Chapter 1
Prologue: The Mastermind Discovered My Identity
Their gazes met.
Verkley’s eyes, which were always cold toward everything, stared directly into Eliana’s eyes and the fire behind them.
Eliana couldn’t hide her bewilderment at this.
His cold blue eyes held a certain intensity for her.
As if he were a beast looking at its prey.
There was a chill in the air she had never felt before.
And how strange that gaze was.
It was also a look she had never received before.
Because he had been pretending to be blind.
He, who had always treated her kindly despite not being able to see her, now looked at her coldly.
A scream of terror ran down Eliana’s spine.
Behind all the smoke and mirrors, this was the real Verkley.
Eliana couldn’t deny it, this overwhelming disparity in power.
All the thoughts she had of convincing him to let her go vanished in an instant.
‘If I say one wrong thing, I’m done for.’
Eliana’s eyes shifted to the piece of paper in Verkley’s hand.
It was a note containing details about [The Princess Who Blinded the Emperor], a novel she had read in her previous life.
And… she was inside that novel now.
Eliana’s eyes trembled. Without realizing it, her mouth was dry, and she swallowed repeatedly.
From the moment she took over Eliana’s body, she thought she would have to face this situation someday.
Yet, she never imagined it would be like this.
Eliana had sought him out so she wouldn’t die.
But now she wasn’t sure if she would survive at all.
The novel had changed so much. Unexpected characters had appeared.
Eliana trembled under his unfamiliar gaze.
It was the first time. While trying to live properly since gaining this new life, she felt as if thorns were pricking her throat every time she breathed.
It was suffocating.
Verkley slowly approached Eliana. One step at a time.
And before she knew it, he stood directly in front of her, then ran his fingers through her hair.
And grabbed her neck.
As if his hand were made of ice, the place he touched turned cold instantly.
And that coldness from his fingertips slid straight into her heart.
It was so cold. She had been trembling before he approached, but now that he touched her, her body became still.
She was caught.
He had definitely read that note.
He must have realized she deliberately sought him out to uncover the secret he had hidden.
“Since when did you know?” Verkley asked, lifting Eliana’s chin with one hand.
It seemed as though his eyes were devouring her entire being here and there.
There was a strange pain in Eliana’s heart.
It was this feeling of nausea.
He asked since when?
A faint smile appeared on her face when she heard his words.
What was the point of confirming it now?
Upon seeing Eliana’s smile, Verkley’s lips twisted into a sinister grin.
His eyes, which had been so cold all this time, suddenly burned with violence.
Those blue eyes looked as if they were about to turn red.
He said with a hint of worry, “It’s that look in your eyes again.”
What did he mean by ‘again’?
Eliana pondered his words.
She didn’t think she had done anything to upset him.
But somehow, the expression on his face said exactly that.
At that moment, Verkley violently pulled Eliana closer to him.
Eliana didn’t shy away from his gaze.
In that moment, their breaths mingled. Their lips were a hair’s breadth apart, and the slightest movement would be enough to press them together.
As his long hair brushed against her face, she somehow felt as if she were about to melt.
Eliana stared directly into Verkley’s eyes, which were already red.
And there was a clear mark on his eye.
It was the mark of a contract with his soul at stake.
Verkley, who possessed demonic power that appeared only in legends, wanted only one thing.
Revenge against the Empress Dowager.
And throughout this suffocating atmosphere, Eliana held her breath.
Her attention went to Verkley’s hand.
It was the hand that might stab her in the eye, depending on her answer. Or perhaps he would twist her neck like this.
It was foolish to think she could resist the power of a demon.
But she couldn’t escape.
No, she shouldn’t even try to escape.
The moment she turned and exposed her back, she would be killed.
From the moment she decided to seek him out, she had already prepared herself.
She had been given two rotten ropes from the start anyway.
Go to Hera, the Empress Dowager, who was trying to use Eliana.
Or go to Verkley, the Emperor who seemed weak, though it was all an act.
Without realizing it, the corners of Eliana’s lips rose into a self-pitying smile.
And every time she smiled, Verkley’s expression became unreadable.
After being reincarnated into this novel, Eliana couldn’t even sleep at night.
She was constantly nervous and afraid.
Especially of the man in front of her.
Eliana’s role in this novel was to fall victim to this man who would brutally kill her.
The reason was simple.
It was because she was Hera’s spy.
And for that reason, Eliana went to Verkley so she could avoid Hera.
With a strong desire to survive and face her imminent death according to the novel, Eliana sought out the mastermind on her own two feet, despite knowing he would kill her.
Eliana went straight to Verkley after making her decision.
The conditions Hera offered with her proposed contract meant nothing to Eliana anyway.
Power? Honor? When had she ever wanted such things?
All Eliana wanted was to live a long, simple, and uncomplicated life.
She wanted to live a life according to the mandate of heaven, a straightforward life where she wouldn’t be hurt or die young.
She couldn’t have that in her previous life.
When she opened her eyes for the first time in this world, she felt relieved that she had somehow gained a new life, knowing her original self had already crossed the threshold of death.
Since coming to terms with her new life here, she realized she was heading straight toward a predetermined fate.
She had been reincarnated as Eliana Museau, a woman destined to die at the hands of the villain in this novel, the Emperor who was the mastermind of cunning.
“Have you gone mute? Should I twist your neck once to make you talk?”
A chilling voice entered Eliana’s ears.
She felt as if thorns were pricking her, but Eliana didn’t show her discomfort.
It didn’t seem like the demon had taken over his body yet, though his eyes had changed color.
Eliana spoke calmly to the man threatening her, his hand still on her throat.
“If you twist my neck, I won’t be able to speak, Your Majesty.”
Though she was trembling, her tone was steady, as if nothing was wrong.
“…Even on the edge of death, you still have the audacity to retort. Don’t you take this too lightly?”
Didn’t he know that if she didn’t joke in this situation, it would be better if her mouth fell off? She couldn’t do anything about this situation anyway.
Eliana looked directly into the eyes of the man who was about to strangle her.
“It’s because your breath is tickling me, Your Majesty. That’s why I couldn’t speak.”
“…”
The murderous intent Verkley had been exuding suddenly vanished.
In bewilderment, he looked at Eliana as if something was wrong with her head.
After a long pause, he almost flicked his hand away from Eliana’s neck.
When he stepped back, there was now some space between them.
Verkley stared at her, an intense air surrounding him again, perhaps because he had snapped out of his daze.
Eliana finally exhaled, but the coldness on her skin hadn’t subsided yet.
“What? Are you going to say I’m too far now and you can’t speak?”
“Not at all, Your Majesty.”
“Then explain immediately. Before I decide to kill you.”
It was a direct warning, and the mocking smile on his lips was biting.
Eliana spoke in a calm tone.
“I am not from this world.”
The truth that had to be revealed anyway.
The demon had already caught her, but this was a secret he still didn’t know.
