YOWV~01

~Chapter 1~

“So then. How are things progressing with the Crost family?”

Inside a room so silent that even breathing felt dangerous, a tense-looking man swallowed dryly before reporting to his superior.

“The spy we planted six years ago is still undercover, but security is so ruthless that he hasn’t even had an easy chance to see the Duke’s face.”

“Then make them lower their guard.”

“How exactly…?”

“Send someone no one would ever suspect of being a spy.”

The confident, low voice cut him off.

“They won’t suspect that one.”

A thick, wrinkled finger pointed somewhere.

The unpleasant-looking man, as ugly and squat as a toad, rested his chin on one hand as he gestured toward someone.

“Come here, Aisha.”

At his command, a pair of small shoes stepped out from the shadows.

“You called for me, Duke Poz?”

The one who emerged was none other than a five-year-old little girl.

As the child tilted her head back to look up at Duke Poz—who towered over her—the retainer beside him hurriedly concealed his expression.

“…What could a child like that possibly do?”

“Why? Are you worried?”

“…She’s only five…? Spy missions are usually assigned no younger than twelve.”

“Haha! Exactly!”

Duke Poz let out a sly laugh as he greedily stroked his chin.

“That’s why I’m sending a five-year-old. They would never imagine such a tiny brat could be a spy.”

But doesn’t that also mean the mission is far more likely to fail… and that child is far more likely to die?

The retainer barely managed to swallow those words back down.

At present, the greatest ambition of the Kingdom of Doctia was to absorb the Kingdom of Frozen.

But they dared not invade Frozen directly.

Because of the monsters.

Beyond the northern frontier—the place called the end of the world—lay hordes of monstrous creatures.

Humanity had not yet fallen because the Crost Ducal House of the Frozen Kingdom stood there like a pillar, guarding the border.

For generations, the Crost bloodline had inherited the power of ice, raising an impenetrable wall against the creatures beyond.

But our Poz Ducal House has finally created it.

A power even stronger than the Crost family’s ice abilities.

And so, there was no longer any need to fear the Frozen Kingdom.

The beginning… will be the slow destruction of House Crost.

Greed gleamed in Duke Poz’s eyes as he reviewed his plan.

While House Crost defended humanity from monsters, Duke Poz had spent years secretly cultivating spies for this very moment.

And this—

This was the result.

“Aisha. Listen carefully.”

Among the five-year-old children trained as spies, Aisha was Grade A.

Because she was the most obedient.

If she infiltrated House Crost and was discovered?

There would be no fear of exposing her masters.

The girl would kill herself without hesitation.

“Aisha. This is your first mission. Become the missing daughter of Duke Crost.”

His greedy gaze burned into her.

“The great Duke who protects an entire kingdom… yet failed to protect his own children. That is his weakness. You will exploit it. Become the daughter he treasures more than life itself. And then…”

Crash!

The whiskey glass in his hand shattered.

“When the time comes, I’ll tell you what to do next. You will lure Duke Crost there. Understood?”

Sharp shards of glass scattered near her tiny shoes, but Aisha did not so much as flinch.

“Yes, I understand.”

“Good.”

For one final confirmation, the Duke gave another command.

“Now then… show me a smile so lovable no one could ever doubt you.”

At those words, the expressionless child suddenly smiled.

A bright, harmless smile.

Soft white cheeks, plump as freshly kneaded dough.

Ocean-blue eyes shining between naturally curved lashes.

Hair tied neatly into twin tails, crafted to sway adorably with every movement.

“Understood, Your Grace!”

“Excellent. Smile exactly like that in front of Duke Crost. Like an innocent little child!”

“Yes, Your Grace!”

In an instant, the colorless-faced child became an ordinary five-year-old, grinning sweetly.

And inside Duke Poz’s office, grotesque laughter echoed with satisfaction.

“It really was worth raising her as a spy from such a young age!”

“Thank you.”

And so, the five-year-old girl sent by House Poz would soon become the spy who would shake House Crost to its very foundations.

