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Chapter – 01
“What? So you’re saying a fake pretended to be the real duchess all this time?”
For a moment, silence fell over the ballroom. Then, with that shrill cry, whispers and murmurs exploded everywhere.
The nobles enjoying the party alternated their gazes between me and Ruruka as they gossiped among themselves.
“How could she do something so horrible?!”
“Duke Rubelian searched for his missing daughter like a madman for years!”
“And that fake used his desperation to worm her way into the family!”
Ruruka, the one who had stolen everything from me, trembled violently once the truth came to light.
It seemed she wasn’t used to people looking at her with contempt and ridicule; her face had gone deathly pale.
I walked toward her step by step and stopped in front of her.
Ruruka looked up at me with a lost expression.
“Ruruka, do you understand now?”
“……”
Her jaw tightened stiffly.
Seeing that stubborn expression, I crooked one corner of my lips and spoke in a voice dripping with mockery.
“This is the difference between you, the fake… and me, the real one.”
I brushed my hair back beneath the chandelier lights.
Hair that gleamed a dazzling platinum blonde.
The color Ruruka had desired so desperately.
Proof that I was the true daughter of the House of Rubelian.
“Ah…”
Unable to bear looking at it, Ruruka lowered her head deeply, as if trying to hide the blotchy platinum hair ruined by cheap dye.
I sneered coldly at her.
“You really thought you could steal someone else’s life and live happily ever after?”
Seeing Ruruka unable to utter a single word filled me with exhilarating satisfaction.
How much had I suffered to stand here today, after Ruruka stole my life?
Twisting my lips into a cruel smile, I laughed at her openly.
“You’ll have to pay for stealing my life now.”
For the price of living while stealing your friend’s life.
“Elia, what are you doing?”
“Ah… Ruruka? Nothing!”
I awkwardly smiled and shut my diary.
If she saw what was written inside, Ruruka would definitely think it was strange.
Noticing how I seemed to be hiding something, Ruruka narrowed her soft pink eyes suspiciously and walked toward me.
Her eyes curved like crescents.
‘Wow, the original heroine’s beauty really is unbeatable.’
Mesmerized, I admired Ruruka’s face.
About three months ago, I reincarnated into the fantasy romance novel I had been reading.
After realizing I had transmigrated, I began organizing information about the original story into a diary, and I had just been rereading it quietly.
The novel was a typical romance between an angelic heroine and a cold crown prince. It even had the cliché of a father who adored the heroine to death.
‘People say familiar stories are the most addictive. I really enjoyed it, so I remember it well.’
Shockingly, I had become “Friend #1 from the orphanage” in that novel—the young heroine’s childhood friend.
I realized it quickly because the heroine’s unusual name, Ruruka, stuck out immediately.
And to make things even crazier, Ruruka had been my favorite heroine in the novel.
I’d always had a weakness for beautiful, absolutely pure-hearted heroines.
“Elia! Are you keeping secrets from me?”
Still only fifteen, Ruruka puffed out her lips and placed her hands on her hips.
The awkward pose looked exactly like she was imitating our orphanage director, who everyone called the tiger matron.
I burst out laughing.
“Why are you laughing?! If you keep hiding things from me—”
“Hm?”
“Then the tickle attack begins!”
“Kyaaah!”
Ruruka lunged at me in an instant.
Her soft cherry blossom-colored hair cascaded over me.
“Hahaha! It tickles, Ruruka! Stop! Stoppp!”
“Then don’t keep secrets from Ruruka! …Huh?”
The hands busily tickling me suddenly froze.
“Ruruka? What’s wrong?”
Eyes widened, she stared at my neck.
More precisely, at the pendant hanging from the necklace cord.
Normally I kept it hidden under my clothes, but while twisting around to escape her tickling, it must have slipped out.
“Elia, what’s that?”
“Ah, this…?”
I hesitated for a moment.
I rarely showed the pendant to others, and it wasn’t exactly something easy to brag about.
