FCVBGDCF 1

A week ago, I was transmigrated into a novel I had been reading in my previous life.

I became Judith Melberine, the villainess who, obsessed with the male lead, the Crown Prince, ultimately meets her demise at his hands.

When I first realized I had been transmigrated, my immediate thought was, “Does this mean I can feast my eyes on all the beautiful people to my heart’s content?”

And why wouldn’t I think that? In my previous life, I was so obsessed with good-looking faces that people would shake their heads in disbelief at my madness.

And this wasn’t just any novel—it was a romance fantasy novel! A romance fantasy novel where even the supporting characters could outshine most celebrities!

In other words, it meant I had an abundance of opportunities to encounter absolutely stunning beauties!

Moreover, my status was that of a duke’s daughter—a golden spoon, no less. Aside from the fact that the original story had already progressed a little, there was truly no problem at all. Judith’s execution was something that would happen far in the future.

As long as I didn’t obsess over the Crown Prince any further, it meant I could start a comfortable and blissful life surrounded by a harem of beautiful people.

“Ahem, are you listening, my dear?”

The one who snapped me out of my reverie about handsome men was Judith’s father, Duke Melberine. Despite being middle-aged, his appearance radiated an undeniable brilliance.

I flashed a bright smile and responded to the duke.

“Of course, Father.”

The duke, as if unaccustomed to my smiling face, made a peculiar expression before hesitating, seemingly struggling to say something. Finally, he managed to speak.

“Well… my daughter, it hasn’t been long since you woke up from your sickbed. For the sake of your health, perhaps it would be best to skip His Highness the Crown Prince’s birthday banquet this time…”

“A banquet… did you say a banquet?”

A banquet—the place where all sorts of dashing and gorgeous men and women gather, laughing and chatting with one another? The very starting point of every romance fantasy novel?!

Of course, I had to attend! There was no question of sitting it out.

As my expression shifted moment by moment, a look of dismay crossed the duke’s face. Judging by his sigh, it seemed he was already worrying about how to handle the aftermath.

Paying no heed to his concerns, I raised my head haughtily, just as Judith would, and declared confidently.

“Of course, I must go, Father. If I don’t attend, who else could possibly take my place?”

“Y-Yes… you’re right……”

 

Time passed quickly, and at last, the day of the banquet arrived.

Standing in front of the mirror, I carefully examined Judith Melberine’s appearance. Her beautiful pastel-toned, soft pink hair and eyes that sparkled as if they held the shimmering light of ripples on water. Instead of the sharp, cat-like eyes that symbolized a villainess, her gentle gaze and plump lips, reminiscent of ripe cherries, took their place.

As I gazed at the flawless beauty reflected in the mirror, I tilted my head.

“How could anyone look at this face and call it a villainess…?”

Judith’s appearance was so striking that it felt closer to that of a heroine than a fierce villainess. Hearing my murmur, Mary looked up and glanced at me.

“Pardon? Did you call for me, my lady?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

In truth, when I first saw Judith’s face with makeup applied, I nearly fainted from shock. And for good reason—her makeup style was utterly dreadful.

Her eyelids were painted so darkly it looked like smoky makeup gone wrong, and her lips were coated in a muted nude shade that dulled her vibrancy.

And the clothes! The dressing room was filled entirely with dark, blood-red dresses that looked as though they were stained with gore—completely mismatched with Judith’s appearance.

According to Mary, I had always insisted on this makeup and style.

I wasn’t sure if it was an intentional choice to project a strong image, but now that I was in this body, I couldn’t bear to stand by and watch this face’s potential go to waste.

So, I had everything cleared out and replaced.

With spring-light colors that suited Judith’s face!

Thanks to that, her already beautiful face, now enhanced by proper makeup, radiated twice as much charm. The maids, who were putting the final touches on my hair, stared at me with their mouths agape.

“My lady, you look absolutely stunning today!”

“Indeed! You’ve always been beautiful, but today your beauty shines even brighter!”

“Don’t you think so? Even I can tell.”

As I playfully responded to their compliments, the maids burst into giggles. When I first transmigrated, everyone seemed to be wary of me, but now they were comfortable enough to exchange lighthearted banter.

I glanced at my reflection in the mirror once more, imagining the banquet that awaited.

Surely… there would be countless handsome men and beautiful women from all corners of the realm. If luck was on my side, I might even catch the eye of a dashing potential husband tonight.

Hehehe…

With such scheming thoughts hidden in my heart, I boarded the carriage headed for the imperial palace.

