🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 2
“Even after you join the expedition, do your best not to bring shame to the name of Ardena.”
Even at a time like this, the Duke of Ardena was only going on about what he wanted to say.
There wasn’t even the slightest sign that he was worried about his daughter. He was simply calm, as if he were taking care of some routine task, and there wasn’t a trace of affection in the way he looked at me.
Is he really my father?
“I can’t even hold a sword.”
I calmly protested.
I could easily come up with a hundred reasons why I shouldn’t join the expedition.
And I didn’t want to die.
I didn’t want to leave with the expedition only to come back as a cold corpse.
“I’ll only get in everyone else’s way. If that happens, I’ll shame the name of Ardena. It would be embarrassing.”
“That isn’t something you need to worry about. I’ll take care of everything that happens afterward, so you just need to do as I tell you. Whether you only cause trouble or bring shame to the name of Ardena is something I will decide. Not you.”
Talk about the ultimate patriarch.
It was painfully obvious that he considered his children to be his possessions.
Wait, Rosanna. I thought you were just a character who caused trouble for everyone, but that wasn’t the whole story……?
As expected.
Villainesses aren’t simply born that way.
You know how those troubled kids you see on TV often turn out to have problems with their parents?
With a father like this, it was obvious that Rosanna had no choice but to grow up the way she did.
Since he had already decided to force me into it, there was no point in resisting any further.
“Do as you’re told. If you disobey me again, I won’t let it slide. This time, it won’t end with you being locked in the attic for a day or two.”
The Duke’s voice was low and threatening.
Each family was required to send at least one person to join the expedition.
Since the fate of the world was at stake, the Imperial Family was also closely watching whether each noble family was participating.
Any family that refused would have a hard time avoiding consequences.
Wait, he actually locked his own daughter in the attic?
Rosanna’s memories suddenly came back to me.
‘Someone possessed by an evil spirit like you needs to be locked up and starved until you come to your senses. Lock Rosanna in the attic and don’t give her so much as a sip of water.’
‘Rosanna, you’ve made another mistake. You spilled soup on Her Majesty the Empress’s dress? Have you lost your mind? Even the horses in the stable are better than you! If your trembling hands are the problem, then there is a way to fix them! Make Rosanna stay in the stable for a week!’
‘Useless thing.’
I remembered the Duke’s vicious insults hurled at me, followed by the violence that came with them.
I even remembered actually crying myself to sleep in the stable.
Is he really my biological father……?
No matter how much I complained, things would end up going the Duke’s way anyway.
I gritted my teeth.
“Yes, Father.”
“……You’re not planning to run away again, are you? If you were born as a member of House Ardena, then maintain your dignity and keep your promises, Rosanna.”
“No. I won’t run away.”
Even if I tried to run, I would obviously just be caught and brought back.
Do I know the geography of this world? Do I have any money? Do I even have someone who can help me?
I don’t know the roads, I have no money, and I don’t have any friends. What could I possibly do in this body?
Whatever I did would be like throwing an egg at a rock.
It would be better to stay quiet and wait for an opportunity.
There was no reason to cause trouble and get myself locked up again.
There had to be some way to escape this miserable place.
“Really?”
“Yes, Father. As you said, I am representing House Ardena. I will consider it an honor.”
“For once, you’re saying something sensible. Good. You’ve made the right decision.”
I obediently agreed with my mouth while thinking something completely different in my head.
This world was doomed.
Monsters were occupying human settlements, and countless people were dying.
When humanity first encountered the monsters, its forces were completely helpless. Against creatures with bodies far superior to humans, mankind was hanging by a thread.
Then, people with special abilities began to appear.
One of them was the male lead.
And an expedition was formed under his leadership.
The main story was about the male and female leads successfully defeating the monsters and returning, bringing peace back to the world.
Since I had fallen asleep while reading the novel yesterday, I remembered it quite clearly.
The important part here was this:
The male lead and female lead succeed, and peace returns to the world.
All right.
This world was going to return to normal anyway.
Then I needed to prepare for the future.
I would diligently avoid every death flag, survive, and make sure I returned.
To the capital.
And when I did, I wouldn’t return to the Duke of Ardena’s estate.
