Thud.

Following the scattered brown hair, she lowered her head.

Mary’s complexion, collapsed on the ivory carpet, was excessively pale.

No one would help her. Because Mary was also a foreign substance in this world. Another foreign substance created by a foreign substance.

Summer was also hazy about what happened after that.

Frantically wailing, she dragged Mary to the bed. Then she pulled the bell cord. But no one came in.

“So-someone…”

Muttering incoherently to no one in particular, Summer embraced Mary.

She was scared. So scared of everything from start to finish that she couldn’t even voice it.

In her dazed state, Summer didn’t even hear the door opening.

“Miss?”

Startled by the cautious voice calling her, Summer jumped up as if she’d seen a ghost.

Only then did she realize there was another maid in the room besides Summer and Mary.

“Pl-please help Mary…”

“Could it be…”

The maid’s gaze turned to the open window. She belatedly noticed the curtain was slightly torn from Summer’s struggle with Mary.

The maid approached Summer carefully, exuding a worried atmosphere, and checked for any injuries.

“Miss! Surely, surely not…”

“Please save Mary…!”

“Mary?”

“Yes. Please, okay?”

“Oh my! I’ll call for a doctor right away. Just a moment!”

Finally noticing the collapsed Mary, the maid realized the gravity of the situation and quickly ran out.

The doctor who came later was shocked twice – once at seeing the impudent maid lying on the young lady’s bed, and 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. Summer’s insides were in tatters. Everything was a jumbled mess, like a hopelessly tangled thread.

Still, it seems this damned book doesn’t allow arbitrary deaths.

When she struggled to die, the characters who had been repeating predetermined lines like parrots started to react.

A maid brought soup again today.

Summer turned her head away abruptly. No matter what they thought, they were all just dolls in a book.

Emotions and thoughts that would disappear when reset and returned to the first page. Only Mary was slightly different.

“Do you have something called life too?”

“What do you mean?”

The maid placing the soup asked in surprise. She was the maid who had called the doctor for Summer instead.

“Why did you do that back then?”

The maid thought carefully about what Summer was trying to say, then realizing she was referring to that day, answered:

“Because you were trying to jump out, Miss.”

The maid spoke in a rather firm voice and moved the table with the simple meal set up right in front of the bed.

Judging by the state of the room, it must have been quite obvious.

But that wasn’t what Summer wanted to ask.

“That wasn’t the line given to you.”

“Pardon?”

“You’re not supposed to be remembered by me.”

The maid doesn’t even have a name. Her face is like an egg, without eyes, nose, or mouth.

Summer felt a slight sense of kinship with the maid in her extra role. After all, they hadn’t chosen this life either.

This world strictly flowed according to what the creator, the author, had set.

And those who didn’t receive the creator’s love became ‘nameless beings’ who couldn’t even share names, filling in the blank spaces.

“Miss?”

“Ah.”

Summer blinked. When she slowly closed and opened her eyes, the maid’s plain face filled with worry came into full view.

…Oh.

Summer reached out and stroked the maid’s brown hair.

Eyes, nose, and mouth appeared. A face with a puzzled expression emerged. She carefully examined the maid’s features.

Round eyes, a round nose tip, and small lips that moved as she spoke.

“You look like a daisy flower.”

“A flower? That can’t be. But thank you for the compliment, Miss.”

The maid smiled brightly. Summer stared at her blankly.

“What’s your name?”

“I’m -.”

As expected, she was a nameless being. After thinking quietly for a moment, Summer carelessly blurted out:

“Then I’ll call you Daisy.”

“Yes.”

“What’s your name?”

“I’m Daisy, Miss.”

Satisfied with the maid’s changed response, Summer smiled. Perhaps because she had experienced it once with Mary, this time there was more joy than fear.

If someone calls your name and remembers you, you can exist. As a living, moving being.

Because the male protagonist remembered Summer, the extras saw Summer as a living being and reacted.

Because Summer imagined Mary and recalled her name, Mary was born. With her head bubbling.

And when Summer called Daisy, Daisy became Daisy.

After Daisy left, Summer took a spoonful of soup and filled her mouth.

It was rich and delicious.

“…Is it too greedy to hope that they’ll ‘live on’ even if I disappear.”

Summer laughed softly along with her monologue. Being human, it seems she’s growing attached. Even to this world.

