First rule of transmigration: figure out whether you’d arrived in your new world physically or as a soul.
If it was soul transmigration, then there was still a sliver of hope in this game. If she was “accidentally” killed by one of the male leads, her soul might be able to return to her original world.
If it was physical transmigration, then if she was “accidentally” killed by one of the male leads, she would probably be dead for real.
The maid stood by the bedside, waiting for her young mistress to give an order.
The young mistress sitting on the bed looked rather pale and unhappy.
Which was understandable. Anyone would be in a bad mood after suddenly falling into the water.
Breaking the silence, Wuli finally spoke.
“Bring me a mirror.”
The girl’s voice still carried the softness and weakness of someone who had just been crying, making it easy to stir a protective instinct in others.
“Yes, Miss.”
The maid named Xiaoli responded and fetched a mirror. The girl took it from her hands, drew a deep breath, steeled herself, and abruptly glanced into it.
…
She was doomed.
The person reflected in the mirror looked exactly the same as Wuli from her original world: round eyes, a delicate little nose, and a tiny beauty mark beneath one eye. She looked obedient, gentle, and soft…
Though Wuli’s personality was nothing like that, her sweet and harmless appearance had fooled countless people.
In the film that had won her the title of Best Actress, she had played a serial killer with an innocent-looking face.
Wuli raised a hand and touched her face.
There were still a few differences.
In her original world, her hair had been black. In this game, it had turned white, the same silver-white hair as Shuen’s. Her black eyes had also become blue, the hallmark of the Sinclair family.
Some of her defining features had become identical to those of the game’s protagonist.
But she had transmigrated physically.
If she died, she died. There was no second chance for someone who had crossed over in the flesh.
What a damned world.
After a single glance, she handed the mirror back to the maid.
“Put it away. You can leave too. I’d like to rest for a while.”
As she spoke, she collapsed backward onto the bed and closed her eyes.
Hopefully, when she opened them again, she’d find herself in her seaside villa instead of here.
*
Wuli was awakened by a knock at the door.
The moment she opened her eyes, she found that nothing in her surroundings had changed.
The realization was profoundly disappointing.
The maid came in carrying Wuli’s dinner and relayed a message as well.
“Tomorrow is the Welcome Ball. Madam asked me to remind you to make your preparations. His Highness Glenn will be attending too.”
“All right.”
Wuli answered, but inwardly, alarm bells were already ringing.
The Welcome Ball was the second major event in the game.
It was also where the second male lead would make his appearance.
The Welcome Ball was held to celebrate the arrival of the new students at Kavelia Academy, while also serving as a social ball for high society.
The second male lead, Glenn, the First Prince and Wuli’s childhood betrothed.
If her brother Shuen was the type who hid his darkness beneath a pleasant exterior, then this prince was openly ruthless. And because he was the First Prince, no one dared to defy him.
People would not offend someone powerful who possessed morals.
They were even less likely to offend someone powerful who possessed none.
Glenn belonged firmly to the latter category. Although Wuli had no desire to provoke him, their relationship had already become strained ever since their childhood betrothal had been arranged. Because of that engagement alone, everything she did in front of the First Prince seemed wrong.
Even breathing felt like a mistake.
The following evening, Wuli put on the blue-and-white gown the Duchess had prepared for her. The Duchess personally adjusted her collar and selected her hair ornaments.
“Ah Wu, do you still remember His Highness?” the Duchess asked. “You two have been engaged since childhood. I’ve already spoken to the attendants I’ve arranged for you. This time, make sure to spend more time with His Highness.”
“…”
“Spend more time with him. Let him become more familiar with you, understand?”
“…All right.”
Only after hearing that answer did the Duchess smile.
She reached out and gave the white-haired girl a light push at the waist, sending her toward the waiting carriage.
Holding up the hem of her skirt with one hand, Wuli bent slightly and stepped inside.
Her white hair had been pinned up elegantly, though a few strands hung loose beside her cheeks. As she lifted her eyes toward the interior of the carriage, even those swaying strands seemed to freeze for a second.
