Finally, after what feels like an eternity of plotting and writing, I'm thrilled to announce the launch of my new pen name, Rose James, and my upcoming series Rewriting the Fallen Villainess! 🎉
Under Rose James, I'll be focusing on transmigration romance across multiple genres - from steamy billionaire romance to romantasy and historical fiction. My stories will feature heroines who get their second chances at love and life, often in the most unexpected ways.
Rewriting the Fallen Villainess project has been in the works for quite some time, and while the writing process has had its ups and downs, it's been an interesting journey. Now, I'm ready to share this story with you.
What's in Store?
If you're a fan of:
Steamy romantasy that'll make your e-reader sizzle 🔥
Deliciously complex reverse harem dynamics
Kingdom-building with clever political intrigue
A revenge plot
Spicy romance that'll have you fanning yourself
If these elements interest you, I hope you'll give the series a chance when it releases.
Amazon Author Page
You can find my books on Amazon, where I'll typically have pre-orders available a couple of months before release. I'm aiming to release a new book every 1-2 months, bringing you more stories of love, second chances, and redemption across different worlds and times.
Check out and follow me on Amazon HERE.
Social Media
I'm currently building my social media presence, and you can find me on:
Video teasers coming soon on these social media sites. I'd love to have you join me there.
Rewriting the Fallen Villainess
(will be available in ku once released)
Release Date: Feb 22nd, 2025
When life gives you a second chance at being the villain, make sure you’re a damn good one.
Getting stabbed by a prince wasn’t on my project management checklist. Neither was waking up as Lady Wren Lee, the infamous villainess of the wildly popular fantasy series A Kingdom of Infernal Flames. But at least I died knowing how the story ends, right?
Wrong.
After watching my adopted family murdered and being executed as a traitor, I’ve been granted a do-over with a cheat system with a snarky personality that would make any gamer jealous. Now I’m back five years before everything went to hell, armed with future knowledge, business acumen, and a very personal vendetta against a certain murderous prince.
This time around, I’m not playing by the novel’s rules. I’m building an empire, gathering powerful allies—including lethally devoted immortal beings with their own villainous reputations—and making sure my family survives—all while navigating the deadly politics of a fantasy world that thought it could write me off as just another disposable villain.
They say the villain never wins? Watch me rewrite that ending.
Rewriting the Fallen Villainess is a spicy reverse harem fantasy romance featuring a modern woman reborn as a noble villainess, strategic kingdom-building, and morally ambiguous love interests with decidedly possessive tendencies. Follow our protagonist villainess as she flips the script on her own story while dealing with four powerful men who each have their own obsessive ways of showing affection.
A romantasy featuring:
A modern-day protagonist reborn as a villainess with a snarky cheat system
Four dangerous immortal beings with their own dark agendas
Time regression and revenge plotting
Family protection at all costs
Political intrigue and noble scheming
Magical mishaps (including militant mint gardens and dramatically gothic embroidery)
A heroine who refuses to follow the script
Book 1 builds tension through:
Strategic preparation
Dangerous encounters
Power dynamics
Hidden agendas
Touch-starved moments
Slow-burn romance
Contains mature themes, political intrigue, and various magical disasters. Series heat level rises significantly from Book 2 onward.
Teaser
The cold seeped into my bones, a relentless intruder I could neither fight nor flee. My breath turned to mist in the frigid air, dancing like wraiths before vanishing into the gloom of the dungeon. The stone walls, slick with the tears of condensation, seemed to weep for me—though I supposed even walls could show more sympathy than my current jailers. I drew my tattered cloak tighter around my slender frame, seeking a warmth that refused to come.
I sat on the floor, its rough surface a stark contrast to the silk sheets I’d grown accustomed to over the past decade. A single ray of light fought its way through the barred window high above, a mocking sliver of the world beyond my reach. Shadows clung to the corners of the cell like particularly persistent courtiers, whispering of despair.
In my heart, there was nothing but the wrenching pain—sharp and unyielding, the agony twisting and burning like a firestorm, torturing me endlessly. I was still shocked and dazed, the horrendous sight once again tormenting me, the image of my adoptive brother being executed, the sharp blade dropping down to his neck flashing before my eyes. Finn, kind and true, who’d done nothing to deserve such a fate. His laughter would never again brighten the halls of our home, his dreams snuffed out like a candle in a storm.
