Emilia rose slowly from the bed, her body still feeling the remnants of unfamiliar lightness. She surveyed the small, cozy wooden room. It was humble, with handcrafted furniture, the scent of fresh pine lingering in the air. For a moment, she was dazed, her mind still disoriented by the sudden shift from her hospital bed to this rustic setting. Then it hit her.
This wasn't just any place—it was Orthea Village, the starting point for the playable characters in Heroes of Cartea, a game she had spent countless hours on.
Her heart skipped a beat as the realization settled in. She was inside the game.
"How do I know this?" she whispered to herself, her voice laced with disbelief. She had played this game enough times to recognize the layout of the room, the village's structure, and even the faint smell of herbs that wafted in through the open window. Orthea Village was where the player's journey began.
Emilia's legs trembled as she forced herself to stand, her hands brushing the rough wooden bedframe as she made her way toward the small mirror hung against the wall. With trepidation, she gazed into the reflection.
A girl with long, flowing black hair stared back at her, her deep blue eyes glowing in the soft morning light. Emilia's heart clenched. That face… it was impossible not to recognize. The character before her wasn't just any commoner.
"It's… me," she muttered, her breath catching in her throat. "Emilia Ein Vilheim."
The character she had created.
This was the daughter of Duke Vincent Roan Vilheim, exchanged at birth with the late Duchess's child. She was the rightful heir to the Vilheim Dukedom, a character she had modeled after herself for fun, never once expecting to become her.
Her fingers clutched the edges of the small mirror as she inspected herself closer. The unmistakable black hair of Duke Vilheim's bloodline framed her pale face, and her deep blue eyes—so much like the Duke's—stared back at her, wide with confusion. Her current name was Emilia Harmonia, the orphaned girl who grew up in a small countryside cathedral, far from the luxuries of nobility.
But she was no mere commoner. Emilia knew the truth of her origins, having seen it unfold in the game's story. Emilia Ein Vilheim was the lost daughter of the Duke, a child with royal blood, unknowingly swapped at birth with the real female protagonist, Adelaide Harmonia.
Adelaide.
The name alone made Emilia's stomach turn with a mixture of anger and bitterness. How could she not feel resentment? Adelaide, the girl who had lived the life that should have been hers, raised in luxury, loved by her family, treasured by the entire empire. Meanwhile, Emilia had been discarded, left to grow up in a rural orphanage, never knowing her true identity.
The pieces of the tragic backstory unraveled in Emilia's mind. Vincent Roan Vilheim, Duke of the Vilheim Duchy, had once been in love with a commoner named Natalia, even before he married the second princess, Rosalline Estrana. While Rosalline, arrogant and cruel, could not bear the Duke any children, Natalia had given birth to a son, earning herself the status of the Duke's official second lady.
The Duchess, desperate to secure her own power and envious of Natalia, had spiked the Duke's drink in an attempt to produce an heir of her own. She succeeded, but tragically died shortly after giving birth to a girl—Emilia.
Emilia's chest tightened as the full weight of the situation sank in. She was the result of the Duchess's manipulation, born into a world of royal conflict and intrigue. But even worse, her life had been stolen from her the day she was born. Rosalline's enemies, bitter and vengeful, had orchestrated a plan to replace her daughter, Emilia, with a maid's child.
That child had been Adelaide. Raised as the beloved daughter of the Duke and his second lady Natalia, Adelaide had been cherished, her status solidified within the family despite the fact that her true origins were unknown to the world. She had lived the life of a noble, enjoying every luxury and privilege Emilia should have inherited.
And yet, despite it all, no one could ever truly blame Adelaide for her fate. The Duke, his second wife Natalia, and even the Emperor and the royal family had embraced her, loving her as their own. Adelaide had grown up alongside Raphael, the Duke's son and heir, who adored his "sister" and would go to any lengths to protect her.
But the truth was coming. Emilia knew that in the game's story, the secret of Adelaide's birth would soon be revealed, and the Vilheim family would begin their desperate search for Emilia—the true daughter of the Duke, the one with royal blood.
Her fingers shook as she turned away from the mirror, the gravity of her situation crashing down on her.
She wasn't just some extra in the game. She was Emilia Ein Vilheim, the lost daughter of one of the most powerful families in the empire. And soon, they would be searching for her.
But that wasn't what worried her the most. No, the real issue lay with the people she was about to face—the characters she knew too well from the game's plot. Chief among them, the third male lead.
Raphael Vilheim, her half-brother.
Emilia felt a chill run down her spine as she thought about him. In the game, Raphael was fiercely protective of Adelaide, believing her to be his real sister. He had been Adelaide's greatest supporter, defending her from all threats, even those within their own family. When the truth about Adelaide's origins came to light, Raphael had been devastated, his once-loving relationship with Adelaide shattered.
But Raphael was not just any character. He was one of the primary love interests in Heroes of Cartea, a key player in the game's political and emotional turmoil. And now, Emilia would have to face him, not as an outsider watching from behind a screen, but as his real sister, the one with a rightful claim to everything Adelaide had stolen.
Her pulse quickened as the memories of Raphael's character flooded her mind. In the game, he had been charming, loyal, and utterly devoted to those he cared about. But he also had a dark side—one that had emerged when the betrayal of Adelaide was revealed.
Emilia swallowed hard, knowing that her arrival would set off a chain of events that would affect not only the Vilheim family but the entire empire. And while she had the knowledge of the game's plot on her side, that wouldn't be enough to protect her from the chaos to come.
