Soft sunlight streamed through the windows. As the rays touched the freshly laundered white blankets, they seemed to sparkle.
The maid who entered the room looked anxious, careful not to make even the slightest sound. She tiptoed to the bedside and whispered gently.
“Princess, did you sleep well? I was about to prepare your wash basin…”
Lying in bed, Seraphina stared at the maid with wide, startled eyes.
Her small head was filled with confusion.
‘What…? Didn’t I… die?’
After returning to the past, she had chosen death. She’d clearly felt her heart stop.
Was it luck that she had survived? No, something was off. This unease—it felt familiar, as though she had experienced it before…
“Serra, are you awake?”
The moment she heard that voice, a chill crept up Seraphina’s spine.
She sat up and turned toward the door—Quillian was entering. Just like last time.
As Seraphina froze, Quillian strode quickly toward the bed. As before, his face was filled with concern as he checked her condition.
“Serra, are you alright? Are you feeling ill—”
“N-No! I’m fine! I’m going to go wash my face now!”
With a pale face, Seraphina dashed into the washroom. It was a retreat—no, an escape.
Left alone, Seraphina could only stare in horror.
‘Did I… return again?’
She had definitely died. She remembered the stillness of her stopped heart, the pain of dying.
Did she return every time she died? There was only one way to be sure: test it again.
Seraphina locked the washroom door tightly and activated her magic. Just like before, she forced her heart to stop, and the princess met death once more.
And when she opened her eyes, she was lying in bed. Morning had arrived again. Once more, the maid approached and spoke gently.
‘Again? I came back again?’
On this third repeating morning, Seraphina could only stare in disbelief.
She clenched her small fists tightly. Despair and rage began to bubble up within her.
‘Am I… incapable of dying?’
If she couldn’t die, then only one ending awaited her.
As long as the Demon King’s seed remained within her, sooner or later, she would become the Demon King.
And another dreadful feeling crept in.
Before Quillian entered, Seraphina leapt from bed and ran to the washroom.
Bursting in with a clatter, she stood before the mirror.
Activating her magic once more, the mark near her collarbone appeared. What she saw made her gasp.
‘The seed… has grown?’
She had sensed the Demon King’s energy growing stronger—and it was true.
At first, there had only been a diamond-shaped symbol. But now, two thin lines had sprouted from it.
Like roots stretching out from a seed.
Seraphina withdrew her magic and pressed her small hand against her collarbone.
‘Don’t tell me… every time I die and return, the seed grows stronger…?’
The first time she had returned to the past, the Demon King’s seed had also reverted to its original state. But now, it hadn’t reset.
If its growth carried over even with regression, then things would become dire.
If she kept trying to die, the seed might bloom before she had a chance to stop it.
Seraphina bit her small lip.
‘I thought regression was a blessing from the gods… but I was wrong.’
This wasn’t a divine gift—it was fate’s cruelty. It felt like the world itself was obsessed with making her into the Demon King.
At this rate, only one future awaited her.
A future of ruin, with everyone dead—because she became the Demon King.
‘I can’t let that happen. I have to find a way.’
Thankfully, she still had a few years before she would become the Demon King.
The seed’s condition for blooming was wrongdoing.
She had become the Demon King only after reaching adulthood—so if she lived virtuously, perhaps she could delay it further.
She had to find a way during that time.
‘First… I need to stop my family from becoming tyrants because of me.’
In her life before regression, her father had become a tyrant—showering her with lavish gifts and even starting a war.
And Seraphina had encouraged him every step of the way, leading her soul to fall into corruption quickly and thoroughly.
In the process, the Kingdom of Astrea made many enemies and was driven into a corner.
“Princess, are you awake?”
Just then, a knock came, and a familiar voice called from outside the washroom.
It wasn’t the maid or Quillian—but the voice was warm and familiar.
Hearing it, Seraphina’s eyes trembled.
“May I come in?”
“Y-Yes…!”
The person who entered was Emma Gray, Seraphina’s former nanny.
She, too, had died because of Seraphina. No—Seraphina had killed her.
Every time Seraphina strayed from the right path, Emma had offered sincere advice—and ultimately lost her life for it.
The moment she saw Emma, Seraphina burst into tears once more.
“Princess?!”
Emma rushed forward and pulled Seraphina into her arms. The warmth of her embrace—undeniably the warmth of the living.
She’s someone I killed.
Seraphina swallowed those words. Emma simply gazed at her with deep concern.