They were all gone. First it had been my adoptive father and then mother, and now, Elle and Finn, too. A family that had welcomed me with open arms, now nothing but memories in the ashes of betrayal. As of today, I was alone in this world that had become as familiar as breathing—a world I’d learned to navigate as Lady Wren Lee, even knowing it was all originally just words on a page in A Kingdom of Infernal Flames. How bitterly ironic that title seemed now.
I had tried so hard, evading the death flags that followed me as Wren Lee, the supposed despicable villainess, like a particularly determined shadow. I’d avoided committing any sort of misdeeds toward the main characters as if they carried the plague—which, given how infectious drama seemed to be in this world, wasn’t entirely inaccurate. No interaction meant no conflict, no fuel for the inevitable plot twists I knew lurked in every corner. I’d even gone above and beyond, helping characters whenever possible—main, supporting, side, and even villains. Like a noble lady running a charity, I’d handed out favors and assistance, desperately hoping they’d see me as something other than the antagonist I was meant to be.
But alas, it was all to no avail. All my efforts had not been enough to shield those I loved from harm or myself from this grim destiny. I was still condemned as a traitor, and now, the people I loved were all dead and I would be left to rot in this prison until my judgement day. So much for rewriting the script.
A quivering cry escaped my mouth as more tears welled in my eyes, flowing down my cheeks. Pulling my knees up against my chest, I hugged myself, my shoulders hunched, my face buried as I bawled my eyes out. Ten years of careful planning and cautious living, reduced to this moment of utter despair.
The sound of my sobs filled the cell—a lonely lament for dreams shattered and lives lost. The sorrow within my heart had never felt so heavy. How I missed them, my adoptive family—Mother and Father, Elle, and Finn. I was loved, unconditionally, and I them in return. A decade of memories, of joy and laughter, now tainted by this bitter end.
I sobbed for how long, I did not know. I sobbed until my eyes felt raw and my body turned weak. Days and nights blurred and passed like a still, nightmarish reverie, and often, I deluded myself into thinking what had happened to my family was all nothing but a bad dream.
This was all just a dream. Soon, I’d wake up and find myself back in the comfort of my bed at home in the real world, this dark fantasy fading away into the void. Except I’d had that same wishful thought ten years ago, and here I still was, living—and now possibly dying—in a world that had become as real as the tears on my cheeks.
As my sobs quieted to a whimper, a sound pricked at my senses—a snicker, callous and chilling, slicing through the silence of the dungeon. My sobs caught in my throat as I lifted my swollen eyes. The sight that greeted me was so starkly out of place it took my breath away.
There stood a young woman resplendent in her beauty. Her hair the color of the burning sun cascading around her shoulders like a fiery waterfall. Her eyes were like twin sapphires plucked from the deepest ocean, and they held no warmth for me as they locked onto mine. She wore a gown of rich green silk that clung to her form, proclaiming her status and wealth with its luxurious folds. Jewels glittered at her throat and on her delicate fingers, each one catching the meager light and throwing it back with disdain.
She was majestic, as she should be as the crown princess, as she should be as the most important character in this world. She was Marissa Mallory, the heroine of this novel—though “heroine” seemed a rather generous term at the moment.
With a wave of her delicate hand, the prison guard scuffled to obey her silent command, unlocking the door of the cell. Marissa stepped into my dismal abode, the hem of her skirt brushing the dirt and dust about the filthy stone floor. Even the grime seemed to retreat from her presence, as if acknowledging its unworthiness.
She came to stand inches from me, looking down with a smug smile playing about her beautiful face, one that had brought many men to their knees.
I stared at her, wondering why she was here of all places, wondering why she was smiling when seeing the pathetic me—utterly frail and thin, in rags and covered in filth that would make a sewer rat wrinkle its nose. The Marissa Mallory I’d read about was supposed to be magnanimous and compassionate, with a heart of gold that shed tears at the mere sight of suffering. That was the character I’d spent ten years carefully navigating around, the saintly figure whose path I’d studiously avoided crossing.
This woman, with her conceited look and cruel smile, bore little resemblance to the paragon of virtue I’d seen her portray countless times during balls and tea-parties, or during her charitable visits to the streets of Whitfall City. The expression displayed on that stunning face was anything but one that belonged to a heroine with a pure soul, a saintess. Instead, she wore the look of someone who’d finally dropped a mask they’d grown tired of wearing.
