APNSA 01

Prologue

The Reaper, Dies.

Fssshhh—
The sound of reeds swaying in the wind echoed in my ears like waves.

The poison spreading through my entire body had long since blurred my vision.
Breathing was already difficult, as burning blood surged up from my stomach.

Lying face-down in the filthy mud, I barely managed to lift my eyes.

The man I trusted more than anyone in this world—
the man I loved more than anyone—
was smiling faintly with a vile expression.

“How does it feel, face-down in the mud, Kailla?”

To think that my only lover could speak with such malice.

And I only realized that fact at the very moment of my death.

A hollow laugh almost escaped me.

“Yeah, it’ll be hard to answer. I coated you with poison. You probably already know what kind it is, don’t you?”

Ian Angel.

My only lover, and the vice-captain of the continent’s greatest assassination guild, “Breath of Angels.”

Was I really unaware?

No. In truth, I knew what kind of person he was.

Cold, precise, a man who only followed his assigned mission.

I simply wanted to believe that I was the exception.

“I thought the Reaper couldn’t die. Guess that wasn’t true.”

Ian stepped on the dagger embedded in my back and pushed it deeper.

Then he crouched down and grabbed my face, forcing me to meet his eyes.

In his ruined ash-gray eyes, a burning flame flickered.

There was a time I found those eyes unbearably beautiful.
Now, they were unbearably hateful.

“Why… why….”

I forced out words, hoping for an answer.

He only sneered.

“Why, you ask?”

He muttered quietly with an unfamiliar expression.

“…You should know the reason better than anyone. Are you really asking me that?”

For a moment, I wondered if I was insane—
because the face of the man who stabbed me almost looked sad.

Then he suddenly stood up.

My face sank back into the mud.

“Think about it carefully in the afterlife. Why I did this.”

Without hesitation, he turned away.

Cold air rose from his back.

“Burn it. Don’t leave even ashes.”

At his order, black figures emerged behind him.

Assassins in black moved swiftly, as if they had been waiting.

Oil was poured over my body without hesitation.

“Ian… please….”

My trembling lips formed words, but pleas meant nothing to them.

They threw a torch at me without hesitation.

Flames swallowed the oil instantly and roared like they would burn even bone.

Before I could even scream, my body began to collapse into ash.

Fortunately—or unfortunately—the poison dulled the pain.

So this is my end.

For someone who struggled so hard to survive, it was a pathetic death.

Slowly, I closed my eyes.

On the day my lover’s blade pierced me,
on the day flames consumed my still-breathing body—

I lost everything.

The organization I devoted my life to.
The lover I loved more than my own life.
Even the life that stubbornly kept surviving.

.

.

.

Chapter 1. I’m a Nanny?! A Nanny?! (1)

“Mama!”

Twenty years living as an assassin.

My profession had hardened my nerves beyond belief, so I was sure nothing could surprise me anymore.

But this time was different. Very different.

“Neiche, please give me mama!”

I opened my eyes to a strange voice.

The first thing I saw was an unfamiliar ceiling—and a strange ball of golden fur.

“Neiche, Lia is hungry!”

The golden fur ball sitting on top of me kept whining.

…But did fur balls talk?

More importantly, didn’t I clearly die in that reed field?

“Haaah—!”

I gasped and shot upright like someone pulled out of water.

“Kyaaa!”

The golden fur ball screamed and rolled off the bed.

I immediately checked my face and body.

Breathing, pulse—everything was normal. My skin was warm.

I was… still alive.

“Neiche, what’s wrong?”

The small fur ball tilted its head in confusion.

But I had no time to deal with that.

“Mirror… where’s the mirror?”

“Mirror? It’s over there.”

Following its finger, I ran.

In the mirror with cheap decorations stood someone unfamiliar.

“…What is this…?”

Even my death felt unreal now.

I slowly grabbed my hair.

The person in the mirror did the same.

I froze.

Then I touched my face hard.

Slap!

“Ugh!”

Pain exploded across my cheeks.

Only then could I accept it.

