CH 1

Prologue

On a bleak evening, the windows of the historic Winchester mansion creaked eerily in the wind. It was time for dinner with the whole family.

The candles that sat in the golden candelabra in the center of the table flickered.

In the center seat sat my father, Duke Ricardo Winchester, who was called the Dark King, and to the left were my brothers – the infamous villains Jin and Othello – sitting side by side.

And as always, I was on the right side of my father.

“Father, what is the meaning of what you just…?” I looked at him firmly and tried to verify that what I heard was correct, but no answer came back.

Only Jin and Othello’s cool gaze confirmed that I had not heard anything wrong.

That was right.

The Empire’s strongest villain, my father, Recardo Winchester, made a clear decision at dinner today.

Having been lost in thought for a long time, I belatedly came to my senses and sprang to my feet, opening my mouth to shout, “No, I can’t..! Please, take back that order!”

Startled at the sound of a knife being put down, I looked at Othello, who sat in front of me.

“How much does your treatment cost us each time? Shouldn’t you have this much?” Othello, pink hair and all, furrowed his brows and urged me.

“Hah…..but …that’s already being paid by the family…”

“Don’t be shameless.”

I wriggled with my hands at his fierce gaze. I took a deep breath and prepared to protest again. I couldn’t accept what they were saying as it was.

“Father and older brothers. I don’t want anything more. No matter how much I think about it, you are infinitely more…!”

“Sasha.” 

Jin, who had been sitting still, called my name quietly.

I flinched at the call of Winchester’s successor.

Jin Winchester’s sky blue hair looked particularly cool today, but that did not make it any better as he threatened me gently, with cold eyes.

“You’re still weak. With a body that looks like it’s about to collapse….”

It was a voice full of compulsion.

“Wouldn’t it be difficult if you refused Father’s orders?”

Dark eyes were ordering me to accept my orders meekly.

Since earlier, Ricardo Winchester has not picked up the silverware. There was a stifling silence at the table.

I had no choice but to open my mouth and reply quietly.

“……Cough.”

<<As of tomorrow, the ownership of the Wilners mine will be handed over to Sasha Winchester.>>

When my father’s words of handing an entire mine over to me came to mind again, I almost felt dizzy. The rights of the Wilners mine, which was called a warehouse of all kinds of precious gems, were used to subsidize treatment costs in the future.

The Wilners mine was a mine with very high economic value among the mines owned by the family, to the point that everyone was paying attention to its operations.

Of the rare minerals and jewels mined at the Wilners mine, a piece of gold the size of a thumb would be more than enough for my doctor’s expenses.

‘But I got the whole mine?! Besides, I’m only ten years old!’

Yeah, my doctor didn’t matter in the first place.

I held the tableware with a slightly trembling hand and stared at the juicy steak in front of me.

And I started looking back at where this situation started.

Chapter 1

“Hwuaaah!” 

I was trying to argue with someone who was slapping my butt, but somehow a strange cry burst out of my mouth instead of words of protest.

Then, the dim surroundings suddenly became clear.

‘Wait……where am I?’

It was a spectacular medieval room that was completely contrary to the dark, cold asphalt road – the last thing I saw before I lost my mind.

The height of the ceiling was high enough to reach several meters, and women I saw for the first time surrounded me.

“Oh my God, you’re such a pretty girl.”

“I’ve never seen a baby with such fair skin. Look at the green eyes.”

I could hear the sound of cutting something with scissors and the touch of wrapping my wet body with a warm cloth.

The sound of a woman breathing heavily, and a language that I could understand, even though it was not Korean, was clearly flowing out from among the women.

“I need to contact him right away. ……..He’s too much to leave his wife alone on this day.”

“Maya, don’t say that. You know how busy he is with the manor these days.”

“Oh, but it’s the day you gave birth to a girl and you’re so happy.”

I tried to move my body, but my short limbs betrayed my will and moved arbitrarily.

“Maya”

“I’m sorry. I’m upset for no reason….”

It felt strange as if the body was mine but not mine.

Meanwhile, a maid named Maya gave my wrapped up body to a beautiful, red-haired woman.

