Free Web NovelChapter 7: Chapter 7: To the Market!
Chapter 7: To the Market!
—CELIA—
The moment I stepped out of the dining hall, I did not stop.
I walked faster than I ever did my whole life.
Then, at some point between dignity and survival, I started running.
Not gracefully, not even elegantly. Definitely not like a noble lady who had just made a bold emotional declaration over breakfast. I ran like someone who had just ruined her own life in three sentences and needed distance from the evidence.
"Okay," I muttered under my breath, lifting my dress just enough to avoid tripping. "That went terribly. That went impressively terribly."
I turned a corner too fast and nearly slipped.
"I said I wouldn’t get involved," I continued, half out of breath. "I said I would be quiet. I said I would survive."
Another turn.
"I lasted one meal."
I slowed down eventually, mostly because breathing felt important and also because I could not keep running in these shoes without becoming a disgrace.
But as I slowed, something else started to settle in.
There was this strange kind of awareness in my head.
Somehow, I knew where I was going.
Everything looks so familiar. I knew exactly which turns to take, where the corridors led, which paths would be easier. My body moved before I even thought about it, like it had already memorized everything.
And so I stopped walking.
"...Wait."
I looked around.
There were tall windows and a long corridor. The exact angle of light falling across the floor.
It felt... comfortable.
And my mind recognizes something before my body catches up. My eyes traced the walls, the corners, the distance between doors, and realized.
"I really am living in this body’s memories," I muttered under my breath.
The realization settled deep that somehow grounded me at how serious this was.
"I really was transmigrated," I said quietly.
The word felt ridiculous.
But also... accurate.
I paused, the thought shifting slightly.
"...Or reincarnated?"
But that didn’t sit right.
I frowned, trying to recall something or anything that would explain the transition.
"I don’t remember dying."
So far, what I remembered was me eating some cold noodles, reading the novel.
Then this.
I let out a slow breath, my gaze lowering slightly.
Because if I hadn’t died...
Then what exactly happened to me?
Was my body still back there?
Was I missing?
Was someone already dealing of me just... disappearing?
The thought made my chest tighten.
I pressed my lips together and shook my head lightly. frёewebnoѵēl.com
"No. Stop," I said under my breath. "You’re not solving that right now."
Because I couldn’t.
Because there were no answers here.
Because thinking about it would not bring me back.
And right now, I had a more immediate problem.
I lifted my head again, forcing my thoughts back.
"Current situation," I said quietly, more to steady myself than anything else. "You are inside a novel."
"Inside the body of the villainess. And you already started changing things."
I sighed at my very public declaration that I was apparently in love with someone who did not exist.
I exhaled.
"I already stepped off the original path," I continued. "So there’s no going back to ’just follow the story and hope for the best.’ I have to survive on my own decisions now."
I started walking again.
I moved forward, following the path that felt right, even if I was now very aware that it wasn’t my knowledge guiding me.
There should be an exit ahead.
My hand reached for the door, when someone suddenly spoke.
"My lady?"
I stiffened..
I turned slowly, already adjusting my expression before I fully faced him.
A footman stood a few steps behind me with a straight posture and a respectful tone, but his eyes held a curiosity that made it clear he had been observing me for longer than I would have preferred.
"Yes?" I asked, calm and composed.
"Are you heading somewhere, my lady?" he asked. "Shall I have a carriage prepared for you?"
A carriage.
Right.
I hesitated for a second until the question settled in.
Where could I go?
Maybe somewhere safe and unimportant.
Somewhere the plot would not bother to look.
And then it clicked.
The public markets.
I blinked.
"...Wait," I muttered under my breath.
Wouldn’t that work?
Wouldn’t that actually work?
Because if I remembered correctly, the original Aria avoided places like that entirely.
Which meant...
"No one would expect me there," I whispered.
That alone made it appealing.
I straightened slightly, my thoughts picking up pace now.
Think about the story.
Where did everything happen?
The capital.
The palace.
Formal gatherings. Political events. Places filled with important people and very unfortunate coincidences.
That was where she always met them.
All of them.
Crown Prince. Duke. Knight. Archmage.
All neatly gathered in places I now had every intention of avoiding.
I felt something close to hope flicker in my chest.
"So if I stay away from those places..." I murmured.
Then logically, "I stay away from them."
That sounded almost too simple.
Suspiciously simple.
Which meant it was either a brilliant plan...
Or the beginning of another mistake. ƒree𝑤ebnσvel.com
I paused.
"...No, this makes sense," I said, convincing myself. "Public markets are crowded. Nobles don’t like it there. It’s a normal place."
Normal was good.
"I can blend in," I added.
Well.
As much as someone dressed like this could blend in.
I glanced down at my dress.
"...That might need adjustment."
Still.
The idea remained solid.
"And if Aria never goes there," I continued, "then there’s no established plot waiting for me."
No scripted encounters.
No dramatic introductions.
No accidental eye contact with a man who would later ruin my life.
Perfect.
I looked back at the footman, who was still patiently waiting for an answer while I mentally rewrote my survival strategy in front of him.
"Yes," I said at last.
He straightened slightly.
"I will be going out," I continued, more composed now. "Please have a carriage prepared."
His brows lifted in delight.
"Of course, my lady. May I ask where you intend to go?"
I held his gaze and answered. "The public markets."
He blinked.
That was all it took to startle him.
Because clearly, Lady Aria Valen did not go to public markets.
And yet, here I am.
"I see," he said.
Thank goodness he did not question it further.
I respected that.
I gave a small nod, as if I had not just disrupted his understanding of his employer entirely.
"Yes. I wish to take a look around."
He inclined his head. "I will have the carriage prepared immediately."
I nodded once, feeling oddly reassured as the man walked away.
"Yes," I said. "This will definitely not cause any problems."
