The Villainess turns the Hourglass - Chapter 255: Epilogue, Part IV

I somehow managed to be reincarnated as a maid who monopolized the Emperor’s affection. In the end, she was killed by the Evil Empress through vicious means.‘Fortunately, I’m only five years old.’‘I still have a long way to go before the original work begins, so shouldn’t I just avoid the Emperor and Empress until then?’I thought so, but…“Lize, what did you say to the Emperor?”“I said that I support you.”The evil Empress who was supposed to kill me in the original story won’t leave me alone.“Truthfully, you like me much more than the Emperor, don’t you? Am I right?”Is the Empress trying to win me over?

This is a story of a man named Kim Sae-Jin, who one day, inexplicably wakes up as a Monster. Follow him and his perilous journey to get his life back as a Human, all the while growing even more versatile as a Monster in the process. This should be… complicated, somewhat.

“Love Tripped Into My Room: I Just Wanted Peace, Not Panties”Kaito Tenma just wanted a normal life. Wake up, eat toast, avoid drama, and maybe—just maybe—confess to his beautiful, blunt childhood friend, Riko.But fate sucker-punches that dream into space when a half-naked girl crashes through his ceiling and declares his room as her new home. Now he’s living with Yuna, a mysterious (and dangerously clingy) bombshell who thinks clothing is optional and personal space is a myth.From lewd accidents to jealousy-fueled misunderstandings, Kaito’s life spirals into a wild, hilarious mess of high school chaos, horny misunderstandings, and girls who seem way too interested in ruining his peace.He didn’t ask for a harem. He didn’t ask for trouble. But trouble keeps tripping into his life—one girl at a time.

For as long as he could remember, life had always been cruel.A young man in his early twenties—his name now lost to the past—was dealt a life filled with misfortunes.A cold, empty apartment, a soul-crushing job, and, finally, a terminal diagnosis.With nothing left to live for, his only comfort had been escaping into the fictional world of Path of the Elemental Sage, a story of heroes, magic, and survival.But fate had other plans.When death finally came for him, he didn’t fade into nothingness.Instead, he awoke in the world he had only read about—a world of chaos and danger where death lurked around every corner.The air smelled of magic, the sky was filled with possibilities.{«[Status Window]»}[Name: Lyrium Blackwood][Age: 16][Rank: D-][Skills: None][Elements: None}At first, confusion filled his mind.Who was Lyrium Blackwood?Why was he here?And why did this body feel so different?But as his memories returned, so did the realization: this wasn’t some blessing or second chance.He wasn’t reincarnated as the protagonist.No destined savior.No cheat abilities.No grand fate.He was just another mob, a face in the crowd meant to exist and die without leaving a mark.But this young man—the one who had left his old name and life behind—wasn’t the kind of person to roll over and accept his fate.“This world is dangerous. The protagonist isn’t the only one fighting for survival here,”he muttered, his red eyes deep and sharp.Unlike the naïve characters in the story, he knew the stakes.He’d read the web novel.He’d seen the carnage, the betrayals, the disasters that wiped out entire cities.And if there was one thing he refused to be, it was a pawn in someone else’s game.“I don’t care about glory. I don’t care about saving the world. All I care about is surviving—no matter what it takes.”Lyrium Blackwood wasn’t planning to live quietly or avoid danger.The only way to survive in this brutal world was to rise to the top.To be strong enough to stand above both heroes and villains.Using his knowledge of the story’s events and his iron will, Lyrium sets out on a relentless path to surpass the protagonist.Whether through clever manipulation, brutal training, or sheer desperation, he’ll climb higher and higher, leaving nothing to chance.But the deeper he gets, the more he realizes that this isn’t just the story he once read.As fate pushes him closer to the heart of the narrative, Lyrium begins to suspect that his reincarnation wasn’t an accident—and the world itself might be watching him.“I don’t care who or what stands in my way. If the story wants to kill me, I’ll rewrite the ending myself.”----------------------------------I apologize for any mistakes in this story, as it’s my first attempt at writing a novel.