Chapter 01
Prologue
The brother and sister-in-law, who were supposed to live long and peaceful lives, died suddenly in a tragic accident one day—leaving behind only their four-year-old child.
I still remember that day vividly.
The cold, lifeless couple lying in their coffins, and the sight of my four-year-old nephew wailing in the nanny’s arms, his face flushed bright red from crying.
The dazed expressions of the household retainers, their gazes fixed on me as if I were their only remaining hope.
I slowly pushed past them, staggering toward my brother and sister-in-law lying in their coffins.
“This… this can’t be happening.”
I clutched their hands with my trembling ones, only to be met with icy coldness. That’s when I finally realized—they were truly gone.
“This is absurd…”
“Lady Daphne, please compose yourself. Now more than ever, we need you to show strength.”
Seeing me unable to even stand properly, the maids rushed over to support me.
They wanted me to be strong and composed—but that just wasn’t possible.
‘I clearly wrote a special side story where the male and female leads would grow old happily together with a daughter and a son, and their younger sister would spend her life doing whatever she wanted, enjoying absolute freedom. So why is everything going off the rails?’
I could feel something was very wrong. A deep fracture had split what was once a well-oiled, perfectly timed clockwork life.
Sure enough, the head elder approached and said,
“Please, Lady Daphne, accept the title of Grand Duke. It is the only lifeline left for House Steren. Lady Dioana is far too young to lead. You are the only rightful heir of Steren blood.”
I had lived my entire life as a background character, firmly resolved never to step into the spotlight—and in a single day, that life was turned upside down.
At that moment, someone tugged gently at the hem of my skirt.
I looked down slowly.
“Aunty… wuaaaaaah…”
My small, chubby-faced four-year-old niece was crying, her face drenched in tears.
I, Daphne Steren, am someone who was reincarnated into a romantic fantasy novel about the Northern Grand Duke and the sunny heroine.
Unlike other reincarnated protagonists, I didn’t have a terminal illness, there was no palace intrigue, and no messy love affairs.
I wasn’t hated by my family, nor was I adopted by a new one. I wasn’t a villainess.
There was no regret-filled male lead to waste emotions on, nor any frustrating situations to deal with—just a calm and peaceful life…
Naturally so, because the original story I reincarnated into was a bright and simple one, something cheerful enough to be mistaken for a Disney film.
And the one who wrote that story… was me.
To put it simply, I’m the original author of this happy-ending novel.
The male and female leads trusted each other deeply and never made foolish mistakes. Their friends never betrayed them, supported them fully, and even the villains ended up redeemed.
A true “Happily Ever After” for everyone.
Since I became the male lead’s much younger sister at the age of eight, I lived a luxurious and peaceful life up to my coming-of-age ceremony at twenty.
I watched my brother and sister-in-law’s touching romance unfold like a daily drama, sometimes lending a little help here and there.
After acting as their Cupid for a while, I was rewarded with the arrival of a cute, pale, and chubby niece a few years later.
It was a life so peaceful it bordered on boring—faithful to the original story. After confirming their romance concluded without any hiccups, I grew curious about the wider world.
‘What do the other countries in the world I created look like?’
The original novel had ended so smoothly, there was hardly any tension at all.
I ended it with the classic line: “The main characters and everyone around them lived happily ever after.”
There were no dangers of early death, I had plenty of money, and I was in good health.
I had planned to spend the rest of my life traveling and enjoying the world.
Of course, that became impossible after my brother and sister-in-law died.
The council of elders wanted me to succeed the Grand Duke’s title. House Steren was still standing strong, and they had no intention of giving up the northern frontier to anyone else.
They wouldn’t allow a branch family to take over either, so they had no choice but to entrust the household to a former drifter like me.
Just like that, I became the Northern Grand Duchess overnight. I had no time for a grand inauguration or banquets—I had to immediately prepare my brother and sister-in-law’s funeral.
Many nobles gathered for the ceremony, mourning the deaths of the Steren couple, but they couldn’t help glancing at me and whispering among themselves.
I pretended not to notice or hear, but their words were painfully obvious.
“Is that really Daphne Steren? I heard she’s been off traveling the world and hasn’t been seen in the Empire for years.”
“I hear she’s inheriting her brother’s title as heir of the northern frontier. Can a woman really handle that?”
“Such a pity. They were such wonderful people. And Lady Dioana is only four years old… If she were a boy, she could’ve been groomed early to become the heir.”
They weren’t even subtle about it.
They seemed to think that holding a fan in front of their mouths counted as manners.
They didn’t even try to whisper. Their loud, echoing voices—men and women alike—were clearly intentional.
