Tulia.'
Wait, since I'm Tulia now, I guess I'm the crazy one...
Tulia would harass Corico at every turn, only to be punished in various ways.
No matter how Tulia met her end, from the perspective of the player—the protagonist—it was just an event where they defeated a villainous boss.
Sometimes it was the male leads who killed Tulia brutally, and other times it was the members of the Frezier family.
In some endings, Corico herself would lose her patience and chop off Tulia’s head with an axe.
For the record, I used to think that ending was the most decisive and satisfying.
Until today.
'Did you really have to kill her in such a colorful variety of ways...?'
Still, it seemed I wasn't destined to die just yet.
Judging by how modest and worn the furniture and belongings in the bedroom were, it seemed I hadn't started my villainous deeds yet.
It was a relief, if you could call it that.
Tulia was a noble lady to the bone, so she probably couldn't stand this kind of life and turned dark, but I was different.
Ever since my mom remarried, I had pretty much looked after myself.
'It was always uncomfortable to sit in and have a cozy dinner with that family.'
Neither my mom nor my stepfather were the petty type to make me feel bad about eating.
But they didn't care even if I made excuses about going to the library and ate dinner out seven days a week.
Not once.
“….”
Well, whatever. I could survive on convenience store ramen, rice balls, or bread, even if I got sick of them.
'I studied my heart out back then and got into a good university, too.'
I even got praised a lot.
So that was enough.
Anyway, even if the living expenses Tulia gets are peanuts, I can endure it!
* * *
"No. I can't endure this."
Early the next morning.
I clutched my head in despair.