Reading that book almost felt like I was doing physical labor.

Like a hyena craving for a happy ending, this novel with a bad ending didn’t suit me at all.

In the end, I wasn’t able to stand it and wanted to run away, even as my friend recited the lines herself.

However, as I said, the atmosphere of the novel was dangerous enough to be rated R.

Lisandro and Frey didn’t go all the way, but the portrayal of the two was quite gruesome.

Imagine someone reciting it in your ear.

I reread the book with tears in my eyes under my friend’s supervision.

Thanks to that, I was able to remember the contents of the novel vividly even though it just popped into my mind.

This novel had no dreams, no hopes, no logic, no anything.

What was crazier about it was that Frey and Lisandro already knew each other now.

I’ve often seen the two of them play together, too.

Frey, with black hair and golden eyes darker than honey, was quite the beauty even at a young age. With a neutral charm and a strange air of mystery to him, he didn’t even seem to be human.

It was enough to feel that his beauty was likely enough to be destructive.

I was crazy about his looks, too, but that didn’t mean I had to have him.

There’s nothing more dangerous than being bewitched by a handsome man.

‘But that’s in the past now.’

Having seen the future through the novel, I couldn’t just sit still and relax.

I could have dismissed it as just a novel, but I couldn’t turn a blind eye to the current situation and the novel’s events, including names and circumstances.

Now, the novel’s plot wasn’t just fiction anymore, but a reality that I would have to experience.

The son of a b*tch Lisandro from the novel was now my lovely, adorable baby brother, and Frey was the pitiful child who had to be rolled around through the mud by said brother of mine.

Lisandro’s desire to monopolize Frey began at a young age.

I had to shield Frey from that moment on.

At the same time, even if I couldn’t remove Lisandro’s rotten mindset, obsession, and possessiveness entirely, I had to prevent him from yielding to it at least.

‘In this way, Frey will live, Lisandro will live, and above all, I will live.’

I had to do this because, for one thing, Yurenia died horribly at the hands of her own brother.

“Is he the grim reaper or what? No, the grim reaper only takes the dead.”

Lisandro was a jack*ss who sent the living to the underworld.

While grumbling and cursing at my brother, a deep sigh leaked through my small lips.

Yurenia, Lisandro’s twin sister in the novel, was the only Saintess on the continent and was beloved by the people of the Angelus Empire.

It was said that loving a Saintess who reappeared for the first time in seventy years, but well, people’s attitudes must be somewhat selfish.

In any case, Yurenia had a stigmata as a kid, which catapulted her to the temple and away from her family, yet she fulfilled the role of a Saintess admirably.

Her healing abilities, as well as the arrows she shoots, were strong enough to pierce through anything.

The bows and arrows made with her holy power never missed a single target.

Her arrows were faster, more accurate, and more powerful than anything.

People said that her abilities were comparable to that of the first Martina, God’s first Saintess, who Angelus had revered since its founding.

Martina made a significant contribution to the founding of Angelus into an Empire, and was given the second highest authority after the Emperor because of that.

The Temple of L’Aquila, the state religion, was second only to the Imperial Family in terms of influence.

Yurenia followed in the footsteps of the Saintesses of the past.

By becoming a Saintess, she gained the authority of a Saint.

But I didn’t know what Yurenia did with her power or her work on the temple because the novel focused more on Lisandro and Frey’s story, not hers.

I just knew she was a Saintess who dedicated her life to serving the people of the Empire.

And eventually, she would be killed at the hands of her younger brother, Lisandro.

It didn’t appear in the book, but I remembered being taught from birth about the history of the Empire, temples, and the Saints.

It was said that if the stigmata was revealed, the Saintess would need to grow up safely in the temple and receive education until she reached adulthood.

It was to protect her from any threats.

Then I’ll probably enter the temple as well.

They’d protect me better than any average Saint.

Yurenia was the first Saintess in seventy years. She was like an oasis in a desert.

Everyone coveted her since she was the sole Saintess on the continent, and there was even a legend that if you acquired the Saintess of the God L’Aquila, all blessings would be bestowed upon that nation.

It was believed that Angelus was able to grow into an Empire thanks to the divine grace of the God L’Aquila, and that it continued to prosper steadily under his protection.

Yurenia, whose stigmata was revealed at an early age, was protected by the temple and grew up there.

She was never mentioned again after leaving home and staying at the temple.

Strangely, once Yurenia was no longer mentioned in the novel, Lisandro’s feelings for Frey got deeper and more obsessive.

But it was also difficult to think that there was any significant connection between the twins with just that little information.

Because it was never mentioned in the story that their relationship was bad or anything.

Yurenia was regarded as a gentle-natured child, and the two were said to be busy playing by themselves during their childhood.

In other words, Lisandro had no reason to be angry over Yurenia’s absence.

Even so, since they were separated, it was still possible that Lisandro’s obsession became stronger due to her being away.

‘But why in the world is it something inevitable?’

Like fortune and coincidence, something unknown was bound to happen.

So this time too, it could be simply a coincidence, so I moved on to the next thing to consider without thinking about it too deeply.

Anyway, Yurenia reappears in the narrative when Lisandro’s obsession was already totally out of control.

Yurenia gave up her sainthood without hesitation after discovering the truth and left the temple.

Of course, it was because of her twin brother, Lisandro.

After receiving a suspicious letter stating that one person was suffering because of Lisandro, and that many innocent people were dying because of him, Yurenia left the temple to stop her brother.