Wuli: “…”
The white-haired young man seated inside wore an intricately patterned white shirt beneath a black-and-navy waistcoat. His tall frame was perfectly outlined by the tailored clothing, giving him an air of effortless nobility and elegance.
A male lead was a male lead.
His personality might be deeply flawed, but his looks were unquestionably exceptional.
Wuli thought he was more handsome than most male celebrities in her previous world.
If Shuen were not currently idly playing with a razor-sharp dagger in his hand, she might even have taken the time to admire him.
The small, razor-sharp dagger traced a brilliant arc through the air.
Wuli did not even want to imagine how much it would hurt if it sliced into a person’s skin.
Forcing herself to suppress her emotions, she put on a sweet smile for the white-haired young man without making it too obvious.
“Brother.”
Only then did the white-haired young man spare her a glance.
Wuli carefully took a seat beside him, neither too close nor too far away. Other than that single greeting, she did not utter another word.
Once the carriage began moving, the young man finally put away the dagger. His blue eyes swept over Wuli in a seemingly casual glance.
The white-haired girl sensed that he was studying her.
She neither turned her head nor responded.
She remembered this scene from the game. Back then, the story had presented the heroine with two choices.
Choice One: The heroine showed weakness to the male lead.
“Brother, I’m scared. Could you put the knife away?”
And then her brother slit her throat.
Choice Two: The heroine expressed curiosity.
“Brother, what are you playing with? Is it fun?”
And then her brother almost slit her throat.
Whether you went left or right, it was completely insane!
Why couldn’t she just sit quietly in the carriage and keep her mouth shut?!!
Back in the game, the choice had been mandatory.
Now that it wasn’t, she wasn’t stupid enough to say something so suicidal.
Wuli had transmigrated physically.
She did not have a save-and-load ability.
That meant she could only tread carefully through this deranged game world. She barely dared to move. If she accidentally did something that displeased the male lead, he could take her life in the blink of an eye.
Unfortunately, male leads always found trouble to stir up.
For example, right now.
The male lead had put away his dagger, but his mouth was now free.
A soft chuckle came from the white-haired young man seated beside her.
“Did your mother tell you to seduce the First Prince?”
His tone was unhurried, yet every word pressed forward relentlessly.
The moment she heard that question, Wuli’s entire body tensed. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest. Instinctively, the muscles at the corners of her mouth twitched upward into a smile.
Forget it.
Smile first, think later.
Seeing Wuli’s stiff and awkward expression, the white-haired young man’s gaze darkened once more. His blue eyes resembled a frigid abyss, so deep that no bottom could be seen.
“That wasn’t what Mother meant.”
Wuli swallowed.
The white-haired young man cast her a sidelong glance. Those dark blue eyes settled heavily upon her, as though they could see straight through her. Wuli’s heart hung in her throat. Aside from looking at Shuen, she found herself unable to focus her gaze anywhere else.
Then his pressing voice sounded again.
Shuen enunciated each word slowly, as if he were passing judgment upon her.
“Then what exactly did she mean?”
“…”
Wuli wanted to cry.
This scene hadn’t existed in the game.
So how was she supposed to answer?!!
The longer she remained silent, the uglier the white-haired young man’s expression became.
His hand moved slightly.
Wuli had become extremely sensitive to movements like that. Terrified that Shuen might impulsively draw his dagger and slash her throat a couple of times, she acted without thinking and grabbed hold of his arm.
By the time she realized what she had done, it was already too late.
Shuen’s dark blue eyes were fixed on her without blinking.
“Hm?”
Shuen let out a questioning hum, yet the sound carried an unmistakable pressure, forcing the white-haired girl to answer.
“I…”
Beneath that increasingly oppressive gaze…
“My eyes only have room for you, Brother. I don’t like the First Prince!”
Silence.
Wuli’s arms were still wrapped around the white-haired young man’s forearm. Panic filled her expression, and her pale blue eyes reflected nothing but Shuen.
Only she knew that if she displeased this white-haired young man, he would transform into the Grim Reaper in an instant and take her life without hesitation.
The young man’s hand relaxed slightly.
He withdrew the gaze he had been sparing her and no longer seemed inclined to reach for his dagger. Raising his hand a little, he watched as Wuli immediately released him like a startled rabbit.