 

* * *

 

My excited breaths cut through the air of the banquet hall.

“Phew…”

I was currently fanning my flushed cheeks, hiding my quivering jaw, while observing the various nobles passing by.

Over there’s a handsome man! And there’s a beauty! My goodness, this place is overflowing with gorgeous people!

No matter where I looked, there were stunningly attractive men and women everywhere. My eyes darted around ceaselessly, trying to take them all in. Part of me wanted to laugh and chat with them, mingling freely, but unfortunately, that wasn’t possible.

 

‘Because… I don’t have any friends…’

 

Perhaps because of Judith’s past misdeeds, no one dared to approach me. As a result, I could only swallow my tears and watch them from afar.

 

It was while I was quietly observing the crowd, alone, that I overheard something. From a group of noble young ladies, I caught snippets of conversation about me. Pretending not to notice, I strained my ears to listen.

“…What’s gotten into Lady Melberine? She always insisted on those garish, dark red dresses, but today she’s wearing something so refined.”

“Exactly! Even her expression has changed. She used to glare so fiercely with those intense eyes—it was terrifying… But today, she looks like a spring fairy!”

A cute-looking young lady chirped brightly, showering me with praise.

But then, as if she’d heard something absurd, a young lady with ruby-red hair furrowed her brow and snapped her fan shut with a sharp clack. At a glance, she was an extraordinary beauty.

 

“Hah, a spring fairy? What does it matter if her attire is refined? The core inside hasn’t changed one bit. I’m quite looking forward to seeing what kind of spectacle she’ll make of herself in front of His Highness the Crown Prince today.”

With those words, she shot me a chilling glare, her golden eyes brimming with barely concealed disdain. Caught in her piercing stare, I quickly turned my head, pretending not to notice.

I had no idea what I’d done, but it was clear this beautiful woman harbored intense animosity toward me. It wasn’t even my fault—normally, I wouldn’t care what anyone said about me, but seeing such a stunning lady openly display her dislike left me suddenly dejected.

Trying to shake off the gloom, I started to move to another spot.

Just then, a resonant bell rang, drawing everyone’s attention, followed by the commanding voice of a herald.

“His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress have arrived!”

At that, the nobles all rose from their seats and bowed their heads in unison. Caught off guard, I hurriedly followed suit and bowed as well. The emperor’s majestic voice echoed through the banquet hall.

“All of you, raise your heads. I thank you for attending the Crown Prince’s birthday banquet. I won’t bore you with a lengthy speech. Enjoy yourselves freely.”

As His Majesty the Emperor’s brief words concluded and I lifted my head, my gaze naturally drifted past the emperor to the Crown Prince standing behind him. And then, our eyes met.

His golden hair gleamed as if it were crafted from molten gold, and his face was so striking it could put any idol to shame. As if that weren’t enough, he even flashed a gentle smile in my direction.

‘What…?! They said I was obsessed with him, so why is he smiling at me? Is this a confession? It’s totally a confession, right?’

It was just a fleeting moment of eye contact, but I knew instantly. The Crown Prince was undeniably a heartthrob. No wonder Judith had been so madly obsessed with him…

For a brief second, I felt my ambitious resolve to avoid obsessing over the Crown Prince waver. It seemed like it could crumble entirely.

However… while it was true that the Crown Prince was an unparalleled beauty unlike any I’d ever seen, there was something oddly lacking—about two percent short of perfection.

 

‘Just a little more… really, just a tiny bit more…! It’s missing two percent…!!’

The Crown Prince didn’t quite meet the ideal of the perfect face I craved. He couldn’t fully satisfy the longing in my heart.

I don’t know where this confidence came from, but I had a powerful gut feeling that someone who could fulfill that missing piece would soon appear.

‘Now that I think about it… wasn’t there a secondary male lead, the Grand Duke? His name was Axel Valentione, wasn’t it?’

The moment that realization hit me, I hurriedly scanned my surroundings, but no one fitting his description was in sight. Biting my lip anxiously, I sank into thought.

‘There’s no way the Grand Duke wouldn’t attend the Crown Prince’s banquet… They’re cousins, after all. If he’s not in the banquet hall… the answer is the terrace!’

In the story, the Grand Duke was said to dislike crowded places. So, if I headed to a secluded terrace where no one else was, I was certain I’d find him.

With that thought in mind, I didn’t hesitate and immediately made my way toward the terrace.

 

─── ･ ｡ﾟ✧: *. ꕥ .* :✧ﾟ. ───

Don’t forget to support the translation at ko-fi ❣️

 Here