"Lady Tamina is here to see you," my maid announced.
"Let her in," I said, placing the book I was reading down.
She walked in all smiles and ran to hug me. I pulled away, offering a polite smile. Her crimson satin gown shimmered in the candlelight, the sweetheart neckline delicately embroidered with tiny white daisies. Her hair was pinned in a neat French bun.
"Still obsessed with libraries, I see," she said, glancing around the room.
"Lily, bring us some refreshments," I said. Lilliana left quietly, leaving the two of us alone.
"You've been messing with the Novel's plot, haven't you?" I asked pointedly.
She paused by the war tactics shelf and smirked. "What if I did?"
"Grace is going to marry the Crown Prince."
"You called me here for that?" she asked, clearly disappointed.
I stared at her. She had killed me in the original world. And tried again in this one. I didn't trust her—but I needed answers.
"I rewrote some of the scenes in the book," she confessed.
"You did what?!" My voice rose. I was fuming. The life I had been living—was hers. The gods, the plot, even my identity—it was all her doing.
"You abandoned the book," she snapped. "Even after becoming a renowned writer, you never edited it."
"It was my book," I whispered.
"I wanted fame too. Every book I wrote was rejected," she said, her voice breaking.
"The original plot was easier. More peaceful. How much did you change?"
"Everything. I added a religion. Gave Iris a twin. Built this village. Created Tamina. I even made her the duke's fiancée instead of Iris."
"Then how did your story end?"
She shrugged. "I couldn't finish it."
Of course she didn't. She never could.
"So we're trapped in a world the writer never finished?"
I narrowed my eyes. "Why are you so against Grace marrying the prince?"
"Because in my story, he marries Tamina. But somehow, you're his consort and Tamina's his fiancée."
This world had a mind of its own. A half-written tale fighting against its own contradictions.
"What did you do to Iris?" I asked.
"She was supposed to die in a carriage accident in chapter forty-two. But she vanished in chapter thirty-nine."
"How many chapters did you even write?"
"Sixty-something. Just like you were thinking," she said. "And I was supposed to be engaged to the duke…"
"But you're not."
"You must've been thrilled when you arrived here," I taunted. "You were the lead. You were supposed to get the happy ending. But the story changed, and now you're scared."
Her eyes burned. "You dragged me here. You couldn't bear to die alone."
"You pushed me to drown!" I snapped. "Why did you do it?"
"Maybe because you mocked my work. Maybe because you got engaged to my ex."
"I only tried to help you improve it. And Alex? You said you were over him."
"You always had it easy. I hated you for that," she said bitterly. "Even here—you get everything handed to you."
She turned to leave just as Lilliana returned with refreshments. Tamina paused, then looked back.
"You promised to help me become the crown princess. But now you're his consort. You always steal what isn't yours."
Then she was gone.
Now I knew the truth. My best friend had buried her hatred beneath smiles—and let jealousy rot her from within.
The door clicked shut behind her. I sat back down, fingers trembling around the teacup Lilliana had placed in front of me.
"My lady, are you alright?" Lilliana asked.
"Yes, I'm alright," I replied, taking a sip of the soothing chamomile.
"My lady, this may be out of turn, but... avoid meeting Lady Tamira," she warned. "Her reputation is in tatters. She's known for being overly rude and ill-tempered."
Some things never change. Sky was the same in this world too. But that was the least of my worries—I had bigger fish to fry.
I was among the characters Tamina had written in. Apparently, I was Iris' twin, but everyone addressed me as Iris. Did no one know her twin even existed?
This world defied its gods. It followed neither my plot nor Tamina's.
A loud crash echoed from the darkest corner of the library. Lilliana watched as I rose and walked toward the source of the sound.
A very familiar book lay on top of a fallen pile."The Dukedom's Heir"the title reads. What was my book doing here?