Luck is a peculiar thing; it seems to elude me while others attract it like magnets. Me? I attract chaos. Every. Single. Freaking. Time.

I clung to that thought like a lifeline as my father—the honorable and terrifying Marquess—delivered yet another lecture on my disgraceful behavior.

"Do you even realize the disgrace you've brought upon this house, you stupid foolish girl?" His voice echoed through the opulent study, each word precise and sharp. I barely noticed the golden light glinting off his polished desk; my attention was consumed by the sheer frustration etched on his dark brows, which danced in a way that was oddly entertaining.

I stood there, hands clasped neatly in front of me, appearing every bit the contrite young lady of noble birth—a perfect picture of submission. Calm, silent, unresponsive. Not scared—just bored. Let's be honest: compared to getting hit by a truck in my past life, this was merely an inconvenience.

The Marquess leaned in closer, eyes narrowing. "You think this is a game, ungrateful child? This is the second time you've embarrassed me in a fortnight!"

Four days. That's how long I'd been here. Four painfully long days in the body of Andrelise Castiglione, the most despised noblewoman in the empire, also known as "The Viper of Castiglivon","Ironheart Serpent"—among other lovely titles she had so generously acquired. And now I was getting blamed for something the original Andrelise had done just before I stumbled into this mess.

I didn't dare talk back. Both because I was afraid of the Marquess and I wasn't dumb enough to dig the hole deeper. The man detested interruptions, and Andrelise—well, the previous Andrelise—had made a hobby out of riling him up. If I so much as breathed the wrong way, I'd receive a punishment.

It's better to stay quiet, like a puppet.

"Go to your room, you are on probation." he snapled at last, waving me off like I was an annoying fly. "And stay out of my sight until you learn how to conduct yourself.."

I offered a quick curtsy, just enough to be polite but not so much that it looked like I was trying too hard. Then I turned on my heel and headed to my chambers, biting the inside of my cheek to keep from groaning in annoyance. 

The door to my room clicked shut behind me, and I finally let out a long, exhausted sigh. "Well, that went better than expected." I flopped down on the velvet armchair by the window, tugging off my shoes. 

"At least no blood was shed this time, lucky me."

Sitting there, I let my thoughts drift back to how exactly I ended up here. Because two weeks ago, I was Rina, just your average 21st-century girl—well, average in that clumsy, unfortunate way where nothing ever really goes right.

How did I end up in this mess? Well, just before my demise in my old life—something about a truck, a distracted phone call, and a sudden unfortunate intersection.

I had been juggling my way through life like a poorly trained chaos performer, occasionally managing to avoid disaster but more often than not, landing flat on my face.

Before I could even grasp what had happened—before I could make sense of the fact that I'd just been hit by a truck—I woke up somewhere unfamiliar. 

Not in a hospital. Not on a stretcher with paramedics rushing around me. No flashing lights, no scent of antiseptic, no comforting chaos of modern life.

I woke upbut not in some magical afterlife, though. No fluffy clouds or angel choirs.

Instead, I woke up in silk sheets.

In the body of Andrelise Castiglivon, lying on a fancy four-poster bed with a headache from hell and the overwhelming realization that I was inside a book I had barely finished reading: Whispers Beneath the Radiant Sky.

Now Whispers Beneath a Radiant Sky, is a novel that captured my heart despite its many flaws, I'm a reader not a critic. I loved the characters, the dramatic plots, and the twists that had me gasping for air. It was an absolute good read that I binged in half a day but who could have thought that just weeks after finishing the book that this would happen?

Andrelise—the character I was now stuck as—wasn't exactly a beacon of sunshine. In the original plot, she was the villainess who set half the empire on fire and died in disgrace, dragging everyone else down with her.

Brilliant, isn't it?

The kicker? The story picked up two years from now, meaning I was dropped into this mess before the actual events of the book even started.

Which, on one hand, gave me time to change things. On the other hand, it also meant I had to live in this world, which was full of politics, deceit, and power-hungry maniacs without getting killed before I figured out what to do.

How did I get myself into this mess? I don't know. But I was sure as hell of one particular fact: my current plan and what was that?

Simple.

Survive and get back to my original world.

I didn't care about redeeming Andrelise's reputation or winning over high society. All I wanted was to make it through to the end of the story without causing any disasters. Because somewhere out there—back in the real world—was someone waiting for me. Someone I needed to get back to.

For now, though, survival was priority number one. That meant avoiding the Marquess's wrath, steering clear of Andrelise's enemies, and figuring out exactly what the original Andrelise had done to land me in this mess.

