"Stella, what do you honestly think of Prince Aiden?" asked Alina.
She was the main character of the story; a damsel-in-distress who shined so brightly. She was a warm, kind, inviting, and cheerful extrovert. She was in love with Prince Aiden and Stella was her best friend.
"Oh, Prince Aiden? I think he is good-looking, responsible, and kind," Stella responded.
She was a supporting character in the story; made to make Alina look brighter. She was a silent, cold-looking, socially awkward introvert.
"Do you like him in a romantic way?" Alina continued.
"Eh? No. Of course not. Prince Aiden is just a friend," Stella denied, despite her heart aching.
She was also in love with the said prince. She had been in love with Prince Aiden long before Alina met him. After all, she was the one who introduced the two to each other.
"I see. That is a relief. You do not mind if I date him then?" Alina asked for permission. She was asking for Stella's blessing.
"N-no. I, I do not mind," Stella responded.
After all, she had never revealed her feelings. She was supposed to be content with watching from afar.
But it hurt so much. She did not realize that her best friend had fallen for the same man she had been yearning for.
* * *
"Stella, are you alright? You do not look well today," Prince Aiden brushed off a strand of hair that slightly covered Stella's face.
He was the male lead of the story. He was starting to like Stella when he met Alina and fell for her instead.
"I am fine. I just did not sleep well last night," Stella lied.
'How could I forget you if you are like this? Please stop being so kind to me,' she wanted to say but kept her mouth shut.
Her heart was beating wildly at the lightest touch and attention he gave her. And so her heart ached even more.
"Milady, I shall escort you home," Zafir offered with worry.
He was Stella's knight as appointed by her father. He was another side character who had minor parts in the story. He was the perfect knight who does his job perfectly well but was nothing extraordinary due to being an orphan with unknown origins.
Zafir was the only one who knows of Stella's real feelings.
And he knew that Stella would be crying alone in her room tonight and he would stand by her door and guard like he was supposed to do and pretend that he did not hear anything.
Because no one must know that he was in love with Stella, else he would instantly be fired.
* * *
"Why this novel of all the books I have read?!
"Why am I in this body?
"Why not the main character or even just one of her maids instead?
"Why the best friend of the female lead, of all people?" Yeong-ja grumbled as she looked at her new body in the mirror.
She did not know how, why, and when it happened; but when she woke up, she was suddenly in the body of Stella, the best friend of the female lead of the latest novel she had read.
If she had known that would happen, she would have at least read her favorite novel.
She would not have minded whoever the character she was transmigrated to, as long as she got a taste of the air of her favorite novel. She could not understand why it had to be this novel and this character who was going to end up dead in the end.