After our meal, not a single word was exchanged between the Duke and me.
Only a subtle gesture from him signaling the maids to escort me to my chamber.
…
As I walked away from the Duke, an uneasy expression settled on my face.
A creeping worry gnawed at my thoughts—
What am I supposed to do if I'm cast out right now?
I don't even know why I'm here…
Why do I still remember my death!?
Aren't we supposed to have a second life with no memories of the past–!!
JUST WHAT ON EARTH!!
(In my mind I was probably pulling my hair out….)
Hahhh…
..
[FLASHBACK]
I was just an ordinary office worker…
Slaving away day after day, just to survive.
Any misfortune you can imagine—I've probably lived through worse.
My memories of my mother are fleeting…
She passed away when I was still young to understand loss.
And just like that, the government handed me over to the "convenience" of the system…
A rotting corrupted orphanage, where hope goes to die.
My time there…
was nothing short of hell.
There were no rainbows.
No sunshine.
We were raised like animals—
worked to the bone, starved, beaten until even tears dared not to fall.
The so-called orphanage was nothing more than a painted coffin,
built to look pure and godly on the outside,
but inside… it reeked of rot.
They didn't raise children.
They raised currency.
The institution existed solely to exploit government funds—
using us as their excuse for support and sympathy.
And once we turned eighteen?
We were disposed of.
Because children over eighteen rarely get adopted.
The odds were too low.
We were no longer profitable.
So, for their convenience, they cast us aside or sold us off to some shady place for who knows where and what we'd end up as, no one truly knew.
Who would spare even a glance for an orphaned child? In the end the world turned a blind eye..
I escaped the moment I was old enough to fend for myself.
From then on, I worked from the ground up—
And barely survived
But happiness…?
The moment I even dared to feel a sliver of joy, the world made sure to crush it.
Simply put…
My existence felt like a curse.
[END FLASHBACK]
…
I stared at the girl reflected in the mirror.
Long, flowing white hair.
Eyes—crimson red, like rubies soaked in dusk.
How strange…
Just who… did I reincarnate into?
—
Sigh…
"Milady," the head maid spoke gently as she combed through my now silky hair,
"If you are worried about your place in this castle, rest assured. The Duke… he is not cruel. He simply bears deep sorrows. I hope you can come to understand him."
(Deep sorrows..)
After she finished brushing, she stepped back.
"All done, little lady."
I turned to glance at the maids…
And their stares—
"KYAAA! MILADY!!"
"HOW ADORABLE!!"
"MILADY, LOOK THIS WAY!!"
…
What… am I? A living idol?!
"Milady," the head maid chuckled warmly, "whatever arrangement you have with the Duke, I believe he will be understanding—no matter what it may be."
W-What?!
Th-that… has word already spread that I was dangling to the Duke's coat?!
"No need to be shy, Milady!" another maid chimed in—her energy very much like a die hard fan.
"The Dukedom of Orian shall protect you with all its might!"
Orian
…
O-Orian?!
Th-then… The Witch…!
I turned back to the mirror slowly with hesitation
Taking a clearer, more focused look at myself—
ME?!
My soul nearly fled my body. I would've collapsed from the shock, had the head maid not caught me in time.
This… this is a freaking novel I only accidentally read once!!
JUST ONCE!!
Ughhh…
"Milady!"
The maids rushed to my side as my vision blurred, that all-too-familiar weakness creeping over me again.
—
[FLASHBACK]
The novel…
"Death Witch."
Even from the title alone, you can guess—
I was meant to die.
But this story… is far more twisted than any textbook I've ever read.
The tale begins with the tragic fate of a witch fated not to die at the hands of the main leads—
But by the male villain of the story.
Why?
Well, that's the thing.
He's a character cloaked in so much mystery, that even as a reader, I never quite understood his purpose.
Was killing the witch just a plot device to prove he was the "ultimate villain"?
Some kind of edgy last-boss cliché?
Pfft. Cringe.
That couldn't be it.
I don't think that's what the author wanted to convey at all.
Their writing—though vague it was captivating.
It feels very Alive.
Every scene felt like it bled emotion, pulling you in whether you liked it or not.
The story focused heavily on the downfall of two villains, and a happily-ever-after for the main couple…
But the deeper I read, the more it felt like every tragedy was being dumped on the witch.
Like all the suffering the world had to offer was shoved into her character arc.
WHY?!
It was like the author took personal offense at her existence!
And now?
Now I'm HER?!
AHHHHH! This is driving me mad!
NOT THE HEROINE BUT THE WITCH
OHH So now being unlucky is my brand now!
JUST GREAT!!
And to make things worse—
The novel isn't even finished!!!
The last update, as far as I could remember, was:
The witch dies at the hands of the male villainess.
Then, Duke Orian—overwhelmed with rage—wreaks havoc across the empire, annihilating the entire imperial bloodline…
Well, almost.
He never got to finish.
Because he was killed by the very same male villainess.
Then plot twist—guess what?
That villainess becomes the new ruler of the empire. Why?
Because apparently, he "saved" the nation.
Hah. What a joke.
But the real kicker?
