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chapter 02
When I locked eyes with the White Dragon’s blue gaze, I felt as if I were falling into a trance.
But even in that dreamlike haze, one question clung firmly to my mind.
“Why was the previous Asha’s will to live weaker than mine from my past life?”
The White Dragon spoke, as if already knowing my doubt.
“Why she was like that—that’s something you must ponder yourself.”
“…Then, do people in this world also have memories of their past lives, like me?”
“In that regard, you are a special case.”
“Then… am I some kind of mistake by God?”
This time, the White Dragon frowned deeply, staring at me for a long moment. His sapphire-like eyes seemed to flicker with a cold flame.
Just as I was about to turn my head away, unable to endure his gaze, he spoke.
“How could I know the whims of that capricious old god? I am but His agent.”
I didn’t understand. Neither the White Dragon’s intentions nor those of the god who supposedly ordered my transfer to this world.
As I sank into uneasy thoughts, the White Dragon broke the silence.
“If you’ve finished your questions, I’ll take my leave.”
“Wait! Then… what am I supposed to do from now on?”
The words slipped out urgently, like a child abandoned after being handed nothing more than candy.
“That is for you to decide and forge on your own.”
After a pause, he added, his tone heavy:
“And though I regret it, because of my whim, you may suffer a little even in this life. The demon will come to find you soon.”
“D… demon?”
“Since God allowed me to meet you, I must also allow the demon to meet you, for fairness’ sake.
He delights in pointless mischief, so I hope you can withstand his temptations.”
The White Dragon uttered those words indifferently, so detached it felt almost surreal, then stirred a warm breeze once more before vanishing—taking with him the fragrant scent of the forest that made me want to bury my face in it.
But after he disappeared, I thought I heard his whisper softly echo in my ear.
“Since you suffered so much in your last life… I hope this time, you find happiness.”
It sounded like a desperate prayer directed toward God.
Even after becoming Asha Esperanza, I dreamed every night of my past life—nightmares, most of them about Kim Young-woong.
Memories of him mercilessly abusing me as an outlet for his rage. Memories of him using me, calling me pretty while treating me like a doll for his lust. Those memories replayed endlessly in my dreams.
The pain and helplessness I felt back then—the despair of not even being able to claim ownership over my own body—revived every single night.
I felt devoured by those memories. My present life was overshadowed by their shadow.
Compared to the bright, lively Asha who once sparkled with vitality, I was shamefully unmotivated to live.
“If this was how it would be, I should’ve just given this body back to the old Asha.”
Even if it hadn’t been my choice, I couldn’t help but feel a faint guilt toward her—because I wasn’t living as fully as she had.
So, day by day, I forced myself onward, thinking of her.
The Esperanza family’s resident doctor examined me several times.
“Did something happen to you, my lady? Your symptoms are exactly the same as patients with post-traumatic stress disorder. The same condition we often see in warriors who return from the battlefield after fighting for their lives.”
It seemed the Kim Young-woong of my past life had left unseen scars on Asha of this one.
I tried every remedy I could—folk cures, medicines—all to no effect.
Sleep-deprived and on edge, my anxiety grew worse. Before long, I was venting all my frustration and irritation on those around me.
Having suffered enough in my past life, I felt as though I was entitled to act that way.
Any servant who so much as rubbed me the wrong way faced harsh punishment. If I was upset, I blamed those nearby. I snapped deliberately, spoke cruelly, trampled on others with words.
It’s said those who’ve endured violence can become the most terrifying aggressors. And so, I became a dreadful demon to the household staff.
Just recently, my personal maid, Mercy, brushed my hair a little too roughly while dressing me.
It could have ended with a mild warning—but instead, I slapped her hard across the face.
That only made Mercy, who had already started avoiding me, even more wary—and the rest of the staff walked on eggshells as well.
My father, the Duke, would gaze at me with sorrowful eyes. I avoided his gaze.
And so, I gradually earned the title of the Empire’s infamous villainess.
As always, the Duke tried to admonish me.
“If you keep pushing those around you away, you will attract the demon’s eye. With our Empire’s borders growing unstable these days, I worry for you all the more.”
I sipped tea in his study, the familiar scent of old books surrounding me.
Suddenly, I recalled something the original Asha had once been told by her nanny at age seven.
