How To Survive As a Villain on the Verge of Death

‘I came into the book.’

To be more precise, she died and woke up as the villainess in the novel.

‘Come to think of it, it’s already been two weeks.’

Two weeks have passed since she awoke in that body. Before entering the banquet hall, she paused and looked at the glass window next to her. Her image was reflected on the frosted glass window.

Blue eyes like sapphire. A straight nose and red lips. Reddish blonde hair in a half ponytail. A gorgeous light green silk dress that stretches to the floor.

It was the appearance of ‘Princess Eve’ that seems to have come out of a novel. Although it may be absurd to say that it came out of a novel, because that was the world of the novel.

She passed the entrance and walked down the hallway leading to the banquet hall. As soon as the door opened, bright light poured in. At the same time, someone’s panicked voice was heard.

“Oh my God, it’s the princess!”

With that one word, everyone’s eyes turned to her. But she didn’t care and moved slowly.

Upon entering the spacious banquet hall, the buzzing sound disappeared at once. Even the music that had flowed calmly disappeared without a trace. Everyone was standing still and looking only at her.

‘Well, it feels like becoming a top star.’

In fact, rather than a star, it was a tense gaze, more like a crazy terrorist or a dangerous explosive.

Well, no wonder it was just like that. Because the violent and ruthless ‘Princess Eve’ had always caused a great stir in the capital’s social circles.

Especially the last month had been the worst. It was the level of shame of how she cried and begged in front of the emperor, saying that she would marry the Grand Duke she had a crush on. Didn’t she even harassed ministers, telling them to prepare for marriage, and tearing and beating the ladies of the court for flirting with the Grand Duke? And when the Grand Duke refused to marry, she smashed everything in the room and went on a hunger strike.

Literally, in one month, she tried everything that a human being could do.

‘Looking at it in the book, it was kind of funny.’

The problem was that she had become that ruthless princess Eve. A one-dimensional villainess who was stupid and had a bad personality. And that Eve was an unlucky villainess who was killed pointlessly in the middle of the original work and exited.

‘… Even if it’s just a dream, it’s a bizarre nightmare that will remain in my memory for the rest of my life.’

Unfortunately, that wasn’t a dream. Even when she pinched it enough to make my flesh tingle, everything remained the same. No matter how many times she slept and woke up, that strange world did not change.

That was reality. Her new bizarre reality.

“Wow, Her Highness the Princess…”

People who came to their senses belatedly hesitated and bent their backs. The sound of the music that had been cut off was also barely started again.

She ignored people’s greetings and walked to the center of the ballroom. To be precise, towards the man in the center.

Gorgeous chandeliers cast dazzling light on the smooth marble floor. Under the bright halo, she saw a tall young man who shone even more brilliantly. He had dark hair like the night sky and mysterious purple eyes. Features that draw straight and beautiful lines like a statue. It’s a perfect face that she couldn’t draw like that even if she drew it in a picture.

She had seen that face many times before, but every time she saw it, she was amazed.

‘I can’t believe there is someone who looks like that.’

One of the most handsome people she had ever seen in her life.

He was Terrence. The Grand Duke of the Albion Empire and the sub-male lead of that novel. And he’s also the fiancé of Eve, the princess she possessed.

‘He’s the unrequited love that Eve fell in love with at first sight and pursued.’

However, the Grand Duke hated Eve. Just looking at her made him frown, as if Eve had become a nasty bug. It was only because the princess was a woman that he did not use violence, but if she were a man, the public opinion was that even if she was the emperor’s child, he would have already killed her.

In the sudden silence, the Archduke turned to her.

Ugh.

She could hear people gasping.

Tension began to rise above the heavy silence.

‘It’s no wonder.’

In the original work, the encounter between the Grand Duke and Eve always created a dramatic scene. In most cases, the Grand Duke got angry and threw Eve away, and Eve cried and ran amok and destroyed the surroundings. Of course, it was a much funnier scene than the boring ball. But today would be a little different.

She stopped in the center of the ballroom, looking at the Grand Duke.

“You are here, Your Highness. I wanted to meet you.”

She didn’t forget to put on an arrogant smile with her eyes shining with anticipation. The surroundings were so heavy that it was difficult to breathe. Everyone was looking at her and the Grand Duke with their eyes shining with anticipation.

They must be imagining the scene that would happen in the future. How miserably Eve would cling to the Grand Duke today, and how bitterly the Grand Duke would tear her away.

“Princess.”

Amid everyone’s expectations, the Grand Duke strode forward to her. However, contrary to everyone’s expectations that annoyed and angry shouts would follow, he politely extended his hand toward her. Then he asked her with friendly eyes, like a fiancé.

