The child’s room door was firmly shut.

“……”

Beyond the thick door, there was an awful silence. As if no one was in the room.

“Young Master Claude, Young Master Claude? Please open the door. Please?”

The servants of the Duke of Ambrosia house knocked and called out their master’s name eagerly. However, the child stubbornly locked the door and showed no response.

“Young Master Claude!”

The servants who were stamping their feet called the child’s name in a slightly firmer voice. Then a voice with a faint weeping sound came from inside the door.

“I don’t want to……”

“Oh my God, Young Master Claude!”

When the child reacted for the first time, the servants finally felt relieved and patted their hearts. But for a moment, the sad cry of a child who had been holding it back came out.

“No, I don’t like it! I don’t want to! Wahhhh!”

The servants read the tough stubbornness contained in the voice of their Young Master. Perhaps that heavy door will not open today.

“You’re not my mother, heuk…… Because I killed my mother……”

“What are you talking about, Young Master Claude? That’s not true.”

“I don’t need anyone other than my mom! I don’t need a nanny!”

“Young Master Claude!”

“Wahh! I don’t want to, I don’t need you!”

The quiet room was now filled with the crying of a sad child. The stubborn rejection forced the servants to despair, swallowing only dry saliva. As Claude had never cried like a child like this before, it became even more difficult for the servants to know how to deal with this unfamiliar situation.

In the end, their gazes all at once fell on one of the maids.

‘Why are you talking nonsense to Young Matter Claude?!’

The maid, who received the gaze of resentment all over her body, rather smiled and turned her head away.

“Hmph!”

Her name is May Chenblun. She was the seventh daughter of Baron Chenblun, one of the vassal families of the Duke of Ambrosia. Maybe it’s because she was different from other servants, May had her nose in the air.

May was always next to the Young Lord of Ambrosia, sticking to him like glue. So it was obvious what she was whispering to the Young Lord this time. She must have provoked the poor little one by saying, ‘Someone is coming to replace Claude’s mother!’

The servants shook their heads in regret and thought. If only the butler and the head maid were here right now, May wouldn’t be able to be so arrogant! He had gone out to see the Duke of Ambrosia, who had just left the mansion to attend the Imperial Palace meeting, but had not returned yet.

Therefore, the servants had to persuade Claude by swallowing their rising anger.

“Go away. I, I hate you……! Heuk, heuk.”

The sobs of the disappointed child continued to flow through the doors, and there was nothing the servants could do.

“……”

Sarah Millen did not miss a single image of it and carved it into her eyes.

‘It’s twisted from the start.’

Having been unable to sleep at night due to anticipated tension from the previous day, she raised her hand, swallowing a throbbing headache.

“It seems that Young Lord Ambrosia is not ready yet. Can I go back now?”

“……!”

The servants shook their heads violently from side to side and fired their desperate eyes at Sarah.

‘Please do something!’

It was as if they were looking for salvation.

They seemed to think that Sarah Millen could solve this difficult situation. That was because the modifier that followed the name Sarah Millen was very unusual.

In the Crombell Empire, she was called the Lady’s Textbook, and even the Emperor himself bowed his head and asked her to oversee the education of the Princess. Even though unmarried women cannot inherit the title and family, she was the actual Countess of the Millen family, who was promised succession to the title regardless of her marital status.

That was Sarah Millen.

“Countess Millen, I am ashamed, but I hope you can lend us your help. Our Young Master Claude is not a stubborn child, so I guess he was a little nervous……”

They smiled and asked for help. Although their pride was hurt, it was more important for them to carry out their Master’s order to introduce Sarah and Claude to each other.

“……”

Watching that, Sarah quietly swallowed a sigh. It was not that she was unaware of the servants’ troubles, but in fact, she was also confused.

‘The novel has changed. Why did it change now?’

Claude Ambrosia.

An unfortunate Young Lord who was stigmatized for being born killing his mother as soon as he was born. And the male protagonist of ‘Flower of Darkness’, who grows into a villain that will destroy this Empire.

That was the fate of the weeping child who was now locking the door.

Claude Ambrosia is devoured by the cursed power of darkness passed down from generation to generation in the Duke of Ambrosia, and is saved by Elena Preston, the female protagonist who appears in the distant future.

Until then, however, he hated himself and showed a growing madness. Eventually, it leads to the unfortunate death of his father. Claude Ambrosia had to be unhappy, and became a villain to satisfy his twisted desires.

That’s how it was written in the novel ‘Flower of Darkness’.

Sarah had come here to prevent Claude’s blackening.

