Chapter – 01
1. Curse
Today was a joyful day.
It was the day I could see with my own eyes that my efforts to change fate hadn’t been in vain.
You might say, isn’t a person’s fate something they make themselves? I used to think the same—until I was possessed by the body of Laura Leweiz, the villainess whose death was already sealed in the novel.
“Of all the villains, why Laura? She’s the one who’s guaranteed to die!”
At first, I despaired, but I quickly pulled myself together. If I couldn’t return to my original body, I had no choice but to change the future.
“Luckily, there’s still time.”
I had possessed her at the very start of the story. Laura had two years left before her death.
“Her conditions aren’t even that bad.”
Laura was the daughter of a marquis, a noblewoman, and the fiancée of the main male lead, the First Prince. Her status alone would have been enough to protect her from most social disadvantages.
Moreover, she was the empire’s only spirit summoner. She had skills, in other words.
“The problem was that she wasted those advantages being a troublemaker.”
Of course, Laura had some excuses. Most of the evil deeds she committed were at her father’s orders.
Her father, Marquis Leweiz, had ambitions: he wanted a child of Leweiz blood to become emperor.
He had succeeded in placing his sister as the Empress and even had a Second Prince through her.
The problem? The royal family already had a First Prince, born to the Empress, making his succession rank higher.
The Marquis threw all his efforts into toppling the First Prince. He sought to remove the Empress, eliminate the royalist nobles, and secure power.
And Laura helped him.
Laura expelled nobles loyal to the First Prince from the capital under her father’s orders, and used her status as the First Prince’s fiancée to deliver palace secrets to the Marquis.
He reaped the benefits while she bore the blame.
She knew what she was doing but couldn’t refuse.
“How could I refuse when he threatens to disown me every other day?”
Laura was an adopted child. Her father brought her into the family knowing she was a spirit summoner. She enjoyed all the privileges of being a Marquis’s daughter—food, clothes, and social status—and there was no way she could go against him.
From Laura’s perspective, following orders and maintaining her current life was the comfortable choice. It was familiar.
“Maybe she lived her life trying her best… but so what? She picked the wrong side.”
Since the First Prince was the male lead, the Marquis’s defeat was inevitable.
After all his plans failed, the Marquis even made a reckless deal with a demon to become emperor himself…
“…only to be defeated by the First Prince.”
Laura ended up imprisoned and executed, taking all her family’s crimes upon herself.
Knowing this future, I had no intention of continuing my villainous life.
“Why keep living as a villain for anyone’s sake?”
I immediately set out to right the wrongs.
[“I’m not making excuses. I just want to show my resolve. I won’t live as my father’s puppet anymore.”]
“Of course, your sins won’t just disappear…”
I also did some good deeds. One major act was starting a state-run business to replenish the royal treasury, which the Marquis had been skimming from.
During that process, I even made contact with one of the sub male leads, Marchetta, a guild owner.
[“I can’t believe anyone could receive more love than you… Are you a genius, sister?”]
From the villainess who used to bully the heroine out of jealousy…
[“I don’t really feel the power of sainthood… but since you want it, Laura, I’ll give being a saint a try.”]
I even managed to change my role to being the heroine Seraphina’s close friend.
“Laura.”
And so, today was the day my adoptive father, the Marquis, would die.
“…Laura?”
Instead of slapping someone’s cheek at a lavish party…
“Did you call, Your Highness?”
I stood beside the First Prince, Asel.
Not as a villain, but on the protagonist’s side, helping to defeat the Marquis.
“You looked distracted. Are you okay?”
I was simply feeling reflective at the threshold of this mission, but Asel seemed to interpret it differently.
“I understand you. Even if he made a deal with a demon, killing your adoptive father is unsettling. Even if you do nothing here, no one could judge you for it. That’s only natural.”
“That’s right. Killing is unsettling in itself, let alone someone I’ve called ‘father’ for over ten years. I will cover you, so perhaps you should stay safely in the rear for now?”
This was from Angel, the Royal Knight Commander.
