ESMLT 02

Chapter  2

First.

Skipping the prayer meeting and running away.

Failure.

What good is running away? The end is the same—family annihilation, confiscation of all property, and execution of all relatives.

There’s no escape, either. The Empire has eyes everywhere; even defecting is impossible. Didn’t Redria in the original story—who knew the world far better than I—end up captured and killed after being hunted down?

Second.

Reporting Haiten’s eccentric behavior to avoid family destruction and execution.

Mhm, at first I thought this was brilliant. I even patted myself on the back.

That is—until the maid who was bringing breakfast saw my smirk, paled as if suspecting another scheme, and nearly dropped the tray.

For reference, the Redria I’ve possessed is the worst of the Empire’s infamous scoundrels.

One of her “great” achievements was barging into the home of a young lady who mocked her at a social gathering, smashing her forehead with a shoe, and demanding she bark like a dog if she wanted to live.

Her violent temper landed her in jail several times, a well-known tale.

Would anyone believe a word from someone who has already lost all credibility as a human?

‘Then what if I just capture Haiten and lock him up until the prayer meeting?’

That thought popped into my head, and though it was an honest idea, Haiten had vanished after being expelled from the Mage Tower.

Even as his family, I had no idea where he was.

In the end, only the final option remains.

“Alright. Let’s go. Let’s do it.”

The last method is to save the male leads before the Saintess does and win a pardon from collective punishment.

If I rescue important figures of the Empire, even a family guilty of treason will have my life spared. Plus, I’d gain the gratitude of the male leads—so I wouldn’t have to die like in that nightmare.

‘Yes. Let’s try it.’

Dead either way, so why not gamble?

‘But… what were those male leads like again?’

As I rolled my eyes in thought, my mood darkened.

In the original story, the male leads, traumatized by the zombie zones, turned into obsessive “mad dogs” who were only gentle with their beloved woman.

The problem is, even before that, they already had awful tempers.

‘Damn it.’

But what choice do I have?

‘If I’ve decided, I must follow through.’

I spent the whole night organizing everything I remembered about the male leads.

After writing down every detail, I collapsed over my desk from exhaustion.

‘Ah, so sleepy…’

And sleep crept up on me once again.

I used to force myself to stay awake to avoid nightmares, but strangely, at that moment, I felt like it would be fine.

I closed my eyes and sank into sleep.

Sure enough, that night, I didn’t have a nightmare.

Nor the next day. Nor the day after that.

As if the path I had chosen was the correct one to survive.

“My Lady, what do you need the young master’s belongings for?”

The maid trailing behind me asked.

The first thing I had to do after recovering my stamina was loot Haiten’s research materials.

He’d been expelled from the Mage Tower as an eccentric, but as they say—eccentricity often equals genius.

And indeed, some magical engineering devices Haiten created as a trainee contributed to the magical industry and became widely used.

In the original, Haiten later testified that his other, unpublished creations were all piled up in his bedroom.

Bang—.

As expected, when I opened the door to his room, there was a mountain of dusty junk. He claimed to hate people invading his private space, but it looked like a total disaster.

My eyes gleamed with determination as I looked back at the maid.

“Bring boxes.”

We’ll pack up everything.

Thirty days passed in the blink of an eye, and finally the day of the prayer meeting dawned.

The morning sun scorched as if burning my insides. In the middle of the Holy District’s graveyard, the ceremonial stage had been set.

During that time, I prepared thoroughly—magic scrolls, magical items, lightweight enchanted weapons.

Not only that, I trained my stamina and even received combat instruction up until the day before.

The Count and Countess, worried I might actually kill someone, were also oddly relieved since I showed no signs of wanting to die.

And this morning, I gave them a two-person teleport scroll I’d purchased.

They hesitated, confused, but when I threatened not to attend the prayer meeting if they refused, they reluctantly accepted.

In the original, the Count and Countess both perished during the zombie crisis.

They had already lost their real daughter, and though I wasn’t truly her, I had grown somewhat attached. I didn’t want to see them die.

“Is this our seat?”

Arriving at the Holy District, I sat with my parents in our assigned places among the gathering nobles.

As I looked around—exactly as described in the original—I was filled with a tense mix of emotions.

‘Stay sharp. This is the beginning.’

I clenched my fists, eyes wide.

‘I must survive this crazy apocalypse romance fantasy.’

Just then, nobles around me began to whisper.

“What’s with her outfit?”

“Indeed. She’s completely ignoring etiquette.”

To be fair, I was dressed in a plain white shirt and cotton trousers. Understandable criticism.

“I heard she’s been swinging hammers around the mansion lately.”

