Chapter 1: TBTW

“Princess Frey. I’ll say this again—I’m an extremely promiscuous man.”

The man, Daniel, spoke with a thoroughly fed-up expression.

The maids serving the imperial palace lowered their heads even further, completely at a loss over his shameless response.

Rumors that Grand Duke Daniel Prowes—who had seemed so proper and restrained—had actually been fooling around with woman after woman were already famous throughout the capital.

Still, openly declaring himself promiscuous during a meeting to discuss his wedding schedule with a princess was hardly something a groom-to-be should proudly say.

‘No matter how disappointing Princess Frey may be as a marriage partner!’

Besides, because of a vow made by their predecessors, he was in a position where he had no choice but to absolutely obey the imperial family.

‘Even if he hates Princess Frey, once His Majesty exercised the Right of Absolute Obedience, he can’t cancel the marriage.’

‘But why is Princess Frey just quietly listening today?’

Judging by how Princess Frey had behaved up until now, she should have either trembled in outrage demanding what he meant, or turned pale and glared at him.

“Oh my, I asked for this marriage because I like even your promiscuous side, Grand Duke. So don’t worry—please continue being promiscuous comfortably.”

Instead, she merely shot back smoothly.

At her unconcerned answer, the corners of Daniel’s eyes twitched faintly.

Following the advice of a subordinate well-versed in women, he launched his final blow.

“As you know, I already have two illegitimate children. And there will likely be more in the future.”

“Oh my, I adore children as well, so there’s no need to worry.”

“Your Highness likes children…?”

At the question dripping with suspicion, Frey gave an appropriately vague answer before calmly sipping her tea.

Inside, she was mocking Daniel’s desperate attempts to call off the wedding.

‘Illegitimate children? Those are abandoned kids you couldn’t bear to ignore and brought home yourself, liar.’

Besides, among the fans who had obsessed over him based solely on his handsome face despite his tiny amount of screen time, his nickname had been:

#VirtuousVirginMan

A man with a past so spotless it was practically transparent calling himself a womanizer?

‘Nice try. It won’t work, though.’

Of course, from Daniel’s perspective, it was only natural that he would desperately try to break off the engagement after suddenly being forced into marriage with a useless princess because of an old promise his predecessor had made.

After all, regardless of age or gender, everyone wanted to avoid the trash train barreling toward them.

But Frey couldn’t afford to sympathize with his situation.

‘If I want to stop the destruction ending, I have to worm my way into this man’s estate somehow.’

Lowering her gaze, she looked at her reflection in the teacup.

Brilliant golden hair and crimson eyes worthy of the title of the Empire’s greatest beauty.

A notoriously persistent villainess from the game The Abandoned World, based on a romance novel of the same name.

That was her—Frey Obelir.

‘Maybe I’m lucky. Even if I reincarnated as a villainess, at least I know the future because I was obsessed with this game in my previous life.’

Right now, it was still long before the original story began.

The protagonists of the game were the children under the Grand Duke’s protection.

And the game itself began only after the world had already been ruined due to conflicts caused by the villains.

In short, if she wanted to survive, she had to stop the villains from running rampant.

‘There’s still time before the destruction begins. The fact that the imperial family and the Grand Duke’s house haven’t fallen apart yet proves it.’

To change the future, she first had to resolve Daniel’s marriage issue—the starting point of the coming catastrophe.

So Frey spoke in a firm tone.

“I’m sorry, but His Majesty has already exercised the Right of Absolute Obedience, so the marriage cannot be canceled.”

“You’re the one who requested it in the first place, Princess.”

Daniel frowned.

But Frey simply stood from her seat and smiled shamelessly.

“Yes. But I happen to be very serious about handsome promiscuous men.”

“……”

“Then I’ll see you in two weeks, my future husband.”

Maintaining an elegant smile, she rose from her seat.

About one month earlier.

“Don’t lose consciousness!”

“This may not be ordinary poison—bring the priests immediately!”

Every time people rushed around, the metallic scent of blood filled the air.

Part of that blood was mine.

But most of it was pouring from the mouth of my mother, Lady Roselia.

“I’m already… ngh!”

Mother coughed up blood and clutched her chest.

It was hard to believe that just ten minutes ago she had been quietly enjoying dinner with me.

I wasn’t in good condition either.

‘These symptoms…’

The numb pain around my heart and the sensation of my blood turning cold.

These were the hallmark symptoms of the curse used by the mages of House Zelon—the family of the Empress.

Even though my mind was growing hazy from internal injuries, I understood the situation clearly enough.

‘The Crown Prince and the Empress must’ve tried to kill us while Father was away.’

Everything was obvious.

The Empress was the younger sister of Duke Zelon, the man who had systematically murdered the Emperor’s siblings in order to seize control of the imperial family.