Marissa leaned down until our faces were inches apart. A smirk about her lips, a mixture of triumph and contempt on her face, she said, “You’ve finally fallen.”
I stared at her, confusion furrowing my brow at her words. Ten years of careful observation, and suddenly I felt like I was seeing her for the first time.
“I see you have no idea what I mean.” Her voice tinkled with mirth, the sound grating against my ears like shattered crystal. “But why would you? You’re just a stock character.”
Her words crashed over me like a tidal wave—unexpected and devastating, leaving me reeling in their wake. Though I did not show it, I knew what that meant. Indeed, she confirmed it with her next words, each one falling like a hammer on my already fractured world.
“You’re just a despicable villainess. Why have you not acted the way you should have acted? The way you were designed to be. Your ugly role meant to shine a light on me, the heroine. You’re meant to abuse and bully me, your action meant to make everyone hate you and for them to pity and love me. So why have you not acted out your part?”
She lifted her chin proudly then leaned forward slightly, her perfect lips curving into a predatory smile. “Though I suppose I should thank you for being such an… unconventional villain. Do you know how exhausting it was, watching you play at being good? All those saccharine smiles and helpful gestures. “Honestly, it was like watching a snake try to convince everyone it was a harmless ribbon.” She paused, her eyes glittering with malice. “But no matter. Things are finally going the way they should be now. It was tedious watching you being such a goody two-shoes around everyone, and especially my men.”
My throat tightened at her possessive words, at the way she claimed them like pieces on a chessboard.
She lowered her face again, her breath ghosting across my ear like poisoned honey. “Did you think you’d ever get those men’s attention and make them love you, Wren Lee? That they’d look past your designated role and see something worth wanting? No matter how hard you try, they will never pay you any heed nor turn their hearts to you. Why, you ask?” She straightened, satisfaction dripping from every word. “That’s simply because that is just the way it is. It’s fate, written on papers in a book.”
A bitter laugh escaped her lips as she straightened herself up once more. “Oh my, I see you’re getting even more confused. That lovely little furrow between your brows—it almost makes you look human. But you needn’t know nor understand, since you’re just a dumb stock character. And unfortunately for me for a little while, one that doesn’t do or act what it was written to do.”
She smiled gleefully, spreading her arms as if embracing her victory. “Now that things are finally going my way and you’re where you’re supposed to be,” she continued with an air of finality as if sealing my fate with her words alone, “the next chapter in my life will be no doubt romance filled with sweet moments—with men vying for my undivided attention. After all,” her voice dropped to a stage whisper, “that’s how the story goes, isn’t it?”
She paused for dramatic effect before adding venomously, her voice dripping with false sweetness, “There’d be nothing I need to worry about now, don’t you agree? After all, I am now the crown princess of this wonderful kingdom. The leading lady in this delightful tale.” Her smile turned sharp enough to cut. “And every good story needs its villain properly disposed of.”
With that, she turned on her heel, her skirts swishing like a cat’s satisfied tail. Before leaving, she said over her shoulder with feigned nonchalance that couldn’t hide the sharp edge of cruelty in her voice, “Oh, and I forgot to mention—though I’m sure you’ve been counting the hours—your execution is scheduled for tomorrow. With this, Wren Lee will be no more, just as it should be. Just as it was written.”
Her merry giggle rang loud in my ears as she strolled away, the prison door once again clicking shut, locking me within. Alone, I stared into the void, long and hard, and then… I burst out chuckling—not merely laughed but let out an unhinged cascade of mirthless amusement laced with disbelief.
The hollow mirth died, and my expression was once again schooled into a hard, cold mask.
She called me a despicable villainess. It was a fact Marissa Mallory knew Wren Lee was a villainess inside a novel.
The realization settled on me like ashes from a pyre. Marissa wasn’t just any heroine—she was like me, another soul who had been thrust into A Kingdom of Infernal Flames from another world entirely. Another player in this game, but one who’d embraced her role with disturbing enthusiasm.
I had been such a fool. I had been so blind.
The revelation bore down on me with crushing weight—Marissa Mallory wasn’t simply playing her part, she had commandeered it with fervor unmatched by any original character. She’d turned the story’s pure-hearted heroine into something far more calculated, far more dangerous.
