《From Villainess to Heroine》 The Fall of Evelyn Carter Oh! Hello there! My name is Evelyn Carter, and I''m currently in my run-down apartment today. While I sip on this coffee, let me introduce myself! I''m a book writer, you see. There''s this book I''ve been working on recently in my free time¡ªThe Prince''s Eternal Vow. It''s a really good book, if I do say so myself. It''s about the villainess in a fantasy world, and trust me, it''s full of drama, romance, and a whole lot of trouble. "Evelyn!!!" I barely had time to flinch before I heard the familiar sound of my nearly broken-down door being rattled open. Ah, the debt collector again. What else is new? I sighed. When would these people ever give me a break? I opened the door, expecting the usual grumpy old man to start yelling about the overdue bills, but instead, he stabbed me with a kitchen knife. EHH?! W-Wait, hold on¡­ Am I¡­ about to die? No, no, no, no. I hated painful deaths. I''ve seen enough TV dramas to know that this was the moment when my life would be over. As the cold metal of the knife made contact, my thoughts immediately shifted. "You suck, author!" "Your book sucks!" The barrage of hate filled my mind, a flood of comments and reviews. I get all the hate, but I really tried my best. I swear! My hands gripped the knife wound, trying to process everything, but¡­ Splat.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Everything went black. *** When I opened my eyes again, the first thing I noticed was the bed. Woah... this bed is really nice. The sheets were smooth and soft, like something out of a fantasy novel. Definitely not the raggedy couch I''d been using to sleep in my old life. [WAKE UP! Open your eyes!] A voice echoed in my head, and I winced. Huh? Why is the ceiling kind of different? It had that royal theme¡ªlike something straight out of a palace. And what was that voice? [I''m here!! You have been reincarnated as Isolde Valtara!] No¡­ this is just way too unreal. I sat up, looking around the room. The air felt rich. The bed was gigantic, and everything had this extravagant, old-world charm. This didn''t look like the hospital room I expected. I went to the window, staring at my reflection in the glass. I touched my face gently. It wasn''t me. It was the villainess. I caressed my face, admiring the perfect skin, the high cheekbones, and the sharp, elegant features. I looked good¡ªbut that wasn''t the point. Isolde Valtara. The name rang in my head. She''s the villainess from The Prince''s Eternal Vow. I''d written this book, remember? She was the character everyone loved to hate. And she had a really bad end. Wait. What do you mean reincarnated? [You have been reincarnated as Isolde Valtara! Congratulations!] I froze, my thoughts scattering. No, no, no. This can''t be real. This isn''t happening. But when I took a deep breath and glanced around again, everything was real. This wasn''t a dream. This was my new life. I felt a chill run down my spine. The events of the novel started to flood back¡ªIsolde''s cruel fate. She was going to die at the hands of Crown Prince Lucian Eltharion. I couldn''t believe it. Lucian? Wasn''t he the one who hated her¡ªwho was going to be the one to kill her? I shuddered. [His name is Crown Prince Lucian Eltharion!] Right. Lucian. The brooding prince who was supposed to be my downfall. Wait. What do you mean "congratulations?" I barely had time to process it before a new voice interrupted me. [You must avoid dying at the hands of the Prince! First task: Steal the Prince''s first kiss.] I felt my entire body freeze, and then¡­ Blood came splurging out of my nose. Wha¡ª? Kiss? I have to steal his kiss? I didn''t even have time to process what was happening before my face turned red. How in the world do I steal a kiss from the guy who''s supposed to kill me? [Penalty for not completing the task: Death.] My nose started bleeding even more. Oh no, no, no. I''m going to die again. [Um, it doesn''t work like that...] I groaned. I was going to die¡ªagain. I was already a goner before I could even figure out what the heck was going on. Chapter 2: The Prince and His First Kiss... Wait, What? [Steal the Prince''s first kiss.] WHAT. THE. HECK. Do you mean to tell me that I¡ªIsolde Valtara, the villainess who''s supposed to die horribly¡ªam now tasked with stealing the first kiss of Prince Lucian Eltharion? Is he, like, a mythical being who''s