chapter 1
I should have killed that bastard back then.
The thoughts that haunted her during sleepless nights—
Starting today, she would put them into action.
The dark alleys of the capital were aglow, as always.
Each alley was filled with the acrid smoke of burning herbs, parents shouting after selling their children at cheap prices, and lifelong friends exchanging blows.
Anyone who believed in humanity or morality would judge the scene thus:
“Loyalty has fallen to the ground in this world.”
After the former emperor conquered the continent and established the Empire, the nation decayed. And under the new emperor, it had only worsened—an expansion of chaos where the capital became a den of desires.
Under such circumstances, human trafficking became a burgeoning business.
Among the establishments, the largest auction house was essentially a luxury exchange. Every night, expensive carriages would arrive, laden with “goods,” only to drive away with their purchases.
“Here we have a boy from the desert tribes of the western sands, under fifteen years old and of prime quality! Sold for 2,000 gold coins! Congratulations!”
Business was thriving. Hilarion, the owner of the auction house, watched from the back row, barely concealing his satisfaction.
In his prime, he’d worked as an assassin, using his natural strength. But now, in his thirties, he found his former lifestyle increasingly wearisome. Leveraging the wealth he had amassed by staying close to the powerful, he ventured into this business—and it was proving to be quite profitable.
“Behold, a monster allegedly born from a demon seed! Just look at that hideous face! We have 800 gold! Any other bids?”
As the auctioneer proceeded with the sales, Hilarion kept a keen eye on a noteworthy guest.
‘No doubt about it, he’s nobility. Today’s biggest catch, for sure.’
A man visiting for the first time.
Tall, broad-shouldered. Even at a glance, his gender was apparent. Dressed in all black, from hair to shoes, his clothes seemed simple, but the fabric was costly.
His attire was impressive, but it was the glimpse of his nose and jaw beneath the mask that suggested his true status.
‘A pretty face, no doubt, and likely just over twenty. Probably some young lord who stumbled in here with his family’s wealth.’
Hilarion’s prime good looks had long faded, so he stared at the guest with a mix of resentment, envy, and jealousy.
The young lord, however, seemed oblivious, watching only the stage.
Elbow propped on the table, he held his head with one hand. His well-tailored pant leg and leather shoe tapped rhythmically, as if waiting for something.
“Now, onto the next item! Our next item is… Oh?”
The auctioneer’s voice stumbled in surprise.
Unaware of the situation, the audience cheered. This time, the item on display was a woman—barely out of her teens.
She wore an ornate dress, designed to present her to the buyers. Her long blonde hair, flowing down her back, gleamed from the roots. Her fair skin reflected the stage lights, giving her a porcelain glow.
Under her dark lashes, her peacock-green eyes glinted faintly. Had she not blinked or breathed, she could easily have been mistaken for a high-quality doll.
Undoubtedly, she was a rare beauty not found anywhere else in the Empire.
The girl cast her eyes down, gazing at the belt binding her wrists. Her restrained expression stirred the crowd, who began shouting bids.
“Three thousand!”
“Four thousand five hundred!”
“Five thousand!”
“Please, hold on a moment! We need to provide an explanation first! Now, um… this item is…”
Sweating, the auctioneer flipped through the pages of the item description. His panicked gaze darted to Hilarion in the back.
Realizing the situation, Hilarion rose abruptly.
He was slightly irritated. This was his first time seeing the girl on stage as well. He planned to give his staff a good scolding for the poor reporting once the auction was over.
However, based on the auctioneer’s reaction, it was clear that this item had been brought in without proper documentation.
This wasn’t the day for this kind of mishap. They should withdraw the item and apologize to the customers. Selling an undocumented item could lead to trouble later.
An unsettling greed also crept over him. Had anyone claimed her yet? While pure girls fetched higher prices, a beauty like her would surely command a premium regardless.
‘She reminds me of that arrogant Charlot from the past. Tonight, I’ll torment her all night as I would have done to that woman.’
With that thought, he wanted to finish tonight’s business quickly.
“Five thousand, with an additional three hundred!”
“Sorry, everyone. The auction has not officially begun.”
With a courteous expression, Hilarion walked onto the stage and addressed the audience.
“Allow me to explain: this item is not for sale today. We’re simply giving you a preview.”
The audience grumbled loudly, showing their displeasure. Hilarion quickly added to calm them down.
“Have you had a good look? This item will be formally presented at the next auction with a full description. If you desire her, come prepared with sufficient funds next week! Good luck!”
“No.”
After quickly returning the girl to the auctioneer, Hilarion turned to look at the audience.
In the midst of the crowd murmuring about how much to bring, the young lord, for the first time, opened his mouth.
“Why not just sell her today? I’ll pay one hundred thousand gold.”
The hall fell silent.
It was unprecedented. Although countless people had passed through this auction, never had such an outrageous bid been made.
Taken aback, Hilarion sputtered in a mix of confusion and irritation.
“Don’t joke, sir. You know false bids violate our rules, right? For that price, you could buy the entire auction house.”
“So?”
The young lord smirked, his lips lifting in an arrogant grin as he leaned back.
“One hundred thousand, no haggling. Throw her in, and sell me the place. Then maybe I’ll reconsider how I treat you.”
Hilarion felt a wave of resentment at being dismissed by this unknown man with his wealth, but a twisted sense of relief also stirred. The noble was just like anyone else, it seemed; they all succumbed before a toy for the night.
But Hilarion’s desire for the girl had already reached a fever pitch. He shook his head firmly.
“We look forward to seeing you next week.”
