CHAPTER 1
Thump, thump…
My heart raced wildly.
I was at the border checkpoint town of Bernil. The bustling city was alive with excitement.
“Have you heard? The new Emperor is cutting tax rates in half!”
“No way! Finally, they stopped press-ganging our youth as shields against the monsters?”
“They say the new Emperor has fought hundreds of beasts by himself! Even the famed Sergeev family bowed before his swordsmanship!”
Everywhere I went, they were talking about the Emperor. I sighed and glanced aside—only to find a massive wanted poster plastered on the wall.
It featured a woman’s portrait—someone missing.
“But we can’t exactly celebrate… The Empress has gone missing. It’s terrifying and heartbreaking.”
“Whoever kidnapped Her Majesty must be found—and their limbs should be torn apart as punishment!”
I lightly touched my own limbs.
I was the one who had orchestrated this disappearance—me alone.
“But don’t be too upset. The Emperor has dispatched knights across the Empire to find her.”
I bristled.
That lunatic! He’s plastered wanted posters everywhere and deployed knights? He must have manpower to spare!
My chest tightened in frustration. This wasn’t how I’d planned our escape.
“More—Prince Sergeev’s knights are searching the entire border region!”
My brothers’ names shot through my mind: “Why are you involved in this mess?”
Now, three of the strongest knights on the continent were chasing me. My palms sweated.
This wasn’t in the contract I made with that guy.
But… I’m almost there.
One more checkpoint, and I’d be out of the Empire. Then I could run full force toward my quiet, peaceful retirement spot!
Just then—a small bird fluttered in and landed on my shoulder.
[Alert! Alert!]
It whispered inside my coat pocket. It wasn’t a bird—it was my magic doll, Rossi.”
[He’s close! He’s close!]
When Rossi called someone “him,” there was only one person she meant.
My heart pounded. I whispered fearfully:
“How close is he?”
Just then, a guard boomed:
“Attention! All checkpoints are temporarily suspended! Remain where you are!”
Panic rippled through the crowd.
Suspending checks? No way…
He’s right here.
I had to choose—freeze or run.
The guards began inspecting faces one by one. I bit my lip and slid my hand toward the hidden knife in my sleeve.
Though I’d spent most of my time tinkering in workshops, I was still of the Sergeev family—the Empire’s top swordsmanship clan. I trusted my reflexes.
I would run to the warp-device hidden nearby and escape.
Silently, I slipped out of line.
“Hey! Stop!”
A sharp-eyed guard spotted me. I dodged his reach and drew my knife.
“Let go!”
“One…”
When I swung, the guard yelped.
Yes! Press the hilt into his wrist to subdue him, then—
Suddenly—thwap!
Someone grabbed my wrist.
“That’s not how you do it, Lillian.”
A deep, suffocating voice.
Then, a warm body closed in around my back.
I shivered from head to toe.
Turning, I saw golden eyes glinting like sunlight.
It was Eden—the one who taught me swordsmanship and my only childhood friend.
“You were supposed to strike the throat exactly, remember?”
He demonstrated by aiming my knife at my own neck—all while still holding me close. His hood slid back—and the crowd gasped:
“Your Majesty the Emperor!”
“Your Majesty!”
Black hair, gold eyes—his features were doll-like, majestic. And on his back—an enormous greatsword.
No one in the Empire could miss recognizing the new Emperor.
Slowly, people knelt before him.
“…How did you find me?”
I bit my lip, glaring at him. He smiled—warm, radiant as sunshine.
“I know your heart, Lillian. You were always by my side.”
“Then why didn’t you—?”
“I thought you were drowning without me.”
He hugged me tightly—once a small boy, now the Emperor holding me hostage.
“Every moment, I thought you were dying when I wasn’t there.”
He reached into his cloak and pulled out a fist-sized magic stone. The crowd stared in awe at the glowing gem.
“It keeps you alive, right? Even if you hate me, don’t refuse what I can give.”
What?
His honeyed voice made me shiver.
“Finally, everything is within my grasp.”
He pressed the stone against my chest. Then, with one hand, cradled my neck softly and spoke, pleading:
“But if you leave me… none of this matters. It’s like I’d be the king of dust. Miserable. Do you know that feeling, Lillian?”
“Eden.”
When I spoke his name, he looked up—like a faithful hound, eyes shining.
“Please… don’t hate me, my lady.”
He even used my old title.
“P-Pardon?”
That golden gaze—possessive as resin.
I sighed.
I had raised him carefully, road-tested all his flaws—and he’d become a perfect obsessive male lead, just like in the original story.
The problem? That line—he was delivering it to me.
Where did everything go wrong…?
I wanted to upload this to a talk show back on Earth and figure out who messed up my parenting style.
I regained memories of my previous life when I was twelve—when I tumbled from a tree trying to dodge my sister Eloise’s water prank.
In my past life, I was Sin Yuna: a university girl in South Korea, top of my mechanical engineering class at the country’s best school, headed for a big tech job.
I nearly made it—only to have one of the guys who always begged me for homework answers snag the final job instead. I found out he’d pulled some privileges from connections.
Drunk, I got hit by a truck—and that was the end of Ying Yuna.
Here, by contrast, I woke up in a noble family—the Sergeev family, renowned across the Empire for their swordsmanship.
Sounds great—but this world was riddled with monsters. And I recognized the family name from my past life’s favorite otome game: The Demon King’s Partner.
The game followed the heroine Eloise, who escaped the palace after being kidnaped by the Emperor, only to fall into a captivity ending where she’s told, “You’re always in my palm.”
And that poor heroine—Eloise Sergeev—was my sister.
My real sister Eloise has always been delicate, sheltered, adored by stern brothers, a strict butler, and even my scary father.
I envied her and bullied her—pulling her hair, tripping her, releasing mice into her room…
I fainted once trying to prank her with water—but dropped and hit my head.
When I remembered everything, I realized I was a real troublemaker.
I’ll never forget how my sister came to see me:
“Lillian! You’re awake! Thank God!”
I cried when she held me.
That’s when I realized her tears weren’t fake. She truly—and deeply—cared for me.
“…I’ll never stop loving you, Lillian.”
At that moment, I made a promise:
Screw the original plot. No more demonic obsessive Emperor for my sister.
That evening, I ran away to save her from that fate.
The next day, my father returned home:
“Lillian Sergeev. I have a gift for you.”
He handed me a boy—like a doll, but real: black hair, golden eyes.
“A—and who is he?” I stammered.
Father had monster blood on his armor—looked fierce.
“Your puppet.” He replied coldly.
A puppet? A real boy? He reminded me of a cursed toy.
“Your age now—you don’t need mechanical toys.”
I love machines—but Father coldly defined “puppet.”
—
I swallowed unease and asked the boy his name.
He narrowed his eyes, looked fierce.
“Answer.”
Father’s voice cut through. The boy ground his teeth:
“I—am Eden. No surname—just… Eden.”
I stepped back, struck with dread.
Eden: the obsessive male lead of The Demon King’s Partner.
No way… my sister’s obsessively in love with some psycho?!
I quietly recoiled, as if repulsed by a disease.
God, why is this my life?
I thought I was escaping the tropes—but the cavalry is back.
