"Don't try to stand out just because you're a supporting character."
"Your role is to make the protagonist shine."
"That’s what a supporting character is supposed to do, isn’t it?"
It was the phrase she had heard more than anything else in her life. And she was absolutely sick of it.
I want to be the protagonist too. I want to stand out. Why do you get to decide my role?
So I should live my whole life as a background extra? Following the protagonists around, catering to their every need, and being satisfied with that? Don’t make me laugh.
Lillian seethed with frustration. If someone dared to say that word—supporting character—in front of her one more time, she swore she would rip their mouth apart.
And yet, that forbidden word had just slipped out of her own mouth. With a particularly ominous tone at that.
"Again… a supporting role."
Staring into the mirror, Lillian gritted her teeth and muttered under her breath. The reality was undeniable, and it made her sick.
Behind her, the maid, Seth, who had been tidying the bed, turned to look at her. Blinking in confusion, she asked,
“Did you call for me, my lady?”
“…No. Just do your work.”
Lillian replied without even glancing back. She was doing everything she could to suppress the anger boiling inside her. It was already absurd enough that she had transmigrated into a book by accident, but to end up as a supporting character instead of the protagonist? She was so furious she felt like screaming at the walls.
It had only been recently that she realized she was inside the world of Princess Aleina. The title alone made it obvious—the protagonist of this story was Aleina. And at first, she had been secretly hopeful.
Could I have become Aleina?
Yeah, right.
According to the original novel, Aleina was a stunning beauty with dazzling platinum blonde hair and brilliant amethyst eyes. A woman whose very presence screamed, I am the protagonist.
It was thanks to that beauty that she gained such fame that she was eventually sold off to this distant land, the Legonian Kingdom.
And her own appearance?
Lillian glared at her reflection in the mirror with a blank expression.
Pale skin. Hair as dark as ink. Lips as red as blood. The features of this supporting character she had possessed bore an uncanny resemblance to Snow White. She was pure-looking, graceful, and, yes, beautiful—to an extent.
But that was it.
Standing next to Aleina, the so-called absolute beauty, she would look like nothing more than a slightly pretty squid. The moment people saw Aleina’s dazzling platinum hair, they wouldn’t even register Lillian’s existence.
That was the cruel fate of a supporting character.
"And to make matters worse, I’m going to die too."
She scowled at the mirror, muttering bitterly.
Lillian Rosetti, the original owner of this body, wasn’t just any supporting character—she was a high-ranking one. But apparently, the author hadn’t even thought she was worth keeping around. Typing out her name must have felt like a waste of effort.
Because just like in real life, she was going to die again.
And the worst part? It would happen just a year from now.
“Huh? My lady, what did you just say? You’ve been mumbling to yourself for a while now.”
Seth tilted her head and moved closer to her.
Then, upon seeing Lillian’s reflection in the mirror, she suddenly broke into a wide grin.
Having served Lillian since childhood, Seth never seemed to feel intimidated by her at all.
Her smile was so big that her bright pink gums were in full display.
“Our lady is so beautiful! Why are you frowning with such a pretty face? Try smiling with me, come on! Like this!”
“…Is this really the time to smile? You don’t know anything! If you’re done with your work, get out already!”
Lillian shoved Seth’s back, her frustration mounting.
Her name was Seth, which sounded like it should mean sense, but she had absolutely none.
Lillian’s green eyes burned with irritation.
What was the point of Seth serving her since childhood if she couldn’t read the mood?
At least it meant she hadn’t noticed Lillian’s soul had changed. That was a relief. But dealing with Seth was exhausting.
Lillian was already tired enough trying not to slip up, yet she couldn’t even talk to herself in peace because of this clueless maid.
But Seth, blissfully unaware of everything, still didn’t leave.
Instead, she stared at her lady with wide, blinking eyes, as if only now realizing something. Then, suddenly, she clapped her hands together.
“Oh! You’re hungry, aren’t you? That’s it, right? Ah, some things never change, my lady. Just wait a moment, I’ll go get your meal right away—”
“…You’re not Seth anymore. From now on, you’re No-Seth. No-Seth, do you hear me?! Get out!!”
Lillian snapped, her patience finally reaching its breaking point.
Tears welled up in her eyes as she threw a pillow at the clueless maid.
