Chapter 2

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 2

Chapter Title: Evangeline Ruth

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Evangeline Ruth.

She was strange from the very start.

"Take good care of my dear brother-in-law from now on, new sister-in-law."

That "new sister-in-law" line didn't fit at all.

She was supposed to be like a cousin to my husband, but they weren't even real cousins.

'In the end, those two ended up having an affair.'

Yeah. Up to that point, I could chalk it up to her just being weird—a cheating woman with her head full of flowers.

But the unbelievable things weren't just one or two.

Everything came too easily to her.

My husband's love, of course.

The promising high priest, the continent's strongest knight, the lord of the magic tower, the underworld kingpin, the media mogul, and so on.

All the most powerful figures in this world became hers.

She collected their aid and devotion as if it were only natural.

And finally, Evangeline became the Crown Princess.

In that process, I was nothing more than an oblivious obstacle blocking her rightful seat.

I had no choice but to be swept aside in the most wretched way possible.

Every single time, throughout my past three lives.

And I only learned the reason at the very last moment.

Through Evangeline's own confession.

"Now I'm the real heroine."

All my suffering had been nothing but a process for the possessor to steal my place.

Evangeline had said it clearly in Korean, fully confident that I'd understand.

'I've never told a soul that I have memories from my past life.'

That I'd lived and died in Korea as someone named 'Yushina' before reincarnating into this world.

Now I could be certain.

The reason she'd gotten everything so easily, as if she knew the future.

'Because she was a possessor who'd read the original novel.'

And according to her, the protagonist of this world—of the original novel...

Was me.

In truth, the "heroine" position she'd boasted about didn't matter to me one bit.

I hadn't even realized I'd reincarnated into a book world.

If my husband Ludwig or anyone else wanted the Crown Princess title or all the wealth and glory, they could have it, for all I cared.

If only, in my second or third life when I tried to run away, they'd just let me go...

And if only they hadn't slaughtered my few precious loved ones in such brutal fashion...

Then maybe I wouldn't have hardened my heart like this.

But.

'This time, I'll take it all from her.'

Everything she'd clutched in her hands and smiled over—it was all mine to begin with, wasn't it?

Grit.

My teeth ground together.

The face of that woman sneering at me right before my head was severed flashed vividly before my eyes.

My things.

This world.

'I'll take it all back. Every last bit!'

But there was one serious problem.

'I don't know anything about that original novel. I've never even read it!'

If I had, I would've figured it out ages ago.

I'd been born and raised in this world for nineteen years, and then endured three regressions on top of that.

Suddenly, a thought struck me like lightning.

'What if that's the reason I've regressed three times?'

I'd reincarnated into this world carrying memories from Korea. That part must align with the original novel.

'The possessor knew I'd understand Korean.'

But I didn't know the original novel's contents. That was a glaring weakness.

Instead, I had something else.

'Knowledge of the future gained through my regressions!'

Throughout those past three lives, Evangeline never seemed to notice the regressions.

Which meant the memories from those regressions belonged to me alone.

If she had the original novel's knowledge, then I had the intel from my regressions.

And all of it... she'd handed straight to me, in a way.

'I'll use it to pay her back in full!'

With my resolve hardened, I bolted upright in bed.

And.

"Ah!"

My vision went black, and I collapsed right then and there.

'I thought I'd regressed again!'

Thank heavens I hadn't actually died.

I'd just stood up too abruptly and fainted from anemia for a moment.

Come to think of it, this was the time when I was on an extreme diet right before the wedding.

Fresh rage boiled up inside me.

"Goddamn fucking wedding!"

I spat the curse as I yanked the ring off my left ring finger and flung it to the floor.

The plush carpet muffled it—no sound at all.

I knew exactly what day it was. The eve of the wedding.

The wedding band still on my finger was proof enough.

In my first life, I'd smiled innocently, slipped on this ring, and gone to sleep without a care.

And the next day, I'd gone through with the lavish ceremony as planned.

The result?

'A nightmare! I got sucked dry, used up, lost the Crown Princess seat, and died as a traitor!'

My third death made it clear—all three lives ended the same way.

The paths got more convoluted and different from the first life, sure.

There were plenty of people besides Evangeline I resented and wanted revenge on.

Naturally, at the top of that list was him.

The man who'd been my husband in every life, used me up, and drove me to my death—an enemy worse than any.

'Fucking Ludwig!'

The Emperor's pampered nephew.

The bastard who bled my family dry, seized the Crown Prince throne, then tossed me aside like trash!

'No, wait—not even dogs deserve that comparison.'

Puppies are cute and sweet and warm and fluffy.

Comparing them to Ludwig—that trash heap worse than burnt garbage or rotting food scraps—is an insult to them.

'Sorry, all you adorable furballs.'

I took a moment to apologize to every cute fluffball in every world, then snapped my head up.

This wasn't the time to dawdle.

Time was way too short.

'Tomorrow's the wedding.'

Just look at that glittering wedding dress draped over the torso in front of the mirror.

It was like a symbol of the wretched fate awaiting me.

'Now that I think about it... she picked that out too—the possessor.'

"This design is perfect for your complexion and figure, sis. Take good care of my brother for me."

That's right. I'd stupidly worn a wedding dress chosen by my husband's mistress and marched down the aisle.

Three times!

Okay, the first time I didn't know. The other two times, I refused, but it didn't matter.

'Argh! My dark history!'

My vision flushed red.

I grabbed the paper knife from the desk drawer, strode over to the dress, and shredded the hem and veil to bits.

"Ha. That's refreshing."

Well, wrecking one dress wouldn't stop tomorrow's wedding, obviously.

But I needed to vent.

'It's my first time ripping up a wedding dress!'

Even in my fourth life.

With some steam blown off, I started racking my brains.

First things first, I picked up the wedding ring I'd thrown and examined it.

'Just as I thought... all the light is gone.'

This ring was set with three purple diamonds.

One of the imperial treasures said to have been bestowed personally by the Emperor for his favored nephew's wedding.

Every time I regressed, I returned to this night before the wedding—lying in bed with this ring on my finger.

'And with each regression, the light in the gems faded.'

This eerie glow was visible only to my eyes.

'As if it was telling me my chances were running out, one by one.'

And now, this ring held no mystical light whatsoever.

To my eyes, it was just an ordinary band.

It could only mean one thing.

'No more chances to regress.'

If the ring's power was truly what sent me back, then this was the absolute last time.

Throughout those past three lives, I'd tried everything—every effort and scheme I could muster.

'All failures.'

But.

'This time's different. I know who the real enemy is.'

Even so, I was still missing one crucial thing.

'An ally. And not just any—a seriously powerful one.'

Just like how the possessor had Ludwig wrapped around her finger. And charmed all those talented people to rule as the queen of high society.

If this was my final shot...

'I might need an extreme remedy.'

An eye for an eye. A villain to fight a villain... no, something even more unhinged!

Only one person came to mind.

The man under the crimson moonlight, drenched in blood, wearing a madman's grin.

Yet so breathtakingly beautiful that I couldn't tear my gaze away...

'Crown Prince Arpad.'

He was also the one person who, in all three past lives, had never fallen into the possessor's hands.

'Of course, only because he died first.'

But to me, that felt like a hugely important clue.