Chapter 1: Kind and Cruel

I managed to brush my thoughts about Fiona’s terrible end or my future.

Currently, Count Green has called the whole family, including me, into the drawing-room. I’ve been caught again in this situation. In fact, I might be beaten with a stick.

“Everyone knows that the situation in war these days is not good.”

As expected, Count Green soon began to open his mouth with a serious look.

“And yesterday, in the Imperial Palace, an order fell on our family to send a mage to go to the northern front.”

Suddenly, my siblings in the drawing-room became fussed. However, I nodded calmly. If my guess were correct, it was still about six years before the original war began.

In this world, the war was not a conflict between nations. More precisely, it was the fight between evil and humans. There were mosnters led by cursed dragons, and to block their attack, people who could fight—mercenaries, mages, knights, etc.—participated in the war. Perhaps at this time, the empire was in a disadvantageous situation because the war had been pushed out for a long time.

If you were to ask me in my past life about why Fiona had no dreams or hopes in this romance fantasy novel, honestly, it was just to make the main characters stand out.

The summary of the storyline was roughly like this. In this world, more and more humans were dying due to cursed dragons and monsters. Then, the people were saved by male and female leads who appeared like comets. That was it.

“Because of this, one of you must join the war in the northern front.”

The words “join the war” that came out from my father increased the agitation of my older siblings who gathered in the reception room.

“Father, it’s a war. Are we really going?”

“oh my god….”

The House of Green was one of the imperial mage families. So when things got worse, it was natural for the Imperial palace to order support to all families that existed. The biggest question was, who the hell would go to the war?

Everyone was a child of a noble family who grew up fine; even I never had done a chore, let alone a war. If someone tried to join the war that had been delayed for a long time, they would not be able to fight properly. And Count Green, who knew the truth better than anyone else, gave a fake smile.

“I wonder if any of my children will bravely volunteer for this glorious thing.”

“….”

Everyone was silent while looking at each other.

At that time, Cain Dell nudged my side and whispered. “you go, rice worm*”

Gosh, since earlier, this guy. I glanced at him with my eyes throbbing.

The Count had four children. Except me, the youngest, all the three above me were born from the Countess. So, all of them wanted me, the useless bastard, to go to war instead.

Even more, Cain Dell raised his hand and said, “Father, our proud youngest sister wants to go. I think she can’t speak up because she is shy.”

“wa, wait..”

Of course, I’ve never said a word! I looked at Cain Dell with my eyes wide open. When his eyes met mine, he made a very mean smile. This son of a bitch.

“Oh, good, so you’re saying you will go, Fiona.” Count Green‘s face became bright as he welcomed the idea. This father-and-son duo was just the same. Wasn’t this what they two had been planning from the beginning?

“It is an honorable thing to do to represent the family. I want to thank you for taking this opportunity to repay me for raising you all this time.”

No matter how much I heard this, it just sounded like he was telling me to go to the battlefield and die. No, that was not it. In fact, how could there be a family that sent a thirteen-year-old kid to the battlefield without hesitation in the first place!

The second sister even started to help them next to me. “Yes, Fiona. Cain Dell has to be in the family to continue, and I’m about to get married. The third brother, Jen, is about to get engaged to a beautiful girl. How can you send the family’s limbs, legs, and arms to that situation? You’d better go.”

What the hell! I wasn’t even taught magic properly since I am an illegitimate child. They locked me up in the attic every day, and then beat me up.

Well, even so, I was familiar with magic. I learned by watching them from a side and practicing secretly. So, fortunately, I already knew the basic way to use magic.

“I’m…”

The second I opened my mouth, everyone stared at me with their stiff face. I was not so foolish to not know the meaning behind that venomous sly look.

‘You think you can refuse?’

The realization came after I finished my judgment about the situation. It was already decided. The thing was I never had a choice in the first place. If I were to refuse, they would forcibly throw me into the middle of the battlefield like a beast being dragged to the slaughterhouse. There was no one on my side in the first place in this mansion, and no one was going to feel sorry for me either.

“I’m….”

There was only one line of past settings for Fiona, who was not even the main character. ‘As an illegitimate child, she grew up tortured by her family.’

That was exactly what was shown to me in front of my eyes. A family who casually sending a 13-year-old into the middle of the battlefield to die. As the childhood phase of the villain, there was no dream or hope.

I managed to swallow a sigh and spoke slowly. “…. Yes, I understand. I will go”

What if I refused and rebelled with force? Even if I were to act like that, getting rid of this sly family in front of me, my dark future was still the same.

Naturally, even in this world, the punishment for the murder of relatives was strong. Even if I were to escape the situation right away, I could be put in jail for the rest of my life, or the life of the fugitive was the only one opened.

So if I had to go unconditionally, I should go with two feet like a person rather than being dragged like a beast. At least, this was the way to keep my pride.

My family cheered pretentiously at my words.

“That’s a very good choice, Fio”

“I’m very proud”

“You are finally doing your part”

From the beginning, this was the reason why they called me to go here. They didn’t usually treat me like a human being, so I thought they’d lock me up in the attic and not call me to the family gathering.

“….”

Somehow I felt sad. Even a year ago, when I realized that I first possessed Fiona’s body, I wasn’t so sad. Did Fiona, the villain I created, feel this way?

I was deeply sorry for some reason. Fiona, who had never been truly loved by anyone in her life, resented the world. And her wrong choice led to an irreparable swamp.

But, unlike her, I didn’t feel like blaming anyone easily.

Right here, because this is the world I wrote.

***

Rice Worm: a Korean term; a person who only eats and sleeps all day/ a person who doesn’t do their duty properly and just gets their wage in a lazy way like the worms that eat rice in storage as a parasite.

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