The morning sun streamed through the windows. The white canopy swayed, and pale golden light fell across Reina Selyus's eyelids. The moment she woke, her entire body went rigid. Where... am I? She opened her eyes to an unfamiliar ceiling. An intricately carved canopy. Beneath it, sheets with the texture of silk. On the nightstand, a golden candelabra. On the wall, the imperial crest—five gleaming stars arranged in a circle. Her heart pounded violently. Reina pushed herself up and looked at her hands. In that instant, her entire body froze. They were delicate. Refined. Not her hands. From her past life—no, from that "game" she'd played in another existence. Hands she'd only ever seen on screen. The elegant hands of nobility. Her eyes drifted to the large mirror in the corner of the room. Her legs nearly gave out as she stumbled toward it. The face reflected back was a stranger's. Tall frame. Blue eyes. Lustrous golden hair that fell long and straight. Seventeen years old—or perhaps even younger in appearance. A face so exquisite and beautiful it seemed almost unreal. Elegant, yet radiating a cold, distant air. Reina knew that face. "No..." Her throat was parched. No sound came. The otome game "Princess of Longing." That game she'd played through the night in her past life. A romance game set in the court of the Vaiseln Empire. Five princes and a heroine of commoner birth weaving a bittersweet love story. And in that game, the one who bore the most tragic role. The villainess—Reina Selyus. The eldest daughter of Duke Selyus. A noble from one of the Five Great Ducal Houses. Yet in every route of the game, she was destroyed. Stripped of her title for disrespecting the queen, exiled from the country. In the worst case, imprisoned for attempting to harm the royal family. In every route, her future held only despair. "No... this can't be..." Reina turned away from the mirror and surveyed the room. The Selyus family crest adorning the walls. Through the window, the streets of Geltheim, the imperial capital—the inner city surrounded by high stone walls. Built of white marble, this was unmistakably the stage of "Princess of Longing." It was real. All of it was real. Reina's legs gave out. She sank to the floor, her breathing ragged. Something pulsed violently in her chest. "Calm down. Just calm down." But her body wouldn't stop trembling. Her memories of the past life were fading. No—it was the opposite. Only those memories were becoming crystal clear. The time she'd spent playing the game. That screen. The dialogue. The events. All of it replayed in her mind like a film. And the most crucial information. "The destruction ending..." The moment she whispered it, Reina stood up. The breakfast bell rang. From somewhere in Geltheim, a clear chime created by runic magic echoed across the city. It was time for breakfast. Her family was waiting. Her father, the duke. Her mother. And— "Irina?" She murmured her sister's name. In the game, she appeared as a companion to Seraphina. She served as an apprentice court dancer at the palace. This morning, she would be absent from the estate. Reina needed to change. But she didn't know how to begin. She pulled an aristocratic dress from the wardrobe in the corner. It was overly ornate for morning wear, but perhaps that was the custom in this world. While combing her hair before the mirror, Reina tried to organize her thoughts. (What happened? What was I doing in my past life? I can't remember. What was the last thing I—) Her memories were fragmented. She'd been on a commuter train, staring at her smartphone screen. Playing "Princess of Longing." Progressing through the villainess route. That much she remembered. After that, only white light remained. "Transmigration?" The word came naturally to her lips. Reincarnation into another world. Living a different life while retaining memories of the past. A setting straight out of a light novel. But now it was reality. Breakfast time was approaching. Reina took a deep breath, straightened her dress, and left the room. The hallway was long, constructed of white marble. Portraits of past dukes lined the walls. The glorious history of House Selyus. She arrived at the dining room. Her father—Duke Selyus—sat at the head of the table. Forty-five years old. A man with stern features. Cold, piercing eyes. Reina's blue eyes must have been inherited from him. Her mother sat beside him. A woman of elegant appearance. But her expression was cold. She didn't smile when she looked at Reina. Both of them glanced at her for just a moment. "Good morning," Reina said. The words came naturally. A greeting of this world. Her father said nothing and returned to his meal. Her mother looked away. Even the servants seemed to shrink back slightly when they saw Reina. (The original Reina... was disliked.) Reina took her seat. Bread, cheese, fruit. Simple but high quality. All foods she'd never seen in her past life. She ate cautiously. During breakfast, no one spoke. Her father read silently from a newspaper—apparently printed using runic magic. Her mother gazed out the window. "Where is my sister?" Reina asked casually. Her mother answered, "Irina has already gone to the palace." A brief response. A cold voice. No further conversation was expected. After breakfast, Reina went to her father's study. She didn't ask permission—she simply went. Something suggested that this action was natural. The study was vast. Bookshelves reached to the ceiling. The desk was piled with references on runic magic and materials on imperial politics. The duke was clearly a busy man. But that wasn't what Reina was looking for. In a corner of the bookshelf, she found a storybook. A history of the empire that served as the setting for "Princess of Longing." Introductions to the royal family. And most importantly—a novelization based on the game's scenario. She took the book and sat at the desk. A desk no one visited