My mouth was dry.
My fingertips trembled delicately, and I crumpled the tips of my skirt.
I felt dizzy as I looked at the white table with an unsteady gaze.
Liliana stretched out her shaking hand to see if she would fall. Afterward, she took a cup of cold water and gulped it down.
The tension eased by a bit. However, it was only a temporary measure. Soon my heart started beating violently.
‘This day has finally come.’
Liliana closed her eyes tightly.
It’s been 18 years since I was born in this world. If my life was short, it was short, and if it was long, it would soon end. I knew my destiny well.
The life of a minor character.
An insignificant ending.
‘I ran away to avoid this moment. I can’t believe you sold me after all, you vicious humans!’
Liliana bit her lips hard.
My father treated me like a slave and my mother always ignored me for being her daughter.
Even my brother despised me, and used violence every day.
My eyes became moist as their terrible faces came to mind.
‘I just wanted to live.’
I had to endure all sorts of abuse to survive.
She was beaten to the point where her limbs couldn’t move until she fainted.
In spite of that fact, I had to bear through it all to hold on to my life.
Just before I died, I was able to escape my bondage and avoid death.
For a short period of about three months, I was able to have a happy time that I will never have again in my life.
A small house with smoke rising from a chimney in a friendly and modest rural village.
Momo, my pet, taking a nap under the warm sun.
I wanted to go back to that time if I could.
I didn’t need anything else, I just wanted to spend a simple and content time with Momo.
‘Momo, my puppy. How are you doing? You’re not starving, are you?’
A small bundle of gray fur flickered before my eyes. Momo, a puppy who looked shy, but always hung by my side.
Kkiiig.
However, the moment the door opened, her illusion disappeared and only a bitter reality remained.
I first noticed the light gray hair that was close to white.
It was not before long I saw the pair of red eyes, which held not a single emotion, and fear struck me.
‘Rajes Eberhart.’
The head of the Eberhard family and the villain in the novel. He was a head taller than me, and despite wearing clothes, his solid figure was still clearly revealed.
It felt like she was facing a wild animal, but as anyone can see, his face was beautiful.
However, as he strode forward one step at a time, it felt like she was nearing death.
‘What do I do? Should I try to beg? Would you let me go if I kneel? No, I might be killed sooner if I beg. He’s a man who would do something like that.’
How can I overcome this situation? I’ve been thinking a lot about this, but there was only one ending for me.
‘No matter what I do, my soul would be sucked into death just like the original.’
After all, I was an extra. No matter how special a soul Cero is, it was only a minor role without importance. There was no way for extras to change the future.
“Liliana Parvane.”
A chilling low-pitched tone was heard. Before she knew it, Rajes Eberhart was in front of her.
He sat across from her with a casual face.
“Are you cold? Why are you shaking so much?”
Are you asking because you really don’t know? In the first place, how many people will not shake when they face the head of the Eberhart family?
‘Wait a minute.’
Suddenly, I questioned Rajes’ question.
‘Didn’t it say that I was killed as soon as I saw him?’
What I saw in the original book and the current situation were slightly different.
Liliana tried to recall the original story, which has now become a bit bleak.
[Yeah. As soon as I met this woman who was my Cero, I can’t even recall her name, but I absorbed her soul. It’s more convenient for me anyway.] (T/N In case it isn’t clear, this is what Rajes said from the original novel) (a Cero is the fated counterpart of an Uno. In this case, Rajes is an Uno, and Liliana is his Cero counterpart)
I remembered his lines that passed by. (T/N “His lines that passed by” is the previous sentence)
‘That’s right. Didn’t you kill me as soon as you met me?’
According to his lines, he would have killed me without questioning or even calling my name. But now he was asking me a question.
Liliana glanced at Rajes. However, due to the fear of meeting his eyes, she couldn’t see him properly. Subsequently, a low voice came again.
“You must be nervous. There’s no need to tremble like a scared chick. We met a few days ago.”
A few days ago. Did I hear it wrong? I couldn’t understand the words he said.
Liliana slowly raised her head, only to be daunted by Rajes’ stare.
“Well, I’ve never seen you.”
My voice cracked due to my immense tension. However, Rajes responded without worrying about it.
“What are you talking about, we were together all the time.”
I heard a small laugh. What’s wrong with him? I’m so scared I’m going to die when I don’t even know when I’m going to die, and he’s just spouting nonsense.
