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Chapter 04

“Why do I hear a dog barking when we don’t even keep a dog in this house?”

“What?”

“At least dogs are cute. You’re nothing more than a useless man who leaves his sick wife abandoned in a pitch-dark room and turns a blind eye even when his own daughter is accused of being a thief.”

“Useless? How dare you say such a thing to me, a duke!”

The duke tried to strike my cheek, but I swiftly dodged his hand. I’d had my fair share of scuffles with all kinds of troublemakers before, so I knew at least some basic self-defense.

Leaving the duke, his face flushed bright red, behind me, I calmly headed for the door.

“G-Get her! Today I’ll make sure she’s properly disciplined!”

Spitting as he shouted, the duke pointed at me. At his order, two young-looking knights blocked my path.

“Lady, please stop right there!”

“Step aside. Who do you think you’re giving orders to?”

I barked back. The knights flinched for a moment, but soon drew their swords.

To think they’d actually point blades at me, a noble lady—even if I was looked down on. I was startled, but I forced myself to stay calm so they wouldn’t take me lightly.

I had no intention of backing down. I decided to trust in Sielina’s power. After possessing this body, I’d stayed holed up in my room for days practicing magic, and with my abundant mana, I could cast basic spells even without a staff.

In other words, I had more than enough skill to scare two rookie knights.

“Go ahead. Try to stop me.”

“Pardon?”

As I focused power into my fingertips, white, shimmering mana gathered there.

“What?! Casting magic without a staff?”

“E-even the young master can’t do that…!”

The knights’ eyes widened. My mana condensed into a large sphere and flew toward them. The two tried to dodge in opposite directions but ended up tumbling to the floor.

“What do you think you’re doing!”

Rita raised his staff and aimed it at me.

But before he could act, I perfectly replicated the magical barrier he’d used on me before. Rita’s spell was absorbed straight into the magic circle.

“H-how…?”

“What a shame we failed to recognize such talent until now.”

I took a moment to savor the frozen expressions on my family’s faces.

Then, leaving them behind, I lightly pushed open the door and stepped out. Silla, who must have been hovering anxiously nearby, jumped in surprise.

“Lady, are you all right? I heard loud noises!”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

I headed toward the entrance of the ducal residence, with her hurrying after me.

“Um… earlier, someone asked me to deliver a letter to you, so I brought it.”

“Really? Let me see.”

“Here.”

Without stopping, I tore the letter open as I walked.

“Oh.”

A smile spread across my face as I read it. I’d expected it, but seeing it in writing made it all the more delightful.

“It came faster than I thought. I was planning to go hear the answer in person.”

Silla still looked confused. Of course she would—she’d only helped keep watch while I slipped out of the residence for a bit, not knowing where I’d gone.

‘Still, I can’t explain everything right now.’

I reached the entrance and said my goodbyes to Silla.

“Silla, I’m leaving this place to start a new life. Whether it’s the Eastern Continent or anywhere else, you should leave too.”

“What? But… I have debts.”

“That problem will be taken care of soon, so don’t worry.”

Once I reached a place to settle down, I planned to send Silla some money.

Then she could quit her job and go study in the East. Leaving the empire would be good for her too, and though our time together had been short, I wanted to repay her for helping me.

“M-My lady.”

“Take care. Thank you. Goodbye!”

Leaving Silla behind, I walked straight out of the ducal estate. As the residence grew distant, I unfolded the paper in my hand again.

**<Highest score in Divine Power.
Excellent aptitude in water, fire, wind, light, earth, flora, and metal mana attributes.
Overall mana capacity rank: 2nd.

You have passed the White Mage Aptitude Test.>**

That’s right. A few days ago, I’d secretly slipped out of the ducal residence and gone to the Holy Temple in the capital to take the White Mage aptitude test.

And I’d placed second without even showing my full ability. The paper stamped with the Temple’s seal was my result.

With talent like this, I could survive even in a grimdark story!

I will never die as some evil villainess.

Since I’ve been given this body and this life, I’ll survive to the very end!

To hell with the original story!

The reason I never even considered fixing this train-wreck of a family wasn’t just because Rita had already been chosen as the heir.

Thinking back on The Empire Where the Light Faded… if I stayed in the empire, chances were high that everyone would die anyway. So what was the point of struggling to live well here?

‘It’s all because of that hidden villain of a second male lead.’

The second male lead, Eckart, wielded the cursed demon sword passed down through the Croden ducal family. Because of its curse, he suffered excruciating pain.

‘And there’s only one way to ease that pain.’

A White Mage had to share their mana and provide regular healing.

The female lead, Blanche, was an apprentice mage. She happened to find an injured Eckart and healed him.

Her healing worked far better than that of other White Mages—no, it fit him perfectly. For the first time, Eckart felt peace.

