Natalie's life could be summed up in one word: plain.
Wake up, go to work, sit at the desk, come home, stop by the market, sleep, and repeat the same day all over again.
It was as if someone had copy-pasted her life over and over again. No spark, no excitement…
Until she held that book in her hands.
"Look," Melina had said, narrowing her eyes.
"This novel is something else — once you start reading, you'll get lost in it."
Natalie had laughed mockingly.
"Lost? It's only 270 pages, Melina, not Hogwarts."
But the moment she opened the cover, she felt herself being pulled into a completely different world.
Kings, princesses, grand curses, blood-sealed pacts, sorcerers…
And him.
That man.
Throughout the book, his name was rarely mentioned. People simply called him "The Devil."
Those who saw his face lost their words, those who heard his voice trembled.
The Northern High Commander, the Empire's iron fist — a man who despised women like an executioner.
And then, she appeared.
A sweet princess, with a delicate heart, melting the ice around his chest.
But there was one obstacle to this love: Gravella.
One of the most powerful women in the palace — and she, too, loved the commander.
Yet her love was far from pure.
It was poisonous.
Jealous.
And… deadly.
By the end of the book, Gravella was tried for treason and executed at the age of twenty.
The commander lived happily ever after with the princess.
When Natalie turned the final page, a strange emptiness spread inside her.
Even as the villain, Gravella's desperation, her love, her madness…
It all felt painfully familiar.
"If only… she could start over," she whispered.
With a sigh, she closed the book, grabbed her coat when her stomach growled, and headed out.
The night was calm. Streetlights flickered, casting long shadows on the pavement.
Natalie walked slowly, lost in thought.
The book's ending was still on her mind.
When the blaring horn ripped through the air, it was already too late.
BAM!
Everything went dark.
When Natalie opened her eyes…
Something was wrong.
The floor beneath her was marble. The ceiling glittered with gilded patterns.
"What the…?" she murmured, her voice faint and higher than usual.
As she tried to stand, she looked at her hands.
Her skin had never been this pale, this smooth.
Her hair… brushed softly against her shoulders.
It fell forward.
Orange…?
She brought her hands to her face — her nose and cheeks were sprinkled with freckles.
And her eyes… when she saw them in the mirror, her breath caught.
Bright, green, and dangerously alluring.
She knew these eyes.
This face… this body…
No.
"I… am Gravella?"
Her heart raced.
Was the story real?
Or was she still dying?
She got to her feet and scanned the room — lavish furniture, silk curtains, gold-trimmed mirrors…
Everything was familiar.
Because Natalie — or rather, Gravella — had read about this very world the night before.
On a small table in the corner lay an open notebook.
Her name was written in shaky cursive: "Gravella Arceline."
Below it was a date.
With trembling hands, she picked it up. Her eyes fell on the words:
"Peace Ball — tomorrow night."
Her heart nearly leapt out of her chest.
The first major event in the book…
The night Gravella met Commander Kaelreth for the first time —
The night that set her fate in stone.
Natalie knew that scene by heart.
The Peace Ball was tomorrow.
And there was only one day left…
Before she would meet the commander.
It was a joy to write this — I hope it's just as enjoyable for you to read.