One day, Ines had gone too far—flirting with the young master of the Valecrest family.
The Valecrests weren't as prestigious as the Vermillions, but they weren't exactly nobodies either. Still, they clearly thought a little too highly of themselves.
Fed up with her constant harassment, the young master snapped—and beat her within an inch of her life.
No one knew Ines was a girl, so she was treated like any other delinquent boy. And with no power she had no way to fight back.
She returned home, hid her wounds from her family, and quietly died that very night.
Now that this Ines had taken over the body, she could admit—the original owner had definitely been a little much. But so what? That Valecrest brat still had the nerve to beat someone that badly?
He could only blame his luck that she's the one who woke up in this body.
Because she's not the same girl who died that night.
Whether the original Ines was right or wrong didn't matter. What mattered was that now, he owed her pain.
And if he had to wake up sore from a few "accidents" in the future?
Well… fair was fair.
She just had to find a way out of this useless state. The question wasn't why she ended up like this. It was how she was going to drag herself out of it.
Ines truly had a lot on her plate—and not a single spoon or fork to eat with. Was she doomed to stay trapped in this body and live out her days as glorified trash? The thought made her twitch. She was unwilling, ah—deeply unwilling.
While she brooded over her misfortune, her fingers absentmindedly twisted the ring on her hand. It wasn't until a second later that her eyes snapped down.
Wait. Hold on.
The ring on her finger… was the exact same ring she had been sent to steal.
Her expression twisted into something between disbelief and a silent scream.
"Seriously?! Just what the hell is going on here?!"
Was heaven trying to give her a stroke? First, she died, then she reincarnated, and now she woke up with the stolen treasure glued to her damn hand?
She stared at the ring, inspecting it more closely now.
It was a striking piece—clearly not ordinary. The band was forged from obsidian-black metal, smooth and cool to the touch, with faint etchings of ancient runes that shimmered faintly when the light hit it. But the centerpiece was what made it unforgettable: a small, intricate flame design curled around a deep violet diamond, its core glowing faintly like a dying ember, as if something was alive inside.
It pulsed faintly against her skin.
She didn't know whether the ring had come with her during reincarnation—or if the original owner of this body had somehow ended up with the same cursed artifact. Either way, she had questions. Many. And none of them were being answered.
Ines lifted her hand to eye level, eyes narrowing. Using her other hand, she gripped the strange ring and tried to twist it off.
The reaction was immediate.
A sharp, stabbing pain lanced through her finger—so sudden and precise it made her flinch. She stopped instantly, sucking in a breath through her teeth.
Blood welled at the base of the ring and slid down her skin—only to disappear the moment it touched the metal.
No… not disappear.
The ring absorbed it.
Right in front of her eyes.
Her brows furrowed. She blinked once.
Then again.
Something shifted.
The purple gemstone in the center darkened, then lit from within—slow and quiet, like embers flaring up in a dying fire. The engraved flame wrapped around it glowed faintly, like it had been waiting.
In the blink of an eye, everything changed.
Ines found herself in a realm that didn't feel real—too still, too vivid. Her breath caught.
Above her stretched a wide, endless sky, painted in a breathtaking shade of blue, with soft, rolling clouds drifting lazily across it. The air was clear, crisp, and impossibly quiet. And in the very center of it all hung a brilliant orb of light, like a sun—but purer, softer, almost alive. From it, golden particles drifted down like snowflakes of magic, scattering light across everything they touched.
She looked down.
Beneath her was water—crystal-clear, still as glass. And yet, she stood firmly on the surface. When she took a cautious step, a gentle splash rippled underfoot, but the surface held steady beneath her.
Her eyes widened. She took another step. Same result—light splash, no sinking.
What is this place…?
Ines had never seen anything like it. Not in her world. Not even in dreams. The beauty of it was overwhelming—the kind that made your chest ache just looking at it.
And yet… there was something else.
A subtle pressure in the air. Not heavy, not threatening—but powerful. Like the whole realm was alive and watching her.
Slowly, she looked down at the ring still snug on her finger.
"Is this… because of you?"
It glowed faintly, pulsing in time with something—something ancient, something awake.
Right in the middle of her magical moment—basking in the surreal beauty, heart calm for the first time in forever—
A voice cut through the peace like a dull butter knife:
"Who is this stabby person barging into my sacred space?"
Ines froze.
The soft smile on her face dropped.
What the hell did she just hear?
She turned slowly toward the voice, her expression already sliding into unimpressed.
Standing there—hands on his hips, puffed up like he owned the place—was a kid. Or at least, he looked like a kid. Barely up to her hip, no older than five, cheeks still round, eyes full of judgment.
He blinked up at her with all the arrogance of a divine elder.
"Little kid, when asking who someone is, it's only polite to introduce yourself first," Ines said, giving an empty laugh.
"This one here," he announced with a completely straight face, "can be considered your grandfather."
…What.
Ines stared at the adorable little boy.
Whose grandfather?
This brat didn't even look like he was done drinking from his mother's cup, and he had the gall to claim grandfather status?
Without warning, she bent down and pinched his cheek—hard.
This brat really dared to call himself her grandfather? Fine. She'd make sure he got the full experience.
"My grandfather, huh?" she said with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "I wouldn't mind sending you to go meet him."
That evil grin spread across her face.
The kid flailed, smacking her hand. "H-Hey! Hands off! You dare lay fingers on this exalted one?!"
"Dare? I dare. Isn't it the older generation's responsibility to discipline the young?"
If Nyxiris had been conscious, he would've warned the kid—as someone who'd learned firsthand.
She dared, alright.
Before the boy could scurry away, Ines snatched him by the collar with the ease of someone handling a misbehaving cat.
"Wait—what are you—HEY!" he shouted, legs kicking wildly.
She sat down on the glassy water like it was solid ground, yanked the tiny tyrant across her lap, and held him in place with one arm.
"Since you want to play grandfather…" she cracked her knuckles with the other hand, expression darkening, "…let's give you the full ancestor experience."
Then—WHACK.
The sound echoed through the sky like a thunderclap.
WHACK. WHACK. WHACK.
"OW! YOU DARE STRIKE THIS EXALTED ONE?!"
"Once again, I dare," Ines said coolly, not missing a beat. "And I double dare if you keep yelling."
His little fists flailed as golden sparkles fluttered down from the sky.
"I am a guardian spirit, not some kid!"
"Could've fooled me."