THJDM 03

Chapter 3

Was it because her body and mind had weakened from collapsing and coughing up blood?

Through the cracks of unconsciousness, memories of her past life slipped in, tormenting her in the form of nightmares.

The nightmare always began the same way.

Classmates—faces she could no longer even recall—surrounded her.

“They say your sister is Oh Ju-yeon, the child actress on that weekend drama, right?”
“But if your sister is Oh Ju-yeon, and you’re Oh Jo-yeon, then even at home your sister’s the main character and you’re just an extra, huh?”
“That’s not true! ‘Oh Ju-yeon’ is just a stage name—her real name is Oh Eun-ji! And my name doesn’t mean that either!”
“Still, your parents are so mean. How could they give such names to their daughters…?”

Her past life as “Oh Jo-yeon” had been a series of lonely days, overshadowed by her popular child actress sister.

But perhaps those days were better after all.

Because once she grew older, she really did become nothing more than an extra to her sister.

“What’s wrong with helping out as an extra on set alongside your sister?”
“No! I don’t want to!”
“Stop complaining and listen to your mother. Your sister’s suffering in the cold, and you just laze around? I won’t allow it.”

Unable to withstand her mother’s nagging, she ended up going as an extra for her sister’s historical drama.

The winter shoot in the mountains of a small provincial town was grueling.

On a snowy day, when the blizzard had created a breathtaking white landscape, she slipped on the ice while heading to the filming location.

“Ahhh!”

She tumbled down the slope, rolling and rolling.

Her skin was scraped and torn against rocks and branches.

In those last moments, she thought bitterly: To live as Oh Jo-yeon, die as an extra on set—it’s like a cruel comedy.

Even as her consciousness faded from the excruciating pain, a faint, ironic laugh slipped out.

And then, Oh Jo-yeon died. In terrible agony.

“Aah… ah, it hurts…! It hurts so much…!”
“Shh… our Ruby, it’s all right. Mama is here, everything’s all right. Shh…”

A warm hand brushed against Rubiana’s forehead.

Who is this? Mama? …No, my mother would be in my sister’s room, rehearsing lines with her. Then whose touch is this…?

Even half-asleep, she could clearly feel it.

Someone was sitting by her side all night, stroking her brow.

A person with a kind touch and a gentle voice.

“That’s right, our Ruby is such a good girl. Sleep peacefully and have only sweet dreams.”

Pat, pat—the warm hand caressed her shoulder.

Ruby? Ah… they’re speaking to Rubiana. How nice for her…

Even in her half-conscious state, such thoughts crossed her mind.

“Her condition is very unstable.”

“What is the cause?”

“That is…”

The elderly physician shook his head.

With a heavy sigh, Count Payson leaned back.

For an entire week, skilled doctors, pharmacists, and healers from across the empire had come and gone, but none could explain why Rubiana kept collapsing and coughing blood.

They all hesitated, unable to give an answer, only shaking their heads.

“My dear Ruby, don’t you worry. Your father will search the entire world if he must, but he will find someone who can cure you.”

The count’s voice and eyes carried such desperate sincerity.

“Yes. I believe you, Father. I’ll become healthy again, so I won’t worry.”

“That’s my girl. So good, my Ruby.”

The count’s large hand stroked her hair.

Though he looked on the verge of tears, she gave him a quiet smile.

After everyone left, Rubiana closed her eyes and steadied her breathing.

Her head ached from this bewildering situation.

“What exactly went wrong?”

Burying her face in her hands, she muttered softly.

The nightmare from last night came back to her, deepening the pain.

To have lived her short life in her sister’s shadow, only to die as an extra in the end—

The more she thought about it, the more depressing and sorrowful it was.

But Oh Jo-yeon is dead. That extra is gone. My name is Rubiana, and I’m the protagonist of this novel.

She slowly lifted her head and clenched her teeth tightly.

So why hasn’t the spirit appeared? And why does this body keep collapsing?

She recalled the time in the imperial palace gardens, when she had been threatened by monsters.

And the moment when she coughed blood and fainted.

A certain face came to mind.

…Duke Elion Klitzman.

Perhaps because it was the last face she saw before she blacked out, his piercing blue eyes lingered in her mind like an afterimage.

The firm grip that held her waist remained vivid too.

Even though it wasn’t bare skin, I felt a sudden warmth. Strangely comforting.

No, no.

Cutting herself off, Rubiana shook her head.

This isn’t the time to be thinking about the shadowy duke.

If she couldn’t become a spirit user, she wouldn’t qualify for the Imperial Knights.

And if she didn’t enter the Knights, the story wouldn’t begin.

And if the story didn’t begin—

I won’t be the protagonist…!

She couldn’t allow that. Never again.

She had lived and died as an extra once before. She wouldn’t live her new life the same way.

I must be the protagonist. I will be.

But how?

She pondered deeply.

Why has the novel twisted? What caused it?

Aside from her soul possessing Rubiana’s body, nothing else had changed.

She hadn’t done anything to affect the original plot.

All she had done was wait quietly for the story to begin.

Unless… this frail body is the problem?

Yes—it was strange.

In the original story, Rubiana’s talent as a spirit user had been slower to awaken than others, but there was never any mention of her being unhealthy.

In fact, despite her slender frame, she was described as surprisingly robust.

That’s it. The sudden illness of this body must be the cause.

With that realization, Rubiana sprang up from her bed.

She needed to see a real healer.

A proper examination was necessary.

“All right. Time to meet him.”

“Phew…”

Standing before a small toy repair shop, Rubiana exhaled nervously.

This was the first time she would deliberately break away from the original plotline. Her heart pounded.

She pushed open the shop door and spoke to the middle-aged clerk inside.

“I’d like to have a music box repaired. And I’d like to watch the process myself.”

“One moment, please.”

The clerk walked toward the corridor.

‘I want to watch the process myself’—that phrase was code, used only here. It meant: I want to see him.

The clerk soon returned and gestured toward the hallway.

“The last room at the end.”

Calming her racing heart, Rubiana stepped forward.

The wide examination room smelled faintly of dried herbs.

“Welcome. Please, have a seat.”

The voice belonged to a young man with curly pink hair, his eyes covered with a black cloth.

Rubiana sat in the chair he indicated.

This man—Omar Poshin—was the empire’s greatest healer, living in seclusion. In the original story, he had been quite an important supporting character.

He covered his eyes to train himself to perceive the world not with sight, but solely with mana.

“What brings you here?”

“About half a month ago, I suddenly started feeling dizzy. I also had stomach pains. And sometimes I collapse while coughing up blood. I was always healthy before, but my body suddenly became strange.”

“I see. Hm… Very well. Please place your hand on this crystal orb.”

She did as instructed.

The orb, as large as a soccer ball, felt warm.

When Omar placed his hand on it as well, she felt the orb’s temperature rise rapidly.

…Hot!

Gritting her teeth, she endured the searing heat.

After a while, he said:

“That will do. You may remove your hand.”

At once, she pulled her hand away, exhaling and blowing on her palms, rubbing them together. She glanced at Omar’s face.

His brows twitched ever so slightly.

“You… are not the original owner of this body.”

His gentle voice pierced her ears like a knife.

How… did he know?

Her heart dropped like a stone.