during the day. She turned the pages. Character introductions came first. "First Prince Julius—Supreme Commander of the Imperial Army. Cold and rational. Opposes the heroine." "Second Prince Felix—Professor at the Imperial Academy. Gentle and kind. The first prince to harbor feelings for the heroine." "Third Prince Kairos—Young member of the Privy Council. Ambitious. Seeks to use the heroine." "Fourth Prince Raymond—Court poet. A romantic. The last prince to fall in love with the heroine." "Vaulter Eldrich, the Empire's Greatest Knight—Holder of the Imperial Knight's Crown. Cold and closed off to everyone. Begins to notice the heroine's secrets." And the most crucial entry. "Villainess Reina Selyus—Eldest daughter of Duke Selyus. Arrogant and jealous, standing as the heroine's greatest enemy. Meets a destruction ending in all routes." Reina's finger traced those words again and again. "Destruction ending." The phrase now held real meaning. She continued reading. The villainess route explanation. "Reina repeatedly disrespects the queen and is stripped of her title. Furthermore, when her harassment of the heroine is discovered, imperial law orders her exile from the country. In the worst case, she is imprisoned in the royal dungeons for attempting to harm the royal family." Detailed scenarios were written out. The events leading to Reina's destruction. Her relationships with the princes. Her conflict with the heroine. And how everything spiraled toward despair. "I can prevent it," Reina murmured. "I can avoid this destruction." She knew the game's scenario. Therefore, a way to avoid that destruction must exist. There were three destruction flags. Disrespecting the queen. Harassing the heroine. Obsession with the princes. Then she simply had to do the opposite. Show devotion to the queen. Be kind to the heroine. Keep her distance from the princes. That alone should allow her to avoid destruction. But to formulate such a plan, she needed far more information. The rules of this world. The structure of the court. Human relationships. And above all— (The secrets of this body.) Reina stood and approached a mirror. A small hand mirror placed in the corner of the study. She stared at her own face. She focused on her left wrist. A faint mark, like an old scar, appeared as a runic pattern on her skin. Like a crest carved into her flesh. "What is this?" The game had no such setting. Something new. Something unique to this world. And one more thing. The ache she'd felt since last night, deep within her body, was intensifying again. Reina took a deep breath. Stay calm. For now, information gathering was enough. She left the study and began exploring the estate. Medical texts. Materials on charitable work. Anything would do. With her knowledge from her past life as a nursing student, she wanted to understand this world's medical standards. As she walked the corridors, she passed a greenhouse. A transparent structure made of runic glass. Inside, flowers of every color bloomed regardless of season. The beauty made Reina pause for a moment. The sight visible through the window. A space like another world. Spring, summer, autumn, and winter existing simultaneously. Runic magic must have made this possible. She entered the greenhouse. It was warm inside, with high humidity. Various scents mingled—flower fragrance, earth, and something sweet. As she gazed at the flowers, Reina forgot. For just a moment, she could escape this reality. But it didn't last long. Evening was approaching. In the back of the greenhouse, she found a small bookshelf. A place for reading. Among the books, she found what she'd been searching for. Medical materials. By comparing them with her past life's knowledge, she could gauge this world's medical advancement. She took the book and sat in a chair in the back. She turned the pages. Runic magic-based medicine. "Hemostasis runes" and "Fever-reducing runes" created by runic magic. There were few descriptions of complex surgical procedures. In other words, this world's medicine was still in a developing stage. Reina continued reading. There was also an entry about the charitable organization "White Lily's Hands," presided over by the queen. It operated orphanages and healing centers throughout the imperial capital. Annual budget: ten thousand gold coins. Activity reports. A list of donors. (I could use this to change my reputation.) Reina began formulating a plan. Helping at healing centers. Donations to orphanages. Joining the charitable organization. Accumulating good deeds steadily. But as she read further, the strange sensation in her body intensified. Her chest grew hot. Her breathing became shallow. And a sweet, throbbing ache ran through her lower abdomen. "What is..." This was a sensation she'd never experienced in her past life. Her body was reacting just from reading a medical text. The runic pattern on her left wrist glowed faintly. "No..." Reina dropped the book and clenched her fist. The light gradually faded. But the ache in her body remained. "Runic resonance? Or..." Some special power dwelling in this world's female body. Her past life's memories and her current physical form were fusing incompletely. In that process, something strange was occurring. Reina stood up. She needed to move. If she stayed still, her body would break. She left the greenhouse and walked through the estate. Eventually, she reached her bedroom. She collapsed onto the bed. Staring at the canopy, Reina hardened her resolve. "I will not be destroyed." She whispered it. In this world, in this life, she would not meet a destruction ending. "I will survive." She took out pen and paper from the writing desk by her pillow. "Destruction Avoidance Plan." With that as her title, she listed specific action goals. One: Join the charitable organization "White Lily's Hands" Two: Begin helping at the healing center "Laurel's Light" in the capital Three: M