Ayla’s “that one.”

I need to know who exactly “that one” is.

‘It’s not Hernan.’

Hernan has already lost the right to be heir.

He might not even survive the prison.

More than that, Hernan is a fool who once, overwhelmed by a young niece’s words, tried to curse her publicly.

Such a person couldn’t have mesmerized Ayla to that extent.

‘There’s something above Hernan.’

Screams echoed through the corridor where Ayla was running.

“Ahhh! M-Monster!”

“G-Guard! Guards! Over here!”

I shouted urgently.

“Don’t let Ayla touch anyone! She’s dismantling everything!”

“Eh? Ayla-sama?”

While the soldiers hesitated, Ayla moved farther away.

She no longer looked human at all.

She had fully transformed into a monster.

Spikes covered her body, a tail had grown, and she ran on all fours.

Her speed was beastlike.

‘Was this from the experiments? What on earth?’

If Ayla had fully turned into a beast, she’d be stopped by the castle’s barrier as soon as she tried to leave.

The Astra family’s barrier burns anyone who tries to break it by force.

‘Ayla must not die.’

There is still much I need to hear...!

I hurriedly searched my pocket and grabbed the communication stone.

To contact the Egritz soldiers inside the castle.

But then...

‘Ugh.’

I gripped my collarbone and froze.

It was that.

The thing that always comes before heroines faint.

The same thing I experienced when the curse lifted at age three...!

“Erilot?”

Han Ji-hyuk halted with a start, and Alexis quickly looked back at me.

I waved my hand hurriedly.

“You two... catch that!”

“How can we leave you behind...!”

“—You say the same thing...”

“Huh?”

Han Ji-hyuk flinched, confused.

“I... ugh, I know this plot.”

“What are you talking about?”

“She faints like this... wakes up days later... meanwhile the enemies all flee... the heroine sees the past... goes dark... that plot.”

As I recited the story, Han Ji-hyuk’s eyes glazed over.

“Even after all this, you...”

“Catch her fast!! Catch her and find out everything...!”

“You!”

“I’m... about to faint now...”

“I’ll go and come back.”

Han Ji-hyuk’s expression was shocked.

But he gritted his teeth and told Alexis,

“She said to catch her!”

“...Damn it.”

Alexis ran at the monster-turned Ayla.

I lost my balance, and everything went black.

Some time passed.

My consciousness returned, but I didn’t open my eyes.

‘Ah, this feeling is so familiar.’

I sensed a new woman would appear and say something like, “I’ve been waiting for you,” starting the mental realm event.

‘Before that, I need to organize the questions I want to ask in my head...’

At that moment, I felt someone tapping me lightly.

[Wake up.]

‘I’ll ask who you are first, and if you have something important to say, don’t start the mental realm event before finishing...’

[Wake up nicely.]

‘The identity of “that one,” about mother’s symbol, and more...’

[Wake up—!!]

So sensitive.

I slowly opened my eyes halfway.

The woman I saw when I was three and unconscious was looking at me with disdain.

[You’re the first spirit I’ve ever seen like you.]

“Are you alive? Oh, that’s not a question. If you’re only going to answer three questions, step aside.”

[...]

The woman bowed her head, clutching her waist, then sighed deeply.

“Wait a moment. I’m listing the important questions now—”

[Stop it! I was going to tell you anyway!]

I looked at her suspiciously.

She shook her head and muttered,

[Oh, my. Why did I become the guardian star of a brat like you...?]

“Guardian star? Is this about constellations?!”

Why not, isn’t that common in fantasy?

Constellation tales!

The woman frowned.

[Don’t you realize yet? This world isn’t a novel, it’s your first life rewound into the past.]

“Was my previous life the ‘destined child’ who was loved extraordinarily by them?”

Awkward.

Isn’t that just a copy of “The Baby Raised a Demon”?

The woman gave me a look like, “What kind of nonsense is this?”

Then she rubbed her forehead as if she had a headache.

[No.]

She spoke slowly, as if holding back.

I glanced at her carefully.

“Then you are...?”

[Where do you think blessings come from?]

“Huh?”

I hadn’t thought about that before.

She said, [Wake up.]

I was sitting on the floor, but as soon as she said it, my body floated up.

When my foot touched the floor with a thud, she began walking.

[Let’s walk a little.]

“...Okay.”

Following her, the surroundings changed.

Light seeped into the previously dark space, and flowers and grass began sprouting around us.

Soon, it turned into a perfect spring meadow.

Renaissance-style temples appeared here and there.

[In the beginning, the gods created humans.]

‘Ah, starting with mythology. Everyone does that.’

[Stop that!]

“Thinking is inevitable... it just comes unconsciously.”

‘Stop reading my mind.’

She glanced at me and sighed deeply.

[God loved the creatures dearly and shared their power with you.]

“...”

[He made life finite so you could live infinitely.]

‘I see. You could live forever regardless of age.’

[He shared the blessings to part the earth, sprout buds, and bring rain; each person had a different blessing.]

That’s the same as the nobles’ current “blessings.”

[But arrogant humans, over thousands or tens of thousands of years, started doubting.]

“Doubting?”

[We with godlike powers wondered why we weren’t gods ourselves.]

“...”

[So they created life. Using the gifts from gods and technology developed over tens of thousands of years.]

“Could it be...”

She chuckled.

