The Exercise of Avoiding Destruction

The girl in the mirror was breathtakingly beautiful.

Her long hair, like black velvet, cascaded smoothly down her back, shimmering with a captivating luster.

Her skin was fair and translucent, reminiscent of the finest mutton-fat jade, imbued with a delicate warmth by the morning light.

Upon that face, as exquisitely crafted as a doll’s, a pair of ruby-like eyes gazed back, quietly, with a hint of bewilderment and helplessness.

This countenance, which should have been a deity’s most perfect creation, had instead become a poisoned apple, fragile and easily shattered, due to the ill repute attached to it.

“Ah…”

A sigh, almost imperceptible, escaped her cherry-blossom lips.

The peerless beauty in the mirror, Lilliana von Eckhart, slowly raised a hand, her fingertips lightly brushing her own cool cheek.

‘It truly wasn’t a dream…’

‘My heart was enveloped by a vast, soft carpet woven from helplessness.’

Three full days had passed since I, an ordinary librarian who loved reading and gardening and was somewhat introverted, had awakened in this body.

Three days—not too long, not too short.

Just enough time for me to transition from initial bewilderment to mid-stage shock, and now, to a reluctant acceptance of reality.

I had been reincarnated into *Aria of Light and Shadow*, an otome game I had been playing before bed.

What’s more, I had become the game’s infamous final villainess, the wicked noble daughter, Lilliana von Eckhart.

The pampered darling of a ducal house, a gifted dark magic user, and…

The architect of all tragic endings.

In the game, this young lady was the most splendid yet stubborn obstacle in the heroine’s path.

Everything she did perfectly aggravated players, ultimately sending herself and her entire family to the guillotine of ‘justice’.

Whether it was public execution or exile to the frozen north, every ending carried a bone-chilling dread.

‘Though it had been satisfying to watch in the game, now that it was happening to me, I couldn’t find a single trace of humor.’

As I fretted internally, I allowed the maid, Anna, to comb my long hair.

I could feel Anna’s hand, gripping the comb, trembling slightly.

It was hardly surprising.

In the memories belonging to ‘Lilliana,’ haughtiness and harshness were commonplace.

This girl, Anna, had likely borne the brunt of the original owner’s wrath many times.

“Young Lady, today… is the entrance ceremony for the Royal Solfege Magic Academy.”

Anna’s voice was soft, filled with cautious trepidation.

‘Ah, here it comes.’

‘The string of ‘plot’ in my heart was gently plucked.’

The entrance ceremony.

The genesis of the entire story.

It was also the fated stage for the villainess Lilliana’s grand debut, where she would firmly plant her first [Flag of Ruin].

According to the game’s plot, on the way to the auditorium, the kind but somewhat clumsy heroine would accidentally bump into Lilliana, spilling her drink on Lilliana’s expensive gown.

Incensed, Lilliana would then use this as an excuse to publicly humiliate the heroine, thus initiating their long, relentless antagonism.

This scene, in turn, would be witnessed by several high-ranking male capture targets, sparking their pity for the heroine while instantly maxing out their disdain for Lilliana.

‘I absolutely *must* avoid it! I *have* to avoid it!’

‘My goal for survival was clear and precise.’

‘I simply needed to be an inconspicuous background character, safely navigate my academy life, then find a tranquil place in the countryside to plant flowers, read books, and live out my days in peace.’

‘To achieve this, any action that might draw attention had to be nipped in the bud.’

“Anna.”

I spoke, striving to make my voice sound softer, yet the naturally cool tone my body had developed over time made the words come out somewhat stiff.

“Yes, Young Lady!”

Anna’s shoulders instantly tensed, like a startled fawn.

Seeing her frightened expression in the mirror, a pang of apology stirred within me.

‘Don’t be afraid, I won’t hurt you…’

“Um…”

I carefully chose my words, trying to make my request sound less peculiar.

“This gown today… isn’t it a bit too ornate? I feel… a little uncomfortable. Could I change into something simpler?”

“Eh?” Anna clearly froze.

Her brown eyes were wide with disbelief.

The former Lilliana had always chosen the most intricate and expensive garments, as if they were armor she presented to the world.

Seeing her lack of reaction, I had to add, my voice even softer:

“…Is that not possible?”

