Prologue

The Debutante Ball.

The mere mention of those words was enough to set the hearts of the Lagria Empire’s young men and women aflutter.

Every year, not only the sons and daughters of the most prominent families but also eligible bachelors and young ladies hoping to transform their fortunes through marriage flocked to the capital from all across the empire.

In just one month, the empire’s grandest social event would begin.

The salon hosted by Baron Irid today was likewise abuzz with talk of the approaching ball.

“Do you think His Highness the Crown Prince will be absent again this year?”

“He is studying abroad, so I imagine attending would be difficult.”

“But surely the heirs of the Ripon, Siola, and Germand duchies will be there?”

“Of course. They are all of marriageable age, after all.”

The young ladies giggled behind their fans as they engaged in a subtle battle of nerves.

In their visions of the future, each of them would become a countess at the very least, a duchess if she struck gold, and—in her wildest fantasies—the empress herself.

Yet there was one family that even these ambitious young ladies deliberately avoided mentioning.

Despite being the most prestigious ducal house in the empire, it had been treated like an outcast for nearly twenty years: the family of one of the empire’s founding heroes.

That family.

Unfortunately, one particularly gossip-loving young lady chose that moment to bring it up.

“By the way, have you heard the latest news about House Chantalis?”

“Shh, Lady Marilyn!”

“No, I heard that thing recently began venturing outside—”

Bang!

Everyone’s gaze snapped toward the terrace.

The sharp click of heels followed as a figure clad entirely in black entered the drawing room.

A voluminous black gown spread above equally black shoes, immediately capturing everyone’s attention.

She looked as though she were on her way to a funeral. Yet a closer examination of everything she wore revealed that each piece was expensive enough to make one’s head spin.

The fabric clinging tightly to her voluptuous figure had been dusted with ground obsidian, causing it to glitter brilliantly whenever the drawing-room lights touched it.

Tiny diamonds were embedded like stars in the black veil, which had been painstakingly woven stitch by stitch by master artisans from the south.

The Lady of Pitch-Black Darkness.

The Cursed Princess.

Evelyn Joelle Chantalis.

The woman responsible for plunging the empire’s greatest ducal house into ruin—and the servant of Simon, the Evil God—had stormed into the salon.

Lady Marilyn, who had dared utter the name Chantalis, went deathly pale. Both her hands trembled uncontrollably.

Evelyn paid her no attention. She casually brushed off her delicately laced black gown and swept her gaze across the room.

She looked like a predator searching for its next victim.

Everyone turned toward Baron Irid.

‘What are you doing? Stop her.’

Irid swallowed hard.

Truthfully, he did not want to step forward.

But what kind of day was today?

It was the momentous occasion on which he, a mere baron, had scraped together every connection he possessed to host his very first salon.

As the host, it was only proper that he approach the uninvited guest and ask why she had appeared at a gathering to which she had never been invited.

Besides, Evelyn was nothing more than a twenty-year-old girl who had only just come of age.

If she could not provide a satisfactory reason for her intrusion, he would throw that servant of the Evil God out immediately.

Irid approached Evelyn and cleared his throat.

“A-A-Ah, L-Lady Evelyn. Wh-What brings you to such a humble place…?”

‘What an idiot.’

The gazes of the guests turned cold. His voice had been too quiet even to attract Evelyn’s attention.

“Ahem. L-Lady Evelyn…!”

At that moment, a voice as clear as jade bells drifted from behind the veil.

“F*ck, why is it so hard to find a door in this mansion?”

Fck?*

A chill crawled down the spines of everyone present, including Irid.

None of them understood precisely what the word meant, but the more they repeated it in their heads, the more an inexplicable surge of anger rose within them.

Evelyn’s searching gaze finally landed on Irid.

His attention was immediately captured by the green eyes visible beyond the black veil.

The color was as refreshing as lush summer grass, yet intoxicating enough to entrance anyone who looked into them. Those eyes gleamed brilliantly beneath her abundant golden hair.

More importantly, what was that fragrance?

What in the world was that scent?

The moment Irid took a step closer to discover where it was coming from, Evelyn lifted her fan and poked him squarely in the chest.

“You there.”

“…Yes?”

“Do you have a list of everyone attending this salon?”

