When I opened my eyes, the first thing I thought was: 

 “d.a.m.n. I’ve become the villain of the novel.”

 My reflection in the mirror looks very familiar. The golden hair and the green eyes shining like jewels. I must have seen those somewhere but…

 ‘Why her?’

 I  clearly  knew  her.  The  younger  sister  of  the  heroine,  who  was  exceptionally wicked throughout the novel and the last of her kind: Siel Valentine. She had gone all the way. Born to be the youngest daughter of the Duke of Valentine, the most prestigious  family  in  the  Gretania  Empire,  she  monopolized  the  love  of  all  the empire and, of course, of her family. Siel. who got her beauty from her mother, the  d.u.c.h.ess  of  Valentine,  also  known  as  the  “beauty  of  the  century,”  swept through  the  social world  with  a  charming  smile. And  from  her father side, she inherited magical powers.

You may ask me if I’m happy to be in the body of a character that has got it all. But there is more you should know. Once again, she’s the villainess of the novel. She was an evil child. But, despite all of this, Siel ended up executed, following the laws of karma. Siel used to hara.s.s her older sister Clara, the heroine of the novel. She could use any way to turn her sister’s life into a h.e.l.l. She was also very greedy. Every time her parents scolded her, she put all the blame on her sister, or she got her maids framed. She did not even hesitate to do mad things, such as killing someone, as she was the culprit of a dead by guillotine.

 “Siel, are you up?”

 When I heard a sweet voice, I jumped up from my seat. My sister, who is walking with a gentle smile, is Clara, the heroine of this novel, with her fine black hair. Clara’s appearance, with a fresh plump face and deep dark-hair, was obviously very different from our family’s. Clara, in fact, was not blood-related to the Dukes.

In the year of the birth of their third son, Louis, the Duke and the d.u.c.h.ess, who wanted to have a daughter, adopted Clara from distant relatives. However, the d.u.c.h.ess suddenly became pregnant later that year, and she ended up getting the daughter she was hoping for: Siel Valentine, myself. Since this was an exceptional event that had not happened in a hundred years, everyone was paying attention to the Duke’s family and Clara, in only a year after she was adopted, ended up being known as the long-awaited daughter the Dukes were hoping for. Of course, Clara is the heroine of this novel not only because of the odds.

“Did you get a good sleep? The sun is beautiful this morning.”

 After Siel was born, Clara helped the d.u.c.h.ess and became Siel’s mentor. A child rising a child kind of situation, but, fortunately, Siel grew up positively following her sister, at least until eight years of age. However, just when Siel turned eight, the problems started.

 “Clara does not belong to our family. She was adopted.”

Louis, the youngest brother, told Siel that Clara was an adopted child. After that, Siel had begun to hara.s.s her, ignoring her sister who raised her up.

“I am still a baby, so I’m afraid to sleep alone. I want to sleep with you, sister.”

“Do you? Let’s see. Shall we ask mother?”

I made a tender voice on purpose, hugging her. Yes. I was in the body of a five- year-old Siel, who was far ahead of her eight-year-old birthday party. Since I woke up in this body, I have been very confused. It took some time to realize where I was. I was awakened by a high fever. Fortunately, I realized it was much earlier than the period when the action in the novel took place. How much of a fortune is that?

“Siel, let me brush your hair.”

Clara, who’s taking care of her five-year-old sister, is now nine years old. In her eyes, I am just a baby. Me, an adult woman who had been falling in the routine of office work. Luckily, I know how this novel ends. Especially, I read many times what kind of deplorable act Siel is about to do and I know it by heart. Yes. I’m determined now. I do not know how to get back to reality, so I’m going to live only avoiding the death flag. This is my only way to make it out of this. So, even just for me surviving all of this, let me be good with this child.

 “My sister is the best in the world. When I grow up I will marry you!”

“Yes, I think you’re the best too, Siel.”

At my show of affection, Clara laughed cheerfully and hugged me. I will be on Clara’s side in this deadly and filthy family, who only supports Clara just because she is an adopted child. So let’s try to make a happy ending as soon as possible. Let’s make Clara meet with the hero of this novel.

