I Don’t Know The Original Work

Adrian’s eyes, which had been gently curved, suddenly narrowed at that moment.

“Men and women are different!”

His face turned an ugly red from excitement.

“Your way of speaking, always straying from the topic, is truly disgusting. No wonder the Duke is tired of you.”

Adrian’s expression hardened as he shouted.

“If you’re going to be a lady, you should at least understand men. How can you still be so selfish—

“You’re jumping up and down just because it’s your own business.”

“W-what did you say?”

“If you’re going to be a gentleman, you should at least understand women. How can you be so selfish, brother?”

Adrian and Winston’s faces turned pale with shock. They looked as if they had seen a monster.

Cornelia smirked and added one more line.

“Oops, I let my true feelings slip. I made another mistake! Please be understanding and let it go.”

✿

Bang!—

“Put a lock on Cornelia’s door! Don’t open it until she’s fully repentant!”

Winston’s loud shout echoed from outside.

“It hurts my heart, but she needs to be disciplined once. Only then will my beloved sister come to her senses.”

Adrian’s annoying provocation followed.

They had chosen a very classic method to tame Cornelia, who wouldn’t listen to them.

‘Idiots.’

Cornelia walked over to the window. A thick tree branch was within reach, almost touching the window.

‘If they lock the door, I’ll just go out through the window.’

Just then, a uniformed servant was crossing the garden. In his hand was today’s newspaper.

‘That’s it!’

Cornelia smiled faintly.

‘Winston orders the newspaper every day for appearances, even though he never reads it.’

This newspaper would serve its purpose for the first time since arriving at the Iris estate.

Cornelia grabbed the thick branch and carefully climbed down.

After adjusting her clothes behind the tree, she approached the servant as if she had just come out for a leisurely stroll through the front door.

“I’ll deliver today’s newspaper to Father myself. Is that okay?”

She smiled faintly and reached out her hand, causing the young servant’s ears to turn red.

‘Cornelia is supposed to be a fairy-like, lovable beauty with a mature, captivating charm.’

The servant dumbly handed over the newspaper and hurried away. Cornelia, now holding the newspaper, returned to her room.

‘It’ll be easy to start a new life once I shake off Brody.’

Because she was the original author of this world. Foreseeing future events and making a fortune was no big deal.

‘Let’s start by organizing the timeline while reading the newspaper.’

Cornelia unfolded the newspaper. The satisfying rustle of paper, the heavy scent of ink, and a flood of information poured out like a waterfall.

One item caught her eye.

Baker Auction

A profitable item is up for auction.

‘I wrote this as an unimportant setting, but who knew it would be so helpful?’

There’s no rule saying people have to die.

‘Well, compared to the other novels I’ve written, “The Regretful Duke” has a relatively low difficulty level.’

At least compared to the others.

‘What if I had been transported into Locked in His Majesty’s Bedroom or How to Avoid That Duke?’

The moment she realized this, she bit her tongue.

Honestly, Hayden Snow from Locked in His Majesty’s Bedroom and Vincent Black from How to Avoid That Duke were a bit overwhelming.

‘Even though I wrote them, just thinking about their names gives me chills.’

Sara had written three novels in total.

1. Regret Novel: The Regretful Duke

2. Obsessive Romance: How to Avoid That Duke

3. Adult Romance: Locked in His Majesty’s Bedroom

As the works progressed, the worlds became darker, likely reflecting Sara’s own increasingly bleak life.

‘Let’s rationalize it that way.’

Anyway, it’s not my problem anymore.

What she needed to do now was note the date of the “Baker Auction” listed in the newspaper.

The first Baker auction of the year was scheduled to take place exactly one week later.

‘That means it hasn’t been sold yet.’

If she could get her hands on it, becoming independent wouldn’t be difficult.

‘Somehow, things are going too smoothly from the start.’

Just as Cornelia was about to close the newspaper after getting the information she needed, a large article above the schedule caught her eye.

Her Majesty the Empress Dowager has donated all funds from the charity ball under the name of His Majesty Emperor Hayden Snow.

Cornelia’s eyes shook as if an earthquake had struck.

