In A Doomed Ending, The Villainess Chooses To Live - Chapter 1
Translator and Editor: Gina and Tea
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Prologue
A perfect banquet dinner that you could only find in the masterpiece of a famous painter.
A beautiful chandelier.
All sorts of delicacies were served on exquisite tableware.
Even perfect maids would respond to a simple gesture.
But all of this was just a façade.
“The meat is excellent,” said my so-called half-brother, smiling as he stabbed a nearly raw piece of steak with his fork.
It may not compare to the main dish, but… He gave me a sinister smile. At that moment,
A warning message flashed, signaling that my life was at stake.
‘This crazy motherf…’
Biologically, we were only half-related, but we were still family. Yet that hungry wolf-like punk was itching to gnaw me.
“Kiana.”
My half-sister, who resembled a rose, smiled at me.
“You don’t seem to be in a good mood. Would you like a glass of wine?”
“I don’t.”
“You’re no fun.”
My half-sister sighed as if it were a shame, then downed her wine in one go.
At that moment,
My heart sank at the message. We were at the most dangerous moment when my alcoholic half-sister’s impulses reached their peak.
‘I can survive, right?’
My fear-filled gaze landed on the middle-aged man seated at the head of the table. He was impeccable in every way. My biological father was the epitome of nobility.
His words echoed in my mind.
“Follow the family rules and devour each other.”
The law of the jungle.
Survival of the fittest.
For the sake of producing the sole perfect heir, this insane family imposed a bloody war between relatives, killing their own flesh and blood.
An insane world where common sense had no place.
This was the world of a novel I had to live in from now on.
Chapter 1
Among the Roman web novels, I especially liked parenting-type novels. Watching the abandoned female lead meet a new family and be loved warmed my heart. It felt like something inside me was healing, maybe because growing up in an orphanage was somewhat similar to the female leads’ situations. Just reading about the female lead being healed in the embrace of her new family made me feel full and happy.
However, I might have overindulged in those novels. Suddenly, nothing I read could match the excitement of the past. In blunt terms, it became boring and monotonous. What reignited my interest was a fantasy novel.
“ROWW” for short. Despite its cheesy title, it was a popular work in the fantasy novel genre. The story was simple: the male lead, unable to prevent the continent’s destruction, regresses to the past to defeat the Demon Lord and save the world, a typical plot. Nevertheless, I couldn’t take my eyes off the relentless progress and development of the male lead. It was thrilling and enjoyable enough to justify the money spent.
At least until the ending.
‘Wait, how does this make sense? He’s going to lose to the demon lord again?’ I doubted my eyes. The returned male lead, who had fought a fierce battle with the Demon Lord, ended up losing and dying. And the world fell into ruin once more.
‘Is this a joke? What kind of sh*t of ending is this?’
I was furious with the unexpected bad ending. Of course, the comments section was in an uproar too.
[Why did I waste my money on this crap?]
[No way! The second life is like a big screen version of the first one?]
[If this was the plan, why even make him regress? LOL]
[I’m so angry, I can’t sleep. I want a refund!]
Comments flooded in, questioning the author’s sanity, calling it a terrible plot twist, and demanding refunds. I couldn’t help but share the frustration. I didn’t necessarily want a happy ending, but the unexpected bad ending left me feeling disappointed and betrayed.
‘Haaaa…’ Unable to overcome my irritation, I buried my face in my pillow. I thought that maybe getting some sleep would help alleviate this dreadful feeling.
And when I woke up, the world had changed.
The novel [Regressor Of A Wrecked World] was set on the Gracia Continent, where the Brunak household–ruler of the North–held absolute influence in resurrecting demons.
I possessed Kiana Von Brunak, one of the worst villains of the family’s lineage.
At that moment, my first thought was the terrifying future that awaited me.
‘What will I do with that disastrous ending?’
The ending was so terrible that the shock seemed to never fade away. Despite the male lead’s efforts, the world was doomed to ruin.
As a reader, I was annoyed by the ending, but when I thought about how it was my future now, I felt I might faint.
‘Forget about the world’s doom. I’ll die at the male lead’s hands before that…’
The character I possessed, Kiana, was a significant supporting antagonist in the original work. She played a crucial role in resurrecting the Demon Lord, alongside the head of the Brunak family, Duke McEnroe, who was the mastermind. As the story went in the original, Kiana would meet a terrible fate at the hands of the male lead in the middle of the late stage of the story.
If the story followed the original plot, there was a higher chance of me dying at the hands of the male lead before the world’s destruction.
‘Ha… at least tell me this insane plot will happen in a few thousand years.’
And beyond these two death flags, there was a more pressing issue.
‘How will I survive in this insane household?’
In the original, Kiana held the formal title of the Brunak family’s heir. She was entrusted with full authority by Duke McEnroe to lead various conspiracies, and was essentially the embodiment of wickedness.
‘However, that’s not the case right now.’
All her half-siblings who were supposed to be dead were actually alive, and Kiana was just one of the successor candidates.
