Click.
Countless scenes unfolded in my mind, as if rewinding. Long stretches of time flew by in an instant.
The moment I let out the breath I had been holding.
"Ugh!"
Before I knew it, my vision had changed.
“Haa, haa...”
A fancy restaurant, a table laden with food. Even the maids who suddenly rushed to me in surprise as I had a fit.
“Miss Vania! Are you okay?”
“Oh my, what is this!”
There was no pain.
I was just surprised by the regression I was experiencing for the first time.
"...It's okay."
This place.
Windsor Castle?
It is a surname that a father raises his illegitimate children.
The place where I spent my childhood.
"You've gotten a lot younger than I thought. How many years have you been back?"
I, who had only guessed, grabbed a familiar maid.
“...Maria?”
“Yes, Miss. Are you okay?”
“Yeah. But when can I see my father?”
This question probably doesn't seem strange. It's something I've been wondering about to the point of boredom around this time.
As expected, Maria spoke without a doubt, with a look of regret on her face.
“If you awaken this ability, you will be able to see the Duke even now.”
“What if I can’t continue?”
In my family, if a child doesn't develop a special ability by the age of 12, they are judged as 'incompetent' and kicked out.
So, if I wanted to see my father, I had to either awaken my powers or be found to be incapacitated and meet him for the first and last time at age 12. It was one of two things.
“...Birthday party?”
Maria took a long time to decide on her answer, as if she felt sorry for me, and then finally spoke.
“After we have two more parties to celebrate the young lady’s birthday, the Duke will come to visit.”
"I see."
Even if you don't develop this ability, you can still see your father after two more birthdays.
'I'm ten years old now.'
I opened my hand. It was definitely my hand, but it was so small it felt unfamiliar.
'It's been ten years since I came here.'
10 years.
A little while ago, I regressed 10 years before death.
The Duke of Wassenberg.
An omnipotent family that even the Emperor of the empire bows his head to.
Vania was the darling of that family.
She was the Duke of Wassenberg's most cherished daughter and also the heir to the family fortune.
Because she had unprecedented powers.
“Vania, you have to run away.”
But one day, the family, which was thought to last forever, collapsed in vain. Her father and her siblings all died.
That terrible dawn.
In the hands of just one person.
“He’ll kill you, too.”
The lover grabbed Vania's hand and ran frantically. Vania saw the corpses strewn across the mansion as she fled.
Her own half-brothers.
First, second brother...
Her sisters, and... even her father.
She couldn't believe it.
How on earth did he, with their powers stronger than anyone else, slaughter them so easily? How did he manage to do so?
“Are you Vania Wassenberg?”
Eventually, Vania was confronted.
A man of incompetence who was once expelled from his family. Yet, he was so capable of perpetrating such a massacre.
Ryan Wassenberg.
"What, what is it, Your Highness? If you're not going to die with her, then let go of that girl and leave."
Ryan waved his hand towards her lover with an annoyed expression.
“If you kill innocent people indiscriminately, you’ll have a terrible dream.”
“Please save her.”
The lover immediately begged for Vania's life.
“This person didn’t know. She was still too young and innocent...”
“Puhahahaha! Really?”
Ryan, who had been giggling, soon had his eyes glowing with eeriness.
"She really didn't know? The Princess of Wassenberg? For twenty years?"
“...”
“She ate, wore, and enjoyed everything she's ever done. She really didn't know how much power she was enjoying on the filthy scale?”
There's no way she didn't know.
Vania knew very well.
Strong force soon becomes power.
It was only natural that the Wassenbergs, the only family that produced people with supernatural powers, would seize power.
Also, the corruption of a powerful power that has no means of countering it...
It was a very natural process.
"Please spare her. This girl could not escape the Duke's grasp, nor could she disobey his orders. Please."
The lover begged again on behalf of Vania, who could not even make an excuse.
"Look, Your Highness. I'm not here to weigh the pros and cons of this situation and that situation and figure out whose sins are light and whose are heavy. It's not something I can trust, and it's not my place to judge."
But the murderer was cold-hearted.
"I'll count to ten from now on. After that, the Prince will be accused of something. The charge of protecting that child."
“...”
“I mean, I’ll add more charges and send you away so that you don’t have to worry about your dreams. Do you understand?”
Vania swallowed her breath in fear.
She tried to let go, but her lover held her tighter.
“If you value your life, let go of her hand and move away from her on the count of ten. 10, 9...”
Her mind went blank.
What should I do?
Vania was also a person with supernatural powers. So she could respond in some way.
But now, she couldn't act rashly because she didn't know what that man, Ryan's, power was.
Didn't her father and brothers all die?
What kind of power was Ryan, who was said to be incompetent, hiding?
How on earth could he slaughter all her brothers, who had the power to burn, strike with lightning, and create storms, in such a short period of time?
“If you’re not going to die together, let go of that kid and get away.”
“If you value your life, let go of her hand and get far away from her within ten minutes.”
