Chapter 1
Scurry. Squeak.
Rats busily ran around.
The untouched food only served to fill their bellies.
Orte quietly watched the scene.
Blinking her unfocused eyes, she rose from her seat as if following a pre-programmed action and stood before a small window.
Beyond the window, the world felt entirely different from where she stood.
In stark contrast to this dark, filthy, and miserable place, it was dazzling, beautifulāoverflowing with happiness.
Orte gazed silently at the victor who had once again lightly pushed her aside and proven herself to be the ārealā one.
There was not a trace of jealousy in her eyes.
She turned away.
Then, footsteps approached, and the heavy door opened.
Orte slowly took in the figures entering, one by one.
They were the people she had loved.
The ones she had called family.
āOrte. You dared to insult and deceive us.ā
In her first life⦠what had she said back then?
She had probably begged for forgiveness.
āYou refused to accept reality and even tried to poison Yvonne.ā
At that, she must have cried out that it wasnāt trueāthat she hadnāt done it.
Was that her second life? She couldnāt remember clearly anymore.
āWe locked you up because we can no longer allow you to stand in Yvonneās way.ā
A lie.
They were just trying to erase her out of shame after discovering that the one they thought was real was actually fake.
She must have hurled curses at them back then, unable to hold back.
āFather, letās stop wasting time and proceed.ā
Her second brotherāonce playful yet dependableātold them to kill her.
āIāll do it.ā
Her proud eldest brother stepped forward, saying he would carry it out himself.
āOrte. Accept this death quietly. It is for your own good.ā
The father she had respected forced death upon her.
Shingā
The sound of a sword leaving its sheath sent a chill down her spine.
She was not afraid of this situationāshe had faced it countless times before.
But that chilling sound dragged her into a bottomless swamp.
Watching her eldest brother approach, Orte slowly moved her dry lips.
āI have one question.ā
In her past lives, she had only begged, desperately trying to prove her innocenceāclinging to them for excuses, explanations, and pity.
This was the first time she had spoken to them like this, right before death.
āā¦Go on.ā
āFather as well.ā
Orte shifted her gaze from her father to her brothers.
āAll of you⦠even for a single moment, did you ever truly love me?ā
āā¦What does that matter now? Itās already been revealed that youāre a fake.ā
āOrte. Sending you off without pain is my final mercy.ā
āParasite, stop talking nonsense and just die quietly by my hand. Itās Yvonneās wedding today, so donāt cause a scene.ā
At that moment, Orte understood.
I see⦠no matter how many times time turns back, these people will never change.
She took a small step back.
Perhaps they thought she was resisting death, because their expressions twisted.
āThatās a relief.ā
Looking at them, Orte felt at ease.
āEven after all this time⦠youāre exactly the same.ā
She smiled.
āThank you. I think I can finally let you go now.ā
Her eldest brother stepped forward.
Even knowing the gleaming blade would soon be aimed at her, Orte continued without hesitation.
āNever again.ā
From her sleeve, she pulled out a sharp shard of glass.
Her brother tensed, but she was faster.
Without a momentās hesitation, Orte slit her own throat.
Her aim was preciseāblood burst forth, blurring their shocked expressions.
Her body collapsed onto the cold floor, and distant shouts rang out around her.
Ignoring everything, her throat torn open, Orte gathered the last of her strength and whisperedā
Never again.
I will never love you.
Orte Weekend.
The name she had lived with her entire life.
Orte was the daughter of a Saintāand a candidate to become the next Saint.
At the same time, she was also the daughter of the Duke of Weekend.
The Duke had fallen in love with the Saint, and they had a child together.
But no matter whose child she was, Orte was still the Saintās daughter.
When a Saint bore a child, it was rareābut sometimes that child would inherit a blessing, a holy power.
The temple, upon learning of the Saintās pregnancy, immediately concealed it in secrecy.
Even the Duke of Weekend, her biological father, never knew. By sheer coincidence, he went off to war and lost six years.
After a long time, he returned victoriousā
But the one who greeted him was not the lover he had longed for.
It was Orte, born in exchange for that loverās life.
Whether it was a blessing or a curse, Orte possessed holy power and was given the chance to be adopted into the Dukeās family.
Orte chose the Duke of Weekend.
Not knowing it was hell.
From the moment she entered the household, he neglected her. Day after day, he suffered and could not hide his anger.
Her two half-brothers didnāt welcome her either.
To them, she was their perfect fatherās only flawāhis illegitimate child.
Orte tried to earn their love.
And every time, she fell into despair.
As time passed, her holy power showed no signs of growing, and no divine mark ever appeared.
Then, on the day of her coming-of-age ceremony, someone appearedā
Claiming to be the ārealā one.
Holding the Duke of Weekendās hand.
The ārealā one possessed the divine mark Orte lacked, along with immense holy power. Even her appearance closely resembled the Saint.
And so, Orte became the āfake.ā
The family that had been cold to her became gentleāonly to that girl.
Even her indifferent fiancĆ© softenedāonly toward her.
Orte was a foolish fake.
She believed that if she tried hard enough, things would change.
But as she faced her third death, she finally realizedā
No matter what I do, these people will never love me.
And so, she decidedā
Then I wonāt love them anymore either.
Until now, Orte had regressed twice without knowing why.
Each time, it was the same momentā
One month before the coming-of-age ceremony, when the ārealā one would appear.
If Iām given another chanceā¦
For the first time, she prayed more desperately than ever.
Then Iā¦
āMiss! Please wake up, Miss!ā
āā¦.ā
Ignoring the angry maidās voice, Orte looked down at her small hands.
They were clearly not the hands of someone about to come of age.
They were small. Short. Still ungrown.
āYouāre already thirteenādo I really have to wake you up every morning like this?!ā
This⦠was not what Orte expected.
Unlike her previous regressions, she had returned not one month before her coming-of-age ceremonyā
But five years earlier.
āGet up! Itās the Duke of Weekendās birthdayāyou need to join the family for breakfast!ā
Orte realized it instantly.
āForget it.ā
āā¦Pardon?ā
This would be the last time.
āTell Fatherāno, tell the Duke of Weekend.ā
Her final life.
Her true life.
āI wonāt be going.ā
Orte was readyā
To never love them again.