8. Flashbacks (1)

How did things get like this? Lizzy leaned against the cold stone wall of the imperial palace prison and tried to understand the unbelievable situation she faced. Although she lived this life over and over again as Lizzy Sinclair and Lizzy Ludwig, she had never been locked in the imperial prison. This is also a life she has never lived before.

However, the damp air she felt on her cheeks was too chilly to think this was just a dream, and her forearm, where the guards had grabbed her earlier, still tingled.

'What did I miss? Why did i end up like this?'

The tears that flowed down fell onto the dress. But Lizzy didn't even realize that she was crying. She just racked her head, thinking about where things went wrong.

'Yeah, no matter how much I think about it, it's gone wrong since the damn Edith appeared.'

At that time, it was such a thrilling and excited moment day, but when I looked it back, it was the beginning of all this misfortunes. . . .

In a dazed state, Lizzy began to recall all the events 'that day'.

* * *

The magnificent melody of the pipe organ spread like a concentric circle. Although simplified, Edith, the daughter of Count Riegelhoff, slowly walked through the middle of the hall, a formal and dignified ceremony befitting a duke's wedding.

'Finally, it's started.'

Lizzy, who was watching the wedding ceremony next to the duchess, smiled inwardly. The 13th Edith finally got involved in Lizzy's narrative.

'How will this Edith go wild and make me happy again?'

Although this was already the 13th time that someone souls possessed Edith characters, this moment always filled with a mixture of tension and anticipation. And every time I felt this thrill, I felt alive.

'This Edith start her role differently from the other Ediths?'

The 13th Edith also quickly accepts the fact that she has been possessed by romance novels. However, she moves on the opposite path to avoid the evil deeds that Edith's did in the original story. It was proven a week ago when the duke invited them to have a dinner at duke's mansion, not only she pretended to be nice and accepted Lizzy, she also rejected her father's suggestion in front of the duke that she wouldn't bring any of Riegelhoff family maid to the Ludwig family mansion after marriage.

'But on average, I think she is a bit bold. There were some kids who stuck realizing Edith hidden plans and couldn't move the Riegelhoff family.'

Lizzy's heart pounding because she thought this game wouldn't end in a boring game.

The wedding went on without much fuss. Killian blatantly expressed his dislike toward Edith, and the reception was quickly over.

'She holding it pretty well, i think this Edith would give me more fun?'

It's wonderful to see Edith cope with Killian's rudeness so well without shame and carry out her role as a bride so well without losing her smile throughout the chilling reception. It was a fun thing to see she struggle like that.

"Lizzy. The reception is coming to an end, so can you guide Edith to the room?"

"Yes, ma'am." At the duchess's request, Lizzy approached Edith. "Mrs Edith. Now it's time for you to go to the bride room, I'll guide you."

"Oh, my goodness, thank you, no, ho-ho-ho, i mean t-thank you, miss Lizzy."

After guiding Edith to the bridal rooms, who almost threw her mask. Lizzy brings up the story that could scratch her inside after helping her change her clothes.

"I want to apologize on Killian's behalf for his rude behavior to Ms. Edith today. I hope you won't hate him too much."

This scene, which is Lizzy, looks more like Killian bride than his real bride and asks Killian's bride Edith to understand Killian's behavior towards her at the wedding ceremony. She did that to identify Edith's real character. However, Edith, who felt uncomfortable with Lizzy, frowned and gave a simple answer. Edith determined to look good in front of Lizzy by looking sympathized with her.

This Edith is. . . .

"I fully understand. Killian was forced into a marriage he didn't want to, and i knew he probably displeased about this. But that doesn't mean I hate Killian. He's my husband, after all."

As expected, she was trying to break away from her villainous character setting. Since she read the original, she probably knew that this was the dress that Killian had bought, thinking Lizzy as his 'Bride', but she also complimented Lizzy's dress. Seeing Edith answering with a gentle smile, Lizzy smiled, too.

'I think she is going to be very wary of me. There's a good chance of being swayed by what you swing.' I felt like i was about to burst out laughing when I imagine her anxious and wagging her tail at her words. However, I think it's too early to make such a judgment.

Killian, who was dispatched to the bridal room, was expected to come out early, but his answer was unexpected.

"It's seems like she didn't have any expectations for tonight either. Though it was a bit surprising."

"What do you mean? It was clear earlier she. . . ."

