Episode 2: That Guy Is Coming
When Jizelle spoke so firmly, Teo’s face looked like a country dog that had just had a piece of meat taken away. Jizelle felt a little guilty.
“My mom still can’t forget my dad. Maybe they will get back together soon. So Teo oppa, go find someone else. My mom is off limits.”
“Yeah…”
Teo’s thick eyebrows drooped sadly. Jizelle felt sorry, but it was the truth.
Yulita still loved Mertz.
And Mertz… would never stop chasing Yulita.
“Cheer up, Teo oppa.”
Jizelle patted his shoulder. Even though he looked like he might cry, he tried to smile.
“No, it’s fine. If Lady Yulita feels that way, I cannot do anything. So, Jizelle, do you need anything?”
“No. You do not have to clean up after a girl you are not related to anymore.”
“What are you saying. Taking care of you is not cleaning up after someone.”
Teo held her hand. Jizelle hesitated, then spoke.
“Then… can you buy some fabric for my mom?”
“Fabric? Sure. What kind?”
Jizelle searched her past-life memories.
Yulita had been ten years old when she first met Mertz.
She was wearing a white dress then.
“Just bring any white cloth.”
If she wore it, she would look exactly like young Yulita.
A few days later, Teo brought a beautiful white fabric that looked expensive.
“Thanks, Teo oppa.”
Jizelle winked.
“I will use it well.”
“No problem, Jizelle. Please tell Lady Yulita that it is a gift from me.”
Teo’s face turned red again when he said Yulita’s name.
Jizelle clicked her tongue inside but nodded and ran home.
“Mom. Mommy.”
Yulita was using magic. A gray magic circle floated around her. She was arranging the formulas inside it.
“Shh.”
She placed a finger on her lips.
In the original story, this was stealth magic.
‘In the book she failed because she got careless. But she doesn’t look careless now. Strange.’
Just like Jizelle thought, Yulita was concentrating hard. Suddenly, her body trembled and she coughed blood.
“Cough!”
“Mom!”
Jizelle almost stepped into the magic circle, which would ruin the spell.
Yulita quickly stopped her.
“Jizelle, no.”
“Ugh…”
Jizelle carefully stepped back. Yulita steadied the magic and finished it. The gray formulas disappeared into the air.
“You must be careful. I told you not to run around when Mommy is using magic.”
“Sorry, Mom. Teo oppa gave me something nice, and I wanted to show you quickly.”
Jizelle looked up with a guilty face. Yulita could not help smiling.
Jizelle showed her the white cloth.
Yulita’s blue eyes sparkled.
“Teo brought this? My goodness, I am so grateful.”
“Then invite him for dinner later.”
Of course, Jizelle meant invite the whole family.
Never let Teo and her mom be alone.
“Invite Teo and his aunt and uncle.”
Jizelle took the cloth back from her.
“Mom, I will make clothes for both of us with this. It is your birthday present.”
“You cannot even wash dishes properly. How will you make clothes?”
Yulita laughed. She had no idea that Jizelle had been Gwak Chaerin in her past life, a fashion design student.
Jizelle needed to pull those memories out again.
The original novel described the first meeting between Yulita and Mertz in great detail, including their clothes.
“Don’t worry. I can do it better than you think.”
“Let us take it to the tailor instead.”
“No. I must make it myself, or it will not be meaningful.”
Yulita could not beat her daughter’s stubbornness.
Jizelle took needles, thread, scissors, and went into her room.
Yulita followed out of worry.
“Jizelle, be careful. Do not hurt yourself.”
“I won’t. I am good at this.”
“You never sewed before. No.”
She walked into the room.
Yulita then drew a shape in the air.
Green formulas appeared, following her fingers.
Jizelle stared in amazement.
“I will make a little magic circle so you do not get hurt. Please be careful.”
“Mom… but you are sick…”
Earlier, she had coughed blood. Maintaining stealth magic must be exhausting.
“Mommy was a great mage before. This is nothing. Healing magic was my specialty.”
Jizelle grabbed the needle again.
Even if she pricked herself, it would heal instantly.
She could feel her mother’s love.
