The Golden Duchess: I Refuse to Die for the Hero
She was destined to die.
So she decided to become untouchable.
An orphaned young woman dies in her former world and awakens inside the body of Isabella Everhart-the notorious villainess of a novel she once read.
According to the original story, Isabella is destined to lose everything.
Her family will fall.
Her territory will collapse.
Her reputation will be destroyed.
And eventually, she will be killed in a coup orchestrated by the very man who becomes the kingdom's hero.
But Isabella has no intention of following the script.
She abandons the capital, purchases a neglected northern territory with her inheritance, and decides on one simple goal:
Live.
Then she discovers that she possesses an extraordinary ability.
Golden Touch.
With unlimited possibilities at her fingertips, Isabella could become the richest woman in the kingdom.
But gold alone isn't enough.
She also possesses the mysterious pocket watch left behind by her grandmother-a seemingly ordinary heirloom that turns out to contain an astonishing Secret.
With the Golden Touch in one hand and the System in the other, Isabella begins rebuilding her forgotten territory.
What begins as a desperate attempt to escape her death flag becomes something much greater.
A kingdom within a kingdom.
The nobles begin watching her.
And the male lead-the very man destined to become her executioner-finally meets her again.
Except this time, he isn't meeting the spoiled villainess from the novel.
He's meeting a powerful duchess surrounded by loyal soldiers, administrators, prosperous merchants, and thousands of people who would willingly stand behind her.
The original Isabella wanted love.
This Isabella wants freedom.
The original Isabella wanted the prince.
This Isabella wants her family back.
The original Isabella chased wealth and status.
This Isabella will build an empire.
She doesn't need a prince to save her.
She doesn't need anyone's approval.
She has her territory.
Her people.
This time, the villainess won't die.