never kissed anyone before? No way. He''s handsome, he''s elegant, and he''s, like, the most sought-after guy in the kingdom. How can he not have kissed anyone yet? Oh wait, right. That frosty, cold personality of his. I guess he''s too busy glaring at people to go out and make out with anyone. Mwehe. Imagining kissing him just... makes my nose bleed again. Oh gosh, not this again. What is it with me and this nosebleed? Anyway, let''s focus. I need to breathe, take a break, and maybe¡ªjust maybe¡ªexplore this royal palace thingy. I stepped out of the room, and wow. The hallways are filled with servants and maids bustling around like ants. Everything is so fancy. The carpets? Rich, plush red. The walls? Covered in gold details that probably cost as much as my entire miserable apartment. A noble walks past, giving me a look like she just smelled a rotten fish. Ugh, great. That''s probably my reputation here. The villainess. I roll my eyes. Whatever. What are they gonna do? I''m already doomed to a death sentence, right? I continue walking, turning down a hall and finally stepping outside into what can only be described as a garden straight out of a dream. The flowers? Gorgeous. The butterflies? Vibrant. I think I just felt something flutter in my stomach... Is that butterflies? Am I... falling in love with a garden? The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. But wait. My eyes flick down to the garden path, and there, right there, is none other than Prince Lucian himself. What the¡ªwhy is he suddenly here? Hey, system-thingy! What the heck do I do now? Please help me! [Steal his first kiss. I''m not a survival guide, idiot. Go ahead and steal his kiss! GO!] Ugh! You useless thing. Fine. You know what? I''m going to call you Useless Talky from now on. Before I can argue further, Prince Lucian walks toward me, his sharp gaze scanning the area before landing on a butterfly in the air. He tilts his head slightly, as though lost in thought. "What a beautiful butterfly," he murmurs. Okay, okay, that''s a bit romantic. But uh... I''m not here to swoon over butterflies. I''m here to steal a kiss from you! Oh no, wait. He''s... getting closer. Closer! Ahh! How do I do this? What do I do? This is Lucian Eltharion we''re talking about! He''s going to kill me. I need to¡ª! BAM! Then it happens. My nose erupts with blood. Again. "Hey lady, are you okay?" He says, his face contorted into an expression of utter distaste. "Tsk. It''s Isolde." Oh. So, he hates me now, huh? Of course, he does. Why wouldn''t he? I mean, look at me. I''m literally the walking, talking definition of "villainess." My reputation here is more messed up than my old apartment. I take a deep breath, blinking back tears that threaten to spill. Fine. I won''t cry. I won''t cry. Now, how am I supposed to kiss this prince? I start to take a step forward¡ªan awkward, shaky step¡ªand¡ª Hold on. What''s that... feeling? Why do I feel like someone is watching us? No. Stalking us? I turn around slowly. What is this? Is this one of my new powers? I can feel the presence of someone just behind me, like a heavy weight on my back. It''s... it''s too dangerous. I don''t know what this means, but something tells me this isn''t just a random coincidence. [Warning: Opponent ahead!] Oh great. I''ve got another threat to deal with, and here I am just trying to steal a kiss from a guy who would rather throw me off a cliff than even look at me. This is NOT how I planned my day. Now, how the heck am I supposed to get out of this? Chapter 3: A Kiss and a New Quest [The Opponent is approaching! Careful!!] Huh? "Opponent"? What do you mean by that, you useless talky? And then, it hits me. I feel her presence before I even see her. The air grows tense, a flicker of possessiveness swirling around her. Oh no, it''s her¡ªthe main heroine. I can already tell. She''s that picture-perfect princess who''s always in the spotlight. She''s practically glowing with "I''m too good for you" energy, but underneath? I can feel it. The jealousy. The possessiveness. The sheer, burning desire to rip me apart. She''s a Yandere for sure. Behind that fake smile, I can already hear the words she''s really thinking: "If you get any closer to my Prince, I''ll make sure you never leave this castle alive." "Greetings, Prince Lucian, and... Lady Isolde?" Ugh. The way she says my name like she''s holding her nose. How