[Smart ones, anyway.]

“Please tell me.”

[Yes. You call those who created life the ‘Ancients.’ And the life artificially created by them is the current ‘humans.’]

“...!”

She continued.

[The arrogance of the Ancients crossed the line.]

“...”

[They enslaved humans. Some especially smart ones shared a bit of their blessing.]

“...”

[In your world’s terms, they acted as overseers of the slaves.]

That explained why humans don’t have the same power as the Ancients.

[The Ancients killed their creators without remorse because they were ‘created life.’]

“...”

[They killed children in front of parents, brothers in front of siblings, and drank the blood of their creators as wine.]

“...”

[God was greatly angered. The ‘Storm’ happened.]

I took a deep breath.

The “Storm” that supposedly destroyed all ancient civilizations.

‘So that’s why those with superior knowledge and technology were destroyed by the Storm...’

As soon as she finished, a violent storm whipped around us.

An incredibly strong wind.

Like divine wrath incarnate.

But strangely, the woman and I were unaffected, as if inside a hologram.

She stared at the storm coldly and continued.

[God gave the Ancients who were created before the storm a land of rest.]

“Land of rest...?”

[A place to live as life, not as created humans, without threat from the storm.]

“...”

[A brutal 100-day storm swept the world. The Ancients repented and begged God... but God’s wrath did not cease.]

“...”

[After 100 days that destroyed the Ancients’ civilization, the ‘world of created humans’ dawned.]

The storm calmed.

Dark clouds that covered the sky dispersed.

Then, the emaciated beings crouching under the great World Tree raised their heads.

[Humans scattered and began lives free from persecution.]

“...”

[Those gifted with wisdom and blessings built temples to protect themselves from the storm.]

“...”

[That was the beginning of the dynasties you know.]

“...”

[Those blessed with wisdom and blessings protected humans under the name ‘nobles,’ and God was pleased.]

“...”

[...Until you became corrupt.]

She pressed gently in the center of my collarbone.

[You became corrupt like the Ancients. You differentiate life, take from those weaker without hesitation, commit murder and robbery.]

“...Is the storm about to start again?”

She smiled faintly.

[You’re smart, child.]

“But what does that have to do with me?”

What I want to know is why “that one” cursed me.

“I don’t care much about world destruction or the like.”

[Is that so?]

“My life is the most important.”

[Hmm.]

“What I want to know is why I was cursed from birth. Who’s targeting me? How do I survive?”

She smiled gently.

[Such an honest spirit.]

“I don’t need dreams about protecting the world. I want to protect my reality.”

I’m no chosen hero.

I’m not struggling to be a hero!

[Now, let me ask again. What happened to the Ancients?]

“They all died, didn’t they?”

[They live forever. Though their bodies vanished, their souls did not perish.]

“Then...”

[God granted the repentant Ancients... yes, the ‘destiny’ you speak of.]

“...”

Her eyes sharpened for a moment.

[You were told to protect those you created.]

“Are the Ancients the guardian stars who protect humans?”

“You’re a clever child.”

The scenery changed again.

I saw lights of souls moving beside humans.

Those lights were the Ancients guarding humans.

[The Ancients differ in power; weaker ones cannot protect as strongly.]

“Then... who are you?”

If she is my guardian star, she is the Ancient protecting me.

‘A powerful one.’

Her lips curved into a gentle smile.

Then...

‘Ugh!’

She began to glow brilliantly.

I shielded my eyes with my arm.

When the light dimmed and I lowered my arm, I saw—

“...Huh?”

A dazzling silver-haired young man with hair down to his waist.

About early twenties.

Nearly 190 cm tall.

Sharp, elegant eyes.

A well-defined nose.

A sharp jawline like a blade.

A man sculpted by the gods themselves.

“At last, we meet, Erilot.”

Now his voice no longer came to my mind directly.

I blinked wide and, without realizing it, wagged my finger at him.

“A man?! Oh, sorry.”

Wagging a finger is rude.

I caught my finger with my other hand and lowered it; he [N O V E L I G H T] chuckled.

“You’ve been amusing since birth, you know.”

“...You were beside me since birth?”

Then help me when I was cursed!

‘You’re supposed to be my guardian star!’

I frowned, and he shrugged.

“Guardian stars can’t interfere directly with humans.”

Then he started walking again.

I asked the important question again.

“So, who are you? A powerful Ancient?”

“Uh... ‘Sir’?”

He stopped abruptly and turned to me with a terrifying gaze.

His expression was one of immense shock, and a strange aura radiated from him, making him truly frightening.

He corrected me.

“Call me Seylon.”

“...Yes, Seylon. I’ll call you that... wait, Seylon?!”

I was so surprised I opened my mouth wide.

I had read ancient history books.

Every day for hours since I was three.

So I knew that name.

The Ancient priest.

The one who held power like an emperor... Seylon!!

Seylon shrugged.

“You know my name. Yes, I’m superior to any Ancient.”

His arrogant expression was like a truly corrupt king’s.

Thinking that, Seylon’s face darkened again.

“I’m just handsome. Got it?”

He turned his eyes away.

Maybe because I grew up seeing my father and Alexis, I was indifferent to being handsome.

So instead of handsome, he just looked corrupt...

“Just handsome.”

“...Yes.”

I flinched and changed the subject.

“So, why did ‘that one’ curse me?”