The Eighth Birthday 

Time flew by. Three years have pa.s.sed since I woke up in this body, and I, Siel Valentine, am safely about to celebrate my eighth birthday. Now, running pretty confidently, I went across the vast Valentine’s House and ran to my busy mother who was preparing for the party.

“Mom! This year I’ll wear the same dress as my sister.” 

“Again? You were supposed to wear the same dress as your mom this year.” 

My mom, who was touching the hem of her dress, had a wrinkle on her pretty smile. Who can imagine that this beautiful woman is a married woman who has four children? The d.u.c.h.ess of Valentines, Yvenis Rose, has been considered the greatest beauty of the Jata Empire since her former years as a the daughter of the Count. The almond shaped, beautifully arched eyes and the nose which could make  Audrey  Hepburn  blush  made  the  young  Duke  Valentine  fall  for  her  in  a matter of seconds.  

Siel inherited the appearance of the greatest beauty of the empire. The d.u.c.h.ess loved her daughter, who looked like her copy, as if she were her own alter ego, and the Duke, too, almost died when he saw his only daughter who looked like her beloved wife. With such blatant favoritism, the rest of the children naturally escaped from their parents’ graces. Besides Siel, the d.u.c.h.ess had many children. Firstborn  Theo,  second  son  Isaac,  and  third  son  Louis.  Despite  everyone’s expectations, the Duke and d.u.c.h.ess did raise Clara even after Siel was born. At least the couple cared about Clara as much as any other of their children. The problem was that the court personnel, who were proud to work on the historic Valentine’s family premises, also secretly hara.s.sed Clara. 

To be exact, a group of so-called “old employees” centered on Mrs Lisbon, who was  in  charge  of  the  household’s  internal  affairs.  They  regarded  the  fact  that Clara,  the  daughter  of  a  baroness,  was  adopted  as  a  d.u.c.h.ess  and  given Valentine’s name as a great honor.I don’t understand how their minds work, but what’s  certain  anyway,  is  that  they’re  trying  to  cautiously  kick  Clara  out  of  the Duke’s family. Of course, they knew that I liked Clara too much and that I couldn’t open my mouth on the fact that she had been adopted. 

“Then I’ll pick out your dress!”

 I can’t just watch it. Once I step in here, one of the original heroine’s trials starts. Siel was the little queen of the family. As long as Siel likes and follows Clara, Mrs. Lisbon cannot bother her. I followed my sister more than my mom and dad did, and the d.u.c.h.ess looked at Clara with a very concerned face.

“Clara, what spell did you put on her, so she’s just following you all the time?” 

“My sister is the best in the world!” 

“No, Mother, Siel loves you as well. Am I right Siel?”

“Yes. You’re right!”

If Clara doesn’t poke her like this, the d.u.c.h.ess wouldn’t hear a word from her beloved  daughter.  So  the  d.u.c.h.ess  sighed  deeply  and  stroked  Clara’s  head.

“She’s my daughter, but she’s such an eccentric child. Clara, you know, I’m just saying,  I’m  glad  that  she  listens  to  you,  but  you  always  work  so  hard.”

 “No, Mother, I’m glad I could be of help.”

The more I let myself go, the more the d.u.c.h.ess realizes the importance of Clara. What a beautiful scene. Everytime the d.u.c.h.ess compliments Clara, Mrs. Lisbon also takes a graceful att.i.tude towards her. 

“The party will start in the afternoon, and I’ll be up and coming soon, Mrs. Lisbon, so you can get the two children to go to the party safely.” 

“Yes, ma’am.” 

One thing that I learned once coming into this novel, is that the n.o.ble women never take care of their children personally. First of all, the d.u.c.h.ess was extremely busy. If you are going to have a party, you’ll have a huge amount of work to be done,  starting  with  the  invitation  of  the  guests  and  confirming  everything  that needs to be prepared. Seeing the d.u.c.h.ess who is stressing out every day, and I realize once more that being a d.u.c.h.ess is not a thing that can be done by anyone. In the empire, my birthday is just like a national holiday. Maybe  because  I  was  the  first  daughter  born  in  a  hundred  years,  but  on  my birthday, even the emperor would send me a lion to personally congratulate me. I deliberately hung out on Clara’s waist and pushed as hard as I could.