‘But if it’s Ruruka…’
From the very first day I transmigrated, Ruruka had become the one true friend I could open my heart to.
Yeah. I didn’t want to keep secrets from her.
So I cast aside my hesitation and spoke.
“It’s my pendant! Pretty, right?”
“Yeah… It’s really pretty.”
Ruruka stared at the pendant as if entranced.
“Where did you get it?”
“…It belonged to my mother.”
I fiddled with the pendant and forced a smile.
But my eyes probably weren’t smiling at all.
Because when I entered Elia’s body, I inherited her memories too. Thinking about her dead mother stirred up a bitter feeling inside me, as though she had truly been my own mother.
And perhaps because my mind had synchronized with Elia’s young body, even my behavior had started becoming childish.
Every time I became aware of it, I realized more clearly that I had truly become Elia.
“A keepsake?”
“Yeah. They say my mother died giving birth to me. So ever since I first came to the orphanage, I’ve always worn this around my neck.”
“But this angel-wing shape definitely looked like the symbol on those missing-person posters…”
Ruruka tilted her head suspiciously while staring at the pendant, then trailed off.
Her meaningful reaction made me quickly grab her.
“What? Do you know something?”
“Ah—uh, maybe? Or maybe I’m mistaken.”
But she avoided my eyes and changed the subject.
“Elia, you’ve been at this orphanage for a long time, right? How did you end up here?”
“Me?”
I searched my memories.
Or rather, Elia’s memories.
But nothing came to mind.
“…I was too young, so I don’t really remember.”
“I see.”
“The director said I was left here right after I was born. So if you know anything about this pendant, please tell me!”
I wanted to know about my mother.
And about this pendant too.
It was the only thing connecting me to her.
If I lost even this pendant, there would be no way left to prove I was her daughter.
As I looked at her expectantly, Ruruka bit her lip awkwardly.
“N-No. I think I was mistaken.”
“…Really?”
“Yeah. Sorry for getting your hopes up.”
Ruruka wrapped an arm around my shoulders.
Warmth spread through me.
‘She sounded like she really knew something.’
It felt like she was deliberately glossing over it, but there was no way Ruruka—the “angel heroine” praised throughout the original story—would do anything bad.
In the novel, Ruruka was kindness incarnate.
An absolutely pure soul without even the tiniest trace of malice.
‘That’s why she became my favorite heroine.’
Even now, I still felt emotional remembering the scene where she injured herself rescuing children from the slums.
“Then this necklace must be really precious.”
“Yep! It’s my number one treasure!”
“Ahaha… Then do you wear it all the time?”
Ruruka gently patted my shoulder as she casually asked.
“I only take it off when I bathe. Other than that, I always wear it. Even while sleeping.”
“I see… only during baths.”
Still hugging me, Ruruka kept fiddling with the necklace cord.
‘Hm? Wait a second.’
Calmed by her warm touch, I suddenly realized something strange.
“Ruruka, don’t you have a pendant too?”
“A pendant? Me?”
At my question, Ruruka looked completely confused.
“I don’t have anything like that.”
“…You don’t?”
That was strange.
In the original story, the heroine had found her real parents through the duke’s pendant.
‘Is she hiding it from me?’
The novel had never described the heroine’s childhood in detail, so I pushed away my doubts.
After all, I wasn’t eager to talk about my own pendant either.
Unlike me, who acted like the neighborhood ringleader, Ruruka was kind to everyone.
Because of that, our reputations in the orphanage were complete opposites.
“Violent Elia noona is nothing like Ruruka noona! Catch me if you can!”
“You little brat! If I catch you, you’re dead!”
The shaved-headed kid, barely reaching my waist, screeched as he teased me before dashing away.
Judging by the way he ran, he was clearly provoking me on purpose.
“Hey! Get back here!”
I had played with the kids so often that they’d grown bold enough to pull pranks like this regularly.
Shaking my fist, I chased after him toward the backyard.
My emotions flared so easily now that it felt like my mental age had genuinely become that of a child.
