Chapter 1: Inside the Duchy of Rosahill

I had fallen into a complete and utter panic. But I wasn’t the only one in that state.

“My daughter has amnesia?!”

“W-Well… Duke, sir…”

“I don’t want to hear it. Take that physician away and throw him in the dungeon!”

“No, Your Grace! Please, have mercy!”

“Um… excuse me…”

The Duke’s face was clearly filled with confusion, his expression one of utter disarray. When I carefully tried to speak up, unable to stay silent any longer, he immediately let go of the physician he’d been about to throttle and rushed over to me.

“Th-That’s right. My daughter. My angel. Are you alright?”

Tears welled up in the Duke’s teal-colored eyes, enough to make his fierce expression from moments earlier seem like a complete lie. I nervously fiddled with my fingers and spoke up.

“I just woke up… and my head hurts…”

“Hey, physician! What are you doing lying there?! Hurry up and examine her!”

He barked at the physician like a madman—completely ignoring the fact that he’d been the one to knock him over in the first place.

The frightened physician came over and began asking me basic questions. But I couldn’t answer a single one. The Duke’s face grew paler and paler, and my mind grew blanker and blanker.

‘Am I dreaming in an ICU or something?’

Maybe I’d been too emotionally affected by reading Elia’s Story the night before and had this weird dream…

Nope. This can’t be a dream. No way.

Whether he realized how disoriented I felt or not, Esat gently held my hand.

“You must be very confused, Laila… having lost your memory like this.”

He treated me like the most precious treasure in the world—like I’d fly away if he let go, or break if he held too tight. His hand gently brushed away the sweaty hair sticking to my forehead, and I couldn’t help but feel my cheeks flush.

Ye-eun once told me, “The Duke is weak to his daughter,” and, “He’s very family-oriented.” But hearing that and experiencing it firsthand were completely different things.

Esat Rosahill.

He’s the 8th head of the long-standing Rosahill Ducal House, which governs the central region of the Ulysses Empire in Elia’s Story.

Rosahill is the most powerful and prestigious family in the central region—including the imperial capital. The family once produced an empress, and their territory is rich in mines and resources. They even run their own merchant group, and their wealth and power are not something other noble houses can even dream of challenging.

Not only that, but Duke Rosahill also held the official title of Minister of Civil Affairs. Every day, he commuted from his mansion in the capital to the Imperial Palace to carry out his duties. His first son—Laila’s eldest brother—Edwin, was a 24-year-old count and heir to both the merchant group and the house. The second son, Light, was already the commander of the Imperial Guard at just 21 years old.

A house at the pinnacle of both civil and military authority. Their power rivaled that of royalty.

‘And me… I’m…’

Laila Rosahill.

A girl with silver hair and green eyes, said to be the spitting image of the now-deceased Duchess.

Despite having such an impressive father and brothers, Laila Rosahill was… ordinary. Or rather, I wish she had been.

She was a true villainess with a rotten personality—constantly scheming to torment the main leads of the story. It was Laila who interfered with the romance of the heroine and male lead in every way possible.

The Duke, who adored Laila, even arranged her engagement with the male lead. But of course, the engagement was eventually broken.

And after that… the downfall of House Rosahill began.

It was because—for some reason—the house eventually committed treason.

Since I was told I’m 14 years old now, that means I’ve entered the story’s timeline four years earlier than the main events.

Though the physician insisted I needed rest, the Duke reluctantly left after much fuss.

If I had any regrets, it would be not finishing Ye-eun’s novel. If I had read to the end, I might’ve known more about the details of the treason and the ending!

All I knew was this:

Duke Rosahill dies in five years. And everyone in the Rosahill family is executed for treason.

“No way!”

I shivered.

“This has to be a dream…”

I murmured gloomily. A maid tidying the room looked at me strangely, but I ignored her.

‘Yeah… it has to be a dream…’

Otherwise, there’s no way I’d have become Laila and been thrown into Elia’s Story.

I pinched my cheek.

‘It hurts…’

I pinched harder. It hurt more. Tears welled in my eyes. Please, let this all be a dream.

As I was struggling alone in distress, I suddenly heard a knock on the door.

“Who is it…?”

I didn’t even finish speaking before the door burst open with a bang. Someone stormed in with hurried steps and ran over.