“How can you be sure the auction will still be here next week?”
“Sir, I have a duty to my clients. Rest assured, this girl will be available at the next auction…”
“Duty? You, duty?”
The girl, who had been silent, suddenly spoke.
Screams rang out from the crowd. A few people shot to their feet and backed away. Startled, Hilarion turned, and he too cried out.
“Auc-Auctioneer! Auctioneer!!”
It was no use. The auctioneer’s head had already fallen. Blood spurted, raining down onto the girl’s golden hair.
Amidst it all, the girl spoke quietly.
“If you’d listened when money talked, it would have been easier. But if negotiation is off the table, then there’s no reason to wait. Every one of you human traffickers here dies.”
The nobleman seemed to nod, as if in agreement.
The girl, now free from her restraints, took a deep breath and flicked her hand. A surge of energy repelled the droplets of blood. One horrified guest shouted.
“An Aura user? Here?”
“Run! Where’s my coachman?”
Guests stampeded toward the exits. Security guards at the doors tried to fight their way to the stage against the rush. The hall descended into chaos.
One guard lunged at the girl. She sidestepped and extended a hand. His sword slipped from its sheath, impaling his chest in a fountain of blood.
“Pathetic. You rely on such weak skills to sell people?”
The girl twirled the unfamiliar sword, planting one foot firmly. As her aura surged along the blade’s trajectory, a shockwave blasted through the air, throwing a dozen guards helplessly back, bleeding from every orifice.
She withdrew her sword with the grace of a prima donna taking a solo. In place of confetti, blood splattered, cheering her victory.
Hilarion alone was left alive.
“W-What… who the hell are you?!”
Hilarion stumbled back, trying to balance himself as he nearly rolled off the stage.
All the other guests had vanished.
Except for the young nobleman.
Before Hilarion could process it, a hand grabbed his collar. Gagging, he felt himself lifted into the air.
Impossible. He was no lightweight. Yet the slender girl before him held him up effortlessly. Even with aura training, only a master could achieve such strength.
The girl’s face broke into a sweet smile.
“Long time no see, Hilarion. Don’t remember me yet? I guess it’s too much for your pickled brain.”
Hilarion coughed, dizzy, her words slipping past him.
Her white arm was wrapped in a blue aura, pressure growing as if fueled by a grudge.
“Look at you, bloated with power. All this time spent serving the Emperor, and here you are trafficking humans. Not even fit to be compost. You were a petty man even back then.”
It was the speech of someone familiar. With a sudden flash of clarity, Hilarion looked at the girl again.
No, he didn’t recognize her. He wouldn’t have forgotten such a beauty.
But… there was someone she brought to mind.
Hilarion had witnessed this kind of strength once before.
“Y-You… no… Charlot…?”
The girl’s clear laugh rang out.
“Took you long enough.”
“Ridiculous! You can’t be Charlot! The wicked woman who died just recently!”
Hilarion, near delirium, kicked his legs.
“It’s been five years since she was imprisoned! Even if she were alive, she’d be twenty-seven! How are you…?”
“Would you believe I was reborn from hell just to kill you?”
The girl, calling herself Charlot, threw him to the floor. He rolled painfully across the tables and chairs. Lying there in agony, he saw her foot press down on his throat and jaw.
With a grin, she raised her sword.
“Your last confession. List every crime you committed against Charlot.”
Hilarion’s back prickled with fear as he broke into a cold sweat.
Back in the day, as an assassin, Hilarion had helped the current Emperor by eliminating many rivals.
But now, this was a feeling he hadn’t sensed back then—a suffocating terror.
Death loomed. His voice shook.
“T-The Empress ordered me to… to attack the now-Empress…”
“You lied. And what else?”
“I… watched as they broke her knees…”
The pain of her heel grinding into him stopped him. Hilarion no longer cared who she was. He clasped his hands, begging for mercy.
“I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it! She ignored me, so I just wanted to teach her a lesson—never thought it’d go that far, I swear!”
Driven by survival instincts, Hilarion groveled.
“Please… Charlot. Out of our old bond…”
His vision blurred as darkness overtook him. From within it, he heard her laughter.
“There’s no such thing as honor among villains.”
Those were the last words Hilarion heard in this world.
The girl coldly observed her former subordinate’s lifeless body.
From across the room, she heard clapping. The young lord, who had watched everything, rose slowly from his seat.
Finally, the mask fell from his face, revealing blood-red eyes that gleamed like enamel.
“How’s the first taste of revenge, Juju?”
The blonde girl, now called Juju, tossed her sword to the ground.
“Nothing from this lowlife. I won’t feel satisfied until I’ve dealt with those who truly betrayed me.”
Then she looked at the man.
“I’m exhausted in this body. Ruslan, carry me.”
“Demanding as always. You’re treating the Count of Kaitel like a servant?”
“Oh, really? Wasn’t it you who said you’d clean up after me? And wasn’t it you who promised to act the part of a devoted fiance?”
Ruslan sighed, amused, and lifted her in his arms. The girl—Charlot, reborn as Juju—finally relaxed.
Her body, still hot from the recent fight, thrummed with energy. Memories of betrayal fanned flames of vengeance within her heart.
She’d discarded her former body, her memories of Charlot intact.
Charlot had never been the model of virtue. She had assassinated, ambushed, and fought the royal family.
But all for the man she loved, Albert, to ascend to the throne.
The ones who cast her from hero to villain were the emperor she trusted and her former comrades. They were the ones who first betrayed her.
“Regret and tremble.”
There was no point in begging.
“I’ll make you all pay, one by one.”
#