Prologue
“Meldor, you are the only heir and eldest son of the Alton family. Always carry that responsibility with you and never forget the weight of your position.”
“Yes, Father! I’ll keep that in mind!”
‘Ugh, how long is he going to drag out this farewell speech?’
Despite my inner sarcasm, I kept a smile on my face.
After endlessly showering Meldor with encouragement and advice, Father finally turned to look at me.
“Bellady.”
“Yes, Father.”
He looked at me without saying anything for a moment, as if unsure of what to say.
I simply stared quietly into his ruby-red eyes.
After a short silence, he finally spoke.
“You… I won’t worry too much about you.”
Compared to the speech he gave Meldor, it was a shockingly short farewell.
Meldor let out a snort. I ignored him completely and smiled even more sweetly.
“Of course, Father. As the ‘eldest’ of this house, I’ll manage the estate well while you’re away.”
Father didn’t respond. He simply mounted his horse.
“We depart.”
“Yes, Duke!”
At his command, the waiting soldiers opened the massive iron gates.
Clang—
As the gates creaked open, Father and the knights, who had packed lightly, rode out.
The early morning dust rose in the air, and the black manes of the horses whipped violently in the wind. They galloped away and soon became nothing but black dots on the horizon.
‘Goodbye, Father. I sincerely hope you stay up north for a long, long time.’
Just as I was silently wishing him farewell, I heard Meldor mutter behind me.
“Eldest, yeah right.”
I lowered my head to look at him. My adorable twelve-year-old little brother had the tall height and solid build typical of an Alton.
Of course, I was from the same bloodline, and my height was above average, so I could still look down at him. That clearly didn’t sit well with him—he pouted and rolled his eyes.
“What do you think you’re managing?”
I didn’t answer. I just stared at him in silence. Meldor, oblivious to my gaze, kept sneering.
“You really think you’re something now that Father’s gone? Don’t mess around—just stay quiet. You’ll get half the credit just for keeping your mouth shut, so don’t go causing trouble.”
With that, he strutted back into the mansion.
I followed him silently. He kept grumbling the whole way.
“What can you even do? All you ever do is hang out with your friends and go shopping.”
If I had to describe my little brother in one sentence, it would be:
“Our family’s spoiled prince who grew up too pampered like a greenhouse flower.”
But today marks the end of that era.
Father—the one who shielded the prince—would be away for a long time.
I kept listening patiently to Meldor’s rambling and naturally followed him into his room. Just then, a maid approached and whispered quietly, only loud enough for me to hear.
“The teleportation circle to the north has been activated.”
That meant Father had officially left the capital.
“Don’t come near this room until I say so.”
The maid bowed respectfully and left Meldor’s room. As soon as she shut the door, I locked it.
Click.
Meldor, who had been running his mouth, finally turned toward me.
“What the hell? I warned you, so get out now. Unlike you, I’ve got things to do.”
“Meldor.”
I looked into his eyes for a moment. The same pure blue as our mother’s—still filled with innocence.
“Like you said, I don’t have much going on.”
I took a step toward him. Surprised, he stepped back and bumped into the desk behind him.
“So, I thought it might be a good time to properly train this bratty puppy.”
“…What did you just say?”
His voice trembled slightly.
“First lesson: how to say ‘big sister.’”
I reached out and turned on the gramophone sitting on his desk. The symphony he used to listen to with Mother began to play.
I cranked the volume to the max.
“What are you doing?! Get out of my room now!”
Sensing danger a little too late, Meldor shoved my shoulder.
Naturally, I didn’t budge.
“W-What? You didn’t even flinch…?”
He looked at his hand, then back at me in disbelief. I met his gaze and gave him a sweet smile.
“That’s right, little brother. You’ve got a lot of energy right now, huh? Let’s start by draining some of that.”
“Ugh! Don’t come any closer! I said don’t come—!”
That evening, in the Alton mansion without its Duke—
“Aaaaargh—! S-Sister! I’m sorry! I said I’m sorry!”
Even the intense violin could not drown out the miserable screams echoing through the halls.
1.
“This is fucking ridiculous.”
Those were the first words out of my mouth when I became aware of my possession again.
This damned, shitty world.
“To hell with it all.”
I raised both hands and covered my face, but of course, it didn’t block out the cruel reality.
