Chapter 1 – Possession

“Uwaaaaaaang!!!!!”

Inside the quiet mansion.

It was rumored to be a peaceful ducal residence, a place where, as long as one didn’t disturb the master’s mood, there was nothing to worry about.

But that peace was shattered.

The loud cry of a child, as if his throat would tear, echoed throughout the ducal mansion.

The source of the sound was a large room filled with scattered toys.

A five-year-old boy with black hair was sobbing bitterly, tears streaming down his face onto the floor.

Tears falling from his lake-like blue eyes made them shine even brighter.

The child crying so sadly was none other than Mikael, the heir of the Kaspar Duchy.

He was the very “villain” from the novel she had possessed into.

And the time of possession was when Mikael was in his childhood.

As his precious tutor, no less.

Tears flowed endlessly down Mikael’s chubby cheeks.

Drip, drip.

One drop, then another.

He had cried so much that the sky-blue carpet beneath him was soaked and stained a darker shade.

His eyes were so swollen.

His eyelids were red and puffy, looking almost like sausages.

The reason for his tears was the broken toy carriage right in front of Mikael.

This toy was Mikael’s favorite among all his toys.

But that very toy was now shattered into pieces.

She approached Mikael, bent down to his eye level, and spoke gently.

“Master Mikael, please don’t cry. I’ll fix it for you right away.”

Then, gazing at the broken toy, quietly recited a spell.

‘Telekinesis!’

It was magic that allowed one to move objects without touching them.

Though not a great mage, she could use simple magic like this.

At her spell, the broken pieces of the toy carriage floated in the air, wrapped in blue magic.

Then, another spell was recited.

‘Restoration!’

Magic that returns an object to its previous state.

And for this magic, white powder was essential.

So, she took a pinch of white powder from her pocket and blew it gently.

The powder fluttered on the breath, gathering around the broken toy.

It began to shine brightly, enveloping the shattered toy.

The pieces found their proper places and joined together, erasing every crack and mark.

In less than a minute, the toy was restored to its original state.

However, Mikael paid no attention to whether the toy was repaired and just kept crying loudly.

This child! 

He cried so much that he didn’t hear what was said.

She picked up the restored toy carriage and handed it to Mikael.

“Look, Master Mikael. It’s back to normal.”

Only then did Mikael, wiping his tears, peek through his hands and look at her.

Soon, Mikael’s eyes widened in surprise and he quickly took the toy.

“……Wow!”

He exclaimed quietly, busy inspecting the restored carriage.

He lifted it up to look underneath, turned it right to check if the door closed properly.

His expression was so bright, it was hard to believe he’d been crying moments ago.

Even the twitching corners of his mouth.

He was smiling with the happiest face in the world.

‘Children really are simple.’

For kids under ten, toys and food are everything.

Especially when their favorite toy is fixed—how happy must he be!

Probably happier than seeing his own father.

With his mood almost restored, Mikael absent-mindedly fiddled with the toy, not daring to meet her’s eyes.

“……Th-thank you.”

His chubby cheeks were flushed, stretching like they would pull if tugged.

Almost like a peach.

Mikael, blushing with such a lovely face, was so adorable to her.

A smile formed unconsciously.

“Oh, it’s nothing. By the way, Master Mikael, you must have been very upset.”

“…….”

Mikael, unable to speak, glanced around nervously, then lowered his head.

She hugged Mikael tightly.

“This is your most cherished toy, Master Mikael. It’s okay to cry when you’re sad. So don’t worry about the Duke.”

“Mm…….”

Mikael hugged her waist tightly, burrowing deeper into the embrace.

Poor Mikael.

If only he could be comforted and heal his wounded heart.

It wasn’t his fault the toy broke.

She simply held him closer and gently stroked his head.

Just then, a familiar voice was heard nearby.

“How did you do that?”

……!

Startled, both she and Mikael turned toward the source of the voice.

Black hair like Mikael’s.

A sturdy body and tall stature, honed by frequent wars and training.

And captivating blue eyes reminiscent of a wolf.

Yes.

He was none other than Mikael’s father, Duke Cedric.

The Duke strode forward with long legs, quickly approaching her.

“How on earth did you do it? You stop Mikael from crying every single time.”

She set Mikael down from her arms and rose from her seat. Then she politely folded her hands and replied,

“I merely did what I was supposed to—”

…!

