TSOMFL 02

Chapter 2

I am an ice ability user, Jenuiere.

I am someone who was reincarnated into a novel—
and originally, I am a villain who gets brutally killed by the Empire’s strongest guardian knight, the Grand Duke of Enar.

I realized that only three months ago.

And that day was also the first time I awakened my power.

—

“Success!”

“The experiment worked!”

“Oh, my God!”

My ears rang with loud, chaotic voices.

I was lying inside a vertical glass tube filled with thick smoke.

When I slightly opened my eyes, I saw blurry figures of adults beyond the glass, hugging each other and cheering like ghosts.

Suddenly, one of them walked toward the tube.

*Clank— Hiss—*

The door of the glass tube opened, and the smoke slowly flowed out.

When the smoke cleared, a priest in black clothes with golden patterns stood before me.

He helped me stand up, carefully checked my condition, and suddenly hugged me tightly.

> “Jenuiere, well done! You finally did it!”

“….”

Yes, my name is Jenuiere.

I was born an orphan and have lived in this underground laboratory of the temple until I turned thirteen.

‘But what is this memory?’

After briefly losing consciousness inside the tube, completely different memories—ones that clearly didn’t belong to this world—began flooding my mind.

‘The priests never said anything about gaining new memories from the experiment.’

Yet, these memories felt strangely familiar.

‘As if I had lived that life myself.’

What was this called again?

Right… a past life.

I slowly recalled my past life.

A modern city with advanced civilization.

A family who loved me, even though we weren’t rich.

A life where I worked hard and endured struggles as a normal member of society.

Those ordinary memories passed through my mind like a panorama.

When I stayed silent for a while, the priest laughed warmly.

“Right, right… it must not feel real yet. You have finally become an ‘ability user.’”

Excited, he suddenly grabbed my right hand and raised it high.

> “We did it. We created an ‘ability user’!”

At his declaration, the other priests dropped to their knees with joy and began crying out loudly.

“Oh, O Leventos!”

“We have finally fulfilled your mission!”

“Leventos…!”

…Wow.

Looking at the chaotic scene in front of me, I could only blink.

And I thought:

‘How can the priests who once seemed so smart now look so foolish?’

If I hadn’t remembered my past life just now, I would have probably knelt with them and prayed in joy. They had always taught me to pray to God.

‘No matter how painful the experiments were.’

But this time, I couldn’t bring myself to pray.

Because those memories made me realize something.

My thirteen years of life—being locked up here and used for experiments—was completely abnormal.

In my past life, even though life was hard, I was loved by my mother.

She worked tirelessly every day, came home late at night, but still hugged me warmly and told me she loved me.

Because of that memory, I understood clearly:

> ‘It is not normal for a thirteen-year-old child to be locked up and experimented on like this.’

And that wasn’t all.

No matter how I thought about it, I was certain—

I had been reincarnated into the novel *“The Beloved Daughter of the Grand Ducal House.”*

In that story, the female lead—who was thought to be cursed—was actually an ice ability user who would save the Empire.

She gets adopted and loved by the Grand Duke of Enar, the Empire’s strongest guardian knight.

It was a healing romance fantasy.

‘And there was also a villain named Jenuiere… who envied and bullied the heroine, and was eventually killed by the Grand Duke.’

And I realized—

I had become that Jenuiere.

My emerald eyes reflected in the glass.

My silver hair.

The way they called my name.

All of it proved I was that villain.

‘And that’s not all.’

If I stayed here obediently, I would follow the exact same path as in the novel.

The priests always said they would send me—after turning me into a “fake ice ability user”—to the Grand Duke’s residence.

They even told me what I should do as his adopted daughter.

And everything they said matched exactly with the villain’s actions in the novel.

Especially the most ridiculous part—

> ‘They told me to trick the Grand Duke into believing I am his real daughter.’

Thirteen years ago, the Grand Duchess disappeared in an accident.

The priests planned to claim she had been pregnant—and that I was her child.

Their goal was to make me the heir of the Grand Ducal House… and control it through me in the future.

‘But more importantly…’

> ‘Before any of that happens, I’m destined to be killed by the Grand Duke!’

Because when the real heroine appears—

my fake ability will be exposed.

And in the end, I would be killed by the Grand Duke’s sword—
the Avalanche Sword that freezes the heart.

A typical villain’s tragic ending.

> ‘I don’t want that fate!’

At that moment, I made a decision.

> ‘I have to escape!’

I could no longer remain the obedient Jenuiere.

‘I don’t want to stay here anymore.’

I lifted my head and looked at the heavy iron door of the lab.

It was tightly shut.

Strangely, I had never once thought about going beyond that door.

But now—

> ‘I can do it.’

Because inside my body, a new power was flowing.

‘It feels like a new engine is running just below my heart.’

A crystal engine had been implanted inside me.

A fake ability user like me didn’t use natural mana like the real heroine.

Instead—

> ‘When I reach out my hand, the power from the crystal engine flows through my veins and bursts out.’

Unlike the original Jenuiere, who felt inferior—

I thought differently.

> ‘This power is strong.’

It could create extremely cold ice faster than normal ability users.

Of course, it had one fatal weakness—

‘But that doesn’t matter right now.’

I closed my eyes, then opened them again.

> ‘I’ll use this power… and escape.’

My heart pounded.

It was my first time making such a decision.

Just then—

A priest with glasses suddenly grabbed my wrist.

“Good girl, Jenuiere. Come with me.”

He smiled.

“We still have many tests to do…”

‘Ah.’

I looked up at him.

He was the one who always dragged me into experiments, telling me to pray so it wouldn’t hurt.

But now I knew—

> ‘Praying never reduced the pain.’

Because in the novel—

Leventos was an evil god.

Still… escaping was another matter.

‘Can I really do this?’

I raised my head.

“Um, mister with glasses.”

“Yes?”

“Shall we test it?”

“…What do you mean?”

Instead of answering—

I acted.

*Smack!*

I shook off his hand.

His face froze in shock.

“…You brat!”

He tried to grab me again.

At that moment, I focused all my energy into my fingertips.

> ‘I have to do this.’

The energy from the crystal engine rushed through my veins.

Everything slowed down.

Then—

a white mist sparkled like starlight from my fingers.

The moment his hand touched it—

“AAAAAAH!”

His hand froze instantly.

*Crack— Crack—*

Ice spread up his arm, to his shoulder, and across his body.

“Cold! Aaaaah!”

He fell, screaming.

Soon—

his entire body froze.

Only his eyes remained, barely moving.

It took less than ten seconds.

The other priests stared in shock.

I took a deep breath.

> ‘Wow… it really worked.’

—

*(To be continued)*