"Ouch… my head hurts like hell," Nessa mumbled, clutching her temple as she tried to push herself up.
"Big sister, you're awake!"
That voice. That soft, trembling voice she thought she'd never hear again. Nessa froze, her body trembling before she even dared to look.
Slowly, she turned and her eyes widened.
Sitting right beside her was Olivia, dressed in strange clothing that she didn't recognize. But none of that mattered. None of it.
"Olivia… you're alive!" Nessa's voice cracked as tears rushed to her eyes. She threw her arms around her little sister, clutching her so tightly it startled the maids watching from the corners of the room.
Her chest ached, her throat burned, but she didn't care. She buried her face against Olivia's shoulder.
"Where… where are we anyway? And my head aches like shit…" Nessa muttered between shaky breaths.
Olivia stiffened in her embrace. "B-Big sister… why are you trembling so much?"
"Because…" Nessa looked at her with misty eyes, "because I thought I lost you forever."
Olivia blinked at her, confused. "You're acting weird, sister."
"Weird? Like how?" Nessa frowned, but the pounding in her skull only grew worse. She groaned, clutching her head. The ache was unbearable, the room spinning around her until she fainted again .
_____
When she opened her eyes again, she was no longer in bed.
An endless void stretched around her, like a boundless lake beneath her feet. The surface shimmered like glassy water, rippling with every step she took.
"Hmm? Where am I?" Nessa whispered, her voice echoing strangely.
She glanced down and stumbled back in shock.
Her reflection stared back at her, but it wasn't her face.
"Is that… me?"
The woman in the water had caramel-kissed skin, long flowing dark blue hair that reached her waist, sharp bright blue eyes that glowed faintly, and pointed ears. An elegant looking woman around 20 years.
Nessa's heart pounded. "No way… this is… the villainess Nessa. From that shitty game my former company made!!!" Her hand flew to her chest. "But… why me? Why am I here? I even saw Olivia alive too. How is that possible? How did I end up here?"
She clenched her fists. "No… think. While I'm here, I might as well recall the game's details."
Her brows knitted as she forced herself to remember. She had played the game reluctantly just to test if it was worth funding. It wasn't. She remembered how awful it was. Poorly written characters, forced drama, disgusting male leads who acted like jailers more than lovers. Even the female lead seemed terrified of them, never showing true affection, only stolkholm syndrome.
"What garbage," Nessa spat.
Then she remembered the villainess.
"Nessa Dietz Vemlsom." She chuckled bitterly. "What irony. They even used my first name. Did the company hate me that much?"
Her expression darkened as memories of the story pieced themselves together.
Nessa Dietz Vemlsom. The Duke's daughter. The third child to one of the three great Dukedoms of the Rivonot Empire. Her bloodline was mixed: the strength of her human father and the noble heritage of her half-elf mother. The Dietz family was famed for producing one of the best military fighters in the empire.
And yet… in the game, Nessa was painted as the "villainess." The so-called "final boss monster."
Her teeth clenched.
From the moment Olivia was brought to the mansion, the Duke's household despised her. Servants mocked her, nobles sneered at her, even family members mistreated her. And when she finally thought school would free her from that toxic mansion… she found herself trapped in another hell, surrounded by obsessive men who fought for ownership of her like she was a prize without her consent.
"Disgusting," Nessa hissed.
The game barely cared about side characters, brushing over their struggles. But what angered her most was how unrealistically powerful those male leads were. They all had unusual hidden skills. And when Nessa dared oppose them to keep Olivia away from them, they annihilated her entire family without hesitation.
Her nails dug into her palm. "So much for heroes."
And in the game's finale? Nessa, branded the last obstacle, summoned an army of monsters, slaughtering many of the male leads depending on the route chosen. But in the end, she always fell. Always killed by whichever male lead was left standing.
And then… the developers had the audacity to frame it as a "happy ending." Olivia, their broken heroine, forced into the arms of whichever abuser survived.
Nessa laughed bitterly. "What a load of bullshit." Then her eyes narrowed, lips curving into a smirk. "But… if I really am her now, doesn't that mean… I'm overpowered?"
Her eyes sparkled with sudden excitement.
"Though of course, the game never explained how she became that powerful. Lazy writing at its finest. But I'll figure it out myself. I'll learn. And this time….." she smiled, "I'll protect you Olivia, whether this is the real world or not."
