Eryx stood at the edge of the darkness, black robe swirling like some low-budget horror movie villain.
He wasn't glowing.
He wasn't floating.
He wasn't roaring.
Nope.
Just standing there, staring at me like I was a particularly confusing bug.
And holy shit, he was tall. Like "I-need-a-stepladder-and-an-emotional-support-ladder" tall.
"Who are you?" he asked again, voice low and suspicious, like he was two seconds away from yeeting me into the next dimension.
I blinked at him, my brain buffering like an ancient Windows XP computer.
Come on, Liora, act normal.
"I am Liora Valtoria," I declared, puffing up my frozen chest proudly. "And I am here to make a contract with you!"
Solid. Respectable. Professional.
Ten out of ten delivery. Good job, me.
But of course, Mr. Mysterious wasn't done grilling me like a suspicious street vendor. Those crimson eyes narrowed into slits, burning holes into my soul.
"How did you know my name?" he asked.
I laughed awkwardly, the sound coming out like a dying walrus.
"Ehehehe… lucky guess?"
He didn't look convinced. In fact, he looked exactly one second away from declaring me a threat to national security.
"And how," he continued, voice dropping even lower, "did you know this place?"
Oh.
Uh.
Well.
Because I READ it.
That's right. I READ IT.
So who am I? And how did I end up here?
I'm just one of those lucky bastards who had the once-in-a-lifetime experience of accidentally transmigrating into a damn novel.
YAY. ME. TRULY. LIVING. THE DREAM.
I was just an ordinary worker from Japan, Lina Yoshida. The last thing I remembered was crossing the street, earbuds blasting some random playlist I didn't care enough to change, and then—
A truck. A screech. A flash of light.
And then... nothing.
That's how I died. Simple and plain.
Later, I realized I wasn't Lina anymore. I was Liora. I don't want to go into any details about how shocked I was or how I tried to sleep all day, hoping it was all a weird, long, twisted dream. So, in straight, I'm just a side-villainess. Yes... not even the main villain.
Nope, I was just the second-rate, "Oh, you're annoying but not dangerous" kind of villainess.
Liora Valtoria.
Third daughter of some marquess who was respected by everyone. And Liora was a rich girl with a serious case of "I-need-attention-or-I'll-die."
The novel I'm stuck in is called "Duke's Beloved Adopted Daughter." Classic. It's the one where Lady Sabina—a pink-haired, golden-eyed angel who does no wrong—gets adopted by a cold-hearted duke and wins everyone's love by being adorable.
And Liora?
She was the jealous little brat who thought the world owed her something just because she was rich and... okay, she was pretty cute too. Dark maroon curly hair, yellow eyes, beautiful. But mostly bratty. Everyone hated her for no reason.
Like all the villainesses, Liora tried to humiliate Lady Sabina. She tried to embarrass her in front of the duke, in front of the staff, and in front of the butterfly that landed on her head. And every time—every single time—she got caught red-handed.
"Liora, will you stop embarrassing us in public, for the gods' sake?" says the elder brother of Liora, Elderic Valtoria. He's also the knight captain of the imperial knights. He doesn't even try to be nice about it.
"We thought we raised you to be a sensible and considerate woman. But you've turned into... that."
Yes, that—the "evil woman" trope. Lovely.
"You are a member of a respected noble family," Celeste, the elder sister of Liora, chimes in, hands on her hips. "We don't expect you to be a saint, but could you at least pretend to be one in public? Do you realize how furious the Emperor is with you?"
Oh... please. I've never seen him smile since I became Liora.
But now I realize that even if I don't play the role of side-villainess, Lady Sabina will end up being happy. So... I guess I don't have to do anything, right?
But still, I'm stuck with the blame as Liora. Great. Well, guess what? I'm done. Let's just end this drama and move on.
"I'm sorry for offending Lady Sabina. I'll write her an apology letter... or, you know, maybe a scroll. That's more formal, right?"
They stare at me, shocked.
Apparently, Liora never apologizes in the novel, so this must be the moment they think I've finally snapped.
Now my motto is very clear: Nap, snack, survive.
But unfortunately, my family didn't get the memo.
The Marquess, who has been silently glaring at me this whole time, sighs, rubbing his temples like I was the worst migraine of his life.
"Glacis."
I blinked.
Glacis? What's that, a new skincare brand?
Oh, I remember now. It's the frozen land that was gifted to the family centuries ago. A desolate, cold place—pretty much a glorified Siberia.
"Send her to Glacis until the social world and Emperor calm down. Just think of it as a... break. Go and have fun," the Marquess decides, as if I'm supposed to jump for joy.
I stared at him for a full three seconds.
"Okay, but like... you'll still send me food, goods, and money, right?"
PRIORITIES, people. Priorities.
Everyone blinked.
The Marquess sighed, rubbing his temples like I was the worst migraine of his life. "I won't abandon my child," he said dramatically, "even if the world abandons them."
And then he swept out of the room like a Shakespearean actor.
I gave him a slow thumbs-up behind his back. Best Dad Ever.
I thought I'd be chilling at Glacis, drinking warm chocolate-lava cake, tea, or so... I thought.
"No... no... no..."
"THIS IS CLEARLY A PUNISHMENT!" I yelled, pulling my hair in the empty, dirty room like a diva in a low-budget soap opera.
Who would've thought I'd end up here, of all places? I mean, I had dreams of a peaceful life, but I guess that ship sailed faster than the Titanic.
Did I just sign up for a life sentence?