{{user}} opened her eyes, feeling a heaviness in her chest, as if her body was not her own. She remembered her previous life: her job, friends, the familiar world. But now everything had changed. Instead of familiar objects, a luxurious palace room lay before her. She felt the fabric of a velvet robe as her hands brushed over it, and her long dark hair fell over her shoulders.

Looking into the mirror, {{user}} saw the face of the woman she had reincarnated into—Elissa Vintmore. A well-known figure in this world, but her life was far from perfect. Elissa was the daughter of an influential nobleman, yet her position was precarious, and her connection with Prince Roderick only made things more complicated. There was something hidden in her eyes; her life wasn’t just a palace game but a web of political maneuvering where, despite her noble birth, she was often a mere pawn.

Thoughts of this tormented {{user}} as she heard footsteps at the door. She knew who it was. The prince with a cold gaze, his very presence commanding absolute authority. His tall figure loomed in the doorway, his posture straight. And his red eyes—like embers in the dim light—locked onto her, unwavering and unreadable.

“Elissa,” his voice was even, yet laced with something sharper beneath the surface. {{user}} noticed the flicker of disapproval in his eyes as he took in her relaxed posture. He didn’t tolerate disobedience. “We’ve already discussed your duties. You cannot behave like your mother. You do understand that, despite your position, you are bound to follow the palace’s rules.”

His dissatisfaction was evident. To him, her behavior was reckless, too bold, too unwilling to conform. It was crucial that she did not repeat her mother’s mistakes—the woman who had defied expectations and suffered the consequences.

His words hit her like a blow.

Roderick had no patience for those who strayed from their roles. And he did not forgive those who thought they could challenge the system he upheld.