She looked tired after giving birth, but the woman was looking at me as if her eyes were looking at a very lovely being.

I just stared at the woman who gave birth to me in a daze. She had red hair and blue eyes and had a face that was drenched in sweat.

“Baby…..He will name you.”

When I heard the word name, things from the past passed by in my mind.

‘I’ve been born again.’

***

On my way back from a hard night shift at my part time job, bad luck hit me and ran away.

When I opened my eyes, the explanation of the Grim Reaper, who was sweating profusely, was not within my expectations. 

He said he brought the wrong person with the same name, and he said he would give me a chance to live a new life instead because I couldn’t return to my original life.

In the typical reincarnation system, randomness was the principle. However, if you were reincarnated into a world you already know, what opportunities could you have?

<Taylor’s Home>, which I read, was a fantasy novel for girls of all ages, a hit that appeared as a webtoon and even as a game.

I also enjoyed reading it like an omnivore, regardless of whether it was a ropan or a signboard.

‘You don’t know how much King Yeomra enjoys games based on this story. Wealth……You’ll definitely be satisfied. I’ll tell him and give you a lot of perks.’

(T/N: Yeomra-Daewang (‘King Yeomra the Great’): Supreme ruler and fifth of the ten Kings of the underworld (Shi-wang), who judges the sins of the deceased and decides what to do with them. Info from here https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Characters/KoreanMythology)

Well, I have to accept that I can come back to life with good terms.

‘I can’t tell you who you will be born as because of the rules of the underworld, but since you have lived a good life, you will surely be reincarnated with good conditions.’

Let’s briefly describe the story of <Taylor’s Home>, where the background is the Janut Empire.

The emperor of the empire is the legendary and symbolic Goryeo Mechius. He exists only in mythology and does not actually rule.

The actual control of the empire lies in four families: Akada of the Land, Halo of the Water, Winchester of the Darkness, and Taylor of the Light.

And the protagonist is a boy named Evan Taylor, who will one day be the Duke of the Taylor Family.

Evan Taylor’s story is a brilliantly growing cider novel, which awakens him as an increasingly munchkin protagonist. 

(T/N: cider: it means a soda drink such as Sprite in Korea. if you drink ‘Cider’, you feel great and happy – it is used to express that kind of feeling. / munchkin: OP main character)

There is not even a handful of romance added…..so there is no such thing as being reincarnated as a heroine or as a villain who is the rival of the heroine.

Rather, I thought it was appropriate.

He said that in my next life I would reincarnate under good conditions, so I will be able to enjoy a peaceful and calm life that I could not enjoy while living as the head of a family.

However, there was something that gave me pause. A sick mother and younger siblings who couldn’t make ends meet without me.

‘We will take that into consideration. Don’t worry, just go through that door.’

In the end, I decided to reincarnate after adding the condition that the remaining family members will win the first prize in the lottery, and with that, I opened my eyes in a different world.

***

“I’ve been waiting for a long time….to meet you like this.”

The woman stroked my cheek again.

The Taylors, the family of the main character Evan Taylor, seemed to be absolutely not here, so there was a high probability that this was another aristocratic family.

Is it Akada or Halo? The room is quite magnificent to say that it was a noble family on the periphery.

“You know, I think she is looking at me. There is no way she can already see….”

At the young woman’s words, the midwife looked at me and said curiously, “Can you really see? I’ve never seen a baby with such clear eyes.”

It was said that babies usually can’t discern what’s in front of them until about a month after they’re born. But I could clearly see everything in front of me, perhaps due to some sort of reincarnation buff.

Even the glittering chandelier on the ceiling was dazzlingly clear. The midwife, who had been looking at me for quite a while, slipped her hand a moment later to check the condition of the woman who seemed to be my mother.

“Hyuk…..” The midwife’s face quickly changed as she looked down. She hurriedly hid her expression as if she had seen something she shouldn’t have seen.

Her lips turned white and she said to my mother, unable to hide her trembling hands, “Madam, you are bleeding, so I’ll call the doctor. Please hold on for a while.”

While she was talking, the color was gradually disappearing from my mother’s face.

Astonished, I lowered my eyes and looked down and her white skirt was stained with blood.

