Here is the full English translation of Chapter 4: Promise (3) – 약속(3):
“The poor child must have gone through so much.”
Feeling pity for the child in such a state, Elluciana also inwardly felt relieved.
‘If I hadn’t possessed Elluciana’s body, I might’ve ended up like that too.’
‘What am I even thinking right now?’
To feel relief in the face of someone else’s suffering… How awful.
‘You’re really pathetic, Suyeon.’
Still, she didn’t want to deny the thoughts she was having.
In her past life, she had learned painfully that being selfish was sometimes the only way to protect what was hers.
‘So, I’ll take responsibility for you.’
You, who might’ve been “me.” I’ll save you.
Whether to ease her own guilt,
Or out of a selfish desire to give her second life some meaning,
I’ll protect you no matter what.
‘So live, Astein. Live and take my hand. Prove that this touch can be a blessing to someone like you who was abandoned from birth.’
Even if it’s just for the sake of “me” surviving in this unfamiliar world.
Even Simon, with all his complaints, wouldn’t be able to refuse his daughter’s request.
No matter what it was.
‘As long as you want it, I’ll do anything for you.’
Absolutely anything.
Elluciana looked down at the child’s face and whispered sincerely.
“So please, wake up soon. Okay?”
But even after an hour of watching, Astein still didn’t move, making it hard to believe that the child wasn’t truly unconscious.
Perhaps that’s why Elluciana spoke words she had never said aloud before.
“You don’t know this, but… I used to think I was a cursed child.”
Her calm tone took on a deeper weight.
“No matter how hard I tried, nothing ever changed.”
The wretched poverty, the endless scorn and coldness from others, and not even a single friend she could share her heart with.
“How old was I back then?”
She blankly recalled her life before regression.
‘It wasn’t me! Director, I didn’t do anything wrong! They were the ones who bullied and hit me!’
‘Sigh… Suyeon. But even so, you shouldn’t have fought back, should you?’
‘But Director! It hurt so much… It still throbs here like it’s torn from where they hit me…’
‘I know. I know how much you’ve been holding it in. But Suyeon, sometimes friends fight like that. If both sides raise their voices, it only turns into a fight. So let’s have our patient little Suyeon be the bigger person. Okay? You’re a good child. Let’s apologize first and make up, alright? That way, you can all get along again.’
‘D-Director!’
She was only 8 or 9 years old then.
And that so-called director had willingly handed her over to a pack of wolves. Just to avoid trouble himself, he had thrown her out as bait.
“At first, I thought I wasn’t trying hard enough. That I was the problem. That people hated me and stayed away because I was lacking. So I tried like crazy. I tried to be better, to be liked, to… live a better life. I gave it everything I had. But it was all in vain.”
“……”
“It just wasn’t meant to be. No one ever really saw me. No matter how much I shouted, no matter how I flailed around… no one would hear me if they didn’t want to listen or see me if they kept their eyes closed.”
Elluciana scrunched her nose slightly.
“So I wished for a miracle. For this misery to end. For happiness to come after all this suffering. For someone—anyone—to appear and just… listen to me.”
“……”
“I never once believed in God. Isn’t that funny?”
With a self-deprecating laugh, Elluciana let out a long sigh.
“…But you know what?”
Her tearful expression slowly softened into a gentle one. Though her eyes were puffy, she was clearly smiling.
“Miracles do exist.”
Just like how she was alive here and now.
Elluciana’s small, thin hand gently brushed the child’s bony hand.
“They really do exist. So you should wish for one too.”
Say that you want to live.
That you want to be saved.
To live like a human being. To be happy.
To live a life worth living.
“Wish for a miracle.”
Her words, like an incantation, came to a close.
And in that very moment—
Astein’s fingers twitched like a miracle.
Grab.
“……!”
A sudden, powerful grip seized her wrist.
They say that when someone is truly shocked, they can’t even scream.
Elluciana stared wide-eyed as Astein, like a corpse, raised their body.
Ssssshh.
The sound of the thin blanket rustling echoed like thunder in her ears.
Hair darker than night.
Skin so pale it was nearly white.