The distance between them returned to neither too close nor too far.
In reality, a thin layer of sweat had already formed across the white-haired girl’s back.
“You haven’t even met the First Prince yet,” Shuen said leisurely. “How can you be so certain you don’t like him?”
Then he added,
“Or is it that you like your brother?”
Here it came again.
This was no different from being cornered by an obsessive male lead in an otome game and being forced to choose between him or me.
The white-haired girl turned her head in alarm, only to meet Shuen’s amused smile.
Although 《A Maiden’s Western Fantasy World》 was an utterly deranged otome game, it still followed one of the genre’s basic rules.
If you were spending time with one male lead and brought up another male lead, jealousy was inevitable.
In 《A Maiden’s Western Fantasy World》, however, that rule took a somewhat different form.
The male lead would become annoyed…
…and then cut down the heroine with a single stroke.
To avoid being cut down, the white-haired girl swallowed nervously.
There was no other choice…
In the silence, Wuli suddenly let out a soft, suppressed sob.
Tears spilled from her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. Her aggrieved voice trembled as it reached Shuen’s ears, causing a vein at his temple to twitch.
“Brother, that’s not what I meant…”
‘Big Brother, I’m calling you Big Brother, so please spare me. Your little sister truly has no idea how she’s supposed to answer that question.’
“If… if I’ve done something to upset you, then I apologize…”
‘I’m sorry. I’m sorry for everything. Even if I don’t know what I’ve done wrong, I’m apologizing.’
More and more tears streamed down the white-haired girl’s face.
Yet she stubbornly suppressed her crying, allowing only choked whimpers to escape her throat. Her eyes were soaked with tears, her blue irises resembling an ocean on the verge of overflowing. The corners of her eyes had turned red, making her look heartbreakingly pitiful.
Shuen had never expected to reduce someone to tears with just a few sentences.
He froze for a moment.
By the time he came back to himself, his fingers had already reached her face.
His thumb pressed lightly against the corner of Wuli’s eye and traced downward, wiping away a streak of tears.
“What are you crying for?”
He did not sound angry. Instead, his tone was lazy and detached, as though he were merely an observer watching the scene unfold.
“If other people see you like this later, wouldn’t that be troublesome?”
His thumb remained against Wuli’s cheek.
The contact made her deeply uncomfortable.
Hearing his words, she drew in a shaky breath, as though struggling to hold back her tears. Her eyes were red-rimmed, yet she still stubbornly asked,
“Then… have you forgiven me, Brother?”
Shuen laughed softly.
His voice carried a cool edge.
“I was never angry with you to begin with.”
His thumb slid upward to the white-haired girl’s eyelid.
The force behind it was so heavy that it felt as though he wanted to gouge out her eye.
His cold voice made Wuli shudder twice more.
“You’re not allowed to cry anymore.”
Since the tears had been fake to begin with, Wuli stopped them almost immediately.
Her eyes, still damp from crying, stared directly at Shuen.
Shuen clicked his tongue softly and withdrew his hand, turning to look out the window with an indifferent expression.
Finally, it’s over.
Wuli sighed inwardly.
‘This is exhausting.’
Back in her previous world, if someone wanted her to put on a performance like that, her fee would have started in the millions.
Shuen, you got that show for free.
At last, they arrived.
The carriage wheels gradually rolled to a stop.
Shuen stepped out first. When it was Wuli’s turn to disembark, he extended a hand to help her down.
Wuli did not refuse.
Her cool fingers settled into his hand. Holding up the hem of her dress with her other hand, she descended gracefully from the carriage, looking every bit like a princess.
Together, they presented their invitations.
Wuli quietly followed behind Shuen.
The entrance to the ball was crowded with distinguished guests, but Wuli knew perfectly well that every one of them was destined to become a backdrop for the male lead, Glenn.
The second act was about to begin.
Music drifted from inside the hall.
Beyond the entrance, the magnificent ballroom glittered beneath countless lights. Reflections danced across the gilded interior, creating a dazzling, dreamlike spectacle.
This was the intoxicating extravagance of high society.
A flicker passed through Wuli’s eyes.