Irid shook his head.

“Yes, I do!”

“Bring it to me.”

Irid firmly refused.

“Certainly! Just one moment!”

Feeling as though his mind and body were no longer in agreement, he retrieved the parchment bearing the guest list and respectfully presented it to Evelyn.

The salon’s guests stared at him in disbelief.

Evelyn, meanwhile, looked over the names of the noble sons and daughters and smiled in satisfaction.

“This is exactly the information I wanted.”

Irid had no idea what she meant, but the apparent praise put him in a good mood.

While he cleared his throat with a relaxed expression, Evelyn rolled up the parchment and slipped it into her sleeve.

Then she asked in a seductive voice, “Are you looking for a marriage partner as well?”

Irid’s neck reddened at the unexpected question.

“Y-Yes. That is correct.”

“Let me see. Your face is reasonably presentable. What’s your name?”

Irid faithfully recited his entire name, including the middle name his mother only used whenever she scolded him.

Evelyn questioned him about his wealth, family background, and number of siblings. Then she muttered something incomprehensible.

‘I suppose he would be around Silver Tier Three.’

“How would you feel about courting Lady Lant, the marquess’s daughter, with marriage as the ultimate goal?”

“…A-A marquess’s daughter?”

‘There is no possible way a young baron with nothing but money could aspire to marry the daughter of a marquess.’

And yet Irid’s eyes had already drifted toward Lady Lant.

Now that marriage had been mentioned, he somehow found himself bothered by the pallor of her cheeks.

“Ten märchen,” Evelyn whispered in a seductive voice reminiscent of a siren.

“Pardon?”

“You want to become closer to the marquess’s daughter, don’t you? I can make that happen. My initial fee starts at ten märchen. What do you say?”

A single märchen was enough to feed a commoner’s entire family for a month.

As though sensing Irid’s hesitation, Evelyn clicked her tongue reproachfully.

“I know your merchant company has been doing rather well lately. How long do you intend to remain an old bachelor?”

Evelyn smiled as though she were doing him a tremendous favor.

“Still, since this is your first time hiring me, I’ll give you a discount. Seven märchen.”

***

“Ah, what a gold mine.”

Her clear, melodious voice rang beneath the brilliant blue sky, utterly at odds with her coarse manner of speaking.

Evelyn affectionately stroked the heavy purse hidden beneath her sleeve as though petting a beloved animal.

Evelyn—or rather, Kim Isu, who had possessed Evelyn’s body after an unfortunate accident—was in an exceptionally good mood today.

‘At this rate, hitting the jackpot is only a matter of time.’

She grinned down at the parchment containing her list of potential new clients.

If merely visiting salons had earned her this much, just how many influential figures would she meet at the approaching Debutante Ball?

She did not know the exact number, but there were bound to be plenty of diamond-tier clients of marriageable age.

Evelyn smiled brightly.

‘I was South Korea’s finest matchmaking planner and dating coach. I’ll make full use of my experience from my previous life, earn a fortune, and get out of this country.’

It would not be long before her plan came to fruition.

Evelyn crossed the grounds of Baron Irid’s estate and headed toward the carriage waiting for her.

At that moment, the spring breeze gently lifted her veil.

The servants passing through the garden stopped dead when they saw Evelyn’s uncovered face.

‘Is that really a human being I’m looking at?’

Her pale skin seemed carved from melted moonlight. Her radiant golden hair, elegant nose, and mysterious green eyes all looked like works of art fashioned by the hands of a god.

And above all, those full, soft lips.

But the moment they caught a glimpse of the rose-shaped mark upon Evelyn’s chest, they hastily bowed their heads.

The cursed young lady whom no one must ever approach.

That was Evelyn Joelle Chantalis.

By then, Evelyn had already climbed gracefully into the carriage bearing the crest of House Chantalis.

“Please, let’s get going.”

“Yes, my lady!”

The carriage surged forward.

It was early afternoon—the time of day when she desperately began to miss the ducal estate, with its warm food and her brothers who were crisp on the outside but tender on the inside.

Chapter 1: The Goth Look Isn’t My Thing Either (1)

Screech—! Crash—!

Kim Isu could sum up the process of possessing Evelyn’s body with those two sounds.

Five hundred couples matched over the course of three years.

