Cold.
That was the first thing you felt.
Cold wind brushed against your skin, and a faint headache throbbed behind your eyes.
You slowly opened your eyes.
A white ceiling greeted you.
It looked unfamiliar.
Very unfamiliar.
You blinked a few times, trying to focus.
"Where… am I?"
Your voice sounded weak.
You pushed yourself up slightly and looked around the room.
The room was huge.
Luxurious curtains covered tall windows. The furniture looked antique and expensive. A large bed with silk sheets surrounded you.
It looked like something straight out of a historical drama.
Your brows slowly furrowed.
"This isn't a hospital…"
Your last memory suddenly flashed in your mind.
A bright headlight.
A loud horn.
Screeching brakes.
And then—
.
.
Darkness.
Your breathing stopped.
"The car…"
You remembered it clearly now.
You had been walking home from your university after finishing your art project. It was late, and the street was quiet.
Then suddenly—
A speeding car.
You didn't even have time to react.
Everything had gone black.
Your hands trembled slightly.
"Did I… die?"
Before you could think further, a sudden wave of pain hit your head.
Memories that weren't yours flooded your mind.
Names.
Faces.
Events.
A completely different life.
You grabbed your head.
"Ah…!"
Images kept appearing.
A noble family.
Lavish parties.
Royal gatherings.
And a name.
Y/N.
Your breathing slowly became uneven.
"Wait…"
You whispered softly.
"Y/N…?"
Your eyes widened.
Because that name sounded extremely familiar.
Too familiar.
You quickly looked around the room again.
The elegant furniture.
The noble decorations.
The luxurious environment.
Your heart began beating faster.
"This… this looks like…"
Your mind searched frantically through your memories.
And then it hit you.
Your face slowly turned pale.
"No way…"
You muttered in disbelief.
"True Love."
That was the title.
A romance novel you had read during your college days.
The story followed the love story between the male lead Adrian Sebastian Reed and the female lead Emma Carter.
A typical romantic novel.
But you weren't thinking about them.
Because there was another character in that novel.
A side character.
Someone who appeared only to create drama.
Someone who ended up with a tragic death.
Your lips slowly parted.
"The male lead's fiancé…"
Your heartbeat grew louder.
Because that character's name was—
Y/N.
The very name you just heard in those memories.
Your hands slowly moved to your chest.
Your breathing felt heavy.
"Don't tell me…"
You whispered.
"I…"
Your voice trembled.
"I transmigrated?"
The realization hit you like lightning.
You weren't dreaming.
You weren't hallucinating.
You had really entered the world of the novel "True Love."
And not as the protagonist.
Not as a background character.
But as the annoying villain fiancé of the male lead.
You slowly leaned back against the bed.
Your mind replayed the original story.
In the novel:
Y/N was known as an arrogant, childish, and stubborn noble.
Because of the arranged engagement with the male lead, he constantly tried to control him.
However, everything changed when the male lead met the female lead.
Emma Carter.
Kind.
Innocent.
Brave.
Adrian fell deeply in love with her.
Eventually he broke his engagement with Y/N.
And that's when things went terribly wrong.
The original Y/N couldn't accept the humiliation.
Consumed by jealousy, he attempted to kill Emma.
Unfortunately for him—
Adrian arrived just in time.
And without hesitation…
He killed Y/N with his own sword.
Your body shivered.
"That's… a horrible ending."
You whispered.
You pressed your face into your hands.
"Why did I become that character?"
Out of all the characters in the novel…
Why the one who dies?
You stayed silent for a while.
Thinking.
Processing.
Then slowly…
You lifted your head.
Your expression became calmer.
"Okay…"
You murmured softly.
"Let's think about this logically."
You knew the story.
You knew what would happen.
Which meant—
You could avoid that ending.
Your lips slowly curved into a small smile.
"If Adrian wants to break the engagement…"
You stretched your arms lazily.
"I'll just accept it."
Simple.
You had no intention of fighting with the male lead.
You had no intention of becoming jealous.
And you definitely had no intention of dying.
Your plan was very simple.
Step 1: Stay away from drama.
Step 2: Be polite.
Step 3: When the male lead falls in love with Emma and breaks the engagement—
You would accept it peacefully.
Then you could live a carefree noble life.
Maybe paint.
Travel.
Relax.
That sounded perfect.
You nodded to yourself.
"Yes."
You smiled.
"That's a good plan."
But what you didn't know was—
Somewhere far away in the Duke's mansion…
A tall man with dark black hair and deep blue eyes suddenly paused while reading a letter.
His sharp gaze landed on a familiar name written on the paper.
Y/N.
Adrian Sebastian Reed slowly leaned back in his chair.
His lips curved slightly.
A strange feeling lingered in his chest.
For some reason…
He suddenly wanted to see his fiancé.