‘Lately I really do feel more immature.’
Sometimes my childish behavior was so absurd I could only laugh at myself.
“Huh? Where’d he go?”
But the backyard, where the boy should have been, was completely silent.
As I searched around, a piece of clothing sticking out from the corner of the yard caught my eye.
Someone was crouched there with their head lowered.
It looked exactly like someone hiding.
‘Does he seriously think that’s a good hiding spot?’
If so, he was very mistaken.
Like a sneaky cat, I crept up quietly behind him.
Then I slung an arm over his shoulders and yanked him toward me.
“Hey! Think I wouldn’t find you hiding here?”
“…?”
“…Huh?”
That wasn’t the kid.
Startled, I quickly let go.
The child—no, the boy—twisted his lips in irritation and brushed off his clothes as though something filthy had touched him.
‘Woooow, he’s ridiculously handsome.’
The same shock I felt when I first saw Ruruka struck me again.
Glossy black wavy hair.
Blue eyes as beautiful as frozen flowers.
I couldn’t take my eyes off his face.
“Who are you? I’ve never seen you before.”
Completely captivated by his looks, I circled around him while asking questions.
But he didn’t answer at all.
He was obviously ignoring me on purpose.
“Did you just arrive today? Are you staying here too?”
“……”
“How old are you?”
“……”
“What’s your name?”
“……”
“Where’d you get those clothes? They look expensive!”
“……”
“Can’t you talk? Want me to get you a notebook and pen?”
No matter how much he ignored me, I kept asking questions relentlessly.
Apparently annoyed, the boy waved his hand dismissively with an icy expression.
It looked exactly like the arrogant nobles who occasionally visited the orphanage as benefactors.
“Pfft…”
“…?”
I couldn’t help laughing.
This tiny brat was acting exactly like those noble adults.
That somehow made it hilarious.
Covering my mouth, I burst into laughter.
And apparently that got on his nerves.
He raised one eyebrow and snapped irritably,
“…What’s your problem? Why are you laughing?”
“Oh? You can talk.”
His voice was completely different from the orphanage children’s.
Not high-pitched and squeaky, but low and commanding despite his young age.
I widened my eyes in amazement.
“So you can talk! I thought maybe you had some reason you couldn’t!”
“…What nonsense. I mastered language perfectly the moment I was born.”
“What? Pwahaha!”
I burst out laughing again.
I laughed so hard tears formed in my eyes.
With tears clinging to my lashes, I smacked his shoulder lightly.
“You’re seriously funny. I’ve never met anyone as weird as you.”
“……”
“What do they call this again? Full of yourself? A show-off?”
“…Hah. Never heard such ridiculous words before.”
The boy slowly shook his head with a disgusted expression.
Then he brushed his fallen hair back and crouched down again.
“What are you doing?”
“……”
“Is there something interesting there?”
“None of your business.”
Wow. Arrogant and rude.
Staring at this bizarre creature who was completely unlike the orphanage kids, I eventually crouched beside him.
“So what are you looking at?”
Naturally, he ignored me again.
Pouting, I followed his gaze.
He was staring at the flowers blooming wildly in the backyard.
“Oh… these are chamomile flowers.”
“…What? You know them?”
“Of course! If you dry them and make tea, they help you sleep really well!”
Excited that he’d finally shown genuine interest, I rambled on enthusiastically.
The boy pretended not to care, but he was clearly listening.
“But why are you staring at chamomile?”
“…My mother used to drink it often. I didn’t know the name until you told me.”
“Really? Then pick some and give them to your mother! I’ll help.”
As I rolled up my sleeves eagerly, the boy hurriedly stopped me, looking a little flustered.
I was simply used to taking care of the orphanage kids, so helping came naturally to me.
But to him, it seemed strange.
His blue eyes looked at me as if wondering, What kind of odd girl is this?
“You don’t have to refuse. Your mother will probably li—”
“Stop.”
Suddenly, a voice far too cold for a child cut through the air.
“My mother is gone now.”