I clenched my teeth and let out a deep sigh.
My current name is Bellady Alton, age sixteen.
Until just a few hours ago, I’d been living as the eldest daughter of the Duke of Alton, faithfully and properly. My mother’s funeral had just been held yesterday.
‘And now I suddenly remember that I’m in a novel?’
Does this make any sense? I’d been living as Bellady all my life—then out of nowhere, I realize I’m possessed? Unbelievable!
I lay in bed, tormented, until a knock came at the door.
“Lady Bellady? Are you awake? We’ve brought a light breakfast.”
I stayed silent for a moment before reluctantly replying.
“Come in.”
At my permission, the door opened and the maids began bustling about.
I sat up and leaned against the headboard. Soon, a breakfast tray was set in front of me.
“You can leave. I don’t need any help.”
“Yes, Lady Bellady. Please call us if you need anything.”
After they left, I downed a glass of cold water.
‘No matter how absurd this is, I should eat first.’
I stabbed a piece of bacon with my fork and shoved it into my mouth. Then I pressed the cold cup to my swollen eyes. Crying my heart out for three days at Mother’s passing had left them puffy.
The chill helped soothe the sting a little.
‘I’ll ask for some cooling packs after breakfast.’
My body ached all over, so I might as well get a massage too.
That thought made me laugh bitterly.
“Seriously, this is ridiculous.”
Ordering servants around like it was second nature… The me from my past life, who insisted on doing everything herself, would never believe it.
As I ate, I started sorting out the situation.
This wasn’t the first time I realized I was possessed.
I’d first become aware of it a long time ago.
‘About… sixteen years ago.’
Right after I was born, when I was old enough to perceive colors.
What made me realize it back then was my mother’s appearance. She was exactly as described in the novel—silver hair, blue eyes, breathtakingly beautiful.
The moment she looked into my eyes and smiled, I knew.
‘Ah… this is the world of that novel I read right before I died.’
And as soon as I realized that, I cried like there was no tomorrow.
I was too young to handle the shock of possession and the unfamiliar world.
As a newborn who refused to eat for days and screamed herself hoarse, I worried my mother sick. Eventually, she cast a “Spirit Magic” spell on me.
The Duchess of Alton, heroine of the original story and my mother, had been a legendary magician with a close bond with the Spirit of Ice.
Thanks to that magic, I quickly found peace.
‘Though as a side effect… I completely lost my memories of my past life.’
I returned to being a normal baby and lived as Bellady Alton ever since.
But this morning, right after Mother’s death, those forgotten memories came crashing back.
‘Only after the person who cast the spell died…!’
Regaining my past life’s memories wasn’t a huge problem. I was old enough now, and I’d lived long enough as Bellady that the world didn’t feel strange.
‘…It shouldn’t have been a problem.’
“If only I weren’t the eldest daughter.”
I gripped my fork tightly. The metal bent under the pressure, but I didn’t care.
I finished my meal irritably and rang the bell. The maids returned.
I asked as they cleared the tray, “Where’s Father and Meldor?”
“The Duke is in his office, and the Young Master is still asleep.”
Young Master? Yeah, right.
I snorted inwardly and waved them off.
“I see. You can go.”
“Shall we help you dress for the day?”
“I’m not getting ready now. Leave.”
Noticing my sour mood, they quietly exited.
Alone again, I got out of bed and went to the bathroom. The grand mirror hanging inside made me sigh.
“This definitely isn’t a normal possession.”
In the mirror was the face I’d seen countless times.
Dark black hair, ruby-red eyes. A stunningly beautiful face, tall for my age, and an overwhelming aura even while silent.
And most of all, the face—an exact replica of the young Duke Alton from the photos—stared back at me.
‘For the past 16 years, I thought I just took after Father.’
I tried to recall the plot of the novel I’d read.
Roughly speaking, it was a parenting fantasy about a young girl being adopted into a noble house, receiving endless affection from her new father and brothers, and learning spirit magic.
And the Alton family—the one I belong to—was the family that adopted her.
So far, nothing strange.
But here’s the kicker—
“Why the hell am I the eldest daughter?”
The character I possessed…
The eldest of the Alton family wasn’t a daughter in the original.
He was the cold, charismatic, and fiercely protective eldest brother—the one who doted endlessly on the female lead.
And I… was supposed to be him.