Suddenly, a flood of memories surged into her mind.
The Duke… standing proudly at the mansion's gates. A teenage girl clutched a small bag, looking lost. He called her "an important guest."
But before Nessa could even step forward, her mother the Duchess appeared.
Duchess Lucy stormed toward them, her long dark blue hair whipping behind her, her red eyes ablaze.
"You dare bring another woman's child into my home?!" Lucy roared. "How many times will you betray me, you wretched man?!"
The Duke's expression remained cold, almost dismissive, as if her fury was beneath him.
Nessa, standing at the back, clenched her fists. She couldn't catch every word, but the meaning was clear enough. 'Illegitimate child. Betrayal. Disgrace.'
Her gaze landed on the girl, the trembling figure with soft pink hair and wide, terrified blue eyes.
"I-It's nice to meet you… p-please, I'm Olivia," the girl whispered, bowing awkwardly.
At the sight of her, Nessa's entire body trembled. Her vision blurred with tears. 'Olivia…'
Her chest constricted. Her breath grew shallow. Her knees buckled as the world around her began to spin, until she fainted.
A week slipped by.
When Nessa opened her eyes again, Olivia was there, faithfully, waiting patiently at her side.
And just like before… Nessa fainted on the spot.
____
"What are you doing in my daughter's room?" Duchess Lucy asked coldly.
Olivia turned, frozen, her body shaking under that sharp stare. "I-I was only checking on her… I swear…"
"Leave," Lucy snapped, her red eyes narrowing. "Leave before I lose my patience, child."
"Yes, madam," Olivia whispered, her voice barely audible. She rose from her chair, ready to flee.
But then, warm fingers closed around her wrist.
Olivia gasped.
Nessa's hand held her firmly in place.
"Stay," Nessa said, her voice calm but unyielding.
"Ummm sister Nessa," Olivia blurted out.
'She's like a scared rabbit,' Nessa chuckled.
Lucy's brows drew together. "This child… she's your father's…."
"Then blame him," Nessa cut in sharply. Her blue eyes glinted like ice. "Why should a child be punished for the sins of a stupid man?"
Silence.
Lucy's lips parted, then closed again. Slowly, the fire in her eyes dimmed, replaced by something else. She let out a low chuckle.
"You've always had a sharp tongue, child. Fine. Have it your way."
"Then use that strength for yourself, Mother," Nessa said, her tone steady. "You carry noble Elven blood. Don't let the actions of a stupid man cloud your reasoning and thinking abilities," Nessa stated.
Lucy studied her daughter for a long moment before a rare smile spread across her lips. She reached out, stroking Nessa's hair. "This is what I love about you." Then she turned, walking out of the room.
Olivia, left behind, continued to tremble.
"S-So scary… I didn't mean to cause trouble…" she whispered.
Nessa chuckled, pulling her close. "No need to worry, Olivia."
Tears welled in Olivia's eyes. "I-I'm sorry for making you faint…"
"Don't cry," Nessa murmured, brushing them away gently. "You're my little sister now. I won't hold it against you. But… we need to do something about your hair. And those clothes. I'll buy you a whole new set."
Her thoughts flickered. 'As I become Nessa, all of her memories are flooding into me. Excellent. If this really is that shitty game, then I'll investigate every male lead. And I swear, I'll never let Olivia suffer again.'
Nessa looked at her sister properly. Olivia was fourteen, with long pink hair that shimmered like silk, soft tan skin, and large, innocent blue eyes. More blessed in the chest than Nessa herself, which made her instinctively scratch her own flat chest with a pout.
"Tch… unfair…" she muttered.
Olivia flinched. "D-Did I do something wrong again? I-I'm sorry, sister!" Tears brimmed once more.
"No, you did nothing wrong," Nessa sighed, patting her head gently. "Stop apologizing already."
Then she got up, fire blazing in her eyes. "Come on. Let's bathe and then go shopping!"
Olivia's jaw dropped. "Wait…sister, you just woke up! Don't you need to rest?!"
"No way!" Nessa declared proudly, hands on her hips. "I got a new little sister! And as the big sister, it's my sacred duty to pamper you!"
The maids in the corner whispered among themselves.
"The young lady is acting… strangely."
"Strange? Hmph. Lady Nessa has always done whatever she pleased."