“Which dress do you want to wear?”

“Anything that my little sister will choose.”

“Really?”

What is the reason for me asking this question? Of course, so that Mrs. Lisbon would  listen.  Mrs.  Lisbon,  who  is  unaware  of  the  fact  that  I  had  noticed  her, intentionally plotted to give Clara a dreadful dress on my birthday last year. The reason is that Clara should not stand out more than me, the main character. What a childish idea. Clara is that type of person that gets prettier the more you look at her. Literally, at first glance, you wouldn’t tell she is of an outstanding beauty but as soon as she laughs there’s an explosion of charm. I can not say that she is of the same kind of beauty of Siel or the d.u.c.h.ess, but the fact itself that she stands out from the perspective of common people, it’s extraordinary.

Who cares. I already knew what they were plotting so I prevented it before anything could happen.

“I’m going to wear the same dress my older sister is wearing!”

I kept crying and said I would not attend to the party if I don’t get to wear the same dress to my sister. My mother and father came to stop me but I could not stand back as my life was at risk. Not until my throat became hoa.r.s.e was I able to enter the party room wearing the same dress. My big picture is to strengthen the position of the heroine, Clara. Oh, how foxy I am. My last birthday pa.s.sed while I marveled my intelligence and the long-awaited eighth birthday arrived.

“I prepared Miss Clara’s dress.”

As if they already expected I was going to make a mess, Mrs. Lisbon prepared quite a few dresses. I chose the most graceful and fanciest golden dress.

“This will suit me the best!”

No doubt this dress will be the most noticeable dress as it will contrast Clara’s ebony hair. Of course that isn’t the only reason. It is also because today is the long-awaited fated day.

“Isn’t this going to be too fancy?”

“No, it is so beautiful.”

As this party is a really important affair, such preparation is necessary. Why? Today is the first day Clara meets the hero of  the novel. As the male main character is going to wear a gold uniform and if I wear the same color I would at least receive a glance. And, if people surrounding drive up the atmosphere—game over. My evil plan just started.

The hero of the novel is Alex, the son of the King and the heir to the throne. He was the one who executed Siel. By the way, Alex is my most favorite male character among countless other characters. This was the reason why I wanted to be Clara, not Siel whose head is beheaded. Alex is the most ideal hero of a romance fantasy story. He’s smart, powerful, smart and is cold-hearted at all times but is warm towards his beloved woman. He is the s.e.xiest guy of this era. He is the invincible sword master and once he thinks someone is the one, he obsesses madly. Dark indigo hair and the eye redder than ruby, I almost had a heart attack when I first saw the cover. Oh, I love obsessed man. Alex is a genius who pa.s.sed early graduation of the academy and he even took cla.s.ses to be the next emperor. Of course the emperor wanted to afford the best bride for his son and that turns out to be, um, Siel, so yeah it turns out to be me.

“What do you want to be when you grow up, sis?”

“Hmm, I probably would wan to marry a man and become a mother.”

Oh my, what should I do with this unselfish and unambitious kid. I busted into tears watching Clara who wanted to be a good wife and wise mother. Unlike Clara, who lost her family since she was young and who wanted to have a normal and happy marriage. Alex wasn’t really interested in marriage. So at first, he decided to marry Siel without hesitance. The problem is that Siel found out Clara is an adopted child.

“You’re not even our real family! You deceived me, you b.i.t.c.h!”

Siel filled with anger insulted Clara in front of everyone. She even used some bad language a child should not use. Despite the conditions, it isn’t pretty to look at an eight year old girl cursing her sister because she’s adopted. The readers were furious and the comment window was flaming. Anyway, Alex also witnessed this moment and recognized the Siel’s malicious behavior and started to feel pity toward Clara. This incident becomes the main reason Alex kills Siel. After that, Alex started babysitting Clara like he is her mother bird. He started to hate Siel who desired to become the crown princess and kills her in the end In order to keep the happy and safe rich life for myself, I have to pa.s.s this first test. I have to pa.s.s this test and connect the relationship between Clara and the Prince. If I am unlucky I could be directly thrown into h.e.l.l. So what can I do? I have to help them get along well.

