Prologue

Kaori Sasaki is a low-paid animator working in Japan.

'This was not the future I picture' she sighs with full regret. 'I thought doing this job would be easy. I mean, going to art school for six years was not that difficult. there were ups and downs, but I still made it work. What the f*ck happened now? and I thought getting this job would give me access to spoilers. I guesse it did, but at what cost? I have not gone home for three days straight; I haven't laid in a comfortable bed in a while. Oh, how I miss it!

As she was regretting being alive, a sudden voice interrupted her: "Excuse me, Sasaki-san? The director called for all of us in the meeting room." Tenosuke; 'The only person I knew before working here was my classmate in junior high, but we never talked before. He was in the baseball club but still really great at drawing. His seat is right next to mine in art class. I used to find him attractive like every girl in school.'

"Uhm, yeah, I'll be right there!" Kaori replied.

When the director entered, everyone in the room fell silent for a moment, and everyone greeted him.

"Okay guys, we need to release Attack on demons season 4 in three months so I need the animators to make a quick animation for the voice actors to voice and character designs to make sure the character is all the same in every frame, and with the background artist, the same goes to you. Don't mess up our schedule; our schedule is very tight; we can't afford to go back and forth. I know time is not on our side, but I know we can do this; let's go!"

As Kaori exit the meeting room, her mind is full of thoughts: 'Ugh, I'm a character designer; I can't believe this. I thought working on this project would be fun; animating used to be fun when I was in school. Most of my classmates are now big artists; one even has her own manga she published, and here I am, single and struggling.'  While Kaori was thinking and disconnected from the real world, she didn't see the guy in front of her, causing her to crash into his back.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she said, looking up. "Tenosuke! I'm so sorry; I've not been paying attention." Kaori rumbled

"Hey, it's fine," he replied, "honestly the same; I mean, in this tight schedule! Guess who will not go home for days and who will be in their right mind right now?" he laughs.

"Yeah, you're right; I don't think I can survive with my mind barely functioning. I don't even think I can still draw any longer." Kaori joked

"Well, I know you can do it; I remember you drawing a lot in junior high and being really good at it," he exclaimed. "Just do your best; alright, see you around." 

Kaori's POV

'It's been hours since I went back to work. I didn't leave the studio for 2 days, so after I finish this animation I've been working on, I can go home for a day and go back to my comfortable bed and hopefully sleep forever.'

'Ugh, thank the stars, I'm done!' As I gathered my stuff, Tenosuke faced me and asked

"Going home?" ' What's up with this guy? We have been working together for a year, and not once has he tried to have conversations until now. 

"Oh yeah, I'm done with half of my work. I'll finish the rest the day after tomorrow. I need some sleep and alone time for me to function well again. I'll be going now; goodbye."

"Yeah, goodbye, be safe!"

Exiting the room, I could feel his eyes on me. 'What is wrong with him? Is he trying to kill me? He's probably making plans to get me fired. What does he even want from me?' As I exit the building, I hear my name being called.

"Kaori!" Tenosuke yelled

'Ugh, it's him again.' looking at him I tilt my head "Hmm?" 

"I think this is your phone," he said as he gave me the phone that I forgot.

"Ohh thanks!" I exclaimed. "Bye again."

As I walked toward the train station, I just stared at my phone, looking through social media while blasting music with my headphones on. As I crossed the street, I didn't hear or see a truck that was heading towards me at full speed, and when I finally looked up from my phone, the truck hit me.

'Oh f#ck, this is embarrassing. I can't believe I got hit by a truck, and it's 4 p.m., which means a lot of people saw me get hit.

I f#cking wish I didn't survive this, and damn, I wasted my adult life doing a job that I don't even enjoy anymore. I wanted to write my own manga, but I was so afraid of failing. What would my family think if I failed as a mangaka? I'd be an embarrassment for the rest of my life. 

Why the hell is my thought so slow yet so fast? Oh, how I failed as an adult. I mean, I still have many things I want to do, like have children, just without the pain of pregnancy. I still want to be a Burkina mom. traveling the world and living in a small village in Italy or Switzerland There are so many regrets. I wish I could go back and tell my past self to not care about what anyone thought. Goodbye, cruel world; thank you for nothing. Maybe in another life, I won't struggle to live

Chapter 1

Kaori's POV

It's been a week since I woke up in this body and world. It seems like I've been reincarnated into a beautiful teen-aged girl in a huge European mansion, whose name I learned is Lavinia Soffie Diamandis.

・flashback・

I could feel my consciousness slowly coming back, and I could feel light hitting my eyelid. "Ahh sh*t, I survived. I'm probably ugly now. That truck probably broke my skull. Why couldn't they just let me die now? I have to live deformed. Not that there is something wrong with that, but it would be embarrassing for me. I was ugly before, and now I am more ugly.