Ryan seemed unwilling to take her lover's life. Perhaps that's why he kept demanding that he stay away from Vania.
'If we stick together, we'll both suffer. In that case, it's probably a range-based ability.'
Vania thought calmly.
She thinks of the bodies of her dead father and brothers.
It looked like there was no damage at all.
Death that was neither stabbed by a sword nor pierced by a spear.
Without even a trace of resistance, he was still breathing with her eyes open...
"Ah."
At that moment, Vania realized.
And as soon as she realized it, she despaired.
'I'm dying.'
If Ryan's supernatural power was what she'd guessed, there was no way for her to survive.
“6, 5...”
At that moment, as if to say a final goodbye, the lover carefully held Vania's cheek and looked into her eyes.
“Listen carefully.”
But the words he whispered quietly were not a greeting.
“When you get back, stop that man from taking revenge, Vania.”
“...!”
Vania was surprised, because she knew what her lover was going to do.
“Oh, no. Then...”
He smiled. His eyes were filled with tears, and he quietly pressed his forehead against hers.
“And... don’t come looking for me. I’ll... ruin you again.”
“...”
“Let’s never meet again.”
Vania was speechless at the pitiful request. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
“3! 2!”
The last moment, when the voice of the murderer chased after me mockingly.
The lover said with a sad smile.
“Never love.”
"Miss?"
"Ah."
“Do you have no appetite?”
A hand was seen blankly holding a fork.
"I see you're not feeling well. I'll call the doctor."
“No, it’s really okay.”
I shook my head and thought of someone.
Ryan Wassenberg.
My half-brother, whom I met for the first time in the face of death.
He was the heir to the family and the fifth son of my father, but he was incompetent.
He was banished from his family at the age of 12, and to make matters worse, my father framed his young son as a murderer and imprisoned him in an imperial concentration camp.
All of these facts happened before I was even born.
‘As expected... it must be revenge.’
Ryan must have harbored resentment toward his father for abandoning him and branding him a criminal.
"Huh."
I quietly put the dishes down.
"Miss?"
“Sorry. I don’t have an appetite. I’ll eat later when I’m hungry.”
Now Ryan was falsely accused and locked up in a concentration camp.
Since no one knows where Ryan's whereabouts are after his release, the last chance to find him would be right after his release.
'That guy would have received the maximum sentence at the age of twelve.'
I was calculating the time and immediately ran out of the restaurant.
'I have two years left until he's released.'
There was no time to delay. I was the only one who knew the disaster Ryan would unleash ten years later.
Countless scenes unfolded in my mind, as if rewinding. Long stretches of time flew by in an instant.
The moment I let out the breath I had been holding.
"Ugh!"
Before I knew it, my vision had changed.
“Haa, haa...”
A fancy restaurant, a table laden with food. Even the maids who suddenly rushed to me in surprise as I had a fit.
“Miss Vania! Are you okay?”
“Oh my, what is this!”
There was no pain.
I was just surprised by the regression I was experiencing for the first time.
"...It's okay."
This place.
Windsor Castle?
It is a surname that a father raises his illegitimate children.
The place where I spent my childhood.
"You've gotten a lot younger than I thought. How many years have you been back?"
I, who had only guessed, grabbed a familiar maid.
“...Maria?”
“Yes, Miss. Are you okay?”
“Yeah. But when can I see my father?”
This question probably doesn't seem strange. It's something I've been wondering about to the point of boredom around this time.
As expected, Maria spoke without a doubt, with a look of regret on her face.
“If you awaken this ability, you will be able to see the Duke even now.”
“What if I can’t continue?”
In my family, if a child doesn't develop a special ability by the age of 12, they are judged as 'incompetent' and kicked out.
So, if I wanted to see my father, I had to either awaken my powers or be found to be incapacitated and meet him for the first and last time at age 12. It was one of two things.
“...Birthday party?”
Maria took a long time to decide on her answer, as if she felt sorry for me, and then finally spoke.
“After we have two more parties to celebrate the young lady’s birthday, the Duke will come to visit.”
"I see."
Even if you don't develop this ability, you can still see your father after two more birthdays.
'I'm ten years old now.'
I opened my hand. It was definitely my hand, but it was so small it felt unfamiliar.
'It's been ten years since I came here.'
10 years.
A little while ago, I regressed 10 years before death.
***
The Duke of Wassenberg.
An omnipotent family that even the Emperor of the empire bows his head to.
Vania was the darling of that family.
She was the Duke of Wassenberg's most cherished daughter and also the heir to the family fortune.
Because she had unprecedented powers.
“Vania, you have to run away.”
But one day, the family, which was thought to last forever, collapsed in vain. Her father and her siblings all died.
That terrible dawn.
In the hands of just one person.
“He’ll kill you, too.”
The lover grabbed Vania's hand and ran frantically. Vania saw the corpses strewn across the mansion as she fled.
Her own half-brothers.
First, second brother...
Her sisters, and... even her father.
She couldn't believe it.
