The Perfect Plan to Avoid Death Ending - Chapter 1

“Miss, it’s time to go back. If you stay out like this, you are going to catch a cold, and that would be terrible.”

 

“The Young Duke told you never to go to dangerous places.”

 

 

The maids trailing behind me chattered like a flock of chicks.

I sighed at their overprotectiveness.

 

“I’m not dead yet, so take it easy.”

 

“Miss! Please don’t say such things. Dying? Nonsense! You’re going to live a long, long life.”

 

“That’s right! The Duke and the Young Duke will surely bring back the cure.”

 

“So you just need to stay healthy and wait for them.”

 

 

In the end, they were just trying to get me to return to the mansion.

 

Ha, as if I could actually go anywhere.

 

 

 

“Stop bothering me and go back now.”

 

 

Afraid I might escape, they hesitated, but I quickly leaned against a tree trunk and waved them away.

 

Seeing my firm stance, the maids huddled together and whispered.

Ignoring them, I made myself comfortable and opened a book.

 

It was a medicinal herb encyclopedia that my father had obtained for me.

 

‘I’ve tried this one, and that one too…’

 

 

There wasn’t a single herb in the book that I hadn’t already tested.

 

At this rate, am I really going to die?

 

It had been a month since my terminal diagnosis.

 

I was starting to feel impatient.

 

 

“Maybe I should just cut off this tree root and brew it into tea?”

 

“…Miss, I don’t think that would be a good idea.”

 

The one who answered my muttering was my personal maid, Rina.

 

It seemed like she had reached a compromise with the other maids—she would stay by my side while the rest returned.

 

 

“If the Duke finds out, he’ll be very angry.”

 

 

She was nervous, probably worried that I might actually order her to dig up the tree.

 

 

“I’m joking. No matter how reckless I am, I wouldn’t cut down a sacred tree.”

 

 

This tree had been here since the founding of our family and was said to hold divine power.

 

Something about sealing away a demon?

 

‘Well, my ancestors probably made that up to sound impressive.’

 

Closing my book and setting it on the ground, I idly brushed my fingers through the sea of green leaves surrounding me.

 

 

“If only this were a miracle cure.”

 

 

At first glance, it looked like a common weed, but it was actually an herb.

 

The problem was, despite its grand name—Millennium Herb—it had no special effects whatsoever.

 

It grew so abundantly that even the gardener found it troublesome.

 

As I played with its leaves, something caught my eye.

 

Half-buried in the ground, it emitted a faint red glow.

 

 

“A bead…?”

 

 

No, it was shinier than that—more like a gemstone.

 

After a week of heavy storms, it had been tossed around and was now covered in mud, but it still gleamed brilliantly, like a pearl hidden in the earth.

 

I had never seen such an enchanting color before. I was completely mesmerized.

 

 

“Rina, look at this.”

“Huh? What are you talking about…?”

 

“Here. This fist-sized gem.”

 

 

I pointed directly at it, but Rina still couldn’t see it.

 

 

“…Miss, I’m sorry, but I don’t see anything there.”

 

“Rina, is there something wrong with your eyesight? How can you not see something this big?”

 

“I’m really sorry.”

 

“I’m not blaming you, it’s just—cough, cough.”

 

“Miss!”

 

 

At my sudden coughing fit, Rina panicked and quickly supported my shoulders.

 

“This won’t do. We have to go back to the mansion. It’s still too chilly for a walk.”

 

“No. The mansion is suffocating. I’ll stay here a little longer.”

 

 

Besides, how could May weather be considered cold? What nonsense.

 

Faced with my stubborn refusal, Rina hesitated before taking a step back.

 

 

“…Then I’ll at least bring you a blanket. You have to stay put, okay?”

 

 

She repeated her plea several times before hurrying off toward the mansion.

 

‘Not like I was planning to move anyway.’

 

Fixated on the gemstone, I quickly pulled out a handkerchief and wiped away the dirt.

 

 

“Huhu.”

 

I chuckled to myself as I polished the gem.

 

That was when it suddenly started to vibrate—like it was alive.

 

 

“…Huh?”

 

 

Crack— A thin fracture appeared on its surface, and mist began to seep out.

 

“Ahh! What the—?!”

 

 

Startled, I dropped the gem and scrambled to my feet.

 

But in my haste, I tripped.

 

Thud. 

 

My foot caught on a tree root.

 

 

“Ack!”

 

 

My body lurched backward.

 

‘If I fall, I’ll be bedridden for at least five weeks…! My lifespan might even shorten by a whole week…!’

 

Desperately flailing to regain my balance, I suddenly felt something.

 

A hand reached out from within the mist and wrapped around my waist.

 

For a brief moment, I was startled by the large, firm hand, but as the fog cleared, revealing the figure before me, my mouth fell open.

 

His pure golden hair shone so brilliantly it was almost breathtaking, and his sharp features were as flawless as if they had been sculpted by a god.

 

His eyes, as blue and dazzling as my favorite sapphires, locked onto mine, scanning my face as if searching for something.

 

I was utterly captivated by his picturesque face when his perfectly shaped lips parted.

 

 

“Hello.”

 

Wow. Even his voice was amazing.

 

It was deep yet smooth, sinking into my ears like a gentle melody. There was no trace of hostility in his soft tone.

 

Half-dazed, I blurted out without thinking.

 

 

“Are you… a genie from a lamp…?”

 

 

Or maybe a Pokémon since he emerged from a round gem?

 

The man tilted his head slightly.

 

“What’s that?”

 

 

In that instant, the dreamy atmosphere vanished, replaced by a chilling sensation.