My father was the Emperor who had rejected the Empress because of the trauma from those events.

My mother was a common-born concubine who had become his only comfort.

That alone was enough for the Empress to torment us endlessly, but recently another decisive reason had appeared.

My commoner mother had become pregnant.

Another child carrying the Emperor’s bloodline was an enormous matter.

Within the imperial family, only one child possessing divine power was born each generation.

But the Crown Prince born between the Emperor and Empress had been declared devoid of divine power.

When he was younger, people could at least hope it might awaken later—

‘But he’s long past twenty-five, the age when all innate powers fully manifest. There’s absolutely no chance now.’

I, too, had repeatedly been judged to lack divine power, which was the only reason the Empress hadn’t killed me.

But now Mother was carrying another child.

Since neither the Crown Prince nor I possessed divine power, the chances that the next imperial child would inherit it were extremely high.

That was why the Empress had made her move.

“Frey, come here… khk!”

Mother coughed again, blood splattering across the carpet.

For some reason, her condition was far worse than mine.

If Father had been here, he could have used divine power to do something—

‘But of all times, undead monsters suddenly started rampaging and forced him away.’

Supported by attendants, I staggered toward Mother as she desperately called my name.

“Frey…”

Her freezing, trembling hand touched my cheek.

My heart tightened painfully at the thought that she might disappear from this world forever.

In a voice barely loud enough to hear, she whispered:

“Pretend you don’t know who’s behind this.”

‘Because the only way for us to survive in this palace is to act ignorant.’

Her eyes said exactly that.

All I could do was sob.

“When I’m gone… ngh… it’ll be alright… so please, at least you…”

“Mother!”

“At least you… live happily…”

Her final words faded out as she closed her eyes.

I clutched the hand that dropped limply onto the bed.

But Mother no longer moved.

“M-Mother…?”

“Princess, please step aside!”

The physicians pried me away from her and desperately attempted every treatment they could.

The priests beside them rapidly chanted healing spells.

But despite all their emergency measures, Mother never regained consciousness.

Of course she didn’t.

This curse had been cast using the refined magical power of House Zelon—the greatest in the Empire.

‘Even if I claimed that, the Empress’s side would just call it baseless slander.’

The feeling of cold blood and numbness were subjective sensations, not evidence.

There were countless poisons capable of causing internal injuries. They would simply frame someone else and cover everything up.

And everyone would quietly bury Mother’s death.

‘Why are they going this far against us?’

I reached toward Mother helplessly.

As a white cloth covered her face—a face so much like mine—my consciousness blurred further.

Then the Empress’s chilling voice echoed in my ears.

[“Child, if you become connected to the throne in any way whatsoever, neither you nor your mother will remain safe.”]

I had only been five years old then, but I understood every bit of the warning hidden beneath her gentle tone and serpent-like eyes.

The moment you covet the throne even slightly, you die.

Even if you unintentionally gain public support and are mentioned as a successor, you die.

Even if some knight falls for your appearance and foolishly swears loyalty to you, you’ll be accused of threatening the Crown Prince with military power and persecuted until death.

‘So I stayed quiet. I lived holding my breath. Then why…?’

As agonizing pain pierced my heart, realization struck.

No matter how obediently I acted, like a tongue lying meekly inside the mouth, the Empress would have killed us anyway.

Why did I only understand that now, as my consciousness faded?

Why only after Mother had died…?

“Princess, stay awake!”

“His Majesty has just passed through the palace gates!”

The priests who had been tending to Mother moved to me and recited healing spells, but my condition showed no signs of improving.

The Zelon curse was powerful.

My vision gradually darkened as I realized I, too, had suffered fatal injuries from the curse.

[“Frey… please, at least you… you must… ngh… live happily…”]

I wanted to honor Mother’s final wish bravely.

But despite my will, strength steadily drained from my body.

Even if Father arrived and completely healed me with divine power, wouldn’t everything remain the same?

The Empress and Crown Prince would continue tormenting me, and even after losing the person most precious to me, I’d still be unable to change my future.

Because I had no power.

Because I’d been too afraid of falling out of their favor to even think about gaining any.

‘If only I had the strength to take revenge.’

No—if I survived this curse, I would never live like before again.

No matter what, I would gain power and avenge Mother.

Absolutely.

Flash—

The instant that thought crossed my mind, unfamiliar scenes flooded my darkened vision.

‘A dying hallucination? No… this is…’

My previous life.

“Frey, no!”

As Father’s desperate shout rang out, the pain gradually faded.

It seemed divine power was purifying my body.

Unable to respond, I sifted through the memories of my previous life rushing through my mind.

And before long, I realized something.

‘That palace burning on the game screen… isn’t that our imperial palace?’

This world I lived in now—

was the world inside the game I had obsessively played in my previous life.