‘It’s okay. Claude has not fallen into complete despair yet. Then why……’

Hungry for affection and love, the male protagonist only craved blind affection for his nanny Sarah throughout his childhood. So Sarah was expecting a child to come running lovingly today and cuddle in her arms. She didn’t expect Claude to reject her crying sadly like that. She didn’t know that the development of the novel, which had frustrated her countless times in the past, would change so vainly like that.

“First of all, the Young Lord rejects me, so…”

As she was trying to ease her throbbing headache, saying that was really annoying.

May, who had been watching this situation with her thin snake eyes, stepped forward with a bright smile and opened her mouth.

“Hmm, is it time for me to step up?”

The servants all looked at May’s arrogant attitude with uneasy eyes.

No matter how gentle she was next to Claude and controlling the child to her own taste, they wondered if she would be disrespectful to Sarah, the actual Countess of Millen.

But their concerns soon became true.

“But I don’t know what to call you. Umm…… Miss Millen? Lady Millen?”

“May!”

The servants were all in shock and shouted May’s name. But May didn’t care and rolled her luscious snake tongue.

“Young Master Claude is someone who only listens to me, what can you do about it? You guys should have left the nanny position to me. Then there wouldn’t have been such a headache. Isn’t it? Lady Millen.”

May was deliberately ignorant of the fact that Sarah had been promised the title directly by the Emperor. She seemed to have gained confidence when Sarah stepped down without even saying hello due to Claude’s fierce rejection.

“May! Be aware of your status!”

The servants were once again startled and scolded May. Because Sarah Millen had no reason to be insulted by May, who was only a maid.

In the Duke house, May was favored by the Young Master, Claude, and walked around proudly, but even when the Duke of Ambrosia went outside, she was unable to speak to Sarah Millen.

So the servants have no choice but to stop her. In this situation, May is the only one who can appease the Young Lord, and if things go wrong, they will not be able to carry out the Duke’s order.

“How can you be so rude to Countess Millen? The Countess is the one the Duke himself……”

“Then are you guys going to bring Young Master Claude out? Try it if you can! I can’t even approach Young Master Claude.”

“……!”

Sara stared silently at May’s confrontation with the servants who stopped her from contemplating. Then, slowly, she straightened her disturbed posture. It was because the person who ruined her first meeting with Claude was right in front of her eyes.

“It’s interesting.”

A soft voice mixed with laughter flowed from between Sarah’s lips.

The servants and May stopped their quarrel and turned to look at her.

“……?”

Their gazes fell on a gentle smiling face.

The face that was shining brightly with the blue eyes that seemed to have been studded with jewels. May and the Ambrosia’s servants were at a loss for a moment due to the chilly atmosphere that could be felt even though she was smiling.

“What were you saying just now……?”

“It’s interesting.”

Sara slowly approached May with a leisurely pace. May unknowingly staggered and retreated behind. But Sarah, who came out, looked down at May, who was smaller than her, and said with a soft voice.

“I’ve never thought that the people of this prestigious Ambrosia would not know the title that His Majesty, the Emperor of the Crombell Empire, granted me personally.”

At her words, as she gracefully looked around the Duke house, the faces of the Ambrosia servants stiffened all at once.

Ambrosia was a great pride for them. Insulting the name was like insulting them.

It was the same for May, so she belatedly realized that she was insulting Ambrosia and screamed in surprise.

“Isn’t it common sense that an unmarried lady cannot be recognized for her title?!”

“It is His Majesty the Emperor who personally made the impossible possible. His Majesty also calls me Countess Millen…… If you have any dissatisfaction, would you like me to give you a chance to confess in front of His Majesty?”

“What, what is that?!”

When Sarah mentioned the Emperor, May stuttered.

At that insignificant and childish appearance, Sarah clicked her tongue. Before they knew it, her gentle face became cold as if the temperature had dropped.

"Please note that it is unfair for only Sarah Millen to be recognized as a Countess."

At those words, May trembled and swallowed her saliva without realizing it. May was much easier to deal with than Sarah had expected. She could tell just by looking at her hastily averting her gaze to hide her trembling eyes.

'May Chenblun. It is foolish to be weak against the strong and infinitely strong against the weak.'

Sarah knew the appearance of May Chenblun in the novel 'Flower of Darkness'.

'No one will love you, Young Master Claude.'

'How can I truly love Young Master Claude, who can kill people more simply than breathing?'

'You killed Sarah, your nanny, didn't you?'

She was the extra who whispered these words and encouraged Claude to fall further into despair. The most appropriate way to deal with May was to press her down with the logic of overwhelming power. That way, she wouldn't dare to think about what to do. Sarah looked down and met May's eyes.

