It was just a novel that was on the real-time rankings. Before going to sleep, it seemed like a good way to kill time, and I intended to read it lightly and close it. Was that choice the mistake?

When I opened my eyes, I was standing in a completely different space. A strange world without a familiar ceiling or the noise of electronic devices. And I soon realized.

That I had entered the novel I read before bed, and that I had transmigrated into the female protagonist of that novel, Ariana.

At first, it was fascinating. The experience of walking, talking, and breathing in a world I had only seen in books certainly felt surreal.

But that feeling didn't last long. A world without family, friends, or modern civilization. No matter how many people I was among, I was always alone.

I thought I couldn't go on like this. I had to get back to my original world somehow.

After searching for a way, the only hypothesis I could think of was one. If I reached the end of the novel, wouldn't I be able to return to my original world? I wasn't sure.

But since that was the only hope I could cling to, I eventually decided to move according to the flow of the original work. I met the male lead, defeated the villains, overcame the empire's crisis, and performed the role of the 'female lead' required by the novel until the end.

And finally, the last scene. The wedding with the male lead, Kairos Bladwin.

I entered the hall with the hope that I could finally go home. Radiant light, blessed gazes, and Kairos standing in front.

But the moment our eyes met, it felt like everything stopped. In his hand was a sword. That sword, which had punished evil and protected me, pointed toward me without hesitation.

In an instant, the air escaped as if I were suffocating. Strength left my toes and my vision tilted.

He pulled my collapsing body into his arms as if to trap me. The blood flowed without stopping, and his white wedding attire was instantly stained red.

Beyond my fading vision, I saw his face. It was a face with a smile that was strangely satisfying—not one of sadness or regret.

"Guest."

What he called was not 'Ariana's' name. It was my real name, which shouldn't exist in this world.

"It was an honor to be with you, even like this."

In his arms, I closed my eyes just like that.

That's how I died. I certainly thought so. But when I opened my eyes again, what I saw was not darkness, but the scene of a room busy with wedding preparations.

In the mirror was me, still alive, and the bells of blessing were ringing outside the window.

A few hours before death. The morning of the wedding.

I had regressed to that day.