TVWD 01

Chapter : 01

“…You’re back again.”

I chuckled bitterly as my eyes opened to the stark white canopy above.

How many times has it been this time…?

“Forty-ninth return, huh.”

Soon after, a soft knock followed by light footsteps reached my ears.

“Miss, are you awake?”

“Yes. I won’t be having breakfast; I’ll wash up first.”

My personal maid, Cassie, bowed her head in response and stepped back.

Right, today is definitely the day of Count Ickel’s birthday party.

Originally, I would have said I had a cold and skipped the party to rest…

“Miss, I’ve prepared your washing water.”

“Thank you. By the way, Cassie, please prepare an outfit for the party tonight.”

“Oh, Miss. Didn’t you have your clothes fitted at the salon?”

“Just pick something from what I already have. Something simple.”

“Simple?”

Cassie looked shocked. Understandable—whenever I attended a party, I usually wore extravagant dresses.

“Yes. Also, has Father gone to the palace? I need to tell him I’ll be attending the party too.”

Ignoring her surprised reaction, Cassie diligently answered my other question.

“I believe the Marquis left early this morning.”

“Then I’ll tell Mother. Alright, Cassie, please prepare my dress.”

“Yes, Miss.”

I had transmigrated into the adult-harem novel For Her Happiness, taking on the role of Rosia Levian, the villainess who tormented the protagonist, Maryna Ickel, and was punished by the male leads.

“Miss, I’ve picked out a dress and accessories for you. Would you like to see them?”

Cassie returned from the dressing room.

“I trust you’ve chosen well, Cassie. Also, help me get ready to see Mother.”

“Yes, Miss.”

After changing into the dress and sitting at the vanity, Cassie began brushing my hair.

The mirror reflected a woman with long, glossy black hair and deep red eyes.

This is the forty-ninth time I’ve faced this situation. After dying forty-eight times, I keep returning to this exact moment.

The reason is unknown.

After the third return, I realized something was strange and tried to distance myself from the protagonist, but it was useless.

After the fourth return, I tried to take on a role devoted to the heroine rather than being the villainess, but it was the wrong approach.

No matter what I did, the ending didn’t change much, and I ultimately died labeled as the villainess.

At twenty-three, I live about ten months before dying. The problem is that after dying, I always return to this time.

Poisoned, assassinated, executed, burned at the stake…

As a villainess, I met with every possible kind of ending.

I thought perhaps dying in certain ways might prevent me from returning, so I even tried different methods to end my life, but nothing changed.

Up until around the twelfth return, I tried to count the differences in each life.

But by the twentieth, memories had become jumbled, and I could no longer distinguish which events belonged to which life.

The twentieth and thirtieth lives seemed similar…

Were there absolutely no overlaps between the tenth and the fortieth?

At first, I thought I could change the ending, but that was a delusion and arrogance. At some point, my wish changed.

I want to die.

Please, let me die and never return to this wretched life again.

It wasn’t until the forty-third return that I finally realized an important fact.

If I couldn’t find a way to die completely by the forty-ninth, I would be doomed to repeat this life forever.

This is my last chance.

“Miss, you’re ready.”

“Thank you, Cassie. Where is Mother?”

“She’s in the garden, my lady.”

I stood and headed straight for the garden. Roses were in full bloom, and my mother was strolling among them.

“Mother.”

“Roa? What is it?”

Even though I had once been accused of treason and executed, Mother never believed I would lead a rebellion.

In the end, she had to ascend the execution platform with me.

One of the male leads—the crown prince—executed Mother right in front of me to deepen my despair. Yet even in that moment, she did not utter a single word of resentment toward me.

Suppressing the emotions rising within me, I forced a smile.

“Mother, I’d like to attend the party this afternoon as well.”

“The party at the Ickel household? Are you sure that’s alright?”

“Of course. Everyone thinks I dislike Miss Ickel, but that’s not true. I… I want to get close to her; I just don’t know the right way to approach her.”

Mother, who always trusts my words, nodded in understanding.

“After leaving the palace, your father will stop by the mansion, so we can go together then.”

Count Ickel, father of the current Empress.

He is also the father of the protagonist, Maryna Ickel, who rose to power after his daughter became the second empress.

I don’t recall any particular quirks about him.

He is moderately kind and moderately self-interested.

He’s not the type to abuse power through his daughter, so I personally do not dislike him.

I am sometimes curious how someone like Maryna could have been born under such a father, though.

“This way to the hall.”

The ballroom, to which we were guided, was lavishly decorated. Father greeted people along the way as we entered.

“Meeting the Duke here, I see.”

“Ah, Marquis Levian.”

The man Father spoke to had straight black hair and piercing blue eyes. Tall and imposing.

“Roa, greet him. This is Duke Licianshus.”

“Hello, Duke. I am Rosia Levian.”

Hiding my trembling heart, I spread my dress and bowed gracefully.

Lexian Licianshus!

The person I most wanted to see in this life—but I kept my composure, smiling politely for the social occasion.

“Pleasure to meet you, young lady.”

As expected, the Duke greeted me out of courtesy, and I lightly returned his bow.

“Now, Roa. Let’s greet Count Ickel. I know you dislike the Ickel lady, but bear with it today, alright?”

“Yes, Father.”

After greeting Count Ickel and a few of Father’s acquaintances, Father took his place at a distance from the dance floor. People naturally gathered around him, recognizing his influence in the empire.

“Father, Mother. I’ll go meet some friends.”

“Very well.”

Father rose, leaving a word of thanks for attending, while the orchestra prepared the dance music.

“Where is she…?”

I wasn’t chasing friends, but someone else.

At this point, I had already provoked Maryna Ickel a few times, and rumors that I disliked her had spread.

Even the male leads had started viewing me unfavorably.

Naturally, Duke Licianshus wouldn’t ask me to dance—not that he usually asked anyone.

Of course, aside from the male leads, many gentlemen eagerly offered me dances.

“Marquis’s daughter, would you honor me with a dance?”

“No.”

“Then with me—”