Why…!”

Crimson blood dripped down to the floor from the blade that’d pierced my stomach.

It hurts.

It was a question so painful and terrible that it came out in a scream.

“Why, just why…?”

The man who’d just stabbed me- I knew him very well.

Emilian Laclan Calliste.

My beloved friend.

My only childhood friend, and also a pitiful child who’d been shunned for being the son of the “villainess.”

The same child who I trusted as much as my family was now sending me into the arms of death.

Thump. He collapsed to the floor like a weakened bridge that’d come loose.

TL/N: Referring to a rope bridge, in which the ropes have been untied/come loose.

It hurts so much…

I hugged my stomach with trembling hands, my arms quickly becoming soaked in red.

“Answer me, Emil. Why in the world-?!”

“I’m sorry…”

I’m so sorry, Vel.

Emil, who was on his knees like a knight making a vow, reached out and touched my cheek.

Unlike the person who’d stabbed me, this person was crying. He’d never shed a tear before, not even when he suffered from torture and ostracization. 

The person who’d been looking down at me so proudly had now fallen.

“It would be better to do this than live as a puppet like me.”

Murmuring this, the eyes that’d lost all reason came closer.

I couldn’t help but realize when I saw those eyes.

The villainess’ madness. 

It had been passed on to Emil.

I started to fall backwards, and Emil grabbed me affectionately, holding me in his lap.

Tears fell down and soaked my cheek.

Oh, I had been truly happy in this life…

The spot where the sword had pierced through my stomach hurt so much.

I don’t want to die, I don’t want to die…

But, against my wishes, I felt my eyelids begin to grow heavier and heavier.

“I’m sorry.”

And then… 

I couldn’t hear anything Emil said anymore.

So just like that, my second life ended.

***

My mother was the heroine, Ismeralda Elfersi.

The heroine, who was murdered by Rovelina Castone, the only princess of the Castonian Empire, and a villainess who suffered from madness.

It would be an incredibly boring novel, had Mother just died an ordinary death like that, but she wasn’t the protagonist of the story for no reason.

My mother was a regressor who came back to life and turned back time after her death.

“All I wanted was to get closer to you.”

“Your Highness Rovelin-“

“But now I’ll have to pay for it.”

I recalled a scene from the novel I was reading.

The novel, .

That was the title of the book I’d saved up for after starving for a whole day. Despite the tight life I’d lived previously, I still bought it.

It’s the story of Ismeralda, the heroine, who repeatedly died and turned back time twelve times because of the villainess.

Even while others would’ve been driven into madness because of that, she never gave up and still persisted in trying to confront Rovelin.

That very same Ismeralda, was my mother in this new life of mine.

I can see what happened in the past…is it because I’m dead?

TL/N: These are Velsia’s thoughts.

I watched my mother, the young heroine who turned back time over and over again.

The two women faced each other with bars between them, their conversation ringing softly throughout the prison.

“At first, I couldn’t understand you. But now that I’ve returned so many times, I think I’m finally beginning to understand.”

TL/N: Ismeralda is speaking here.

“But the sins I’ve committed won’t ever disappear. There’s no way I can deceive those I’ve killed, turn back time and pretend that it never happened.”

TL/N: Rovelin is speaking here.

I remembered reading this part.

“This is the third time I’ve lost.”

TL/N: This is still Rovelin speaking.

The villainess Rovelina.

The evil woman who’d suffered from mental illness and killed countless innocent people.

The discovery of her illness didn’t reduce her sentence.

But it did, however, invoke the sympathy of the heroine, Ismeralda.

“If all this never happened, would it have been possible for us to become close?”

“Of course.”

“I really wanted to get to know you.”

“Your Highness already knows me well. Others don’t.”

The visit was short. At the end of their conversation, the villainess, Rovelina, gave Mother one last smile.

And Mother also gave a faint smile in return.

Even though I’d read the novel and knew the story, I’d never really understood that smile.

Rovelin fell back from the iron bars.

“You should head back now.”

“Yes. Your Highness, may God lead your way.”

I followed my mother out of the prison. As soon as we stepped out, the scene began to fade, like a page being turned over.

As expected, Mother then had a wedding with Father.

And, just a week after the perfect couple swore eternal love to each other amid the blessings of the people, Rovelina Castone, the princess who’d killed 21 people and tortured countless more, was sentenced to death.

Did you know? Your son killed the daughter of Ismeralda, the person who’d sympathized and understood you.

Of course she wouldn’t know.

Like a ghost, I watched Rovelin’s execution from beginning to end.

And that, was the ending of the novel.

My previous life was always marked by poverty and loneliness. 

One day, I suddenly lost my parents in an accident and had to live alone. I hated all the debts left by my father, and all the relatives who offered their hands then changed their minds once they heard the amount of debt.

For once, I’d like to live in a normal, harmonious family like everyone else.

One day, when I was not particularly lucky to have fulfilled my wish, I died in an accident.

‘Hey, did you drop your wallet earlier?’ 

Even after showing that I had good intentions, he was suspicious of my hard work.

‘Hey. Do you even have money in your wallet?’ 

I claimed my innocence by showing the CCTV. The sky was already dark when I managed to get out of the police station. 

I was fired from my job because I wasted his time denying theft, and was suffocated by the living expenses for next month. 

While crossing the crosswalk and saying, ‘It’s not like you’re getting hit by a car just because everything is going bad,’ I smiled bitterly, but my thoughts became reality.

‘Oh, damn it… How did I live my life?’

I was dying. I conceded that it would be better to just die, and I ended my life like 

that.

Then, I opened my eyes in a strange and unfamiliar place.

“It’s your daughter!”

While I didn’t understand the situation, I was familiar with the names exchanged by the strangers.

