Chapter 1

Beatty stared ahead, her expression blank with confusion.

‘Just a moment ago, I was collapsed on the ground…?’

Her narrowing vision had signaled the approach of death.

Finally, complete darkness consumed her, and she thought that was the end.

‘Wait… I can see?’

And right in front of her stood him.

The childhood friend who had killed her.

“...Ritter? What is this?”

“Hm?”

The boy before her looked just like the prince from a fairy tale—the young version of Ritter.

“You know my name?”

Tilting his head, he smiled innocently. His angelic face made it impossible to imagine that this boy would one day grow up to sink his venomous fangs into his friend’s neck.

“Dear, what are you doing standing there blankly? You’re being rude in front of His Highness!”

‘Ah…!’

At the sharp voice scolding her, memories flooded back.

This was the day she first met Ritter.

“No way…!”

Beatty frantically looked down at her hands.

‘Small!’

Just like Ritter, who was now a young boy, she had somehow returned to her childhood body as well.

“It’s all right. The young lady must be feeling awkward since it’s our first meeting,” he said, naturally stepping in to smooth over her aunt’s shrill tone.

‘All right…’

He always used to say that.

“It’s all right. It doesn’t matter if you’re just a weak little squirrel beastkin.”

Ritter, a noble serpent beastkin, had always reassured her that he didn’t care that she was a squirrel, a half-blood.

“Because I think of you as my friend.”

‘I believed him.’

But the very friend who had said those words had sunk his fangs into her throat right before she could achieve her dream.

***

Beatty had always been alone for as long as she could remember.

Perhaps, once upon a time, someone had been with her. But as far back as her memory stretched, she had been by herself.

She had picked the largest number she knew and counted a hundred nights, then another hundred, then another, but no one ever came.

In the end, only loneliness remained in her memories.

“…And so, they all lived happily ever after.”

With nothing else to do in her room, Beatty read books over and over again.@@novelbin@@

She always left an extra chair by the bed, just as if someone else were there to listen.

Bang!

Without warning, the door burst open.

“Are you holed up in here being lazy again?”

It was her aunt, Pirina.

No matter what Beatty did, it was never right in Pirina’s eyes—if she stepped outside, she was in the way; if she stayed inside, she was being idle.

Scanning the small, shabby room with satisfaction, Pirina sneered.

‘Hah! No, this is too good for that stray cat’s child.’

Her elder sister had acted like she had no interest in marriage, only to snatch up the most eligible husband and then have the audacity to send her pity money.

The mere thought of that woman’s daughter daring to call herself a lady made Pirina’s stomach churn with resentment.

‘Of course, I won’t let that happen.’

That foolish sister of hers must have thought she had won just because she married a duke.

Well, let her see what happens to her daughter now.

Pirina’s lips curled with twisted satisfaction.

“Get up. We’re going somewhere.”

“With me?”

Beatty blinked. Her aunt had never taken her anywhere before.

Pirina caught the faint flicker of excitement in the child’s expression and let out a mocking laugh.

“Yes. With you.”

With a perfectly manicured fingernail, Pirina tapped the image of a beautiful bride in the fairy tale book Beatty had been reading.

“Even a child like you has one thing of value.”

That day, her aunt took her to meet the prince.

“You should be grateful to be considered for such an undeserved match. You must serve His Highness with utmost devotion, knowing he is your future husband.”

Pirina’s voice was clipped, her words flowing out rapidly like a machine gun.

“A good wife must submit herself completely. You must walk softly, always maintain perfect posture, and never, ever raise your voice.”

It was as if she were giving warnings about facing a monster rather than introducing a fiancé.

“Even your stiff-necked mother managed to do it, so you can too.”

With a final remark that blurred the line between praise and mockery, Pirina led her inside.

“Now, greet him properly. Kneel. He is of the noble white serpent’s bloodline.”

“Haha, there’s no need to be so stiff.”

But the prince she met was nothing like her aunt had described.

“Hello.”