 

Perhaps it was because I had finally noticed—his face, which I had thought was like a painting, now bore a distinct expression.

 

Snapping back to my senses, I quickly stepped out of his arms.

 

A person had appeared from inside a gemstone. This was anything but normal.

 

 

“You summoned me, yet you’re calling for something else? That’s rather rude.”

 

 

I took three steps back and eyed him warily.

 

 

“…And who exactly are you?”

 

“I am Herreith Eckbert. You were the one who awakened me.”

 

“…Excuse me? Who?”

 

 

Wait, that name wasn’t supposed to exist here.

 

 

* * *

 

 

My name is Siena Winter.

 

I was born as the youngest daughter of the powerful Winter Ducal Family, a household so influential that even the imperial family couldn’t touch it.

 

Because I inherited my late mother’s frail constitution, my family doted on me with endless love and worry. I was given everything I desired and allowed to do whatever I pleased.

 

But my life was constantly plagued by an incurable illness.

 

 

“You have six months left. You should start preparing yourself…”

 

 

That cursed disease finally delivered its verdict.

 

When I collapsed from the shocking news that I had, at most, half a year left to live, something unexpected happened—I regained memories of my past life.

 

And with that, I realized the truth.

 

This world was a novel.

 

In my past life, I had lived in the 21st century, and in that life, I had read this very book.

 

Which meant… I was a character in a story.

 

 

‘Damn it. If I had to be reborn, I’d rather have been an insignificant extra. That would’ve been less depressing.’

 

 

Unfortunately, I was not just any character.

 

I was the villainess who tormented and envied the novel’s protagonist, Daphne.

 

The reason for my hatred was simple.

 

My fiancé—the novel’s male lead, Rio Maze—loved Daphne, not me.

 

I was engaged to him first, yet I was nothing more than an obstacle that made their love story stronger.

 

‘Seriously? Just because she showed up, he dumped me immediately? What a spineless jerk.’

 

 

I was the one who had been wronged, but the world sided with the protagonists.

 

I lost my fiancé and, on top of that, became the most despicable villain in the story.

 

Daphne, despite being from a fallen noble family, was adored by everyone.

 

Meanwhile, I was the arrogant, unruly noblewoman who was universally despised.

 

‘Thinking about it now, this is so unfair. They were the ones in the wrong.’

 

 

I bet the original Siena felt the same way.

 

After being diagnosed as terminally ill, Siena lost even Rio to Daphne, which sent her into a blind rage.

 

In the end, she committed a terrible act—

 

She cursed Daphne using a magical artifact known as the “Bracelet of the Devil.”

 

You know that saying—

 

If you want to ruin someone’s life, be prepared to destroy your own as well.

 

True to those words, Siena paid the price for the curse.

 

Instead of dying from her illness, she was killed prematurely by a backlash from the curse.

 

‘A backlash…? So that’s how I’m supposed to die? Are you kidding me?!’

 

 

Did they really expect me to follow the original storyline?

 

Fortunately, I hadn’t committed the curse yet.

 

So the moment I regained my past-life memories, I immediately set out to avoid my death ending at all costs.

 

Even though I was terminally ill, I had to escape the original plot to survive even a day longer.

 

The first step? Breaking off my engagement.

 

 

“Rio. Let’s break up.”

 

“…What?”

 

“I’ll disappear from your life, so go ahead and live happily ever after with Daphne.”

 

 

Ditching Rio was the easiest thing in the world.

 

The moment I remembered the future, any feelings I had for him vanished instantly.

 

Starting with dumping Rio Maze, I also cut ties with the group of people I had once conspired with.

 

And, most importantly, I locked myself up in my family’s mansion—far away from any bracelets.

 

Just in case, I even threw away every bracelet I owned.

 

I was sure I had completely eliminated the danger.

 

And yet—

 

As I stood there, frozen in place, Herreith looked down at me with an amused expression and spoke in a relaxed tone.

 

 

“Did I not introduce myself properly?”

 

 

 

No, you definitely did.

 

Herreith Eckbert. That name alone explained everything.

 

A magical genius said to be born once in a century.

 

And—

 

 

‘The demon’s contractor who brought down the First Empire…!’

 

 

Why in the world was this man standing in front of me?

 

“You were supposed to be sealed away…”

 

“You just broke that seal a moment ago.”

 

 

Herreith pointed at the sacred tree, then at the shattered gemstone on the ground.

 

 

“…Don’t tell me the gem was a sealing artifact?”

 

“That’s right. And that so-called ‘sacred tree’ was protecting this damned thing.”

 

 

So the sacred tree wasn’t just a made-up legend? There was really a demon’s contractor sealed here?!

 

I felt dizzy.

 

 

“You don’t look so well.”

 

“…Did you just call me ‘master’? Who, me?”

 

“Yeah. You’re my master now. You’re the one who woke me up.”

 

 

His once-languid expression slowly relaxed into a smirk as he gazed at me.

 

 

“The moment the seal is broken, a master-servant contract is formed. Which means—you are my master.”

 

“What kind of nonsense is that…?”

 

“Nice to meet you, Master.”

 

 

Master. Master. Master—

 

Herreith’s voice echoed in my mind.

 

I tilted my head back and stared at the sky in a daze.

 

‘Look up to stop the tears from falling… Smile just a little to hold them back…’

 

“Haha…”

 

 

The master of a demon’s contractor? What kind of absurd title was that?

 

I was trying to avoid a death ending, and instead, I stumbled into an even bigger disaster.

 

My life was doomed.

 

With that final thought, I blacked out.