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Chapter 1
What would it feel like for something you vaguely imagined to actually come true?
I, too, had imagined seeing a post about winning the lottery and thinking, “I want to win the lottery too.”
But there was no way I’d ever win first prize in the lottery. I didn’t even buy a ticket, so the odds were zero.
My daydreams were mostly like that—things with absolutely no chance of happening.
So the idea of reincarnating into a story I loved was something that only existed in books or dreams. In other words, completely unrealistic.
Warnings like “be careful of the reincarnation truck on exam day” or “don’t pick up strange beads lying on the street” were all just playful fantasies.
They were light thoughts about escaping a boring reality and living a new life somewhere else.
But honestly, I never really wished for such a thing to happen to me.
No matter how much I loved a novel, living in a world without a phone or internet seemed impossible, and the idea of reincarnation was absurd.
Yet right in front of me stood Aria Maynard—the female protagonist of my favorite web novel.
“…What?”
Yes. I had been reincarnated into the story I loved most. And not just that—I had become the female protagonist’s childhood friend!
There are many ways people realize they’ve been reincarnated.
Sometimes a menu pops up in midair, like in a game, or you simply notice it during a normal day. But that wasn’t my case.
I realized it in the most ridiculous way: I got hit on the head by a ball that my favorite character’s older brother had thrown absentmindedly.
I had a frail body, so I couldn’t play actively and had just been watching from afar when a soft rubber ball flew toward my head.
“Ah!”
The ball struck my small head with a dull thud. At the same moment, a memory flashed in my mind.
My head ached, my neck was strained, and I felt dizzy, but I braced my legs to avoid falling.
Then, as if some beginner reincarnation benefit was being applied, a flood of unfamiliar memories poured into my mind.
Wait a second. No way… This can’t be real. Is reincarnation actually possible?
“Are you okay?!”
Daniel—my favorite character’s older brother—rushed toward me with a pale face after I unintentionally shouted a curse.
“Can a dream feel this real?”
I said, looking up at him as he held my shoulder.
Haha… of course, it had to be a dream. Even though I loved this series, reading it countless times on my phone, in print, and on e-books, reincarnating into it? That’s not realistic.
“But why doesn’t it feel like a dream?”
I didn’t ponder long. I reached out and pinched the cheek of the boy looking down at me with a serious expression.
“Ah!”
Why pinch his cheek? …Don’t soft, squishy cheeks make you want to pinch them?
The siblings watched me muttering to myself, then put on serious expressions.
“Riella must have hit her head badly. Aria, go fetch the medic!”
“Y-Yeah! I’ll go!”
No! Don’t go!
I reached for my beloved character to stop her, but it was Daniel who grabbed my hand.
“Riella, are you dizzy? Feeling like you might vomit? Fever or anything?”
He looked at me worriedly, clearly disturbed by the dull thud the children’s rubber ball had made.
I thought this was a dream or fantasy, yet the warm grip on my hand made me realize it was real.
Wait… Could this actually be real?
I blinked and examined him in detail: pinkish hair falling over his neck, deep blue, lake-like eyes.
This was characteristic of the Maynard family, the noble house of Aria in the novel.
It seemed the author had deliberately made the female protagonist bright and lovable, but even a male version looked good.
Still, even seeing it with my own eyes, I couldn’t believe it, so I pinched my own cheek to be sure.
“Ow!”
“Are you really okay?”
“Yes! I’m fine!”
Clutching my sore cheek, I stammered my reply. Daniel, however, didn’t look convinced.
“Riella, you’ve got a bump on your forehead.”
He pointed at the center of my forehead. I touched it and felt a warm, raised bump.
Then someone called out from afar.
“Riella!”
Ah, my favorite character said my name! I could die happy now…
Wait. If I’m reincarnated, does that mean my original self is dead?
I briefly marveled, then sank into serious thought. But that didn’t last long—I had to answer questions from the medic.
Even then, my gaze kept returning to my favorite character, Aria Maynard.
Yes. My type was always the female protagonist. Not romantic love, but like the admiration a fan feels for an idol.