I didn’t know how she got transmigrated here, or who she originally was, but one thing I knew for certain was that my second life could not end like this. I was innocent. My family was innocent. We had been framed by someone who understood exactly how stories worked—and had used that knowledge against us.
My mind raced, whirling with images and scenes of the years I had lived as Wren Lee. I worked on pinpointing when and where things had gone wrong and came to that time when Father had died at the battlefield. Everything had started to go downhill from then and our family suffered tremendous loss. The timing was too perfect, the cascade of tragedy too well-orchestrated to be coincidence.
That night, I spent my time thinking and plotting as if I’d surely survive my execution. When exhaustion finally caught up with me, my thoughts drifted to what I could have done better or differently if given another chance. Would I still be a naive fool who, like Marissa had said, behaved like a goody two-shoes around everyone? Or would I take on the true Wren Lee’s character—that spiteful, entitled, spoilt brat who ultimately brings everyone in her family to their doom through her thoughtless actions? Neither path seemed right anymore.
What scant light that eked through the fissures of that small window above the cell had gotten brighter, signaling the arrival of daybreak. The realization that in mere hours, my last breath would be taken from me paralyzed me in fright, my body quivering, and my pulse thundering. Death had seemed so much more abstract when it was just words on a page.
When I did manage to calm down, it was to the sound of the prison door opening, and I tensed as I held my breath. There, presenting before me was the man of the hour, Crown Prince Jared Abaddon, the hero—though I was beginning to seriously question whoever had assigned that particular role.
The Abaddon bloodline had a unique appearance throughout history: strands of pale golden hair and eyes of a deep, amethyst hue, a legacy purportedly inherited from an angelic ancestor of bygone age. Jared, a scion of this celestial heritage, was no exception. His striking beauty made him an easy object of women’s affections, and his winsome nature magnetized others, elevating him, in the eyes of many, to an exalted status. Looking at him now, I wondered how I’d ever been fooled by such a perfect facade.
“Wren Lee,” he said, his voice carrying all the warmth of a midwinter night. “Are you ready for your execution?”
The tone of his voice, the way he asked it, so casually and nonchalantly, it was as if he was asking me if I was ready to go out for a shopping expedition along Bond Street.
“No, your highness,” I said, working on suppressing the shuddering in my voice and the shaking of my body. “I doubt anyone would ever be ready for their own death, don’t you agree?” Even now, I couldn’t help but inject a bit of irony into my words.
His lips broadened into a sardonic smile that would have looked more at home on a predator than a prince. “You are always so amusing. Even now, you can’t help but show that sharp tongue of yours.”
Strange. His words made it sound like we were close acquaintances. I had clearly avoided him, interacting as little as possible when we happened to encounter each other under social settings, ones I had no choice but to attend. Yet here he was, acting as if we shared some intimate understanding.
He came down to one knee, his hand cupping my chin, the touch sending ice through my veins. I turned frigid, not from fear alone but from the sheer audacity of his familiar gesture. Even in my final hours, he was playing the role of the gallant prince.
“Your position has fallen, and you are as dirty as a gutter rat, yet…” He shook his head as if confounded by some great mystery. “Your eyes, they show defiance, a spirit that is unwilling to yield. I loathe those eyes of yours. I abhor the way they look at me as if you knew all about me, seeing deep into my soul. The way you look at everyone, it’s as if you are a deity.” He leaned closer, his perfect features twisting with something darker than mere dislike. “I must admit it makes me feel inferior, like I’m an insignificant insect in your eyes. I detest it.”
Just what the heck was he on about? This man, the almighty hero of the novel, had been feeling inferior simply because I had looked at him a certain way? How ridiculous. Though I didn’t deny that whenever I saw him, or the other characters for that matter, I couldn’t help but know what they were going to say or act simply because the same scenes appeared in the novel. Perhaps I hadn’t hidden my foreknowledge as well as I’d thought.
“I’m sorry I made you feel small with my stares, your highness,” I replied, unable to keep the edge from my voice. “It must be an awful feeling for you, considering you’re a crown prince and the future king of Estral. To think, all this time, you’ve been threatened by mere looks.”
