Even if Seraphina D'Arlais had no idea where she was, one thing was certain: she was alive. The damp, suffocating dungeon was gone. There was no Crown Prince Alaric with his cold, judgmental eyes. No saintess Elara with her crocodile tears and honeyed lies. No treacherous family who had turned their backs on her without a second thought. The weight of her past life, heavy with betrayal and chains, had vanished. But as she glanced down at herself, her lips twisted into a grimace.
The coarse, threadbare maid's uniform clinging to her body was a far cry from the silken gowns and jewelled tiaras she'd once worn. It smelled faintly of sweat and dust, and the rough fabric scratched against her skin.
"Whoever's body this is," she muttered, brushing her hands over the frayed hem, "they clearly don't know the meaning of luxury."
[I'm happy to be your guide.]
The sudden voice in her head made her freeze. Her lips twitched, a spark of irritation flaring in her chest. "Guide?" she said, her tone sharp and mocking. "To where? Hell?"
[Correction: To a new life. Your current identity has been synchronised.]
Before she could snap back, the air in front of her shimmered. A glowing screen materialised, larger than before, filled with lines of text that floated like ghostly runes. She squinted, her heart thudding as she read.
[Host Profile]
Name: Aria Loraine (Formerly Seraphina D'Arlais)
Age: 18
Status: Illegitimate daughter of Marquess Loraine
Occupation: Maid
Charm: 72/100
Beauty: 85/100
Intelligence: 95/100
Stamina: 60/100
Luck: 10/100
[Host Skills]
Swordsmanship – Expert
Archery – Intermediate
Strategy & Tactics – Advanced
Business & Trade – Advanced
Etiquette & Court Manners – Expert
Dance – Advanced
Music (Piano, Harp, Violin) – Advanced
Calligraphy – Expert
Household Skills (Cooking, Cleaning, Sewing) – Basic
Tea Ceremony & Social Hosting – Legendary
Seraphina stared at the screen, her eyes lingering on the words far longer than necessary. Her skills, her talents, her intellect—they were all there, carried over from her past life. But this new identity... Aria Loraine? An illegitimate daughter? A maid? And that abysmal luck score—10 out of 100? She slapped both cheeks with a sharp smack. "Ow!"
The pain was real, sharp and stinging. This wasn't a dream. The glowing screen hovered calmly, as if mocking her disbelief. She forced herself to her feet, her movements stiff, and paced to the small, grimy window. Her fingers brushed against the cold glass, and she peered outside.
The world beyond was utterly alien. Gone were the shimmering mana crystals that had lit her old empire's streets, the glowing orbs powered by magic, the faint hum of mana in the air. Instead, strange metal carriages roared down smooth black roads, their wheels spinning without horses. Bright lights lined the streets, glowing without flame or crystal. People, clutching at small, glowing black boxes that seemed to hold their attention like enchanted talismans.
Her stomach twisted, a mix of fascination and unease.
"This world is... different," she murmured, her voice low. "No magic. No mana. Just... machines." The air felt dead, empty of the vibrant energy she'd once wielded so effortlessly. It was unsettling, like stepping into a world stripped of colour.
She turned away from the window and crossed the small room to a cracked, dusty mirror leaning against the wall. Slowly, she stepped in front of it, her breath catching as she studied the reflection. The girl staring back was strikingly beautiful... pale skin, bright amber eyes, and honey-brown hair tied into a simple, messy bun. But compared to Seraphina's former self, with her regal poise and ethereal grace, this body felt... ordinary. Too fragile. Too human. Weak.
She touched the glass, her other hand brushing her cheek. "Who are you?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.
The system's screen flickered, the words shifting.
[Host inquiry detected.]
[Warning: Incoming memory synchronisation.]
A sharp, searing pain stabbed through her skull. Seraphina gasped, clutching her head as a flood of memories rushed in... flashes of images, voices, emotions that weren't hers. Aria Loraine. Born to a nobleman, Marquess Loraine, and a lowly maid. Her mother, dead. Her father, distant and indifferent. Her stepmother, cruel and spiteful. Her half-sisters, vicious and entitled. Aria's life had been one of servitude... fed scraps, worked to exhaustion, treated worse than the dirt on the floor. The other servants mocked her, bullied her, spat on her existence as the marquess's shameful secret.
Her knees buckled, and she sank onto the edge of the bed, her breath ragged. The memories settled like a heavy weight in her chest. She'd seen her status as a maid in the system's profile, but this... this was worse than she'd imagined. Aria had been treated like less than nothing, a shadow in her own home.
"...So this is the life I've inherited," she said, her voice low and bitter. Her hands curled into fists, her nails digging into her palms until they stung. "No." The word came out sharp, laced with venom. "Never again. I will not bow to anyone. I will not crawl. And I will not let anyone trample me without paying a price."
Her resolve hardened, a fire kindling in her chest. She was Seraphina D'Arlais, once the jewel of an empire, and no matter whose body she wore, she would not be broken. But before she could begin plotting how to dismantle this wretched household, another glowing window appeared.
[Debt Status]
[Past Life Villainess Balance: -100,000,000 Virtue Points]
Seraphina's eyes widened, nearly popping out of her head. "What?!" she snapped, her voice rising. "What in the world does that mean?"
[Explanation: Host's past life sins must be repaid.]
[Every evil deed increases your debt. Every good deed decreases it.]
[Completing missions may grant bonus points and improve stats.]
Her mouth opened, then snapped shut. She blinked at the screen, her mind racing. "So you're telling me... I have to play the saint now?" she asked, her tone dripping with disbelief.
[Correction: Not saintess. A functioning human.]
She glared at the floating letters, her eyes narrowing to slits. "Are you mocking me?" she demanded, her voice sharp enough to cut.
[Affirmative.]
Her eyes twitched, and her fist clenched so tightly her knuckles whitened. "You little..." she started, but the door to her cramped room slammed open with a bang, cutting her off.
"Aria! Stop lazing about, you useless thing!" a woman barked, her voice shrill and grating. "Haven't you slept enough?"
Seraphina turned her head slowly, her amber eyes narrowing. The woman in the doorway wore a maid's uniform, her face pinched with irritation. A memory from Aria's life surfaced... this was Marta, one of the senior maids, a woman who took every opportunity to berate and belittle Aria. Seraphina tilted her head, her voice deceptively calm. "Who... who are you?"
Marta's face twisted in disbelief. "Huh? Have you gone insane? Get to the kitchen... now!" she snapped, pointing a bony finger toward the door.
Seraphina's jaw tightened. Every instinct screamed to put this woman in her place—to summon a shard of ice and make her regret her tone. But the red numbers of her debt flashed in her mind, a warning. -100,000,000 Virtue Points. She couldn't afford to make it worse. Not yet.
She took a deep breath, forcing her anger down. "...Fine," she said through gritted teeth, her voice low and controlled.
Marta huffed, turning on her heel and storming out. Seraphina followed, her steps measured, her mind already calculating. She would play their game for now, but only until she understood this world and its rules. Then, she would make them all pay.