The crystal chandelier poured down golden radiance like a waterfall, bathing the entire ballroom in brilliance. Nobles dressed in magnificent silk gowns and tailcoats clinked their champagne glasses with pleasant tinkling sounds. The air was filled with the enticing aroma of rose perfume and roasted goose. Everything appeared so perfect, so extravagant.

I—Eliana von Ethelgard—stood at the center of this dazzling stage, yet felt trapped in a play I had long grown weary of.


"Eliana, how dare you say such things to Lady Lina!"

Prince Theo's voice echoed through the ballroom, his handsome face flushed with anger. He positioned his tall figure in front of that petite brown-haired girl, shielding her like some precious treasure while casting me as the dragon intent on harm.

I watched them—my fiancé and his beloved commoner girl. Lina Klaus, the flower shop girl who "happened" to save the prince's life three months ago, gazed at me pitifully with those big, watery brown eyes. Crystal tears hung at the corners of her eyes, her lips quivering with practiced vulnerability.


What perfect acting.

"Your Highness, I'm merely stating the facts," my voice steadier than I'd expected. "Isn't it suspicious that a commoner woman frequently enters the palace and 'coincidentally' appears before you all the time?"


The surrounding nobles began to whisper among themselves, their gazes behind ornate fans growing sharp and excited. They lived for this kind of drama—a noble duke's daughter losing composure out of jealousy, while the commoner Cinderella endured the injustice with a pitiful demeanor.

This scene? I'd seen it far too many times in my previous life.

"Your jealousy is disgusting!" Theo's voice grew louder, almost roaring. His exquisitely beautiful blue eyes blazed with anger. "Lina is the purest, kindest girl I've ever met! And you—a duke's daughter—dare make such malicious assumptions about an innocent young girl!"

Jealousy. Malice.

These words pierced my heart like icicles. Those familiar accusations, that familiar anger, those contemptuous looks—in an instant, they hurled me back to that nightmarish morning—

Me on the guillotine, tied to a chair, facing the dark mass of people. The crowd shouting, "Execute the malicious duke's daughter!" Nobles raising their wine glasses with smiles on their faces. And Prince Theo standing below the platform, holding white-dressed Lina in his arms, without a trace of pity in his eyes.

"Eliana von Ethelgard," the executioner announced, "for the attempted murder of the princess, treason, and a series of evil deeds, you are sentenced to death."

The executioner's giant axe gleamed in the sunlight, and my neck felt the cold kiss of metal—

"Eliana!"

Theo's roar yanked me back to reality. I blinked to find everyone in the banquet hall staring at me. My hand unconsciously flew to my neck, where the phantom chill of the axe blade still lingered.

Memories flooded in like a tide. Everything from my previous life—the distorted truths, the carefully laid traps, the lies I once firmly believed—all surfaced with crystal clarity.

I have died once.

The man I once loved betrayed me, the people I trusted sold me out, and the country I protected abandoned me.

And now, this tragedy was repeating itself.

"I can no longer tolerate this marriage arrangement!" Theo raised his right hand, and everyone immediately fell silent. His voice echoed through the hushed hall, each word hammering against my heart. "Eliana von Ethelgard, you have utterly disappointed me. I am annulling our engagement!"

Annulling the engagement.

In my previous life at this moment, I had knelt before him in tears, desperately begging him not to do this. I told him I could change, become better, accept Lina's presence.

God, how naive I was back then.

Now I stood there silently, observing the expectant look in Theo's eyes. What was he waiting for? My tears? My pleading? For me to kneel down again and beg for his precious mercy?

The surrounding nobles stood with folded arms, their faces alight with barely concealed enjoyment of the spectacle. Lina hid behind Theo, appearing terrified, but I caught the flash of satisfaction gleaming in her eyes.

What a familiar scene. Just like a play I'd already seen—everyone performing according to a predetermined script, waiting for me, the villain, to play my designated role.

But this time, I wasn't following their damn script.

Slowly and elegantly, I performed a standard court curtsy to Theo. My back perfectly straight, every movement flawless, just as mother had taught me since childhood.

Then, I raised my head and flashed a perfect smile.

"That suits me perfectly, Your Highness."

Those five words hit like stones thrown into a still lake, sending ripples of shock throughout the banquet hall. Everyone froze—even the orchestra stopped playing.

Theo's expression morphed from anger to confusion, then to utter disbelief. He opened his mouth to speak but couldn't form a sound.

Lina's face drained of color. She clearly hadn't expected me to react this way.

I removed the blue sapphire necklace—symbol of our engagement—from my neck, the one Theo had personally placed there when we got engaged. The sapphire sparkled under the crystal chandelier, just like the beautiful future he had once promised me.

But now, none of that mattered anymore.

I gently placed the necklace on a nearby waiter's tray, the metal making a crisp sound as it hit the ceramic. The sound echoed through the dead silent hall.

"Since His Highness has found someone he truly loves, I no longer need to play the role of an unwanted fiancée," I said, my voice as calm as if discussing the weather. "This engagement was always a burden to me anyway."

"Eliana, you—" Theo started, but I cut him off.

I turned toward His Majesty the King sitting on the dais and gave another deep bow.

"Your Majesty, I, Eliana von Ethelgard, hereby formally renounce my right of inheritance to the Ethelgard Duchy." My voice rang throughout the hall. "I request admission to the Royal Academy of Magic to devote myself to the study of magical arts."

This time, even the King looked surprised. His deep gray eyes fixed firmly on me, as if trying to penetrate my thoughts.

The Royal Academy of Magic—the kingdom's highest institution for magical education and the path to absolute power. In my previous life, I never considered this path. As a duke's daughter and future queen consort, my duty was to learn politics and etiquette, not magic.

But this time was different. This time, I would live for myself.

"Everyone here," I looked around, my gaze lingering on each shocked face, "remember this moment. Remember the choice that Eliana von Ethelgard has made."

I looked at Theo and Lina again. The prince's face was a mask of confusion and bewilderment, while Lina clutched his sleeve tightly, her eyes flickering with something I couldn't quite name.

They didn't understand. They thought I would follow the script—cry, beg, and then desperately accept my fate. But they were wrong.

In my previous life, I was blind with love, weak with kindness, and exploited for my naivety. I believed Theo's vows, trusted Lina's facade of vulnerability, and accepted all the labels others forced upon me.

And the result? Cold metal against my neck. Me leaving this world choking on resentment and rage.

But now, fate had given me a second chance.

This time, no one would manipulate my life. This time, I would grasp true power—power enough to change everything.

I took one last look at the brilliant ballroom, at the hypocritical smiles and extravagant attire. This world I once cherished had lost all its luster.

"Everyone, goodbye."

I turned and walked toward the door, each step taken with determination and grace. Behind me came whispers and the scrape of chairs against marble, but I didn't look back.

Everything I experienced in my past life—the betrayals, the suffering, the despair—I would change with my own hands.

This time, I would never again walk toward that cold guillotine.