"Ugh, my head," Eliz complained, holding her head.
It was dark around her, and she felt a weightless state, which didn't add to her nausea.
"Visitor detected. Beginning new cycle." She heard an electronic voice.
She looked up just in time to see the darkness lighten.
The darkness was dispelled, and a richly decorated ballroom appeared as if from a fairy tale.
Eliz hovered near the ceiling next to a large crystal chandelier. She looked around in confusion before looking down.
The hall was filled with people who had stood frozen in time. The ladies wore elegant, showy, or elaborate ball gowns, and the gentlemen wore tailored suits and tailcoats.
The noble people stood in groups or alone, watching the scene in the hall's center.
Judging by the expressions on the faces of the spectators, it was something that delighted them. Some of the ladies hid wicked smiles behind their colorful fans; others didn't hide it at all. Men frowned to hide the upturned corners of their mouths or sipped from tall champagne glasses.
They all watched the single woman kneeling in the middle of the dance floor, looking up at the couple standing on the raised stage.
The woman was as beautiful as the midnight sky. Her hair reached her back and was ebony black. Her figure was firm, slender, and elegant. She wore a beautiful dark purple ball gown with tiny filters that matched her dark purple eyes. With her long neck, she had the elegance of a swan, and her full lips, accented with subtle lipstick, were made for whispering sweet nothings.
There were two people on the stage: a man and a woman, with the man holding the palm of a young woman's hand. The young man wore an expensive black suit with silver trim and lining emphasizing his military bearing, broad shoulders, narrow waist, and long legs. His strong forearms and large hands hid his strength. His hair was the color of white gold, and his eyes, which were the color of steel, were fixed firmly on the woman in the purple dress.
The woman next to him was the opposite of the woman in purple. If she represented the splendor and mystery of the night sky, she was like a fresh spring morning.
Her softly wavy, shoulder-length hair was the color of a wheat field. Her light green eyes were full of innocence that evoked a primitive need for protection.
Lightly bitten pearly teeth showed on her pale pink lips. She was smaller but no less feminine, accentuated by the pale green dress with its white neckline and richly patterned skirt - the epitome of innocence and feminine delicacy.
Eliz looked in confusion at the frozen scene, which was somewhat familiar.
She noticed three other men standing at the edge of the stage, sharing a cold stare with the man on stage, pointing at the young woman in purple.
Each of them had a different appearance but a similar military bearing and the same type of suit that could be of military origin.
One had bright red hair that was cropped at the ears and slicked back. His tanned skin was lightly dotted with freckles, and his eyes were as red as his hair.
The second was different from all the others, for he was an intellectual look. His hair was long, tied in a short ponytail, and was the color of the sea. He wore glasses with narrow golden frames on his nose, and his facial expression showed contempt and hardness. His eyes were the color of amber.
The third man had wild spiked black hair, pale skin, and violet eyes that resembled the woman they were looking at.
They all had one thing in common. Incredibly handsome. They looked like they had been cut straight from a supermodel fashion catalog.
"Opening scene set. Welcome, visitor number 257. You are now entering the opening scene of the story 'Everybody Loves Selene' You are taking on the role of the lead villainess, Elizabeth Von Roseblood. Daughter of the Duke of Roseblood. The situation will be summarized for your quicker adaptation." Announced an electronic, mechanical voice.
"Elizabeth is engaged to the son of the Duke of Ironhound's, a good friend of her father, and the two have been engaged since childhood. Less than a year ago, Selene, the illegitimate daughter of the Earl of Derevell, appeared and captured the heart of the Duke's son, Gray. Subsequently, her sweetness won the hearts of other prominent young men, including Elizabeth's twin brother, Eren. Now comes the scene where Gray breaks off his engagement to Elizabeth and accuses her of having committed many evil deeds against Selene out of jealousy."
Eliz, who had been listening to the voice, contorted her face more and more.
She already knew why the scene seemed familiar to her. Eliz knew the story of 'Everybody loves Selene'! It was a second-rate light novel she had recently read. Eliz did not get very far because it was mediocre, the main character Selene was weak, naive, and whiny, and she needed to be saved all the time. Also, it was a reverse harem. The male leads were decent, but they must have had a stroke to be so obsessed with Selene - she who was not worth all the trouble.
The character of Elizabeth was also not good either. At first glance, she seemed fine, but how she latched onto her cheating fiancé was just embarrassing.
Eliz stopped reading immediately when Elizabeth was executed for the attempted murder of Selene during her honeymoon with Gray. She was still interested in the war plot, but the author did not know what he was doing. The whole conflict with the neighboring kingdom was silly and poorly portrayed. As a newly promoted colonel, Gray took a bunch from the Reverse Harem and won and conquered everything. Ew.
These thoughts passed through Eliz's mind only casually because another matter preoccupied her.
'What the hell is going on!'
The last thing she remembers is closing the reading app and removing this trashy novel from her reading list as she took the train home from work. Then it was like everything shut down, and Eliz found herself here. Did she fall asleep? That does not happen, even when she's dead tired.
"That concludes the introduction. Please get ready to assume your role."
Main Quest: Survive the first sequence
Reward: 1x Revive
Failure: Death
Note: If you die in the story without Revive, your death is permanent and irreversible.
Secondary Quest: Reveal the truth about the story of Everybody Loves Selene
Reward: End of cycle
Failure: Restart the cycle
Second Sidequest: Get a follower
Reward: Roseblood Estate in the Eastern Province
Failure: Send to Exile
Eliz blinked her violet eyes and stared at the ballroom floor.
A voice like an icy blade flies over her head.
"Elizabeth Von Roseblood. For all the evil you have done, I break our engagement! I could never share my life with someone as despicable as you!"
Elizabeth knelt on the floor, her eyes fixed on the ground, and her hair covered her eyes so that no one could see her expression.
The onlookers whispered mocking remarks among themselves, hiding insults or pretending to be shocked.
"Don't you have anything to say? Are not you going to deny all the evil you have done at Selene Derevell's expense?" Continued the Gray Ironhound when he received no response from Elizabeth.
Elizabeth finally stirred at this statement and rose from the floor.
When she stood up, it was almost as if a dark swan had spread its wings.
Elizabeth proudly lifted her chin and let her purple gaze roam the hall, and finally, she settled him on a pair on stage.
"So what?" Said, Eliz.