Chapter 1

"Jeffrey, are you really going to wipe out my whole family for that woman?" Mercy Randall shouted, her voice hoarse.

Her hair whipped around her as she stood atop Starlit House.

The wind tore at her thin clothes, making them flap violently.

Below, the four men she had once given everything to stared up at her with cold, indifferent eyes.

Jeffrey Sanchez, the crown prince, claimed that she was too jealous and didn't deserve to be the crown princess.

Clyde Guzman, the general, accused her of malice, blaming her for the severe injury to his childhood sweetheart.

Ethan Manning, the wealthiest man in the kingdom, called her greedy, saying she was coveting his fortune.

Edgar Chapman, the shamanic healer, declared that she was impure and unfit for his sacred medicine.

She laughed so hard that tears streamed down her cheeks.

She howled, "Very well. Today, with my blood as a curse, may you...

"Never find peace in life and forever lose all you hold dear!"

With that, she threw herself from the rooftop.

*****

The wind howled in Mercy's ears like the screams of countless restless ghosts.

She saw everything.

For the first time, shock fractured Jeffrey's calm facade. His mask finally cracked.

Clyde, her childhood friend, the man who always stood tall like a tree, instinctively stepped forward and reached out his hand.

Ethan, the richest man whose smile concealed a knife, experienced his gentle facade shatter bit by bit, leaving only stunned disbelief.

Edgar, the shamanic healer who fancied himself a god untouched by mortal affairs with those eyes that always pitied the world, now saw Mercy's resolve to die.

But it was too late.

Everything was too late.

The shock in their eyes was nothing more than a joke that came far too late. For Mercy, it was nothing but mockery.

She closed her eyes, waiting to hit the ground and turn into nothing.

Everyone in the kingdom knew Mercy Randall, the prime minister's legitimate daughter. She was so hopelessly in love with Jeffrey that she had cleared his path, seized power for him, and wiped out his enemies. Her hands were soaked in blood, all for him.

But in the end, he took her half-sister Ariella Randall's hand and called Mercy venomous, declaring that she was not worthy to stand by his side as queen.

Because Ariella had whimpered, "Mercy is so mean," he locked Mercy away and forced her to stand in the snow, reflecting on her supposed sins.

When Ariella caught a chill after falling into the water, he snatched the only thing Mercy's mother had left her, the hand warmer, and gave it to his beloved to keep her warm.

Clyde, her childhood friend and the nation's commanding general, had once fought side by side with Mercy on the battlefield.

She had taken three fatal poison arrows for him, and to this day, the scars still throbbed whenever it rained.

But because Ariella had cried, "Clyde, Mercy pushed me," he took her word for it without question. He pointed his sword at Mercy, called her cruel, and said she was not half as innocent as Ariella.

Ethan, the man whose wealth could rival nations, only reached his position because of Mercy. When the Randall family was on the brink, she had used every connection to open up his trade routes. Without her, he would still be struggling.

He had once sworn he would give her a lifetime of riches and honor.

But when Ariella took a fancy to one of Mercy's hairpins, he laughed it off and tried to placate her. "Mercy, you are so generous. Let Ariella have it. I will buy you ten more someday."

He never realized it was her mother's keepsake.

And Edgar, the shamanic healer who acted above it all, had once benefited from Mercy crossing countless mountains to hunt down a legendary elixir.

She had helped him break through his limits and earn his reputation as the miracle worker who could bring the dead back to life.

He had told her he owed her everything.

But when Jeffrey made her stand in the snow, and she developed a fever that wouldn't break, Edgar said from the other side of the door coldly, "Mercy, your hands are stained with too much blood. Your heart is restless. No medicine can save you."

Then, without hesitation, he turned and gave his most precious life-saving pill to Ariella because she had twisted her ankle.

These four men were the targets Mercy had spent the first half of her life trying to win their affection.

She had believed that if she gave enough, she could finally earn their love.

