Chapter 02
Melina blinked away her stiff eyes and rose from her chair, leaning against the window.
Outside, an unkempt, shabby garden stretched beyond the glass.
“The garden needs redesigning, too. It would look beautiful if flowers bloomed with each season.”
A smile naturally formed on her lips. Her relaxed expression was something that could never be seen in the imperial palace.
The magician had kept her promise.
When she opened her eyes again, she was someone else entirely.
“To think I’d swap bodies with someone so… formidable.”
Melina shook her head.
She still shivered at the memory of discovering whose body she now inhabited.
The head of Temno. The king of the underworld.
Berta Monmus.
This was the life Melina had now inherited.
“Temno” was the umbrella term for the empire’s underworld. In that lawless, chaotic realm, the only rule was Berta Monmus herself.
“From empress to underworld queen… what a downgrade.”
Melina let out a small laugh.
The magician who had saved her had introduced herself as El. She explained that twenty years ago, while being chased by the city guard, she had been saved thanks to Melina’s biological mother.
[Why were you being chased?]
[I practiced dark magic.]
[Dark magic?]
Melina couldn’t help but be shocked.
Dark magic was strictly prohibited by law, and any practitioner would be arrested immediately upon discovery.
[Are you afraid because I’m a dark mage?]
[No. You’re the one who saved my life.]
El also revealed that the soul-transference spell used on Melina was a form of dark magic.
Lost in thought, Melina tensed suddenly. She sensed someone approaching.
Berta’s heightened physical senses could detect even the smallest of movements.
Initially, her sensitivity had been startling and exhausting, but now it felt as natural as breathing.
Recognizing the presence, Melina’s lips curved into a slight smile.
As the figure reached the doorway, she lightly raised her right hand.
Clang!
The door opened, accompanied by the clatter of metal hitting the floor and something dropping.
“You’ve become quite skilled.”
The woman entering the room remarked casually as she looked at the two pairs of weapons lying on the floor.
“You’re able to block so well now?”
Melina smiled proudly.
The Monmus family had created the title of Temno and maintained leadership for over two centuries. As the heir, Berta had trained in every imaginable form of combat from a young age—swordsmanship, hand-to-hand combat, stealth, and the use of hidden weapons. There was nothing she could not do. Yet even that wasn’t enough.
She delved into dark magic, and due to a miscast spell, her soul had fractured, threatening complete annihilation.
That was why Melina had been given this opportunity.
Having spent her life doing little more than walking and horseback riding, Melina had trained rigorously for six months.
At first, she was clumsy, stumbling over herself, but gradually, as she followed her instincts, her movements became fluid.
“Yes, at this level, you can venture out. But you still fall short of Berta’s skill, so you must continue training diligently.”
“I understand. Still, it feels good to hear your praise, Ran.”
Ran, Berta’s butler and aide, was by Melina’s side under Berta’s orders.
Without Berta, Temno would descend into chaos. The empire’s ruthless hand would eventually crush the disordered underworld if left unchecked. Berta feared this, which is why she enacted the soul-transference spell—to protect Temno.
Understanding Berta’s intentions, Ran followed orders faithfully.
“This is not praise. It’s an objective evaluation.”
Ran, with her violet hair tied neatly, spoke without expression. Melina had grown accustomed to her strict demeanor, now responding comfortably.
“How are things at the imperial palace?” Melina asked, taking a seat at her desk.
Temno’s intelligence network stretched across the continent, including the palace.
Over the past six months, Melina had been occupied not only with physical training but also with understanding Berta’s undertakings. The sheer volume of information and resources in Temno required time to process.
“Since the empress’s funeral, no major movements have occurred. However, Duke Lenotor and Marquis Salavit have been meeting the emperor frequently.”
Melina’s lips curled into a bitter smile at the mention of her own funeral.
Two days after the soul transfer, Melina Lenotor was officially declared dead, and the funeral was held.
She attended her own funeral among the mourning citizens—not to grieve herself, but to thank Berta and see her former body’s final journey.
Only Ran and Shan, commander of the Black Wolf—Berta’s guards—accompanied her.
Witnessing people mourning a life she was still living felt surreal. The grandeur of the ceremony revealed the emperor’s hypocrisy, filling her with bitter indignation.
