One Life Ago...

War consumes us tomorrow.

But before that, I'll tell you my story.

One life ago, I was a junior in college, worrying about my career until I slipped on ice, hit my head, and died.

When my consciousness returned, my body was that of a little girl's, sitting before a dining room table. As her memories began combining with mine, I realized I was Airee Valguard, daughter to the Duke of Bearington. Not only that, but I was the villainess in a game I played before!

In that game, the heroine is a commoner called Daffy living in the kingdom of Dorono. A baron soon adopts her, giving her the opportunity to meet her love interests! The first one she meets is Prince Lilith, the second prince and the first in line to succession. Lilith quickly becomes enamored with Daffy, and, realizing this, his betrothed—the villainess—begins hating Daffy.

The game picks up when Daffy enters St. Vines Academy. There, she meets three more love interests: Prince Rosen (the first prince and second in line to succession), Cou (Lilith's personal royal guard), and Yuri (a bored demon). They all come to her aid when the villainess bullies her. The villainess is finally brought down when she attempts to poison Daffy but ends up poisoning Lilith instead! For her crimes, the villainess is exiled and is presumed dead.

After this, the current Doronian king is assassinated by a Meerian spy, causing war between the kingdoms Dorono and Meeria. Now crowned king, Lilith leads the war at the frontline, leaving the kingdom to Rosen and leaving Daffy under the protection of an E-knight called Winston (the last love interest). Here, Daffy is given the choice of either pursuing others or waiting for Lilith's return. If the player chooses to await Lilith, Daffy and Lilith live a happy ending; if the player chooses otherwise, Daffy's ending is filled with sorrow and blood.

Finishing this game in my previous life, I was annoyed and disappointed that peace for Daffy was narrowed down to only one path (Lilith's). Even more disappointing was the news that the great general—a minor character (candy) who caught my eye—died saving Lilith during the war.

Swamped with all these emotions, it was given I didn't pay attention to the villainess since she didn't even survive past the second half of the game.

…

That was me!! I was going to die soon if I didn't do anything!!

As if on cue, there was sudden commotion around me as my father, the Duke, began shouting for the doctor frantically. He rushed to the person sitting beside me, another girl—no, my little sister, Claire—who was coughing up a bloody storm.

In an instant flash of recollection, I remembered in the game that Daffy had a best friend: Lady Claire Valguard, the villainess's little sister. Lady Claire and Daffy clicked together from the start, Lady Claire even helping uncover her older sister's crimes just to help her best friend.

Helping her friend instead of her older sister was understandable since the sisters had been estranged ever since Lady Claire was sent away as a child. And the reason she was sent away was—

"…sickness," I gasped aloud as my stomach violently twisted.

"Airee, not you, too…!! DOCTOR!!" my mother shouted horridly as a torrent of bloody acid forced its way out of my mouth.

It felt like something was biting my organs from the inside, and I fell out of my chair onto the floor, curling up into a ball as pain ripped holes throughout me.

The game had only mentioned Claire being sick, never the villainess—never me… So, why…why was I also…?!!!

Darkness overtook my teared vision, and I fainted.