As I slowly open my eyes, an unfamiliar ceiling welcomes me—a ceiling covered with gold and paintings. What in the Renaissance painting—am I in the palace of Versailles? This is so beautiful, this comfortable bed. Wait, hold on, where am I? 

As I tried to sit down, the door opened, and a young girl came into my view. She has black hair and brown eyes, and she is wearing a maid costume.

"Princess, the doctor said you should rest! Please just lay down," she said.

"I want to sit down." I said

"Oh, my apologies, Princess. Here, I'll help you." She stammered, "I'm sorry for disobeying you. Please forgive me," she cried.

"Uhm what?" I mumbled, 'What is she talking about?

"I'm very sorry, Princess. I know I'm not worthy of your forgiveness. I will work for you until my hands fall off." She cried loudly.

"Woah, what are you talking about? F#CK, my head hurts. Can you leave?" I said.

"Yes, Princess. Just call me if you need anything. I will be just right outside." She then exits my room.

'MY ROOM? Wait, where am I? oh shit. I'm probably Isekai, bro~. I don't know what novel this is; I read so many novels that I barely remember the names and plots' as I was thinking someone was knocking on the door.

"Uhm, come in!" I stammer.

"My lady, the Duke has asked for your presence in his office." A guy in his early 50s said

"Sure, can I go tomorrow? My head hurts," I replied.

"Of course I will tell his grace, and should I call the family doctor for you?"

"Oh, no need; I will just sleep this off."

"Pardon?, my lady?" He said, looking at me, surprised and terrified.

"I don't need the doctor."

"Did the doctor ever disrespect you, Princess? If he did, I will tell his grace and get him fired immediately, or if you'd like, we can cut off his hands."

"HOLY FU—NO—I mean, there's no need, and he didn't do anything; I'm just really tired, so I need to be alone so I can rest."

"As you wish, my lady. If you need anything else, just tell your personal servant, "Good evening to you." He then exits.

'Oh my gosh, my head hurts so bad I should probably lay down.' I wonder what novel I am in right now. " Shit, I hope I'm not one of those who dies early. Maybe the villainess is more my vibe, and if I am the villainess, I'll show everyone what a real villainess looks like; I'll be unstoppable. I won't be like those reincarnated losers who change their paths to be good. What am I, a loser? I probably am. Maybe I should dethrone the emperor or king, yeah! What the fuck am I thinking? I can't even run for class president! What am I even going to do when I'm emperor? Maybe I'll just run away and live in a cottage somewhere. That sounds more promising. 

。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。

*knock knock*

Someone disrupted my sleep; someone better be dying. 'Ugh, what is it now?'

"Who is it?"

"Princess, your dinner is here," a familiar voice said on the other side of the door.

"Come in," I said.

As she came inside the room, her eyes never landed on me, and she kept looking down her feet. She looked scared. "Hey girl, what is your name?"

She looks up at me and stammers, "It's Feyrose, Princess."

'Fayrose? FAYROSE? That's a very cute name, a fairy rose, or a shy rose, super cute. "Do you know my name?" I ask

"It's Lavinia Diamandis, Princess," she asked.

"So, how long have you been working here?" I asked. 'I need to know more about this world and what I am dealing with.'

"About a month now, Princess," she replied.

"Oh, how much do you know about me or my family?"

"You're the youngest child of the Duke and Duchess Diamandis. You have two older brothers. The Diamandis have the strongest and biggest military in the empire and own lots of business; that's all I know, Princess," she explains.

"Oh, the usual common background," I mumbled.

"Pardon?" she asked.

"Nothing, so Fayrose, how long have you been working for me?"

"About three days now. Is there anything wrong? your highness," she asked.

"No, nothing. I just don't really look at my surroundings that often, so I don't really know many servants' names and backgrounds," I assured.

"Oh, here is your dinner, your highness."

I walked towards the table with the food and sat down. She then opened the cloche, and I saw a steak and a very white, barely seasoned chicken. 'Bro, what the fuck is this? Poor chicken died for nothing; at least the steak looks better.' I then cut into the steak, and I see it's very rare; it's not even f#cking medium rare. This is an alive cow, bro, wtf! I swear I could hear it moo.'

"Uhm, I think I have lost my appetite. Can you send this back? I'm not really hungry." I said, There's no way I'm eating that.

I nodded as she took the food and left, saying, "Okay, I'll bring this back to the kitchen.".

'That food looks so nasty. I'm very hungry, though. I will just sleep it off. I had days I didn't even eat just so I could buy expensive things, so this is not new for me.

Chapter 2

|FLASHBACKS/DREAM IN LAVINIA'S MEMEORY|

THIRD POV 

"MOTHER! I WANT HER GONE; NOW SHE JUST RUINED MY DRESS!" A 4-year-old little girl cried to her mother about a small stain at the hem of her dress.

