Chapter 1

Chapter 1

I was hoping that you would recognize me one day.

That way, I can stand by your side.

I endlessly and tirelessly hoped.

But what does reality look like actually?

“Psychke Silkisia. No, Psychke.”

In the 18th year of maintaining the castle, which had been struggling to do so, somehow fell sharply.

It was something I was so afraid of, but I didn’t feel anything. Was it because I am facing something more terrifying than that?

Psychke, who was on her knees with her head bowed, raised her face slowly.

Then, she faced a face cold as ice, that  was also looking down on her.

“I know your fault.”

Once her Foster Father, but now a figure who determines her death.

He was saying something.

Although, no words came into Psychke’s white ears.

It was a strange work.

“I won’t talk long. You should be thankful that this is the end of it, considering the past.”

Until now? Was there something like that?

Accidents that had been standing still, went down slowly. She slowly lowered her eyes and looked down at what was in front of her.

Light green poison.

Extreme poison that can end one’s life even after swallowing one drop of it.

“Father, this is too much. Please show mercy to me.”

The woman next to her Foster father whined cutely. Psychke looked up at her blankly.

Her silver hair that curls down to her waist. Blue eyes that seemed to contain the cool autumn sky.

If there’s anything different from her, it’s the milder and naïve impression.

Other than that, they have the same age and gender. But, just exactly why is she standing in such a different position?

What was the difference?

“Lillian, she is overreacting. Didn’t you  almost died?”

“Yes, that’s correct! That girl deserves to die!”

The older brother and younger brother, who were next to Lillian, teased her.  At that very moment, something appeared on Psychke’s expressionless face.

It was a scornful smile.

She lived behind their shadows for over a decade. Even though she was just a substitute for a lost daughter.

Thank you for accepting me even though I was referred as a fake princess.

With a heart to help the family, even with her low capability.

I tried and tried every single day.

Then I foolishly thought that I would be recognized. I shamelessly thought that I would be able to stand beside them one day.

However…

“I didn’t do it.”

She clenched her teeth and recited the truth that no one wanted to listen.

“I swear to heaven, I really don’t know anything.“

She expressed her resentment even though no one would listen to her.

“Ask the maids. I’m really—”

“But this is still!”

Whack! She got hit on the head by something that flew.

She thought she was just getting dizzy suddenly, but something hot flowed down her temple. From the noise, which broke something, it must be a crystal vase that was thrown over her.

The soft scent of freesia lingered on the tip of her nose, was unsuitable for the current situation.

“The investigation was already over, you idiot! If anyone sees that, they will catch you living—”

“Stop it, Lenox.“

Her brother Yzhar silent Lenox, who was very excited, by glaring at him.

“As you said, it’s already over. It’s your loss to be excited.”

Yzhar’s black eyes stared at Psychke. There was no emotion in her eyes. It was as if she was looking to an object, not to a person.

“This came out of your room. And your exclusive maid testified.”

Yzhar lifted the necklace with a large emerald stuck in the middle.

Psychke could speak with confidence the words,

I swear to heaven that, it was my first time seeing that in my life.

Her exclusive maid is not working for her, the fake princess, but for the real princess, Lillian.

But—

“You were going to gift this necklace to Lillian, which would sting her neck right after putting it on, right?”

“Oh my god, Psychke…! I thought we could be good sisters.”

Lillian whined as if she was scared, being held in the arms of her father. Psychke looked at her insensitively. Then, she burst into laughter.

Maybe it was because she had put everything down while she was in confined.

She couldn’t think of anything.

Yet, it was like pouring white paint into her head, and nothing came to her mind.

Her mind was too calm.

No tears came out from her eyes either.

It might be better to end it like this. Psychke picked up the poison with trembling hands. She felt nothing as if she was holding the air.

Finally, she raised her eyes and looked up at the deceitful people who thought they were saviors at this moment.

Duke Silkisia, her Foster father.

Yzhar, her older foster brother.

Her younger foster brother, Lenox.

Lastly, the real princess, Lillian, who got lost more than a decade ago, and the woman she served as a mere substitute.

“…!”

Unlike others who shut their mouths and didn’t take their eyes off from her. When Lillian made eye contact with her, she trembled and dug into the Duke’s arms.

It may be just an illusion, but in Psychke’s eyes, Lillian’s mouth seemed to be drawing a light line.