How on earth did he, with their powers stronger than anyone else, slaughter them so easily? How did he manage to do so?
“Are you Vania Wassenberg?”
Eventually, Vania was confronted.
A man of incompetence who was once expelled from his family. Yet, he was so capable of perpetrating such a massacre.
Ryan Wassenberg.
"What, what is it, Your Highness? If you're not going to die with her, then let go of that girl and leave."
Ryan waved his hand towards her lover with an annoyed expression.
“If you kill innocent people indiscriminately, you’ll have a terrible dream.”
“Please save her.”
The lover immediately begged for Vania's life.
“This person didn’t know. She was still too young and innocent...”
“Puhahahaha! Really?”
Ryan, who had been giggling, soon had his eyes glowing with eeriness.
"She really didn't know? The Princess of Wassenberg? For twenty years?"
“...”
“She ate, wore, and enjoyed everything she's ever done. She really didn't know how much power she was enjoying on the filthy scale?”
There's no way she didn't know.
Vania knew very well.
Strong force soon becomes power.
It was only natural that the Wassenbergs, the only family that produced people with supernatural powers, would seize power.
Also, the corruption of a powerful power that has no means of countering it...
It was a very natural process.
"Please spare her. This girl could not escape the Duke's grasp, nor could she disobey his orders. Please."
The lover begged again on behalf of Vania, who could not even make an excuse.
"Look, Your Highness. I'm not here to weigh the pros and cons of this situation and that situation and figure out whose sins are light and whose are heavy. It's not something I can trust, and it's not my place to judge."
But the murderer was cold-hearted.
"I'll count to ten from now on. After that, the Prince will be accused of something. The charge of protecting that child."
“...”
“I mean, I’ll add more charges and send you away so that you don’t have to worry about your dreams. Do you understand?”
Vania swallowed her breath in fear.
She tried to let go, but her lover held her tighter.
“If you value your life, let go of her hand and move away from her on the count of ten. 10, 9...”
Her mind went blank.
What should I do?
Vania was also a person with supernatural powers. So she could respond in some way.
But now, she couldn't act rashly because she didn't know what that man, Ryan's, power was.
Didn't her father and brothers all die?
What kind of power was Ryan, who was said to be incompetent, hiding?
How on earth could he slaughter all her brothers, who had the power to burn, strike with lightning, and create storms, in such a short period of time?
“If you’re not going to die together, let go of that kid and get away.”
“If you value your life, let go of her hand and get far away from her within ten minutes.”
Ryan seemed unwilling to take her lover's life. Perhaps that's why he kept demanding that he stay away from Vania.
'If we stick together, we'll both suffer. In that case, it's probably a range-based ability.'
Vania thought calmly.
She thinks of the bodies of her dead father and brothers.
It looked like there was no damage at all.
Death that was neither stabbed by a sword nor pierced by a spear.
Without even a trace of resistance, he was still breathing with her eyes open...
"Ah."
At that moment, Vania realized.
And as soon as she realized it, she despaired.
'I'm dying.'
If Ryan's supernatural power was what she'd guessed, there was no way for her to survive.
“6, 5...”
At that moment, as if to say a final goodbye, the lover carefully held Vania's cheek and looked into her eyes.
“Listen carefully.”
But the words he whispered quietly were not a greeting.
“When you get back, stop that man from taking revenge, Vania.”
“...!”
Vania was surprised, because she knew what her lover was going to do.
“Oh, no. Then...”
He smiled. His eyes were filled with tears, and he quietly pressed his forehead against hers.
“And... don’t come looking for me. I’ll... ruin you again.”
“...”
“Let’s never meet again.”
Vania was speechless at the pitiful request. Tears streamed down her cheeks.
“3! 2!”
The last moment, when the voice of the murderer chased after me mockingly.
The lover said with a sad smile.
“Never love.”
***
"Miss?"
"Ah."
“Do you have no appetite?”
A hand was seen blankly holding a fork.
"I see you're not feeling well. I'll call the doctor."
“No, it’s really okay.”
I shook my head and thought of someone.
Ryan Wassenberg.
My half-brother, whom I met for the first time in the face of death.
He was the heir to the family and the fifth son of my father, but he was incompetent.
He was banished from his family at the age of 12, and to make matters worse, my father framed his young son as a murderer and imprisoned him in an imperial concentration camp.
All of these facts happened before I was even born.
‘As expected... it must be revenge.’
Ryan must have harbored resentment toward his father for abandoning him and branding him a criminal.
"Huh."
I quietly put the dishes down.
"Miss?"
“Sorry. I don’t have an appetite. I’ll eat later when I’m hungry.”
Now Ryan was falsely accused and locked up in a concentration camp.
Since no one knows where Ryan's whereabouts are after his release, the last chance to find him would be right after his release.
'That guy would have received the maximum sentence at the age of twelve.'
I was calculating the time and immediately ran out of the restaurant.
'I have two years left until he's released.'
There was no time to delay. I was the only one who knew the disaster Ryan would unleash ten years later.
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