Apparently, she had made some scandalous scene involving a nobleman's son at a banquet. Something about an insult, a spilled drink, and a very public slap. 

High society was still buzzing about it, and the Marquess was furious because, as usual, Andrelise's antics had dragged the family's reputation through the mud. That was why he'd been chewing me out earlier, assuming I was the same reckless troublemaker.

Though—I may not be Andrelise, I was good at staying out of trouble.

Well… theoretically.

I ran a hand through my long, dark cherry hair—Evangeline's hair—and stared at my reflection in the mirror. It was still strange seeing someone else's face every time I looked. The high cheekbones, the piercing green eyes, the delicate features that looked like they belonged to an ice queen. A beautiful ice queen that everyone despised.

Damn,Her face belongs in a magazine. She could have been a model.

A smirk tugged at my lips. "The Viper of Castiglivon," I muttered to myself. If only they knew the truth. The girl they feared wasn't a scheming villainess but an unlucky 21st-century mess just trying to find her way home.

But what had happened to the original Andrelise?

Had she ceased to exist?

Or was she trapped somewhere, locked away while I played her role?

I shook my head, pushing those questions aside. I had to focus on survival. I needed to last long enough to figure out how to escape this nightmare. And if that meant playing nice with noble snobs and outmaneuvering power-hungry rivals, so be it.

I had no intention of saving the empire—I just needed to avoid its destruction.

As I threw my head back at stared at the ceiling, I couldn't help but remember the stories I had read about the Marquess. He wasn't just a man of noble blood; he was known for his brutality. The previous Andrelise had endured more than just his disdain—there were times when he had beaten her for disobeying his orders, punishment delivered in the shadows of their grand estate. It was whispered among the servants that his temper could turn deadly, and Andrelise bore scars on her back, reminders of his wrath, hidden beneath layers of fine silk and lace.

And here I was, trying to figure out how to survive in a body that had endured such torment.

What kind of parent did that? I couldn't imagine it. In my past life, I had never experienced such brutality. My foster parents had been loving and supportive, always encouraging me to chase my dreams. But this? This was a nightmare I couldn't fathom.

Yet, I had to play my part carefully. I couldn't allow the Marquess's anger to erupt again, and I had no intention of repeating the mistakes of the original Andrelise.

Even though I was feeling began feeling hopeless, I wouldn't let it crush my spirit.

"I'll find a way back," I declared softly, the words a promise to myself as I stood ul. "I may not know how, but I won't just stay here."

Pacing around the room, I began to thinking of my next steps. I needed to gather information about the political landscape, learn who my allies and enemies were, and ultimately figure out how to prevent the catastrophic events that the original Andrelise had set in motion.

And I needed to do it quickly, before the Marquess noticed that his "perfect daughter" wasn't quite as compliant as he expected.

"Time to gather some intel," I muttered to myself, my resolve hardening. I would show them that I wasn't the reckless villainess they thought I was. I'd write my own story this time, one that would lead me back to the life I had known—one that included the person I missed so deeply.

Memories of my previous life swirled through my mind. I had been a nobody, an underachiever in a world that rewarded success. I was the girl who tripped over her own feet and spilled coffee on important documents. I had a knack for attracting disasters like a magnet, yet somehow managed to navigate them with a mix of humor and sheer luck. 

My friends often joked that I was the living embodiment of Murphy's Law: anything that could go wrong would go wrong. And somehow, I had learned to embrace it. 

But embracing chaos was one thing; finding myself in the body of a villainess in a world of nobles was another.

With a groan, I flopped back onto the plush armchair, letting the weight of my situation settle over me like a heavy cloak. How was I going to deal with this?

I glanced around the room, noting the lavish decorations, the intricate tapestries, and the wealth that surrounded me. It was overwhelming, but it also fueled my resolve. This was not just a story; this was my new reality. I had to adapt, and fast.

First things first: I needed a plan. A real one, not just wishful thinking.

 I needed to understand the dynamics of this world better. I couldn't just flail about like a fish out of water. I had to learn the rules of the game and play to win.

What had the original Andrelise done? How had she angered the Marquess so? I needed to gather information, perhaps enlist the help of others who knew the lay of the land. My mind raced with possibilities.

"Focus, Andrelise," I whispered to myself, trying to shake off the swirling doubts. "You can't change the past, but you can influence the future." 

I closed my eyes and took a very long deep breath, my heart feeling a little lighter as I exhaled "You can do this."

if there was one thing I knew for certain, it was this: 

In this world full of snakes, you either slither or get swallowed.

And I wasn't planning on getting eaten.