Before she could finish speaking, Cedric suddenly grabbed her hand and pulled her toward him.

It happened so fast that she had no choice but to follow.

Almost tripping, she found herself standing right in front of him.

‘Ah! Too close……’

His breath could be felt directly.

Looking up, the fine fuzz on his face was visible in the light.

This was worse than expected.

Embarrassment and awkwardness made her face flush.

The urge to escape this situation immediately.

No, to run far away.

Being held by someone who never lets prey escape, she feared what might happen if she stayed caught.

Would death come sooner than expected?

Fear overwhelmed her.

Her heart raced wildly in this unpredictable situation.

Just then, his intense gaze was felt.

A warning ran through her body that he was staring intently, somehow unpleasantly.

But this was just her anxious imagination; Cedric’s situation was different.

In his blue eyes, it looked as if sweet honey was flowing.

His sticky gaze made her feel strange.

It was so different from his usual look, it was confusing.

Normally, his eyes were full of k*lling intent, or like a wolf with prey in sight.

That was Cedric’s usual gaze….

How should this be interpreted? Countless thoughts swirled in her mind.

But only briefly.

His strange gaze made her feel as if she was being pulled into his eyes.

His deep, beautiful blue eyes continued to captivate.

While mesmerized by his gaze, a low, soft baritone voice was heard.

“Alicia, would you consider becoming my wife?”

What? Wife?

‘Did I hear that wrong?’

Unable to believe the question, her eyes widened.

To see if he was serious, she looked at Cedric’s eyes.

‘Ah! It’s real.’

Cedric’s characteristic serious gaze.

A gentle, irresistible look was directed at her.

But suddenly proposing?

All she did was comfort a crying child.

Is that enough for a proposal?

And in front of Mikael, who was watching, such a sudden proposal—does this make sense?

It was confusing and very embarrassing.

Honestly, she knew Cedric was very handsome and perfect as a groom.

Even with a child, accepting his proposal—the Empire’s top eligible bachelor—would be good for her.

But she couldn’t fall for this sweet temptation.

‘Get a grip, Alicia. If you make the wrong choice now, you’ll die.’

Handsome or not, Duke or not, there was no need to hesitate.

She must never accept this.

If entangled with Cedric’s family as in the novel, the odds of being killed by the protagonists were very high.

She absolutely refused to have another short life.

‘I’ll never get involved.’

Survival and longevity were the goals this time.

After calmly gathering her thoughts, she gently released Cedric’s hand and stepped back.

Then, bowing politely, spoke carefully to avoid offending him.

“Thank you for the offer, but I must refuse. I am not someone worthy of being chosen by you, Your Grace.”

And besides, she absolutely hates men who already have a child.

* * *

Two months ago, she possessed the tutor character in the novel [My Childhood Friend Became the Villain.]

If only it had been a regular noble family tutor, there would have been no problem, but the character was Mikael’s tutor—the dark villain.

The story was simple.

The heroine, Aris, and the hero, Bastian, were childhood friends with Mikael, the villain, and sought revenge, leading to a happy ending.

In any novel, the protagonists have a justified reason to seek revenge against the villain.

Mikael, the villain, had annihilated the protagonists’ families, making revenge inevitable.

The problem was, their revenge did not end with Mikael’s death.

His family, mansion staff, everyone connected to him was wiped out with determination.

Anyone associated with Mikael died.

Even those who merely exchanged a word with him were interrogated to determine their relationship, then decided whether to kill them.

It was such a tragic story that reading it felt heavy and suffocating.

For those unfamiliar with such stories, it’s hard to get into, but Alicia still liked it.

In three years as a kindergarten teacher, overwhelmed by work, reading this novel was the only happiness.

Looking forward to reading after work, humming on the way home—it felt like only yesterday.

But on a particularly bad day, she caused a big accident at the kindergarten.

A child in the class slipped on the way to the bathroom and cut their forehead.

Seeing blood gush from the child’s forehead, she lost composure and kept making mistakes even after the incident.

As a result, she was severely scolded by the director and threatened with a lawsuit by the parents.

Unable to bear it, her heart became even more exhausted.

Even muttering about wanting to die alone!

But that muttering became reality on the way home.

Already feeling down, a heavy downpour made the mood plummet further.

Engulfed in overwhelming depression, she failed to notice a fast-approaching car.

Thus, she slipped in the rain and was hit by the speeding car.

That was the end of her previous life.