“Ugh. It’s so bright…”
Ivyn instinctively squinted, trying to make sense of her surroundings.
Tp-tp-tp- Someone was walking toward her.
As her eyes slowly adjusted, she finally caught sight of a face, and then…
“Ah…”
The familiar, heavenly melody exploded in her ears once more.
Divine. Absolutely divine.
A tall, commanding figure and handsome face.
Broad shoulders that matched a height of nearly two meters.
Despite a thick chest, he had a sleek waist that reminded her of a wolfhound’s.
But God’s grace wasn’t limited to his body alone.
Every feature on his face looked as if a master craftsman had spent years shaping it. Every small motion, every gesture, radiated confidence and authority.
“Ivyn Kinzell. Seems you’ve finally come to your senses.”
The sacred moment didn’t last long.
Theodore, having assessed her state, signaled outside. Two stationed knights entered and began dragging her away.
“I told you, I’m not Ivyn Kinzell!”
“Silence, spawn of evil.”
“No, I really—”
“One more word, and I’ll make your skull feel the sting of a club so you won’t forget it.”
“…”
The paladins led her to a separate, hidden room, deep within the dungeon.
Clatter- When they opened the door, a wave of stifling air, thick with the mixed stench of blood and sweat, hit her.
“Ugh…”
Inside the interrogation chamber, half a dozen prisoners were already tied to chairs.
Ivyn recognized a few of them.
‘…They’re the ones who were in the wagon with me?’
Among them was the young nobleman who had whispered for her to stay calm during the transport.
“You damned Holy Nation bastards! How dare you lay a hand on the young lady!”
The moment the paladins forced Ivyn forward, a blonde young man, also captured as a prisoner, began thrashing violently, resisting with all his strength.
Thwack! A dull smack echoed.
The young man’s face lolled weakly to the side.
“Drag the remaining prisoners out.”
At Theodore’s command, the knights swiftly hauled the other captives out of the room in perfect unison.
“Ah, milady! Milady!”
“Damn bastards! If you even touch her—”
Smack!
“Ugh!”
The blonde man had taken a hit, spitting blood mixed with broken teeth onto the floor as they dragged him out.
“Now, blindfold the prisoner Ivyn Kinzell.”
“No… Why?? Wait! I’m really not Ivyn!”
Yet Ivyn’s desperate voice carried no weight.
Swshh~ A rough black cloth was drawn over her eyes.
“!!”
The sudden engulfing darkness made the vague unease inside her sharpen into a clear, nauseating dread.
The brief flutter of excitement she had felt when seeing Theodore’s face faded in an instant.
The surreal, dreamlike sensation that had lingered over her since waking now gave way to the harsh weight of reality.
Her heartbeat thudded roughly in her ears, and her throat felt parched, as if scorched.
A wave of utter helplessness crashed over her.
Endless darkness…
And the paladin’s cold, silent presence.
How much time had passed?
Tiny beads of cold sweat formed on her pale, smooth forehead, just as Theodore’s deep, commanding voice pierced through the haze of her consciousness.
“All remaining soldiers, wait outside the door.”
“Yes, sir.”
Bang! The door echoed loudly as it closed.
“…”
Now, the interrogation room held only two figures: the prisoner surrounded by restraints, staring into the darkness, and the paladin, a figure of light, observing his trapped prey.
Ivyn couldn’t help but wonder what kind of expression he used to look at her.
Tp-tp- The paladin closed the distance toward the trapped prey.
In the heavy silence between the two, Ivyn couldn’t stop her mind from recalling the fate of Ivyn Kinzell in the novel.
After merciless interrogation in prison…
After merciless interrogation in prison…
Ivyn bit her lower lip.
A rising tide of fear bubbled up from deep within her.
Her body trembled.
The emotions she had forcibly suppressed felt like a flock of birds suddenly scattering across an open field, exploding all at once.
This differed from getting hit by a dump truck in her past life.
Back then, she had felt no pain at all—just instant death.
But now… she was about to face direct torture.
And she was notoriously weak when it came to pain.
She even avoided going to the hospital because she was scared of needles.
“I-I know it’s hard to believe, but I’m not Ivyn Kinzell…”
“…”
“Ah… no, that’s not… Th-then, status window! Status window!”
“…”
“This isn’t showing either!”
‘They let me transmigrate, but they didn’t give me a status window???
‘What exactly am I supposed to do now???
‘Oh, please, universe!
‘Just answer me somehow!’
“Stop the nonsense, Ivyn.”
As the paladin stepped closer, drawing the sign of the cross, a sweet vanilla scent mixed with the damp smell of wood reached her nose. It was a strangely moist, almost tangible fragrance.
‘Do all paladins smell like this?’
“…”
Gulp- She swallowed her dry.
Thmp- Thmp- A heavy knock on the iron door sounded from outside. It was someone with armored hands.
“Sir, a message has arrived from the diocese.”
Then came the sound of combat boots.
Tp-
Tp-
Tp-
Tp-
The man’s scent faded away from her.
Thud!
“…”
A heavy silence settled over the empty room.
Left alone, Ivyn finally seemed to relax slightly, letting her head droop.
A brief sigh slipped out between her full lips.
Her mind was a tangled mess.
It felt like she had been dragged here as a prisoner for a day and a half already.
‘What did the novel say again?’
Now that she thought about it, the necromancer family wasn’t described at all.
It only mentioned that reinforcements arrived after Ivyn died.
Nothing else.
“Ha…”
She let out a deep sigh, letting it dissolve into the quiet, oppressive air.
In truth, she was still hoping this was all just a dream.
‘Damn transmigration stories.’
Fun for the readers, sure, but being an extra, not the protagonist? It was pure torture.
She had finally escaped her miserable life and transmigrated into her favorite rofan novel…
‘And what did I get?
‘A heart-fluttering romance with the handsome male lead? ‘Forget it!
‘I’m stuck as some throwaway side character, trading hostile vibes with him from the beginning!
‘Ugh.’
Her chest ached. Tears threatened to spill, but Ivyn bit down hard on her lower lip.
‘Save your tears, Ivyn Kinzell. If I cry, I’ll only grow more desperate.’
Time dragged on.
She waited in complete silence, surrounded by darkness.
Hunger gnawed. Thirst burned. Fatigue was creeping in.
Until a sound echoed, cutting the still air.
Clank- The heavy iron door opened again.
Theodore had returned.
Author-nim uses too many onomatopoeias. It’s actually funny lol