"......Let's have a simple class."

The way she looked down at May with azure eyes was arrogant, but at the same time, it suited her very well. Under Sarah's power, May trembled involuntarily.

"Now, repeat after me. Miss May."

Sarah spoke in a sweet voice as if she were teaching a child an unfamiliar word.

"Countess, Millen."

"......!"

May's face, which was thought to be unable to turn any redder, now heated up as if it was about to explode. Seeing that, Sarah said with a smile.

"Come on."

Her eyes gleamed and shimmered in the cold light. With the unknown spirit emanating from Sarah, May had no choice but to repeat her words as if she was vomiting it out without her knowing.

"Coun, Countess Millen."

At the same time, May frowned and covered her mouth.

"Good job."

Sarah smiled sweetly and praised May, then turned her gaze away and passed by her indifferently as if she had finished her errands.

"......"

"......"

Watching Sarah walk to Claude's room with a cane on her side and the fine silk gloves on both hands off one by one, the Duke's servants quietly raised their thumbs.

"I appreciate Miss May's consideration, but I will only accept her heart. From now on, Young Lord Claude Ambrosia is under my jurisdiction."

Sarah, who was shocked by Claude's unexpected rejection, was able to regain her reason thanks to May's tantrum. Sarah didn't fully realize this one thing until she stood before Claude's tightly closed door.

'It was strange that the world would only move as written in 'Flower of Darkness'. Even if it changes a little now, what I have to do doesn't change.'

She had an oath with Claude's biological mother, Dieline. The Duchess, Dieline Ambrosia, was Claude's biological mother, but the current Duke, Ethan Ambrosia, was not Claude's biological father.

Claude's biological father was not the Duke, but his younger brother, Hugel Ambrosia.

'I'm going with Hugel. And I will never come back to the Crombell Empire again. Tell the child that I am dead. Forget about a mother who is worse than death and please live happily ever after. So you have to help me, Sarah.'

'I swear on the soul of Sarah Millen. I will give my all so that your child can be happy.'

Sarah was obligated to keep that oath. Duke Ethan Ambrosia, who announced his nephew as his son, took care of Claude more carefully than anyone else. However, around this time, children were more sensitive to the feelings of their guardians than anyone else. That Duke Ethan Ambrosia was secretly avoiding him. He gave Claude everything he wants, but he didn't give him the 'love' of his parents. The child would have realized it too soon. Listening to the child's crying more clearly in front of the door, Sarah swallowed her breath in regret. How could she cover the wounds of a child who believed in the story that his mother died after giving birth to him? Sarah decided to just think about it.

"I can't do what the Flower of Darkness wants."

Sarah muttered as if promising herself, and put her palm on the door. Claude's first misfortune was that he considered himself not worthy of being loved and hated himself. Twisting and twisting through endless self-hatred. In the end, he wanted to destroy everything as much as he was unhappy with himself. He didn't want to be oppressed by the cursed power of Ambrosia. Claude ended up being the villain that led this Empire to destruction.

'In the Flower of Darkness, I, Claude's nanny, will die. But Sarah Millen of the Flower of Darkness and I are different.'

Seeing Sarah's face full of solemnity, the servants reluctantly retreated. May was the only one who felt that something was going wrong. She approached quickly and tried to restrain Sarah.

"It's no use! Claude only listens to me, so just tell me what......!"

"Shush."

Sarah lifted her index finger and put it on her lips, looking at May blocking her. Then, when she smiled brightly, May flinched and stepped back. She finally exclaimed, snorted her nose, and shook her head. It was an attitude to try if you could. Sarah was then able to knock on Claude's door without any interruption.

"Young Lord Ambrosia, can I come in for a moment?"

"Go! Go away!"

The child's cry grew louder at the unfamiliar voice. It was a voice full of anger at the situation that did not change even after he said no to it several times. Everyone here knew very well that this could not convince the child. A deep resignation appeared on the faces of the servants. But Sarah's face was full of relaxation. In fact, in case this happens, she had something confirmed in advance by Ethan Ambrosia, the head of the dukedom.

\[One, leave all of Claude Ambrosia's education to Sarah Millen.

Two, the Duke of Ambrosia is responsible for all necessary actions in the process, and shall actively cooperate but not interfere.

Three, trust Sarah Millen completely.]

Ethan Ambrosia accepted this ridiculous and monstrous one-sided condition. So Sarah decided to push ahead as she wished. If Claude didn't open up, she could make advances to him diligently in the future. If Claude rejected her, it meant that she would break in.

'It's fun to pierce through the obstacle!'