Psychke realized that no one would mourn her death.

There was no place here for her from the beginning.

It was terribly a late realization. Nothing different would do about looking back on irreversible things.

Psychke continued to dwell on the past. She regretted it, over and over, those times she was swayed by them.

And that was because it was the last thing she could do while breathing.

She didn’t look away from those who looked down at her. She lowered her warm lips in the cold bottle and whispered quietly.

“If I were given a next life. I would never ever live like this.”

Even if it was a useless will. Even if it fades away, just like a bubble.

So that it can be engraved deep into her bones. Even her soul gets wet. Or even she would be reincarnated. So that she won’t repeat the same mistake.

She drank the poison earnestly, repeating the same useless wish.

The meaningless scent of freesia poked her nose.

***

The cold liquid goes down my esophagus. I drank and drank again, ignoring my hair, which was flying as the wind blew.

… But why, there’s no pain?

I thought there were purple flames everywhere I look, but all my senses disappeared right after I was affirming it. At the same time, my vision turned dark.

I thought it was dark because I died. I realized that I was closing my eyes to a strange sound around me.

Bang, bang, bang–

Listening to the sound, Psychke carefully opened her eyes.

“…?”

The family that should have looking down on her coldly, were nowhere to be found.

Instead, a group of freesias dancing in the sky was seen over the opened window under the warm sunlight.

It was Psychke’s own room.

Tap, tap, tap–

The unpleasant sound sank back in my ear.

I turned my head toward the sound. Melissa, an exclusive maid who frowned and shook off the dust from her clothes, was seen.

I dropped her gaze down to the thing around her. Cold steak, lumped soup, and a cold teapot caught my eyes.

Psychke looked at her hands.

There was a teacup in my hand, not a medicine bottle.

‘What is this?’

Tak, tak, tak- The sound of dust shaking was constantly heard.

It was a familiar scenery.

She knew better than anyone else what would this scene turn out.

Melissa would dust off after bringing a cold meal to her every morning.

Whether she was sleeping or not. Whether or not dust settles on her food and she eats it.

Whether she doesn’t want to eat dust at all, whether it’s winter or summer, with the windows wide open.

Psychke tied her brown hair together and twisted it, and glanced at the head in front of her.

Then, the moment Melissa turned around the corner and showed her side face, she muttered in a dreamlike voice.

“Melissa.”

“Yes.”

Unlike the master’s voice, an unpleasant voice could be heard from Melissa, just like in her past life.

However, Psychke decided to check one more time.

“What are you doing now?”

“Can’t you see what I am doing? I am obviously cleaning!”

It looks more like putting the dust off, than cleaning.

Psychke closed her mouth instead of saying what she saw.

Then she took a knife nonchalantly that she couldn’t even rip through the steak, pulling up mana.

It was because she couldn’t tell whether this was reality or fantasy.

‘…!‘

The path of mana which the wizards blocked miserably, went open. As if it was never blocked.

Oh, is this place in a fantasy?

“Sigh. It’s really dirty. How do you take care of your room?”

Melissa spoke loudly.

“…… ”

She got used to it every time she heard it.

But this time, she was a little annoyed.

To the person who drove her to death, she wondered if she should listen to such words even if it was fantasy after death

Psychke didn’t respond as usual.

In the meantime, she carried Mana to the knife she was holding as usual.

Right next to the maid’s ear.

“Oh my god!”

A loud scream seemed to tear her eardrums.

Is this reality, and not fantasy?

Psychke slightly frowned between her eyebrows. Then as soon as she met Melissa’s astonished face, she opened it gently as if something had happened.

“A, are you crazy?”

“I was going to help you clean, but I’m sorry. What kind of trash was there?“

Psychke replied subtly as if whispering. At the end of the knife, which was stuck in the wall and trembled, a spider was stuck and dead.

“Cra, crazy!”

The maid couldn’t bear to swear. She grabbed her red swollen ear that had been rubbed against the knife and ran away.

Psychke was taking a leisure look at the appearance, and turned to the window where the fragrant fragrance of freesia blew.

The fragrance of freesia piercing the tip of her nose is horribly clear.

Is this real?

Or is it a fantasy you witness just before you die?

If this reality, it’s like hell, and if this is fantasy, it’s more terrible than anything else.