charming. She''s definitely pretending to be all gracious while secretly planning my demise. I wouldn''t be surprised if she planned to strangle me in my sleep or have me thrown into a dungeon the moment she gets the chance. "Hi there, Prince¡ª"If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. [Hurry and kiss him! Go! Kyaaa!] Before I can even finish my sentence, the useless talky shoves me forward¡ªwait, WHAT?! She can do that? I thought only I could hear her, but she just physically pushed me. And BAM! Out of nowhere, our lips meet. I didn''t even get a chance to react. My nose immediately starts bleeding¡ªjust like that. What is this curse? The entire world feels like it halts. I swear, I can feel the intensity of the glare coming from the main heroine. Her eyes are practically burning a hole through me. She''s pissed. Oh, she''s pissed. Lucian pulls away, wiping his lips with a look of utter disgust. "What''d you do that for?" Oh no. Oh no, no, no. I just kissed him. THE Prince. The one guy who''s supposed to hate me. And now, he probably wants to kill me. Why did I even think this was a good idea? I quickly step back, already feeling the heat rush to my face and the nosebleed getting worse. "Sorry, pardon me," I stammer, trying to salvage what''s left of my dignity. "I better go now." I hurry back to my room, replaying the scene in my head. Oh my god, what have I done? The princess is going to murder me, isn''t she? I try to shake it off, but there''s one thing left to address¡ªthe reward. I did the task. I kissed the Prince. So... where''s my prize? "Hey, useless talky," I mutter under my breath as I sit on my bed, wiping my nose. "Where''s my reward for completing the task? You promised me something!" [You have already received your reward.] Wait, what? That''s it? What kind of reward is that? [You received the Prince''s first kiss. Hehe.] I blink, feeling the sarcasm dripping from the message. Is this a joke? That kiss was more traumatic than rewarding. "Are you serious?" I groan. "That''s all I get? I''m going to murder you one day, you know that, right?" [New Quest! Murder the Main Heroine.] I freeze. What. The. Actual. Heck? Before I can process the sheer absurdity of the situation, there''s a knock on my door. "Coming in." Of course, it''s the princess. Chapter 4: Heroine, My Villainous Foot! [Kill the Main Heroine. Rewards: ???] Excuse me? KILL the main heroine? Are you out of your mind, you useless talky thing? I haven''t even finished processing my last traumatic kiss-and-run mission, and now you''re throwing murder into the mix? What kind of dark fantasy plot is this?! Kill the heroine. Right. That''s just fantastic. No big deal. Totally normal quest for someone who hasn''t even squashed a bug in her past life! But wait¡­ If the Princess is gone¡­ wouldn''t that mean the story won''t progress? That the prince might¡ªno! No, no, no! Stop it, brain! Bad thoughts. I am not a killer! Suddenly, a knock on the door. "Hi there, Isolde. Pardon my intrusion, but may we talk?" Her voice was sweet as honey, but I knew better. My instincts screamed danger, and that unnervingly bright smile wasn''t helping. This was the main heroine herself¡ªthe perfect, charming, beloved princess. The yandere who hides a blade behind her kind fa?ade. Still, I nodded, forcing my legs not to shake. "Uh, sure. Come in?" The moment she stepped in, everything froze. "Take this, bitch!" Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. WHAT. Before I could even process her words, she unsheathed her sword and swung it straight at me! WHAA¡ª?! My body reacted faster than my brain, unleashing a dark shockwave that sent her flying back across the room. I blinked at my trembling hands. "Did¡­ did I do that?" Oh right. This must be one of the villainess powers! I''d totally forgotten about those. I designed Isolde to be ridiculously overpowered in the book¡ªshadow manipulation, the ability to summon monsters, yada yada. All of it because villains need cool abilities to make the heroine look even cooler when she defeats them. But hey! Turns out being OP is super useful when people try to murder you. I raised my hand instinctively, and shadows began to ripple at my feet. The princess charged again, but I flicked my fingers, and a thick web of darkness surged toward her. "Wha¡ªWhat is this?!" she screamed as the shadows enveloped her, dragging her downward. "Shadow