Chapter 1
Late afternoon. Even though it wasn’t that late, the sun had already begun to dip low, befitting the cold winter season.
The setting sun painted a soft orange glow that filled most houses with warm light through their windows.
But not here.
Every window was covered with thick blackout curtains, not a single ray of sunlight allowed in. Only the flickering candlelight and ornate glass lamps cast faint glimmers across the dark room. The mist that hovered low made the already mysterious interior look even more surreal.
Creak—. Jingle jingle.
Someone entered. A young woman, seemingly in her twenties, stepped inside with frozen feet, tense and anxious.
“Is… anyone here?”
Her trembling voice betrayed her fear. Then, as if echoing directly in her mind, a calm, clear voice answered:
[Please, come in.]
“Y-yes!”
The woman hurried further inside. Using the faintly glowing lamps placed sparsely around the room as her guide, she walked deeper until she saw a desk and a chair.
A translucent veil covered the center of the desk, so she could barely make out the figure sitting on the other side — the Madam she had heard so many rumors about.
Though she’d listened to countless tales, seeing the mysterious fortune-teller in person for the first time made her swallow hard.
A gloved hand appeared beneath the curtain, gesturing.
[Please, have a seat.]
The woman sat stiffly as instructed.
[What brings you here today?]
“I… came for a fortune reading.”
[I see. A first-time guest, then.]
“Yes, that’s right.”
[Before we begin, there are some things you must understand.]
A sheet of paper slid out from under the curtain. The woman accepted it and carefully read the text written there — words she had already heard rumors about.
[At Secret Moonlight, we offer not only fortune readings but also prophecies. However, they exist only to guide you toward a better path. Please remember—if you rely solely on my words and make no effort yourself, your fate can change at any time.]
“I understand.”
The Madam interlaced her fingers.
[So, what troubles have brought you here?]
“I… have a lover. We’ve been together for a long time, but…”
She slowly began to pour out her story. She had been with her boyfriend for years, and they were about to get engaged—until, just days ago, she caught him cheating.
Shocked and heartbroken, she confronted him, only to be met with excuses. Her boyfriend and even those around him dismissed it as a “one-time mistake,” defending him instead.
In the end, she was made to look like the cruel one—too petty to forgive a man’s “small mistake.”
The people she trusted—her lover, her family, her friends—all turned against her, pushing her to the edge. Unable to bear it any longer, she had called off the engagement—for now.
The Madam listened silently, while tears welled in the woman’s eyes.
[You’ve suffered greatly.]
“I… I really… can’t take it anymore…”
[Then what would you like me to see for you?]
“I can’t trust him anymore. But everyone keeps telling me it was just a mistake, that he’s the one I’m meant to be with, and that I should hurry and marry him. I want to know… if he’s really my destined one.”
[Very well. Let’s find out.]
The Madam pulled a crystal ball toward her and brushed her gloved hands across it. The clear orb began to cloud over, filling with a milky mist.
The woman stared, wide-eyed, as something strange began to take shape within.
— Not fate. Not even close. If she stays with that man, she’ll spend her whole life cleaning up his messes. Might as well be his maid. A connection that ruins a person’s life can be called “fate,” I suppose—but not the kind anyone wants.
The scathing words echoed in the Madam’s head, but she kept a calm face, pretending to be focused on the reading. She studied the woman beyond the veil carefully.
Then a vision flashed in her mind.
A woman and a man, surrounded by blessings, exchanging rings at their wedding.
But soon, misfortune followed. The woman’s spirit withered as the man fell into infidelity, gambling, and drink. His true nature surfaced. In the end, he even raised his hand against her.
The woman sat crying alone in a small, worn-down room—unable to escape him.
It all passed in five seconds, but the future had been shown in full.
Lowering her hands from the crystal ball, the Madam spoke.
“Did… did you see something?” the woman asked, voice trembling.
[Yes. I did.]
“Then… what should I do? Should I continue the engagement?”
[No. Absolutely not.]
A sharp inhale followed her firm answer.
[You and that man are not meant to be. In fact, if you stay together, you will be the only one to suffer.]
“What… do you mean?”
[Think of it this way. You are a tree—lush and green. He is fire—burning and wild. What happens when fire meets a tree?]
“…The tree burns.”
[Exactly. That’s your compatibility. He feels you’re perfect for him—because fire needs wood to grow. And you, my dear, are a great, sturdy tree.]
“…”
[But the opposite isn’t true. Once the fire starts, it will consume you, and you’ll be trapped in the flames with no escape. And that fire is just beginning to catch.]
The woman covered her trembling mouth with her hands.
[When you were just dating, it seemed fine. His fire imitated sunlight—warm and bright, tricking your eyes. But once you marry, unless you divorce, you’ll be bound to him forever. Haven’t things already begun to fall apart since your engagement?]
“Now that you mention it… yes. He started cheating, and misfortunes kept piling up.”
[Those were only warnings. If you marry him, the reading says you will live a life of hardship.]
“What… kind of hardship?”
[If he goes into debt, you’ll be the one paying it. He’ll drink, cheat again, and eventually resort to violence.]
“…”
[No matter how much he errs, you forgive him—and he learns the wrong lesson: ‘No matter what I do, she’ll always forgive me.’ And so he’ll keep doing worse.]
The woman sat frozen, unable to speak.
[Do not expect him to change.]
She flinched, eyes trembling—it seemed that’s exactly what she’d hoped for.
[There’s a saying: “People don’t change.” It’s not true for everyone, but most can’t alter their nature. And if he were capable of changing, he already would have.]
“…So, he was never my fate.”
[A fate that ruins your life is still fate, perhaps—but not the kind you imagine.]
“Then breaking up is the answer.”
She bit her lip, face twisted with pain.
[I do recommend it. But even that won’t be easy.]
“What?”
[Your lover doesn’t want to let you go. He may even try to stop you by force. Leaving him could cost you blood.]
“Then what should I do?”
[Find someone who can help you. And ignore what others say. When people insist, ‘You’ll never find someone like him,’ or ‘It was just one mistake,’ remember this—]
[No one else will live your life for you.]
[Not family. Not friends. In the end, they’re all just bystanders.]
“…Thank you. For the advice.”
— If she accepts an offer, she’ll find a new connection. That one will be her true destined match.
Another whisper echoed in the Madam’s mind.
[If you wish to find someone who can help you, make a request. If it succeeds, you’ll be able to sever your current bond completely.]
“…Thank you, Madam.”
Jingle jingle.
The door chimed as it opened and closed again. The Madam sighed deeply, watching the woman stride out with a relieved expression.
“Phew… I guess that’s enough for today.”
The voice that filled the room now sounded far younger than the one she had used before. Standing up, the Madam stepped out from behind the veil.
Not a middle-aged woman. Not even an adult.
She was a young girl—no older than sixteen—stretching her stiff back after sitting too long.
“Well, that’s today’s quota done… Time to clean up.”
Her bright red hair shimmered, and her violet eyes sparkled with life as she looked around.
She locked the shop door and brightened the dark interior, revealing what looked very much like a witch’s workshop.
Secret Moonlight—a small shop on Terrion Street where people came to have their troubles read through fortune-telling.
Its readings were said to be so accurate, it was as if the Madam could see straight into a person’s heart. Word had spread from commoners to nobles alike.
And yet, no one knew the Madam’s name, face, or age. Everyone assumed she was a seasoned woman with years of experience—
—but the truth was, the mysterious Madam of Secret Moonlight was none other than a sixteen-year-old girl named Selina.