He glared at me as if I had jabbed a particularly sensitive nerve. His hand tightened on my chin, and for a moment, I thought he would strike me. But then that perfect, princely mask slipped back into place. With a smile that didn’t reach his eyes, he said in a derisive manner, “Nice comeback, Lady Wren. But no matter about that disgusting, unwanted emotion. I’d be rid of it for good. I’ll be rid of you for good, Wren Lee.”
At that moment, so in tuned I was with his words that I let my guard down. The sharp pain in my side caught me completely by surprise. A blade was piercing through my skin and into my organs, with blood hemorrhaging out. The metallic scent filled my nostrils, mixing with the musty dungeon air in a nauseating combination.
Shocked, I lowered my gaze to see a dagger stuck in my side, and Jared thrusting it deeper, screwing it into me with a precision that spoke of practice. What? Jared just stabbed me! But this did not appear in the novel. Wren Lee was meant to die under the guillotine, like Finn, her adoptive brother. This wasn’t following the script at all.
Shifting my eyes back to his, I saw him grinning gleefully, all pretense of nobility gone. This was the true face of the novel’s hero, and it was far uglier than any villain’s mask.
“Unlike your brother, there will be no public execution for you, my dear.” His voice carried a hint of satisfaction that made my blood run cold—or perhaps that was just the blood loss. “Let me tell you one thing before your last breath. I planned all this. Allowing you to live is simply too dangerous.” He chuckled softly, the sound echoing off the stone walls like broken glass. “Oh, and since we’re at it, let me tell you another. Your father, the late Duke Argyll’s death at the battlefield, yes, I planned that, too. Why, you ask? Because a man with too much wealth and power makes him too dangerous. He was a hard man to make yield, your father, and our king had fear, so his death is inevitable.”
I glared at him, the pain tearing at my side nothing compared to the emotional agony at hearing the truth behind Father’s death. I had always had my suspicion, but hearing it confirmed with such casual cruelty made something snap inside me. Yet, I had never imagined it’d be the hero of the novel himself who plotted the demise of not only Father, but our whole family. We had been betrayed, backstabbed, and murdered by none other than the men we had pledged loyalty to. The perfect prince was nothing more than a perfectly crafted lie.
Blinded with sheer rage, I staggered as I reached out my blood-soaked hands toward the bastard’s neck. “You monster!” I screamed as tears filled my eyes. “You! I will kill you here and now!” The words tore from my throat, raw and primal, carrying years of suppressed anger.
A disgusted look crossed his face, as if I were something unpleasant he’d found on his boot. He grabbed the hair at the back of my head and thrust me away from him. I went tumbling to the floor, the dagger still stuck at my side and blood gushing out. My head was spinning, and I felt like life was starting to leave me, but I didn’t let that deter me from showing my wrath. Even dying, I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction of seeing me broken.
My eyes locked onto his, burning with all the hatred I could muster. “I swear vengeance on you, Jared Abaddon. Mark my word, I will annihilate the Abaddon.” Each word was a promise written in blood—my blood, my family’s blood.
He snorted as he tidied himself up, a distorted face marked with disdain when he saw the stain of my blood sullying his fine royal outfit. “Pray tell, how will you accomplish that when you’re dying? Even in your final moments, you still think you can change the story?”
I ignored him and looked to the heavens. “I want a redo!” I shouted, my voice hoarse with emotions. “Do you hear me? I want a redo!” I screamed into the air, staring at whatever gods was up there. “You brought me here without my consent. The least you can do is give me a redo. This time, I want a cheat. I deserve that much, don’t I?”
Jared burst out laughing, the sound echoing off the walls like poisoned bells. “You are indeed one mad woman. Perhaps death will be a mercy for you.” He turned on his heel and then headed toward the door, his boots clicking against the stone floor.
I wanted to return the favor by sending his own dagger into his stomach, the same way he had done me. I wanted to crawl to him, to stop him from leaving, but getting up was an impossible feat. My body, once trained in the finest dance halls of Whitfall, now refused to obey even the simplest commands.
I was reduced to laying there, watching his figure disappearing into the darkness, and it wasn’t long before my eyes closed against my will. The last thing I saw was his silhouette, straight and proud, walking away from yet another murder.
[Requesting for a CHEAT has been accepted. Initializing system parameters…]
A voice echoed in my head, sounding like a bored customer service representative who’d been working the cosmic help desk for far too long.