“Please ignore them, Lady Daphne. Duke Caleb has always been like that.”
My aide Jeremy approached quietly, trying to gauge my reaction.
I knew the type.
They lift themselves up by putting others down. Best to just ignore them and live well.
I could handle it, but—
“Aunty, aunty. Dioana is the h-heir? S-so… is the Steren family over now?”
Four-year-old Dioana was genuinely frightened.
She was scared the house would fall apart, scared she’d be kicked out for being an orphan now.
Seeing her crestfallen face from the heartless chatter, I quickly picked her up and gently patted her round little head.
“No, sweetie. Ignore what the adults are saying. That’s not going to happen.”
“But Aunty… e-everyone says mama and papa are gone, and I… I won’t see them again. Are they really gone forever?”
She didn’t even understand the concept of death yet, but the nobles spoke so easily in her presence.
I kissed her tear-streaked cheek and forced a smile.
“Aunty, do you miss mama and papa too?”
“Of course. I miss them very much.”
In a way, I created these characters. I even lived with them for quite some time, sharing emotions with them.
“Then why aren’t you crying?”
It’s not that I wasn’t sad.
I wanted to cry, too. But I couldn’t allow myself to break down.
“Dioana, when you grow older, you’ll learn that death isn’t always a complete goodbye. I don’t cry because I know your parents are still with me.”
“R-really?”
“Of course. They’re always here. Watching over you, making sure you’re okay.”
“Really?”
She still looked confused, but smiled back when I did. At times like this, I’m glad children are simple.
I handed Dioana back to the nanny and walked toward the other nobles.
Reading my expression, the nanny hurriedly left the hall with the child.
Those who had been gossiping eagerly now quickly tucked their faces under veils and hats.
I said nothing, just nodded slightly as I passed them. That was warning enough.
My appearance—like a colder female version of my famously handsome brother—was enough to send a chill down their spines.
Jeremy followed behind me, glaring subtly at the others and scoffing.
Only then did the gossipy duke and duchess go silent, as if their mouths had been weighed down.
As the guests were paying their respects, a royal servant arrived bearing the imperial seal.
His somber face showed more than just sorrow over the sudden deaths of the Grand Duke and Duchess.
“His Majesty is bedridden and deeply regrets not being able to attend. He mourns the loss of one of the Empire’s greatest generals and a noble duchess.”
After delivering the condolences, he glanced at me before continuing.
“Prince Lucius also sends his regrets. He will likely not be able to attend the funeral either.”
I accepted the white silk cloth from the palace and gently laid it over the coffins.
In the Manua Empire, it is custom to cover the deceased with white silk.
I was the one who wrote that tradition into the story. At the time, it was just to add depth to the setting.
Never did I imagine I’d have to witness it firsthand.
Before the coffins were sealed, I gave one last farewell to my brother and sister-in-law.
‘Brother, sister-in-law… Rest peacefully. I’ll take care of Dioana and the Steren household from now on.’
But as I held the funeral, I couldn’t shake the suspicion that their deaths were more than just an “unfortunate accident.”
Still, the dead must be laid to rest.
After several days, my brother and sister-in-law were finally buried in the Steren family’s ancestral tomb.
At that time, I had no idea—everything would truly begin after I became the official Grand Duchess of House Steren.
The timing couldn’t have been worse.
The Emperor was ill, and the powerful wolf-like Grand Duke of the North had suddenly died.
It was the perfect chance for those seeking to swallow the Manua Empire.
From neighboring kingdoms to local bandits, and even imperial dukes eyeing the frontier title—everyone began to move.
I didn’t have time to mourn the deaths or question them.
I had to become the head of House Steren, the Northern Grand Duchess.
Everyone mocked me, claiming the family was finished, that a clueless young woman who loved travel couldn’t possibly defend the frontier.
Their scornful whispers spread like wildfire.
Even foreign rulers heard of it and made several attempts to invade.
But who am I?
The author of this novel. The original creator.
The younger sister of the protagonist.
That means I’m part of the favoritism system that bestowed absurdly powerful traits to the main characters and their inner circle.
In short—I’m extremely capable.
Besides, I’d been trained one-on-one by my brother since childhood. I wasn’t the clueless girl they thought I was.
Over several months, I fought off invasions while also feeding the people of Astella, the Steren territory.
Due to the harsh winter that arrives every four years, food supplies were tight.
Still, for someone who was made Grand Duchess overnight—I did well.
I may not have achieved a sweeping victory, but I won battles. The people didn’t starve, even if the winter wasn’t easy.
Even if my reputation as a ruler isn’t the best, at least there were no revolts.
And maybe… that’s enough.
