Chapter 1
“Arno, sit here.”
I patted the seat next to me with a serious look on my face.
“Agnès, are you still mad? No matter how much you pout, I can’t do anything about it this time.”
“Can’t you just not go? Or choose a different academy? Does it have to be Hyaelern?”
“You don’t get it, kid. There’s no school more prestigious than Hyaelern.”
“Ugh, you education snob! This world is messed up!”
“Where do you even learn to talk like that?”
Maybe he thought I was sneaking off to shady alleys. Arno shook his head and muttered.
“So you’re really going to leave me and go to Hyaelern?”
“If someone overheard, they’d think I’m abandoning you in a gutter and running away.”
“You are leaving me here alone!”
“My dear sister, are you really that sad I’m going?”
Arno messed up my hair playfully, and I slapped his hand away.
“This isn’t about being sad or not. Listen to me carefully. You absolutely must not become friends with anyone who has black hair and red eyes, got it?”
“Agnès, judging people like that is wrong. And half the Empire has black hair. Red eyes are rare, but still…”
“Just say you understand. If you want to survive the first day at the academy.”
I bared my teeth like I wasn’t backing down on this, no matter what.
“Why are you so worked up about this?
Did you have a nightmare about someone with black hair and red eyes eating me or something?”
“Listen carefully. If you hang around someone with black hair and red eyes, you’re destined for an early death.”
“What?”
Arno looked completely confused. I grabbed his cheeks and turned his face toward me.
“Repeat after me: I. Will. Not. Befriend. Anyone. With. Black. Hair. And. Red. Eyes.”
“…”
“I. WILL. NOT. BEFRIEND. ANYONE. WITH. BLACK. HAIR. AND. RED. EYES.”
“…Ah wheel nawt befrand anione wif black hair an’ red eyes.”
Oh, come on.
“Properly!”
“Fine! I will not befriend anyone with black hair and red eyes. Happy now?”
“You’re promising me, right?”
“Yeah, yeah.”
Arno sighed and nodded, clearly giving in.
“If you break your promise, you better be ready to get erased from the family register.”
“Yes, ma’am. Got it.”
I finally got him to promise, but I still couldn’t shake off the anxiety.
It wasn’t without reason that I warned him about black hair and red eyes.
The one Arno would meet at the academy, the one with black hair and red eyes—
César Valdeon.
He was the final villain in the original story. A ruthless killer with no blood or tears.
The only heir to the Valdeon Duchy,
César would eventually lead a rebellion against the royal family. Arno, who sided with him, would die during the war.
The shock of losing his son would lead our father to fall into illness and pass away.
Our family—House Franteya—would crumble after losing both its head and heir.
I wouldn’t let that tragedy happen.
I didn’t want to lose anything—not my family, not our future.
“He better have taken me seriously…”
The next day, with no idea how I felt, Arno left for the academy with a big smile on his face.
* * *
Four months later, summer break began.
It was the day Arno was coming home, and I waited excitedly in the garden.
Finally, the carriage arrived, and Arno got out, grinning from ear to ear.
“Agnès! Why do you look so chubby now?”
Seriously? That’s your first greeting?
“Looks like life at the academy suits you. Your shirt’s practically bursting.”
As we bantered, the carriage door opened again, and someone else stepped out.
‘Huh? Is someone else coming?’
“Who…?”
I turned my head in confusion and first saw a man’s head—
His neatly styled black hair fluttered in the wind.
Wait. Black… hair?
As the tall man raised his face slowly, sunlight gleamed off his ruby-red eyes.
No way.
Red eyes?
I stood there stunned, mouth hanging open, staring at the man in shock.
He had elegant features and looked like a perfectly sculpted statue made by a god.
Black hair, red eyes, and a face you’d never forget.
There was only one person who fit that description.
“Agnès, meet my friend from the academy! He’s staying with us over the break.
Valdeon, this is my sister Agnès.”
Just like that, Arno said the name I had desperately wanted to avoid.