Thanks to Daisy, Summer soon regained her strength.

Seeing Summer’s improving condition, Count and Countess Lindsey allowed her to return to her original room.

As soon as she fully recovered, Summer devised her next plan.

There was still plenty of time left until the male and female leads fell in love and got married anyway.

It would be good to go quickly before the soul became attached to the body, but with about half a year left, there was no need to rush.

Having organized her thoughts, Summer pulled the bell cord.

“I want to go for a walk. Please prepare.”

The maid who entered was Daisy. Summer deliberately avoided Daisy’s eyes. It was because Daisy was shining her eyes too eagerly.

“That’s a wonderful idea! Getting some fresh air will make you feel better.”

“It will. The weather is nice today too. It must be spring already.”

As Summer said, it was very nice outside.

The sky was blue, with a few white wisps of clouds slowly drifting by.

The sound of green leaves rustling was like music, and a faint scent of flowers wafted in with every gentle breeze.

Count Lindsey’s domain was famous for its beauty in spring.

In fact, the family atmosphere was generally as mild and warm as spring. Seeing such scenery, even a devil might turn into a fluffy soap bubble and float up to the sky in white.

Daisy seemed quite excited at the thought of going for a walk.

“That’s right. Especially the spring scenery is beautiful. That’s why Duke Bertrand came today, they say.”

Ah, that person.

Summer nodded. Duke Russell Bertrand. He was as important a character in the work as Julian and Ian.

Although there was no romance with the female lead, he played a role in supporting the female lead’s actions.

That’s why there were quite a few comments saying that they wished for a love line even more because there wasn’t one.

A transparent pretty boy with deep blue hair and violet-tinged blue eyes.

Given the imperial atmosphere that regarded purple as noble, Russell Bertrand was born to be loved from his very existence.

‘He definitely saw me.’

Of course, since he was also one of the main characters, he would be able to recognize Summer.

But in the main episode where even Julian couldn’t recognize Summer, Russell alone was looking at her separately.

When she was with Julian, there was a sense of kinship in feeling like a supporting character together.

But when Russell looked at her and opened his mouth, it was the opposite.

Summer felt like she had become a major character like him. A premonition that something was about to happen.

“Hmm. I wonder if our paths will cross with Duke Bertrand.”

Summer murmured anxiously. The cheerful Daisy didn’t miss Summer’s muttering and quickly replied:

“From what I heard, the Duke is having a meal with the Count. Then he’ll just take a brief look around this area, so your paths shouldn’t cross.”

“That’s a relief. Please prepare for the walk.”

“Then I’ll prepare sandwiches and juice!”

Daisy clapped her hands in joy, her face full of happiness. I’m sorry. Summer apologized inwardly.

For Summer it would be a return to her original world, but in their eyes, Summer would just be a cold corpse.

‘Ah. Or maybe not?’

Perhaps the soul that should be attached to this body would come and 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, maids who only uttered predetermined lines as usual came in to help with the preparations.

She had been waiting for this moment. Now was the time when the maids would spout nonsense about how nice a walk would be while helping with the preparations.

Wasn’t it during this preparation and walk that she had witnessed Mary’s transformation process?

“Miss, you look truly beautiful!”

“…”

With just a few brush strokes, her hair swayed glossily at her waist.

The maids applied light makeup and attached flower-shaped earrings. Summer’s hair was twisted up and secured with a golden pin.

After finishing her preparations, Summer quietly looked around at the many clothes hanging in the dressing room.

Originally, she would have worn the most comfortable and simple dress, but today was different.

After the maids left, Summer asked Mary who had entered:

“Can you dress me up elaborately?”

Mary approached with an attitude that suggested it was only natural, and recommended various dresses.

“How about this green dress?”

“That’s nice.”

“Orange also suits you. And wine color.”

“Hmm. I’ll go with that dress.”

The dress Summer chose after much deliberation was a deep blue.

A question clouded Mary’s face. Well. Strictly speaking, deep blue wasn’t particularly flattering on Summer.

But what did that matter.

‘As long as I like it.’

Summer smiled softly as she looked at the blue dress that flowed smoothly in her hands. By the blue lakeside, in a blue dress.

I will fly back to my world.

And I must live in my world forever. I will never touch novels again. Never.