Her name was Lee Yerim.

She passed away at the age of 19 in winter.

Born as the third generation of a prestigious conglomerate, she grew up without any shortcomings.

Her family loved her, admiring her beauty and intelligence, while others envied what she had.

She always enjoyed looking down on those less fortunate from the highest point, feeling a sense of superiority and a hint of pity.

But what she had wasn’t just that.

She possessed innate intelligence, remarkable looks, excellent taste, and even a knack for sports. She was born with all the qualities that could belong to the male protagonist of a romantic manga.

Effortlessly becoming the class president and later the student council president, she became a high school student.

And then, during the first midterm exams in her freshman year of high school, she learned the meaning of the word “defeat” for the first time in her life.

“Second place? I’m in second place?”

She couldn’t believe it. She had never missed being first in her entire life, and now, on her report card, there was a “2.”

Fueled by burning anger, Yerim set out to find and confront the person who had dared to beat her.

With an appearance that seemed utterly ordinary and coming from an average family background, she looked like a forgettable supporting character who wouldn’t be remembered by anyone, even if she appeared as an extra in the background.

The fact that such a girl had dared to challenge her was beyond Yerim’s comprehension.

‘Yes, it can happen once. I might have relaxed a bit after coming to high school,’ Yerim thought to herself.

She resolved to pull herself together, studying harder and sleeping less, spending more time at her desk. But the results remained the same – defeat. Throughout her freshman year, she never once saw the number “1” on her report card.

By the end of the school year, she was sleep-deprived and suffering from anemia and nosebleeds due to her extreme studying regimen. However, her report card still displayed the number “2.”

While Yerim was growing increasingly anxious and worn out, the other girl appeared to be calm and carefree. Yerim even secretly investigated the top student, but her parents were just ordinary high school teachers who graduated from a regular teacher’s college.

Their household’s achievements paled in comparison to Yerim’s, who had graduated from a top-tier university and held numerous master’s and doctoral degrees.

Her friends tried to console her:

“Yeah, but you’re much prettier.”

“Right. Didn’t she collapse from running too much during PE?”

“Overall, Yerim, you’re definitely winning! You’re winning by a landslide!”

But to Yerim’s ears, the consolations of her friends sounded like mockery.

At home, it was no different. Her family members didn’t say much about Yerim’s report card, but in Yerim’s mind, she constantly heard their mocking voices.

“You were born with a smart brain, but you can’t use it?”

“Even with so many expensive private tutors, how are you still perennially second place?”

“Did you have to resort to cheating because you couldn’t beat a kid from an ordinary household?”

Of course, these were just voices in Yerim’s delusional mind.

In reality, Yerim’s family didn’t care much about her grades. She already had two successful older brothers, so her parents had only one wish for her: to grow up healthy and pretty and marry into a good family.

Therefore, no one in her family was curious about her grades, and no one ever asked.

“Arrrrrgh!”

For a year, Yerim had been relieving her accumulated stress by tearing apart innocent dolls. She had made up her mind.

She vowed to regain the number one spot next year.

But somehow, no matter what, Yerim always came in second.

Around the end of her second year in school, Yerim finally realized something.

She wasn’t the protagonist.

Her world, where she had always believed she was the protagonist, shining without any effort, came crashing down.

‘You’re the main character anyway, so you’re number one without even trying!’

Consumed by overwhelming inferiority, Yerim resorted to taking dangerous substances to stay awake and dedicated herself even more to her studies.

She temporarily parted ways with her past selves, the one who always finished last in relay races during sports day and the one who played accompaniments to her friends’ songs during music class instead of the teacher.

She cut off all contact with her friends and invested every waking moment in studying.

Then, during the mock exams in June, Yerim received her first report card with a “1” on it.

“I did it! I finally did it!”

Filled with confidence, she dashed to the second-place class, but Yerim couldn’t feel purely happy.

The girl who held the number “2” for the first time upon entering high school had a face that seemed too serene.

She laughed and chatted with her friends as if nothing had happened.

Disheartened, Yerim brought her report card home, but there was no significant reaction there either.

In a household where her older brothers had ranked high nationwide, being first in the school wasn’t particularly impressive.

With only five months left until the college entrance exam, Yerim threw herself into her studies as if her life depended on it, even though no one in her family cared about her grades.

If she wasn’t the protagonist, she had resolved to seize the position of the protagonist for herself.

But once again, Yerim wasn’t the protagonist.

Her fluctuating grades since the mock exams in June were finally decided with her college entrance exam results.

In the end, Yerim accepted the second-highest score in the entire school.

A laugh escaped her in her disappointment.

No matter how hard she tried, it seemed she couldn’t become the protagonist.

Watching the bright smile on the face of the girl who ranked first in the school, Yerim felt something within her snap.

That evening, Yerim pursued the girl.

Overwhelming hatred and inferiority had turned into madness that now engulfed Yerim.

‘How dare someone as ordinary as you think you can beat me?’

Driven by madness, Yerim brandished a cutter’s knife at the girl, who was happily chatting with her family after dining out, as she tried to enter her house.

However, just before the cutter knife could reach its target, Yerim was pushed onto the road by the girl’s parents.

And, unfortunately, she met her end as she was struck by an oncoming truck.

This happened about two months before Hyeyoung’s possession of Ermedeline.

