Prologue
Clang!
“Oh no! Tani, don’t eat that!!!”
The sound of shattering porcelain rang out in the middle of what should have been a cheerful birthday party.
The adults around me stared in confusion, but I only had eyes for one person.
“Huh? Tani, if I eat this… will it make me better?”
The child froze, his wide eyes blinking up at me, the chocolate still clutched in his hand.
Today’s lovely protagonist was none other than my younger sister, Titania.
I hurried past the broken plate, crouched in front of her, and stared at that tiny hand with dread.
“Come on, let’s eat something else, okay?”
“No… but, Ethel… if I eat this, maybe I won’t feel sick anymore…”
The chocolate resting in her chubby palm gleamed an ominous shade of red, like a polished bead.
Red—just like the root of all evil I had seen in my dream.
“If you eat that, Tani, you’ll only get worse. You don’t want that, right?”
“Mm…”
Her little lips puckered, her cheeks puffing up in a pout of frustration.
If it had been ten minutes earlier, I would have been hopelessly captivated by her cuteness.
But now, I couldn’t afford to be.
“Ethel! Are you hurt?”
‘Ah… Father.’
He rushed over, abandoning the guest he’d been speaking to.
His expression hardened when he saw the commotion caused by his eldest daughter at such a grand banquet.
“Edelweiss. Explain yourself. Why did you break the plate? And why won’t you let Tani eat the chocolate?”
“Father, that’s because…”
My voice faltered, the words dying in my throat.
Meanwhile, tears welled up in Tani’s eyes.
“Dad… if you give me a hug, I’ll drink the tea instead…”
“Let her do as she pleases today. It’s her birthday.”
“But—!”
“Ethel. It’s Tani’s day.”
My blood ran cold.
‘No matter what I say, he won’t believe me.’
For the first time, I cursed the fact that I was only seven years old.
‘There’s no other way.’
“I’m sorry, Tani!”
“My sister…!”
I squeezed my eyes shut.
And in that moment, Tani shoved the chocolate bead straight into her mouth.
The sickly sweetness spread instantly.
“Ugh, ugh! Sister, it hurts…!”
She burst into tears.
But this time, I couldn’t comfort her.
“Ah—!”
Agony tore through me, my stomach twisting violently. My body collapsed forward, the world tilting.
“Ethel!!!”
My father caught me, but the pain was unbearable—like fire spreading under my skin, burning me alive.
‘So this is a curse…’
Poor Tani. You suffered all this in the original story, didn’t you?
Darkness closed in. The voices around me grew muffled.
“Sister!”
“Tani, don’t cry…”
And just like that, I fell unconscious, leaving the stage in what felt like the most sisterly way possible.
. . .
When I opened my eyes again, everything was dark.
“…Why are you in my dream?”
A boy stood before me. A face all too familiar—the one I had been spending so much time with lately.
“Jar? Why are you here?”
At his name, he smiled brightly. His red eyes shimmered with pure delight.
And yet, that brightness felt deeply ominous.
Red—just like the cursed chocolate.
“You came to me, Ethel.”
“…Me?”
“Yes. Because you swallowed the invitation I sent.”
My stomach dropped.
‘An invitation…? The chocolate was…?’
That bead of chocolate had cursed Tani in the original novel.
But… he was the one who sent it?
“You… you’re not—”
Before I could finish, Jar caught my hand. He lifted it gently and pressed a kiss against my fingertips, imitating the gestures of adults.
And yet, there was nothing childish about it.
“Yes. We were drawn together. You can’t deny it, can you? Fate has bound us.”
Drawn together? Fate? I had no idea what he was talking about.
But one thing was certain—
‘If you’re the mastermind… then everything I planned is collapsing!’
Because instead of the male lead, I had intended to connect you… to Tani.
