When I woke up, I was staring at an unfamiliar ceiling.
A neat, clean ceiling with antique furniture.
The walls were adorned with rose patterns.
Where in the world is this?
I definitely remember up until the moment I was about to die.
My stomach had been pierced through.
So, where is this? Is this the afterlife?
No, something feels off.
“I mean, my stomach was clearly blown open, so dying was obvious. Huh?”
For some reason, my voice sounded higher.
‘Calm down, Noah.’
I’m the one who survived a hero party with that musclehead of a hero and those women who indulged in luxury and pleasure.
I swing a sword and was treated like a swordmaster.
I shot arrows and was called a divine archer.
I healed well enough to be called a high priest.
Except for the title of archmage, I’ve earned every title there is.
A situation like this shouldn’t surprise me.
What’s certain is that I’m alive.
If that’s the case, maybe Pascal, the notorious necromancer among the Four Heavenly Kings, revived me using my corpse.
But this voice—no matter how you hear it, it’s a woman’s voice.
Plus, I deliberately launched an offensive so the Four Heavenly Kings couldn’t come.
At the time, the Demon Lord’s castle was on the verge of collapse, so even if I died, that madman couldn’t have done this to me.
And the Four Heavenly Kings are strong, but even the hero could defeat them.
For all his bravado, the hero is powerful.
If I died, he’d probably feel threatened and go after the Four Heavenly Kings himself.
“Yeah, I’m not denying reality.”
Right, it’s not like I’m denying what’s happening.
Maybe it’s not impossible that I woke up as a woman in some rich girl’s room after dying.
Or maybe it’s just my voice that changed.
I lowered my head slightly.
A pair of large mounds came into view.
What the—? This is something no man would ever have, but every woman, whether large or small, definitely does.
And now it’s attached to my chest.
Just in case, I moved my hand downward, and sure enough, there was nothing there.
The precious thing that men have—gone. I just feel empty down there.
“Pffft.”
Laughter bubbled up.
Not long ago, I was Noah, fighting on the frontlines against the Demon Lord, and now I’m a woman with big breasts.
‘Right. Calm down, Noah. You’ve always crossed the line between life and death. When the hero went into brothels and the women indulged in luxury, you stood alone, guarding villages and fighting the Four Heavenly Kings.’
I’m not the type to get flustered over something like this.
There’s no need to look further—it’s clear I’ve somehow become a woman.
Fine. I’ve been buried in the land of ruin since birth, dealing with magic.
Gender is nothing more than a shell to me.
The real question is, why am I in this situation?
I had my stomach blown open, then woke up with breasts in a rich girl’s room.
Is someone playing games with my soul?
***
“Huh?”
[And just as I was about to enjoy a dreamlike academy life with the Crown Prince my father, that author, registered his illegitimate child, Lily Rapha Ashtar, into the family and sent her to the academy.
At first, the Crown Prince was angry about Lily receiving special treatment, but he gradually became enamoured with her efforts.
In response, Olivia, who initially wanted to accept Lily, became blinded by jealousy and began to torment her.
As a result, in the end, she even cut her wrist.]
All of this was written in the diary.
Of course, this diary states that tormenting Lily is only natural.
It must mean she is a woman consumed by jealousy.
But that’s none of my business.
Now that I have taken over this body, the original owner will no longer be able to ruin herself.
For now, I decided to rummage through the wardrobe.
I need to find clothes that I can wear.
“What? Are all these dresses?”
It makes sense for a noble lady, but come on.
They’re all so frilly.
To expect me to wear these is absurd.
‘Given my current state, if I boast that I’m a man, I’ll clearly be treated like a madwoman. After all, I just staged a suicide show, so how can I shout, “I’m a man!” while wearing men’s clothes?’
Anyway, wearing women’s clothes is a foregone conclusion.
It’s impossible for me to cross-dress in this body.
There’s a saying that pressing down on the chest is actually bad for one’s health.
In the end, it seems I have to wear a skirt, but a long skirt won’t be good for mobility.
“Is the only thing that’s not a dress the school uniform?”
The academy uniform is relatively practical.
The skirt is a suitable length, and the Imperial Central Academy, where all sorts of combat and academic training are taught, has outfits made for various training, including magic.
Even if I escape from here, there’s nothing I can do in Olivia’s body at the time when ‘Noah’ died.
For now, I need to strengthen myself, so should I adhere to the setup of being a daughter?
***
“Information is important for now.”
Right now, information is the issue.
As for tuition, I can get a scholarship from the academy, and once I graduate, there’s no need to stay in the Empire.
For now, I need to get used to this body and gather information about the Demon King’s army.
I killed the Demon King, but I need to observe how the Four Heavenly Kings operate.
I can’t be trapped in the Empire.
“Even if the Demon King is dead, there’s no reason for me to step forward.”
I can’t shake off this unease.
The hero is also a concern.
I don’t know if I can defeat the Four Heavenly Kings.
I’ve been to this academy a few times as a mage in the hero party, so I know the way.
This place is the capital of the Empire, and there’s a market not far from the academy.
If you enter the alleyway on the west side of the market, surprisingly, there’s a slum.
I found myself there.
‘I used to hang around this slum quite a bit.’
I almost died looking for information while the hero was being lukewarm about things.
As expected, since it’s a larger country than the kingdom, the size of the slum is also significant.
As I ventured deeper in, I was naturally surrounded by rough-looking individuals.
‘Hmm, I didn’t even think about how I look right now and just walked in like I did when I was a man.’
“Wow~ Miss, you shouldn’t be coming here alone!”
“Should we guide you?”
Thugs visible in the slum.
And I look like someone who has never even held a sword, having been pampered and raised as a beautiful noble lady since childhood.
It’s all too predictable.