“Princess, what’s wrong? Are you hurt?”
“N-No… I just had a dream…”
Tears continued to stream down her face. Emma was momentarily flustered, but she gently wiped Seraphina’s tears with both hands.
“It’s alright. It was just a dream. You’re awake now, so everything’s okay.”
But hearing her voice only made Seraphina cry harder. She sobbed in Emma’s arms.
“Emma… I’m sorry. I’m so sorry… It was my fault. I’m sorry…”
Emma was surprised by the sudden apology, but soon gently patted Seraphina’s back.
“Did you perhaps stay up late again last night? You’ll sleep early today, right?”
“Y-Yes…”
“You’ll brush your teeth properly too?”
“Mm-hm…”
“You’ll eat your vegetables, too?”
At those words, Seraphina unintentionally let out a small laugh. It was the strange comfort of truly being back in the past.
To think she would one day become a criminal of countless atrocities—and now she was being lectured about brushing and vegetables.
Emma smiled softly, relieved to see her laughing.
“You’re not crying anymore. Shall we start brushing your teeth then?”
“Yes, okay.”
Feeling slightly calmer, Seraphina began washing up and brushing her teeth. Even these ordinary actions felt unfamiliar in her small body.
Emma looked pleasantly surprised as Seraphina brushed with great care.
“My, you’re brushing very thoroughly today. Well done. You usually rush through it.”
“…I’ve reflected on myself.”
Getting praised for brushing her teeth left her feeling oddly embarrassed and shy.
Once she finished washing her face with her tiny hands, Emma used a soft towel to pat her face dry.
Feeling awkward and guilty, Seraphina squirmed.
“Emma, I’m not a little kid…!”
“Yes, you’re turning ten this year.”
Emma said it with a smile as she set the towel aside.
Even the slight pout on the little princess’s face looked adorable to her.
Once she had finished freshening up, Seraphina stepped outside.
If dying was no longer an option—then she had to live.
‘I can’t live the way I did before. First, stop the excess and tyranny. Then, figure out how to stop the Demon King’s seed from blooming…’
As Seraphina was lost in thought, she noticed someone standing at the center of the room.
It was the king—Quillian.
“Serra.”
The moment he saw Seraphina, he strode over. His eyes focused solely on his young daughter.
He scooped her up into his arms. His crimson eyes gleamed sharply.
“You were crying, weren’t you?”
Even though she had washed her face, the puffiness around her eyes was still visible. There was no way Quillian would’ve missed it.
He was a man who showed no emotion even at news of an invasion from a neighboring kingdom—yet now, his face was full of shock and concern.
His precious daughter had cried first thing in the morning. Something must have happened.
“What on earth happened? Why were you crying?”
His blood-red eyes turned toward Emma.
The look he gave her was sharper than the word lethal could describe.
He was notorious for doting on his daughter beyond reason. But even he hadn’t expected it to go this far.
Before Seraphina was born, he had debated whether he ought to kill her.
The prophecy had said: The princess must die. He hadn’t entirely believed it—but he couldn’t ignore it either.
In the past, a king had chosen to raise a princess instead of killing her. The outcome had been grim.
It wasn’t that the princess had directly destroyed the world. But people believed she had.
There were many who feared the very existence of a princess. Though it was just a prophecy, there were those who believed it blindly.
The Holy Kingdom of Zera, in particular, viewed the princess as a threat. Even within the kingdom, there were many uneasy citizens.
Natural disasters that occurred every few years were blamed on the princess. Even minor accidents and incidents were attributed to her existence.
Even if the princess caused no harm, people would resent her in the end.
That resentment would then be directed at the royal family—and destabilize the nation.
Considering all that, perhaps the princess would be better off dead. That’s what Quillian had once believed…
“Serra, did Madame Gray scold you? Is that why you cried?”
From the moment Seraphina was born, he had fallen in love.
So small, so soft and white—she looked more like a spring fairy or an angel than a human. And because she resembled her mother, even more so.
Prophecy, politics—those thoughts were erased from his mind in an instant.
From the beginning, he cherished Seraphina more than his own life. And after her mother died, that love only deepened.
To him, Seraphina became everything. No—she was more precious than the world itself.
And now, that beloved Seraphina was crying. His mind went blank.
Who—who dared make his daughter cry?
“Madame Gray. If you did something to Serra, then—!”
“D-Dad! Don’t be mad at Emma!”