That damn brother of mine.
He actually did it.
The family register…
Where’s that thing?
“…”
I stared daggers at Arno without saying a word.
Eventually, César spoke up first.
“You must be Arno’s sister. I’m César of House Valdeon.”
I looked up at him blankly, then reluctantly replied.
“…I’m Agnès.”
“Nice to meet you. Let’s get along this summer.”
“……”
I stayed silent, and Arno frowned slightly and gave me a side-eye.
“César, sorry. My sister’s a bit wary of strangers. Hope you don’t mind.”
“It’s fine. It’s normal to feel uncomfortable when someone new shows up at your house.”
“Let’s go unpack. Butler! Show César to his room.”
“Yes, Master Arno.”
“And Agnès. You and I will have a talk later.”
Arno lightly flicked my forehead and disappeared into the house with César.
Even though I felt like I was sinking into a pit of despair, Arno looked super excited to be home.
Ugh! This is bad.
What a useless family member. I was doing this for him, you know.
But what else could I do? That idiot was my idiot to protect.
* * *
I wasn’t born with memories of my past life.
I only started remembering when I turned ten.
In the Artines Empire, a child’s 10th birthday is called Lucia’s Day, and it’s a special occasion.
You have to receive a holy blessing at the temple early in the morning.
So on my birthday, I was dragged to the temple with barely any sleep, my eyes still sticky with sleep crust.
“In the name of the goddess, we give this blessing. May all sins of the past be washed away, and may the child walk only in light.”
The high priest in charge of the blessing looked me in the eyes, and I blinked awkwardly in silence.
“Hmm-hmm.”
I had dozed off during the earlier explanation, so I had no idea what I was supposed to do. I just kept darting my eyes around nervously.
Seeing this, Arno leaned over and whispered, pointing at the golden basin in front of me,
“Agnès, you’re supposed to dunk your head in the holy water!”
“Oh!”
I suddenly shoved my whole face into the basin.
I did it with such force that the holy water splashed everywhere.
“Gasp! That water’s sacred!”
One of the priests watching jumped in shock.
But I didn’t care. The moment I dunked my head deep into the holy water—
Suddenly, memories of my past life came flooding in like a tidal wave.
And in just a few seconds, I realized…
I had been reincarnated inside a novel called To Win Your Love.
“Agnès, you can lift your head now.”
“……”
“Agnès?”
“……”
“Agnès! Lift your head right now!”
“Agnès!”
No matter how many times they called, I didn’t move.
Finally, Arno hurriedly pulled me up out of the water himself.
“Puhah…”
Still dazed from all the overwhelming memories, I gasped for breath.
Arno looked down at me with a worried, twisted expression.
“What kind of crazy stunt was that?”
“This can’t be real…”
I mumbled blankly.
At that moment, I couldn’t care less about the angry Arno, the shocked archbishop, or anyone else around.
This was a novel?
I muttered in disbelief, and then fainted in Arno’s arms.
When I opened my eyes again, it was early the next morning, just as the sun was rising.
My hands felt trapped—
One was being held tightly by my father, the other by Arno. Both had fallen asleep beside me.
Sensing I was awake, Arno suddenly opened his eyes wide.
“Agnès! Are you okay? Does your head hurt? Your heart? Your stomach?”
“I’m fine. But… What about my birthday present?”
You promised to buy me Madame Durelle’s dress.
Even after fainting and just waking up, the first thing I asked about was my gift.
Arno stared at me in disbelief.
“You… seriously? After all that, the first thing you say is—birthday present? Are you kidding me?!”
“Agnès!”
Our father woke up a moment later, calling my name and pulling me into a hug.
“What about my birthday party…?”
“That’s what you’re worried about? Fine! Once you’re better, we’ll throw you a birthday party every single day!”
Yeah… back then, it was just a little shocking.
But I didn’t think it was a big deal.
After all, our family were just minor background characters in the original story.
So I figured I could just live peacefully, away from the main plot, like we always had.