Surprised, I opened my mouth, but no words came out.

“Madam Trisha….are you okay?!”

Then the door slammed open and another person entered.

Wearing a white gown, he seemed to be a doctor.

What is going on here…..?

I think I’ve heard the name Trisha before, but I can’t seem to remember where.

“Oh my god. It’s bleeding too much. Can you see me? You need to wake up, Madam!”

“Duke…..Your Grace….” After uttering a few weak words, my mother closed her dim eyes and licked her lips.

“The bleeding is too severe….I can’t stop it! Oh my god….”

Before I knew it, the bed and even the cloth wrapped around me were red with blood.

“Can you help me grab this cloth? Oh my….”

I kept hearing the sound of blood dripping to the floor. I looked into her eyes as their light faded.

“You are the key…..to the promise…..” Her paling lips twitched, and she spit out words that didn’t make sense to me.

“Madam….!” The doctor called her desperately, but Trisha was losing the light of her life.

Her eyes, which contained my face, were gradually being covered by her eyelids.

I looked at her in shock without crying.

I know childbirth could be dangerous, but how could people…..die so suddenly?

Then, with a thump, the door opened again.

Outside the door stood a tall young man who appeared to be around 190 cm tall. He had silver hair that felt cold, deep dark green eyes and a handsome face that made even me think he was beautiful….and a chilly atmosphere.

On his wide shoulders were colorful gold-silver dragons embroidered on black fabric.

There were many knights behind him, but they were no longer visible when the lieutenant, who appeared to be his right hand, followed him, and closed the door. 

I knew instinctively that this man was my father and Trisha’s husband. And looking at his appearance made me realize which family I was born into.

My tiny heart began pounding.

The man belatedly stepped into the room where the silence could not be heavier.

As soon as he reached the side of the bed, his face became clearer.

“Your Grace the Duke, your wife….” a maid named Maya wept.

“I’m sorry, Your Grace. She is dead,” the doctor said with a wretched look.

My father would be the one called ‘the master of the black flame’ and ‘the king of salt’ in the novel.

“…….”

The duke, who was looking at her, reached out and closed Trisha’s eyes.

He, who had been looking at my mother with a cold gaze for a long time, turned to me, who was held in her arms.

Unknowingly I burst into tears at those overbearing eyes; his gaze felt as if he were squeezing my throat.

A cry echoed through the room.

I really did want to cry. Judging from the current situation, our house was…..

“……”

It was the worst villain family in “Taylor’s Home”. The Duke Winchester of Darkness, who does all sorts of evil things and ends up being destroyed.

The midwife said with tears in her eyes, “The Duke should name the baby…..”

I cried to my heart’s content while the duke was still looking at me.

This man, my father…..was the greatest villain in the novel, Ricardo Winchester.

He, the enemy of the main character, had two sons who would follow him to become villains and a daughter who was a presenceless extra – and I seemed to be this daughter.

“Sasha.”

His gaze was cold enough to make my body shiver. Even without looking at him, I could feel the chill.

Soon, his soft, harsh voice flowed into my ear, saying, “Her name is Sasha.”

“Waah! Waahh! Waahhh!!”

I wanted to call the Grim Reaper back this instant. There was something deeply wrong with this!

“Mechius, the ancient dragon of the beginning, please lead the Duchess to the right path. And please…..bless this poor princess.”

The doctor’s solemn voice was heard.

In the original story, Trisha enters the mansion, pregnant with Ricardo’s child, several years after his first wife, who had given birth to twin sons, died in an accident.

Fortunately, the baby was born safely, but Trisha died of excessive bleeding after giving birth.

Winchester’s doctrine was to eat the weak and allow the strong to survive.

The ending of the Sasha that I knew was – born as the youngest illegitimate child of a villainous family – to live in everyone’s complete indifference with a sickly body until her life ends together with the ruin of the family.

“Wuuaahh!”

Am I truly ruined right after I was born?

A blue window appeared in front of me as if teasing me for crying out loud.

[Reincarnation privilege mode is online and operational.] 

[System: A new account will be created.] 

[Account name: Sasha Winchester.]

[Legendary Fate <Key of Mechius> dwells in your soul.]