Chapter 01 

“Pretty…”

A woman leaning against the terrace railing murmured while looking down.

Soft magical lights were scattered all over the imperial palace garden, creating a dreamy atmosphere beneath the night sky.

As she sipped from her wine glass, a large shadow suddenly loomed over her shoulder.

“You were here, Aylesia.”

A deep voice gently brushed her ears. Aylesia slowly turned to face the man who had stepped onto the terrace.

He was tall—at least a head taller than her—his well-trained body perfectly held within his elegant uniform.

Thermion, now an adult, radiated the presence of a fully grown man.

She had seen him like this before, yet her face flushed the moment their eyes met.

‘…Am I drunk?’

No, she hadn’t drunk enough for that. Aylesia lifted the wine glass again.

“Drinking too much is bad for you.”

“Huh?”

Thermion smoothly took the wine glass from her hand and placed it on the table.

“I’m not drunk.”

“If what’s in that glass was pure wine, maybe.”

Tch. What a sharp man. He’d noticed she secretly mixed in some strong liquor.

“When did you get so naggy?”

“I learned from someone.”

Ah. So this is my excellent teaching, huh?

Before she could feel proud, Thermion leaned in closer.

His mouth curved in a slight smile, but his eyes were deep and intense as they looked straight at her.

His gaze was calm and steady, but her heart felt like it was going to explode.

‘This is bad for my heart…!’

Inside, the banquet was still loud and lively. But out here, the terrace was quiet.

If she were drunk, she might handle this better. But facing him sober was too overwhelming.

When Aylesia stepped back in panic, trying to grab the railing, Thermion’s fingers wrapped around her own.

“T-Thermion?”

“If you break the terrace this time, what would you do?”

His strong arm wrapped around her waist, fully trapping her in his embrace. He bent his head closer.

“As for that storage house at the villa, that was from my personal funds—so I didn’t mind.”

… Why bring that up now?!

The problem had been that it was a full-moon night, making her magic unusually strong.

And yes, the peaceful seaside atmosphere had made her excited. But still!

‘It wasn’t my fault the wall collapsed after one little slam!’

Well… after that, being in his arms had been… No, stop. Focus!

Reality first. Judging from his eyes, she might get eaten alive at this rate.

‘This is the imperial palace! There are tons of people inside!’

Warm breath brushed her neck, making her bite her lip without realizing.

“I don’t want your touch lingering all over this palace.”

… What kind of line is that supposed to be?

How did this man end up like this?

The innocent boy she first met was gone—what remained was a wolf, unyielding and loyal, who allowed no one but her by his side.

* * *

Seo Hwirin, 26. She had graduated from university and successfully gotten a job.

In her previous life, she was what people called a “normal person.”

Well—visibly normal. Her life itself had been anything but peaceful.

On the day of her middle school entrance ceremony, her parents—who promised they would absolutely come no matter what—never made it.

A sudden car accident took both their lives, leaving Hwirin alone.

Relatives who wanted her massive inheritance swarmed around her like starving beasts.

The only person who stepped forward to protect her was her aunt.

“Our older brother and sister-in-law earned that money with their lives! No one gets even a single coin except Hwirin!”

Her aunt was only twelve years older—born as a late child after Hwirin’s grandfather remarried.

After her grandfather passed away, it was Hwirin’s parents who raised her. Hwirin treated her more like an older sister than an aunt.

Her aunt even quit graduate school to raise her. She had a fiancé at the time, but when his family started eyeing Hwirin’s inheritance, she broke off the engagement immediately.

Thanks to her aunt’s sacrifices, Hwirin grew up normally, got into college, graduated, and found a good job.

After living so hard, the only thing left, she thought, was living happily with her aunt.

But then—

“I’m sorry, Hwirin. I guess I can’t stay by your side much longer.”

Her aunt passed away from cancer.

After that, Hwirin lost all will to live.

She quit her hard-earned job and became a shut-in.

‘I don’t know what I’m supposed to do anymore.’

She drifted through life, the only comfort being web novels.

The subtle emotions, the sweet romance, the warm happy endings—those were her only escape.

One day, after a year of living like that—

‘What… what is this?’

She woke from sleep to an entirely unfamiliar world.

The walls were made of thick, dark logs—not the pastel wallpaper she knew.

It looked like something from a fairy tale.

Maybe it was a dream. She pinched her cheek.

“Ouch!”

She stood from the antique-looking bed and walked to the mirror.

“… Who are you?”

Golden hair cascading to her waist, sapphire-blue eyes, and flawless milk-white skin.

It was the kind of beauty only a god could sculpt.

It definitely wasn’t her original face.

“Ugh—!”

Suddenly, a stabbing headache hit her, and jumbled memories started aligning.

“Aylesia Milenov…?”

A name slipped naturally from her lips.

Once she calmed down, she quickly examined her room, then stepped outside to look around.

She recalled all the stories she’d read over the years.

And finally reached one conclusion.

“…This is exactly that thing from all those novels.”

Seo Hwirin had fallen into the romance fantasy novel she read before falling asleep.

* * *

No one knows exactly when the rumors began.

There is a beautiful witch living in the lake of the western forest.

She commands animals however she wants, raises trees into labyrinths, and when angry, she summons lightning to flip the lake upside down.

On full-moon nights, she even flies through the sky.

But strangely, she is kind to children.

Kids who got lost in the forest often returned home with arms full of bread and cookies, describing her excitedly:

“She’s as pretty as a fairy! The prettiest in the world!”

“Her hair sparkled, and her blue eyes sparkled too!”

“She waved her staff, and snacks poured out of the sky!”

Those children grew up, became grandparents, and passed down the tale. It eventually became a legend.

So, who is this witch?

A transmigrator who got into a flame war with the original author and fell straight into the novel.

Yes. That would be me.

The witch of the western forest, Aylesia, woke up with a messy face.

After using a bit of magic to get ready, she opened the door.

“You’re here?”

Two huge wolves, Whitey and Blanky—a married pair living in the forest—wagged their tails at her.

“No trouble last night?”

“Woof!”

After feeding them plenty of meat, she wrapped herself in a thick robe and stepped outside.

The sky was clear, not a single cloud in sight. It was the prettiest morning of the year.

‘Has it really been… about 500 years since I came here?’

She had transmigrated into a background character of the romance fantasy novel
<I’m the Demon Duke’s Cute Niece.

Not five years.
Not fifty.
Five hundred years.

Five. Hundred. Years.
The world must have changed fifty times by now!

“WHEN is this stupid original story going to start?!”

Aylesia shouted angrily toward the lake.

Ripples spread across the water as old memories flickered through her mind yet again.