“You are going to be so beautiful in this dress. So please wear this dress as my birthday present!”

Clara standing in front of the fancy gold dress looked confused. It was because she would be wearing a dress more beautiful than me who is the one being celebrated today.

“But Lady Siel…”

“What, are there any problems?”

“No.”

Mrs. Lisbon remained silent looking at my unpleasant face. It’s obvious she’ll be saying Siel is the star so Clara cannot be too conspicuous. I was speechless looking at her remaining silence as glared at her.

“Can I really wear this dress?”

“Of course! I like you so much. I hope you look the best on my birthday!”

You tell me. Is being beautiful more important or my life? Clara unaware of my desperate mind hugged me with a grin on her face.

“I love you too my younger sister.”

As I noticed her eyes were turning red, I hugged her without words. Poor Clara. Before being adopted into Duke Valentine’s family, she lived with her real family and had a younger sister. When her whole family decided to go on a trip, Clara had to be left behind because she had a fever. Her parents and younger sister said they will be back soon, and they would buy a gift on the way back and gave her a kiss on the cheek. Their carriage was overturned on a rainy day and none of them came back alive.

“I am so glad I have a younger sister.”

The day Siel was born, Clara was truly glad. Honestly, if I wasn’t born she would hog all the love of Duke and d.u.c.h.ess Valentine. Even though Clara could envy her sister, she never did. She sincerely loved Siel. Siel reminded Clara of her dead younger sister. How sweet she is. A dumb girl like her needs an evil guardian like me. From now on, don’t worry. I’m going to make you happy. I gave Clara the prettiest dress and took on my party costume. I started preparing for things after deciding my sister’s dress. My humble servant Meril kept smiling while combing my hair.

“You are adorable as always.”

“You like me too much, Meril.”

“Of course, I am so happy to serve you.”

Meril was too loyal that, she bullied Clara as Siel told her to and was tortured until death few days before Siel was killed I could not let such a loyal servant die like the original story. I sighed looking at Meril who had just turned eighteen.

“You are too nice to me.”

“Of course, you are the most vulnerable master to me.”

“Oh please, you shouldn’t treat a little girl like that.”

“You are so funny.”

Even though I talk like a precocious child, no one suspected I had the mind of an adult. They just thought I was imitating them. While Meril was putting up a ribbon on my hair, someone came into my room.

“My beloved daughter! Are you well prepared?”

“Daddy!”

He was a handsome man with chocolate color hair. It was hard to believe he was a father of five kids. The real jack-of-all-trades in this novel. Also, he is a well-known husband who never when against his wife and a magician with immense power in the Valentine family. I’ve been repeating countlessly; this novel doesn’t keep the balance. All he had was only money and power but there was one thing he couldn’t have, daughters. Although he had three children, they were all sons. All of the offspring they had were all sons. All he wanted was a daughter who resembled his wife. His prayers must have reached the sky for the first time in hundred years, a daughter was born and he became the winner.

“How pretty she is, my beloved daughter, she’s an emerald.”

“Oh please Daddy.”

No one can stop daddy in his idiotic mode. Not until I was rubbed by his mustache, could I escape from him. As each child needs to be loved the same, I grabbed his fore sleeve.

“Daddy, I want to see Clara. She is so pretty tonight.”

“Oh is it darling? Should we go and see her?”

“Okay!”

Siel’s command is absolute to Duke Valentine. I’ve never seen a man like this before. He just loves his daughter too much. He would dance and sing if Siel tells him to do so. Mom sometimes would look somewhat upset but dad doesn’t care. If the daughter likes it, then father likes it too. I decided to take advantage of this. Because Siel likes Clara, naturally dad starts to care for Clara.

“Clara!”

Me and Duke Valentine appeared and every maid kneeled down.

“Clara, are you ready?”

“Yes, father.”

How beautiful she is. The maids had to decorate her well because I gave them a mean look.