He greeted her with a warm smile, his eyes curving gently.

“I am Ritter Astrum, the Second Prince of the Astrum Kingdom.”

The boy’s gentle smile left a lasting impression. Even when they were left alone, his kindness remained unchanged.

“I’ve never seen a beastkin like you before.”

Ritter spoke with curiosity, his gaze settling on her wrist—on her Signum.

Beatty flinched without meaning to.

The Signum.

A fragment of the stars, only possessed by beastkin descended from the celestial lineage.

For most, it was a mark of pride, proof of their noble blood.

But not for her.

Without a word, she instinctively covered her Signum with her hand. Unlike other beastkin’s marks, hers was pitch black.

“Why are you hiding it?”

“…”

Beatty pressed her lips together. She had no desire to explain how different she was.

“It’s all right. It’s pretty, too.”

Watching her closely, Ritter smiled again, his warm hand gently covering the back of hers.

No one had ever spoken about her Signum like that before.

“You know…”

His voice was soft as he whispered, his tone kind as always—he was the only one who spoke to her this way.

“I’m on your side.”

And just like that, the boy became her one and only friend.

Regardless of the fact that her fiancé turned out to be a good friend, life after their engagement became even more suffocating.

“From now on, you’ll be moved to a separate building for your education.”

Pirina’s version of “education” wasn’t actual learning.

She never spent a single coin on tutoring for her troublesome niece.

Instead, she imposed something she called bride training, a means to control every aspect of Beatty’s life.

Comfortable clothes, flavorful food, and any entertainment that could dull the mind were all deemed luxuries.

“A woman who indulges in selfish pleasures is worthless. You must always be mindful and restrain yourself.”

Calling it an education, Pirina disguised her torment as guidance, insisting that harshness was for Beatty’s own good.

Her freedom had always been limited, but after moving to the annex, it became nearly nonexistent.

Still, it wasn’t entirely bad.

Even if the books were outdated and the newspapers were months old, she could find things to read in the annex’s storage.

Poof!

Thanks to the celestial blessing of her bloodline, she could secretly slip out into the garden in her squirrel form, unnoticed by others.

And…

“What are you reading?”

She had one friend.

Puffing out her chest, Beatty proudly held up the book she had practically memorized as Ritter glanced over her shoulder.

“A business book? Why are you reading something like that?”

“Because I’m going to become a merchant and travel across the continent one day.”

“What?”

Ritter looked taken aback, but Beatty was unfazed.

“I have a talent for it.”

Her aunt had told her so.

You were abandoned because you’re a disgrace, unfit to be seen by others.

Pirina often called her something else as well.

Shameless creature.

Whenever something displeased her, she would glare at Beatty and shout that phrase. That she was like a parasitic rat, greedily feeding off her generosity, without shame.

Having grown up hearing those words, Beatty thought to herself,

A merchant mustn’t be ashamed of money…

That was something she had read in one of her treasured books.

That means I’m perfect for the job!

In the dusty, forgotten annex, she made books her companions and became enchanted by the idea of becoming a merchant.

She wanted to go far, very far.

Not trapped in a hidden corner where no one could see me—I want to travel the continent.

She had never once left the capital, and the vast trade routes spanning the continent became her dream.

Just imagining seeing the world with her own eyes made her heart swell with anticipation.

“You’d throw away the position of queen… just to be a lowly merchant?”

Hearing that sharp tone from her friend for the first time, Beatty hesitated, caught off guard.

“Ritter, you said you didn’t want this engagement either. You only accepted because of your mother’s orders.”

“…Ah, right. I did say that.”

Thankfully, Ritter quickly returned to his usual self.

“I wanted to tell you about it.”

Relieved, Beatty smiled shyly.

“We’re friends, after all.”

“Friends… Yeah.”

His lips curled into an unreadable expression, but Beatty, too flustered to meet his gaze, didn’t notice.

“As your friend, I’ll support your dream.”

She believed that soft, familiar voice—just as she always had.