Chapter 1.1

A week ago, I found myself in the body of the villainess, Judith Melveryn, from a novel I had read in my past life, a character who obsessively chased after the crown prince, the male lead, only to be executed in the end.

When I first realized I had been transmigrated, my immediate thought was, ‘Does this mean I get front-row access to gorgeous people now?’

It made sense, considering in my past life, I was hopelessly obsessed with attractive faces, to the point where people clicked their tongues in disbelief. And this wasn’t just any novel. It was a romance fantasy, where even the side characters could rival real-life celebrities!

In other words, I’d have countless opportunities to meet absurdly beautiful people!

My status as a duke’s daughter, born with a silver spoon, was nothing to scoff at either. Aside from the story being slightly progressed, there were no real issues. Judith’s execution was still far off, after all. As long as I avoided obsessing over the crown prince here, I could start my blissful, peaceful life surrounded by beautiful people.

“Ahem, sweetheart, are you paying attention?”

Duke Melveryn, Judith’s father—a man whose striking handsomeness still shone through despite his middle age—snapped me out of my daydreams about handsome men.

I beamed at him and responded.

“Of course, Father.”

The Duke frowned, as if unsettled by my smile, then hesitated before forcing out his words.

“Well… my daughter, since you’ve only just recovered from your illness, perhaps you should skip His Highness the Crown Prince’s birthday banquet this time…”

“Banquet… wait, did you say banquet?”

A banquet, as in the place where all the handsome men and beautiful women gather to laugh and chat together? The starting point of every romance fantasy novel?!

Obviously, I had to attend! Not attending was never an option.

The Duke’s face showed a flicker of dismay as he watched my expression shift every second. Judging by his sigh, he was already stressing over how to deal with the aftermath.

Unbothered by his reaction, I lifted my chin just like Judith would and confidently declared,

“Of course, I’m going, Father. If I don’t attend, then who else could possibly take my place?”

“R-Right… I suppose… Haaah…”

* * *

Time flew by quickly, and finally, the day of the banquet arrived.

Standing before the mirror, I quietly studied the reflection of Judith Melveryn.

She had soft pink hair in a beautiful pastel hue, and eyes that seemed to hold the shimmering glow of dewdrops. Instead of the sharp, upturned, cat-like eyes symbolic of a villainess, gentle ones now framed her gaze, paired with plump lips as vivid as freshly picked cherries.

As I stared at the flawless beauty reflected in the mirror, I tilted my head in puzzlement.

“How is this face supposed to belong to a villainess…?”

Judith’s appearance was far more fitting for a heroine than some fierce villainess.

Hearing my muttering, Mary, the maid, looked up at me.

“Yes, my lady? Did you call for me?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Honestly, the first time I saw Judith’s face with makeup on, I nearly fainted in shock. And for good reason. Her makeup technique was absolutely dreadful. Her eyelids were painted in harsh black, like some overdone smoky eye, and her lips were a dull, washed-out nude.

And don’t even get me started on the clothes!

The dressing room was crammed with dark red dresses that looked like they’d been dipped in blood. Not a single one matched Judith’s natural charm.

According to Mary, I’d stubbornly stuck to this look for years. I wasn’t sure if it was because Judith had purposely wanted to give off a fierce image, but now that I was in this body, I couldn’t just sit by and let such a beautiful face go to waste. So, I threw it all out and replaced it with light spring colors that complemented Judith’s features!

Thanks to that, her already beautiful face glowed even more brightly under the right makeup. The maids who had just finished doing my hair stared at me, their mouths wide open.

“My lady, you look absolutely stunning today!”

“Yes! You’ve always been beautiful, but today your beauty is truly radiant!”

“Right? I thought so too.”

I replied with a shameless grin, and the maids burst into giggles.

When I first possessed this body, everyone had been stiff and nervous around me, but now we could joke and chat comfortably.

I took one last look at myself in the mirror and began daydreaming about the upcoming banquet.

Surely… there would be a sea of gorgeous men and women from every corner of the empire. If I were lucky, I might even snag a handsome future husband tonight.

Hehehehe…

With that wicked little thought hidden behind my smile, I climbed into the carriage bound for the imperial palace.