Replaced, Betrayed, Reborn

Just as I was about to struggle, those strange lines of text appeared again in front of me.

[Wait, what am I even reading? Is this supposed to be a tragic historical romance or something way messier?]

[To be fair, the setting did mention that the Aphrodisiac Curse can be cured with a blood transfusion, but the person giving the blood has to die.]

[Why not have the villainess do it for our girl? If she dies, she can go back to the modern world anyway.]

[Come on. She's the evil side character…]

I didn't read the rest.

The words "go back to the modern world" had already hooked me completely.

Scott saw the dazed look on my face and hesitated for a second before quickly letting go of me.

I staggered toward the bedside, grabbed a dagger, and sliced it across my wrist. Beads of blood slipped down my pale skin and dripped into a porcelain bowl.

"What are you doing?" Scott shouted.

I gave him a careful, ingratiating smile.

"I heard blood can help ease the poison. Mine should work as medicine for her."

I wanted to say more, to show just how sincere I was about helping him and Jennifer.

But I was already badly injured. Losing that much blood was too much. My vision went black, and I collapsed.

My parents died when I was young. I grew up drifting between relatives' homes.

While other kids lived carefree, I had already learned how to read the room and please the adults around me, just to make sure I got enough to eat each day.

Then I ended up inside this story, cast as the villainess who would eventually be killed by the male and female leads together.

So I made up my mind.

I would play along and keep them both happy to survive the entire plot.

And when I finally made it back to the modern world and got the reward money, I could use it to treat my cancer and actually live my life…

Halfway through that thought, I woke up.

Scott sat by my bed, his eyes red from exhaustion. The moment our eyes met, he pulled me into his arms so tightly that I could barely breathe.

"Lillian, I'm warning you. Don't ever hurt yourself again. Your life belongs to me."

Wow. Possessive much?

But he was supposed to belong to the heroine.

I was just about to push him away when a servant stumbled in, breathless.

"General Holden, something's wrong! Ms. Cross says Lady Holden poisoned the blood. She's in severe pain and crying, asking to see you!"

Scott's expression changed instantly. He shoved me aside without hesitation and rushed out toward Jennifer's room.

I hurried after him.

"Lillian, I know you resent me… That you blame me for taking General Holden's attention…"

Jennifer lay curled beneath the blankets, her face pale.

"But how could you do this? I'm already suffering from this strange curse, and you still poisoned the blood you gave me… It hurts so much…"

The air around Scott turned ice cold.

He strode up to me, raising his hand. I squeezed my eyes shut on instinct.

But the slap never came.

His expression tightened, his voice low.

"Get out."

I froze for half a second.

Then I dropped to my knees and started slapping myself across the face, over and over.

"This is all my fault! I'm the worst! Just kill me. Let me make up for it!"

I was the master at reading the room. Timing was everything.

Scott's temple twitched. He didn't even want to look at me anymore.

"Lock her up. Don't let her keep acting like a lunatic."