Chapter 1: The Villainess Awakens
The rain fell like silver needles piercing through the night sky of Seoul. Neon lights blinked erratically, reflections smeared across the wet pavement as if the city itself were bleeding. Ae-ri Ji-won trudged along the deserted sidewalk, hugging her jacket close with one hand and gripping a plastic bag in the other. Inside: instant ramen and a bottle of water.
"Of all things, cravings at midnight," she muttered under her breath, kicking a puddle as she walked.
The streets were silent, eerily so. Yet beneath that silence lurked a presence—one that crept closer with each of her footsteps. She sensed it. A prickle down her spine. A breath that wasn't hers.
She glanced back.
No one.
But when her shoelace came undone, she knelt instinctively to tie it—only for cold steel to suddenly press against the side of her neck.
Gasps echoed from a few late-night passersby. One reached for their phone, but it was already too late.
A flash of motion. A gurgle of breath.
The last thing Ae-ri saw was the reflection of neon lights in the growing pool of her own blood.
---
Darkness.
Cold and consuming. No pain—just a vast, echoing void.
Until… light.
Soft and green, like sunlight filtered through leaves. A voice followed. Gentle. Feminine. Distant.
"Are you alright?"
Ae-ri opened her eyes slowly, vision blurring into focus. A woman stood before her. Unseen features. Garments flowing with the green of spring. A halo of vines floated above her head like a crown. Hair, chestnut brown. Ethereal.
"You're safe," the woman said.
Ae-ri blinked, confusion thick in her voice. "What… happened?"
"You died," the woman replied, her tone kind but certain. "It was a mistake. But a fatal one."
A pause.
"…I'm dead?"
"Yes."
Ae-ri froze, mind spinning. But instead of despair, she felt… oddly at peace. Until the woman continued:
"You've been granted another chance. A single life. Reborn into a world of your choosing."
The words barely sank in before Ae-ri began to rattle off desires: power, beauty, magic, romance, revenge, strength, and of course—a world pulled from the pages of her favorite story: Star Line.
The green-clad woman sighed as the list grew longer.
"That's enough," she said firmly. "One life. Nothing more. Goodbye."
A magic circle glowed beneath Ae-ri's feet, blinding light wrapping around her.
Then—
---
"Ara, Your Highness, you must wake up."
The voice was soft but urgent. Ae-ri's eyes fluttered open.
No—she wasn't Ae-ri Ji-won anymore.
Her name was Eleonaria.
A princess.
She found herself lying in an extravagant bed of silk and velvet, within a room that gleamed like a palace from a dream. Sunlight streamed through stained glass windows. A young woman with warm eyes and tied hair stood at her bedside—her personal maid.
"…Sun-hee?"
"Yes, Your Highness," the girl smiled.
Eleonaria blinked. "Where am I?"
"In the Royal Palace of LoongJue," Sun-hee answered, tilting her head. "Are you still feeling unwell?"
A flood of knowledge poured into Eleonaria's mind—memories that weren't hers. A life she had never lived… yet now belonged to.
Sun-hee continued, "Tonight, there will be a grand banquet. In honor of the Kevenriah Order's success in eliminating the monster tribes that threatened our borders."
Slowly, Eleonaria—no, Ae-ri—rose from bed and stepped toward the ornate mirror.
What she saw took her breath away.
A tall figure. Skin pale as porcelain. Eyes like polished obsidian. Hair cascading in waves of dark blue touched with gold. Regal. Stunning. Otherworldly.
"…This is me now?" she whispered.
---
She bathed, dressed in an elegant sapphire gown stitched with golden thread, and opened the grand doors of her chamber.
In the palace corridor, maids and footmen bowed deeply.
"Good evening, Your Highness."
She returned their greetings with a smile. Polite. Soft.
The servants exchanged glances. The princess was never like this.
"She… smiled?" one whispered.
"She didn't scold anyone…" another murmured.
A ripple of unease spread—but none dared voice it.
Eleonaria descended the long hallway toward the banquet hall.
When the towering doors opened, all eyes turned.
Whispers erupted like wildfire.
"It's her—Princess Eleonaria."
"The most dangerous noble in LoongJue…"
"They say she once had an entire town erased over a broken engagement…"
Elegant nobles and armored knights stiffened at her presence. But she paid them no mind.
She was used to this.
This was the world of Star Line. Arrogance. Hierarchy. Applause soaked in blood.
She made her way to the gathering crowd near the throne. There, atop marble steps, stood the King—Xingluo of LoongJue.
With commanding presence, he raised a goblet.
"Tonight," he declared, "we honor the Order of Kevenriah, whose blades have cleansed the monsters from our western villages. And one knight above all shall receive title and land."
Silence fell.
"Step forward, Sir Hyun-woo."
From among the knights stepped a young man with obsidian-black hair and piercing blue eyes. His silver uniform shimmered under the chandelier light, adorned with medals and the crest of the empire.
Ae-ri—no, Eleonaria—felt her heart stop.
That's him.
Her idol. Her fictional obsession. Now standing in flesh and blood.
He knelt before the King. "By your will, I serve."
King Xingluo's voice echoed through the hall. "From this day, you are granted dominion over seven villages. Rise, Earl Hyun-woo."
Cheers erupted.
Eleonaria's gaze never left him.
When the ceremony ended, her eyes met his—just once.
And it was enough.
---
Moments later, in the palace corridor, the noble crowd hushed as they watched the princess lead Hyun-woo through the hall.
Whispers returned.
"She's taking him to her chambers…"
"What will she do to him?"
"Will he return alive?"
---
The doors closed behind them.
Silence.
Hyun-woo stood rigid, unsure of what to expect.
But then—Eleonaria stepped closer.
Without a word, she placed her hands on his collar, pulled him down, and kissed him.
His breath caught.
He didn't resist.
Only when her hands trembled did she pull back—eyes wide with sudden clarity.
"What am I doing…?" she whispered, her own voice distant.
"Leave," she said quickly. "Now."
Hyun-woo hesitated, confused, but nodded. "As you command, Your Highness."
He turned and left.
And Eleonaria sank to the floor, fingers brushing her lips.
In the hallway, Hyun-woo walked in silence, thoughts racing.
*What just happened?*
*What is that woman thinking…?*