Maid 1: "The young lady isn't crying."
Maid 2: "Indeed, she's surprisingly calm."
I hadn't even noticed it myself, but I had fallen asleep. When I woke up, I found myself lying in a crib, rubbing my eyes groggily. The room around me was unfamiliar—grand, filled with ornate furniture, soft pastel tones, and an air of elegance. Before I could fully process my surroundings, the sound of a door creaking open caught my attention, followed by the rhythmic click of footsteps on the polished floor.
A man entered the room. His presence was commanding, yet there was a strange gentleness in his movements. His silver hair shimmered under the light, and his piercing blue eyes seemed to carry the weight of countless burdens. Without a word, he approached me and lifted me into his arms, holding me with a practiced ease that felt oddly comforting.
He carried me out of the room and down a long corridor until we entered another chamber. The air here was tinged with the faint scent of herbs. Inside, a woman lay on a grand canopy bed, her pale face serene but clearly fatigued. Beside her stood a man in a white coat—likely a doctor.
Doctor: "Good evening, Lord La Verta."
Seo Yeon: (La Verta? Why does that name sound so familiar?)
The doctor shifted his gaze to me, his expression softening as he spoke.
Doctor: "So, this is the young lady. Have you chosen a name for her yet?"
Seo Yeon: (Young lady? Are they talking about me? Wait... why does the name 'La Verta' keep ringing a bell?)
The man holding me—Lord La Verta—responded in a steady, authoritative tone.
Lord La Verta: "Her name is Rose. Rose La Verta."
Seo Yeon: (Rose La Verta... That name! No, it can't be...)
As the realization began to creep in, the conversation between the adults continued in the background.
Lord La Verta: "And how is the Duchess?"
Doctor: "Lady Diana is stable for now, my lord. However, she will need plenty of rest."
After their brief exchange, my father—yes, my father—carried me back to the nursery. Once he gently laid me in the crib and left, the full weight of realization struck me.
Seo Yeon: (This... this is the novel I wrote in high school! 'The Saintess and the Gods'!)
The memories came flooding back. Rose La Verta was a minor, almost inconsequential character in the story—a side character barely mentioned. The heroine of the novel was Lily, the saintess chosen by the gods.
Seo Yeon: (But if I'm Rose La Verta now... does that make me like a god? Or am I just another pawn in the world I created?)
The questions swirled in my mind as I stared up at the ornate ceiling. My heart raced in my tiny chest. This wasn't just a second chance—it was something far more profound and terrifying.
My father gently placed me back in the crib and quietly left the room.
The following day, as a maid helped me get dressed, my thoughts wandered to my new family. Luis La Verta, the head of the La Verta family and the Empire's sword, was my father. He had two sons and one daughter, making my brothers, Ramil and Jeremy, and my sister, Lisa, my new siblings.
Once I was changed, the maid guided me to the dining room to meet the rest of the family. The atmosphere there felt heavy. My mother sobbed quietly at the table, her sorrowful eyes locked on nothing in particular. My father, too, was visibly distressed, his grief raw and tangible. It seemed like my mother was still struggling to accept me as her daughter.
Diana La Verta, my mother, believed she had lost me to illness, and now, it seemed I was to live with my father, Luis La Verta, in this strange new reality.
At the table, my two brothers were seated on the opposite side. Ramil, the eldest, had the same blue eyes and silver hair as my father. Jeremy, the second oldest, had striking red eyes and black hair, just like my mother. Then there was Lisa, my younger sister, with her blue eyes and black hair.
As for me, I had silver hair and red eyes—traits that set me apart from the rest.
My maid, Clucy, sat beside my sister and gently fed me, her presence a small comfort in the tense silence that filled the room.
---
Time Skip
Five years had passed, yet nothing had changed. My brothers, sister, and even my father continued to treat me with cold indifference. Despite the passage of time, I remained a stranger to them.
Now, at five years old, I could walk, talk, and think clearly. My understanding of the world around me had deepened, and with that came a realization: if this was my creation, didn't that make me more powerful than even Astrate, the mother of all gods in my story?
Seo Yeon (Rose): (If this is my world, shouldn't I have some control?)
Ramil, one of the novel's supporting characters, was now in his fifth year at the academy. Meanwhile, I was preparing for a tea party at the palace—a gathering for children my age. Lucy, my maid, dressed me carefully, and my father escorted me to the carriage.
The ride to the palace was uneventful, though my mind churned with thoughts about the world I had created and the characters within it. As we approached the gates, the grand structure loomed before us, its beauty even more breathtaking than I had imagined.
When we arrived, I stepped out of the carriage and immediately noticed a boy with striking blue hair and vibrant green eyes. He looked older, perhaps in his early teens, and carried himself with an air of authority.
Luis: "Well, well, Dein. How are you?"
Dein: "I'm fine, Lord La Verta."
I sighed, already dreading the formalities.
Dein: "And who is this young lady?"
Rose: "Rose La Verta."
He gave a polite nod.
Dein: "The princess is waiting for you inside."
Rose: "Thank you."
As I followed a maid through the palace halls, I couldn't help but marvel at the grand paintings of kings and queens adorning the walls. Soon, the maid opened a door to a lavishly decorated room, revealing a girl my age with striking green hair and matching eyes. Vivian. Just as I had written her in my novel—a brilliant but shy girl destined for tragedy.
Rose (internally): (She looks so cute. Hard to believe she'll make a deal with Dew and meet such a tragic end.)
Rose: "Hello, I'm Rose La Verta."
Vivian: "Maid, take her out."
The maid looked at me apologetically but obeyed her mistress's command.
Rose: "Sigh... I hate this place."
Leaving the room, I wandered into the palace gardens, seeking some peace. The soft grass under my feet felt grounding as my mind replayed the details of the story.
Rose: (Wait... didn't a demon attack the palace? Why would a demon even come here? I can't remember... Better find Father, just to be safe.)
As I stood, ready to return to the main hall, a figure stepped through the solid wall—a man, his presence otherworldly. I peered through the opening to see a demon with a human-like body and eyeless sockets where his eyes should have been.
Rose: (Well, speak of the devil!)
Demon: "Human, do you know the princess?"