Alina didn’t move.
She couldn’t.
Her brain was still trying to catch up with what her eyes were seeing—and frankly, it was doing a terrible job.
“I’m inside the novel,” she whispered, staring blankly at the stone floor.
Silence.
“…Okay. Cool.”
She nodded slowly.
“Not cool.”
Her hands flew to her face as she inhaled sharply.
“Okay, okay—think, Alina. Think. This is just a dream. A very detailed, very dramatic dream.”
A pause.
“…Right?”
From down the corridor, the sound of footsteps echoed again.
Alina froze.
“Search the area. The young lady must be nearby!”
Her eyes widened.
“Nope. Nope. Not staying here. Absolutely not.”
Without thinking, she grabbed the sides of her dress—still very confused about why she was suddenly wearing something that looked like it cost more than her entire life—and ran.
Or at least… tried to.
“Why is this dress so long?!”
She nearly tripped after two steps, catching herself against the wall.
“Who designed this?! Do they hate women?!”
The footsteps grew louder.
“Split up!”
“Faster, faster, faster—!” she whispered to herself, half running, half stumbling as she turned the corner.
Left. Right. Another hallway. She had no idea where she was going.
Which, now that she thought about it—
“Great. I’m lost. In a fictional medieval palace. Amazing. Love that for me.”
She finally ducked behind a large pillar, pressing her back against it as she tried to quiet her breathing.
The guards rushed past.
Alina stayed still.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three.
“…Okay,” she whispered. “I’m alive.”
Barely.
Her heart was still pounding when another thought suddenly hit her.
Hard.
“Wait.”
She blinked.
“If this is that scene…”
Her expression slowly shifted from panic… to realization.
“This is where the heroine is supposed to appear.”
A long pause.
“…Then why am I here?”
Silence answered her again.
Alina stared into nothing.
“…Oh no.”
Her hands dropped to her sides.
“Oh no, no, no, no—this is bad.”
Because she remembered the story.
The real heroine was supposed to show up later. Dramatically. Perfectly. Like some kind of destiny-powered entrance.
But instead—
“I got here first?”
She pointed at herself.
“Me?!”
She looked around, as if expecting someone to pop out and say Just kidding!.
No one did.
“Okay… okay…” she muttered, pacing slightly. “Maybe I’m just… an extra. Yeah. Background character. Very unimportant. Disposable.”
She stopped.
“…Why does that sound worse?”
Before she could spiral any further—
“Lady Seraphina?!”
Alina froze.
That name.
Slowly, she turned around.
A young woman hurried toward her, her expression filled with worry. She wore a simple maid’s uniform, her hands clasped tightly together as she approached.
“Thank goodness we found you! Are you hurt? You suddenly disappeared, and everyone is in panic—”
Alina blinked.
Once.
Twice.
Then she pointed at herself.
“…Me?”
The maid looked even more confused. “Of course, my lady. Who else—”
“Wait,” Alina said quickly, stepping forward. “Sorry. Quick question.”
The maid paused.
Alina took a deep breath.
“Who… am I?”
Silence.
The maid stared at her.
Alina stared back.
“…This is important,” Alina added, completely serious.
“My lady…” the maid said slowly, her voice trembling slightly. “Please don’t joke like that. You frightened us enough already.”
“I’m not joking,” Alina said immediately. “I swear I’m not. I just—just answer me. Please.”
The maid hesitated, clearly unsure… but something in Alina’s expression must have convinced her.
“…You are Lady Seraphina Elowen,” she said softly. “Daughter of Duke Elowen.”
Alina’s heart skipped.
Seraphina.
Elowen.
“That’s… not my name,” she whispered.
“My lady?”
Alina ignored her.
Her mind was racing now.
Seraphina Elowen.
She knew that name.
“She’s… the side character,” Alina said slowly.
The maid blinked. “Side… character?”
“Oh no.”
Alina covered her face.
“Oh no, this is worse.”
Because Seraphina Elowen—
“She dies.”
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
The maid gasped. “My lady!”
Alina’s head snapped up. “Wait—no, ignore that. Forget I said that. That was—uh—just a thought. A very wrong thought. Completely fake. Not real. At all.”
The maid looked like she was about to cry.
“…Did you hit your head?”
“Probably,” Alina muttered.
Then, suddenly—
“Wait!” she said, grabbing the maid’s shoulders.
The poor girl froze.
“I need more information,” Alina said seriously. “Urgent. Very urgent.”
“My lady…?”
“I have siblings, right?”
The maid blinked again. “Y-Yes… You have an older brother and a younger sister.”
Alina exhaled sharply.
“Okay. Good. That matches.”
“Matches… what?”
“Nothing!” she said quickly. “Next question—am I important?”
“…You are the daughter of a duke.”
Alina stared at her.
“…So yes?”
“…Yes.”
Alina slowly looked up at the ceiling.
“…Why couldn’t I be a bakery girl?”
“My lady, I don’t understand—”
“Neither do I!” Alina said, throwing her hands up. “I was literally just reading a book, and now I’m in it, and apparently I’m someone who—”
She stopped.
Her eyes widened.
Slowly… very slowly… she turned back to the maid.
“…What’s your name?”
“M-Me? I’m Lila, my lady.”
Alina grabbed her hand dramatically.
“Lila,” she said with deep emotion.
“Yes, my lady…?”
“If I do something weird from now on—”
The maid looked terrified.
“—just go with it.”
“…I’m sorry?”
Alina inhaled deeply.
Then nodded to herself.
“Okay. New plan.”
She pointed at the ground like a general about to start a war.
“Step one: Don’t die.”
The maid made a small choking sound.
“Step two: Figure out how to get back home.”
A pause.
Her expression softened—just for a second.
“…Back to him.”
Then she shook her head, snapping back to reality.
“And step three—”
She looked around the massive, unfamiliar palace.
“—survive whatever chaos this story throws at me.”
A beat.
“…Preferably without tripping on this dress again.”
She immediately stepped on it.
And almost fell.
Lila gasped. “My lady!”
“I’m fine!” Alina said quickly, grabbing onto her. “This is fine. Everything is fine.”
A pause.
“…I hate this dress.”
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