I Want a Happy Ending Even as a Villainess - Chapter 1

Chapter 1 

The sensation of rocks digging into my feet felt surreal. Every step I took was like walking on air, floating. 

My wrists were bleeding from the tightly wound ropes, and my ears were deafened by the loud shouting. 

The clanging of armor, the blazing red sunset, and the metallic scent of blood that tickled my nose—all these elements pulled me back into reality from a dreamlike state. 

Judging by what I could see, this was an execution ground. And the person being executed was… 

My shoulders were forcefully pushed down, making me kneel on the rough ground, drawing more blood. 

My spinning vision cleared instantly when my chin was jerked upward. 

Everything was red. The world was painted crimson by a sunset that marked the end of this time. 

The end of time, the beginning of the end. The execution of the villainess, the death of the villainess. For the protagonist, it was a hopeful message and the prelude to the novel’s ending. 

“Don’t think this is the end! ” 

My voice, hoarse and filled with hatred and anger, screamed. 

If it weren’t for the vibration in my throat, I wouldn’t have realized it was my own voice. 

“Do you think killing me will let that woman live peacefully?! ” 

‘My’ gaze shifted to the man standing in front of me. Even in this situation, his striking appearance was laughably captivating. 

A sharp jawline and nose, eyes like black pearls, and hair as dark as death. His armor, visible under the blood-red sunset, sent shivers down my spine. 

His name was Knox, and he was the male protagonist of this world. 

“I’ll deceive her family, lure her in, and then tear her apart. I’ll feed her body to the wild dogs and hang that precious face on the city walls. Everyone will know it was my victory! ” 

As my rant continued, the soldiers pushed my shoulders down, trying to subdue me. Even as my knees were stomped on and my hair yanked, I didn’t care. 

“Knox.” 

But when he took a step toward me, my rough voice instantly softened. 

The tone, which had been raging, suddenly turned soothing and pleading, as if yearning for something desperately. 

“I love you.” 

What came out was a clear declaration of affection. 

“So please.” 

I felt my lips curl into a smile, revealing my teeth, and the corners of my eyes crinkle. 

“Look forward to it.” 

A small chuckle escaped my lips as I finished. 

Knox showed no emotion, despite my outburst. Instead, he drew his sword. 

My gaze involuntarily followed the blade. The clean, polished edge reflected the sunset, turning a bright red. His eyes, as cold as ice, stared back at me. 

It happened so fast. 

I didn’t feel the coldness of the blade, the pain of my neck being severed, or even the signs of death. Only the pounding fear was once again imprinted in my mind. 

The world spun. The world turned upside down. My consciousness was yanked away in an instant. 

The last thing my eyes saw wasn’t Knox or his sword, but the relentlessly red sunset.

* * * 

Unfortunately, that was just a vivid dream that felt all too real. 

Ever since I became trapped in this novel, I’ve had to endure these nightmares every time I “restarted.” 

It’s always the same: the final scene where the villainess, the “me” in the story, meets her grim execution. 

The reason for these repetitive dreams must be some divine message urging me to avoid that dreadful ending at all costs. 

“Haa…….”

The peaceful spring breeze and chirping birds brushed past the window. The sun, oblivious to my plight, shone brightly across the world. 

A plush armchair, a roaring fireplace, a canopy-covered bed, intricate patterns embroidered in gold, and ceiling murals filling the room—everything around me screamed a noblewoman’s bedroom. 

The world I had fallen into was that of the novel “Heavenly Her.” Initially, it was a typical story of a contract marriage between the male and female leads that gradually blossomed into true love. 

And I was now inhabiting the body of the villainess who loved the male lead and tormented the female lead, the duke’s daughter and the antagonist, “Lilith Crescent.” 

“So, how many times does this happen now?” 

One, two, three… This was my fourth life in this novel world. 

When I first got transported here, I had grand dreams of changing this world. 

But… 

My first life was as the newborn Lilith. 

“I got bored of lying in the cradle and tried to escape, only to have the ceiling collapse on me.” 

I died for the most ridiculous reason before I could do anything. 

