I'm the Original Heroine !

"The Lovable Villainess" was a part of a slew of different novels about villainess reincarnation. It was a simple narrative, a new person took over the villainess's body, and somehow, everyone came to love her instead of the main character. All the love and affection that was supposed to be directed to the main character ended up going to the villainess. In a true reverse harem ending, there was no male lead but fans would often argue as to who was their favorite.

Was it the cold yet strong crown prince?

The puppy-like charm of the knight that followed her around?

The playful yet mysterious magician that seemed to fall for her?

It would have been great to be reincarnated as there seemed to be only one role that was ripe for the taking.

The backdrop of the novel, "The Lovable Villainess" used another fake novel, "A Flower to You." In that novel, the Villainess was Kalypso Valentine. Fitting was her bright blonde hair and purple eyes. Known to be a sensual beauty, she seduced many men around her. Cruel and malevolent, she was known to be horrendous to her maids, beating them to death. Angered by the fact that the original heroine, Caesaria Laverincia, was the favored "adopted daughter."

Oddly enough, "A Flower to You" never describes anything about Caesaria's past. A simple sentence summed it up: she had a hard life. Befitting of an angelic girl, all the pain and suffering that had been thrust onto her had only made her all the kinder.

At the age of ten, she was adopted by the Valentine house due to her magic. Her harsh childhood simply serves as a backdrop for sympathy.

Kalypso was envious of the heroine in the original fake novel as her once stoic father fell for the charm of the female lead, loving her and spoiling her with love. The Emperor's son soon also fell in love with her vivacity, the playful mysterious mage slowly grew fond of the innocent charm of the female lead, and finally, the knight vowed to be her one and true protector. Thus, Kalypso killed her father and then tried to kill Caesaria.

It was a simple tale. Kalypso grew jealous over all the love and then tried to poison Caesaria, it was thwarted and Caesaria lived happily ever after. Yet, "The Lovable Villainess" was a story about Kalypso and how she changed.

After her reincarnation, after she went through a near-death encounter, Kalypso acted in odd manners. She started to cook in the kitchen, showed no interest in the Crown Prince, began to act lovable to her father, and in the end, she stole the happy ending meant for the female lead.

Caesaria was not what the readers thought she would be. Conniving, evil, and the true villainess of the story, she was taken down by Kalypso and her harem of young men in a true villainess-story-romance ending.

Kalypso was showered with love while Caesaria was shunned and outsmarted.

That was how the novel ended. It was given praise for the writing and the character development, but it was never seen as anything spectacular. It made sense, after all, there were hundreds of villainous novels in the market.

The murky understanding of the original heroine, Caesaria, and the reason behind her personality shift were never explained. There were several plotholes that readers just happily skipped over and to put it simply, I had forgotten about it after reading it.

Consuming stories had become a pastime for me. Looking at my phone, I couldn't help but feel tired. The clock read that it was far past the time that I should have gone to bed. Without a single thought, I tucked my phone next to my side and fell asleep, letting my eyes close.

. . .

Opening my eyes, I felt cold. Absolutely frigid as I looked around for my phone only to find nothing. I was on the floor. Had I fallen in my sleep? Groaning, I placed my hand against my head. Why did my body ache?

Had I seriously fallen off my bed?

Looking around and rubbing my bleary eyes, I couldn't help but blink. Where was I? The room was small, covered in dust and cobwebs. It looked like a cellar and the ground was frigid. My body tucked against the wall. There was a cracked mirror but what startled me the most was not where I was but rather who I was.

This is unfair.

Looking at the mirror, it was obvious to see that the reflection was that of a pink-haired girl with bright green eyes. Delicate features and an angelic smile, the original heroine of the book, "A Flower to You."

But, I'm not in the book, "A Flower to You" because that novel never existed. I'm in the novel, "The Lovable Villainess" and I'm the original female lead who is overshadowed and eventually killed by the lovable villainess!

Slumping to the ground, I looked at my own reflection. I was a young child, not the university student that I was just moments ago. Dark pink tresses and bright green eyes stared back at me—innocent features and a porcelain face.

"Fuck," I mumbled out. The fragments of the mirror helped piece together what I already knew. I must have not been over the age of seven. There were haphazard bandages wrapped around my arms and legs with a dark grey dress, stained and dirty. That was right. Caesaria's parents hated her. An explanation was never given but they despised her, locking her up inside of the attic and beating her when they grew bored.

Why?

The author had never said. There was no rhyme or reason for it.

But, was this reality? Gently touching my cheeks, I sat back on the cold floor. It looked like it was. I had somehow reincarnated into the original heroine of a villainess-love novel.