"Lady!"

  Huh? What was that? My head was spinning and memories that weren't mine kept assaulting my mind.

  "God, why is this happening?" I clutched my head as a sharp headache hit me suddenly.

  "Argh!!!"

  "W-what...?!" Where am I? Memories that aren't mine kept flooding in. I was in another world, a normal citizen of a country where everything was different, advanced, and I had read a novel named "How to Live as the Black Swan of the Cursed Ducal Family." After I read that, a car crashed into me, and then... darkness.

  While stumbling, I put my hand to my head as a reflex and felt blood dripping from a wound.

  "Huh?" Before I knew it, I collapsed to the ground.

  "Lady!"

  I heard the maid calling for help as I fell unconscious.

  I woke up the next day. When I opened my eyes, a maid named Save told me that I had fallen and hit my head. The doctor said there was no major damage, but I should rest for a few days.

  I looked at myself in the mirror. Black hair, red eyes, and a beauty that could captivate anyone. A slender body that was perfect by any standard. I would be captivated by her too.

  Josephine von Konrow — that was the name of the villainess in the novel "How to Live as the Black Swan of the Cursed Ducal Family," or "Black Swan" for short. It was a typical regression novel where the female lead was abused by her family and sought revenge on them. Adele, in particular, held high contempt for Josephine, the one who tormented her the most.

  Seeing how the servants treated me and Adele's influence in the mansion, I could already tell that the novel had already reached its halfway point. And that the ultimate fate for me was to die by execution.

  As a reader, it felt exciting because the one who tormented the female lead was executed — a well-deserved death considering all the things she had done: bullying, torture, starvation, and more. For reference, she was hanged to death in front of many people.

  Instinctively, I held my neck.

  I don't want to die again. That was my genuine thought. Getting rammed to death was one thing, but a public execution in a medieval period was even more horrific than it seemed.

  At least it's not a guillotine.

  But one thing stands — I cannot afford to die right now.

  I walked toward the balcony and gazed upon the garden. I saw the well-kept maze maintained by the duchy.

  "Is this what rich people want?" I wondered.

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  More than that, in the middle of the maze, there was a small cottage where people were having tea. From the looks of it, it was undoubtedly Adele and Marcus.

  Adele von Konrow, the protagonist of this novel. Born from a commoner as an illegitimate child, she had platinum blonde hair and red eyes. Most Konrow family members have black hair, so that's why she earned the nickname "Black Swan" — but she had the undeniable proof of Konrow blood: red eyes.

  It was said that the previous deceased head had forced himself on a commoner, and the result was Adele. My family took her in to avoid a scandal. This aligns with Josephine's memories.

  I stared at them as they happily ate and talked.

  I, for one, don't really despise them. Even if I'm synced with Josephine, I can't help but worry about my own fate more than theirs.

  On Earth, I was born an orphan, so I don't really have a family aside from the kind daycare worker who raised me. Josephine felt the same — ever since she was a child, she wasn't taken care of.

  She didn't have any talent, or in other words, she was ordinary. That's why she felt jealous toward Adele, who continuously received the praise and affection she never did.

  "It's a shitty predicament."

  That's why my conclusion is simple: escape. It's a good thing that Josephine has only a few ties to this family, or else I wouldn't have even thought of it.

  Her relationship with her family was rock-bottom. Josephine was seen as a troublemaker — it wouldn't be surprising if they didn't even notice my disappearance, seeing as only one mold was disrupting their lives.

  I also have a fair chunk of wealth since Josephine had smuggled a few valuables to fund her schemes to torment Adele. Seriously, the girl would incite large-scale disasters just to spite the female lead. I admire that dedication as a villainess, but as a normal person, I can only conclude she was a psychopath.

  The only real problem I have is my engagement. Even as an outcast, the Konrow family had designated a fiancé for Josephine.

  "Hmmmm..."

  I went to the drawer of my table and checked the calendar. If I remember correctly, they were scheduled to meet at least once a month.

  "It's tomorrow…"

  I rang the bell and a maid came to my room and bowed. "What do you need, Lady?"

  "Tell Marquis Jhake that our meeting tomorrow will continue."

  "But Lady, the doctor said—"

  "No, it's fine. Our meeting is in the cathedral. I'll just get it healed."

  The maid looked visibly shocked.

  Right, Josephine hates the clergy more than her own family.

  It was the church that revealed Josephine had no talent, after all. When I read the novel, it was said that the church could reveal a child's potential through divination — but because the procedure was expensive, only noble children could afford it freely.

  When Josephine was divined, it was revealed that there was nothing significant about her. But when they divined Adele, a whole list of talents came to light — which was the first blow Adele ever landed on Josephine.

  For that reason, Josephine harbored intense hatred for the church. To the point that she would rather die than be treated by healing magic.

  "Anyways, just get it scheduled."

  "As you wish, my Lady." The maid bowed and left.

  Marquis Jhake, also known by his moniker "The Marquis of Wealth." A renowned merchant across the continent with business ventures scattered throughout the kingdom. It was said that he was the one who operated the kingdom from behind the scenes. And such an influential man is my fiancé?

  There were two conclusions.

  The Marquis doesn't care about his fiancée — she only offered him power and position. Given that, he would likely deny any involvement. In layman's terms, it was a political marriage. This seemed plausible based on Josephine's memories of their past meetings.

  Or perhaps it simply wasn't written in the novel how they ended — which was more likely. Although he is a mentioned character, he never truly appeared in the narrative. What he and Josephine had in common: he is a shifty, selfish man.

  I lay down on my bed and stared at the ceiling.

  I have to break this engagement, no matter what.

  It was my only real tie to this family. Without it, I would be free to do whatever I wanted