Prologue

The noise hit first as dozens of voices woven together, mixed with laughter and the clink of glass. Gwen came to as if waking from a long sleep. Somehow, she was standing in the middle of a crowded ballroom, a glass of pale, bubbly liquid in her hand.

She had no memory of coming here, or even knowing where here was.

“—Don’t you think, Lady Vanderick?” A woman in an enormous blue gown stood before her, staring impatiently at Gwen.

“Sorry, I—” Gwen’s voice came out wrong. It was higher, softer, completely nothing like hers. She pressed her free hand to her throat, rubbing it gently.

The woman in a light blue dress laughed in delight, missing the panic on her face entirely. “Oh, don’t be so modest. Everyone’s saying it’s the match of the century.”

Match of the century?

Her eyes dropped to the hand holding the glass. It was pale, different from the light tan she usually had. The nails themselves were filed into perfect ovals.

A chill began to climb up the back of her neck.

Instinctively, she reached for her pants pocket, but her fingers only felt silk. A long dress had replaced her jeans. She turned, hoping to find something recognizable, and found a mirror mounted between two tall floral arrangements on the far wall.

It was framed in pure white stone, surrounded by candlelight reflecting the small room filled with a hundred people.

In the front of the reflection stood a young woman with silver hair and violet eyes, staring back at her with an expression of horror. The glass slipped from her fingers and shattered against the stone floor.

Oh my god! I-I know that face.

Love & Danger. The anime she’d dropped halfway through because of the boring politics, repeated plot lines, and lack of world-building. In that world, a silver-haired noblewoman existed only to make the real heroine look better by comparison.

Then the beginning of the anime flashed in her mind. Her legs buckled. This room, this crowd, even this dress. Please don’t tell me it’s…

“Gwendoyln?” Her father’s voice urgently whispered into her ear. He’d crossed half the ballroom before she’d even noticed him moving. “Gwendoyln, look at me.”

She hadn’t realized she had fallen to the ground. When she glanced up, faces were turning toward her, whispers spreading outward. Thankfully, her father’s large frame blocked most of them from view as he crouched in front of her, gripping her arms.

“I-I,” she whispered, her breathing ragged. “There’s no way this could be real.”

“Take a deep breath.” His voice dropped, low and steady. It was a soothing tone meant to anchor her. “You’re pale as a sheet. Do you need air?”

Yes. No. I don’t know! Fuck… I just want everyone to stop looking at me.

“I need air,” she finally managed. “Please.”

He helped her up, steering her toward the side door before anyone could offer anyone could interfer and make things worse. The night was quiet, just crickets and music coming in from the closed door behind her.

Gwen took in a deep breath of fresh air

“Are you feeling better?” her father asked, his gaze filled with worry.

“A little.” She replied, though it wasn’t exactly a lie. The parts of the anime kept flashing in her mind, of the woman with a similar name to hers.

You’ve barely spoken to me all evening.” A new voice said, dripping with arrogance.

Gwen’s stomach dropped before she even turned around. Of course he would come find me at this moment.

The second prince stood in the doorway, arms crossed, a frown settling heavily on his face. He didn’t so much as glance at her father as he sent a harsh glare at her.

“I announce our engagement to half the nobles tonight, and you can’t even manage a smile,” he said in a flat tone. “Is that really too much to ask?”

Gwen stared at him. All the pieces connected. The floor arrangement, the dress, this entire party. Then the platform with people booing at her, hair dirty, before an axe came down on her head.

No way… fuck! I got teleported right at the beginning of Love & Danger! Right at the moment when the villainess and the prince announce their marriage.

“Are you not happy to be joining the royal family?” His dry tone broke through her thoughts. “Every woman in that room would be happy to trade places with you in a heartbeat, and you can’t even fake it for one evening.

“That’s enough!” Her father, or rather this body’s father, spoke up. “Can’t you see she isn’t feeling well? How dare you come over here and spill your hatred toward her.”

The Prince sneered at him in return. “Shut your mouth, Duke Vanderick, or I shall have my father—”

“Enough!” Gwen interrupted, raising her voice as loud as it could go. She turned her gaze onto the Prince. “I just need a minute. That’s all, just one minute.”

The Prince’s jaw tightened, his lip twitched as if he were holding back whatever he wanted to say, but refrained. “One minute, then you’ll pretend to be the happy bride I expect you to be,” he demanded and turned back inside without hearing anything else.

Her father watched him go, then looked at her with deep concern.

“Gwendolyn,” he said quietly. “What’s going on? Just earlier today you seemed excited about the engagement, but now it seems as if you’re against it.”

Gwen opened her mouth, then closed it.

How could she say that she was not his real daughter? And even if she pretended to want the Prince, what about the death that awaits her in the future?

“Sweetie, talk to me.”

Closing her eyes, Gwen took a deep breath. “I don’t want to marry the Prince, Father. This whole thing was a huge mistake.

The Duke let out a sharp gasp, as if stunned by what she just said.

A cold breeze blew past, making her wonder if she had just made the right decision.