Chapter 2

Rosentine would thank the Gods for giving Corte to her. She’d never once hesitate to thank them.

Even when she was nervous to the point of losing her voice, she remembered Corte and Violetta’s faces. Heimt’s smile too.

Anyone human would want to protect those precious to them at all costs.

But for someone like Rosentine, who understood the desire to protect one’s body and mind better than anyone else, would risk her life for somebody she truly cares about.

Corte was ten years old when it all happened. It seemed this was the point in her life at which everything began to fall apart. Perhaps it was a good thing Corte was aware of Rosentine’s ability to see ghosts in advance of this incident.

*****

“Yawn~”

The sound of her yawn was listless. It felt calming.

In the garden where the roses and hydrangeas bloomed beautifully, Rosentine was eating a grape. She loved how the sweet smell spread to the tip of her nose whenever the juice burst open into her mouth.

Life as a princess was, as expected, incredibly comfortable. She only gained this life, after all, because of her tremendous struggle in her previous one.

With a languid face like a full cat, Rosentine picked up a dessert fork and cut a slice of cake.

There was no other baker in the world that could make such outstanding desserts like the one from the Imperial Palace. It was clear his skills were the reason he was chosen in the first place.

“Unnie, Unnie!”

“Yes, Corte?”

After her childhood and before she could realize it, Rosentine, who was beginning to look like a lady, was slowly blooming like a flower.

She was overjoyed when people told her she was starting to resemble her mother, Violetta. Her flowing, blonde hair looked like a setting sun.

Corte would also tell her that while brushing Rosentine’s hair, which was much brighter than her own.

The young lady, who had not yet made her debut, went to the Imperial Palace often and gradually her name known.

That’s why rumors about how gifted and talented Argen’s young lady was since childhood, was quickly notable.

“I want to explore the Imperial Palace.”

It was so cute to see her tiny lips pucker as she spoke. Corte liked Rosentine the most in this world.

Rosentine knew her life was about to change the moment she laid eyes on Corte. That baby became the first person Rosentine wanted to protect.

Even when Violetta hugged her, the small baby would never stop crying. But whenever Rosentine shook a toy in front of her, Corte would immediately smile brightly.

Rosentine had light, blonde hair with deep, blue eyes. It was completely different from how she had lived in Korea, crying all alone in a windy room. Where no one wouldn’t even listen or care if she cried.

‘Family is truly a wonderful thing.’

When Corte turned nine years old, their father, Heimt, began to bring her to the Imperial Palace just as he did for Rosentine. He attempted to teach her about political figures and acquaintances while showing her around the extravagant Imperial Palace.

Even knowing that both his children were women and could not be chosen as lieges, Heimt continued to teach Rosentine and Corte regularly, so they could follow in Violetta’s footsteps. For Rosentine, this was a lucky opportunity.

PR/N: The kind of father we want in manhwas and novels

“Where in the Imperial Palace?”

“Um… Um…”

Rosentine thought as much. She felt a surge of happiness and hugged Corte tightly. “Kya!” A clear sound echoed throughout the room.

The sunlight began to pour onto the table outside, where she was sitting.

The two of them were at the Imperial Palace right now. Rosentine didn’t want to come to the Imperial Palace at first, but she couldn’t couldn’t refuse as she was too weak against Corte’s pleading eyes.

Corte hesitated at first, but soon hugged her older sister and giggled. Rosentine swayed and laughed as she watched her baby sister hanging from her waistline, pulling her down on her with her weight.

“I don’t care! I want to go wherever you’re going!”

“Should we go to the garden then?”

“Hm… I’ve already been to the garden, I want to look inside the Imperial Palace.”

-An excellent choice.

T/N: These ticks represent the ghosts speaking.

-It’s much grander inside the Imperial Palace than outside.

Except for the ghosts who kept muttering from beside them, Rosentine was having a good time.

She pretended as if she couldn’t hear its words. As if stroking Corte’s blond hair, Rosentine placed her hands on her ears and whispered:

“Shut your mouths.”

When she was nine years old, one of the ghosts exposed her ability to see them and ever since then, they would always swarm her whenever she stepped into the Imperial Palace.

Maybe they just wanted to be heard by a living person. But due to how bothersome they were and because Rosentine despised the ability to see ghosts in the first place, she used to be hesitant to visit the palace.

“Unnie?”

“Yes, Corte?”

“What did you say just now?”

“No, I was wondering if you wanted to go to the library.”

“The library…? Li…bra…ry.”

Corte mumbled those words while burying herself in her older sister’s arms. Rosentine laughed at not getting an immediate answer.

What sort of response did she expect if she randomly suggested going somewhere like a library where it’s really quiet and empty? It would be such a boring place for a child.

Truthfully, it wasn’t a place she’d look forward to going either. Even if the history of this new world was somewhat interesting.

“I guess you don’t want to.”

“No! I’m fine with it if I’m going with you! I want to go to the library!”

She popped her head up, which was buried still in her sister’s arms. As Corte’s messy hair fluttered in the air, Rosentine couldn’t help but burst out laughing. It was so cute seeing her act as expected.

