PSTBW Prologue

Prologue

My head was pounding like it was about to split open.

I slowly opened my eyes. When my blurry vision cleared, the first thing I saw was a beautiful fresco painting on the ceiling.

Wow, what kind of hospital has such a fancy ceiling? The hospital bill must be crazy. I don’t even have money…

My foggy brain kept wandering with useless thoughts.

Then, I felt someone approaching me.

A woman suddenly leaned over and shouted,

“Oh my, you’re awake!”

Startled, I widened my eyes at her. She didn’t look Korean at all.

I stared at her deep brown eyes, high nose, and old-fashioned maid outfit that looked straight out of the imperial era.

The nurses here wear really unique uniforms. How interesting.

I slowly opened my mouth.
“…Um.”

“Are you all right? Does anything hurt?”

“Uh… yeah. Except for this throbbing pain on the back of my head…”

Before I could say more, she started fussing over my condition. I just went along and answered.

The woman sighed in relief and patted her chest. Then she frowned deeply and said,

“Thank goodness! Oh, what a mess! That wicked little brat—things could’ve gone terribly wrong!”

“…Huh? Wicked little brat?”

“Olivia Este! That sly girl must have placed a silk ball on the stairs you always walk on, Saintess! She must have wanted you to step on it and fall!”

“…What?”

“Such an evil little witch! But why did you step on it and fall, Saintess? I thought you’d avoid it like usual. Ah, I see! You wanted to punish her, didn’t you? Hoho!”

The woman went from worried to angry, then suddenly started grinning like she was plotting something.

I just stared at her, too stunned to speak.

Olivia Este? Why does that name sound so familiar…?

Where had I heard it before?

While I was trying to remember, the woman suddenly stood up and said excitedly,

“Of course! Our Saintess must have a plan! I’ll go tell Old Tom right away and bring that wicked child here!”

And just like that, she rushed out of the room.

I blinked blankly.

…Olivia Este? Wicked child? Witch? Stairs? None of this made any sense.

I was just on my way to my final job interview… and got hit by a car, right?

This foreign nurse must have completely misunderstood something. I decided that once she came back, I’d calmly explain everything.

But then, the door suddenly burst open. The woman from before returned—with a little girl by her side.

“…Wow.”

I couldn’t help but gasp softly.

The girl was stunningly beautiful—golden hair that looked like melted sunlight and green eyes that sparkled like emeralds.

The woman closed the door and glared at the child coldly.

“Why did you put a silk ball on the stairs, Miss Olivia?”

“…”

“You wanted Madam to fall and get hurt, didn’t you?”

“…”

Anger flashed across the woman’s face. She looked the child up and down with a chilling expression.

“A bad child must be punished, right?”

“…”

“I guess our young lady wants to be locked in that attic full of rats again.”

Fear and hatred filled the girl’s eyes.

“What do you think you’re doing?! You’re going to lock up a child in a dirty place like that?”

“Of course, Madam. Lady Olivia did something wrong, so she must be punished. If she repents, I might let her out.”

“Are you insane?!”

Shocked, I jumped up and stood between the woman and the child.

“She’s just a kid! She was just playing with a ball near the stairs! And you want to lock her up for that? Are you crazy?!”

“Uh… M-Madam?”

“Madam, my foot! Get out! Before I call the police!”

“…What?”

“Didn’t you hear me? Out!”

Hugging the little girl tightly, I glared at the woman and yelled.

The woman looked terrified and quickly ran out of the room.

Once she was gone, I let out a long sigh and turned to the girl.

“Hey… are you okay?”

But the girl’s expression was icy.

She wrapped her arms around herself as if to protect her body and pushed me hard when our eyes met.

“Ugh!”

She was surprisingly strong. I fell backward with a cry.

The girl glared at me and shouted,

“I’m not thankful at all!”

“…What?”

“I know everything! You’re only being nice to me because my uncle’s coming back soon!”

“…Huh?”

“Evangeline Auntie, you’re a bad person! I hate you!”

Then she slammed the door and ran out.

I sat on the floor, stunned, staring at the closed door. Everything had happened too fast for me to process.

Then suddenly, I jumped up.

“Hey, wait! Kid, where are you going? And Auntie Evangeline? Who’s that? Uncle? What are you talking abou—ugh!”

A sharp pain stabbed through my head, and I staggered.

Trying not to fall, I grabbed the nearby dressing table for support. My vision blurred, and I shook my head to clear it—

“…!”

And froze.

In the mirror, a beautiful woman was staring back at me.

Long silver hair, blue eyes as clear as a lake, and a flowing white dress.

I blinked slowly. The woman in the mirror blinked too.

I waved my hand. She waved back.

Panicking, I touched my face and grabbed a handful of my hair.

It wasn’t black—it shimmered silver in the light.

With a blank face, I whispered,

“W-What is this…? What happened to me?”

I tried to piece everything together.

Olivia Este. Saintess. Evangeline. Silver hair. Blue eyes. Fresco ceiling. Dress. Maid.

Then it hit me—like lightning.

“This… isn’t this The Second-Generation Saintess Is the Strongest in the World?”

That was the title of the web novel I had stayed up all night reading before my interview.

“Ahhh!”

I screamed at the silver-haired woman in the mirror.

And then, I passed out.