"Now don't cry, my little one; why don't you just change into another dress?" A woman with golden hair and blue eyes and an angelic voice said.

"No, I want this dress; you made this for me!" The young Lavinia cried loudly on her mother's lap.

"But I would still be happy if my Kaiya wore clean clothes to this party and behaved well." She reasons with the child.

"Fine, I'll change," she agreed.

"Grand Duchess, do you want me to help her change?" the duchess' personal maid asks.

"Thank you, May, but no need; I will do it myself. Come on, let's change."

As they walk through the halls of the Diamandis mansion, the young Lavinia keeps on looking at her mother. 

"Do I look terrible? Is there something on my face? Why does my darling keep looking at me?" The mother asked the child.

"No, it's just that you're so beautiful," the child shyly admits.

too."Aww, Lavinia is very beautiful too and really cute! of all lands" she said as she picked up child "Oh, and heavy too Have you been eating a lot of sweets?" She asked.

"Yeah, and I'm sorry," Lavinia replied.

"Please don't be sorry; my Lavinia can eat anything she wants, but be careful or you might rot your teeth, alright?" The mother was reassured.

⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖♡︎˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺

The young 10-year-old Lavinia cried in her room wearing a black dress.

Her mother just died of an illness. The duke changed after his wife died. He was more stricter than before and colder; he barely went out of the mansion. Nothing in the mansion was the same as before; everything had changed. 

Especially The young Lavinia, she was known to be crueler than before. 

⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖♡︎˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺

Lavinia, now 13 years old, is with her two older brothers, Thomas and Oliver, and her father, at the imperial palace. It was the 1st prince's 16th birthday, so it was a grand party.

Normally, kids under 15 are not invited to any party at the imperial palace. However, the emperor personally wrote a letter to Lavinia and her father asking her to attend the party.

He thought perhaps the emperor just wanted to meet the moon's daughter and didn't think much of it.

Moon was the nickname used for the previous Duchess, and all the female family members in the past were called that because of an ancestor they had who was the moon goddess.

When they arrived at the palace, everyone turned their heads to Lavinia, and murmurs circulated.

"Isn't she the daughter of the moon?"

"I heard she has the moon's power."

"Isn't she still young to attend this kind of party?"

"She looks so beautiful."

"I heard she is very cruel to the people in the Dukes Mansion."

"I was told that every day the Duke hired different servants because she kept firing them."

All the things they said, she heard. but she didn't pay them any mind. 

Before the party started, Lavinia and her father were requested for their presence by the emperor in a private room.

"Alexander! It's a pleasure meeting you again. How long has it been? A month?" The emperor greeted. 

"Greetings to you, your majesty. Yes, it's been a month." The Duke replied. "And this is my daughter."

"Blessing and glory to the Ethermore Empire My name is Lavinia Soffie Diamondes, your majesty," Lavinia curtsied.

"Oh, you look just like your mother, so beautiful! and elegant," the emperor said.

"Thank you, your majesty." 

"Nice meeting you, Lavinia; would you mind stepping outside first? I need to talk to your father for a bit," he asks.

"Of course, your majesty. Please excuse me." Lavinia replied

While Lavinia waits for them to finish talking, she looks around the hall, looking at the paintings she thought were gorgeous. As she is busy looking at the paintings, she doesn't notice the boy of her age who is looking at her.

The boy can't take his eyes off the beautiful girl when he's done admiring her beauty. He decides to leave but accidentally hits a statue sitting on a table, but luckily catches it before it hits the ground.

Startled Lavinia looked at him in surprise. "Who are you?" Lavinia asked.

"Oh, um, I'm Apollo," the boy replied.

"What are you doing?" she was about to ask why he was here when a woman in her late 30s interrupted.

"Prince! What are you doing here? You are not supposed to be here," she said.

"I want to talk to my father!" Apollo said.

"Prince that can wait in the morning, come now; if your brother or mother sees you here, you will be in deep trouble."

"Ok, fine," he said, and then turned to Lavinia. "Nice meeting you?"

"Lavinia, your highness," she finished.

"Lavinia, I hope I see you again. Goodbye."

"Goodbye, your highness."

After they left, the emperor's office door opened.

"Lavinia," her father started, "you will be engaged to the first prince," he fished.

⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖♡︎˖⁺‧₊˚♡˚₊‧⁺

The next day of the prince's birthday and engagement party, the 1st prince invited Lavinia to have tea with him.

Lavinia sat opposite the prince as they had their tea. Lavinia kept talking to the prince while he was just nodding once in a while and secretly annoyed with her, but he didn't show it.

Lavinia was so happy when she got engaged to the prince. Prince Acacius wanted to be with her so he could have a family with a strong military to support him. He wanted to only use her for his own gain.