A sharp pain shot through Zara's skull as she opened her eyes. Groaning, she struggled to sit up, her body oddly weak and foreign. She blinked at the lavish surroundings, trying to make sense of the golden drapes, crystal chandelier, and the sheer size of the bed she found herself in. This wasn't her small studio apartment in Seoul.
"What in the world…?" she muttered, her voice softer and higher than usual.
Her heart raced as she caught sight of herself in a nearby mirror. The reflection staring back was not hers. The woman in the mirror was stunning, with porcelain skin, golden curls, and emerald-green eyes. Zara gaped, her trembling hands touching her face.
"Oh no, no, no… This can't be happening," she whispered.
Her brain raced through all the possible explanations: a dream, a coma, or...
The door burst open, and a stern maid stormed in. "Lady Lavinia, the Duke of Clyne has arrived. He demands your presence immediately."
Zara froze. Lavinia? The Duke of Clyne?
Her blood ran cold as realization struck her like lightning. She wasn't just in another body; she was in the body of Lavinia Ruthbell, the infamous villainess of the popular romance novel The Duke's Eternal Rose.
Lavinia Ruthbell. The obsessive, scheming fiancée of Duke Adrian Valmont. The one who tormented the sweet heroine and ended up publicly executed for treason in the final act. Zara had read the book last month. She even ranted about how cliché Lavinia's downfall was in an online forum.
And now, she was Lavinia.
A ding echoed in her ears, startling her. A translucent blue screen appeared in front of her.
[SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
Welcome, Player! You have transmigrated into the world of The Duke's Eternal Rose as the character Lavinia Ruthbell. Your mission is to avoid all death flags and achieve the hidden ending. Failure will result in immediate termination.
Current Death Flags: 5
Main Quest: Avoid the annulment of your engagement with Duke Adrian Valmont.
Reward: Survival.
Zara gawked at the screen. Death flags? A system? Survival?
"This can't be real," she whispered, shaking her head. "I've lost it. I've actually lost it."
But she didn't have the luxury of freaking out. Her brain was still catching up when the maid snapped impatiently.
"Lady Lavinia, if you keep the Duke waiting, he may call off the engagement on the spot."
Zara's heart plummeted. The annulment scene. It was the very moment Lavinia's downfall began. If Adrian annulled their engagement here, the rest of her journey would spiral into disaster, ending in her execution.
She scrambled out of bed, wobbling in her unfamiliar body. "I'm coming! Just… give me a moment!"
The maid gave her a suspicious glare but stepped aside. Zara grabbed the nearest dress, barely managing to pull it on with trembling hands.
As she followed the maid down the hall, her thoughts raced. She needed a plan—a way to keep Adrian from canceling the engagement. In the novel, Lavinia had thrown a tantrum, screamed about her "love" for him, and begged him to reconsider. It had only made him despise her more.
Zara took a deep breath. "Think, Zara. You're not Lavinia. You can do this."
They reached the drawing room, where a tall figure stood by the window. Adrian Valmont, Duke of Clyne.
He was just as intimidating as the novel described. His dark hair was perfectly combed, his sharp jawline accentuated by the sunlight streaming through the window. His icy blue eyes glanced at her, void of any warmth.
"Lavinia," he said, his voice cold and detached. "I won't waste time. Let's end this farce of an engagement."
Zara felt her stomach drop. The death flag loomed over her head, but she forced herself to smile.
"End it?" she said, her voice calm and steady. "Duke Valmont, surely we can discuss this rationally."
Adrian raised a brow, clearly taken aback by her composure. "What's there to discuss? This engagement benefits neither of us. Your behavior has only—"
"Has only caused you trouble, I know," she interrupted, bowing her head. "For that, I apologize."
His eyes narrowed. "Apologize?"
The original Lavinia would have screamed or thrown herself at his feet. Zara's strategy was to take the opposite approach.
"I have no excuses for my actions," she said, meeting his gaze. "But I ask for a chance to prove myself. Let's not make a rushed decision."
Adrian stared at her, his expression unreadable. For a moment, the room was silent.
"Fine," he said finally. "You have three months. Prove to me that this engagement isn't a mistake. If you fail, it ends, and you'll leave without complaint."
Zara exhaled in relief, barely suppressing a smile. She had bought herself some time.
As Adrian turned to leave, she caught a flicker of curiosity in his eyes.
"You're… different," he said, almost to himself, before walking out.
[Quest Complete!]
You have avoided Death Flag #1: Immediate Annulment.
Reward: +10 Favorability Points with Adrian Valmont.
Zara slumped into a chair, letting out a long breath. One death flag down, four to go.
"I'm not dying in this world," she muttered, clenching her fists. "If I have to charm the ice duke himself, so be it."
But as the System dinged again with a new quest, she realized charming him might be harder than she thought.
New Quest: Make Adrian Smile
Time Limit: 7 Days
Reward: +5 Favorability Points
Penalty for Failure: -10 Favorability Points,
Zara groaned. "Why does this System hate me?"
Little did she know, Adrian Valmont was already more intrigued than he cared to admit.