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Chapter 1
A dark gloom fell over the entire nation when no rain had fallen for a full six months in the southern region, the breadbasket of the Perlin Empire.
Even though the government had forbidden it, merchant guilds were already secretly hoarding grain in a frenzy.
Unable to simply sit around praying for rain, the imperial family ultimately decided to hold a rain ritual together with the temple.
However, this ritual was no ordinary ceremony.
It was a dangerously risky rite that could very well cost the life of Rosaline, the daughter of the Lewin Ducal House, who possessed the power of water.
Since the founding of the empire—after the goddess blessed people with the powers of water and fire—this was the first drought, the first natural disaster of its kind.
“It is the duty of one who has received the power of water from the Goddess. The Lewin Ducal House will devote itself loyally to the Perlin Empire.”
Isco, head of the Lewin family, sincerely expressed his intentions before Emperor William.
Emperor William was pleased by Duke Isco’s deep loyalty.
One month later, Southern Temple of the Perlin Empire.
Shaaah!
Outside the window, dark clouds threatened to swallow the world whole as rain poured down like a waterfall.
The rain ritual had succeeded.
Rain had finally fallen upon the empire after seven long months.
“Rosaline! Rosaline!”
“She is the incarnation of the Goddess!”
Outside, endless voices praised Rosaline.
Meanwhile, inside a storage room attached to Rosaline’s luxurious chamber within the temple, Arabelle coughed up blood with a pale face.
She could feel the warmth steadily leaving her body.
Her life did not have much time left.
At that moment, the door opened, and Duchess Cecilia entered alongside Rosaline.
Having received endless admiration, reverence, and worship from the people after rain finally fell from the sky that had been dry for over half a year, Rosaline looked flushed with excitement.
It was the first time Arabelle had ever seen her look so happy.
Unlike the two women, whose faces were glowing with delight, Arabelle was barely holding on only to confirm the safety of her biological mother, Stella.
“Cough… p-please… cough… mother… cough… save… the promise…”
Blood flowed from Arabelle’s mouth every time she coughed.
Already completely broken, she could not even finish her sentences properly.
Duchess Cecilia sneered at her with open contempt.
“Useless thing! Your purpose is over now. And if your usefulness is gone, what use is your mother? Your mother’s life only mattered while you still had value. Foolish to the very end.”
“W-what… cough… do you mean…?”
Shock and despair filled Arabelle’s eyes.
They had clearly promised that if the ritual succeeded, they would let her live together with Stella, whose whereabouts she still did not know.
That was why she had risked everything to perform the ceremony.
Then Rosaline spoke, her voice still dreamy and exhilarated, as though intoxicated.
“Arabelle, since there was no way to forcibly steal your power, I thought slowly consuming your life force and erasing your power naturally would work too. If you disappear, won’t the power of water come to me? Once you’re gone, I’ll be the only daughter of the Lewin family. Honestly, even if the power doesn’t come to me, it won’t matter. We can simply say you disappeared after exhausting your powers. I just need to marry the Crown Prince quickly and give birth to a daughter.”
Arabelle’s breathing became increasingly ragged.
Her coughing would not stop.
Blood flowed endlessly from every opening of her body.
Rosaline looked at her with a radiant smile, as though she could die from happiness.
“Why are you making such a wronged expression? You filthy thief who stole my power. If it weren’t for you, I’d be the only daughter in this family. You ruined everything. Dirty bastard child.”
Arabelle felt wronged.
Not once—not ever—had she wished to possess the water power passed down through the daughters of the Lewin family.
If anything, she had cursed the power.
Had she not possessed it, she could have fled far away with her mother and lived peacefully.
The moment her power manifested, she had been used her entire life to save her imprisoned mother, whose location she did not even know.
And now she had even risked her life for the rain ritual.
She instinctively knew she did not have much time left.
Her consciousness had already been fading for quite a while.
Click.
At that moment, the door opened again, and Duke Isco entered with his characteristic cold expression.
Arabelle’s pale body, drenched in blood, looked grotesque enough to send chills down one’s spine.
Yet instead of pitying his own flesh and blood, Isco merely frowned in disgust.
“D-Duke… cough… my mother…”
Even so, he was the last person Arabelle could cling to.
