IDMLG 01

Chapter 1

Yes, I wasn’t “possessed” into someone else’s body—
I was truly born and raised here.

As a girl named Elizabeth Christener, a character who never even existed in the original novel.

Born with the memories of my past life intact, it didn’t take me long to realize where my new life would unfold.

The House of Christener.
And Michael Christener.

Amidst unfamiliar land and unfamiliar people, that name alone etched itself clearly in my mind.

Because it was the name of a sub–male lead’s family from the romance fantasy novel I had last read in my previous life: The Saintess of Erendel.

The Christener Marquisate—
the wealthiest and most prestigious noble house in the Kaiden Empire.

It was said that if they poured out all their wealth, the citizens of the entire empire could live off it comfortably for at least ten years.

And I… had been born as the most cherished youngest daughter of that very family.

Overflowing wealth and honor, a splendid mansion, countless servants, and parents who doted on their adorable youngest daughter.

And even an older brother with talent more than enough to cover for his useless little sister.

In that kind of environment, I…

“Starting tomorrow, you’ll be going on blind dates. Prepare yourself.”

Wait. What? I didn’t mishear, did I?

He really just told me to go on a blind date.

So that’s why he dragged me all the way to the capital even though it wasn’t even the social season!

“What? Why me?!”

I shot up from my bed, staring in disbelief at my elder brother.

From the current young head of House Christener came a glare cold enough to make me shiver.

“For twenty-three years, the only thing you’ve done is eat, sleep, and laze about like some parasite. You don’t have the right to refuse.”

…Sharp words.

And unfortunately, I had no argument.

Because for the past twenty-three years, that’s exactly what I had done—eat, sleep, roll around, and never leave the bed unless absolutely necessary. My motto had always been: “Outside the blanket is dangerous.”

Even in my previous life, I was the ultimate homebody loner, and that hadn’t changed much in this one.

I had only barely dragged myself to debut in high society to keep up appearances, and aside from being forcibly hauled to unavoidable events, I never made any close friends and spent all my time holed up in my room.

And every effort my brother made to “rehabilitate” me always ended in failure.

Worse, he was mocked as an incompetent head who couldn’t even marry off his own little sister.

Rumors even spread that our parents had handed over the household early and fled on a long trip because they couldn’t stand their useless daughter anymore.

Still, even so—this is way too sudden!

“Tomorrow at one o’clock. Zremian Restaurant.”

Despite my glare of protest, his command fell on me like an execution order.

“Remember that, and be there on time—for your own good.”

His expression wasn’t that of a caring brother arranging a meeting for his sister.

It was like a general delivering his enemy their final warning.

His eyes seemed to say: If you don’t show up, you’ll die.

Of course, I sulked in silence, my whole body screaming reluctance.

“Answer.”

His cold voice cut through the air again.

When I glanced up, his gaze was so sharp I thought he might slam me into the floor if I didn’t answer properly.

As if my twenty-three years of blissful freeloading life at House Christener were flashing before my eyes.

They really had been good times…

“Answer.”

Again, his voice demanded a response, like a whip at my ear.

Past and future didn’t matter—what mattered was surviving the present.

With tears brimming, I nodded.

“…Yes.”

“What time?”

“…One o’clock.”

“Where?”

“…Zremian Restaurant.”

“And what happens if you don’t show up?”

“…Well, what if something truly unavoidable happens? Like my leg breaking, for instance…”

I didn’t mean I would do that. I was just pointing out that accidents could happen.

But Michael’s icy glare didn’t waver even a bit.

So I quickly bowed my head and stammered:

“If my leg breaks, I’ll crawl there if I have to.”

Because as much as I hated blind dates, I valued my life more!

And so, the next day at one o’clock, I was sitting obediently by the window at Zremian Restaurant.

* * *

Michael Christener, Marquis of House Christener—
the official sub–male lead of The Saintess of Erendel.

At nineteen, as soon as he came of age, he inherited the household and became its head.

A man with specs that rivaled the main lead, famed for his rigid, uncompromising personality, always walking the straight and narrow.

That man was my older brother.

Truthfully, I was grateful to him.

Though only two years apart, he had always been my pillar of support, my caring older brother since childhood.

Sometimes like a parent, sometimes like a friend—he was always by my side.

He nagged more than our parents, scolded me more, and gave me more forehead flicks than I could count…

But still, countless times I thought to myself how lucky I was to be born as his little sister.

Michael had always worried about me.

Unlike other noble children, I had never been good at socializing.

I would always hide in a corner, counting ants on the floor, earning me the label of gloomy and creepy. The other children avoided me.

Only my brother worried over me and watched me.

But he never scolded me for being different.

He never forced me to befriend the kids who bullied me.

Instead, he would place his large hand on my head and say in his characteristically indifferent tone:

“If you need a friend, I’ll be one. You don’t need anyone else. So don’t you ever shrink back—walk tall and be proud.”

And then:

“Whether you sit crouched on the ground staring at ants, or whether you have no one to invite to your birthday, no matter what you do—you’re still my proud and precious little sister.”

That was the day when, at eleven years old, I truly accepted Michael as my brother—even though at the time I still remembered my past life vividly.

Sure, I had only stared at ants because I didn’t want to deal with those pretentious little noble brats. And yes, it was a calculated move so they would avoid me first.

Still…

Of course, nowadays, whenever Michael drinks, he sighs and says:

“I regret saying those things back then. It’s my fault you turned out this way.”

Every time, the same story.

I did feel guilty toward him.

After all, thanks to me, he was still a bachelor far past the marriageable age.

In the original novel, he missed his chance at marriage because he was too busy managing the merchant guild he had inherited.

But with me added to the story, his burdens doubled.

After all, how could he live happily ever after with a family of his own when his useless little sister was still unmarried at home?

As he himself put it:

“What kind of woman would marry a man dragging around such a massive burden?”

And he wasn’t wrong.

If I were them, I’d hesitate to marry a man stuck with an old, unmarriageable sister too.

I knew he wouldn’t get married until the original heroine appeared anyway.

Still, I had at least enough conscience to feel guilty about making him bear the shame of being called incompetent because of me.

…But that didn’t mean I was going to sit obediently and act like a proper lady at this blind date.

Crack.

The marble table, perfectly fine until now, suddenly split in half with a sharp sound.

It happened the instant I lightly rested my hand on it.

Across from me, my date, the waiter who had just approached to take our order, and even the other patrons nearby all froze and stared.

Their expressions were identical, as though saying: What the hell did we just witness?

“Oh my, how dangerous.”

Feigning surprise, I quickly lifted my hand from the ruined table.

The marble slab, cleanly split down the middle, crumbled into fragments that scattered onto the floor.

My date’s dazed eyes shifted from the broken table, to the fallen fragments, and finally back to me.

Covering my mouth, I gave a shy little smile.

“Ah, I’m so sorry. I guess I forgot to be careful.”