If the Duke of Ambrosia had known what was going on in Sarah's head, he would never have accepted the above terms. Sarah, who thought so, smiled and opened her mouth.

"Young Master Claude?"

"What!"

"I will go in believing that you have given me permission. If you are near the door, please stay far away for a while."

"Huh……?"

Obviously, he refused, but when did he give permission. Claude's voice mumbled as if puzzled. Sarah heard the footsteps behind the door for a moment. Just in case, she let out her mana and checked, and she could clearly feel the child lying on the bed and slouching his head. A faint smile crept across her lips.

"Very good."

Sarah stretched out her hand towards the door. Then, azure mana that resembled her eyes flowed from her fingertips, creating a small magic circle in front of the door. The eyes of May and the servants who were watching Sarah's actions widened in astonishment. Leaving those faces behind, Sarah lightly tingled her fingers.

Baaaaaang!!

The heavy and sturdy door flew lightly like a piece of paper with a light sound. The door flew through the window and crashed into the corner of the Duke's garden with a loud noise.

"......!"

Claude, who had been crying with his head buried in the bed, looked at his open door in surprise.

Tears that could not be wiped flowed down his plump cheeks on his cute little face. While Claude, as well as the servants, was stunned, Sarah smiled and leisurely walked into the room. May, who was confident that Sarah would not be able to enter Claude's room without her help, pointed her finger at Sarah's back with her mouth open.

"Ma, magician……!"

The exclamation spitted out and followed Sarah's back.

Sarah's brown hair, which had been tied up beautifully, was loosened and fluttering in the wind. Her azure eyes, surrounded by the wind blowing in through the open window, glistened beautifully. The servants of Ambrosia looked at the scene as if they were possessed.

"......"

"......"

In the Empire, no, even on the continent, magicians were very rare. Magicians were a tribe that did not like to appear in the world, and they built a tower and hid in it. They didn't get along with people, so all of their personalities were eccentric, bad-tempered, and insanely crazy. However, due to the immense power they possessed, rumors spread that there were infinite locations in the land where the magician resided. Even if those who coveted that ability searched for them, no one knew the location of the tower. Even if it was the greatest Emperor of any continent. The magician they knew was such a being. A great being who can receive treatment equivalent to that of the imperial family no matter where they go.

"In the Duke of Ambrosia house, a magician is……"

Leaving behind the words of the blankly muttering servants, Sarah approached Claude. Then, slowly, with a tenacious gaze, she stared at the child's face. The dazzling platinum blonde hair characteristic of the Duke of Ambrosia was clinging to his tear-soaked cheeks. The eyes of the child, which widened in surprise, were green resembling the lovely Dieline. Sarah's heart ached when she found her childhood friend's appearance in the form of a child.

'So beautiful……'

It was hard to believe that the poor puppy-like Young Lord would become a villain to destroy the Empire in the distant future. The 6-year-old Claude Ambrosia was more than her imagination, like an angel that was cute enough to bite.

"Fufu."

A pleasant smile formed on Sarah's lips. Sarah fell in love as soon as she met Claude's clear and beautiful green eyes. She slowly reached her hand and offered the first greeting she had been preparing for a very long time.

"Hello, Young Lord Ambrosia? My name is Sarah Millen, who will be Young Lord's nanny and tutor from today."

Seeing the face of a child who resembled her friend Dieline, the guilt that had always plagued her was lifted. Sarah remembered the night when she decided to become Claude's nanny.

It was a night with loud thunder and a strong rainstorm.

"No, no…… I have to go back, but I have to go back. Please, please!"

Sarah groaned as she ripped her hair out and punched her chest.

"I have to revise the contents, but I don't have time…..."

Despair was dripping in the voice that flowed out in vain. She had a secret she couldn't tell anyone else. A secret that was greater and would never be understood than the secret that she was a magician.

"Why can't I wake up in Park Hyeyeon's body?"

Sarah Millen, a young lady of the Count family with a long history of the Empire, is also Park Hyeyeon, an ordinary citizen of the Republic of Korea. That was the secret she had. She was a person who lived the lives of two people at the same time as a single soul.

"There was never a time when I couldn't return to Park Hyeyeon's body…... Obviously, something was wrong."

The timing of going back and forth between the two bodies could be controlled at her will. It didn't make sense that one body couldn't return to the other unless one body died. She could vividly feel that the souls of Park Hyeyeon and Sarah Millen were still connected. When Park Hyeyeon's body was in a traffic accident, she felt something shaking her soul, but the string that seemed to break was definitely connected.