‘H-Hayden Snow?’

Why is he here…?

He shouldn’t exist in this world. With Brody already as the protagonist, the protagonist of another novel shouldn’t exist.

‘It must just be someone with the same name.’

But in The Regretful Duke, the emperor had a different name. There was no empress dowager either.

That setting only existed in Locked in His Majesty’s Bedroom. Suddenly, a sense of dread washed over her, this might not be the end. Cornelia’s trembling hands flipped to the next page. And then—

The reason Duke Vincent Black has been reclusive was due to a “curse” passed down from his ancestors.

Crack.—

Something shattered.

It was the sound of Cornelia’s sanity, which she had been desperately holding onto, breaking into pieces.

✿

Cornelia Iris

She was the “sole protagonist” of Yoo Sara’s works. All three novels Sara wrote had the same protagonist: Cornelia Iris.

Why were all the protagonists the same person?

Because Sara had become obsessed with the character “Cornelia Iris.”

Unlike most authors who carefully craft characters to fit their stories, “Cornelia” had appeared in Sara’s mind like a revelation one day.

Her appearance, personality, and background were all written down without a hitch.

The problem arose when Sara tried to write her next work after The Regretful Duke.

‘No other protagonist comes to mind.’

Only Cornelia, Cornelia, and nothing but Cornelia.

In the end, Sara made Cornelia the protagonist of her next novel, How to Avoid That Duke.

The same went for Locked in His Majesty’s Bedroom.

This was possible because Sara’s novels were at the level of amateur works.

Right after graduating high school, she immediately got a job.

Enduring all sorts of unfair treatment and handing over every penny she earned to her parents.

In those hellish days, writing was her only joy.

‘I survived so tenaciously, only to be transported into a “triple hardship” scenario…’

Cornelia roughly grabbed her elegant blonde hair.

Clearly, the current Cornelia is engaged to Brody Evans.

That’s why she thought this was the world of The Regretful Duke.

‘But now the male leads from the other two novels have appeared!’

There was only one conclusion.

‘The worlds have merged because of my transmigration.’

This was the conclusion Cornelia had reached after a week of being locked in her room.

‘But then, what exactly is the “original work”?’

Her head felt like it was about to split. She clutched her aching head and thought.

‘First, let’s organize the situation.’

Cornelia began writing furiously with her pen.

1. The Regretful Duke

Genre: Regret Novel

Male Lead: Duke Brody Evans

Plot: Brody, who harbors the memory of his childhood first love, mistreats his devoted fiancée Cornelia until she runs away, after which he finally comes to his senses.

2. How to Avoid That Duke

Genre: Obsessive Romance

Male Lead: Duke Vincent Black

Plot: Vincent, who suffers from madness, becomes obsessed with Cornelia, his only cure.

3. Locked in His Majesty’s Bedroom

Genre: Adult Romance

Male Lead: Emperor Hayden Snow

Plot: Hayden, who becomes infatuated with Cornelia after a chance encounter, locks her in the imperial palace.

“Wow…”

Seeing it laid out like this, it was even more hopeless. No matter what the original work was, no matter who the real male lead was, it didn’t matter. No matter which path she took, Cornelia’s fate was doomed.

‘It’s fine. No matter what the original work is, I won’t take the path with the male lead.’

Transmigrators usually choose to avoid the male lead.

‘The problem is, I have to avoid three of them.’

Still, the plan doesn’t change much. Make money and run.

‘First, my relationship with Brody is already ruined.’

Let’s not even meet Hayden and Vincent.

Hayden and Vincent are crazy men who start with kidnapping and imprisonment the moment they meet.

‘Fortunately, the “Baker Auction,” which exists in the Regretful Duke world, also exists here.’

Tonight, they’ll be selling undervalued treasures. If I buy them cheap, have their value recognized, and sell them high, I can raise the funds needed to become independent.

Just then.

Click!—

The sound of the lock opening was heard. The door opened, and in came the maid, Vienna.

‘She’s been tormenting me for days.’

She was exactly like the maid from The Regretful Duke… red hair, sharp eyes, and—

“I brought your meal.”

A vicious face disguised as kindness.