She leaned over, laughing, and rubbed her cheeks against her younger sister. She looked like a happy little puppy. Corte’s grip on Rosentine’s neck while hugging her was the best feeling in the world.

“Then instead of the library, want to take a look at the banquet hall?”

“Banquet hall?”

“Yes. Corte will wear a beautiful dress there later. Let’s ask for fruits and cake along the way.”

“Oh, I like that! I like that a lot!”

-The Imperial Palace’s banquet hall is a stunning place.

-I ordered them to build it.

-With the best design, it was built by the best craftsmen. It was created in the Year 200…

It is complete nonsense to claim that the dead have nothing to say. Rosentine had a cynical look on her face as she listened to the babbling words next to her.

The ghosts who spoke to her ignorantly flinched when they saw Rosentine’s expression. Just how annoying it must’ve been. If the only thing those bastards wanted was to converse with a living person, they were nothing more than those fine-bred aristocrats.

That’s to say, the amount of foul language she’s learned while living in Korea is endless.

Rosentine grabbed Corte’s hand and headed for the palace, leaving behind two bites of dessert. She didn’t forget to look back and talk to the ghosts in a whisper

‘Shut those loud mouths.’

-Ugh!

-H-How rude…

*****

“Unnie! Rose Unnie! I’m scared!”

“Corte, Corte!”

Words lingered around in the midst of her dizziness. Rosentine couldn’t even scream, so she just stamped her feet with her young body.

She couldn’t stand up. She couldn’t even tell what was happening right now.

As Rosentine watched Corte’s eyes turning black, she didn’t know what to do. Her heart was burning up.

It happened in an instant.

They were in the middle of looking around the banquet hall and suddenly. Corte was dragged into a closed room as if she was possessed. No matter how many times Rosentine called out to her, she would only reply with “yeah, yeah.” Rosentine ended up opening the door that took a hold of Corte.

Maybe she should’ve hugged Corte and ran away as far as possible. Instead, Rosentine noticed a ghost standing politely still in the room with an expression she couldn’t read.

Ghosts here don’t usually harm anyone. Since they simply wandered without speaking or conversing.

But it was different with Corte.

The ten year old girl just stared blankly where the ghost was, and the ghost threw itself onto the child like a lion who smelled blood.

It moved at an unstoppable speed. No, even if it were slow, she wouldn’t have even known how to stop something with no form.

Rosentine screamed. Corte began trembling in the midst of her screams.

The child, whose eyes turned black, became pale and twisted her body as if in pain.

“Un…ni… Un…”

Corte was calling out for Rosentine. Unable to see what was in front of her, Corte stretched her hands out and flailed them to find her older sister.

Rosentine’s face turned pale. She’s seen many ghosts before, but never one who’d shut someone’s mouth on their own. Corte’s breath hitched.

The ghost was going inside of her body. The ends of her blonde hair began turning black at the same time. Rosentine’s eyes grew, in that moment she realized.

If someone were to come right now, they’d mistaken her as the one who turned Corte into a witch.

She couldn’t call anyone. More importantly, Rosentine was the only one who knew about the ghosts swarming around the Imperial Palace. How could she possibly explain this situation?

It would be the first time they’d hear about a ghost going inside of anyone’s body, especially Corte’s.

Since Rosentine wasn’t a shaman, she couldn’t perform a ritual.

For the first time, she regretted not learning the rituals.

Even though this was the ability she was given, she’d been avoiding it her whole life.

“Corte, here. I’m here.”

“Un… Cough… Un… Wheeze, I feel terrible…”

“Just a little bit, let’s wait a little more. Alright, Corte? I’ll figure something out. I’ll do whatever I can!”

She had to do something. After saying that, Rosentine bit her lips firmly and headed out.

High priest? Wizard? She didn’t know who to call for help.

Even so, she thought it’d be better to tell someone rather than keep it to herself. She knew witches were sentenced to death based on an illustration in a book she saw one day. This thought kept running through her mind. She knew it would be difficult for Corte to deal with.

Perhaps she could tell them it was her fault that Corte’s in this state. Then no matter what happens, at least her little sister could stay safe.

While thinking of this, Rosentine ran thoughtlessly. It was inappropriate for a sixteen year old lady to run, but she didn’t care.

There was a long corridor. To save Corte, she ran through the hall, which was much longer than she expected. There was a ghost near the end of the hall with platinum, blonde hair shining brightly. That ghost was there as if it was waiting for her.

Standing at the entrance of the old hallway of the Imperial Palace, where no one comes in.. Appearing as a living man, he made a clear gesture for her to stop.

For a moment, Rosentine thought of him as a living person.

He had a calm face and a soft smile. His appearance calmed Rosentine down in an instant. The moment she realized he was a ghost, Rosentine turned cold.

“Move. I don’t have time.”

-To find who? A high priest? A wizard? They’re both going to die.I’m going to kill them both.

“Did you see it? Did you see that? Did you see them? Did you? Damn it! Then who exactly am I supposed to look for?!”

-Even if I leave you alone, whoever you look for, your sister will still die.

“Corte won’t die!”

Rosentine screamed at the top of her lungs. Now it didn’t matter who came. She just needed to take all the blame herself, that’s what she thought.