I had died… and woken up as someone else.

“That kind of nonsense… actually happened to me.”

“Neiche, why are you hitting yourself? Don’t! It hurts!”

The fur ball ran up and tugged at my skirt, but I couldn’t focus on it.

My mind was too shocked.

I examined my new body again.

Short red hair was gone.

Instead, long dark brown hair fell past my chest.

Sharp, aggressive features were now soft and gentle.

A trained, powerful body had become fragile and delicate.

“…Ha.”

A hollow sigh escaped me.

In short, I was completely someone else from head to toe.

The only unchanged thing was my strange golden-green eyes.

But even that small comfort didn’t last long.

Why am I alive when I clearly died?

Why? For what reason?

Then someone knocked on the door.

“Lady Brown, are you inside?”

My mind went blank.

Unfamiliar face. Unfamiliar place. Unfamiliar voice.

My heartbeat grew faster.

Then the fur ball shouted.

“The witch! It’s the witch!”

Witch?

I looked down.

Only now did I realize—it wasn’t a fur ball at all, but a little girl.

Around four or five years old.

Messy golden curls, big blue eyes, and a golden dress.

She looked so golden that she really seemed like a ball of fur at first glance.

None of this helped my situation.

I pressed my temples and closed my eyes.

Calm down, Kailla Angel. Remember who you are.

Self-hypnosis always worked.

I quickly regained composure and started analyzing.

That language from outside was the common tongue.

Only the Ventrum Empire used it regularly.

Then this must be somewhere in the Ventrum Empire.

That was at least good news.

I looked around again.

Silk wallpaper. High-quality.

Even though silk was cheaper now, it was still a luxury item.

So this is likely a noble house of at least a count rank.

The furniture was also expensive and artistic.

But…

Something was off.

My clothes.

A decent dress, but too plain.

Calluses on my hands. Low-quality shoes.

Worn edges on sleeves and hem.

Compared to the child’s outfit, the difference was obvious.

I examined the girl’s clothes.

High-quality silk—something only high nobles would wear.

Then am I a nanny to this child?

Knock knock.

“Lady Rachel Brown, I know you’re in there! Open the door!”

The voice outside was irritated.

“Just a moment.”

I answered calmly.

Then I walked slowly to the door.

As I turned the handle—

The door burst open before I could fully open it.

A middle-aged woman forced her way in.

She looked like a high-ranking maid.

A head maid?

Then a storm of shouting hit me.

“You got a recommendation and still can’t do your job properly?!”

My brows furrowed at the piercing voice.

“How can a nanny be so lazy and neglect the princes?!”

Princesses? Princes?

A strange word.

Then I noticed the symbol on the door.

A silver stag surrounded by laurel leaves.

The imperial seal.

“…Damn it.”

No doubt.

This was the Ventrum Imperial Palace.

It felt like a dream.

If not for my still-burning cheeks, I might have believed it.

Not only did I die and come back—
I came back inside the imperial palace.

This is troublesome.

The palace was one of the places I disliked the most.

Because it was the filthiest place in the empire.

The woman frowned as I stayed silent.

“Rachel? Are you listening?”

“My head hurts a little…”

I avoided her gaze.

Before I could think further, the golden fur ball girl popped out from behind me.

“Princess Emilia. There you are. I was worried when you disappeared.”

“Uh… yes.”

The girl responded weakly and hid behind me again.

So she really was royalty.

The maid then turned to me again.

“And while you were gone, Prince Edwin disappeared! Do you know how chaotic things became?!”

She clicked her tongue.

“Go find him immediately. Honestly, useless people causing trouble everywhere…”

Then she left without waiting for my reply.

She didn’t even wait for an answer.

I stared at the closed door, then ran back to the mirror.

The unfamiliar woman still stood there.

“…Rachel Brown?”

So this body is Rachel Brown.

A nanny in the imperial palace.

And I—

“Neiche? What are you doing?”

The child blinked at me.

I looked down at her small body.

A sigh escaped me.

“…I’m a nanny?”