I would become independent.
With my own strength!
I would become an amazing person who would never again be pushed around by the Duke of Ardena.
That was when he spoke again.
“Still, I don’t feel comfortable leaving her alone, so lock her up. If she behaves obediently, make sure she is given proper meals.”
No one dared to disobey the Duke of Ardena.
It seemed that my life after possessing Rosanna’s body was going to begin with imprisonment.
Is that really my biological father?
What kind of person is this?!
I looked around the room.
It was called an attic, but perhaps because this was still a place where his daughter was being confined, it was at least furnished properly.
There was a bed, a window, and, hmm. There was even a wardrobe.
Though there was nothing inside it.
The bed was reasonably soft, too, so it wasn’t like I couldn’t sleep on it.
The bathroom also seemed to be maintained fairly well.
This wasn’t so bad.
Before I possessed this body.
Or rather, I guess I should call it my past life now.
Before I died, I had been Korea’s first female UDT combat operator.
Only people who know what that means understand how impressive it was.
I had endured situations far more extreme than this.
I had undergone training that pushed the limits of what the human body could endure, often without enough food or rest.
“This is nothing.”
I had joined the military to escape the loan sharks who were chasing me around to collect the debt my father had taken on.
I figured there was no way they would follow me into the military.
And if I was going to run away anyway, I thought I might as well go all the way out to sea.
Then I thought it would be nice if I could at least beat up most loan sharks if they ever caught up with me.
I had originally planned to become a Marine, the famous “ghost-catching” Marines, but somehow I ended up taking an even harder path.
I had the natural physical condition, the insane amount of effort, and even the talent.
I had all three.
Eventually, someone recognized my potential.
Thanks to that, I was able to become the first female combat operator in history.
For someone like me, an environment like this was nothing.
And the world was doomed?
This might actually be an opportunity given to me by God.
“The male lead and female lead are going to save the world anyway.”
All I had to do was sit back, watch the show, and enjoy the benefits.
The problem was this body.
I kneaded my soft, flabby body with both hands.
As expected.
There wasn’t a single bit of muscle.
Still, the body’s natural bone structure didn’t seem too bad.
I tried doing some light stretches.
Fortunately, perhaps because this was a family of knights, the body’s physical potential wasn’t bad.
What a waste.
She had been born with such decent physical potential, and yet she’d allowed herself to become this weak.
It was all because of those people hiding behind the mask of being her family.
‘I want to learn how to use a sword too, Father.’
‘Honestly, you’re hopeless. Just like your mother, Rosanna. Your role has already been decided! Listen to me and behave yourself. Then marry a good man from a respectable family whom I choose for you and contribute to the family. Don’t waste your time doing useless things. Just do as you’re told.’
I remembered all of it.
Even the events that caused Rosanna to be rejected by her family and become twisted.
I understood why Rosanna had become nothing more than a troublesome character who was all talk.
She had wanted to do so many things, and she had been capable of doing so much, but everything had been blocked off from her.
Whenever she rebelled, she was often locked up like this under the excuse of “teaching her a lesson.”
And because she couldn’t eat proper, balanced meals, her body had become painfully thin.
Tsk, tsk.
So there was another father like that.
He was exactly the kind of person who reminded me of my own father before I died.
Is this what they mean by the parallel universe theory?
How did I end up meeting someone so ridiculously similar?
Despite taking out loans from loan sharks, my father used to say things like girls didn’t need an education.
Now, let’s think about something productive.
It’s not like I’m going to die the same way again, right?
Whether I wanted to or not, I was going to be dragged into the expedition.
And if I wanted to survive there……
“I should at least be good at running.”
I carefully examined the muscles in my legs.
Hmm.
They were a complete mess.
I looked around the room.
If I wanted to turn this useless body into something I could actually use, I was going to need some serious high-intensity training.
Still, despite being an attic, the room was fairly spacious.
This should be enough…… to exercise.
Bodyweight exercises were incredibly effective for improving physical fitness.
And if I cut this curtain up appropriately……
I could use it like a towel and exercise with it, too.
The Duke, that excuse for a father, had informed me of the date the expedition would leave.
One month from now.
I had to accomplish something within that time.
