Here's the thing about us deities, especially novel ones: we have a fun sense of humor and like to pull in random people from other universes to become the protagonists of our world. This young barista and aspiring author caught my eye when browsing the list of candidates in our catalog. She was a girl after my own heart with her love for crafting drinks, incredibly spirited (or maybe overly caffeinated), and she had a real way with words when writing. There's a mandatory minimum 30-day observation rule before we can assign a truck to summon candidates to their respective worlds. The boss implemented this rule after the game-based world deity summoned someone who easily hacked the system and made off with nearly all the currency for that world. Now that the period is up, it's time for the summoning ceremony!

This ceremony used to be the cause for a big celebration. Still, we were only allowed to do this once every two hundred years to avoid the possibility of people who knew each other entering simultaneously and causing havoc if they were previously enemies. I will have to tell you the story about the guy and five of his six wives who got reincarnated simultaneously. It was so messy, but he honestly had it coming. Now, we do this ceremony more frequently since more worlds have been created, and there is a shortage of protagonists to push the story along; it is less exciting now. I walked to the office where the truck drivers awaited their orders and handed the keys to Fred, a regular human who was summoned here specifically for this role. I handed him the photos and name of his target, Lilli Smith, who should be finished with her shift and approaching the designated summoning spot. With a snap of my fingers, I wished him luck and sent him to the awaiting truck in the other world, patiently waiting for my new friend to arrive.

I was on my second glass of cold brew when she stumbled into my welcoming chambers, her face a mix of confusion and annoyance. She glanced around the brightly lit room decked in flowing white fabric, polished marble floors, and twinkling silver stars that floated on their own accord, the usual layout for a deity about to send you somewhere for a big purpose. She finally made eye contact with me, her clear grey eyes sparkling with a million questions and just as many emotions.

"Welcome to the realm of media deities; I am Marluna from a work that has just entered into being." I greeted her, spreading my arms out wide in a grand manner and grinning from ear to ear."

Uhh...what? So I'm dead? Well, at least I am free from my debt, thanks, I suppose." She replied, looking slightly relieved.

"Well, in a way yes, since you were hit by one of our trucks, we haven't figured out a better system for pulling people in for this kind of work. That being said, you won't get to relax. We have an important task for you, and it requires reincarnation." I informed her with a smile, patting her on the back enthusiastically.

Lilli groaned dramatically, dragging her hands down her face in exasperation and crouching down; it was pretty obvious this news bummed her.

"You will, however, be living as a Princess in your new life and will be the protagonist of this world. It will be up to you to defeat the evil slowly, trying to creep in. There will be mystery, adventure, camaraderie, and maybe even romance! You will enjoy sights, sounds, and even food you could never have had in your previous life!" I exclaimed, pulling her up and shaking her excitedly, her dark hair flying all over.

"Maybe to someone else, that would be amazing, but I have read enough webtoons and manwhas and seen enough isekais to know where this is going. You should say there will be peril, bitchy court ladies, and a love interest with no emotional awareness. Send me somewhere as a cat, and let me live nine lives peacefully." She waved her arms dismissively as she said this, her expression one of aggravation.

"No, can do, I'm afraid; the big boss approved this, and she isn't a fan of last-minute changes. Now, some things to note-" I snapped my fingers, and a leather-bound book appeared in my hands, "You're going to be the victim of a coup 'd'état plot that aims to overthrow the Imperial family, your brother will be a major supporter since you will be named Crown Princess. You get three resets if you die, but it'd be nice if we don't have to use them; please be careful. The antagonists in this world are relatives of the previous Emperor whom your future mother and Empress dethroned; you'll love her and learn about her. Hmm...everything else I'll disclose once you are settled in your new life and we cross paths again, but for now, time is up. Good luck, future Crown Princess Aurua Saturnia Platina Marluna!" I waived as a portal of light opened underneath her feet, watching her slowly sink through.

"When I see your purple-haired self, I will be throwing hands; I will make you regret this! And what kind of name is that?! Why couldn't it be something normal?? Marluna-!" With a *pop*, she fully went through the portal, her flailing and loud rants disappearing just as suddenly as she'd appeared.

"Well, she says that now, but she may come to enjoy her new life. If not, I guess I could hire for my coffee shop; she seems talented." I mused to myself as I ran a comb through my hair that changed my hair from a silvery lilac to deep auburn and shifted my eyes from silver to teal, readying myself to spend time amongst the mortals of my realm. "Time to get to work! This assignment is going to be so much fun!"

I changed into light clothing and stepped through a new portal that placed me right in front of my business, the Twilight Tulip Cafe. Reaching forward, I flipped the sign to open and stepped inside to greet my crew, who had everything set up for our first day of the season, excitedly. "Welcome back, boss! The Empress is due to have her baby any day now! We've already prepared the special menu just like you have instructed, but out of curiosity, how do you know she is having a girl?" My lead barista, Mint, asked me with her blue eyes glimmering with wonder."I just have a hunch; call it a woman's intuition." I shrugged while making myself a latte. "Now, I will be at my usual table if you need me or something interesting happens."

With that, I sat down and pulled out my leather-bound book to start journaling what happened in my day while I waited for the Princess to make her first appearance in my little shop. It would be years from now, but I do not doubt that she will immediately recognize me even with this disguise. After all, she has some very fun gifts she has been blessed with that will have manifested by then. I should have told her about them, but that wouldn't be as fun. I have a shop to run, so I will conclude my first entry here. Farewell for now from this little chaotic goddess.

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Author's Note:

Hello and thank you for reading the prologue for this little series I am working on! I am planning this as a companion to a story is currently in the works. The naming process for characters, especially ones in this type of setting, can be kind of brain wracking but I think I came up with some fun ones. I will take any feedback and criticism, I have not published anything on the web in years so I am slightly rusty. This will be written in a light novel format with short chapters.

Character Descriptions:

Marluna: Goddess and namesake for the Empire, has silvery lilac hair and silvery eyes, on the short side. She likes books and coffee, her nickname amongst her fellow deities is Marluna the Chaotic Caffeine Goddess. When she's not drinking or making coffee, she is either napping or writing. 

Lilli/Aurua: A barista reborn as a Crown Princess, she has quite the story that will be told. Her favorite animal is a cat which is reflected in her latte art and attraction to cat themed items. She is not a fan of physical exercise but is naturally athletic, she can usually be found hiding away to paint. Her new appearance was quite shocking for her.

Mint: Lead barista and a garden nymph who has no green thumbs, she loves plants but it is one sided. She can be found sunbathing in flower fields in her off days and enjoying strawberry wine.

Head Deity: She is currently taking name ideas, her creator couldn't think of something charming enough that matched her rank. The older sister to Marluna, she is constantly left exhausted by her younger sister's antics and genuinely needs a vacation after the game world incident. Characterized by sunset colored hair and glimmering gold eyes, she is the day to her sister's night and much more serene by nature.