Kill the Author, Then to Hell - Chapter 16.1

Thud— 

Jane, who had just been conversing with me, split in two and fell to the floor with a dull sound.

However, there was no time to mourn.

The person emerging from thin air was targeting me, not a mere governess.

Having died multiple times, my body reacted quicker than my mind. I had gotten caught by binding spells one too many times.

I began to run.

As I dashed down the corridor, I pondered,

‘…Who could it be?’

My father, my older brother, or my younger brother?

Those who had killed me time and again.

Yet, in this lifetime, at least until now, I hadn’t given them any reason to kill me.

If not them, then who else?

‘No, that’s not the priority right now.’

Staying alive was paramount.

I made my way to the end of the hallway, towards the room Simon used when he visited the capital.

<Ha, let them bring anyone they think is high and mighty! There’s no one in the empire who can penetrate this foolproof security magic!> 

I recalled his boastful declaration.

If I could get inside the room and lock the door…

I could survive until morning.

“Huk, huuhk, huh… Please. Please!”

But the doorknob I desperately turned, my breath heavy…

Click— click— 

…remained immovable, locked tight.

The door, shrouded in blue energy, seemed to be soundproof, as my desperate pounding made no sound.

Essentially, the security was impeccable.

It just wasn’t designed to protect me. 

“You f**ker! You should’ve made it possible for your daughter to enter!”

Tears involuntarily filled my eyes.

“…”

The assassin, who had approached silently, appeared to pause momentarily at my cursing.

But only briefly.

A precise strike aimed directly at my heart from behind followed,

And then darkness enveloped me—

Before I had the chance to open my eyes again, my life as Edith, the longest I had lived, had come to such an abrupt and meaningless end.

***

—Ding! 

“Elizabeth Dayton was a submissive wife throughout her lifetime…”

It was back to the beginning.

“Ha, haha…”

I chuckled lightly, surrounded by the familiar gloom.

“Sister, are you okay?”

My demeaning younger brother Peter remained unchanged.

The chilling sensation of my brother Johan caressing my back persisted.

And the sight of my father Simon frowning from afar was all too familiar.

‘Has that f**king author gone mad?!’

A profound irritation, not felt in ages, surged through me.

‘How did I manage to survive among these vile bastards with nothing but malice and perseverance!’

It wasn’t just for a day or two but for an entire year.

Laughing off any conversation,

Adhering to every peculiar etiquette with compliance,

Feigning utter disinterest in magic,

…I had endured time and time again.

I had believed that marrying the crown prince would be my ticket out of this madness, my opportunity to finally practice magic.

That was supposed to be the direction the story took.

And after all the turmoil.

That marriage was nearly within my grasp.

‘And they kill me again?!’

The realization that the fourth finger, once adorned with the luminous engagement ring, was now empty elicited a disbelieving sigh from me.

‘…Ha.’

I faced off against the floating status window as if in a duel.

Just like the times when I was a child, when I was Lee Jin-seo, storming into my room and slamming the door after arguing with my mom.

<It’s your loss!> 

Mom would yell that from the other side of the door.

And soon enough, I realized she was right.

Hunger set in, the need for the bathroom became pressing, and at that age, I was far too young to fend for myself.

<…I’ve ordered chicken. Aren’t you going to eat?> 

After a standoff, whether brief or prolonged,

When Mom offered a gesture of reconciliation, I had no choice but to grab it, feigning reluctance.

Just as my mom did back then, the author was now waving chicken in front of me.

‘This is seriously the last time. I’ll put up with it just once more.’

With that mindset, I began reading the contents of the buff.

Reading the detailed usage instructions, I had to admit.

The chicken the author was dangling this time was quite a generous portion.

‘…So the author does have a conscience.’

It meant I didn’t have to go through the hellish year I had already experienced.

‘Then right now… No, wait.’

Just as I was about to use the [Fast Forward] right away, I realized something crucial.

Returning to just before my death would only lead to dying miserably again.

The nature of my death just before was different from the other times I had died since becoming Edith.

The know-how I had for avoiding death until now was simple.

‘…Just don’t cross them.’

The relatives in front of me wouldn’t kill me as long as I didn’t act against their wishes, playing the innocent Edith.

That’s how I managed to survive for a whole year.

But this time, I was killed by a blade that appeared out of thin air.

Who could it be, and for what reason was I killed? I had to figure that out first.

The possibility of a simple robber aiming for money came to mind first, but that seemed unlikely.

Which thief would daringly target a marquis’s household, let alone the future crown princess? Besides…

‘They… concealed their aura.’