“No! Of course it’s possible!”

Anna, as if awakening from a dream, quickly replied.

“My deepest apologies, Young Lady! I—I’ll prepare it for you right away!”

And so, after changing into a simple, elegantly styled dark blue gown…

I finally boarded the carriage bound for the academy.

The carriage moved slowly along the flat road, and with the rolling of the wheels, my heart gradually settled.

‘It’ll be fine. As long as I’m careful, I can definitely avoid the plot.’

‘I’ll avoid the main avenue, stay constantly aware of my surroundings, and hide in a corner once I enter the auditorium…’

‘I just need to be a quiet potted plant.’

However, the script of fate sometimes refuses to change merely because an actor shrinks away.

The moment I stepped down from the carriage and entered the academy’s grand gates, the surroundings instantly fell silent.

Countless gazes, filled with awe, curiosity, and reverence, simultaneously converged upon me.

“It’s Miss Lilliana of the Eckhart Ducal House…”

“Goodness, she’s even more beautiful than the rumors claim…”

“I heard her temper is quite… it’s better to keep our distance.”

‘Don’t look at me, don’t look at me…’

‘I’m just a harmless decoration…’

I lowered my head slightly and quickened my pace, wanting only to escape this vortex of gazes as quickly as possible.

Just as I was about to successfully turn into a secluded path, the familiar opening sound effect of the game seemed to echo in my mind.

“Ah! I—I’m sorry!”

A clear yet flustered young girl’s voice.

My body instantly froze.

‘It’s here!’

I slowly raised my head, looking towards the source of the voice.

Long pink hair, warm like spring cherry blossoms, and emerald eyes like a startled fawn.

On that face, not exquisitely beautiful but undeniably endearing, the words ‘I am the heroine’ were practically emblazoned.

At this moment, she was holding a tall stack of books, stumbling towards me, on the verge of collision.

The world’s malice assailed me.

‘This is bad! I can’t dodge!’

In that instant, the image that flashed through my mind was not of the guillotine, but a far simpler thought.

‘The books will fall… and she’ll get hurt, won’t she?’

Almost instinctively, my body moved.

I neither retreated nor dodged.

Instead, I took half a step forward, extending my hand simultaneously.

Time seemed to slow.

Just before the heroine was about to collide with me, I didn’t reach out to steady her; that would have been too conspicuous.

A faint, almost imperceptible gleam, darker than night, lit up at my fingertips.

It was dark magic.

In the original plot, Lilliana used it to conjure icy thorns and harmful curses.

Yet now, at my command, this power transformed into an invisible, utterly gentle breeze.

The wind supported the girl’s toppling body, allowing her to stumble a few steps before miraculously regaining her balance.

Concurrently, another soft current of air, like an unseen hand, firmly cradled the precarious stack of books in her arms.

“Eh?”

The heroine let out a confused gasp, glanced down at the unharmed books in her arms, then looked up at me, standing so close, utterly dumbfounded.

A profound silence settled over the surroundings.

Everyone had witnessed this unbelievable scene.

There was no collision, no argument, not even a single book had fallen.

The villainess Lilliana simply stood there quietly, resolving a minor accident in a manner they had never seen before—a calmness that bordered on gentleness.

I looked at the heroine’s bewildered face, my heart pounding.

‘Damn it! I accidentally used magic!’

‘And—and in front of so many people!’

Panic instantly engulfed me.

‘I must leave here immediately!’

I withdrew my hand, took a step back, and created distance between myself and the heroine.

The moment I turned, I almost unconsciously spoke in a voice so gentle it felt unfamiliar even to myself:

“In the corridor, please watch your step.”

Having said that, I didn’t even dare to look at anyone’s expression, practically fleeing as I hurried into the corridor ahead, leaving all gazes behind me.

I did not see that the golden-haired prince’s usual gentle smile had vanished, replaced by a thoughtful frown.

I did not see that the ice-like son of the Knight Commander had a flicker of unprecedented confusion in his sharp eyes.

And I certainly did not see that the heroine I had just saved, Ella, was staring blankly at my disappearing back, murmuring softly:

“…She’s not quite like the rumors, is she?”

The flag of ruin did not rise as expected.

Instead, it was gently carried by a soft breeze, blowing towards a direction no one could have foreseen.