"She's already sitting alone in the bathtub and dozing off?"

". . . .yes?"

This is the first time Edith characters appear like that. 'The 13th Edith. . . . She was quite interested in the beginning, isn't it?' Although Lizzy was a little surprised by her kind attitude, she quickly regained her composure. The game begins, Lizzy has to use the new Edith to create a situation where she can stand out more, and that's what Lizzy does best.

"What's wrong, Lizzy?"

"Nothing, it's just. . . . After listening to Killian words, I wondered if Edith was offended at me earlier."

"What?"

Lizzy lowered her eyebrows and pursed her lips as if she were in trouble. It's an expression like 'I really don't want to tell you this'. Then, she twisted her words, saying that Edith had complimented her dress, and Killian got angry, thinking Edith had mocked Lizzy.

'Alright. It's just fun, nothing difficult. Because in the end, I'm the one who will win.'

Lizzy grins as she looks at Killian's back, who fails in his attempt to kiss her and walks helplessly into his room. That night, Lizzy set the first stage exception condition. It's the same conditions she set on the previous 12 Edith.

[Level 1 exception conditions have been set. Stage 1 Exception Condition: Follows the method in which the original Edith failed.]

It was a friendly voice and familiar guidance as always. 'Now, will this Edith be able to pass even level 1 conditions.' Lizzy was so happy waiting for another story where she will be the main character.

* * *

As expected, Edith tried to score points with other main characters, including Lizzy. It's the same when she carefully chooses Duchess and Lizzy's dress but doesn't choose any designs for her own dress, and she also showed the same behavior during tea time with Lizzy, Cliff, and Killian Although it's commendable that she doesn't look careless or childish, there have been several Ediths before who chose a path similar to this.

'I guess she thought she could avoid her death if she stayed good and avoided the evil deeds that Edith did in the original.' Too bad, because this wasn't such a simple game.

The 'original flow of this story' is the most powerful force that leads this world. So before Edith met all the 3-step exception conditions, no matter what she did, the story was supposed to follow the original. However, Edith this time wouldn't imitate the original Edith at all. She just walked the opposite path like a person who decided to do so.

'If she keeps going like this, she will die without even meeting the step 1 exception conditions, isn't it?'

However, Edith wasn't as easy as she expected. It was on the tea time that she realized that Edith was not just quick notice.

That night, she felt relieved her mind when she found Killian on the moonlit balcony looking outside in dazed. It was clear that Killian was sad by his situation of being pushed out by Cliff, and Lizzy thought that all she could do was comfort him and increase his affection for her.

"Killian? What are you doing there?"

"Oh, Lizzy. . . ."

"What's going on?"

Lizzy asked him worried, expecting Killian to look at her affectionately. However, the presence that filled his mind wasn't Lizzy.

"It's not even worth your concern."

"By any chance. . . . Is it about Edith?" She asked incredulous questions, but Killian didn't even deny it.

Killian, who said that Edith was annoying and disliked her, was furious when she said that Edith was never talking about him, not even once.

'I can't believe it's already changed! How did she create this probability?'

Lizzy couldn't help but admire Edith. The most powerful force in this world was the 'flow of the original', but as long as the original wasn't corrupted, you can use probability to create a situation that is favorable to your. I don't know if Edith knows about it or not, but it doesn't seem like it would spoil the original story.

'That good. I guess I should deal with her properly, right?'

Then Lizzy told Killian the story of the Duchess calling the dress boutique not along ago and cleverly framing Edith as the villain. She presented herself as weak-hearted and kind in front of Killian.

"How dare she to put the Ludwig family honor on the ground. As I expected, she was really like her snake father."

As planned, Killian seemed to hate Edith again. However, Lizzy doesn't know exactly about the changes inside Killian. Whether he liked it or not, she knew that Killian's mind was filled with Edith.

* * *

"Is this the beginning of something serious?"

In the morning, before she went out to help the Duchess work, Lizzy murmured alone in the mirror. Today was the day Edith got her hands on the 'fake documents'. And from this moment, Edith, the evil woman narrative, will begin.

'I wonder what kind of reaction Edith will do this time?'

Lizzy headed towards the duchess's office full of hope and observer Edith.

"From today, you can sort the documents there by type and write down the items, quantities, and prices that we need to purchase in a good organization."

When the Duchess casually handed the document to Edith. Edith, who was looking at the document, smiled proudly.