“Enough with the flirting, both of you. Don’t approach Laura for any opportunistic reasons now.”
This was Seraphina, the saint.
“Strange… what’s the problem with me standing next to my fiancée?”
“Indeed. You, Lady, deserve to be treated as royalty.”
We each had our roles. The First Prince would strike the Marquis as a sword master; Angel would assist him; the saint would provide support from the rear.
And I was there as a spirit summoner. On top of Laura’s original spirits, I had successfully contracted an offensive spirit capable of controlling all darkness and shadows—Akapilace, a former Spirit King.
“Bold words. But didn’t you also want to break off your engagement with her, Your Highness?”
“Yes. I always pressured my contractee with these eyes.”
Next to Seraphina, she nodded vigorously.
“There was a misunderstanding back then…”
“No matter the reason, you hurt Laura! She was forced by her father!”
Asel’s mouth finally shut.
“So… when will you end the engagement? You promised, after all.”
Oh… I remembered. The day after I woke in Laura’s body, I had made that contract with Asel.
He disliked Laura and had wanted to break off the engagement at every opportunity, given that she brought only trouble despite her title. I used that leverage.
[“For the next two years, if you become my shield, I will be your loyal ally.”]
[“I will stake everything and become your weapon.”]
Two years would be enough to either change my fate or gather the funds needed to escape.
“Come to think of it, those two years are almost up.”
Asel flinched when our eyes met.
“About the engagement… may I speak?”
“…?”
“Something I need to say.”
This wasn’t the time for long discussions, facing the final boss.
“That’s fine.”
I simply nodded, and Asel’s expression brightened.
“Thank you.”
“Always trying to charm at every chance, huh? Ah, should I bless you, Laura?”
“…Please do.”
The Marquis was at a cave halfway up a mountain that marked the border between the capital and the east. He had summoned a demon there.
He had grown larger, sprouted wings, turned black-skinned, and gained a thick carapace from the deal with the demon, looking disgusting—but defeating him was surprisingly easy.
“What have you done!”
Using Akapilace’s darkness, I bound his limbs and attacked to drain his stamina. Most attacks could be reflected by Seraphina’s holy power, so defense wasn’t difficult.
In the original story, the Marquis didn’t die easily. He had escaped and absorbed the blood of the empire’s people, growing stronger.
Knowing this future, I chose an easier path.
“So I came early!”
The Marquis was reduced to a massive punching bag.
Finally, the end of this journey was in sight.
“Shall I finish it?”
“May I?”
Laura had lived as a villain because of her father. I wanted to finish it with my own hands, for the real Laura’s sake.
“If you wish.”
Asel nodded, and I stepped forward with my sword.
“Spare me!”
The Marquis, sensing death, pleaded.
“I am still your father! Think about it! Everything you enjoyed as a noblewoman is thanks to me…”
“Your mother is alive!”
“Don’t you want to meet her?”
Of course, I didn’t respond. I wasn’t going to be swayed at this stage.
Then, as the Marquis died, an unexpected event occurred.
“You ruined everything! All my plans are destroyed because of you!”
The Marquis glared at me with hatred and rage.
Normally, I could have brushed it off, but the suffocating pressure froze me in place.
“I curse you. Your hope will turn to despair, those you love will betray you, and only betrayal and wandering shall lie before you.”
Even as he collapsed, the Marquis used his last strength to curse me.
Red mist spread beneath my feet.
“Danger, Contractee!”
“Laura!”
Both Akapilace and Asel rushed toward me at the same time.
“The final curse of the demon Belzebuth strikes you!”
“Your history will be erased!”
I collapsed.
“Ugh…”
Even before regaining consciousness, my whole body ached and was stiff, as if bound.
‘Wait… I really am tied up?’
When I opened my eyes and met Asel’s gaze…
“Uh…”
“Answer me.”
Asel grabbed my shoulder tightly, pressing me with his sword to my neck.
For a moment, I couldn’t speak.
His gaze was shockingly the same as it had been two years ago.