Their parents died in her and Lisandro’s early twenties, and at that time, including Yurenia, everyone thought it was simply an accident.

Later, while escaping with Frey, she discovered that his parents had been murdered by her brother, rather than dying in an accident. Yurenia grieved bitterly in Frey’s arms.

No matter how strong Lisandro was, his mother was a skilled swordsman and his father was an archmage.

He couldn’t have killed them easily, but maybe he poisoned them or perhaps his parents let him kill them because they couldn’t kill their own son.

No details were given about the death of his parents.

Or was it that Lisandro was strong enough to beat them both?

He was the strongest swordmaster ever, so it wasn’t impossible either.

Yurenia helped Frey, who was in agony, and escaped Lisandro.

The love God had for her was significant, so it allowed them to leave and stay under the radar without being captured for a long time. And because of her frequent volunteer work here and there, she was well-versed in geography.

But it wasn’t enough to flee with those powers alone…

Yurenia was eventually caught by Lisandro and slaughtered cruelly at the hands of her own flesh and blood for stealing Frey.

After losing Yurenia, his friend who was the last hope for him, Frey was engulfed with misery and great despair.

Realizing that there was no escape from Lisandro, he eventually chooses to take his own life.

“…It’s a sh*tty ending with nothing to show for. All that’s left was Lisandro’s crappy personality?”

It was a good novel for people who like to be emotionally exhausted, but it wasn’t my cup of tea at all.

‘My preference is always a happy ending! Happy! They ate well and lived well!’

But after reading my friend’s novel, I felt uneasy.

And she forced me to read it…

‘Did you really expect this to happen?’

“…No way. That’s ridiculous.”

I shook my head and tried to deny it.

However, even if I admitted to it, I wouldn’t be unable to meet her now anyway, so I shooed away that silly thought.

The most important thing now was Lisandro and Frey.

I had to turn Lisandro into a good man and keep Frey safe from him even before his obsession would begin.

To be honest, I could survive by ignoring whatever happened, but I didn’t want Frey and my beloved brother running around like wild foals, suffering so much right in front of my eyes.

Lisandro was someone I cared for and cherished.

And, possibly because I read too much, my sympathy for Frey was genuine.

That’s why I was sympathetic.

I wanted Frey to be happy.

It was the same now even after I suddenly remembered my previous life.

So I had to prevent that bleak future for the sake of poor Frey and my beloved brother.

After thinking hard about it, I got out of bed and put on my comfortable slippers.

I courageously opened the door wide open.

The first thing I saw was Lisandro crouching in front of the door, hugging his knees.

When he heard the door open, he raised his head and looked at me. I couldn’t help but think that he was cute.

While reading the novel, I hated him and wanted to slap him, but not anymore.

Now I wanted to protect that innocent face so that it would not distort like that of a demon.

For his, mine, and Frey’s sake.

“You said Frey is coming today, didn’t you?”

With my hands on my waist, I asked bravely.

Lisandro nodded at my question and looked up worriedly.

“Yes, but are you okay now?”

“I’m fine. Can I play with you guys starting today?”

“Yeah!”

Lisandro, who had always wanted to play with me, jumped up and down to show that he really liked it.

He was usually feisty, but if I acted differently, my adorable little brother would instantly turn into a gentle sheep.

I patted his head and vowed again.

“The future should be twisted.”

Lisandro flinched at my unexpected words and glanced at me oddly, but acted as it was nothing.

* * *

I went to the garden wearing a cute, frilly dress (which was my parents’ favorite).

It’s already been some time since Lisandro ate a quick lunch and ran to meet Frey.

‘This little bastard’s obsession is already that much? No way!’

I clenched my fist and ran to the garden.

‘Come to think of it, what was the keyword of this novel?’

First of all, it was ‘childhood friend’.

Although they were childhood friends, Frey was a year younger than Lisandro.

Lisandro had all coercive keywords like obsession, lust, and so on.

And Frey possessed all the dreadful keywords, such as delicate, beauty, submissive, and on the run.

“Aigoo, I feel so sorry for him.”

I felt like I was about to burst into tears, so I tapped the corners of my eyes.

Frey was an elementalist with considerable abilities.

Elementalists had strong mental power.

Unfortunately, Lisandro crushed Frey’s mind, causing his awakened powers to dissipate.

As a result, despite having the ability to defeat Lisandro, he was helpless.

‘What a despicable person you are, Lisandro…’

But no, he was still adorable.

Perhaps because he was still young, I didn’t hate the way he called after me like “Sister, Sister.”

As expected. Humans were bound to be blind to their own faults, huh?

Above all, I didn’t have much time.

It was vaguely mentioned in the novel that the stigmata would appear during my childhood, so I didn’t know if it would appear tomorrow and I would have to go immediately to the temple.

I had no clue how Yurenia lived at the temple, but I had no intention of devoting my entire life to it.

She had been confined in the temple since childhood and had spent nearly her entire life there, serving, sacrificing, and devoting herself to the temple and the masses.

I couldn’t live that kind of life.

I wasn’t born to sacrifice myself for anyone.

Frankly, I was pretty selfish.

And to be honest, the phrases ‘sacrifice’ and ‘commitment’ seemed flimsy to me.

Sacrificing for others was, in some ways, selfish towards those who were most precious to me.

Because I would be throwing them away and risking my life for people I don’t even know.