She had been riding high as the undisputed best dating expert in the business when, one fateful day, her life was abruptly cut short by a drunk driver speeding down the road with his high beams on.

That very day, Isu had been named Matchmaker of the Year for the third consecutive year since joining the company.

“Looks like you’ll be getting another hefty bonus this year, Isu.”

“You’re going to burn yourself out if you keep pushing yourself so hard. Take it easy.”

Pretending not to notice the envy and jealousy behind her coworkers’ words, she accepted every drink they poured for her.

Having grown up in an orphanage, she had no family with whom to share the good news and no close friends in whom she could confide.

Just as a bitter smile touched Isu’s lips, Assistant Manager Seong, who claimed to have once been a master of romance himself, gave her a condescending look.

“What good does any of that do? You’ve never even had a boyfriend yourself.”

Bang!

Silence instantly descended over the barbecue restaurant.

Isu pushed the glass she had set down into the corner of the table.

“Ha-ha. Look how late it’s gotten. I should be going.”

“H-Hey, Isu! Don’t be like that. Stay and have some more fun!”

Isu ignored her coworkers calling after her.

All the higher-ups had already left, so she had no intention of forcing herself to remain at the company dinner.

The moment she stepped outside, the frigid midwinter air stung her nose.

Assistant Manager Seong, you bastard. I pretended not to notice your receding M-shaped hairline, and this is how you repay me? I’m telling Team Leader Sumi, the woman you like, everything.

Isu suddenly shouted at the empty air.

“You think I don’t want to date someone too, huh?!”

And it wasn’t just dating she wanted.

She wanted to fall deeply in love, get married, have two children, and spend her days laughing and bickering with her husband over which parent the children resembled.

But during her school years, she had been too busy studying. In college, she had been too preoccupied with finding a job. And once she became a working adult, everyone assumed she would overanalyze and evaluate any potential partner.

In the end, the only times she ever exercised her romantic instincts were when she matched couples for work or read romance novels.

After fuming for a while, Isu’s shoulders drooped again.

‘Will there ever come a day when I can use the word “family” for myself?’

“…Ugh, that’s enough self-pity. I’ll go home and catch up on the web novels I bookmarked.”

After barely managing to console herself, Isu began crossing the street.

Her plan was to eat a late-night snack and stay up reading web novels.

That was when a large van came hurtling toward her.

Unable to withstand the flood of glaring headlights, Isu squeezed her eyes shut.

‘No way. I can’t possibly be this unlucky…’

Crash!

“Aaaah!”

“Call emergency services! Hurry!”

People began gathering around her in alarm.

But by the time her face struck the gray mound of snow, Isu had already lost consciousness.

***

‘Ugh, my head.’

After what felt like an eternity, Isu forced her heavy eyelids open.

Instead of the hospital curtains she had expected, an ornate ceiling decorated with gold leaf greeted her.

‘I feel like I’ve seen this scene somewhere before.’

Isu sat up.

Strangely, she felt no pain. Her entire body felt surprisingly light.

“But why do my shoulders feel so heav—?”

Isu abruptly stopped speaking.

Was this what an angel flying through the heavens and playing a trumpet would sound like?

“My voice is usually husky…”

Her new voice was so sweet and melodious that it seemed capable of melting the ears of anyone who heard it.

Growing frightened, Isu looked around.

The first things she noticed were the muted red wallpaper and dark green curtains.

Everything in the room was of such luxurious quality that it might as well have been a hundred million light-years removed from anything found in a hospital—or her tiny apartment.

‘If this isn’t a hospital or my apartment, then where am I…?’

Just as Isu pushed aside her foreboding and prepared to find a mirror, someone knocked on the door.

Knock, knock.

“Um, I-I’ve brought your breakfast!”

“W-Wait just a moment—agh!”

Isu scrambled to her feet, only to slip and fall beside the bed.

Before she could recover, the door opened.

The young maid who entered found Evelyn sitting awkwardly on the floor. The moment their eyes met, the maid let out a scream.

“Aaaah! L-Lady Evelyn, where is your veil?!”

The maid shoved the breakfast tray against Isu’s chest, turned deathly pale, and fled.

Isu stared blankly at the maid’s retreating back.

What was that about a veil…?

