Episode 1
Her life had always been ordinary.
Maybe a little lonelier than most, but books and media kept her company, so she never had time to feel empty.
Then she died suddenly, and before she could even understand what had happened, she woke up… inside the world of a novel.
“I am Alicia Lucan…”
A woman with flowing platinum‑blond hair and blue eyes brighter than jewels.
Her life was full of loneliness and fear, an empty shell.
“Empress of the Empire, and heir to the truth of the great sage Lucan.”
The first time she opened her eyes as Alicia, she was lost and confused.
People whispered that she had been burning with fever, rambling nonsense, maybe even gone mad.
Those rumors gave her time to quietly learn how to survive in this new world.
“And… a life that meant nothing.”
Ten years have passed since she became Alicia.
In the mirror, nearing thirty, she looked pale and ghostlike, no trace of the youthful beauty she had at twenty.
Her weak body felt like it wouldn’t survive the sickness spreading this year.
“I don’t care if I die anymore.”
She could almost feel death breathing down her neck again.
“It would be better than seeing him again.”
As she adjusted to this life, she learned strict palace etiquette and followed the teachings of Lucan’s family.
But nothing scared her more than facing her husband—Kaien, the most brutal tyrant in the Empire’s history.
“Poor, foolish Alicia.”
Her dry lips trembled as she breathed what might be her last breath.
In the original novel, Alicia was just a side character barely mentioned… so why did she keep clinging to life?
“Even after living twice…”
If death was going to be this lonely and meaningless anyway, she shouldn’t have endured her husband’s cold stares and repeated the Lucan family’s ideals like a puppet.
“Living has no point.”
She couldn’t even remember her old name or who she used to be.
Even the ten years as Alicia felt like a meaningless story.
“Once I die, that’s it.”
She had no precious memories or happy moments to hold on to.
She only wished that before she died, she wouldn’t have to see his face again.
“Yes… This is the end.”
Her final breath shook, and then death came quietly, swallowing her in darkness.
She felt relieved that she could finally part with Alicia’s life forever.
It felt like a very long dream.
She kept falling into darkness, then suddenly a blinding light began to spread.
“It’s so bright…”
If death was pure darkness, then what was this light?
A voice answered—a voice she recognized.
“Your Majesty, can you hear me?”
Her eyes blinked open slowly, stinging from the light.
She felt her lungs breathing, her body aching all over—sensations far from death.
“No way…”
Why had death left her?
Did she have to go back to living like a withering plant in the palace, quietly swallowing her feelings?
She had never wanted to live Alicia’s unhappy life.
“Your Majesty, you remember me, don’t you? I am Aness.”
That name pulled her back to reality.
“Of course…”
For ten years, Aness had been by her side—her head maid, the only one who ever taught her anything in this world.
“It’s a miracle you’re better. You don’t know how worried everyone in the palace was.”
But this Aness was younger, her face smoother, her arms not so thin from years of hardship.
Alicia looked down and saw her own hands—no longer weak and skeletal, but soft, healthy, and pale pink.
“I…”
She had already experienced a ridiculous death.
She had already become a minor character in a novel.
What could surprise her now?
“You’ve been burning with fever for three days, Your Majesty. Luckily, your body is young and strong at twenty—you survived.”
Alicia’s eyes blinked slowly.
Someone once said, as long as life continues, the thread of fate continues too.
Even if she hadn’t wanted it, Alicia’s life had rewound to age twenty and started again.
At least the horrible wedding was already over.
“I don’t want this…”
She wanted to complain to whatever force kept playing with her fate, but before she could, her fever surged, and she fainted.
The wind in Rubeo Territory was always sharp and cold.
Though close to the capital, it was separated by high, dangerous mountains—and more importantly, it was where the most ruthless man in the Empire lived.
“The report was incomplete?”
Standing outside his command tent, Emperor Kaien spoke in a low, dangerous tone.
Everyone bowed their heads in fear.
“Forgive me, Your Majesty… It was my responsibility.”
“Didn’t you, the commander, just separate a barbarian’s head from his body an hour ago? Why take the blame for a scribe’s mistake?”
The commander fell silent.
Kaien was only twenty‑five, but his sword and boots were still stained with enemy blood.
“It is true, Your Majesty. The scribe in charge of the reports—”
“Enough.”
Kaien’s dark eyes, sharp as obsidian, narrowed.
“Glen.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Glen, his lifelong aide, stepped forward and stood before the commander.
“Failing to deliver the capital’s reports to His Majesty is not just negligence—it borders on treason. Commander, are you covering this up?”
“There is no treason among my knights. It was a simple mistake as we moved camp.”
“So you think it’s fine if your Emperor misses news from the capital?”
Glen’s cold voice cut through the air.
The commander fell to his knees, pleading.
“I’ll punish the scribe myself, Your Majesty. Please spare him.”
But Glen saw Kaien’s eyes—and he knew what they meant.
“Is this all that was missing?”
“Yes.”
Glen signaled, and a pouch of letters was handed over.
Kaien opened them one by one.
Most were boring—nobles fighting over politics, palace issues—but then he unrolled one letter and his brows furrowed.
“Your Majesty…”
Glen immediately dropped to his knees.
The other knights could feel their hearts stop.
“The Empress was burning with fever for three days. She has only just woken up.”
Kaien’s voice was quiet, but ice‑cold.
“I nearly missed the news that my wife was on her deathbed. Imagine what else I might miss. Isn’t that right, Commander?”
The commander lowered his head in shame.
“Was this truly a mistake… or did someone want this mistake to happen? I’ll leave that to your imagination.”
“Your Majesty, I—”
“If the Empress had died, I would have been a man who didn’t even know his own wife’s fate. Do you have anything else to say?”
Kaien had never cared much about palace matters or his wife before.
But now his voice was deadly.
“Execute every scribe who handled these reports. The rest will be sent to the farthest front lines.
If they survive a year, they may redeem themselves.”
The order was cruel, but no one dared object.
Kaien threw the letters back into the pouch and turned away.
“Glen, we leave at dawn. We’re crossing the mountains.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Without another word, Kaien went back into his tent.
Glen looked at the commander.
“Have everything ready before sunrise. And bring me a full list of everyone involved… or else.”
Inside the tent, Kaien sat at a rough table, scanning the letters again.
“Did the commander beg for their lives?”
“Yes. He’s too soft‑hearted, as always.”
Kaien gave a humorless nod.
“No one imagined the Empress would come so close to death.”
“It works in our favor, doesn’t it?”
Kaien’s dark eyes flicked up to Glen.
Then a cold smile tugged at his lips.
“The nobles in the capital think I’m unfit to be Emperor. Let them think that.
The fruit is ripe now.”
His tone held no warmth, only cold calculation.
“And thanks to the Empress, that fruit now has a sweet scent. Not bad for a useless woman.”
Glen bowed his head silently.
“Everything is going exactly as you planned, Your Majesty.”
Kaien had discovered the missing reports months ago. He had been tracking which nobles were behind it for weeks.
“Yes… very satisfying.”
Kaien’s smile grew sharper.
“Now it’s time to crush the tree that Duke Nigel planted—and enjoy the fruit.”
The nobles in the capital had forgotten about the Emperor fighting barbarians in Rubeo.
Now they would pay the price.
(To be continued…)
