I always loved period novels, and this one had a protagonist who could win anyone over: Colonel Lionel Blackthorne, an honorable man who dedicated his life to the army while dreaming of returning home.
The novel told of how Lionel was forced to marry a woman of dazzling beauty, yet selfish, arrogant, and violent. The villainess despised and mistreated her children, turning their lives into a living hell. As if that weren't enough, Lionel entrusted part of his salary to his mother, unaware that she kept the money while his wife and children lived in hunger and cold.
Everything began to change when Lionel met Dorothy Langley, the heroine. She managed to win the children's hearts and became the woman who made his heart beat. In contrast, his wife, consumed by jealousy, tried to murder Dorothy and ended up being executed.
I closed the book with a smile. In the end, Lionel had found the love he deserved, and those three children finally had the warm, happy family they always needed.
The story kept circling in my head, and with that thought, I decided to head to the mall to clear my mind. However, as I was returning home, a car appeared out of nowhere.
And everything went dark. .......
—Mommy...?
I opened my eyes at the sound of a trembling little voice. A girl with huge blue eyes was watching me from the edge of the bed.
—Mommy...? Are you okay?
I recognized her instantly. It was Isolde Blackthorne.
I felt the blood drain from my face.
I had woken up in the world of the novel... And I was... The villainess.