“During the mourning period, people would have kept quiet. The emperor cannot tolerate any blemish on his reputation.”
The emperor surely wished to install Nora as empress quickly, but the six-month mourning period prevented that.
“When do you expect the discussion of the empress selection to begin?”
“It will start soon. Duke Lenotor is impatient. It will be some time before Leila can become empress.”
Since becoming Berta, Melina never addressed the duke as father. The illegitimate child of the Monmus family was already “dead.”
“Rumors say the duke intends to nominate Leila as a candidate for empress.”
“He stepped back for Leila, but he must regret losing power. Does he think the emperor will comply? Foolish.”
Melina clicked her tongue at the duke’s impatience. She had always feared and respected him, but observing from this new position made her realize how unnecessary that fear had been.
“The emperor will never relinquish Nora. He cannot tolerate defiance. With careful planning, this could be quite entertaining.”
“I’ll arrange the empress selection to pit Leila and Nora against each other as the central conflict.”
As always, Ran was precise and perceptive.
“To challenge the emperor, we must move the nobles.”
Being a commoner, Berta could not enter the palace or high society.
Melina tapped her fingers on the desk, weighing possibilities, then grinned.
“That’s the best approach. Ran, request a visit to Grand Duke Caster’s estate.”
“You’ll go personally?”
“Of course. I had to meet him anyway, so let’s bring it forward.”
Melina had met the Grand Duke a few times as empress but had no particular connection.
“If the request comes under your name, attention will be drawn, and suspicion will arise. One of the trading companies traveling through the Grand Duchy will submit the request in our name.”
As Temno’s leader, Berta’s movements were closely watched. Her choices affected the entire empire.
“Do that. Still, we need something to hide our movements from prying eyes.”
Ran handed her a document she had been holding, as if anticipating this request.
“What is this?”
“Bern caused an incident in the Grand Duchy. Everyone knows that if a Temno member causes trouble, the leader intervenes personally.”
Ran’s faint smirk revealed her intent.
Melina understood immediately, skimming the document.
“This gives us a legitimate pretext. Prepare to depart for the Grand Duchy. You’ll come as well, Ran.”
She was not confident acting alone. Though she had trained for six months, this was her first real mission.
“Yes, my lord.”
Once Ran left, Melina leaned back in her chair.
Thanks to Berta and El, she now possessed unexpected power. Initially, she had been dazed, but now she saw it as a chance granted by fate—a chance to avenge those who had tried to kill her.
I will make them scream in despair and regret.
She would take away what they valued most: the throne from the emperor, power from Duke Lenotor, and even the people they loved.
“Rejected again today?”
Melina asked as Ran entered.
“Yes, this is the fifth time.”
Ran frowned, surprised at the repeated refusals.
It had already been a week since staying at the inn in the Grand Duchy. Traveling from the capital took over ten days, so half a month had already passed.
“I wonder—would they refuse even if I identified myself as Temno’s leader?”
“My lord…”
Ran shook her head firmly.
“I know, I’m frustrated too. Keep submitting requests. Let’s see how long they resist. If it fails, we’ll just storm in.”
“Understood.”
“Have you located Bern?”
“Yes. Tonight, a slave auction will take place.”
The incident Bern caused was, in fact, the slave auction.
As Temno’s leader, Melina’s first action had been to eliminate the slave-trading business. Even in the underworld, the buying and selling of humans was intolerable.
Her decision sparked resistance, but by minimizing losses and supporting business changes, opposition gradually subsided. Yet some, including Bern, refused to abandon the trade.
“Good. Let’s handle that first.”
Melina stood, stretching as she prepared.
It was her first time appearing before people as Temno’s leader, and though nervous, she felt a strange thrill.
“Shan.”
A figure clad entirely in black except for his eyes stepped forward.
He was Shan, commander of the Black Wolf, Berta’s elite guard.
“Tonight, make sure none of Bern’s subordinates escape. They must see consequences.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Shan bowed and departed.
In Temno, the leader’s orders were law. Disobedience was met with punishment so severe that no one would dare defy commands again.
Melina had heard this from Ran and Shan countless times, and now it was time to put it into practice.
