EMST 01

Chapter 1

A second round of life.

And the day I received my divorce papers.

My illustrious second husband’s mother stood right in front of me, sneering.

“I told you from the beginning. I told you a woman from a proper household must be brought into this family. It’s a relief that things are finally running properly now.”

My husband didn’t even show up. I folded my arms and tilted my head.

“Yes. People always end up with a spouse who matches their level, don’t they? I suppose I was too good for Count Sardena.”

Since we were about to become strangers anyway, there was nothing I couldn’t say.

“What did you say? Have you said everything you wanted?”

“Not even close.”

I had spent years holding in resentment as this family’s daughter-in-law. Did she think a couple of words would be enough to settle it?

I continued coldly.

“Please, Mother, stop already. He’s not a seven-year-old child. Why did you raise him so he can’t even file his own divorce papers? At this rate, if you died, I bet he couldn’t even hold your funeral properly.”

“W-What did you just say! Oh my head… my head…!”

Did I say anything wrong?

I turned away, no longer wanting to speak with her. Just then, the coachman who had brought me here asked cautiously,

“Shall I take you back?”

“I’ll manage myself. Leave.”

I was already divorced—what did I need the family carriage for?

Thankfully, my destination wasn’t far.

Cold air scattered my breath into white mist. I tightened my loosely worn scarf and stared ahead with sharp eyes.

‘I’m going to the person who gave me my second life.’

The second life I received like a surprise gift had, despite all my desperate struggles, ended in failure.

✦ ✦ ✦

My name is Ttiana Esté.

In my first life, I was Baroness Adriana.

In this life, I was known as Countess Sardena.

My first husband was unbearably kind.

He spent not only his entire fortune but even his family’s wealth on others. In the end, he was deceived by those he helped and lost everything.

“Sorry, honey. I’ll go first.”

If only he had been ruthless enough to catch the scammer. Instead, he cowardly abandoned his family and hanged himself.

Shocked by his death and the collapse of the family, I started drinking heavily at a tavern where I had begun to frequent.

That was my last memory.

And then I opened my eyes—and I was back in my childhood.

It was a miracle that came when I had given up on everything. I was confused by the sudden regression, but I tried to make my second life different from the first.

One of those attempts was changing my husband.

‘Looking back, that was the worst decision I could’ve made.’

I finally arrived at my destination and slammed my fist against the tavern door.

Bang! Bang!

“Master! Come out here!”

My tone wasn’t polite at all.

When I kept pounding on the door, a man with fluffy pink hair came out from inside.

“What is it, Titi?”

Burn scars covered much of his face, giving him a somewhat fierce impression.

Seeing him blink in confusion made my stomach twist.

I grabbed him by the collar immediately.

“Master! That drink—why did you give it to me? You put magic in it, didn’t you? Why did you do that? Why did you turn back my time?!”

I shook him hard by the collar.

“My life got even worse after drinking that! If you were going to do this, you shouldn’t have let me live a second time at all! Give my life back! I’m telling you, compensate me!”

After a moment of dazed silence, he asked slowly,

“…Titi, are you saying I used magic on you?”

That was practically an admission.

I shouted in anger.

“So you admit it but don’t even remember?!”

He let out a dry laugh.

“…You have no reason to lie about this. Then time really did…?”

Muttering to himself seriously, he suddenly removed my hand from his collar.

“Let’s go inside and talk.”

Fine. Let’s see what he has to say.

I stormed in and sat down heavily in my usual seat.

Honestly, I knew. Everything I was saying was irrational.

The Master had only given me a chance. How I lived that life was entirely up to me. It wasn’t his fault that things turned out badly.

But…

‘If I don’t blame someone, I feel like I’ll lose my mind!’

And beneath the frustration, there was curiosity too.

I hadn’t asked to turn back time. So why had he made me live through two miserable lives?

As I ruffled my hair in confusion, the Master spoke in a tired voice.

“I’ve heard the rumors.”

At that, I let out a bitter laugh.

“What rumors? Ah, you mean the one about my wonderful husband, Count Roco Sardena, cheating on me?”

He stayed silent.

“So you also heard that we officially became strangers today?”

“…I hadn’t heard that part.”

“Then let me inform you. By tomorrow, the entire capital will know. His new partner is none other than Princess Sabina.”

My second life was ruined. My first life had been ruined too—but this one was thoroughly destroyed.

‘Why am I like this?’

Standing in front of the Master, tears suddenly began to fall.

Frustration, anger, self-loathing—all of it surged up at once.

The Master silently looked down at me.

When my tears finally slowed, he handed me a glass of alcohol—the same drink I had had before my first regression.

What was he trying to say?

“Don’t need it,” I snapped.

Then he pushed another sheet of paper toward me.

It was dated five years ago, filled with strange numbers.

“I’ve been thinking about what I could do for you. This is all I could come up with.”

“What is this…”

“The winning numbers of the lottery from five years ago. Use it to live for yourself. Not for anyone else. Only for you.”

“But—!”

You don’t understand. You don’t know how hard I tried to change the future.

I couldn’t bear to go through it all again.

But as if pushing me forward, the Master said firmly,

“Don’t judge the future that hasn’t come yet just because today is miserable. You are someone who deserves happiness.”

Then he handed me another document.

“And this is the ownership deed for a building on 87th Street in Unditch.”

“A building deed?”

At the bottom was a signature written elegantly:

“Yuri.”

Is that his name?

He pressed the papers into my hands. His large hand was warm—startlingly so.

Blue eyes filled with gentle light looked at me.

“When you wake up again, go there. There will be someone who can help you.”

“Someone who can help me? Not you?”

“I…”

He hesitated.

Then he continued softly,

“You said I once gave you a glass of that drink, right?”

“Yes.”

“Then… we will meet again. Even if I don’t remember. That is our fate.”

For some reason, my chest tightened at those words.

Just moments ago, everything had felt like darkness—but now, a faint light flickered ahead.

‘Right. I’ll struggle one more time.’

I lifted the glass and drank.

The world grew distant, as if swallowed by sleep.

How long had I been unconscious?

A furious voice pulled me back.

“Titi! Titi, where did that girl go?!”

Rough hands grabbed me and shook me awake.

My eyes snapped open.

The first thing I saw was a freckled young man.

It was my brother, Robbie.