Chapter 1: The Curse and the System

The smell of expensive incense was the first thing that hit her. The second was the splitting headache.

*‘Did I pass out at my desk again?’*

As a senior game developer, pulling 72-hour shifts to patch bugs before a major launch was normal, but this headache felt different. It felt like her soul had been violently shoved into a tight suit.

She opened her eyes, expecting to see her dual monitors and empty energy drink cans. Instead, she was staring up at a massive, velvet-draped canopy bed.

"What the..." Her voice sounded different. Higher. Smugger.

Silently panicking, she scrambled out of the bed, her feet sinking into a plush Persian rug. She stumbled toward a full-length gilded mirror across the room and froze.

Staring back at her was a young woman of breathtaking, almost lethal beauty. Pitch-black hair tumbled down to her waist, contrasting sharply with pale, porcelain skin and piercing, amethyst-purple eyes. She looked like a living omen.

"No way," she whispered, touching her face. "This is... Lady Ereba?"

Memory flooded her brain like a crashing tidal wave. She hadn't just fainted; her heart had stopped. And now, she was trapped inside the body of Ereba von Zenith, the infamous villainess of the fantasy romance novel *The Radiant Crown*, a book she had read to pass the time during her commutes.

In the novel, Ereba’s name was whispered like a jinx. To the kingdom, her name meant "born of darkness." But the original author had noted in a trivia chapter that in an ancient, forgotten language, Ereba actually meant *The Quiet Before Dawn*.

Unfortunately, there was nothing peaceful about her fate. In exactly 365 days, Ereba would be executed by her own fiancé, the Crown Prince, after being framed for poisoning her younger sister.

*Ding!*

A sharp, digital chime rang directly inside her head.

**[System Initialized Successfully.]**

**[Welcome, Creator. Universal Debugging Menu Online.]**

Ereba blinked. A translucent, neon-blue screen floated in front of her face. It looked exactly like the developer testing interface from the game she had been coding before she died.

**[Host Name: Ereba von Zenith]**

**[Current Status: The Hated Villainess]**

**[Reputation Points: -99,000 (Despicable)]**

**[Life Expectancy: 365 Days]**

*‘A developer system?’* Ereba’s panic instantly shifted into analytical focus. As a coder, she knew systems. If there was a menu, there were rules. And if there were rules, she could exploit them.

Before she could investigate further, the heavy oak doors to her bedchamber burst open.

"Ereba! How dare you show your face after what you did to Seraphina yesterday?!"

A middle-aged man in lavish aristocratic robes stormed in, his face flushed with rage. It was Duke Zenith—Ereba's father. Right behind him, clinging to his arm like a fragile doll, was Seraphina.

Seraphina was the golden child of the family. With her blonde curls and wide blue eyes, she looked like an angel. Her parents adored her, spoiled her with endless jewels, and shielded her from the world. Meanwhile, Ereba was always left in the shadows, blamed for every mishap.

"Father, please don't be too harsh on sister," Seraphina whimpered, though a cruel, victorious glint flashed in her eyes when her father wasn't looking. "I'm sure she didn't mean to push me into the rose bushes. My dress is ruined, and my skin is scratched, but... I forgive her."

Ereba narrowed her eyes. In the novel, the original Ereba would have screamed, thrown a tantrum, and made herself look guilty.

But the new Ereba just stared. As she looked at them, the blue system screen shifted, displaying text boxes right over their heads.

**[Character: Duke Zenith. Favorability: -40% (Disgust)]**

**[Character: Seraphina von Zenith. Favorability: -80% (Extreme Jealousy/Hatred)]**

*‘Wow. She really hates me,’* Ereba thought, looking at her sister's massive negative stat. *‘And my own father can't stand me.’*

"Well?!" the Duke roared. "Are you not going to apologize to your sister, you cursed child? Your mother and I are deeply ashamed of your behavior!"

Ereba didn't yell. Instead, she took a slow, elegant breath, keeping her face perfectly calm. The "quiet before dawn" energy took over.

"Apologize for what, Father?" Ereba asked, her voice smooth and chillingly polite. "Yesterday, Seraphina tripped over her own gown while trying to grab my necklace. I didn't touch her. But if Seraphina wants to lie to comfort her own clumsiness, who am I to stop her?"

Seraphina’s jaw dropped. The Duke gasped. The wild, angry Ereba they knew would never speak with this much cold, dignified control.

*Ding!*

**[System Notification: Minor Truth Exposed. Public perception altered slightly.]**

**[Reputation Points: +100]**

**[Current Balance: -98,900]**

Ereba smirked inwardly. *‘Oh, this is going to be fun.’*

But before the Duke could yell again, a panicked maid rushed to the doorway, bowing deeply. "Your Grace! His Highness, the Crown Prince, has just arrived at the palace. He demands to see Lady Ereba immediately!"

The Duke sneered, looking back at Ereba. "He’s here to break off the engagement, no doubt. Follow us to the drawing-room. Don't disgrace this family any further."

As they turned to leave, Seraphina looked over her shoulder, shooting Ereba a smug, malicious grin. *‘You're finished,’* her eyes said.

Left alone for a brief second, Ereba adjusted her dress and looked at the glowing blue screen floating beside her.

**[Main Quest Triggered: The Prince's Visit.]**

**[Objective: Survive the engagement cancellation meeting without losing your head.]**

**[Reward: +500 Reputation Points & Unlock 'Item Shop'.]**

"A broken engagement?" Ereba whispered, a sharp smile touching her lips as she walked toward the door. "Perfect. Let's go rewrite the script."

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