While it was profoundly unjust that she couldn’t kill that X and had died instead, Yerim was glad that she finally felt like she was wearing clothes that suited her perfectly.

She had finally become the protagonist.

Though she had put her novel on hold due to her studies, Yerim vividly remembered that Valliere was the female lead.

Finally, she had become the lead, not a supporting character.

Yerim was elated as though she could jump for joy knowing that fact.

However, Yerim didn’t know the exact details of the novel.

She had read the beginning of the novel before she became a high school senior, but she had quit all her hobbies when she reached that year.

Fortunately, thanks to friends who constantly chatted about the ending, she knew at least that the protagonist eventually becomes an empress.

‘Oh, wouldn’t it be great if I became the empress after becoming the protagonist?’

She had finally become the protagonist, but it was a government official role.

Did they really expect her to know who she was and engage in an affair with a married man?

Just thinking about it made her shudder.

The handsome male protagonist flirting with a high school girl who hadn’t even graduated yet was just creepy.

What is a man with a wife doing?

In the novel, Valliere is already a longtime lover of Henry, but not Yerim.

She was just a high school student who had just gotten her SAT scores and had never been in a relationship before.

When the stranger wraps his hand around her waist, she has the urge to bite his hand until it bleeds.

For a moment, she forgot her predicament and almost did.

But Henry, thankfully, did not force his hand on the hateful Valliere.

He only looked at her with suspicion.

‘No! I won’t think of her as the possessor. Anyway, let’s just get rid of that idiot X as soon as possible and become the empress. Let’s focus on that for now!’

Daring to interfere and steal the spotlight in a novel where she wasn’t the protagonist was unthinkable. Valliere sensed her growing, intense hatred for Ermedeline.

But, on the other hand, she thought she might make good use of Ermedeline, the foolish one who admitted to being the possessor in one fell swoop.

‘Yes, let’s cooperate. Pretend to cooperate, and when I become the empress, I’ll deal with her then.’

Troubling.

She hadn’t even properly adapted to this new environment herself, and now there was another possessor.

***

‘How the hell does God do things?’

She hadn’t shared the details, but if what was inside Valliere was real, she had just graduated high school.

She might have reached the age of an adult, but she still came across as quite immature.

The fortunate thing was that she didn’t seem to have any intention of revealing herself as a possessor.

‘Well, revealing it would be disadvantageous to her more than me.’

After all, in the original novel, Ermedeline and Henry were just strangers with no human connections whatsoever.

But Valliere was Henry’s first love from childhood, and they shared all their memories as real lovers.

If Henry were to discover that there was someone else within Ermedeline and Valliere, it would likely hurt Valliere more.

‘I don’t intend to become a bad person, but we’re in a situation where our survival is at stake. Shouldn’t we act a bit more cautiously?’

Ermedeline headed to a quiet area on the outskirts of the capital to survey the site for the orphanage she intended to build. Beside her were Countess Elion, who had suddenly changed her attitude, and Félio.

“It does seem like this place is a good choice. It’s far from the bustling city, which should help us avoid epidemics, and the geographical conditions don’t look unfavorable.”

“However, we may need to reinforce the roads for the supply of goods.”

Félio, with transparent silver eyes that seemed to be calculating something as he examined budget-related documents, rolled his eyes from side to side.

“Incorporate it into the budget. Ensuring a timely supply of food and necessities for the children is an important matter.”

“Oh my! Your Majesty, not only are you building an orphanage, but you’re also improving the roads! You are truly generous!”

Countess Elion, who had been listening to the conversation between Ermedeline and Felio, interrupted with a shudder.

“I just want to do it right since we’re doing it. Besides, the Emperor has promised to assist with the orphanage’s expenses, so we should be as thorough as possible with the remaining parts, shouldn’t we?”

“Hoho, that’s true. The cost of security alone will be quite substantial, and the fact that the Emperor is supporting it. It seems there’s a place where husband and wife truly agree!”

Countess Elion was feigning positivity, but everyone present knew the truth. They knew that Henry providing security personnel was to keep an eye on Ermedeline, in case she conducted any strange experiments with the orphans.

“Isn’t it proof that the Emperor cares about the increasing number of orphans?”

Even when everyone knows the truth, there are times when you have to pretend not to know, especially with a plausible answer.

“By the way, what about the donations?” Ermedeline asked, and Countess Elion made a slightly awkward expression, pursing her lips.

“Why? Hasn’t anyone donated?”

“No, it’s just… I’ve mostly contributed. The Batistian Family has also donated a considerable sum.”

“Is that so? I hadn’t heard that before.”

Ermedeline’s question had caught Countess Elion off guard, but she managed to provide an answer that didn’t reveal the whole truth.

This news, which was completely unexpected for Ermedeline, caused her to widen her eyes and look at Félio.

“It wasn’t me; it was the Duke who made the donation,” Félio replied.

“I see. I should personally thank the Duke. What about the others?”

“Well… I also made a considerable contribution.”

“Oh! I knew the Countess would understand my intentions. What about the rest?”

“Marchioness Grania and Lady Viella also made contributions, but… the amounts…”

Countess Elion struggled to find words.

According to her, most of the nobility had participated in the donations, but the amounts were exorbitant.

“Huh?”

It would have been better if they hadn’t donated at all. The amounts they contributed were barely enough to buy a single brick. It seemed like an amount intended to mock the empress.

“I see. So, they did make donations like that?”