The Saintess's Secret

'It's unbelievable.'

Bella couldn't believe what was happening at the moment.

But she had no choice.

Things that shouldn't have happened were happening.

'Why is Owen so close to Lucia?'

Lucia was the villainess, and Owen was the male lead.

Two people in such a relationship, being so close.

As Bella, she simply couldn't understand it.

Considering Owen's dislike for Lucia, it was abnormal for him to indulge her to such an extreme.

And for Owen to fear Lucia...

Bella shook her head.

It was an absurd and impossible idea.

In the original work, the two were in such a relationship.

Lucia chased Owen to the point of nausea, and Owen found Lucia, who persistently pursued him, annoying and frightening.

Yes, that's how it was.

"Why on earth...?"

Those who shouldn't get along well seemed close.

Even before the original story had begun.

It was as if the original story had already been twisted.

After Bella's appearance, he, the male lead who should have fallen for her, was instead getting closer to the antagonist, Lucia.

"...Is it because of my actions?"

Bella, deeply lost in thought over the unbelievable reality, soon gripped her own clothes tightly.

"Because I didn't follow the original story..."

In the original, Bella awakened in the territory of Viscount Taylor, defeated monsters after getting lost in the forest located in their territory.

She had to stand out in the eyes of Viscount Taylor's people.

Then she had to be adopted by them, debut in society, and later be recognized as a saint.

"But those humans only used Bella."

Based on the original setting, they thoroughly used Bella.

She couldn't bring herself to just obediently hand over her body as the original story demanded.

Chased by stupid debt collectors and wandering in Viscount Taylor's forest. Furthermore, being left at the mercy of deceitful humans was something she couldn't stand.

Even if I wanted to become Bella, the situation was unbearable.

"This... Is it one of those developments where punishment follows if you don't follow the famous original story?"

But no matter how much she thought about it, there was no special reason for the original story to change other than that.

With narrowed eyes, Bella thought, If you've already possessed me, let me do as I please.

The story was flowing completely out of control like this. It was truly unbelievable that even the future couldn't be altered.

In transmigration novels, the protagonists always act as they please. And readers see the female lead and beg them not to mention the original story.

Maybe.

Reality and novels were indeed different.

"I wish I had met Owen sooner."

Having organized her thoughts and reached a conclusion, Bella let out a deep sigh.

The reason she had wanted to enter "The Flower of the Empire" was none other than Owen.

No matter how much she thought about it, she couldn't understand Bella.

To be torn between Owen and Kyle like that.

While Lucia, who had her eye on Owen, was patiently waiting next to her, how could she be so relaxed and foolish?

She should have chosen Owen without hesitation.

If she hesitated and procrastinated, Lucia would take advantage of the opportunity to commit misdeeds.

It seemed obvious to everyone that there was a chance.

In that sense, she could understand Lucia more.

Owen was a person who exuded charisma to anyone who saw him.

He was a flawless individual.

Tall stature, excellent proportions, beautiful appearance, deep and straight black eyes.

Not only in appearance but in other aspects as well.

Being the sole heir to the Dukedom of Verdin, while possessing remarkable skills as a swordsman and mage at the same time.

Once in a century genius!

He was a perfect person in every way that suited her taste.

"I was lucky."

Before she came here and became 'Bella', she was an enthusiastic reader who actively participated in fan-cafes and social media.

And she was Owen's top fan, posting fan-art and fan-fiction on the fan-cafe every day, she always put in effort to connect Bella and Owen.

<Flower of the Empire> was a famous web novel, and as she was a dedicated fan, she was quite well-known due to her active participation.

So if you were a fan of <Flower of the Empire> you would know her name. Whenever she posted on the fan-cafe or updated on her social media, there would be explosive reactions from everyone.

Except for a few of Lucia's fans.

But even they didn't show any signs of not liking her outwardly.

How important it is to be recognized in the fandom world.

The problem was, there was one fervent fan in Lucia's shallow fan base.

[Fan-art drawn on the theme of 'What if Owen and Lucia were together?']

How incredulous it was to see that title.

Clicking on the post with a bitter laugh, an illustration of Lucia and Owen as a couple popped up.

While reading <Flower of the Empire>, she clearly remembered how much her heart wavered over 'Bella' unable to make a decision and going back and forth.

If 'Bella' had been a little late...

If she had given them a little more space.

She felt so sure that things would have turned out that way, so my mood soured as soon as she saw the illustration. Not only was the illustration itself unsettling, but it was drawn so well that it made her feel even worse.

After seeing that fan-art, she worked even harder to create more fan-art and goods related to Bella and Owen as a couple.

However, no matter how much fan-art and goods she created, it didn't change the fact that the original character of Bella remained the same.

Bella being fragile, unable to make decisions easily, unable to firmly hold onto Owen and assert herself as an individual, remained unchanged.

She thought she would rather be 'Bella'.

So that she could firmly hold onto Owen.

Recalling her 'past life', Bella held his forehead in annoyance.

"Thinking about it now still makes me mad."

But.

"...I didn't actually think it would happen."

Bella felt a strange sensation as she held out her hand and looked at it.

Seeing the beautiful white hand that had entered her eyes, the fact that she had become Bella once again hit her.

In the first few days, she didn't even properly recognize reality, and after that, she just went through it excitedly.

And then she made plans to change the original.

A way to meet Owen directly without being introduced as a viscountess.

She thought the best way was to come to the hunting ground where the hunting competition was being held.

She knew that Owen came to the 'Forest of Eyes' every year for hunting, and each time he ventured into the depths of the forest.

And, as expected.

She encountered him in the depths.

It was very unexpected that he was with Kyle, but thinking deeply, Owen's presence was too imposing.

She rotated the cover illustration several times and drew his fan-art dozens of times. But the reality was completely different from the illustration.

No, let me correct that.

His reality was not something that could be simply depicted in a sentence.

The illustration were enough to see his beauty, but the reality added to it.

His nobility, elegance, and unique aura.

Illustrations were far from enough to capture those detailed aspects.

Bella, who recalled the moment she first met him in the forest, lowered her head.

"...I don't know why he got closer to Lucia. But the situation should be corrected."

The more she thought deeply, the more troublesome it became.

After all, the beginning of <Flower of the Empire> was when Bella appeared.

So no matter what happened before that, whatever events occurred.

It didn't hold any particular meaning.

Because the world gained vitality with Bella's appearance.

Other events or the relationships of other characters were not important.

The protagonist is Bella.

After all, the world itself was created for her.

It was a matter of setting things right around her.

"Let's bring it back to the start."

Her eyes narrowed, and fist clenched hard.

Showing an unprecedented desire.