What was this? I was so near death’s door that I was hearing voices now? Though honestly, as far as death hallucinations went, this one was oddly specific. I tried opening my eyes, but I felt too weak, and my consciousness was starting to fade.
[A maximum of six skills are permissible for a CHEAT. Would you like to browse our current selection? Premium skills may require additional karma points.]
The voice had the artificial cheerfulness of someone trying to upsell you at a cosmic convenience store.
As my consciousness wavered, memories of home—my first home—flooded back. Mom, Dad, Luke, Eve... ten years in this world, and still their absence ached like a fresh wound. Mom’s kitchen had always been the heart of our home, filled with warmth and the mouthwatering aromas of her cooking. Her beef stew... I could almost taste it now, rich and hearty, the meat so tender it melted on your tongue. And Dad... I could almost hear him now, stroking his beard while explaining how the best meals began long before the kitchen, with properly nurtured crops and well-raised livestock. He’d always said cooking was just the final step in a journey that began in the soil itself. What a pitiful last meal this was in comparison—nothing but the metallic taste of my own blood.
[SPECIAL OFFER DETECTED!]
[Food Mastery and Chef Excellence Package has been added.]
[Two-for-one special activated!]
[DOWNLOADING comprehensive food production knowledge...]
[Agricultural Expertise:
· Advanced farming techniques
· Crop optimization and breeding
· Soil management and enhancement
· Magical plant cultivation
· Sustainable farming practices
· Livestock management
· Weather pattern prediction
· Agricultural innovation]
[Culinary Mastery:
· Global cuisine expertise
· Advanced cooking techniques
· Recipe creation and innovation
· Traditional and modern methods
· Magical food enhancement
· Preservation techniques]
[Bonus Features:
· Perfect taste memory
· Ingredient quality detection
· Instinctive growing cycles
· Crop disease resistance
· Natural pest control
· Emergency food production]
[Congratulations! You can now create farm-to-table miracles that would make master chefs weep with joy while quoting Sun Tzu’s “The Art of War” about proper crop rotation.]
[Note: System not responsible for spontaneous dinner party organization, stress-baking incidents, or philosophical farming debates. Agricultural wisdom may spontaneously manifest as cryptic proverbs.]
My heart clenched as different faces flashed through my mind—Father’s stern but loving expression, Mother’s gentle smile, Elle’s bright laughter, Finn’s solemn dignity. The Argyll family, who had taken in a stranger and given her not just a home, but a place to belong. Now they were all gone, scattered like ashes in the wind, their warmth replaced by the cold embrace of death.
“Please,” I whispered, the word carrying all the weight of my grief. “I want them back. I need them back.” The plea escaped my lips like a desperate prayer to whatever gods or systems might be listening. In that moment, I would have traded anything—my noble title, my wealth, my very soul—just to see them one more time.
[Error 404: Reviving the dead is not possible, forbidden, and against the law of the universe.]
[PROCESSING request...]
[Status: DENIED]
[Reason: Violation of Universal Constants]
[Note: Management sympathizes with your loss but must maintain cosmic balance. Please select a different option from our available features. May we suggest grief counseling?]
A bitter laugh escaped my blood-stained lips. Not possible? Then perhaps... My thoughts raced despite the growing darkness at the edges of my vision. If I couldn’t bring them back, maybe I could prevent their deaths altogether. “Time,” I croaked out. “Send me back. Back to the beginning, before everything went wrong.” It was an outrageous request, I knew. Asking to rewrite time itself—who did I think I was? But with death’s cold fingers already reaching for me, what more did I have to lose? The worst they could say was no, and I was already intimately acquainted with that particular answer.
[In accordance with time and space policy, five years is the maximum allowed for a time reversion. Time manipulation is typically forbidden, however...]
