Chapter 01
Irina blinked her eyes.
She was dying now. Perhaps because she had reached the end of her life, her past flashed before her like a slideshow.
“You’ve been through so much.”
It was a miserable life.
Irina Ledders’ life was tragic. She was born into a prestigious swordsmanship family but had no talent for swordsmanship.
Her health was also poor.
The family doctor said she didn’t have long to live.
“Your body is filled with turbid energy, so you won’t be able to learn swordsmanship or even move easily. Living past twenty would be a miracle.”
“The more you use mana, the more your body will die. The turbid energy will grow stronger, and eventually, you won’t be able to move.”
When it became clear she could not learn swordsmanship, people started calling her:
“The failure of the Ledders family.”
“A mutant born into a swordsmanship family.”
“Adel Ledders’ weakness.”
Her family treated her cruelly.
Yet Irina did not lose hope.
She believed someday she would escape the label of failure and live a new life.
“Maybe it’s a blessing I was born into a swordsmanship family that could protect me.”
If she had been born a commoner, she might not have lived even a few years.
But that was her illusion.
Being born into a swordsmanship family was not a blessing but a curse.
Her father, Adel Ledders, was a strong figure eyed by the evil god worshippers—the dark puppeteers of this world.
“So, you’re Adel Ledders’ daughter?”
“He cherishes you so much, doesn’t he?”
When abducted by the evil god’s followers, Irina suffered a severe head injury. That triggered memories from her past life.
Like words being input in her mind, memories rapidly unfolded. From then on, all her memories became vivid.
“I was reincarnated as a character in a novel, and as the mastermind villain at that.”
According to the novel, Irina was born into a swordsmanship family but possessed exceptional magical talent.
Not just exceptional—she was a once-in-several-thousand-years genius.
“The Fallen Empire.”
That was the title of the novel she was possessed into.
“If I was going to remember, I wish it had been before the kidnapping.”
At least then she could have struggled against her fate.
Was it a sin to realize her fate late?
But those times had been full of suffering and pain.
Irina lived on, unable to die.
The doctor was wrong.
“I survived past twenty.”
He didn’t know the extent of her magical talent, so that was a natural guess.
Irina had surpassed human limits through magic, which let her survive longer.
She purified the turbid energy in her body with magic.
The evil god worshippers claimed she was blessed by the god of magic.
“I was used my whole life.”
Perhaps the death that would soon come was a mercy, ending this miserable life.
Irina looked at the sword piercing her abdomen.
“In the end, I will die by the protagonist’s hand.”
The protagonist of the novel—Kedric Arkne.
“Do you know the crime you committed?”
Irina felt along her abdomen.
The holy sword imbued with divine power suppressed the monstrous regenerative ability of her body.
Blood dripped.
“Witch Frezeta. You must atone for those who died because of your power.”
“I…”
“Atone through death.”
Irina gave a bitter smile.
She didn’t want to excuse herself with long explanations of the sins she had committed.
She agreed with his words.
“I deserve to die.”
She squeezed out her last strength and raised her hand.
Her body was burdened with mana shackles hanging from her arm, making movement difficult.
She grabbed Kedric’s arm.
Kedric did not shake off her hand.
“It’s warm.”
Maybe because it was the first time in a long time she felt a human’s warmth.
Memories of family came to mind.
Her father and Ezekiel…
The warm gazes she hadn’t noticed while at home lingered in her mind.
“I miss you.”
“Hey, what the—”
“Sorry. It’s all my fault.”
A tear dropped from Irina’s eye. Her vision blurred.
In her last moments, the last thing she saw was Kedric’s face twisted in surprise.
Loud noises echoed.
The clattering of a carriage mixed with people’s screams.
“Kill! Irina Ledders is there!”
“Capture only the siblings alive. Kill the others.”
Her whole body was heavy.
She barely raised her hand to her head.
Her forehead felt like a burning flame. Strange.
She had no strength.
“I was fully healed…”
It was like when she was a sickly child, often collapsing from weakness.
Urgent breathing sounded near her ear.
“Irina, are you okay?”
The warm touch gently cradling her head was comforting. Irina quietly held her breath.
The voice was familiar.
“I will never forget this voice.”
It was her brother Ezekiel.
She hoped he would appear even in dreams, act like he used to, but he never did.
Only after death did he appear in her dreams?
“If you close your eyes for a moment and open them, everything will be over.”
Was this a nightmare?
Irina knew what Ezekiel would say next, because she had imagined it thousands of times.
He would say in a determined voice:
“I will protect you.”
Sure enough, Ezekiel spoke to her.
“I will protect you.”
A lie.
Irina swallowed the words she wanted to say.
Ezekiel could not protect her here.
She forced her heavy eyes open.
There was Ezekiel, looking at her with worry.
“Little Ezekiel.”
She frowned.
She saw her reflection in his blue eyes—a silver-haired, blue-eyed, pale-faced girl.
“Izzy…”
She tried to use mana, wanting to see Ezekiel more clearly by enhancing her vision.
She was shocked.
She did not feel the massive mana that always writhed inside her abdomen.
“Is this a dream?”
The thought suddenly occurred.
Such a vivid dream could not exist.
Then what was this situation?
Ezekiel had died long ago. He could not be alive.
When she missed him, she used illusion magic.
But illusions created from memories grew blurry and could not fully show Ezekiel.
But this Ezekiel before her eyes was different.
He was truly alive.
She hurriedly tilted her head toward his chest.
She heard the pounding heartbeat.
“Izzy…?”
“Irina?”
If she met Ezekiel again, there were many things she wanted to say.
She chose the one she wanted to say most.
“You idiot.”
“What?”
“You actually like me, don’t you?”
When they lived in the family, Ezekiel was cold to her.
But Irina never knew it was not his true feelings.
She was hurt by his always evasive attitude.
Ezekiel’s face flushed red.
“What… what are you saying now…?”
He looked unsure how to respond.
“Run!”
Irina couldn’t say more.
Because the situation became urgent.
With a final scream, the noisy outside went silent.
Those protecting them were all dead.
A solemn expression spread over Ezekiel’s face.
A look not fitting a young boy.
She felt his arms trembling slightly as he hugged her.
“He’s scared, Ezekiel.”
