Chapter 1

I once read this fantasy novel. Then I woke up inside it — as the vicious older sister who constantly tormented the Second Princess, Seraphine.

And somehow, the magical "System" that was supposed to guide the original heroine ended up bound to me instead.

Ding! A mechanical voice echoed in my head: [Follow the original storyline to the end, and you may return home.]

So I did exactly what I was told: poisoned her, framed her, and stole her man, without missing a single step.

Before long, wanted posters with my face were plastered all over the kingdom.

I smiled and asked the System, "That should have been enough, right? It's time to send me home."

The System went quiet for three seconds. Then it glitched out and left one last message: [WARNING! The plot has gone off the rails. Host must uncover the truth.]

I froze.

I had played my role perfectly, so how the hell did the plot go off course?

In this story, who was the real villain all along?

Sewage water rose past my ankles, the stench so bad it punched me in the face.

I curled up in a corner of the drainpipe, hugging my knees.

Outside, hurried footsteps echoed.

"Search the place. That vicious witch Isabella can't be far!"

"Capture her alive! His Highness wants to deal with her himself."

I buried my face in my knees and listened to my own heartbeat pounding in my ears.

[WARNING! Plot has deviated. Host must find the truth.]

That was the eighth warning the System had thrown at me.

That red message kept spamming my brain — like a broken alarm clock that wouldn't shut up.

"System," I gritted my teeth, "get your ass out here."

[WARNING! Plot has gone off the rails. Host must find the truth.]

"I've poisoned her. I've stole her fiancé. I've shoved her into that stupid pool at the party. I acted out every goddamn word as I had been told!" I snapped.

[WARNING! Plot has deviated.]

"What deviation? This is bullshit!" I punched the wet stone wall, my knuckles going numb from the blow.

The footsteps outside faded away.

I peeked out from behind the sewer's iron bars.

In the royal square, a new notice board stood beneath the moonlight

My face was drawn on it — freakishly accurate. Even the tiny mole on my chin was there.

Near the bottom of the notice board, a line of black text read:

[That vicious witch Isabella poisoned Princess Seraphine, betrayed the kingdom, and conspired with the enemy. Anyone who sees her is authorized to kill on sight. Reward: 5,000 gold coins.]

Five thousand gold coins. That was enough to buy a small castle.

I let out a dry laugh. My throat felt like sandpaper.

My stomach growled — I hadn't eaten a thing in two days.

The bakery on the corner had just shut its doors. Warm air still leaked through the cracks, carrying the smell of fresh bread.

I crept along the wall, reaching for the chunk of black bread cooling on the windowsill.

"Mom! It's her." A little boy pointed at me, his voice so shrill it could shatter glass. "It's the bad woman from the wanted poster."

I turned and ran.

A rock nailed me right in the lower back.

"Stone her!"

"Mom said she poisoned the princess!"

"Bad woman. Ugly witch!"

More rocks flew at me.

I twisted my ankle and went down, face-first into a muddy ditch by the road.

Mud splashed into my mouth, making me gag.

I lay sprawled on the ground, listening as the children's laughter echoed and slowly faded away.

"Hey, System," I screamed in my head for the ninth time.

[WARNING! Plot has deviated.]

I shoved my face into the mud and just started laughing, the sound all muffled and bitter.

*****

The next day, I went to the royal square and hid behind the shattered attic window, watching the crowd packed tightly below.