“Shh! She’ll hear you. There are rumors she’s going to kill someone with her bare hands today.”

…Wait, that one makes no sense.

I shot them a sideways glance with folded arms.

The noble ladies instantly lowered their eyes, as if I’d just issued a death threat.

I clicked my tongue and turned away.

‘They can’t say a word to my face.’

Well, how could these carefree ladies possibly understand my situation?

‘Hold on…’

A thought struck me.

So unfair! I’d been so focused on survival, I forgot I was supposed to be a romance fantasy transmigrator.

‘Other transmigrators carry fans, teacups, or opera glasses… why the hell am I carrying a sledgehammer? And my scandals are about murder, not luxury or affairs?’

I was still dumbfounded by my circumstances when suddenly, the chatter died down and a shadow fell over me.

A chill prickled at the back of my neck. I turned my head.

What I saw first was a sword decorated with a golden bird emblem, symbol of the Temple.

I slowly raised my gaze.

A man in a spotless white uniform stood beside me.

A neat, composed, and strikingly handsome man, with cool gray eyes. His navy hair revealed his forehead, and a lightning-shaped scar cut across one eyebrow.

I recognized him instantly.

‘Duke Jaeger Mühen?’

I hadn’t expected to meet one of the male leads before the incident. While I was still bewildered, Jaeger gave me a frigid glance before fixing his gaze forward.

“This is an event the Saintess has long awaited.”

“…”

“Do not act recklessly.”

His neatly groomed thumb stroked the gleaming gold ornament on his sword, glinting under the sun.

Then, with his white cape billowing, he strode across the invited seats.

At last, the silent hall buzzed again, this time with talk of Jaeger.

‘Hah.’

I glared at his retreating back.

‘What a jerk. Maybe I just won’t save him.’

But then the trumpet sounded, announcing the start of the prayer meeting.

Regrettably, the moment I most wished wouldn’t come had arrived.

Fwoosh—!

The embroidered golden curtain rose high, fluttering. The Saintess, escorted by Jaeger, ascended the platform.

I leaned back, arms crossed, watching disinterestedly.

A Saintess devoted to God, and the pure-hearted paladin who loved her enough to give up power.

‘They do look good together.’

Not that romance concerned me—I only cared about survival.

The priests began the solemn rites around the Saintess.

How much time passed with me watching idly?

Boom—!!

The ground suddenly shook violently, signaling the beginning of the original plot.

“Kyaaah!”

“W-what is happening!?”

Panic erupted as people leapt to their feet.

I crouched calmly under the table. I had no desire to be crushed by falling debris.

Crack—!

The earth split open. People and the altar plunged into chasms as screams filled the air.

Crash! Crunch!

Skeletons began rising from the surrounding graves, assembling themselves bone by bone. Terrified spectators fainted left and right.

Utter chaos.

Boom—!!!

‘Ugh… damn it…’

My skull felt like it was rattling apart, nausea rising. I crouched under the table, clutching my head.

‘Just a little longer.’

Soon, the Saintess would faint, the priests would start evacuating people, and when they attempted to teleport the survivors—including the male leads—the already rampant zombie virus vapor would clash with holy power, causing failure.

‘This should be the right moment.’

I crawled out from under the table, ready to be “rescued.”

But just as I tried to rise on trembling legs—

Grab—!

Someone seized my wrist urgently.

“Redria!”

My eyes widened.

The Count and Countess Arios? Why…?

“You didn’t use the teleport scroll?”

I demanded, panicked. The Countess shoved a teleport scroll into my hand.

“Hurry, Redria!”

“What…?”

They embraced each other tightly, as if sensing it was the end, and gave me a wordless look.

Watching them stirred a strange feeling.

Perhaps because, for a month, they had been my parents.

Something welled up inside me—envy, grief, and something else tangled together.

‘Why was Redria ever dissatisfied, when she had parents like these…?’

Crash!

Another massive quake hit.

I tore the scroll in half and pushed it into their embrace.

The scroll recognized the Count and Countess as targets, glowing as their bodies floated and were wrapped in golden light.

They gasped, reaching out toward me.

“No, Redria!”

I smiled reassuringly at their shocked faces.

“Redria! My child!”

In a flash of radiant light, they vanished.

‘Good. They’re safe.’

A few seconds later, the same brilliant light enveloped me. Relief from saving them, warmth surrounding my body, and dizziness blurred my senses.

‘Ugh… I’m gonna throw up…’

My fading vision was swallowed by darkness.

Screeech—!!

When I opened my eyes again, I was collapsed in front of a cabin.