In my second life, I was eight years old. I drowned while trying to save someone who fell into the lake during a walk. 

“An eight-year-old diving into water without safety gear—of course I died.” 

I acknowledge my mistake with a resigned sigh. 

In my third life, I was ten. I was peacefully strolling through the royal palace when I was stabbed by an assassin passing by. 

“Unbelievable.” 

That one was beyond my control. 

As I recalled these various deaths, I felt a sudden wave of fatigue wash over me. 

“Has it already been a month…?” 

A month had passed since I was dropped into this current timeline, spending each day in avoidance. 

Summoning what little strength I had left, I stood up from my chair and walked decisively towards the full-length mirror. 

Long hair reaching down to my waist, almost white blonde, slightly upturned eyes with ruby-red pupils, a face that looked cold when not smiling, and a slender, delicate frame. 

I had hoped I’d be transported into someone else’s body this time, but my prayers were in vain. I looked exactly as Lillith was described in the original novel. 

“How old am I supposed to be now?” 

From what I remember, I had my coming-of-age ceremony last year. 

“So, there’s only a year left until the original ending?” 

The closer I got to the final scene with each restart, the more uneasy I felt. 

‘What should I do to avoid dying this time? ‘ 

I have two main objectives now. First, I must survive all the accidents that this world throws at me. 

Second, prevent the bad ending where I get executed as the villain. 

“If I think back to the reasons why I died each time…” 

In my first life, the ceiling collapsed because Knox, who had been invited to the Crescent estate, suddenly awakened his powers. 

In my second life, I drowned trying to save someone who, unfortunately, turned out to be the heroine. 

That scene was also in the original story. It was one of the trials the young heroine faced—a magical trap. As an ordinary child, I was swept away and couldn’t help but drown. 

In my third life, the assassin was targeting the prince, a supporting male character. 

And I just happened to witness it, making me a witness who had to be killed. 

“The conclusion is that I died every time I got involved with the main characters.” 

I could vaguely understand the reason. 

“The protagonists grow through crises and trials, so they naturally attract incidents. An ordinary person like me just gets swept up and dies.” 

If I were the real villain ‘Lilith Crescent’ from the novel, I wouldn’t have died even if I got involved in incidents. 

She was adept at ignoring people dying in front of her and had enough cunning to escape significant incidents. 

But I wasn’t like that. If someone was dying in front of me, I had to jump in and save them, and I had no way to dodge an assassin’s attack. 

“Alright, let’s avoid them as much as possible.” 

If I avoid the main culprits in the incidents, I can naturally avoid the incidents themselves. 

Now that I’m an adult with some control, it should be easier to handle than when I was a child. I can refuse meetings with reasonable excuses or leave with some pretext. 

“As for the execution ending, I can start doing good deeds to offset it.” 

Whether through volunteering, donations, or even divine intervention, I had to elevate my villainous image to that of a saint so they couldn’t kill me. 

Time was short, but if I started managing my reputation now, I might avoid the execution ending. 

“If everything goes wrong, I’ll escape the empire.” 

The life of a fugitive would be challenging and harsh. And if I got caught while escaping, it would be disastrous. So this was my last resort. 

“This time, I have to do it right, no matter what!” 

I clenched my teeth, my eyes gleaming with determination as I steeled myself. 

‘But why do I have this ominous feeling? ‘ 

Suddenly, goosebumps rose on my skin, and a chill ran down my spine. I could tell the footsteps outside the door belonged to a maid, but even that made me anxious. 

As if to confirm my fears, there was a knock at the door. 

The maids had always been too scared to speak to me first due to Lilith’s terrible reputation. 

Even though I’d been holed up in my room for a month, no one showed concern or gave me strange looks. 

“Miss, it’s time for you to enter the palace.” 

When I didn’t respond, the maid spoke quietly in a low voice. 

‘Enter the palace? ‘ 

Hearing that word made me feel like I couldn’t breathe.

Entering the palace naturally meant going to the imperial palace. And the imperial palace meant facing the main villain and the supporting male lead. 

It was like walking into a lion’s den.