But she was wrong.

In each of their hearts, there was always a pure, untouchable crush: her delicate, helpless half-sister, Ariella.

Mercy was only a pawn they used, a stepping stone on their way to power, fame, and fortune.

Whenever Ariella needed something, they trampled over Mercy without a second thought to win her favor.

Mercy's family, especially her father Barrett Randall, had gone to great lengths for her. They negotiated with Jeffrey, formed alliances with the Guzman family, worked with the Manning family, and even offered Edgar protection.

In the end, all of it was for nothing.

One line from Ariella, "Mercy's father is so scary, I don't think he likes me," was enough for Jeffrey to start scheming to undermine the Randall family.

When Ariella whispered, "Barrett seems to be secretly building his own power," Clyde began to treat her father with constant suspicion.

When Ariella whimpered, "Ethan, I'm afraid the Randall family will pressure you," Ethan quietly began absorbing the Randall family's businesses.

When Ariella said, "Edgar, I'm scared," Edgar ignored Barrett's chronic illness and refused to lift a finger.

Together, they cornered the Randall family, driving them up the wall.

Barrett was falsely accused of treason and locked away in the royal prison, waiting for the day he would be dragged out and executed.

The Randall family was on the verge of complete erasure, every last one of them.

All of this had happened because Ariella wanted to steal Mercy's title as the prime minister's legitimate daughter. She wanted everything Mercy had.

*****

Mercy lost control.

She went completely crazy.

The moment she received the news, she stormed into the Solar Palace, intent on confronting Jeffrey.

But when she faced him, he stared at her with cold indifference. "Mercy, your father was far too ambitious. He brought this upon himself. If you stay in your place, maybe, for the sake of our past, I'll spare your life."

His allegation meant nothing more than forcing her to stand by and watch as her entire family was executed.

Mercy turned to Clyde, hoping he would remember the bond they once shared and speak for her father before the king.

But he wouldn't even let her in. Instead, he had a message for her, saying, "If you knew this would happen, why did you do it? If you were even half as good as Ariella, maybe your father wouldn't have ended up like this."

Desperate, she went to Ethan, offering him everything she had, pleading for him to save her family.

But he shook his head, his polite smile never faltering. "Mercy, it's not that I don't want to help, but the Randall family is a hot potato right now. The Manning family is too large to take that kind of risk."

In the end, she stood outside Edgar's lodge, begging him to save her father's life.

But he didn't even open the door. His voice drifted out coldly. "Life and death are fate. You can't force it."

At that moment, all her love, all her obsession, and all her hope turned to ashes.

It became clear that the affection they had shown her was nothing but a carefully laid trap.

They had reaped every benefit she brought them, yet mocked her for the ruthless methods she used.

They took advantage of her family's influence, but remained constantly wary of her father's power.

What they truly sought was a tool, someone obedient, harmless, and useful.

When Ariella appeared, seeming weak and kind, from a humble background, she was the perfect fit for everything they desired.

So, Mercy, the woman who was too capable for their comfort, ruthless and threatening, became the "ex" they needed to erase.

It was all a cruel joke.

Mercy Randall had spent her entire life holding her head high, only to end up as the laughingstock of those she had loved.

So, she stood atop Starlit House, preparing for her final stand.

She would curse them with her death.

She wanted them to witness, with their own eyes, how they had pushed a woman who had once loved them with everything she had to her end.

She wanted her blood to splatter across their shining futures and become a stain they would never be able to wash away.

The heavy thud of her body hitting the ground felt like the bloody period at the end of her chaotic life.

She couldn't feel the pain. Her consciousness was slipping away fast.

At the very end, she thought she heard countless piercing, incredulous cries, calling out to her. "Mercy!"

The voices were filled with frantic fear and bitter regret, emotions she had never imagined they could feel for her.

'Regret it now, huh?' Mercy thought. 'Way too late. Guess I'll head to hell first and see what it's like for you.'