Chapter 2 – Awakening in a Stranger’s Life
A carriage awaited them at the path leading back to the count’s estate.
With a gentle smile, Yulia took hold of Julai’s hand—firmly, almost forcefully—pulling her into the carriage. Julai stumbled in after her.
Yulia sat gracefully, crossing her legs. Julai took a seat diagonally across from her.
The smile Yulia wore while admiring the crest on the back of her hand soon vanished. She let out a small scoff, her expression turning contemptuous.
“Poor Julai. Even your last shred of hope is gone. What will you do now that no one cares about you anymore?”
“…”
“Did you actually believe His Highness the Crown Prince, the great Archmage, and even the Count himself would’ve shown any interest in you if not for your water powers?”
It was true. Without being a Water successor candidate, Julai would’ve never crossed paths with them.
But the fact remained—she had been a candidate, and she had built connections with them.
That, at least, was real.
Still, Julai bit her lip instead of replying. She knew better than to provoke Yulia and bring down her wrath.
“You’ll leave the manor tomorrow. Consider it my parting gift to you.”
The declaration was made coldly, without hesitation. Julai let out a hollow laugh.
…So this was how it would end.
Though adopted into the Count’s household, Julai was never properly introduced into society. She had never even been publicly acknowledged.
To the outside world, she was a sickly girl, confined to her room. The Count’s family had adopted her to polish their image and strengthen ties with the other elemental successors. She had always been a disposable piece in their game.
“Now… what should I wear next week?” Yulia mused, flipping through a fashion magazine she’d left in the carriage. She hummed a tune Julai didn’t recognize—no doubt a melody from one of the upcoming balls.
Julai clenched her fists.
Today had officially become the worst day of her life.
Back at the estate, Julai climbed the stairs to the cramped attic room she called her own. It wasn’t much—just a bed and a table—but it was the only place she could breathe freely.
“…There’s really nothing left now.”
Even if she left, there was no guarantee life would get any better. It could easily get worse. At least here, she had a roof over her head… and the illusion of hope.
But hope had betrayed her too many times.
What reason do I have to keep living?
She was tired. Tired of watching every dream, every ounce of hope, crumble into dust.
Julai moved toward the window.
Maybe… if she died here, she could curse the household that brought her to this point.
At least she wouldn’t have to watch Yulia bask in the affection Julai had been denied—warmth, love, belonging.
That was what scared her most. That Yulia would be easily loved. That it would prove Julai had been the problem all along.
She opened the window. The wind tousled her hair.
One more step.
Her body left the ledge, suspended in air before beginning its descent.
The wind was cool. The air against her skin was strangely sweet.
The sky, the wind, the stars…
Everything was dazzling.
But Julai didn’t die.
When she opened her eyes, a stranger’s face hovered above her.
“She’s awake! The young lady’s awake!”
The voice was loud and shrill, making Julai wince. A new maid?
“I-I’ll fetch the Count right away!”
The woman scurried off in a panic.
Calling the Count over just because I fainted? Julai thought bitterly.
They must’ve realized it was a suicide attempt.
Julai bit down hard on her lip.
…This isn’t how it was supposed to happen.
She should’ve fallen from a higher window, ensured death. Surviving meant consequences—ones she didn’t want to face.
Yulia had a habit of using Julai as her personal stress relief. The beatings were regular. The Count and his wife turned a blind eye.
Even the manor staff knew better than to intervene. Yulia and her parents ran the household. Julai was always the outcast.
Even so, Yulia had been careful. She never left visible marks. She always made sure no one outside the family would suspect anything.
What punishment awaits me now?
Julai didn’t want to imagine it.
She sighed deeply and pulled the blanket over her head.
If she was going to be punished anyway, she at least wanted to rest before it came.
Under the covers, the world was dark and quiet. Here, she didn’t have to worry. Here, at least, she could feel safe.
The bed was soft. The blankets warm and clean.
“Young lady, your mother is here. Please get up!”