“LALA!!!”

‘…Ah.’

I looked up at him. Light green eyes, slightly brighter than the Duke’s, and golden hair that looked like it was soaked in sunshine—this could only be…

“So you’ve lost your memory, huh?! Your brother Light is here!”

Yes, this was undoubtedly Laila’s second brother, Light.

The novel had described him as handsome, cool-headed, and righteous—a knight through and through. But I didn’t expect him to be so intense in person.

Since I didn’t answer, he looked panicked and opened his mouth again.

“Why aren’t you saying anything? Wait… Did you hurt your throat too?!”

If I didn’t stop him, he’d keep spiraling with wild imagination, so I had no choice but to speak.

“…No, I’m fine, b-brother.”

His whole body froze.

‘…Huh?’

I looked up, wondering if I’d said something wrong.

“L-Lala just… called me brother…!”

Tears streamed down his face as he trembled with emotion. I stared at him in disbelief.

Later I’d learn that the Duke, who’d dearly loved his late wife, treasured Laila—who was born weak—as the apple of his eye. Edwin and Light were no different. Doted on by such “sister-obsessed” and “daughter-obsessed” family members, Laila had become quiet and distant. As she hit adolescence, she grew even colder—and had stopped calling them “brother” entirely.

I sighed.

The overwhelming events before me were already too much, and now these people were fussing over me too. I was thinking about how to manage the situation when the door swung open again, and someone else rushed in.

Under the chandelier’s glow—yes, my room has a chandelier—stood a man with radiant silver hair, deep lake-blue eyes, and aristocratic features.

‘…The eldest brother, Edwin.’

“Are you alright?”

He ignored Light completely and asked me first. Even with his stiff tone, his concern was obvious. His slightly disheveled appearance made it clear he had rushed over here.

Light grumbled beside him.

“Eddie, that’s not fair! I was already talking to her. And Lala just called me brother, too…!”

“…What?”

Edwin quickly looked at me, his blue eyes filled with desperate anticipation. Intimidated, I stammered out:

“E-Edwin… brother?”

The impact of those words was immense.

Warmth bloomed on Edwin’s cold face, and a soft smile spread like a spring breeze. I awkwardly gripped the blanket. While the three of us just stood there staring at each other, a brave maid finally spoke up.

“Pardon me, First and Second Young Masters…”

“What is it?”

“The physician has requested no visitors to allow the patient to rest…”

Even the panicked Edwin came to his senses at that. Light also nodded, accepting the explanation.

“No wonder Father wasn’t here.”

“The Duke came earlier and left after checking on her.”

As the maid explained, Edwin gently stroked my head while Light tightly held my hand. I blinked at their soft, comforting touch.

“You’re not hurting anywhere, right?”

“…No.”

“Good.”

“Lala, if you ever feel sick, just call your brothers, okay?”

Light emphasized the word again. I forced a faint response, overwhelmed.

The storm-like brothers finally left—reluctantly, step by step. Outside, someone shouted, “Let’s return to the Imperial Guard, sir!” and another calm voice said, “The estate inspection isn’t over yet.”

They must’ve ignored all their duties to rush over. Their doting nature was clearly ingrained in their DNA.

I turned my stiff neck and let out a long sigh.

“If there’s anything you need, please let us know.”

“…Okay.”

I mumbled, pulling the blanket over my head. It was slightly more comforting not having to see anything. I slowly retraced the events that had happened.

‘This is impossible.’

I never imagined something this cinematic would happen to me.

Was I really going to live as “Laila Rosahill” from now on?

I squeezed my eyes shut.

I didn’t want this. I was scared.

My past life wasn’t perfect, but… that didn’t mean I wanted to wake up in another world, in someone else’s body.

‘But… then what happened to my original body?’

No matter how I tried to look on the bright side, I could only conclude one thing:

I must have died.

I fell into silence.

Why, of all people, did it have to be Laila Rosahill?

If I’d become Elia, I would at least know the future. I wouldn’t be set to die like some tragic time bomb in five years.

‘Ah!’

I suddenly remembered that Laila gets engaged to the First Prince. But that engagement is canceled once he falls in love with Elia…

Wait—

Was it really canceled naturally?

I started to think more carefully…