But for now, she was Emilia Harmonia, the orphaned girl of Orthea Village.
*****
In the grand mansion of the Vilheim Duchy, tension simmered just beneath the surface. The room was heavy with silence, only occasionally broken by the distant sound of servants moving in the halls. In the center of it all, Raphael Kean Vilheim, the Duke's only son and heir, stood in disbelief before his father and mother.
His voice trembled slightly, filled with confusion and anger. "What do you mean Adelaide isn't my sister?"
The Duke, Vincent Roan Vilheim, sat behind his grand mahogany desk, his hands clasped tightly together, his usually composed face showing the strain of the revelation. Beside him, Natalia, his second wife, looked just as unsettled, though she tried to maintain her calm demeanor.
"We've only just discovered the truth," the Duke said heavily, the weight of the words pressing on his shoulders. "Adelaide was not born of your stepmother, Rosalline. She was switched at birth with our real daughter."
Raphael's heart pounded in his chest as the words echoed in his mind. "That's… impossible. She's been with us all this time. She's been my sister. We've raised her—loved her. How could—"
Natalia, always gentle in nature, placed a hand on his arm. "Raphael, listen to your father. We only found out because of an old maid, one of Rosalline's enemies. She confessed on her deathbed."
Raphael shook his head in disbelief, stepping back as if the distance could somehow lessen the impact of the truth. "Why now? Why after all these years?" His voice was a mixture of disbelief and rising frustration.
"The maid was one of many who resented Rosalline," the Duke continued, his tone stern but filled with regret. "Your stepmother had many enemies, both in the palace and beyond. She was arrogant, cruel, and vengeful, and in her quest to maintain control, she wronged a lot of people."
Natalia nodded in agreement, her expression thoughtful. "Rosalline was feared, even hated. When she gave birth to a girl after years of struggling to conceive, her enemies struck. They exchanged her child with that of a maid. That's how Adelaide came into our lives."
"But we never knew," the Duke added, his voice thick with regret. "We had no reason to suspect it. Adelaide has always been our daughter in every way that mattered."
Raphael's hands clenched into fists. He couldn't believe what he was hearing. All his life, Adelaide had been the little sister he adored, the person he had sworn to protect no matter what. And now, they were telling him that she wasn't truly his sister? "Then who is my real sister?" he demanded. "Where is she? Do we even know her name?"
The Duke shook his head, his expression grave. "We don't know her exact whereabouts yet. The maid only confessed to the switch but died before giving more information. I've already sent out soldiers to search for the child. All we know is that she grew up as a commoner, far from here. But she's out there, Raphael."
Raphael took a step back, his chest tightening with conflicting emotions. The world he knew, the family he had sworn to protect, was unraveling before his eyes.
Natalia sighed softly, her voice filled with concern. "We raised Adelaide knowing nothing of this. She's not to blame. But now that we know the truth, we must find the real child. We must bring her home."
"Adelaide won't be comfortable with this," Raphael said abruptly, the protectiveness he felt toward her rising to the surface. "She's been our family for years. This will destroy her."
The Duke sighed, his eyes heavy with the burden of the decision. "We will never discard Adelaide. She is as much our daughter as anyone. But…"
"But what about the child who's been living out there, unaware of her true identity?" Natalia interjected, her gaze shifting from Raphael to the Duke. "How has she lived? How has she survived? We can't just ignore her. She's your blood, Vincent. She's our responsibility too."
Vincent nodded, his eyes darkening with resolve. "You're right, Natalia. No matter what, the missing child is still my daughter. We must find her and bring her home. She deserves her rightful place in this family."
Raphael felt his head spinning. His father's words made sense, but his heart ached at the thought of what this would do to Adelaide. How could they bring another girl into their lives and expect things to stay the same? How could Adelaide handle learning that she wasn't really part of the Vilheim family?
"I need time to think," Raphael muttered, his voice strained. He turned toward the door, unable to bear the thought of staying in the room any longer. His mind was swirling with questions, doubts, and the fear of what was to come.
As he reached for the door, he heard his father's voice behind him. "Raphael… I'm sorry for keeping this from you."
Raphael paused for a moment, his back still turned to his father. "What happens when we find her? What if she doesn't want to come back? What if she hates us?"
Natalia, ever the voice of reason, spoke softly. "It's not her fault, Raphael. It's not Adelaide's fault, and it's not this girl's fault either. The sins of the parents are not the children's to bear. If this child is truly Vincent's daughter, then she's family, and we will love her as we love you and Adelaide."
Raphael swallowed hard, his emotions tangled in a storm of confusion. "I need to think," he repeated, and without another word, he walked out, the weight of the world on his shoulders.
As the door closed softly behind him, the Duke turned to Natalia, his expression filled with guilt. "I've failed them both. I should have known. I should have protected them."
Natalia shook her head, offering him a small, reassuring smile. "You couldn't have known, Vincent. No one could have. But we have a chance to make it right. When we find her, we'll bring her into this family, and we'll make sure she knows she's loved."
The Duke looked at her, his eyes softening as always when she spoke with such grace. "You're too kind, Natalia. You've always been too kind."
Natalia smiled gently. "Having another daughter is no burden, Vincent. Whether she's of royal blood or not, I'll accept her as my own. I just hope she's able to accept us."
Vincent reached for her hand, grateful for her understanding, but deep down, he knew that when they found the girl, everything would change. Their family, their lives, and the future of the Vilheim Duchy would never be the same again.