After all, he was still her father.
She hoped he might at least grant her final wish.
But contrary to her desperate hope, Duke Isco only stared at her icily.
“Your mother will follow you soon enough, so you shall meet again. Something that should never have been born was born. It is only natural that you, who defied the natural order, disappear.”
Tears streamed from Arabelle’s eyes.
She felt bitter and resentful over the life she had endured—abused by them all her life, forced to live as Rosaline’s shadow.
But there was nothing a dying girl could do.
Hating the people—no, the demons—who had ruined both her life and her mother’s, Arabelle desperately prayed to God.
‘If a true god exists, please punish them.’
“Unni! Ha-yoon unni! You need to change clothes!”
“Huh?”
“Hair and makeup are done.”
Ha-yoon tore her gaze away from the web novel she had been reading with lingering regret.
She was incredibly curious about what would happen after Arabelle’s death, but obediently handed her phone to her manager.
Because today was the most important day of her life.
Entering the dressing room inside the makeup studio, Ha-yoon changed into a sleek black dress.
“Oh my gosh! You’re so pretty.”
“The best dressed today is definitely going to be Ha-yoon unni.”
“Even a goddess would kneel before her.”
Her brutal month-long diet for today had truly paid off.
A small face with doll-like features, slender limbs, perfect proportions, and a flawless figure without an ounce of excess fat—today’s Ha-yoon was perfection itself.
After thanking everyone with a bright smile, she left the salon and climbed into the van.
Her car sped smoothly toward the award ceremony venue.
“Noona, the CEO called. Apparently the popularity vote was a complete landslide. He specifically told you not to mention everything all at once in your acceptance speech. The Grand Acting Prize, Popularity Award, Best Couple Award—today’s completely your day.”
A smile spread across Ha-yoon’s lips.
Back in high school, she had debuted as the center of an eleven-member girl group and won Rookie of the Year.
The following year, the group won the Grand Music Prize, and she had thought her career had already reached its peak.
But acting as a solo activity allowed her to surpass even that.
Unlike the stereotype surrounding idols, she possessed flawless diction and impeccable acting skills.
Her popularity skyrocketed further, elevating her from idol to national star.
Ha-yoon was a global celebrity beloved for both singing and acting.
Even though she was no longer a rookie, nervousness made her press a hand lightly against her chest.
She felt proud of herself for running nonstop for ten years for this very night.
‘Is this the most glorious moment of my life? No. I won’t settle here. I’ll climb even higher and enjoy it for a long, long time.’
Just as she was savoring overwhelming happiness—
Screeeech! Crash! Boom!
At the peak of her life, Ha-yoon was involved in a traffic accident.
“Kyahhh!”
Ha-yoon shot upright with a scream.
Looking half out of her mind, she hurriedly checked her body.
“I’m not dead. Thank goodness.”
Her head pounded as though it would split apart, and she clutched it tightly.
Closing her eyes, she slowly steadied her ragged breathing.
The dream had felt so vivid that goosebumps covered her entire body.
‘Calm down. It’s just a dream. They say dying in dreams brings good luck. Is today the award ceremony? I can’t let my face swell up. Let’s get up and move.’
After collecting herself, she reached toward where the bedside table should have been to grab her phone.
But there was no bedside table there.
‘What?’
Only then did Ha-yoon open her eyes fully and look around.
She froze at the unfamiliar room.
‘What is going on?’
For a moment, all kinds of thoughts flooded her mind.
Had she been kidnapped somewhere? Was this some hidden camera prank?
Worried that something scandalous might happen right before the ceremony, she climbed out of bed and examined herself.
Old, dirty pajamas.
A shabby room like a storage closet.
Everything was unfamiliar and completely unrelated to Ha-yoon.
‘What is this? Well… at least I’m wearing clothes? No, wait—who changed me into these awful clothes?’
Just as Ha-yoon was worrying about hidden cameras, the door suddenly burst open.
A woman with red hair and a face full of freckles entered.
“You still haven’t changed clothes? There’s a mountain of work to do! How can you be lazy at a time like this? Are you expecting to be treated like a lady or something?”
Ha-yoon could understand the foreign woman’s words…
But she could not comprehend them.
“Before Miss Rosaline wakes up, hurry up already!”