realm," I muttered under my breath, my heart racing. The shadow realm¡ªlimitless, nightmarish, crawling with monsters that make grown men cry. It''s basically hell, but cooler. If someone gets sent there¡­ well, let''s just say they don''t come back for tea. Oops. The shadows swallowed her completely, leaving the room silent once more. "Uhh, sorry, Princess? Hehe, silly me!" I forced a laugh, staring at the spot where she had vanished. [You have killed the Main Heroine.] [Receiving reward...] Oh no. Oh no no no. This isn''t happening. "Wait! I didn''t mean to! It was self-defense! This is all your fault, useless talky!" [You are now the Main Heroine! Fantastic, right? From Villainess to Heroine!] "EHHHH?!" My scream could probably be heard across the entire castle. "Main heroine? I don''t want to be the heroine! Do you know what happens to heroines? They go through hell! They face assassins, betrayals, wars¡ªand the prince!" I froze, clutching my head. The prince. Lucian. I''m doomed. I''m so doomed. If the prince finds out I just shadow-realm''d his beloved fianc¨¦e, he''ll kill me. Or worse, he''ll marry me out of duty and make my life miserable! "Take it back! I don''t want this reward! Turn me back into the villainess right now!" [No take-backs, darling. Enjoy your promotion! Hehe.] Oh, this is bad. This is really, really bad. I flopped onto my bed, pulling a pillow over my head. Being the villainess was one thing. At least I knew how that story ended. But now, as the heroine? This is uncharted territory. And uncharted territory in this world is a death sentence. Chapter 5: The Royal Decree and Yandere Chaos Hahh¡­ What am I supposed to do now? The main heroine is kind of crucial for this whole story to work, right? But wait¡ª I''m the main heroine now? Okay, okay, calm down, Isolde. Let''s think positive. Maybe I can steer this plot toward a good ending. It''s my book, after all! First step: bring back Princess Seraphina Avalore from wherever I flung her in a moment of panic. "Summon, Princess Seraphina Avalore!" Poof. There she is. The lifeless princess, freshly pulled from the Shadow Realm. Side note¡ªone of the cooler (and slightly clich¨¦) things about the Shadow Realm power is that I can summon anyone I''ve thrown in there. Handy, right? Teehee! Oh, by the way, the Princess is actually really pretty, you know? Her flawless skin, her golden hair... If she wasn''t constantly trying to kill me, I might even admire her. Now, what do I do with her? Hmm¡­ Oh, I know! Command her! That''s what villainesses do best, right? "Hey, Princess, listen up. Be yourself, but cancel the whole yandere thing, okay? I almost got sliced and diced because of your murderous personality. Not cool!" But then¡­ I stop. Wait. Why shouldn''t she be a yandere? Isn''t that kind of fun? People always hate on yandere characters, but I don''t mind a little spice in my sidekick. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it "Okay, Princess, forget what I just said. You can go full yandere, BUT¡ªand this is very important¡ªdo not attack me. Got it?" The Princess''s blank eyes flicker with life, and a sweet smile crosses her lips. Huh. That seems¡­ okay? For now. Knock, knock. I nearly jump out of my skin. Who now? The door creaks open to reveal none other than Prince Lucian himself, looking as cold and handsome as ever. "May I come in?" he asks, his voice clipped. Then his sharp gaze falls on Seraphina. "I figured the Princess might be here. I''ve come to take her back." Wait. Why do I feel... murderous intent from Seraphina toward Lucian? Uh-oh. Don''t tell me. She''s not¡ªright? She wouldn''t¡ªoh no, no, no. This better not be what I think it is! "And you, Lady Isolde," Lucian continues, snapping me out of my spiraling thoughts, "you''ve been summoned by His Majesty as well." Oh great. What fresh hell awaits me now? We both follow him, and soon enough, we''re standing in the royal audience chamber. The atmosphere here is¡­ intense. Gulp-worthy. But then I look up at the throne and see¡ªoh right! I made the King a literal child. Yep, an actual kid. His Majesty is sitting there, legs swinging and grinning ear-to-ear like he just discovered candy. "What a good day, everyone!!" the child-king announces in his high-pitched voice. "I''ve called the three of you here for a very important mission! I''m sending you to the Poverty Land. Your task? Kill all the monsters