Maybe he’s playing with me? Are you trying to play some type of prank?
In my heart, I wanted to shout at him to not say nonsense.
However, I was as good as prey offered before a lion, I had to die.
“You really don’t know?”
This time, when Rajes asked again, I wasn’t sure if I should answer him or not.
While I did not deny nor confirm, I could hear him stand up as if he accepted the silence as affirmation.
‘Oh, I’m going to die now. If it’s going to be like this, I’ll just answer that I don’t know!’
Liliana deeply regretted that. In just a few seconds, Rajes came close. He reached out his large hand and grabbed her small shoulder.
“Gasp!”
Surprised by the sudden touch, Liliana shrieked. It’s all over now!!
‘In my next life, please let me be born as a gold spoon with a harmonious family!’
When I made a wish in my heart just in case, Rajes’ face came closer.
Following his hot breath, unbelievable words were heard.
“Why are you so surprised? It’s me, your dog.”
Liliana’s eyes opened wide. Weren’t you going to kill me? More importantly, what are you talking about?
As she looked at Rajes, not understanding the situation, a charming smile caught his mouth.
“Momo.”
No, why is my dog’s name coming out here?
* * *
As a warm breath was breathed onto the frost-covered window, the outside scenery was revealed.
Blankets of snow poured down from the sky filled with dark clouds.
‘I’m going to freeze to death if I go out in this state…’
The clothes that covered my body were too much of an embarrassment to even be called clothes.
A sweater with loose threads, cotton pants compared to the cold wind, and a coat with fur but had weak heat retention.
Fortunately, her fur shoes were warm.
‘But if I don’t want to die, I have to wear more layers.’
Liliana took out a small box she had hidden under an old narrow bed. Inside the box contained a knitted hat, a scarf, and gloves.
I hid it in case Tartan found it and burned it. (T/N Tartan’s her brother)
Wearing a hat, scarf, and gloves gave me confidence that I could withstand the coldness of the water tap. (T/N In case you don’t understand where “water tap” came from, she’s going outside to do the laundry, as you can see in the next sentence)
Liliana picked up the laundry basket and left the room carefully.
The old door creaked. I paused for a moment, wondering if someone in my family would wake up after hearing the sound.
Fortunately, there were no signs of movement.
Liliana walked with her heels up to silence her footsteps.
It was twilight when everyone was in deep sleep, but I was still careful to not run into my family.
As soon as I opened the door, a strong wind blew. The chill of winter was bitter. It was cold enough to freeze someone to the bones.
“Sigh.”
The shallow breath became white smoke and was drowned within the descending snow particles. Snowflakes the size of small fingernails fell with the momentum to consume the entire world.
A cold wind blew past her. If I didn’t wear a hat and a scarf, I probably would have given up on the laundry and gone back.
‘Okay, let’s get this over with as soon as possible.’
With a firm determination, Liliana immediately stepped into the pure white snow. The piled-up snow made her feet so stiff that it was uncomfortable for her to walk.
Liliana headed to the water tap without thinking. If she waits even for a single moment, she could really freeze to death.
The water tap was covered with a thick blanket to prevent it from freezing.
As soon as I turned the tap, the water trickled out. Fortunately, it wasn’t frozen.
Liliana immediately put her basket down and started doing the laundry.
I took off my gloves and put them in my coat pocket, and I soaked the laundry in water. There wasn’t much to do, but my movements were slower due to the cold.
“Ugh, it’s cold.”
My hands seemed to freeze when a bitter wind blew by my hands that were touching the cold water.
It was obvious that if she stopped moving for a bit, she would get frostbite. Breathing onto her hands, Liliana continued to do her laundry.
The chilly wind did not stop and continued to blow. The slicing cold not only hit her body but also her heart.
‘I can’t wait to quickly get out of this hell.’
Tears pooled in her shiny golden eyes. It was all terribly unfair and miserable.
Why should I be treated like this?
‘I didn’t come here because I wanted to, nor was I born in this house.’
I didn’t want to. I swear, not a single moment was in my favor.
In the past, I thought I wanted to see the scenery of the novel with my own two eyes.
But in the end, that story would only be true if I was born with good clothes and good food.
Liliana wasn’t that kind of person.
‘Why am I a Parvane?’
Liliana Parvane.
The name was given to me in a new life after a terrible accident crushed my entire body.
End of Chapter 1