A body so thin, it looked as though it were stitched together from bones.
And—
Eyes as red as molten lava, burning fiercely.
Those eyes were staring directly at her now.
‘What kind of child has eyes like that…!’
So chilling.
Elluciana barely managed to speak, trying to shake off the goosebumps crawling up her neck.
“A-Are you awake?”
She forced an awkward smile and greeted the child kindly.
But Astein’s face was blank, like a wax doll.
Only the strength in their grip clearly conveyed their displeasure.
“Could you let go? That hurts, you know.”
Astein’s gaze slowly drifted downward—toward her arm. Just that one motion felt like a blade brushing past.
Elluciana instinctively swallowed.
“Well, not that this is a big deal or anything. Ha ha. I can put up with it.”
Still, Astein said nothing.
Elluciana gave a strained smile, doing her best to ignore her throbbing wrist.
“More importantly—do you know where you are?”
“……”
“This is the Wyars Viscount’s estate.”
“……”
“It’s okay, I wasn’t expecting an answer.”
Strangely, Astein’s grip seemed to tighten even more.
‘Don’t tell me…’
Seeing her hand turning red from lack of circulation, Elluciana quickly continued.
“You were collapsed in front of our house. I brought you in. Do you remember anything?”
Astein’s gaze clung to her like a leech, climbing up her arm. Elluciana flinched, then continued, pretending to be calm.
“You were badly wounded, so I treated the visible injuries first. Fortunately, they’ve healed well.”
“……”
“…You’re not feeling unwell anywhere, are you?”
The final question came with a bit of a grumble.
She had worried so much about the unconscious child, and now they were glaring at her the moment they woke up. It felt unfair.
‘And this grip—how does a sick kid have this kind of strength?!’
Definitely going to bruise.
Maybe sensing her disgruntled thoughts, Astein’s lips twitched just slightly.
But Elluciana didn’t notice—her eyes were fixed on her wrist.
“Hmm. Want to rest a bit more?”
“……”
“I treated your wounds, but your body’s still weak, so it’s best not to move right away. Oh! You must be hungry. You haven’t eaten anything yet. Should I make you some food?”
Then, Astein finally parted their lips.
“Water.”
“Hm?”
“…Water.”
The voice was rough—like metal scraping.
It sent chills down Elluciana’s spine.
“Water? You want water?”
Astein nodded slowly, and Elluciana felt a strange discomfort.
Maybe it was because of that unwavering eye contact.
There was something noble and unshaken about the child’s demeanor.
‘…Isn’t this child from the slums? Why do they seem so… natural about everything?’
A little flustered, Elluciana fumbled over her words.
“O-Of course. You must be very thirsty.”
“……”
“You were sweating a lot too. Wait just a moment, okay? I’ll go get you some water.”
Elluciana carefully stood up. Even then, it felt like something was pulling at her from behind.
‘No way… this child isn’t actually from a noble family, right?’
Judging by the tattered clothes, she had assumed they were from the slums.
But this composed, bold attitude didn’t seem ordinary at all.
‘No, come on… there’s no way.’
Elluciana shook her head.
If this child really was a noble, taking them in could be a huge problem.
Especially given their condition—on the brink of death and fleeing from something.
That would mean exposing the secrets of another house. It would be akin to meddling in their affairs.
She had just handed them a reason to start trouble.
What if it’s true?
This is why not everyone should be meddling in other people’s business.
The Wyars family wasn’t a house that bowed easily to others. But this world was one where “just cause” meant everything.
Elluciana decided she needed to speak with her father first.
This uneasiness couldn’t be ignored. If there really was wrongdoing, minimizing the damage came first.
‘Father will know what to do.’
Thinking of Simon and how he always said “I’ll do anything for you!” made her feel strangely reassured.
A warm smile spread across her lips.
That was when it happened.
“Where… are you going?”
Elluciana flinched without meaning to and slowly turned her head.
“H-Huh? Did you just say something to me?”
“I asked where… you’re going.”
Astein brushed their bangs back with fingers like twigs and stared directly at her.
And just like that, their stunning beauty was fully revealed.