and destroy the root of their impoverished land!" My jaw drops. Kill all the monsters? Destroy the root of poverty? Is this guy for real? I raise my hand, ready to humbly decline. "Um, Your Majesty, I''ll¡ª" [ACCEPT IT!! This is your chance to be with the Prince! Penalty for refusal: DEATH.] You. Useless. Trashy. System. Fine! FINE! I don''t have a choice here, do I? "I''ll accept!" I blurt out, smiling awkwardly while inwardly screaming. The King beams. "Great! Now go and mark your adventure ahead!" Adventure? No, no, no. Let''s just get this over with quickly. The last thing I need is a full-blown questline. But okay. Deep breath. I know everything about the Poverty Land. I wrote the dang place, didn''t I? How hard could this be? ...Right? Chapter 6: The Dagger, the Thief, and the Dregs Ahh, what fresh air! I''ve never been able to enjoy something like this before¡ªriding in a carriage with the prince and princess while gazing out at the endless horizon of grasslands and the royal lands in the distance. It''s like a scene out of a fairytale! I never experienced anything like this in my past life. But wait¡ªhold up. Is that a dagger the princess is holding? And why is she glaring at the prince with such... bloodlust? Argh, don''t tell me she''s going to kill him? This is seriously messed up! "Hey, Isolde. About the¡ª" Just as the prince is about to speak, the princess raises her dagger and points it straight at the prince. What?! Heck no. Is she seriously a yandere, not for the prince, but for me?! This is not a yuri story, okay?! But then, out of nowhere, a thief appears outside the carriage. His mask looks oddly familiar¡ªcould he be from that clan? Why are we getting robbed right here, of all places? The prince takes care of the situation like a pro, bringing the thief inside the carriage for interrogation. "Good job, Princess. You were able to detect the thief." Hmm, I''m pretty sure that wasn''t exactly how it went down, but... that works, I guess. After some more interrogation (and some very effective beating), the thief admits he''s from the House of Auremont, one of the richest families in the royal court. They''re staunchly against helping the poor¡ªcalling it a waste of time and effort.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. The thief sneers, "I''m here to send you a message: Poverty Land is beyond saving!" "I don''t care," Prince Lucian replies coolly. "It''s our mission to subjugate all the monsters and the root cause of this." Aww, Lucian, always so cold and cool. If you think about it, I''m the only one who knows how to save the Poverty Land because I know the real root cause: the cursed deity, Aetherion, The Forsaken Light. He was once revered as the Deity of Prosperity and Balance but was betrayed by corrupt nobles who wanted his power all for themselves. So selfish! That''s why Aetherion is wreaking havoc on the Poverty Land now. But he also holds the key to saving it! I need to confront him... but¡ª [NEW QUEST! Kiss the Deity! Reward: The Deity''s Favor!] EHHHH??? What the¡ª Why are you giving me this quest, you useless talky thing?! I''m loyal to Prince Lucian, okay?? [Just kiddin'', hehe! The real quest is... Go on a shopping trip alone with the Prince! Reward: 1 Dreg Crown.] Oh... just a normal quest. Okay, fine. And hey, the currency in Poverty Land is dregs. The prince and I are going undercover there, so the Dreg Crown will be useful. Alright, let me break down the currency systems for both Royal Land and Poverty Land. Listen up, because I''m your teacher, Isolde Valtara, and I''m about to school you! In Royal Land, the currency is Aurum Crowns (?), and here''s how it works: - 1 Aurum Crown = 10 Aurum Sovereigns (gold coins). - 1 Aurum Sovereign = 100 Aurum Shards (small silver coins). Meanwhile, in Poverty Land, the currency is Dregs (?), and here''s the breakdown: - 1 Dreg Crown = 20 Dreg Pieces (mid-tier coins). - 1 Dreg Piece = 50 Dreg Bits (small tokens, barely valuable). Cool, right? Oh, and one thing to note: Aurum Crowns are made of gold! But if you try to bring an Aurum Crown into the Poverty Land, they''ll think you''re a traitor and boot you out. They really hate Royal Land. And you know what? The royals are no better¡ªthey often mock Dregs as scrap coins. You need several Dreg Crowns just to even get one Aurum Crown! Anyway, now that we''re all clear on that... time to face what''s ahead!