The novel I was reincarnated into begins with the downfall of Aria’s family, the Maynard Dukes.
The oldest family in the empire crumbled because Aria refused the emperor’s marriage proposal.
Daniel stayed by Aria’s side as she struggled under unreasonable harassment.
Feeling pity for his sister, Daniel begged his friend and lord, Leonit, to stop, but Leonit started a war and forcibly sent Daniel to the front lines.
Of course, Daniel died in that war. The emperor then proposed to the only heir, Aria, again.
“Come to me, Aria. If you don’t want to die.”
Aria, who had lost her family, answered firmly:
“No.”
Who could marry the person who killed their family?
Leonit looked shocked at her refusal, then smirked mockingly.
“If you have nowhere to go, then come to me.”
Watching her family die and their house destroyed, Aria began to dream of revenge.
With nothing but her body left, she went north seeking someone to help her.
She gambled her life, seeking the Count Kainel, who, though not close, shared a common enemy.
Aria and Knox carried out a fake marriage for her deceased fiancé, eventually rebelling and overthrowing the emperor—the final villain.
Aria’s goal wasn’t the restoration of her family. Even if she couldn’t reclaim her house, she wanted justice for wrongful deaths.
Only at the end did love enter the story, with the two protagonists confessing to each other.
Well, that’s a story for the distant future.
“How could you do this to Riella knowing she’s not well?”
“I didn’t do it on purpose! It was an accident.”
“But look at Riella’s forehead! You caused that! Apologize immediately!”
Watching the siblings squabble over my forehead, I laughed quietly and adjusted the bandage the medic had applied.
“Aria, it really doesn’t hurt.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Even if you touch it, it doesn’t hurt.”
Pressing down…
“Ah!”
“See? It still hurts! Riella needs to rest immediately. Don’t follow her until she forgives you!”
Despite my thoughts, Aria huffed and grabbed my hand.
Two years had passed since Riella came to the capital for treatment. Even with a renowned doctor, her condition hadn’t improved.
Come to think of it… why am I sick? There’s nothing particularly wrong.
Walking, running, breathing—all fine. The ball hit just caused slight dizziness.
If this is treatable, fine—but if it’s a terminal illness with no cure, that’s another matter.
“Riella.”
“Hm?”
“Promise me you’ll never forgive your brother no matter what. Understood? This is our secret.”
Aria called me from my thoughts. I looked at her, forgetting what I had been thinking.
Frowning seriously, she spoke with a stern voice… and it was unbearably cute!
I clenched my fists in excitement, took a deep breath, and linked my pinky with hers.
“I promise.”
How could I refuse when my favorite asked this? Aria’s cheeks flushed as we made the pinky promise.
She seriously urged me to stay absolutely still while receiving treatment. I had to suppress my laughter at her earnestness.
“After my lesson, can we play together?”
“Alright. Be careful.”
“Don’t get up under any circumstances! Even if your brother comes, don’t open the door!”
I made a fist to show I understood. Aria mirrored me with a serious fist.
Once the door closed, I finally exhaled and closed my eyes, needing a moment to think calmly.
First: I was reincarnated.
Second: I am my favorite character’s childhood friend.
Third: The true villain of the story is Daniel’s friend, Leonit, who becomes emperor years later.
Fourth: “Riella Hound” does not appear in the original novel.
Well, the original novel didn’t mention Aria’s childhood friend explicitly, but a few lines in the side story referenced her:
“If I ever have a child, I want to name her Riella.”
I had imagined who Aria’s childhood friend might be, but I never expected it would be me.
“Oh, right… that’s how it was.”
Lying on the bed, memories slowly returned. My past life as Kim Eunhae had ended so quietly that it almost seemed meaningless, but apparently some deity felt pity. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been reborn as my favorite character’s childhood friend.
Yet I wasn’t worried. I had read this novel until my phone wore out, after all.
This was like being a professional rookie. Whatever happens next, I felt confident I could handle it.
Stretching my fist toward the sky, I shouted loudly:
“My favorite! I’ll make you the happiest person in the world!”
