The last thing Aurora remembered was blinding headlights and the triumphant fanfare of her game console. One hundred percent. Grand Fantasia Royale was complete. Then—nothing.
Now, silk sheets. The scent of roses. A body that wasn't hers.
She swung her legs out of the enormous bed and walked to the ornate mirror. A stranger stared back: sharp blue eyes, cascading blonde ringlets, and a face set in a permanent, haughty sneer. She poked the reflection.
"Elise von Brandt," Aurora whispered. "Well, this is a twist."
The door creaked open. A young maid in a simple uniform peeked in, her eyes wide with fear. "M-My lady? Your carriage awaits. We mustn't be late for the academy's opening ceremony."
Academy. The word was a key, unlocking a flood of memories that weren't hers. The Royal Academy. The first day of term. And she knew, with the absolute certainty of a master player, exactly what scene was about to play out.
A slow, giddy smile spread across Elise's—no, Aurora's—face. This wasn't a tragedy. This was the ultimate New Game+.
"Tell the driver I'll be down shortly," Aurora said, her new voice a melodic command.
The maid scurried away, visibly relieved not to have been yelled at.
An hour later, Aurora stood in the grand marbled hallway of the Royal Academy, a whirlwind of polished stone and gossiping nobles. She moved through the crowd with an easy confidence, her mind overlaying a familiar game map onto her vision. Left corridor: leads to the library. Right: the courtyard where Prince Cedric practices swordplay. Straight ahead...
And there she was. The protagonist.
Lily. She looked just like her in-game sprite: soft brown hair, wide, earnest green eyes, and a natural grace that drew glances. She was clutching a teetering stack of books, trying to see over the top.
This was it. The inciting incident. The moment Villainess Elise "accidentally" collided with the humble scholarship student, scattering her books and her dignity, planting the first Doom Flag on the path to ruin.
Aurora watched, a strategist observing the battlefield. Lily's foot caught on a slightly uneven tile. The stack of books wobbled dangerously.
The students nearby fell silent, their eyes darting between the struggling commoner and the infamous noble. They were a live audience, waiting for the villain's entrance.
Aurora moved. But instead of stepping into Lily's path, she moved beside her, her hands shooting out to steady the precarious tower.
"Whoa there," Aurora said, her voice calm and clear. "You've got your hands full. These floors are deceptively slick."
A stunned hush fell over the hallway. Lily looked up, her expression pure, unadulterated shock. The whispers died before they began.
More fun than I expected, Aurora thought.
"Th-thank you, Lady Elise," Lily stammered, her grip tightening on the books.
"Think nothing of it," Aurora replied, her gaze drifting to the topmost volume. It wasn't a history or poetry book. It was a simple ledger, its title reading Principles of Regional Trade and Commerce.
A memory, sharp and clear, surfaced from her gaming knowledge. The Merchant Queen Ending. A secret, near-impossible route where Lily, leveraging her sharp intellect, bypassed romance entirely to build a financial empire that dwarfed the kingdom's treasury. This book was the first trigger.
Aurora tapped the ledger's cover. "An unusual choice for light reading. Are you interested in trade, Miss Lily?"
Lily's cheeks flushed a charming pink. "Oh! It's... it's just a personal interest. My family runs a small shop, you see. I've always found the flow of goods and capital... fascinating."
As the word "fascinating" left Lily's lips, the air in front of Aurora's eyes shimmered. Transparent, blue text boxes materialized, hovering with a soft glow.
[ Hidden Quest Unlocked! ]
[ Quest: The Merchant Queen's First Monopoly ]
[ Objective: Partner with Lily to secure a 100% market share of a single, high-demand good within the capital city. ]
[ Reward: 5,000 Gold. +50 Reputation with the Merchant's Guild. Unlocks the 'Economic Dominance' Skill Tree. ]
A thrill, purer than any she'd felt defeating the game's final boss, shot through Aurora. Doom Flags? They were just poorly designed side-quests with bad rewards. This was an epic-level quest line. This was endgame content!
She ignored the stunned stares burning into her back and leaned closer to Lily, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Fascinating is the right word. Control the trade routes, and you control the fate of nations. It's a truth most nobles are too blind to see."
Lily's mouth fell open slightly. "I... I've never heard anyone else say that. Not ever."
"Then you've been stuck in conversations with the wrong sort of people," Aurora said with a wink. "I have a proposition for you. Meet me in the east wing library after our etiquette class. And... come alone."
Before Lily could form a reply, a sharp, authoritative voice cut through the lingering silence.
"What is the meaning of this?"
Aurora didn't need to turn to know it was Prince Cedric, the crown prince and the game's primary male lead. His handsome face, when she turned to face him, was a mask of cold suspicion. His gaze was a pendulum, swinging from Lily's flustered expression to Aurora's unnerving calm.
"Lady Elise," he said, the name a frosty accusation. "I trust you are not causing any... distress?"
In the original script, this was where Elise would launch into a dramatic lie, painting herself as the victim and Lily as a clumsy oaf. Aurora decided to deploy a weapon the original Elise never possessed: the truth.
"No distress at all, Your Highness," she said, dipping into a perfect, respectful curtsy. "Miss Lily's books were in peril. I provided a steadying hand. We were merely discussing the foundations of economic theory. A stimulating topic, don't you agree?"
Cedric's well-defined brows furrowed. He looked utterly bewildered. "Economic... theory?"
"Indeed," Aurora continued smoothly, straightening up. "It's a pity the academy's curriculum neglects such practical subjects. But then, a future king must understand more than just swordplay and sonnets, mustn't he? The health of the treasury is the health of the kingdom."
She saw it—a flicker of genuine interest in his deep blue eyes, quickly buried under layers of princely duty and prior prejudice. He turned his attention to Lily, his voice softening marginally. "Are you quite alright, Miss Lily?"
"Yes, Your Highness," she said, bowing her head. "Lady Elise was... very kind."
The words 'Lady Elise' and 'kind' in the same sentence seemed to short-circuit the prince's cognitive functions. He opened his mouth, closed it, then simply gave a stiff nod. With one last, deeply suspicious glance at Aurora, he turned on his heel and strode away, the crowd of students parting for him like the sea.
The shrill ring of the academy bell signaled the start of classes. The spell was broken. Students began to move, their whispers now a rising wave of confusion and speculation.
Lily, hugging her books tightly to her chest like a shield, met Aurora's eyes. "The east wing library? After etiquette?"
"Precisely," Aurora said, her smile sharp and full of promise. "I have access to capital. You have innovative ideas. I believe we can form a mutually beneficial partnership. A profitable one."
A slow, hesitant, but undeniably real smile touched Lily's lips. It was the first one she had ever directed at Elise von Brandt that wasn't fueled by fear or politeness.
"I'll be there," Lily said, her voice firm with newfound resolve.
As Aurora walked toward her first class, the weight of a hundred curious stares upon her, two new notifications materialized in her vision.
[ New Relationship Status: Lily – Intrigued (0 -> 20/100) ]
[ New Relationship Status: Prince Cedric – Confused (Hate -50 -> -40/100) ]
Aurora didn't suppress her grin this time. Let them stare. Confused was a massive upgrade from hated. It was a foothold. A save point.
The game was absolutely on, and Aurora, reborn as the final boss, wasn't playing to capture a prince's heart. She was playing to conquer the entire board.