A hidden prince—the male lead—is revealed to still be alive.
In disguise.
Plotting to take back the throne.
Somewhere during his disguise arc, he meets the love of his life—
And just when it got interesting…
CUT. OFF.
No updates. No closure. No nothing.
It just ended… like that.
AHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
##### ###F** @*****
(For the readers' mental health, further ranting will be censored.)
—
This can't be real… This seriously can't be real.
Why out of all books did it have to be this one?!
A story where my death is practically the centerpiece?
Did fate just see me vibing in my past life and go,
"Let's ruin her again. But this time—make it fantasy!"
…
I think I'm gonna pass out again–!!
I didn't even notice when I'd been moved to bed.
The softness beneath me, the warm tingling sensation on my skin… it felt like healing magic.
Right… this is a fantasy novel after all. Of course the doctor is a mage.
Sigh.
I just need to gather my thoughts. Think straight.
Escape this hellish fate… at least for this lifetime.
I clenched my fist, feeling a spark of determination rising in me.
If I'm a witch in this world… then I must be a powerful one, right?....considering i'm a villain
And pshhh—having infinite mana? Not bad for a villainess.
HAHAHAHA—
"Sir Hale… what do you mean, depletion?"
…
Wait.
Depletion…?
I overheard the mage and the head maid talking just outside the door
This is about me, isn't it?
I mean, it's not like it's anything deadly, right?
Depletion… well, in games it just means you refill the bar.
Pour some mana back in. Like blowing up a deflated balloon!
No worries, no worri—
"Is there truly no other way, Sir Hale? This child… she's still too young. To think the gods would be so merciless…"
Natasha's voice was trembling.
"Sigh… Natasha," the mage responded quietly, "I can only predict the remaining years she has left. But curing something like this… it's beyond me."
"I'm sorry. The only thing I can do is slow the breakdown of her core by supplying her with mana—temporarily.
But right now… the core is consuming her mana rapidly.
It's draining her energy—her life.
And if this continues, she'll die."
…
Pause.
…
I…
I'm dying?
AGAIN?!
OH OKAY.
Sure! Let's just die twice now!
WHAT THE ***** *********
(Censored for the sake of mental health and divine retribution.)
So let me get this straight—
I just decided to live, and the world immediately went:
"No <3"
Does the Grim Reaper have a crush on me or something?!
Following me around across lifetimes like some obsessive ex?!
HOW RIDICULOUS.
Okay… okay, calm down.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
I know some of this story's plot.
Enough to wiggle my way out of this mess… maybe.
So the rule is: I'm basically a walking battery.
If my mana hits zero—
Poof. Bye-bye
…
Alright. That's manageable.
Just gotta stay charged.
Full percent. Like a phone.
This is fine.
This is totally fine.
AHhhahAHhahAHAHA—
Okay, no. Not fine. I'm losing it.
Smack!
I slapped my cheeks lightly.
"Pull yourself together," I muttered to myself.
We're planning. No time to spiral.
—
But then I remembered…
The story…
Wait a minute—
Wasn't the witch supposed to die much later in the plot?!
Why is everything going off-script so early?!
Why Is the story straying from its original course?!
This is getting way too confusing.
I need to know exactly what chapter I am living in right now!
Alright –!
As I was trying to hype myself up again, Natasha re-entered the room with puffy red eyes.
"Milady… you will be okay. With me, Natasha, by your side… you'll always be happy," she said, smiling with teary sincerity.
"Hmm!"
I nodded with a bright (and slightly confused) expression, trying to reassure her.
She really thought she hid those swollen eyes from me?
Nice try, Natasha.
I appreciated that ….at least I got one person now who will visit my grave
If so ever I will die
—
A week has passed since I fell unconscious.
Wait—a week?!
I was shocked too.
It only felt like I'd been asleep for an hour.
But apparently, that whole mana depletion episode took a serious toll on me.
It's the second day since I woke up from that near-death slumber.
As for the Duke…
Well, after that awkward meal we had, he vanished.
According to Natasha, he had "urgent matters" and left the estate the next day.
Perfect.
Now I can plan this nicely
And so…
I am now drafting my master strategy:
"Operation: LIVE LIFE LOVE."
…
Yes, I know.
It's cringey.
But come on, it's not like it'll matter if I die—
Wait.
I meant to say: "if I was going to die."
Positive mindset!
Huhu…
So.
The plan—my proposal to the Duke.
Step 1: Buy myself more time to live by making myself useful (well I gotta think of a way for this) Step 2: Slowly fix his emotional damage (How do you cure a pain??)
Maybe step 2 will be hard considering his past so let's not poke him more it might backlash also … I'm just going to skip that
Step 3: Help him sort out his tragic villainy life (I could help him avoid his death...well maybe)
In exchange?
MONEY.
Yes.
Cold. Hard. Gold.
A girl's got to survive somehow.
There must exist, somewhere in this world, a relic or magic tool, one that could preserve and stabilize mana, even if only for a fleeting moment
that would give me time to find a way to avoid...
death
She paused, eyes fixed on the distant horizon, voice quiet but certain.
I have to believe that. I must.