‘No, why did I come here half a year earlier from the original story?!’
Just thinking about the world’s destruction and the male lead’s death flag was enough to drive me insane. Now, I had to figure out how to survive in this hellish family?!
What made it even more daunting was that the process of Kiana being designated as the sole heir was not mentioned in the original story. The only thing referenced was that she had taken all of her half-siblings and obtained the title of heir.
‘Let’s think. I need to find a way to survive.’ I chose to silently observe the situation in the meantime. The current circumstances were dire, and I couldn’t even rely on my knowledge of the original story. I determined that it was urgent to assess my current position within the family, my capabilities, and the overall atmosphere.
However, this insane household didn’t even give me the luxury of time.
“Maria has died,” Duke McEnroe calmly said as he wiped his mouth with a napkin.
‘Wh-who died?’ My knife stopped midair. His tone made it seem as if he was talking about someone unrelated to me. It confused me, because the Maria I knew was nowhere close to this nonchalant description.
Then my gaze fell on the empty seat across from me.
‘Maria skipped dinner…?’ I swallowed hard, and my throat suddenly dried. Maria was my half-sister and the youngest of the six Brunak family siblings. She might be impossible to get along with, but she was a genius with double swords, strong enough to toy with most knights. I still vividly remember the way she looked at me when we crossed paths in the hallway not long ago.
Did Maria really die overnight? A chill ran down my spine.
“Offer your condolences.” The Duke put his hands together and gently closed his eyes in solemn mourning. His demeanor was flawless.
I also discreetly joined my hands and closed my eyes. The thought that it could be my turn next made my heart race.
“Stop.” The duke’s command made everyone open their eyes. “Now, raise your glasses.”
‘What?’ I stared at the Duke in astonishment.
“To the best Brunak.”
“. . .”
“To Leon Von Brunak, who showed his qualifications to bring glory and prosperity to the family.”
The insane toast rendered me speechless.
I knew it was a madhouse, but I never imagined they would openly praise Leon for killing his own sibling.
After his toast, the duke gulped his wine. I pretended to sip mine discreetly, thinking Leon was the one at higher risk now.
I glanced furtively at my half-brother on the other side of my tilted glass. He was chewing on meat, wearing a sinister smile. His stark white hair, pallid complexion, lips as if stained with blood, and oddly red eyes gave him an eerie and daunting appearance. A creepy and unsettling individual.
Among all my half-siblings, this madman was particularly dangerous, and I vowed not to get entangled with him under any circumstances.
“Then, fetch it.” At the duke’s command, a maid brought forward an ornate magical box adorned with geometric patterns.
“It’s Maria’s ability.” The duke nodded, and the maid placed the box in front of Leon.
“It’s yours, Leon.”
I swallowed hard. “Ability” was the special talent inherent in the Brunak family’s direct bloodline. Mysterious and destructive abilities that brought results without apparent causes.
The thing was that these abilities could be taken from each other by killing siblings in the same rank of power.
Thus, 1+1 didn’t equal 2; it could be 3, 4, or maybe even more.
In reality, the Brunak family had adhered to this cruel tradition for centuries, resulting in their ancestors being consistently mentioned when discussing the continent’s strongest figures, allowing the Brunak family to reign as rulers of the north.
‘What’s inside the box…’ It was Maria’s ability, extracted from her lifeless body.
“I’ll make good use of it, Father.” Leon placed his hand on the magical box in front of him and smirked.
“Dare to follow Leon’s example and strive to become better Brunaks.” The duke emphasized this as he scanned the children gathered for dinner.
‘Smile. Smile.’ I forced a smile, fearing my true thoughts might show on my face.
“Woah, congratulations.” Clark, the fourth among the six—no, five siblings—congratulated him nicely. But his tone seemed oddly teasing.
“Thanks to my dear elder brother’s influence, it doesn’t seem I can sleep comfortably anymore.”
“Stay on your toes at all times.” Leon twisted his lips into a grin.
“You can look forward to it, bro. I have a personality that can’t stand seeing someone do better than me.”
“You’re such a greedy brat.”
There was verbal sparring between half-siblings, but all I could see were a pair of lunatics spitting words because they couldn’t kill each other.
‘I never want to be caught in between.’
As I was desperately trying to avoid any sparks that might ignite,
‘Wh-what? Why are you suddenly paying attention to me?’ Clark glared at me intently; something was different in his mood. Those eyes were somehow unusual. His gaze conveyed a deep and blatant hostility.
Warning! Risk of death increasing
Warning! Risk of death increasing』
‘No! What did I do?’ Seeing the death risk rate rise without even knowing what I did made me want to cry.
“Let’s conclude tonight’s dinner here.” Just then, the duke rose from his seat and left the dining room.
Frightened, I hurriedly followed suit.
‘I think I have an upset stomach’
Sure enough, when I returned to my room, I vomited all the food I had consumed.
It was a dinner I never wanted to remember.
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