The voice of a maid broke the silence. Julai immediately flung off the blanket.
…Mother?
The word sounded foreign. Maybe the new maid had made a mistake.
Wait a minute…
Something felt off.
The woman who stood before her had kind, trembling eyes and an unfamiliar face—gentle, emotional, and completely unrecognizable.
Julai stared, certain she wasn’t mistaken.
“…Sevtina?”
Sevtina. A name Julai had never heard before.
What’s going on?
Before she could say another word, the woman embraced her tightly, tears in her eyes.
“I knew you’d come back to us one day. I’ve never stopped believing…”
Her voice trembled with overwhelming emotion.
Julai blinked, trying to make sense of what she’d just heard.
She thinks I’m someone named Sevtina…
She had to correct this misunderstanding.
Julai opened her mouth cautiously.
“Um, I’m not—”
“Sevtina!”
Another voice rang out.
“Is it true? She’s really awake, Mother?!”
More people rushed into the room.
The woman released her, nodding furiously.
As Julai looked around, faces began to come into view.
…Wait.
Cordelia Zeros?
Julai had only seen her once, but her image was unforgettable.
Long silver hair cascading to her waist, pitch-black eyes peeking out from beneath her bangs, feline features sharpened by her poised elegance. The air around her was commanding.
She was the one Yulia had desperately wanted to befriend. A daughter of House Zeros and the vice-commander of the Imperial Knight Order.
Julai remembered Yulia’s efforts—sending gifts, trying to host her, fawning over her… to no avail.
Cordelia’s personality didn’t mesh well with Yulia’s. Julai remembered hearing Yulia curse her for being cold and unapproachable.
Julai had never gotten a chance to interact with her. Never even dreamed of it.
And yet, Cordelia was now standing directly in front of her.
Her expression was unreadable, but her eyes were pink-rimmed, wet.
Why is she crying?
Cordelia took a deep breath and said solemnly:
“Sevtina. I’m your sister.”
…What?
She thinks I’m Sevtina, too?
Was everyone in this house under the same delusion?
“Cordelia, I know you mean well, but don’t overwhelm her,” came a deeper voice from the side.
A middle-aged man stroked his beard, calm but stern.
“It’s best to explain things slowly. Don’t agitate her.”
He looked nothing like Cordelia, but something in his presence felt powerful.
Julai tilted her head in confusion.
“I am Eustian Zeros,” he said gently. “Your father.”
Silver hair, now faded and antique in tone, shimmered softly under the light. Though different in hue, it matched Cordelia’s lineage.
…Eustian Zeros?
He had visited the Count’s estate before. Julai remembered being ordered to stay out of sight when he arrived. The name was familiar, though she had never seen his face.
But now, standing before her, his resemblance to Cordelia was undeniable.
Three people. All convinced she was someone else.
All calling her Sevtina.
…I was going to die.
Falling from that window should’ve killed her.
No one should’ve survived.
And yet, she was alive.
No way…
As the implications hit her, Julai looked straight at Cordelia and asked, her voice trembling:
“May I see a mirror?”
Without hesitation, Cordelia handed her one.
Julai took a deep breath and brought the mirror to her face.
…
Just as she feared.
Long pink hair fluttered down past her hips.
Eyes, black and glittering like polished obsidian, peeked through pale lashes.
Skin whiter than moonlight. Rosy lips.
Her reflection was not her own.
“…Sevtina,” Cordelia whispered.
Julai blinked. The face in the mirror blinked back.
It was only then that it finally began to feel real.
She wasn’t in her own body anymore.
She was in the body of Sevtina Zeros.
The youngest daughter of House Zeros.
Six years younger than her sister Cordelia.
Known for her rare beauty—pink hair, noble bearing, and delicate features.
Had she grown up normally, she would’ve become the darling of high society.
But Sevtina had been born unconscious—never waking even once in her life.
She had survived only through the combined efforts of priests and physicians.
Though her body lived, no one had believed she would ever open her eyes.
Until now.