“Thank you, Mommy.”
Yulita stroked her hair.
Jizelle only prepared the fabric and started sewing on her mom’s birthday.
She wanted to give it exactly on the day.
Making two outfits took half a day.
If she were still Gwak Chaerin, she would have worked faster.
But in this young body everything was slower.
She also slowed down on purpose so her mom would not think it strange.
“Please, thread, go into the needle eye…!”
She pricked herself several times and looked shocked.
“Me? The draping genius? Getting poked by a needle?”
But the wounds healed instantly.
She finally felt the reality of her new world.
‘I am not Gwak Chaerin anymore…’
She was Jizelle now, the girl who might die by her father’s sword.
She ironed the clothes calmly and went to find her mom.
“Mom, I finished. Try it on.”
“Jizelle, I think the weather is strange today. It might snow.”
Just as expected, if a blizzard came tonight…
He would come.
Mertz Argen van Barthemios.
Emperor of Barthemios, cruel tyrant, murderer of her father and older brother.
Between him and the woman smiling softly in the dress, Yulita, Jizelle had been born.
“Mom, try it on.”
“You made this? When did you learn this?”
“Well… I copied Olivia’s neighbor lady a bit…”
Jizelle pushed away her thoughts and helped her mom dress.
Then she changed too.
The two of them looked like snowflakes, beautiful together.
“Our Jizelle looks so pretty.”
“Yes. I think I was born really pretty.”
They looked into the mirror.
Jizelle’s round cheeks were flushed. Her lips were plump like her mom’s.
If Yulita was like a deer in the snow, Jizelle was like a lively squirrel playing beside her.
‘If someone said we are not mother and daughter, they would sound crazy.’
“I am amazingly pretty because I take after my mom.”
Her silver eyes made her even more charming.
Yulita kissed her forehead.
“I love you, my daughter.”
Just then, someone knocked on the door.
It was Teo, interrupting their moment.
He froze when he saw how beautiful they looked.
Jizelle glared at him.
“Teo oppa, what is it?”
“Ah… I brought some food to share for Lady Yulita’s birthday.”
Yulita shook her head.
Teo’s eyes accidentally went to her thin neck, and he startled himself.
“Teo, it is okay. Your family already gave us so much. I should be giving something instead.”
“No, no, Lady Yulita. Neighbors must help each other. Right, Jizelle?”
Jizelle crossed her arms.
She had to act fast.
If Mertz arrived now, with all of them standing here, something awful would happen.
“Yes, thank you, oppa. It is cold, go inside quickly.”
“Here, it is a salmon pie. Please enjoy. I made it myself.”
“Thank you.”
Teo left reluctantly.
Jizelle breathed out in relief.
“Mom, let us make your birthday cake now.”
“Yes. Let me set up the magic circle first.”
Yulita closed her eyes to form the spell.
Jizelle stared at her.
Even with sickness showing on her face, she was so beautiful.
Jizelle went to the chicken coop.
“I have blessed genes!”
‘I cannot die with genes like this. I must live well.’
The chickens clucked and laid eggs.
Jizelle put them in a basket and stepped outside.
It was snowing.
“Big snowflakes.”
Huge flakes fell without stopping, each crystal clearly visible.
She watched one melt on her palm.
“Hey, little miss?”
A cheerful woman’s voice called her.
Jizelle thought it was Olivia joking around and turned immediately.
“Hello?”
But it was not Olivia.
The woman stood beside a huge man holding a dagger.
He approached Jizelle.
“…Lady Yulita?”
The man grabbed her shoulder.
Jizelle made a pained face on purpose.
“Ouch.”
The cheerful woman walked closer. She tied her ash-colored hair up.
“Hey, Harel. Do not grab a cute little girl like that. Little miss, are you scared?”
“No, I am not hurt. But please tell him not to grab a lady’s shoulder without permission. It is rude.”
“Hahaha. Did you hear that, Harel? This little lady is teaching you manners.”
“Little miss, my name is Tori. We got lost in a small village nearby. Can we stay in your house for a bit?”
Jizelle’s suspicion became certainty.
These people were Mertz’s people.
