Chapter 1: Awakening Before Execution
"Queen Elmyra shall be executed at sunrise, in front of the people."
The words still echoed in Naira's ears.
She tried to scream—
but the sound died in her throat.
It felt as if her body was falling into a deep, endless abyss. The air was heavy, her breathing uneven, darkness swallowing everything around her.
Then—
Naira's eyes flew open.
Her chest rose and fell violently as she gasped for air, as though she had returned not from sleep, but from death itself. Her fingers clenched the silk sheets beneath her, sweat sliding down her neck.
"Th–this place…?"
The room was enormous. The ceiling stretched so high it disappeared into shadow. Ancient patterns covered the walls—kings, battles, and crowns stained with blood.
The air smelled strange.
Not of flowers… but of iron and something old.
Naira slowly sat up.
She looked at her hands.
They weren't hers.
Long, slender fingers. Perfect nails. Around her wrist was a golden bracelet embedded with a crimson gemstone that shimmered faintly.
Her heart pounded.
"This is a joke… right?"
Her voice startled her—
deep, steady, commanding.
She stumbled off the bed and stood before a tall mirror.
And then—
Her world shattered.
The woman staring back at her was not Naira.
She was beautiful—but there was no softness in that beauty. Pale skin, sharp features, eyes cold enough to make anyone tremble. A simple yet heavy crown rested upon her head.
Naira lifted her hand and touched the mirror.
"Queen… Elmyra…"
The name slipped from her lips on its own.
Her body went cold.
This was the face.
The villain queen from the novel.
The woman whose fate was sealed from the very beginning.
Execution.
"No… this can't be real…"
Her breathing became uneven.
Just last night, she had been lying in her own bed, reading Reign of the Cursed Crown.
The final chapter.
Queen Elmyra's public execution.
She remembered the stones thrown by the people.
The hatred in the Crown Prince's eyes.
The High Priest's smile as the blade was raised.
And then—
"I'm going to die."
Reality crushed her.
Her legs gave out and she collapsed onto the bed, her mind racing.
At this moment, Queen Elmyra is still alive.
But only for a short time.
According to the novel—
Her execution had already been announced.
"How many days…?"
she whispered to herself.
Her memory answered her mercilessly.
Thirty days.
Darkness swam before her eyes.
Footsteps sounded outside the door.
Naira stiffened.
The door opened slowly, and a maid entered, bowing respectfully.
"Your Majesty… you're awake."
Naira remained silent.
The maid hesitated, then dared to lift her head—and froze.
"I–I'm sorry… I thought you were still—"
"Continue," Naira said coldly.
The maid trembled.
"Crown Prince Kael is present in court today. He requests an audience."
The name made Naira's heart sink.
Kael.
The novel's hero.
Her greatest enemy.
The man who demanded Queen Elmyra's death the loudest.
"For what reason?" Naira asked.
The maid lowered her gaze.
"He said… Queen Elmyra doesn't seem the same."
Silence filled the room.
Naira inhaled slowly.
I can't hide for long.
One wrong step… and they'll kill me without hesitation.
"I'll come," she said.
The maid looked shocked.
Queen Elmyra had never gone anywhere at another's request.
Once the maid left, Naira clenched her fists.
"I may be the villain," she murmured to her reflection,
"but I won't be a foolish one."
Her gaze fell upon an old book lying on the dressing table.
Its cover was black, marked with a strange symbol—
as if written in blood.
She picked it up.
The moment her fingers touched it, a sharp sensation ran through her body.
A voice whispered—
soft, yet clear.
"At last… you have awakened."
Naira's heart slammed against her ribs.
"Who's there?"
she whispered, looking around.
The room was empty.
She opened the book.
Inside, only one sentence was written:
"Queen Elmyra's execution is not punishment for her sins…
it is the burial of a truth this kingdom cannot endure."
Naira's throat went dry.
So the Queen wasn't the real villain…?
Before she could read further—
A voice came from outside the door.
Cold. Sharp.
"Open the door, Queen Elmyra."
Naira recognized it instantly.
Crown Prince Kael.
She closed the book and straightened her back.
Fear lingered in her eyes—
but stronger than that was determination.
"This time," she whispered,
"I will change the ending of this execution."
The door began to open.
And with it—
Her fate's first trial.