“Wait. Did she just say Evelyn and veil?”

The details of a certain novel suddenly flashed through Isu’s mind.

Praying desperately that she was wrong, Isu rushed toward the mirror.

The instant she saw her reflection, her jaw dropped.

‘…This is completely insane, right? 

God, don’t think I’m going to let you off with a little finger-pointing. Prepare yourself for three straight hours of cursing. No, make that an entire week.’

Isu stared numbly at her reflection.

Her br*asts were so large that they completely obscured the tray in her hands. Platinum-blonde hair cascaded down to her waist, while fresh green eyes sparkled in her beautiful face.

Her features were so perfectly symmetrical that they hardly seemed human. No one would have found it strange if God had slapped His own cheeks in amazement and declared, Even I have to admit this is a masterpiece!

No matter how she looked at it, there was only one possible explanation.

It was one of the three classic staples of web novels: regression, transmigration, and reincarnation.

In her case, it was transmigration.

And of all things, she had transmigrated into the body of a stunning villainess from a novel that had gone on indefinite hiatus.

Even worse…

‘I’ve possessed a minor! Are you freaking kidding me?!’

Evelyn screamed and slammed the breakfast tray onto the table.

Being beautiful was all well and good, but what was with the lingering baby fat on her cheeks?

Her appearance was far too young for Isu to consider dating anyone without violating her own moral standards.

And that was not the only problem.

“What kind of ridiculous cliché is this? I had reverse-harem novels in my bookmarks! I had wholesome healing stories too! So why did I end up in this novel, as this girl?!”

Reality, however, was unmistakable.

Kim Isu of South Korea was dead, but her soul had entered the body of Evelyn Joelle Chantalis.

Worse still, Evelyn was the villainess who had been poisoned to death by the male leads in The Labyrinth of Purity.

Isu—now Evelyn—stared at the rose-shaped mark above her chest.

It was in a place that could easily be concealed by clothing, but the thought of carrying that accursed mark for the rest of her life made her future seem bleak.

“Haah…”

Simon, the eternal nemesis of Chara, the supreme god.

According to the original novel, Simon was the most wicked of all evil gods—a being who had massacred countless humans simply because they refused to worship him.

Evelyn was infamous throughout the empire as the child born with the mark of the Evil God Simon engraved upon her chest.

Her expression turned grim as she stared at the steaming breakfast tray.

‘On top of that, Lagria is a holy nation. Even the nobles can barely oppose the temple.’

When Evelyn was born, Lagria’s Central Temple had ordered her to wear a pitch-black veil at all times. She was permitted to wear nothing but black dresses whenever she left the estate.

Her clothing appeared to be somewhat less restricted while she was at home, but judging from the maid’s reaction earlier, the veil was apparently mandatory even indoors.

Evelyn ground her teeth.

“It’s always the people in power who cause the most trouble, no matter where you go…!”

At that moment, Evelyn’s stomach gave a thunderous growl.

Looking somewhat embarrassed, she took a deep breath and inhaled the aroma of freshly baked bread.

‘For now…should I eat first?’

The more complicated the problem, the simpler the solution.

That was the truth she had learned in her previous life.

Remembering the food blog she had once run, Evelyn eagerly devoured the meal.

“Oh. The food here is amazing.”

The silver lining in this miserable situation was that, having been born a duke’s daughter, she would never have to worry about starving to death.

***

Meanwhile, in the duke’s office, Duke Chantalis was locked in a confrontation with his eldest son, Oden.

“Surely you still haven’t decided what to do with Evelyn, Father?”

Without even removing the cloak issued to royal court mages, Oden stared coldly at Duke Chantalis.

Having earned the title of the youngest court mage at the tender age of twenty-two, Oden carried a maturity far beyond his years.

Duke Chantalis’s icy blue eyes gleamed in the sunlight pouring through the window.

His gaze settled on Oden’s long silver hair.

The young man had inherited his mother’s beautiful features, but his personality was the very image of his father’s.

As father and son regarded each other with equal coldness, the duke tapped the quill on his desk with one finger.

The quill began moving on its own, producing elegant handwriting across a sheet of parchment.

[I have no intention of removing Evelyn from the capital simply because that is what you want. Whatever anyone may say, she is the legitimate daughter of House Chantalis. She is still my youngest daughter, and it remains my duty to protect her.]