"I have to go back. I just have to go back and edit the novel. Dieline, I can't let Dieline go crazy like this…… Ahhh!"

Sarah lost her reason and shed tears at the helplessness she felt for the first time in her life.

"What's the use of having all this power…...?"

From the moment she was born, she realized that she was gifted with strong mana. With power so powerful that her soul collapsed, she instinctively split her soul into two and threw one to the border of another dimension. In this way, Park Hyeyeon was born in Korea, and Sarah Millen was born in the Crombell Empire. When Sarah Millen fell asleep, she woke up in Park Hyeyeon's body. While living in Park Hyeyeon's body, when she suddenly fell asleep one day, she woke up again in Sarah Millen's body repeatedly. Although she lived the lives of Park Hyeyeon and Sarah Millen for a long time, only one day had passed in their respective worlds. That's why Sarah lived twice as long as the others and managed to balance her two lives well. Unlike Sarah Millen, who could freely wield powerful mana, Park Hyeyeon, who had the ability to predict the future, foresaw the future of the world in which Sarah Millen lived. It was a very peaceful life.

Knock knock.

Sarah escaped from her deep thought at the sound of a careful knock.

"Come in."

"Umm, Milady. You have a guest."

"At this time, who would come without prior notice."

"It's Duchess Dieline Ambrosia."

The name from the servant's mouth heavily pierced and pressed on Sarah's heart. Thunder and rainstorm were still raging outside the window. Her close friend must have been rushing the horseman through this inclement weather. The consequence of the sin committed by Park Hyeyeon came to Sarah Millen.

"......Guide her to the living room."

"Do you want me to help you wash your face?"

"Okay."

Sarah was skillfully served by the servants, wondering where all this had gone wrong. In this Empire, no, she has the most powerful magic in the world. It allowed her to have her infinite glory. However, she did not know that not knowing the limits of her own power could lead to such an unexpected tragedy. It all came from there. In the future, as she saw through her 'foresight', this beautiful Empire would be thrown into great chaos. In that future, Sarah hid her power and lived in seclusion, quietly nurturing her disciples. She must have been concerned that the balance of the world would be disturbed if she, who had strong power, actively intervened.

'In the end, I will try to save the world with my disciples only after everything collapses.'

Sarah knew well that she couldn't help it even though she didn't like it. So, with a broken heart, she wrote a novel based on the future of the continent that she saw in advance when she was awake as Park Hyeyeon. She wanted to see the stories of people who wisely overcome a desperate situation without the help of an archmage. Like the clichés of the romance fantasy novels that were popular at the time, this was a story of a man who embraced all the despair of the world being saved by a woman who embraced all the happiness of this world. So, in the end, it was a story of overcoming all hardships and restoring peace.

'Flower of Darkness.'

This novel was written by her and no one else.

***

"...... Let's go."

Sarah slowly got up and headed to the living room. Now it was time to face the first sin she committed. The door to the living room opened and she could see a woman nervously pulling out a fan. Sarah closed her eyes for a moment as she felt her chest tighten.

"Duchess."

Sarah slowly approached the woman and showed courtesy by bending her knees.

"Oh, Sarah. Please don't call me that. I always asked you not to."

Dieline, the Duchess of Ambrosia and Sarah's long-time friend, quickly held her hand and led her. Before Sarah could sit on the sofa, Dieline held her hands tightly and shook them slightly.

"Sarah, my precious friend. You're on my side, right? Right? You said you could do anything for me. Right? Please help me, Sarah!"

"...... Duchess."

"Don't call me like that!"

Dieline screamed as she kicked off the match. She glowed sharply and criticized Sarah.

"Don't call me like that. Only you, you can do that to me."

"Okay, Dieline. I'm sorry. It's my fault."

As Sarah called her name affectionately, the real Dieline took a deep breath. Seeing Dieline slowly regaining her composure, Sarah had an intuition that she was now on the edge of a cliff.

"I have kept my promise with the Duke. Now I'm going to find Hugel. Even if I have to give up on me and Hugel's child!"

"Dieline!"

"You have no idea how terrible this is. But I have no choice but to do this. Ambrosia needed a successor, and I'm giving birth soon. Then I'll be able to leave."

"Do you think you and Hugel's child can become Ethan Ambrosia's child? What will happen if this fact is known to the world!"

"I am the Duchess of Ambrosia and Hugel is the second son of the Duke of Ambrosia! A child with Ambrosia's blood was born from an orthodox and legal wife. What's the problem? Huh?"

Dieline's eyes now showed madness.

"I can do it. Even if I'll never return to the dukedom after leaving the child…… I decided to overlook everything."