“Deuscornu means God’s Wings. That’s why our Empire believes deeply in God and worships His agent, the White Dragon.”
“Wow! A White Dragon—that sounds amazing!”
“And the lands surrounding our Empire are the Dead Lands, belonging to the demon. Incubi dwell there. They are the demon’s servants—beings without reason, driven by instinct alone.”
“Incubi? Asha doesn’t like scary things like that!”
“When they grow restless and their resentment toward our Empire builds, they invade. So, Lady Asha, always keep bright and happy thoughts in your heart.”
Pulling free of that memory, I gave the Duke a sweet smile.
Well, with this face, no matter how I smiled, I could always look charming.
“Don’t worry, Father. Demons have better things to do than bother with someone like me. There are far worse people out there than I am.”
Like Kim Young-woong, for example. People like him surely existed in this world too—and compared to them, I was nothing.
“Still, it does no harm to be cautious, does it?”
The Duke continued to look at me with worry, his eyes heavy with regret. But to me, his concern felt distant, like it wasn’t really about me.
“I’ll keep that in mind, Father,” I replied sweetly, though absent-mindedly. I only wanted to escape the conversation quickly.
That night, I was once again trapped in nightmares of Kim Young-woong. When I finally jolted awake, I saw a shadowy figure standing by my bed.
Bathed in faint moonlight, a man loomed with dangerous allure—black hair, obsidian eyes, an aura that felt sharp-edged.
He suddenly reached out with a large hand, intending to wipe the cold sweat from my forehead.
I flinched away. Perhaps because I had just come out of the dream, his hand overlapped in my mind with Kim Young-woong’s.
“Shhh. Easy now.”
The man soothed me with a low, velvety voice, and regardless of my resistance, placed his hand upon my brow.
“Seems you haven’t slept well in quite some time.”
I just stared silently at him. Even with his mischievous smile tugging at his lips, the atmosphere warned me not to speak carelessly.
“Do you want to sleep soundly—without nightmares?”
Meeting his jet-black eyes, I gave the faintest nod. Truly, the nightly torment of nightmares had become unbearable.
“Then… what will you give me in return?”
“…”
“A kiss, perhaps?”
I froze at his sudden, outrageous suggestion. He licked his lips with a crimson tongue and smirked.
“Just kidding. Kiss me, and you’d become an incubus yourself.”
When I stiffened even further, he sighed and smiled with seductive ease.
“This isn’t the first time we’ve had this conversation, though you wouldn’t remember. You were struggling so much, I erased your memory once.”
The moment he mentioned incubus, I instantly understood who—what—he was. A demon.
My body locked tight with fear.
“But that’s fine. One day, you’ll remember everything.”
He caressed my violet hair, spread messily over the pillow, with delicate fingers.
“For now, you only need to remember two things. One: you must play my game faithfully. That’s the only way you’ll get your revenge on Kim Young-woong. Two: you must stay close to me.”
Something about his words almost stirred a memory. But as he stroked my head, the fragile recollection slipped away.
“You don’t have to recall it right now. In exchange for playing my game and keeping me entertained, I’ll let you sleep peacefully for a while.”
The demon gently cupped my chin in his hands and left a tender kiss on my forehead.
With the soft, damp touch of his lips as my last sensation, I fell into a deep slumber.
The next morning, I woke feeling utterly refreshed. Sunlight streaming through the window sparkled, birdsong sounded more beautiful than ever.
Then the memory of last night hit me.
I had met a demon. Was it as the White Dragon foretold? Or as the Duke feared—that I had indeed drawn the demon’s eye?
Either way, when I replayed our chaotic exchange in my head, only questions remained.
“What game am I playing? What did he mean?”
Strangely, my right hand began to itch.
As I rubbed it with my left, a hazy memory resurfaced—accompanied by the echo of the demon’s voice.
“I’ll send you missions and rules for the game through the Magic Mirror. Keep it with you at all times. Even if you try to leave it behind, you won’t be able to.”
I remembered his sly smile as he absorbed an ornate silver hand mirror into my right hand.
When I examined the hand now, the mirror appeared. Its surface turned white, and words began to form.
[Main Mission] Accept a marriage proposal!
“Accept… what?”
I froze, staring dumbfounded at the unexpected mission notice.