[CRITICAL SITUATION DETECTED]
[Current timeline analysis shows catastrophic outcomes if subject’s death remains permanent:
· Immediate Consequences:
· Estimated casualties: 47% of mortal population
· Dragon rage incidents: projected 312
· Demon realm instability: critical
· Magical advancement halted: 147 crucial inventions will never manifest
· Last pure-blooded Alpha wolf bloodline: terminated
· Wolf-shifter population decline: 89% within one generation
· Kingdom technological regression: estimated 300 years
· Universe stability: critically endangered]
[Additional Notes: Subject’s death triggers chain reaction of events including but not limited to:
· Ancient dragon destroying three kingdoms (Projected civilian casualties: unacceptable)
· Demon Prince destabilizing realm barriers (Risk Level: Catastrophic)
· Mage Knight abandoning all magical research (Technology Stagnation: Critical)
· Alpha wolf’s complete psychological breakdown (Species Extinction Risk: High)
· Multiple extinction-level events]
[MANAGEMENT OVERRIDE ACTIVATED]
[Reason: Preserving universal stability takes precedence.]
[Note: This is not favoritism. We simply prefer our worlds intact and populations alive.]
[Time reversion authorized. Would you like to add this to your cart? Warning: This will consume all accumulated karma points.]
Only five years? I didn’t care if it was only five years. I’d take whatever I could as long as I got to see my family again, as long as I got to be with my loved ones again. At this point, even a five-minute rewind would be better than bleeding out in this cell.
But what was all this nonsense about karma points and extinction events? Dragons? Demons? Wolves? The voice in my head was certainly creative, I’d give it that. Maybe my dying brain was mashing together all those fantasy novels I’d read back on Earth. Though I had to admit, for a hallucination, it was remarkably specific about its catastrophic predictions.
[Confirmed!]
[A time reversion of five years will commence after skills selection is completed and the system is ready.]
[Please note that a skill to put a spell on the subject of interest to fall in love is not allowed and against the law of the universe. We’re not running a dating service here.]
[As a bonus, the system has taken previous relationships with loved ones into consideration. You’re welcome.]
Love? I almost laughed at the absurdity. After everything that had happened, romance was the last thing on my mind. I’d spent my previous life carefully avoiding any entanglements with the male leads, knowing they were destined for Marissa. The thought of chasing after men who’d never look my way left a bitter taste in my mouth. Besides, I’d seen enough court romances end in betrayal to last several lifetimes. If by some miracle I did get another chance, I refused to waste it pining after men who’d only break my heart. This time around, I’d only open my heart to those who truly saw me—not as a villain, not as a stepping stone in their story, but as myself.
[Granting a bonus confirmed! Initiating Romantic Compatibility Scan... Processing candidates with genuine romantic attachment to subject Wren Lee...]
[ALERT: Multiple high-ranking entities detected]
[Status: Deeply Infatuated]
[Emotional Investment Level: Critical]
[Love Authenticity Rating: ★★★★★]
[Loading emotional resonance data...]
[Loading...]
[Complete!]
[Bonus Feature Unlocked: Heart’s Eye]
[Ability to glimpse true feelings]
[Built-in lie detection for romantic intentions]
[Automatic red flag identification]
[Genuine love verification system]
[Consider this your premium matchmaking service. Now with 100% less heartbreak!]
[Note: System cannot prevent emotional drama. User discretion advised. Management not responsible for excessive displays of affection or possessive behavior.]
The voice’s attempt at humor did nothing to lighten the darkness consuming my heart. As my blood pooled beneath me, all I could think about was justice—no, revenge. The betrayal burned hotter than my wound, searing through my soul. Jared, King John, and their conspirators had systematically destroyed everything I held dear. They’d murdered my family, tarnished our legacy, and buried the truth beneath an avalanche of lies. If only I’d seen through their façade sooner, if only I’d recognized the vipers hiding behind those courtly smiles.
“I want to see them,” I whispered through blood-stained lips. “I want to see the truth behind every smile, every bow, every honeyed word. I want to know their hearts before they can plunge their daggers into mine.”
[Eye of Truth has been added.]
[CAUTION: Advanced Truth Detection Protocol Engaged]
[Enables viewing of true intentions]
[Reveals hidden motivations]
[Exposes lies and deception]
[WARNING: This ability comes with significant mental burden. Side effects may include:
· Existential crisis
· Severe trust issues
· Occasional bouts of cynicism
· Disturbing revelations about human nature
· Management strongly advises maintaining emotional distance when using this feature. What is seen cannot be unseen.]
A bitter laugh escaped my cracked lips as I took stock of my current state. Three months in this cell had reduced me from the pinnacle of nobility to something less than a beggar. My once-pristine skin was caked with grime and blood, my hair a matted mess that would make rats nest in shame. God, what I wouldn’t give for a proper bath—not just these medieval excuses for cleaning, but a real, modern bathroom with actual plumbing. Even as one of the wealthiest nobles in the kingdom, I’d been forced to adapt to a world where chamber pots were considered the height of sanitation. The indignity of it all...