The fact that she was actually hungry only made it worse.
For all her noble upbringing, Lillian had the appetite of a knight. She ate well. And her stomach clock was so precise she probably didn’t even need a smartphone.
But as expected of a maid who belonged to her, Seth was surprisingly quick on her feet. She effortlessly dodged the flying pillow, lowering her head at the perfect moment.
Rather than leaving, she approached Lillian even closer.
Then, without warning, she pulled Lillian into a tight embrace and started patting her back.
“Oh dear, why is our lovely lady so upset? Come now, tell me. You can tell me, my lady! I am Seth, after all! Your one and only maid, Seth!”
Forced into a half-hearted hug, Lillian let out an even louder wail.
“Waaaahhh, this is so unfair! Nothing is going the way I want!”
Her cries, filled with frustration and resentment, echoed through the room.
***
The name of the person who had possessed Lillian's body was Chae Soyeon. Well, just like most people, Chae Soyeon had a life of her own before this. She had experienced all the joys and sorrows that came with being human. After all, could a person’s life truly be summed up in just a few words?
But in Chae Soyeon's case, it actually could. A side character. A supporting role. That was her inescapable fate.
"What a shitty life."
Born as the middle child of three siblings, she was always treated as an afterthought. Her parents only cared about their strong eldest son and their cute youngest daughter. Meanwhile, Soyeon received no affection, inheriting her brother’s hand-me-downs while looking after her little sister. Sometimes, she felt less like a member of the family and more like a servant living off scraps. From that moment on, Chae Soyeon's so-called “extra” life had begun.
The first childhood friend she ever made was one of those “perfect daughters” that mothers always liked to compare their kids to. Throughout elementary, middle, and high school, Soyeon’s nickname became “the maid” or “the servant”. And her so-called friend? Instead of stopping it, she found it amusing and even encouraged it. Well, why wouldn’t she? Playing princess must have felt great when she had her very own servant to boss around.
But it didn’t end there.
During her school years, Soyeon became interested in theater and foolishly dreamed of becoming an actress. She even got into a pretty decent acting school. Looking back, she would later sum up that decision with just one sentence:
"A complete waste of money."
The world was overflowing with beautiful, wealthy people. Soyeon was confident that, at the very least, she would never lose to them in terms of acting skill. In fact, her talent was the only thing she had, so she worked herself to the bone perfecting her craft. But in the end, acting alone wasn’t enough to secure opportunities. You needed money, connections, or at the very least, stunning beauty to even have a shot.
Unfortunately, Soyeon had none of those things. Born into a poor family, she was just plain-looking at best. She had to work part-time jobs just to pay her tuition, let alone afford plastic surgery. There was no place for someone like her.
The only roles she ever got were bit parts and background extras. A character with maybe one or two lines—if she was lucky. Most of the time, she was just a silent figure in the background.
And yet, she just couldn’t give up.
Even though she knew she was destined to remain an extra forever, she still clung to her dream. She juggled part-time jobs for survival while taking on minor roles, hoping that one day, she could at least become a renowned supporting actress.
But it seemed even that was too much to ask for.
One day, on her way to an open audition, she got into an accident. When she opened her eyes, she found herself inside a book.
As yet another pitiful side character.
"Fuck..."
A curse slipped from her lips—no, from Lillian's lips. Anyone with a bit of intuition could already guess where this was going. The audition she had been heading to on the day of the accident? It was for Princess Aleina. Of course, she knew the plot inside out. She had even read the original novel cover to cover.
Unlike those with money and connections, Chae Soyeon had no choice but to rely on sheer effort just to land minor roles.
But she never expected all that effort to come back and punch her in the face like this.
If she was going to be thrown into a novel anyway, couldn't she at least be the protagonist for once?
Just once—just this one time—she wanted to be the center of the world.
But of course, that wish, like every other dream she’d had, went unfulfilled.
Just like always.
"No chance, loser. A supporting role is all you're good for."
It was almost as if fate itself was mocking her. She could practically hear its laughter, ridiculing her for daring to hope. Despair settled deep in her gaze. She had no idea what to do next. If she could, she would have gladly sold her soul to the devil.
And why wouldn’t she?
Lillian Rosetti was fated to die in just one year.
At the hands of none other than the male lead himself.