“Would you mind giving me the honor of the first dance?”

The music, which had flowed calmly, cut off with a strange cacophony. A gasping sound could be heard from among the crowd. There was also the faint sound of glass breaking somewhere. Even without looking around, she could vividly feel the shock and astonishment of the people around her.

Regardless of whether or not, the Grand Duke held out his hand to her and gave her a barely visible smile, there was only a slight smile, but the already beautiful face looked a hundred times better.

‘Wow… Because he’s really handsome.’

She watched his face in awe and shook her head lightly before coming to her senses. Then she lifted the tip of her chin proudly and gracefully laid her gloved hand on his.

“Of course, I will allow you.”

The Grand Duke led her to the center of the floor. The smooth marble floor treads beneath the shoes. It’s a scene prepared in advance, but she felt like her limbs were getting stiff to perform in front of so many people.

Fortunately, no one came out onto the dance floor while they were dancing. The nobles who filled the ballroom were still looking at the two of them with faces as if they had been struck by lightning.

The Grand Duke, who thought of Eve as a disgusting insect, asked Eve to dance first. 

To even dance together like a close couple…! It was definitely a shocking thing for anyone to see.

“Relax, Princess.”

Perhaps feeling her nervousness, the Grand Duke whispered as he took a step closer to her.

“You look like you’re being led to an execution site, not a dance floor.”

“I really feel like I’ll die if I step on Your Highness’ foot.”

She said that from the bottom of her heart, but the Grand Duke in front of her just laughed quietly. His purple eyes, praised in the book for being like amethyst, begin to bend. A cold voice that did not match the sweet smile tickled her ears with a small laugh.

“Don’t worry, I won’t kill you.”

He was good at telling lies like that.

‘I heard he would kill me mercilessly if he thinks she will be useless.’

He pretended to be polite in public, but she knew that man for what he really was. That man had a black heart, seizing power while secretly killing countless people.

Maybe it’s because she remembered all the original lines of the book since even his friendly smile seemed to somehow exude a dangerous air. It’s like the eyes of a predator smiling as he plays with his prey.

She swallowed a dry saliva while glancing back at the Grand Duke next to her. She hated to join hands with that scary man, but for now she had no choice.

‘Cause this is the only way I’ll live.’

* * *

It was exactly two weeks ago that she entered that world.

‘At first, I was really surprised to the point of fainting.’

The place where she lived in her previous life was Korea in the real world. Life there was hard. She lost her family at a young age and lived through hardships. She barely finished her studies with student loans, and she lived a hard day by day while earning living expenses with a part-time job. 

After graduating from college, she was hit by a car and died on her way home happily, thinking, “Oh, now I need to get a job and live properly.” But that wasn’t the end.

When she opened her eyes, an unfamiliar world was spread out in front of her.

The Albion Empire that dominates the continent. A large palace where the emperor lived. The splendid main palace and the princess’s bedroom… It was the same as the content of <Flower of Pathetic Love>, which she read over and over again until she died. In other words, that was a romance fantasy world with a cold northern prince and a beautiful saint.

There, she became a 19-year-old princess with long reddish blonde hair and a gorgeous dress.

‘Hey, who am I?’

She looked into the mirror with a blank expression for a long time before asking the lady-in-waiting next to her. The young lady-in-waiting, with her sand-colored hair, answered with her terrified face in a bunch.

‘Wow, this is the noble daughter of His Majesty the Emperor, Princess Evenes.’

‘Princess Evenes… Eve? Could it be that I am Eve?’

In fact, even before she heard the name, there was a person who vaguely came to mind when she saw red blonde hair. Long reddish blonde hair and blue eyes.

Because it was an unforgettable description that came out of the original work. Still, she asked a question without thinking…

‘Yes? Yes. of course. You’re the princess.’

The lady-in-waiting confirmed it as if it were natural, but hesitated.

‘Princess, do you not remember?’

‘…’

She didn’t answer anything and went into shock again.

‘I’m Eve.’

In the novel, Eve was a princess born of the emperor and empress. As befits the princess, her appearance was very beautiful, and she was also gifted with her holy power passed down in the imperial family’s blood. However, Eve had a selfish, stupid, and violent personality enough to offset all those advantages. She was the most hated villain in <The Flower of Mystery>.

That was Eve.

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Translator Note:

I started reading this novel some time ago and I was so sad when I couldn’t finish reading it that I decided to translate it myself. I will start from chapter 1 so it will take some time to reach the point where the last group dropped it but… Let’s go!!!