From then on, Eckart began to take an interest in Blanche. That interest gradually turned into obsession, and he secretly killed anyone who stood in the way of her future—or between her and himself.

Blanche, who had chosen the path of a White Mage to save many lives, learned the truth and was devastated.

“So many people died because of me…”

Overwhelmed by self-loathing, Blanche made a desperate choice at the Temple of Light. When Blanche died, Eckart became the true mastermind who destroyed the empire.

The curse of the sword that had tormented him swallowed him with sweet whispers.

“Is there any reason to protect a world without Blanche?”

Consumed by the curse, Eckart fell completely to darkness, slaughtering every major figure who tried to reason with him. Even the crown prince—the male lead—was killed by his hand.

To make matters worse, monsters poured forth, the imperial army collapsed, crows filled the sky, and Eckart himself sank into darkness. It was a bleak, devastating story.

In short, the original novel ended as a tragic sad story where everyone died.

It was the kind of genre that rarely ever saw the light of day, yet I’d read it to the end thinking, Could it really be more miserable than my own life?

‘If I’d known I’d end up reincarnating into this novel, I would’ve only read peaceful, happy stories…’

Anyway, the scale of the tragedy was far beyond anything I could stop, so I had no intention of meddling with the plot or changing anything recklessly.

‘Though I should at least advise Blanche not to make that extreme choice later.’

But even stopping the female lead didn’t guarantee a happy ending. Seeing Ramel at the ducal residence had taught me that there were already many variables different from the original story.

There was a safer option than entrusting my life to Blanche and Eckart’s moods.

That was to leave the empire—and the protagonists—as far behind as possible, as quickly as I could.

Never get involved.

The institution that trained White Mages: the Temple of Light.

Though located in the capital, it lay near the western outskirts, about a ten-hour carriage ride from the Rusolit Duchy.

Even after passing the exam and being accepted, the Temple’s rules were extremely strict.

Going out required permission, purchasing luxury goods was forbidden, and wake-up times and daily schedules were rigidly fixed.

Despite the name “White Mage,” it was practically the same as a priest’s course.

So at first, the apprentice White Mages whispered among themselves about me, who had left a powerful ducal family.

“A noble lady raised in wealth becoming a White Mage?”

“She could live comfortably enjoying her riches—why choose such a harsh path?”

They had no idea! I had very good reasons for coming to the Temple of Light.

After completing three years of apprenticeship and practical training, the Temple issued a certificate—essentially a degree.

With that single piece of paper, any kingdom would accept me.

Of course, White Mages were crucial to soldiers’ survival, so they were usually placed under strict national control, and if they went to another country, they were forbidden from participating in wars.

But there were always loopholes.

‘Wealthy nobles hire personal White Mages like private physicians. Private contracts are allowed.’

With a plausible excuse, even asylum would be possible.

But as soon as I moved into the Temple dormitory, a problem arose.

My roommate—pure innocence incarnate, with sacred white hair, clear blue eyes, and a slender frame—was…

Blanche Vivace. The novel’s female lead, and a total monster who ranked first in mana capacity.

Blanche had been abandoned at the temple as a baby and raised by priests. She’d lived quietly as an apprentice acolyte, helping with chores.

But instead of spending her days in silent prayer, she chose to become a White Mage to help people directly, and so she entered the Temple of Light.

‘There were over twenty apprentices. The chance of us sharing a room was tiny…’

“…Lady Sielina?”

Blanche froze mid-unpacking, clearly startled. I felt a bit puzzled.

“You know who I am.”

“Ah, yes. Before… I saw you when you came to the temple with the duke. My name is Blanche.”

“I see.”

She seemed uncomfortable dealing with me because of my noble status.

When I extended my hand first and asked for a handshake, Blanche hesitated, then took it.

“Nice to meet you, Blanche. Please speak casually with me.”

“Then I’ll call you Siel.”

“…All right.”

Was it really okay to come up with a nickname so easily?

After that, Blanche would hover nearby whenever I studied.

“Hey, Siel. Let’s eat together.”

Before I knew it, she was eating with me, attending classes with me, and always staying close.

‘Once I leave the empire later, our relationship will sort itself out.’

Since the original story hadn’t properly begun yet, I relaxed, thinking my presence wouldn’t have much impact.

A week after we started sharing a room, late at night.

I woke up in the middle of my sleep. But Blanche, who should’ve been in the bed beside me, was gone.

‘Where did she go?’

Searching with sleepy eyes, I found Blanche perched precariously on the windowsill!

This was the top floor. I didn’t know why the moment of her extreme decision from the original story had come now, but I had to stop it.

I sprang out of bed and rushed toward her.

“Blanche, don’t die!”