‘I’ve heard these names a lot from somewhere…’

As soon as I realized where this place was, I couldn’t help but be shocked.

‘No way!’

Ismeralda, Genuart, and Lancaster… It was impossible not to know. It was a book that I always kept in my drawer.

When I shouted in doubt of reality, the sound of a baby bursting into tears came out. 

If only the name wasn’t the same as the character I knew, I wouldn’t have known. As my eyes slowly cleared, their appearance became clearer.

“Baby…”

A woman who smiles with a tired face after childbirth. A man with a stern expression held her hand.

It was obvious. That was also…

“Imel, how’s your body? Are you alright?”

(T/n: Imel nickname for Ismeralda)

“Look, Genuart. She looks exactly like me.”

Those two, the heroine and the daughter of the male lead, Genuart, seemed to be me.

‘This is more ridiculous than winning the lotto…’ 

Is it because I was born again?

Surprisingly, I adapted quickly to this body and world. After getting used to it, 

everything was rather good.

That’s what it would be like, a heroine and a male lead. The house I was born in was beyond the reach of ordinary people as expected. 

‘The reason I’m dazzling isn’t because of the halo behind your back…’

Their wealth was one of the greatest within the Empire.

They also gained supporters by stopping the villainess Rovelin.

Mom and dad had everything, even their looks went beyond human beauty.

At first, I was scared that all of this would be focused on me, the daughter of the two.

“This is my daughter’s room, isn’t it too small?”

“Why don’t you tear down the walls between the two rooms and merge them into one, rather than expanding them?” 

“I’ll do that.”

“Genuart, look! Belle grabbed my finger!”

“That’s crazy.” 

“Isn’t she cute?”

“That’s right. She’s cute.”

It was a perfect home.

So did my mom or dad neglect me?

“Ismeralda, Belle…”

“Belle? Why, Genuart?”

“My eyes cleared after seeing you two.” 

It was too much to wonder if there was such another joke.

‘I became a billionaire overnight.’

I don’t know what it was made of, but even the rattle that my father put in the cradle was more expensive than my previous life’s salary.

I couldn’t even imagine that I would get in trouble if I touched something and 

broke it.

“Hyuk, no! I threw it by mistake but it got crushed!”

Rather than being scolded by the two of them no matter how many times I make a mistake…

“Belle, if you don’t like it, how about this?”

“Is this hard to hold?”

“Oh, wouldn’t it be okay? Belle, do you want to throw it?”

On the contrary, they brought a pile of new toys.

In such an environment, I gradually adapted myself to a new life where even a bulk of jewels is considered ordinary.

How many years has it been since I enjoyed such a stable life?

“Hello, Prince Calliste?” 

The son of the villainess.

Emil Laclan Ronsysteme Calliste.

I was just ten years old when I met Emil.

Emil was an unexpectedly ordinary child —- except for his face, of course.

Even if Rovelin originally had a cruel side, there was no sign of him being one as 

well, and he completely tried to avoid it.

Emil was not cold-blooded, resembling his father, Duke Calliste.

He was just a quiet child.

“Do you prefer to be alone?”

Emil’s close appearance was nothing but admirable.

Even though he was still a child, his distinct features drew attention at a glance.

The beautiful silver-gray hair created an elegant atmosphere, however, a strange shadow was also seen. Like a wounded young beast.

In addition, he also had splendid eyes.

The golden iris’ inherited from the villainess Rovelin shone beautifully.

“No… That’s right.”

“Then let’s hang out!”

Perhaps Emil, who was alone at the same time fascinated by the splendid appearance, was more attentive.

Children should not be blamed for their parent’s crimes.

Therefore, I wanted to build a friendship with Emil. So I didn’t know it was all going to fall apart.

As time went by, Emil seemed to slowly become more comfortable around people.

However, in exchange for this, it started to become more frequent that he 

went into hiding or was lost and his whereabouts were unknown.

“Emil, what’s wrong with you these days?”

A formal smile lingered around Emil’s mouth and disappeared.

“No, everything’s fine.”

When I noticed that things were going weird, it was already too late.

I was nineteen when Emil suddenly disappeared.

Even if the Duke of Calliste wrote to me directly, he only sent the unbelievable answer that Emil had gone to the northeastern territory.

That’s nonsense.

During the weeks of investigating the capital while avoiding the Duke’s eyes, everything from absurd social rumors to requests from information guilds was used to find Emil.

And as expected, the suspicion that Emil would be in the capital was clearly proven. By none other than Emil himself.

“…Emil?”

Emil, who disappeared one day, showed up in my room in the middle of the night.

It was the night before my wedding which was delayed due to finding about his whereabouts. 

The person was dressed in black with a smell of metallic, and visible stain of dark blood.

“Belle.”

A strange feeling of uneasiness swept over me. The mansion was so quiet that I 

was also confused by the blood dripping on the carpet.

“I’m the one who… I ruined everything.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The Marquis is dead.”

I didn’t understand what he said. When I asked again like a fool, Emil repeated the same thing.

“I killed the Marquis. I killed them.”

No, I don’t want to believe that. 

I ran out of the room barefoot and stepped on a muddy liquid on my foot in the hallway. The bloodstains that Emil had probably left behind were extended to the front of my room. 

Where are those footprints continuing?

As soon as I understood Emil’s words that he killed my mom and dad, my resentment and anger soared.

“Why…!”

It was the moment I turned around to jump at him.

I saw a sword had stabbed me in my stomach.

“Why on earth…?”

“…I’m sorry.”

Unlike the first, the second death was difficult to accept.

Emil acted as if it was not of his own will.

When I finally met my death with Emil’s blade, I succumbed to a black darkness.

How long has it been since I’ve watched the original story in this darkness?

“Lady, are you awake?”

When I opened my eyes again, I was ten years old.