Chapter 1
At the family recognition banquet, the fake heiress, Mira Langley, splashed red wine all over my dress.
She covered her mouth, looking all innocent.
"Sorry, Summer. Just a little slip. It's not like you've ever seen red wine before, right?"
A ripple of snickers rippled through the hall.
I looked down at the stain spreading across my skirt. My mind went blank.
One moment, I'd been drinking poisoned wine in the Cold Palace.
The next, that crap red wine shocked me awake.
Right then, words appeared before my eyes.
[Welcome to the Villainess Self-Salvation System.
[Current identity: The true heiress of a wealthy family, doomed to be a tragic villainess.
[Today's Main Quest: Make a scene at the banquet and cement your reputation as a country bumpkin.
[Task One: Slap the fake heiress. Reward: Wealthy parents' hatred -1 point.]
I paused for two seconds, then cursed under my breath. 'Screw off.'
But Mira kept performing.
"Summer, if you're upset, you can have my seat at the head table.
"It's just… you just came back from the countryside. I'm worried you don't know the rules."
I looked up at her.
The girl stood there in a designer gown, wearing my grandmother's heirloom necklace, at my family's recognition banquet, calling me a country bumpkin.
Well, perfect!
Nothing I hate more than fake, scheming bitches.
I raised my hand, but didn't slap her.
Instead, I deliberately took the wine glass from her hand, slow and steady.
"Rules?" I echoed.
"You're wearing my necklace, sitting in my seat, and now you're telling me about rules at my own party?" I shot back. "Mira Langley.
"Do you even have any shame?"
The whole room went dead silent.
System messages exploded in front of my eyes.
[Holy crap, she didn't follow the script and slap her.]
[Damn, her words are savage!]
[Forget bumpkin, she's a demon queen.]
Clara Langley's face changed instantly, and she hissed at me, her voice low and sharp.
"Summer, you have to cause a scene your first day home?" she snapped.
I looked at her.
"First day? You abandoned me in some small town for eighteen years, and now you're counting days?"
Her face went pale.
Victor Langley's expression darkened as he spoke.
"Enough. This is a reunion party. Don't embarrass us in front of guests."
I laughed, cold and sharp.
I shot back. "Now you're worried about embarrassment?
"Where was that shame when you threw away your own daughter eighteen years ago?"
The girl who used to live in this body was also called Summer Langley.
Ten minutes ago, Mira's wine splash had made her dizzy, and she'd passed out. Then I arrived.
My name was Seraphina Cross, the former empress.
I'd survived palace intrigue, political power plays, letting others do my dirty work, and smiling as I watched people fall.
A fake heiress like her? She's nothing but a joke to me.
The system started blaring at me again.
[Warning! You better stay in full villain mode right now.]
[Task 2: Steal Mira Langley's fiancé.]
[Task3: Publicly humiliate yourself by apologizing on your knees, then claim she manipulated you into it.]
I almost burst out laughing.
"Who the hell designed this system?
"Did they get their brains slammed in a door or what?"
While I was cursing it out, glasses shattered in a corner.
A young man with silver-gray hair kicked over a chair.
"What a damn racket," he grumbled. "This family reunion might as well be a funeral."
He lounged against the doorway, earrings glinting, bearing a partial resemblance to Mr. Langley but with a wild edge.
He was the youngest son of the Langley family, Hunter Langley—the notorious wild card of the upper crust.
Clara felt a headache coming on as soon as she spotted him.
"Hunter, are you here to stir up trouble again?" she snapped.
Hunter snorted coldly.
"I'm just here to see how you all bully my blood sister."
The room fell silent once more.
Mira's eyes welled up with tears.
"Hunter, how could you say that about me too?"
He didn't even bother to look at her.
And he walked over, tilted his head, glanced at the wine stain on my dress, and suddenly grinned. "Summer.
"Want me to throw some wine on her too?"
I stared at him for two seconds.
This guy had fire in him. A wild streak a mile wide. And when it came to family, he was fiercely loyal.
I patted his hand, casual and reassuring. "No rush.
"Even a wild card knows to strike where it leaves a mark."
Hunter's eyes sparkled. "Got it.
"Alright, you're my sis. I'm sticking with you."
Before the banquet even ended, the trending topics started.
[#LangleyTrueHeiressBumpkin]
[#MiraLangleyWineOops]
[#WealthyFamilyReunionTrainwreck]
Someone had filmed secretly and posted the video online.
In the footage, Mira cried beautifully, looking pitiful.
I stood nearby with a face like a debt collector.
The comments all cursed me out.
[Country folks never belong in high society.]
[Poor Mira, losing her family to some gold-digging outsider after eighteen years.]