Chapter 1. The Beginning of the Defect
A certain memory came to mind. A romance fantasy novel I had thoroughly enjoyed reading as a child.
The title of the novel was “Beyond the Tiny Droplet.”
It followed a fairly typical storyline where a humble yet spirited and capable female protagonist falls in love with an arrogant, aristocratic male protagonist after overcoming various obstacles.
Thinking back, it seems like it was one of those common novels without any particularly unique or distinctive qualities.
Nevertheless, I loved that novel.
What caught my eye first was the setting.
The Azure Empire of Atlantis. The name of the country where the female protagonist lived, it was a nation of water, overflowing with azure blue.
The main stage of the story was the prestigious academy “Full Bloom,” located in “Löhn,” the imperial capital of Atlantis. Its name embodied the desire to educate the young nobles and help them blossom into individuals worthy of the empire, like flowers in full bloom.
The female protagonist, “Yuriann Halo Tolley,” had lived a life of hardship even among commoners. However, her unique talents were recognized, and she was granted admission to Full Bloom.
Naturally, most of the other characters were nobles already enrolled in Full Bloom, and Halo overcomes the oppression of the arrogant nobles to graduate at the top of her class.
I always felt a sense of catharsis from Halo’s spirited demeanor.
And, as a romance novel, the protagonist’s love story couldn’t be left out. The male protagonist who ends up with Halo is “Shina Fritz Digoril.” As befitting a male lead, he was the heir to a dukedom, possessing both outstanding looks and abilities, beloved by many.
Halo and Fritz’s love story made my young heart flutter endlessly.
Besides them, the sub-male lead, “Woo Acrea Ire,” and the villainess, “Enzhe Lopetrefer Kel,” who relentlessly tormented Halo throughout the story, were also central characters in Halo’s love life.
…Actually, the character that remains most vivid in my memory now, ironically, is neither Halo, nor Fritz, nor Acrea, but Enzhe Lopetrefer.
Enzhe Lopetrefer Kel.
Enzhe was the one who left quite a trauma on children fresh out of watching sparkly and dazzling animations.
Every time I read “Beyond the Tiny Droplet,” I often thought about how I wanted to live in the Atlantis depicted in the novel. I wanted to see the beautiful lakes and seas of Atlantis with my own eyes.
But every time such a thought crossed my mind, Enzhe was the one who made me shake my head immediately.
That’s how wicked and malicious Enzhe Lopetrefer’s actions and personality were.
It started with subtle digs, escalating to all sorts of verbal abuse, insults, and violence. And finally, even attempted murder. While the perpetrators were mostly Enzhe’s two lackeys who followed her around, the mastermind behind all the evil deeds was none other than Enzhe.
Every time Enzhe went berserk and obsessively hurt Halo, I had to crumple the edges of the book in fear.
How many times did I curse, wondering when this crazy b*tch would die, and resenting Fritz for being engaged to Enzhe? Thanks to that, “Beyond the Tiny Droplet,” still sitting on my bookshelf, was all crumpled and tattered.
But even Enzhe, as a villain, had to meet her end. I don’t recall the specifics, but after committing all sorts of evil deeds to win the love of the male protagonist, Enzhe met a typical villainous end.
I can’t even describe how relieved I felt when Enzhe clung to Halo’s skirt, crying and screaming.
…But why was I reminiscing so sentimentally about a third-rate novel I had read and left behind in my childhood?
The answer was simple.
Because I had become a resident of Atlantis, a fate I had once longed for as a child but never truly wished for.
And not just any resident. Unbelievably, I was reincarnated as one of the characters who actually appeared in “Beyond the Tiny Droplet.”
…The problem was, it was the role of Enzhe’s lackey, whom I truly despised.
* * *
Enzhe Lopetrefer’s lackey, ‘Sue Byron Chiqmefriar.’ A character I had never paid attention to, whose name I didn’t even remember properly.
‘The infirmary… I woke up in the infirmary.’
She slowly recalled the events of the day she was reincarnated as Sue Byron.
Although she had never given Sue Byron a second thought before, the strange feeling of bewilderment she felt when she became Sue was a sensation she would never forget.
* * *
That day, when she opened her eyes, the sunset was already casting a heavy glow outside the window.
“Oh my. You’re awake, Byron. Are you alright?”
As her blurry vision slowly came into focus, the girl addressed as ‘Byron’ met the gaze of a middle-aged woman wearing eyeglasses.
“…Where… Where am I?”
The girl called ‘Byron’ stretched out her arms and legs, clutching the blanket as if sinking into the bed sheets.
What was going on?
She was clearly herself, but why did she feel like someone else?
