Chapter 04
“Wh-what is this all of a sudden…!”
“I…”
I squeezed out my last bit of strength to mock the man standing before me.
“You said I would eventually become a source of trouble… and that you came to eliminate me early because you were afraid of that.”
I coughed up another mouthful of blood while speaking this single sentence. My voice was mangled and hoarse.
“Then why didn’t you kill me immediately? Why are you standing there so carelessly?”
But the meaning got through. The man felt an ominous aura and tried to end my life quickly. It seemed he finally realized I had been stalling for time on purpose. But it was already too late.
“Aaaaagh!”
Zzzzt…!
His neck was gripped tightly by an invisible black hand, and he was dragged across the floor into the darkness.
“Gah…!”
“Argh!”
The other henchmen of the Fourth Prince guarding the door met the same fate one by one. I coughed up blood again as I released the remaining seals. Once the first one was undone, the rest were easier. The spirits I had kept sealed flew out of the room like arrows toward the Fourth Prince, who would be somewhere in the Imperial Palace.
‘I have the female lead buff, after all.’
The world believed the temple valued me only for symbolic reasons and that my actual power was just light purification. But that was far from the truth. A fishy smile naturally formed on my blood-stained lips. I hoped my dear brother would like his sister’s final gift.
[Asphodel! You can’t die!]
[Wake up, Asphodel!]
[Those bad guys, we won’t let them get away with this!]
In my blurry vision, I saw the faint forms of the spirits standing before me as if to protect me. I used to scold them for being noisy, but right now, I’m glad to see you guys. It’s always you all who stay by my side whenever I die. If I had known, I would have called you more often to play.
But it’s too late to regret it now. I could instinctively feel that this was my end. So, God.
‘I will kill that son of a bitch, the Fourth Prince, and then go to heaven.’
That dawn, I died without even seeing the first light of day. It was the end of a hollow second life in this possession, something I never imagined would happen.
***
‘Ah, this is so unfair. After all that suffering, I can’t believe I’m dying such a dog’s death.’
As a soul, I was floating in a dark blue space. It seemed I was in a place similar to the afterlife. So, I really am dead. Just then, my vision slowly brightened, and a sphere of light appeared. I instinctively knew this was the owner of the voice that had cursed me.
I waited, thinking they might taunt me again, but that didn’t happen.
Flash!
Instead, the round light began to shine brightly. Then, something strange happened. My soul was pulled toward the sphere like a magnet.
‘Are they going to eat my soul? Just like that?’
In a panic, I shouted.
“Wait, wait a minute!”
But the white sphere didn’t even pretend to listen.
“Wait!”
Finally, the white light touched my body. I felt goosebumps on the back of my neck.
“Hey, shouldn’t you at least give me three chances?! Humanly speaking, only two is too petty!”
The moment I screamed in desperation, the white sphere shook slightly. My body, which had been moving toward it against my will, stopped. The white sphere remained still. Was I imagining it? Surprisingly, it felt a bit hesitant. I sensed the opening and pushed forward.
“Don’t you know the rule of three? We eat three meals a day, and even in games, the best of three is the national rule!”
-…
“There are sayings like the Trinity, three cheers for victory, and Mencius’ mother moving three times! Don’t you know the Three Little Pigs, the Three Goddesses of Birth, or the Law of Three?!”
Honestly, I knew I was talking nonsense. But facing the threat of my soul being swallowed, I wasn’t in my right mind.
“Just do it one more time! I can really do well on the third try!”
Anyway, all I could do was persist and cling to it desperately. Surprisingly, it worked. Whether the being had a conscience or not, the white sphere that had been quiet for a long time finally shook up and down as if nodding.
-Fine, one more time. This is really the last.
Immediately after, a familiar white light exploded before my eyes.
“Princess! Happy fifth birthday!”
When I opened my eyes, a familiar scene welcomed me.
Chapter 3
In the Third Life of Possession, You Can Recite Poetry
“Princess! We sincerely congratulate you on your fifth birthday!”
Feeling disbelief, I looked around blankly. This was the magnificent Imperial Banquet Hall. The interior, decorated with flowers and jewels, was so brilliant it made my eyes ache. I was sitting in a plush chair at the head of the table, facing the crowd.
I knew this scene. It was the starting point of the novel. Simultaneously, it was the first moment I began my life as Asphodel. Yet, I still couldn’t believe I had gained another chance. Or is this heaven? Maybe it’s a flashback. They say people see their past memories before they die. But this feels way too real.
“Adel, why are your eyes so wide?”
Just then, someone placed a hand on my shoulder. The only people who could touch the body of a supreme royal without permission were those of the same bloodline. For a moment, I felt like I was going to burst into tears. I turned toward the familiar voice. A beautiful, smiling face met my eyes.
“You must not be fully awake yet. Or perhaps you’re surprised because there are so many people.”
The man whispered tenderly and leaned down to leave an affectionate kiss on my forehead. As his mysterious silver hair draped over me like a curtain, I couldn’t help but speak.
“…Dad?”
“Yes, Adel. Everyone is here to celebrate your birthday.”
He was my father, Rokshan Hisserion. A handsome man with the Hisserion family’s signature clear silver hair and deep blue eyes entered my view. He was a man of noble and mysterious aura. Even in middle age, he boasted unchanging beauty, but seeing him now—looking to be in his mid-twenties—his appearance was truly breathtaking.
Contrary to his cool impression, he was an infinitely kind father only to me. Throughout this damn life as Asphodel, he was the only person who cherished me unconditionally and consistently.
“The Empress said she would be a little late, so let’s open the presents first.”
Father picked me up from the plush chair. Without thinking, I reached out and grabbed his shoulder. Then, a small, chubby child’s hand came into my view. Ah… I really have returned. To my five-year-old past.
“Happy Birthday, Third Princess.”
“Happy Birthday, Asphodel.”
Father carried me to the central hall of the banquet, where all sorts of gifts were presented. I could feel the people gathered nearby smiling at me. Everyone offered their birthday wishes. I could see the Empress’s consorts and my half-siblings mixed in with the nobles.
“Now, Adel. Which gift do you like best?” Father asked.
On impulse, I reached for a familiar gift box.
“That one… the one with the blue ribbon.”
Words came out of my mouth automatically, as if I really were a child. Father smiled sweetly, his eyes crinkling. Wow, my father’s beauty is really no joke.
“You must like this one the best. Shall we open it?”
I nodded, mesmerized by my father’s beauty. I already knew why he was smiling like this. It was because he was the one who prepared the gift I chose. Just like in the novel, I picked the box decorated with a blue lace ribbon every time. But in the end, I never got to open it at the banquet. The reason was…
“W-we have a problem!”
Ah, speak of the devil. Just as I hugged the box to my chest, someone rushed into the banquet hall urgently. According to the novel, on this day, I was supposed to be startled by the rushing servant and drop the box on the floor. In my first life as Asphodel, that’s exactly what happened.
But it’s not an item that has to be broken for the plot, and it’s a waste to break a gift my father prepared so carefully. It’s a very pretty glass music box designed to play music and scatter sparkling petals inside when activated. So, just like in my second life, I hugged the box tightly like a squirrel with an acorn and didn’t let go.
