Chapter 1

It was 2:00 AM in the town of Gyeong-won. Yoon Chaewoon or Chaewoon, as her friends fondly called her, had just finished her shift at the convenience store. Her feet were sore, and her entire body felt utterly shattered after working non-stop since 8:00 AM.

As she dragged her feet toward the bus stop, her eyes were glued to her phone screen. She was deeply engrossed in a fantasy webnovel titled 'The Moon That Shines Upon The Tyrant', a story she had been hate-reading recently. Naturally, she was one of those readers who absolutely despised the female lead. Why? Because the female lead was incredibly spineless and weak, constantly needing the male lead the tyrant himself, Prince Valerius to protect her. Chaewoon could never understand how a ruthless tyrant could fall for someone so helpless. She hated it, yet she couldn't stop reading.

She was so absorbed in the story that she didn't notice the traffic light had turned green. By the time she realized what was happening, her body was already airborne, sent flying by a speeding truck.

"Lady Sera, your bath is ready."

Awoken by the voice, Chaewoon slowly blinked her eyes open. What greeted her blurry vision was not the sterile ceiling of a hospital, but the blinding light of a massive crystal chandelier hanging from a vaulted ceiling. Instead of the pungent smell of hospital antiseptic, her nose was filled with the luxurious scent of lavender and expensive rosewater.

Chaewoon’s eyes darted toward the maid standing nearby, who was dressed in rather peculiar attire. The maid bowed her head. Wait, what did she just call her?

"Lady Sera? Who's that?"

Hearing this, the maid gasped in shock. Had Lady Sera lost her memory overnight?

"Lady Sera, what's wrong? That is your name. You are Lady Seraphina de Valois."

Huh? Lady Seraphina? Valois?

"But my name is Chaewoon, not Lady Sera..."

"Oh my goodness! Marquess Cedric!" the maid shrieked, instantly panicking before bolting out of the room.

Chaewoon was left freezing in confusion. What is wrong with her?.

She tried to push herself up from the bed, only then realizing how incredibly soft and comfortable the mattress was. The fabric of the sheets felt exquisitely expensive—nothing like the cheap linen in her rented room.

Suddenly, a strange sensation washed over her, as if new information was being forcibly infused into her brain. She stared down at her hands, her legs, and her clothes. Everything felt foreign. She used to be on the chubbier side, so why was she so slender now? And what was with this elegant white nightgown?

Driven by sheer curiosity, she rushed over to the vanity mirror across the room. When she looked at her reflection, she gasped, completely paralyzed by shock.

Golden-blonde hair cascaded down her shoulders, framing a flawlessly beautiful face. Her skin was radiant and clear, without a single blemish. Her striking emerald-green eyes, perfectly sculpted jawline, and defined, elegant nose made one thing abundantly clear, this was definitely not her original body.

Before she could process any of this, the heavy bedroom doors were thrown open with a loud thud. Several unfamiliar figures rushed into the room. Leading them was a tall, well-built, middle-aged man. He possessed the same golden-blonde hair as her, and his captivating blue eyes shone with authority, looking remarkably regal despite his age.

"Sera, what is the matter, my daughter? Britney said you've lost your memory and don't know who you are," the man said, his face etched with deep worry as he rushed over to check on her, holding her gently by the shoulders.

Right behind him, a beautiful woman, elegantly aging with light brown hair and the same striking emerald-green eyes as Chaewoon, approached and wrapped her in a tight embrace.

This only made Chaewoon even more bewildered. "Sera, what's wrong with you, my child? Don't scare your father and me like this."

The voices were foreign, and the language was entirely alien to her yet, somehow, she understood every single word perfectly.

"Uh... I'm fine, Mother. I'm okay," she replied, offering a stiff, awkward smile while scratching her tangled hair.

After a long and exhausting morning of endless questioning, the chaos finally settled. Now, Chaewoon knew she had to figure out exactly who she was, where she was, and how she had ended up entangled in this world.

"Britney," she called out to the maid from earlier. Britney stepped forward, her head bowed respectfully as usual.

"Yes, my lady?"

"Please bring me some paper and a pen."

"A pen?" Britney frowned, looking confused.

"Uh, I mean... a quill."

"Yes, right away, my lady."

Chaewoon let out a heavy sigh. It was going to be tough living without advanced technology to help translate the language. Fortunately, the local language felt as though it was already hardwired into her system, even though she had no idea how she was able to comprehend it.

A few minutes later, Britney returned with sheets of paper and a quill.

Chaewoon began to jot down notes. According to Britney, her name was Seraphina de Valois. But how old was she?

"Britney, how old am I again?"

Britney looked at her with growing bewilderment but answered nonetheless, "You are nineteen, my lady."

Wow, nineteen. A tender age, considering she was twenty-three before she woke up in this world. Okay, so my age is nineteen. I am the daughter of a Marquess from the Aurelian Empire.

For some reason, the name 'Aurelian' struck a familiar chord. Her father was Marquess Cedric de Valois, the head of the house, and her mother was Marchioness Rosalind de Valois.

Hmm... the more I write this down, the more familiar it feels. Where on earth have I read this before?

"Britney, what year is it right now?"

"It is the year 742 of the Imperial Calendar, my lady."

"Hmm, 742..."

Suddenly, Chaewoon’s eyes widened into dinner plates. She stared intently at the paper covered in her scribbles. Seraphina. Year 742. De Valois. The Aurelian Empire.

Oh my god... Did I just wake up inside the novel 'The Moon That Shines Upon The Tyrant'?!

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