The Male Lead Is Mine

PROLOGUE

After finishing the book, the girl had one thing to say: She missed out on a good thing.

The main character of the novel she just read was the illegitimate daughter of a marquis who worked as a maid.

One day, a royal decree was sent to the marquis, stating that he must marry off his daughter to a soldier. Despite being of a common birth, the soldier had accomplished many feats in battle and was waiting to be bestowed by a formal title.

The emperor sought to bring this talented and renowned soldier into his political faction, and so he searched for a suitable noble household to marry him into. Before long, he decided on the family of the marquis, who'd long been one of his loyal supporters.

However, the daughter of the marquis refuse to marry a commoner and fled from home. With no other other options left and the royal decree sitting heavy on his soldiers, the marquis accepted his illegitimate daughter-- the maid -- as his child, and married her off to the soldier.

The soldier owned a silo with grain so plentiful he would never have to worry about money all his life. Not only that, he was also rumored throughout the nation to be an exceedingly handsome man. Thank to his wartime achievements, he received a pension from the royal goverment as well. He had a good personality and was in excellent health.

Of course, the soldier later came to know the truth about his bride, but he did not care about her past. He treated her so well that no one would ever suspect that she had once been a mere maid. Together, they began a loving relationship and lived happily ever after.

The runaway daughter, on the other hand, had met a terrible man in the streets and suffered terrible physical and emotional distress. One day, she happened to meet the man who she had been meant to marry and fell in love with his good looks. Although she attempted to win the soldier back by insisting she was the true bride, he saw through her act and kicked her out of his estate.

Most people would favor the main character, but the girl sympathized with the runaway girl instead. She felt sorry for her.

See, you shouldn't have rejected him.

With that final thought, the girl shut the book gently and fell asleep.

***

When the girl woke up, she found herself in unfamiliar surroundings. Wrapped around her was a soft, fluffy blanket, and from her bed, she could see an ornate coat of arms.

She had never seen any of this before.

"What on earth...?"

It was undeniably bizarre. Suddenly, memories and thoughts that were not her own began filling her mind--she was becoming one with someone else.

"Aaaah!!" She screamed.

Everything hurt. Her head felt like it would split in half. Startled by the girl's screams, maids came rushing in from the hall.

"My lady!"

"Are you alright?"

The girl clutched her head and looked at the maids and their black, Western-style dresses with white frills. As she recognised these dresses as maid uniforms, she laughed in disbelief.

"Excuse me..."

"Yes, my lady?"

"I am the only daughter of Marquis Ian Horissen, right?"

The maids glanced at each other in confusion before nodding. "That is correct."

"My god!" she exclaimed. She had become the misfortunate Lady Aris Horissen, the character she pitied the most.

She got out from bed and examined her small, pretty hands, then towards the nearest mirror. There, in her reflection, stood a girl who couldn't have been more that 10.

"Im younger now," she muttered.

Not only she had gotten younger, but she'd prettier as well. This was to be expected, as Aris Horissen would later try to charm and seduce the male lead with her beauty.

The girl clenched her fist tightly.

She wouldn't let her fate be decider by the plot of a novel.

She would live a new life.