Diana Beatus. As the youngest daughter of the Beatus ducal family, she thought herself to be utterly ordinary.
Why, you ask?
Because the eldest brother had a firm grip on the successor position, so there was no chance of succession disputes,
The second sister had taken control of the central social circles, so there was no need to attend social gatherings.
And the third brother had taken on the military duty on behalf of the family, so there was no place for an ordinary youngest to step up.
Diana was overshadowed by her siblings' fame in the capital, but she didn't mind. No, she rather liked it. How comfortable a life this was.
Because her siblings had taken on all the burdens, Diana could be much freer from responsibilities and duties unlike the young ladies of other families.
Those who envied her free life were busy belittling her.
'The half-wit noble lady.'
Diana didn't care what others said about her. She was originally the type to not listen to others anyway.
As long as she fulfilled the minimum duties required by the family, she could enjoy a life so ordinary it was sweet as honey.
That was exactly how it was until she fell ill with an unknown disease.
When was it? For exactly 3 years since the red moon appeared, she had been ill, losing strength from her body day by day. On days when she coughed up blood and burned with fever, even breathing was a struggle.
That day too, was a day of the doctor's regular visit.
"As I say every time, I simply cannot understand, my lady. I cannot determine the cause of the illness. I also do not know the treatment, so there is no way."
The doctor spoke with a pitying look at her, who lived only lying in bed.
It was tiresome to hear the same words every time.
After looking at the quack who showed not even a speck of sincerity, she gazed at the ceiling with cloudy eyes. If she had a voice, she would have liked to argue.
'Hey, doctor. Can you really not see that smoke escaping from my body?'
Every time strength left her body, a dark red smoke-like substance would rise from her body and head outside the mansion.
It was then, as the doctor had left and she was suffering from extreme pain, unaware that it was even her birthday. A maid rushed in urgently through the open door.
"Oh, my lady! Something terrible has happened!"
It was a pain so severe she thought it might be her last. She was dying.
"The eldest lady! The eldest lady, for treason! His Highness the Crown Prince has ordered immediate execution!"
The maid's voice grew distant. Her breath was fading. At the last gasp of her breath, Diana realized.
'The Crown Prince ordered immediate execution?'
Ah. Damn it,
This was a world inside a novel.
As soon as she realized she had been reborn into a novel, she died so pitifully.
***
That novel was mainly about the romance between the Crown Prince and a saint.
Men swimming in the saint's sea of love, and the Crown Prince who wins the saint.
Meanwhile, the elder sister who is the Crown Prince's consort is the villainess who is obsessed with the male lead Crown Prince, attempts to assassinate the Crown Prince who doesn't love her, and has her head cut off for treason.
The eldest brother, the family heir, is executed horribly as the main villain, and the villainous family is completely annihilated.
Then, Diana Beatus.
Who was she?
An extra born as the youngest in the villain's family, disappearing without much significance.
She was just a terminally ill patient mentioned in one line before disappearing.
Ha, what a life.
***
"Sob."
A soft crying sound was heard.
"Hic."
The sensation of floating lightly towards the sky sank back down to the ground at the sound of crying.
Gasp! She inadvertently took a deep breath. The air rushing into her lungs felt unfamiliar.
Senses that had been engulfed in darkness began to come alive one by one.
"Ugh-!"
Her whole body ached.
Did she fall into hell? Why doesn't the pain end even though she died?
Hot tears flowed down between her eyes that she had opened with difficulty.
It hurts so much. The excruciating pain from just before death was starting again.
"Waaah. You can't die!"
The voice that had been sobbing pitifully screamed.
I'm already dead, though. Before she could think, something was grabbed in her hand.
Diana grasped tightly whatever was in her hand while taking shallow breaths.
It was an instinct to survive. Diana, buried in objects someone was giving her, instinctively clung to them.
Strangely, the pain began to disappear.
As the intense pain subsided, strength returned to her hands.
"Waaah, you can't die and leave me alone! Sister!"
How much time had passed? As the pain subsided and she regained stability, Diana blinked her heavy eyes and focused.
'Am I… alive?'
"Sniff. Sniff."
Diana, whose whole body except her face was buried, turned her head towards the sniffling sound.
It was a boy.
Chubby cheeks, cute features. The child had tears welling up in eyes that seemed to take up half his face.
When the child's eyes met Diana's, he started to whimper again.
"Who. Ahem."
"I-I'll bring you water!"
He looked about five or six years old. The boy with red eyes and gray curly hair scampered off to fill a cup with water.
As she sat up, Diana could see what had been covering her body.
'Eek. What is this.'
They were all sinister and grotesque-looking dolls. The kind of dolls that would give you nightmares if you kept them at your bedside.
The huge bed was strewn with dolls that looked like they belonged in a horror movie.
An eerie aura filled the room. Diana unconsciously gulped.
"It's okay. They're cursed dolls."
What exactly was okay about that? The child said brightly. Pushing aside the uneasiness, Diana cleared away the dolls and accepted the cup the child handed her.
The pain was gone, but her strength was truly at rock bottom. Just holding the small water cup made her hands tremble.
Still, the water was sweet and delicious.
"It's water with demon beast poison in it."
"Pft. Cough. Cough."
What?!