In a distant land, a fierce war once raged between humans and demons. For years humanity managed to push forward, led by one extraordinary hero, a man named Ji-ho. He was called many things — the warrior from another world, the dragon slayer, and, unexpectedly, the fiancé of Nadia Valajet, the Duke's cast-aside daughter.
Their engagement was not the kind of love story Nadia used to imagine.
Long before Ji-ho became the kingdom's most celebrated hero, their lives had been tied together by family decisions neither of them had agreed to. No grand confession. No romantic spark. Just a deal made behind closed doors.
And Nadia was never exactly her family's pride. As Duke Valajet's daughter she should have had it all — wealth, beauty, influence. Instead, being born illegitimate pushed her to the edges of her own home. Ignored. Dismissed. Treated like she did not belong. Not just by her family, but by the servants too.
Then one day her father finally decided she had a use. Not as a daughter, but as a bargaining piece. He chose to marry her off to a strange outsider, a man summoned from another world to save the kingdom. A risky move, or a calculated one. Even before Ji-ho proved his worth, Duke Valajet saw something in him. He was convinced the man would rise to greatness, so he quickly secured the engagement with his eldest daughter.
And Nadia, despite everything — the cold treatment, the forced arrangement, the uncertainty — still clung to a small, stubborn hope. Maybe her marriage could be peaceful.
It was never going to be peaceful.
Before Nadia could even realise that she had been completely betrayed, she was already locked inside a cold, silent cell with a single cruel truth forced upon her. She would never see her soon-to-be husband again. And as if that blow was not enough, the person who put her there was her own half-sister, Corrine Valajet.
The moment Ji-ho left for war and returned as the kingdom's shining hero, the Valajet family made their decision. Their illegitimate daughter was no longer fit to stand beside him as his wife.
But simply ending the engagement was not enough for them. They went much further than that. In a scheme so vile it was hard to believe, Ji-ho — the man praised as the nation's most honourable — joined forces with Duke Valajet and Corrine. Together they drugged Nadia during a grand ball and arranged for a man to violate her.
When Nadia finally woke, she found herself half-dressed, surrounded by nobles who stared, whispered and laughed without restraint. Every second of that nightmare had been carefully planned, down to the smallest detail, by her own father, her sister and her fiancé.
Whatever little dignity Nadia had left was crushed that day. Her engagement was immediately called off, and with her name dragged through the mud, no noble family dared to help her. After all, why would they, when even her own family had abandoned her?
And now that they had their excuse for the final step, they decided to erase her completely. As thugs dragged her away, Corrine calmly explained, without a hint of guilt, that Nadia's death would protect the family's honour.
With a rope tightening around her neck, panic consumed Nadia, and memories of her life flashed before her eyes. A quiet, obedient life. One where she followed every order, avoided attention, and gave up everything so her sister could shine.
In the end, that same sister watched her die with a smile.
Their plan worked. Nadia died.
Or at least she should have. Because when she opened her eyes again, she was not gone. She was back. Three years in the past, at twenty years old, before any of this tragedy had unfolded.
At first she could not believe it. It felt unreal. But as the truth slowly settled in, one thing became clear. She had been given another chance.
The question now was what she was supposed to do with it. Could she really change her fate? Escape her manipulative sister and her ruthless father? Or was she doomed to repeat the same nightmare all over again?
As Nadia struggled to piece together a plan, her thoughts were abruptly cut off. A moody maid burst into the room and snapped at her to get out so the floor could be cleaned.
And just like that, Nadia made her decision. No matter what happened, she refused to live the same life again. This time, she was choosing revenge.
As if to seal that resolve, the maid went even further, complaining about the fingerprints on the mirror, and then shoving her.
Since when did servants push their own lady around? Then again, this was not just any maid. This was the very same woman who, three years later, would hand her the drug at that cursed ball. She had been on Corrine's side from the very beginning.
But Nadia did not react the way she used to. No fear. No submission. She simply offered a gentle smile and walked away.
Not long after, she crossed paths with the head maid in the hallway, who informed her that the king himself had come to visit her father.