Everything felt unfamiliar, yet strangely, not entirely new.
She tried to think, but nothing came to mind. It was as if a hole had been drilled into her head, leaving the foundation of her memories empty.
Blinking blankly, ‘Byron’ felt a surge of bewilderment, realizing she didn’t know anything. Finally, she sat up.
“Ugh, ah…!”
A searing pain shot through her body. It was as if hundreds of sharp blades had pierced her flesh simultaneously.
“Gasp…!”
‘Byron’ instinctively held her breath and curled up in a ball, overwhelmed by the sudden agony.
“Oh dear. What’s come over you? Are you losing your mind?”
However, the woman with eyeglasses only feigned surprise. She made no move to help ‘Byron’ as she collapsed forward, her expression devoid of any concern.
“Ha… Ha….”
After enduring the pain until it subsided, ‘Byron’ finally managed to lift her head, supporting herself with her hands.
That’s when she noticed a peculiar smell lingering in the air.
‘…What is that smell?’
She wrinkled her nose. It was a bitter, medicinal scent.
Like herbs that had been ground countless times.
As the thought crossed her mind, ‘Byron’ muttered unconsciously,
“…The smell of herbs.”
“Hmm? What about the smell of herbs?”
“…Nothing. It’s nothing, Ms. Hella.”
Once again, she found herself uttering the name of the woman with eyeglasses without realizing it.
‘Byron’s’ eyes widened in surprise. Ironically, neither the smell of ground herbs in a mortar nor the name of the woman standing beside her bed felt unfamiliar.
‘Byron’ was taken aback by the fact that she felt no sense of incongruity in the words she had unconsciously spoken.
What was the big deal about the smell of herbs? And who was Hella? Why was she being called Byron?
She didn’t know. Her mouth went dry. She instinctively knew that something was wrong with this situation, even though she couldn’t pinpoint why.
Observing ‘Byron’s’ pale face and darting eyes, Hella tilted her head slightly, assessing her condition.
“Hmm. It’s not unusual for your memory to be a little muddled.”
Hella murmured, slowly nodding her head. Her tone was quite cold, as if she disliked the girl in front of her.
“I highly doubt that’s the case, but I do hope this isn’t an act, Sue Byron.”
Hella’s icy gaze pierced through ‘Sue Byron’.
‘Sue Byron?’
However, ‘Sue Byron’ was in no state to decipher the emotions of a woman she barely knew. As the unfamiliar name left Hella’s lips, ‘Sue Byron’s’ eyes finally flickered with recognition.
‘That’s right. Sue Byron. My name is Sue Byron.’
It felt like a missing puzzle piece had finally slotted into place in the blank canvas of her memory.
Nevertheless, Sue was still confused, and there were too many unknowns. Determined to piece together the fragmented puzzle, she lifted her head.
With her vision fully restored, she looked around her surroundings.
The room, filled with the pungent aroma of various medicines, was quite spacious. Several high partitions and white beds were lined up at wide intervals. Despite the ample space, the only occupants were Sue Byron, covered in bandages, and Hella.
‘This is the infirmary.’
Looking around the room, which clearly resembled a medical ward, Sue quickly realized that this was the ‘academy infirmary’.
‘Then, that woman, Hella, must be the school nurse.’
Another piece of the puzzle clicked into place.
The bed Sue was sitting on was right next to Hella’s desk.
Hella’s desk was so large that Sue couldn’t reach the other end even if she stretched out both arms. It was cluttered with beakers and glass bottles filled with unknown liquids. The bitter smell that permeated the room definitely originated from that table.
A chandelier adorned with glittering jewels hung from the high, marble ceiling, but the only source of light in the infirmary was a yellow lamp beside the bed.
Next, Sue cautiously examined her own body. Even the slightest touch sent shooting pains through her. With a growing sense of unease, she checked the clothes she was wearing.
The first thing she noticed was her long, red hair that reached her waist. It was a deep crimson, and the curly strands were so tangled that she couldn’t even comb them properly. Giving up on fixing her hair, Sue turned her attention elsewhere.
The clothes she wore were covered in dirt and grime. Although the style was slightly different, the white dress, which flowed seamlessly from her neck to her ankles without any embellishments, reminded her of a nun’s habit.
Turquoise embroidery adorned the ends of the long sleeves and the hem of the skirt. The bottom of the skirt had a slight slit, but overall, it wasn’t a revealing outfit.
“Byron. If you’ve come to your senses, it’s time for you to go back. I’m quite exhausted today.”
Hella’s face, seated at her desk, was shrouded in shadow. Suppressing the urge to go home, she slowly organized the remaining documents.
‘This is strange…’
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