The duke’s gaze turned frigid.

As the man who had held the undisputed top spot in Lagria’s ranking of most handsome men for years, Duke Chantalis’s face seemed to shine even in the shadows.

Oden, whose features strongly resembled his father’s, bared his teeth at the stubborn duke.

“I stopped thinking of her as my sister long ago. How could I ever accept that cursed child who took Mother’s life…?”

The quill moved again.

[Do you truly believe that your mother took her own life because of Evelyn?]

“What else am I supposed to believe? What mother could endure having a daughter who bears the mark of an evil god and does nothing but torment those around her?”

[Before she was your mother, she was my wife. I knew Jubel well. She was the kind of woman who would have sacrificed her own life to protect Evelyn.]

Oden ground his teeth in frustration.

“…But in the end, she did take her own life. Every court physician reached the same conclusion.”

[Some people will do anything to obtain the conclusion they desire.]

Oden frowned.

“It is because you continue shielding Evelyn like this that House Chantalis has become the target of everyone’s attacks. Surely you are aware of how she has been behaving lately?”

[Yes. I have heard that she frequently torments the maids and squanders money on frivolous entertainment. It makes no difference. No matter what anyone says, I will protect her.]

“Father!”

The duke turned his chair away. The quill scratched briskly across the parchment before lifting its feathered tip with a decisive flourish.

[Leave.]

Oden’s face twisted with anger.

How had the once-great House Chantalis fallen so far?

Even now, his father remained preoccupied with protecting that spawn of the devil.

“To think the world once called you the Iron-Blooded Duke when you’re this softhearted. How laughable. Fine. I’ll leave.”

Oden stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

Duke Chantalis clicked his tongue.

When Oden was younger, he would at least have made some excuse such as, Father, that was only the wind!

The duke turned his gaze toward the portrait of his wife, Jubel, hanging on the wall.

The warm green eyes Evelyn had inherited from her mother gleamed vividly in the painting.

As though responding to the duke’s worries, Jubel smiled brightly from within the portrait.

Duke Chantalis rummaged through the scattered pile of documents on his desk and found a small booklet titled How to Connect with Your Rebellious Teenage Daughter.

His blue eyes softened.

‘Let’s see… “Even if your daughter goes astray, it is important to continue expressing your love. When it comes to gifts, the more, the better.” Is that so?’

With a pleased expression, Duke Chantalis began listing gifts that Evelyn might like.

All the while, he secretly prayed that he would somehow be able to win back the heart of his rebellious daughter.

***

“Brr, it’s cold.”

Evelyn’s eyes flew open after she accidentally dozed off.

She had only intended to lie down for a moment and pat her full stomach, but several hours appeared to have passed.

‘Is this what heaven feels like?’

The human heart was fickle. Now that her initial panic had faded, the prospect of being a duke’s daughter who would never have to work again seemed increasingly delightful.

Evelyn rolled around on the bed, which was as soft as though it had been stuffed with feathers, before reluctantly sitting up.

Still, she could not spend all her time lazing around.

If she had possessed enough survival instinct to make it as a working adult in South Korea, she should also be able to find her way through life in the treacherous Lagria Empire.

Evelyn began casually searching the room.

After passing the wardrobe filled entirely with black dresses, she opened the bedside table and discovered a diary bound in fine leather.

Its pages were filled with remarkably detailed sketches.

“Who drew all of these?”

Could it have been the original Evelyn?

But hadn’t she been nothing more than a typical villainous duke’s daughter with no particular talents?

Although puzzled, Evelyn took an expensive crystal pen and carefully began drawing a family tree.

“Let’s see. House Chantalis had four children in total, right? Or should I say five?”

Duke Chantalis, a Sword Master capable of wielding magic, had married Jubel, a high-ranking mage. Together, they had three sons and one daughter.

There was Oden, the youngest mage ever appointed to the royal court.

Locke, the warmhearted Sword Master.

Sachi, the reclusive genius scholar.

And Evelyn, the youngest daughter whom they should have cherished more than anything in the world.

Then there was Adonea, the adopted daughter who was the heroine of the original novel and the person destined to drive Evelyn to her death.