Thud.
I lowered my head, following the scattered brown hair.
Mary, collapsed on the ivory carpet, looked excessively pale.
No one would help. Mary was just a foreign substance in this world. Another foreign substance created by a foreign substance.
What happened after that was also hazy for Summer.
In a frenzy, she cried out and dragged Mary to lay her on the bed. Then she pulled the bell cord. But no one came in.
“Someone, please...”
Mumbling words she didn’t even know who to direct them to, Summer hugged Mary tightly.
It was terrifying. Everything from one to ten was so frightening that she couldn’t even spit it out.
In her dazed state, Summer didn’t even hear the sound of the door opening.
“Miss?”
At the cautious voice calling her, Summer jumped up as if she had seen a ghost.
Only then did she realize that there was another maid in the room besides herself and Mary.
“P-please save Mary...”
“Is it possible...?”
The maid’s gaze turned toward the open window. It belatedly caught her eye that the curtain was slightly torn from the struggle with Mary.
The maid approached Summer cautiously, filled with concern, checking for any injuries.
“Miss! No way, no way...”
“Please save Mary...!”
“Mary?”
“Yes. I’m begging you, okay?”
“Oh my! I’ll hurry and call the doctor. Just a moment!”
Only then did the maid, realizing the seriousness of the situation upon discovering the collapsed Mary, rush out.
The doctor who came in afterward was startled once at the sight of the audacious maid lying on the lady’s bed and startled again at the maid’s pale complexion.
Fortunately, Mary regained consciousness not long after the doctor left.
After that commotion, Summer was confined to a windowless storage room. Her insides were a complete mess. Like a tangled ball of yarn, everything was in disarray.
Still, it seemed this damned book wouldn’t allow her to die at will.
As she struggled to die, the characters who had been repeating their scripted lines like parrots began to react.
One maid brought soup again today.
Summer turned her head away. No matter what they thought, they were all just puppets in the book.
Emotions and thoughts that would disappear when reset and returned to the front. At least Mary was a little different.
“Do you have a life?”
“What do you mean?”
The maid, who was placing the soup down, was taken aback and asked back. She was the same maid who had called the doctor for Summer.
“Why did you do that back then?”
The maid pondered what Summer was trying to say and realized she was referring to that day, responding accordingly.
“Because you were trying to jump.”
The maid said in a firm voice and moved the table with a simple meal right in front of the bed.
Looking at the state of the room, it seemed too obvious.
But that wasn’t what Summer wanted to ask.
“That wasn’t the line you were given.”
“Huh?”
“You shouldn’t be remembered by me.”
The maid had no name. Her face was so egg-like that she had no eyes, nose, or mouth.
Summer had felt a slight sense of kinship with the maid, who was in an extra role. They probably hadn’t chosen this life either.
This world flowed strictly according to the settings established by the creator, the author.
And those who did not receive the creator’s love became ‘nameless beings’ who could not even share names, filling the void.
“Miss?”
“Ah.”
Summer blinked. The worried face of the maid filled her slowly opening eyes.
...Oh?
Summer reached out and touched the maid’s brown hair.
She had eyes, a nose, and a mouth. A face expressing confusion had appeared. Summer carefully examined the maid’s features.
Round eyes, a little round nose, and small lips that seemed to be pouting.
“You resemble a daisy.”
“A flower? No way. But thank you for the compliment, Miss.”
The maid smiled brightly. Summer stared at her in a daze.
“What’s your name?”
“I’m -.”
She was still a nameless being. After thinking quietly, Summer spoke bluntly.
“Then I’ll call you Daisy.”
“Yes.”
“What’s your name?”
“I’m Daisy, Miss.”
Summer smiled in satisfaction at the maid’s changed response. Perhaps it was because she had experienced it once with Mary, but this time, she felt more joy than fear.
If someone calls your name and remembers you, you can exist. As a living being.
Because the male protagonist remembered Summer, the extras saw her as a living being and reacted.
Because Summer imagined Mary and recalled her name, Mary was born. Her head was bubbling.
And when Summer called Daisy, Daisy became Daisy.
After Daisy left, Summer took the soup and filled her mouth.
It was savory and delicious.
“...Is it too greedy to wish that even if I disappear, I hope you all ‘live on’?”
Summer murmured to herself, letting out a faint smile. Being human, it seemed she was capable of forming attachments. Even in this world.
