Reincarnated in a depressing erotic world but living a normal life (right?)
Starting a story

The Valerius Empire, ruled by the immortal empress who was granted this title by remaining its ruler despite generational changes without aging or showing any decline, was a place of constant conquest and expansion thanks to her leadership.

But in that same empire, in the midst of a lavish banquet hall, an unusual scene for the night's festivities unfolded, plunging the place into sudden silence. The duke's son, Ethan Beaumont, publicly declared the annulment of his engagement to Countess Seraphina Duval in front of all present, positioning himself protectively in front of a charming young woman with pigtails, as if shielding her.

"Seraphina, if you have any shame left, you must apologize right now!"

The woman receiving the words from her now ex-fiancé was Seraphina Duval, who, despite her adult age, retained a childlike appearance that made her look like a much younger girl than she truly was.

"......"

"So even in this situation, you remain calm...."

Even as Seraphina was publicly reprimanded, suffering the greatest humiliation one could receive in the Valerius Empire, no one moved a muscle to help her. This was due to the rumors surrounding her.

Among the bad rumors circulating about Seraphina were things like inciting other noble families to harass others, embezzlement of funds, and even plots to overthrow the empress. All these false rumors originated from the disturbing presence that emanated from Seraphina, which frightened others as if she were "something" else pretending to be a living being. She always kept herself away from social circles, never changed her expression, and only did the bare minimum required of a noble or person, almost as if she were just following a script...

"Any words you want to say...?"

"....."

And even in her situation, abandoned by the nobility and her relatives, she continued to show no reaction, observing everyone around her coldly and inorganically with the same calm and disturbing demeanor as always.

"If you won't say anything, then I hereby break our engagement!"

At that moment, as if accompanied by those words, a tingling sensation suddenly invaded Seraphina, causing her body to convulse as she felt "something" entering her.

"Huh....?"

This caused her to change her expression for the first time in her life as she was led to the dungeon, making a bewildered face without understanding anything.

After Seraphina was led away, the banquet continued without many hitches, a testament to how little relevance Seraphina actually held despite her noble status.

"Darling~ did you see the expression she made when they took her away?"

The woman who had been trembling exaggeratedly behind Duke Ethan the entire time, as if she were a victim, finally spoke to mock Seraphina after her imprisonment with a sneering smile of satisfaction.

"Yes, and at least I got to see a good reaction from that 'thing' before they locked her up."

Ethan, for his part, was satisfied, responding cheerfully as he watched his ex-fiancée being taken away to the dungeon where she would suffer without escape, awaiting her sad end.

".... Finally, I'm free."

Ethan felt the joy of finally being liberated from that terrifying "child" who had always sent shivers down his spine since they first met, as if "something" was simply watching him, analyzing him, and trying to understand what he was and how he worked. Even to this day, whenever Ethan was near her, he felt that same sensation, as if she was still trying to understand something that should be simple.

But Ethan was not the only one who felt this way, because after all, every living being who met Seraphina always had the same opinion as him. Even her parents said: "there's something wrong with that child." That's why Ethan conspired with other nobles, spreading negative rumors about her, preparing the evidence, and ruining her image to finally break the engagement that tied him to that "thing" once and for all.

"This is truly a great night."

However, what Ethan and no one else at that moment knew was that inside Seraphina, two major changes began to occur that would have catastrophic repercussions for all of them.

"I'm a woman?! No! No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!"

<"Calm down, everything will be fine, try to go to your happy place!">

(PLAF!!)

<"He fainted....">

The first was that within Seraphina now resided a being from another world, who had fainted upon realizing the shocking fact of what happened to his gender.

<<Hehehehehe pff ahahaha!!>>

.... And the second was that this had functioned as a catalyst to begin Seraphina's "awakening."

But at that moment, no one, not a single soul, was aware of the implications this would have...

[Point of view from the "Abyss": ???]

"....It's starting."

"Ufufu, that's right."

.... Except for two beings watching in silence.