[Craftsman has been added.]
[UPGRADING Medieval Infrastructure...]
[Modern plumbing concepts unlocked]
[Sanitation revolution initialized]
[Hygiene standards recalibrating]
[Note: Prepare for dramatic increase in quality of life. Chamber pot industry may experience significant market disruption.]
My thoughts drifted to an even more morbid direction. Here I was, about to die in rags soaked with my own blood, when I’d always imagined my final outfit would be a masterpiece of silk and lace, crafted by Estral’s finest artisans. Even in death, it seemed, I couldn’t maintain the dignity I’d fought so hard to preserve.
[Couturier has been added.]
[FASHION PROTOCOLS ENGAGED]
[Haute couture mastery unlocked]
[Advanced design techniques downloaded]
[Fabric manipulation expertise integrated]
[Because darling, if you’re going to overthrow a kingdom, you simply must look fabulous doing it.]
“Couturier?” I muttered through blood-stained lips. “What kind of twisted joke is this?” None of these skills aligned with what I truly needed. Where was the earth-shattering magical power I’d seen wielded in A Kingdom of Infernal Flames? How was I supposed to face Jared and his conspirators with nothing but fashion sense and indoor plumbing? I needed raw power, the kind that could level castles and topple kingdoms, not... whatever this was.
The voice in my head seemed determined to grant me everything except what I actually wanted. Though perhaps that was fitting—even my dying hallucinations were determined to be contrary.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
[Maximum skill capacity reached: 6/6]
[Current loadout:
· Medical Mastery
· Culinary Excellence (Food + Chef combo)
· Eye of Truth
· Master Craftsman
· Haute Couturier]
[We regret to inform you that world-breaking powers are currently out of stock. May we suggest reviewing our complimentary guide: “So You Wanted Godlike Powers But Got Life Skills Instead: A Survivor’s Guide”?]
A hysterical laugh bubbled up in my throat, tasting of copper and irony. Even on my deathbed, the universe seemed determined to make a joke of my life. Here I was, bargaining with a voice in my head, and what did I get? Not the earth-shattering magic I’d hoped for, but a collection of skills that sounded more suited to running a high-end resort than achieving vengeance.
“Fine,” I spat, the word carrying all the bitterness of my situation. “Medical, food, chef, eye of truth, craftsman, and couturier—I’ll take them all.” What choice did I have? A cheat was a cheat, even if it wasn’t the one I’d wanted. At least this way, I could ensure my enemies looked their absolute best at their own funerals. Perhaps I’d even cater the events—nothing said revenge quite like serving exquisitely prepared last meals.
The absurdity of it all made me want to laugh and cry simultaneously. Here I was, bleeding out in a dungeon, planning hypothetical funeral fashions with skills I might never get to use.
[Confirmation successful!]
[Extracting information for medical, food, chef, craftsman, and couturier from the soul’s memory and world data from previous life is in progress…]
[Loading…]
[Loading…]
[Complete!]
[System creating the skills medical, food, chef, craftsman, and couturier is in progress…]
[Loading…]
[Loading…]
[Complete!]
[Extracting Eye of Truth from the Goddess Thea is in progress…]
[Warning: Goddess Thea seems mildly annoyed at being disturbed…]
[Complete!]
[Downloading skills into CHEAT is in progress…]
[Please do not turn off your consciousness during this update…]
[Complete!]
[System has been prepared. Time and space manipulation magic activating. Please stand by for time reversion. Note: Side effects may include slight disorientation, temporary memory overlap, and an inexplicable craving for chocolate.]
I felt this strange warmth enveloping me despite the coldness of my body. I felt myself grow lighter as if I was elevating, like a feather caught in an updraft. My breathing was shallow and short as my heartbeat grew ever feebler, my consciousness fainter, and then… darkness claimed me.
Just before everything faded completely, I could have sworn I heard one last message:
[Time reversion initiated.]
[Good luck, and try not to die this time.]
[Our customer satisfaction ratings can’t handle another tragedy.]
And then… I knew no more.
(will be available in ku once released)