* * *
Thanks to Daisy, Summer soon regained her strength.
Seeing that Summer was getting better, Count and Countess Lindsey sent her back to her original room.
As soon as her body healed, Summer began to devise her next plan.
After all, there was still a long time before the male and female leads fell in love and got married.
It would be nice to hurry before her soul got stuck in this body, but with about half a year left, there was no need to rush.
Organizing her thoughts, Summer pulled the bell cord.
“I want to go for a walk. Prepare it for me.”
The maid who entered was Daisy. Summer deliberately avoided Daisy’s gaze because she was shining her eyes in a burdensome way.
“That’s a wonderful idea! Getting some fresh air will surely lift your spirits.”
“It will. The weather is nice today. It seems like spring already.”
As Summer said, the weather outside was indeed very nice.
The sky was blue, and a few white fluffy clouds drifted slowly.
The sound of green leaves rustling was like music, and every time the wind blew gently, a faint floral scent wafted in.
The Lindsey estate was famous for its beauty in spring.
In fact, the atmosphere of the family was also warm and gentle like spring. If one lived seeing such scenery, wouldn’t even the devil turn into fluffy soap bubbles and float white into the sky?
Daisy seemed quite excited at the thought of going for a walk.
“Exactly. Especially the scenery of this spring is beautiful. Maybe that’s why Duke Bertrand is visiting today.”
Ah, that person.
Summer nodded. Russell Bertrand, the Duke. He was as important a character in the story as Julian and Ian.
Although there was no romance involving the female lead, he played a supportive role in her journey.
Thus, there were quite a few comments expressing a desire for a love line since there wasn’t one.
A transparent handsome man with deep blue hair and light purple eyes.
Due to the imperial atmosphere that revered purple, Russell Bertrand was someone born to be loved from the moment of his existence.
‘He definitely saw me.’
Of course, since he was one of the protagonists, he would be able to recognize Summer.
But when Julian couldn’t recognize her in the main episode, Russell was the only one who looked at her alone.
When he was with Julian, it felt like they were both minor characters, creating a sense of kinship.
But when Russell looked at her and spoke, it was the opposite.
Summer felt like she had become a major character. A premonition that something was about to happen.
“Hmm. I hope my path doesn’t overlap with Duke Bertrand’s.”
Summer muttered anxiously. The cheerful Daisy didn’t miss Summer’s mumbling and quickly replied.
“I heard the Duke is having a meal with the Count. After that, he’ll take a brief look at the scenery around here, so our paths won’t overlap.”
“Thank goodness. Please prepare for the walk.”
“Then I’ll prepare sandwiches and juice!”
Daisy clapped her hands with a face full of joy. Sorry. Summer silently apologized.
For her, it would be a return to the original world, but to them, Summer would just be a cold, dead body.
‘Ah. Or maybe not?’
Could the soul that should be attached to this body settle in? If so, it would truly be a happy ending.
No one would have to be sad.
“Miss. I’ll brush your hair.”
“Go ahead.”
After Daisy left, the usual maids who only spoke their scripted lines came in to help with her grooming.
She had been waiting for this moment. Now was the time when the maids would chatter about how nice a walk would be while helping her get ready.
Wasn’t that how she had seen Mary’s transformation process?
“Miss, you look truly beautiful!”
“......”
After a few brushes, her hair flowed and swayed at her waist.
The maids applied light makeup and adorned her with flower-shaped earrings. Summer’s hair was pinned up and secured with a golden pin.
Once Summer was done getting ready, she quietly looked around at the many dresses hanging in the dressing room.
Normally, she would have chosen the most comfortable and simple dress, but today was different.
After the maids left, Summer made a request to Mary, who had just entered.
“Can you dress me up extravagantly?”
Mary approached with an attitude that it was a given and suggested various dresses.
“How about the green dress?”
“I like it.”
“The orange one suits you too. The wine color as well.”
“Hmm. I’ll go with that dress.”
After much deliberation, Summer chose a deep blue dress.
A look of doubt crossed Mary’s face. Well, to be precise, deep blue wasn’t a color that suited Summer very well.
But what did it matter?
‘As long as I like it.’
Summer smiled softly at the blue dress that wrapped around her hand. By the blue lakeside, wearing a blue dress.
I will return to my world.
And I will live in my world forever. I will never touch this novel again. Never.