Chapter 1
I took a chance with a signet ring of unknown origin, pretending to be the one who saved Alexander Quinn, the crown prince, all for the money to save my dying mother.
All the people in Capitavia called me shameless, waiting for the day the real savior would expose me and watch me die without a single piece left.
Only I saw the few lines of text floating before me, and I smiled.
Later, the real savior stood outside the Eastarian Palace, sobbing, begging Alexander to look at her.
But Alexander held me close in his arms and said coldly to her, "She's my wife. How dare you judge her?"
*****
"That's her. She has the signet ring," the mayor exclaimed, pointing directly at me. His voice rose to a yell as he called to the armored soldiers, his tone overly flattering, and spit flew dangerously close to my face.
I gripped the signet ring in my palm, its cold touch calming my frantic heartbeat.
The lead general strode over, his sharp gaze cutting through me before landing on my clenched right hand.
"Open it," he said, his tone icy and leaving no room for refusal.
I took a deep breath and slowly opened my hand.
The signet ring, though far from top-tier, almost shimmered with a faint glow in the dim room.
The general's eyes lit up instantly. He snatched the signet ring and examined it closely under the light, double-checking it again.
"That's it. This is the one." His face was alight with barely contained excitement. "Quick. Bring her to Capitavia to meet His Royal Highness."
I was manhandled by two soldiers and dragged outside.
As I passed my mother, who lay on the bed barely clinging to life, I cried out with all my strength, "Mom, wait for me. I promise I'll bring back the money to save you."
A tear slid down my mom's cheek. Her lips were trembling, but not a single sound escaped.
My heart felt like it was being crushed in a giant fist, the pain nearly suffocating me.
As I was being dragged out of the house and about to be thrown into the carriage, a few lines of transparent text suddenly flashed right in front of my eyes.
[Seriously, how can the side character claim the heroine's achievement? She clearly wasn't the one who saved Alexander.]
[Evelyn is incredibly shameless; she'd do anything for wealth and status. It serves her right that Prince Alexander plans to throw her into the Royal Dungeon later, causing her whole family to suffer a terrible fate.]
[Relax, the real show is getting started. Prince Alexander already knows she's a fake. He's playing along for now. Once the real heroine, Lillian Hart, comes back, that's when this imposter's days are numbered.]
[Let's watch her make a scene for now. It's actually pretty funny, a poor county girl making her way into the Royal Palace? Bet there'll be plenty of laughs.]
My whole body froze, icy dread shooting up from my feet to the top of my head.
What? I was not trying to scam the crown prince.
This signet ring was my father's keepsake. He told me that if our family ever fell on hard times, I should take it to Capitavia and seek help from someone influential.
My mother was gravely ill, and none of the doctors could do anything. Only a traveling healer said she'd need some special elixir called Sunset Tincture to keep her hanging on. But that stuff would cost a thousand silver coins.
I was completely out of options before I remembered my father's last words. But these lines were telling me I'd stepped into the wrong story.
I wasn't here to ask for help. I was here to walk right into disaster.
I'd become Evelyn Grace, the shameless side character doomed to be thrown into the Royal Dungeon.
"What are you spacing out for? Get in the carriage." The soldier shoved me impatiently, making me stumble and crash hard into the carriage.
The curtain dropped, shutting out the blinding sunlight from outside.
I curled up in the corner, shaking with fear, unable to stop trembling.
No way. I couldn't let myself die. If I died, what would happen to my mom?
As I stared at those flickering lines, a crazy idea suddenly sparked in my mind.
Since Alexander already knew I was a fraud, he was still playing along with me. Well then, why not take this act and make it so real that no one can tell?
*****
The Eastarian Palace was so magnificent that it felt like a place fit for the gods.
I was dressed in an ill-fitting court dress, feeling like a puppet on strings as I was dragged before Alexander.
He sat high above, clad in a black ceremonial robe, his hair bound with a golden crown.
His features were striking, almost unreal, but his cold, bottomless eyes held not a trace of warmth or emotion.
I bowed to him, copying the dramatic gestures from those old stage plays. "I'm Evelyn Grace, paying my respects to Your Royal Highness," I said, my voice trembling.
[Wow, she's really selling it. That pitiful, scared act almost had me fooled into thinking she was some helpless girl.]
[Prince Alexander, look at her. Unmask her. Show everyone her true colors.]
The text in front of me flickered wildly. I clenched my palm hard, forcing myself to stay calm.
A soft chuckle came from above, carrying a touch of aloofness and unmistakable teasing amusement. "Raise your head."