They say pain is the privilege of youth.

I had lived as the perfect example of an overworked Korean office worker, pulling all-nighters so often it felt like eating meals.

And then, one day—

I died from overwork.

When I opened my eyes again, I was a child.

Tiny hands as round as maple leaves.

Blue eyes sparkling like sapphires—something you’d never naturally see in Korea.

As a devoted reader of romance fantasy novels, I immediately realized what had happened.

I’d transmigrated.

And not only that—

I was ridiculously adorable.

At this level, shouldn’t this have been one of those childcare healing stories?

A rich, handsome father.

Rich, handsome older brothers.

And eventually, after some suffering, a rich, handsome male lead.

“…So this is my reward for dying from overwork…!”

For one brief, glorious moment, I prepared myself to embrace a life surrounded by beautiful men.

Then I realized my true fate.

People who work… apparently work forever.

“A spy must maintain a poker face even if someone throws garbage at them.”

“Yes.”

“From now on, I’ll throw garbage at you. Maintain your composure.”

“…Excuse me?”

Honestly, I would’ve preferred waking up in an orphanage.

Saintess. Knight. Maid. Orphan.

There were so many roles to choose from—

So why, of all things, did I have to transmigrate into a spy?!

“You failed to control your expression. In a real mission, your identity would already be exposed. What should you do in that situation?”

“Um… Before I’m exposed… I should take my own life.”

“Correct.”

Not only was I a spy—

I was a brutally overworked spy forced into endless daily training and expected to be ready for suicide at any moment.

For three years after reincarnating as Aisha, I endured intense spy training in a tiny body better suited for rolling around like a baby panda.

And then came the long-awaited field mission.

“Aisha. This is your first mission. Become the missing daughter of Duke Crost.”

…Crost?

The moment Duke Poz said those words, I realized it.

My rotten fate had repeated itself.

I had a bad feeling because my name was Aisha… but no way…

I had transmigrated into a growth-type fantasy novel with absolutely zero romance.

Its title:

[Sword of Judgment.]

A world where the Kingdom of Doctia and the Kingdom of Frozen stood opposed through supernatural powers.

The male lead was an illegitimate son of House Poz who endured persecution and hardship before rising to unify both kingdoms.

But right now?

The male lead didn’t matter.

Because I was an extra who died before he even properly appeared.

More specifically—

A spy who pretended to be the false daughter of the story’s main villain, Duke Crost… only to be exposed, cast out, and killed.

In my previous life, I died from overwork.

And in this life?

I was apparently going to die pretending to be Calypse Crost’s fake daughter.

How is my life difficulty level getting worse?!

Calypse Crost.

He was the great antagonist who stood against the male lead.

To put it simply—

You know those villains who aren’t the protagonist, but are so overwhelmingly charismatic they become fan favorites anyway?

That was him.

The head of House Crost, responsible for the Frozen Kingdom’s national defense.

The pillar of Frozen.

A colossal wall.

An unbreakable shield.

Every grand title imaginable belonged to him—

Until cracks formed.

During the five-year war, all three of his children vanished without a trace.

His wife disappeared as well.

One by one, they were simply… gone.

In the end, Calypse protected his kingdom—

But failed to protect his family.

He searched desperately for his missing children, but in vain.

And as his grief slowly shattered him, he began wearing a black mask to hide his crumbling expression.

Then, with a twisted heart, he stopped protecting the kingdom—

And devoted himself solely to protecting House Crost.

That was why he became the male lead’s greatest enemy.

And I—

I had to infiltrate the home of that very man and pretend to be his lost daughter.

And so, here I was.

“You’re saying… you’re Duke Crost’s missing daughter?”

After being forcibly dragged here by carriage, I arrived at Crost Ducal Castle.

Duke Poz had thrown me into shabby clothes, handed me several emergency potions, and abandoned me.

And among those emergency supplies was this—

The essential tool of every spy:

A vial of suicide poison.