Chapter 1

On the day of the Bonding Pact, my sister and I stood in the grand hall to receive our marriage arrangements.

She snatched Malik of the Water Snakes, throwing Raven—the last heir of the Leviathans—to me.

In our past life, we married on the same day, but our mates were reversed.

She married Raven and birthed a patricidal monster. I married Malik, using my healing magic to cleanse the madness from his blood, and gave birth to a divine heir worshiped by all.

In the end, driven mad by jealousy over her ruin, she murdered me.

In this life, pointing at Malik's token, she declared she would marry Malik.

I lowered my head, hiding my eyes. "Then I wish you exactly what you desire, Sister."

...

The day the Leviathan envoy arrived, he placed an ancient bone shell on the table. "By the old pact, the Leviathan tribe seeks an Elven daughter."

He didn't specify which one.

Father summoned us to the hall.

"The Leviathans have proposed. This pact will restore our glory, so naturally, Camilla will accept it," he decided. "Rowena, Malik of the Water Snakes just offered an alliance. You will marry him to secure that territory."

Exactly like my past life. Father never asked what I wanted. The best was always defaulted to Camilla.

"Malik is barbaric, but his military merits are high. You won't suffer."

Before he could finish, Camilla stepped forward.

"Father, I won't marry Raven. I want Malik!"

Father darkened. "Nonsense. Malik is a brute with no foundation. Stop this foolishness."

Camilla didn't back down. "I'm not! High Elves value vitality. The Water Snakes breed endlessly—that is a true match!"

"Even so, they cannot compare to the Leviathans—"

"Father, stop!" Camilla drew a dagger and pressed it to her throat.

The tip pierced her skin. A drop of blood rolled down her neck.

"Agree to this, or I die right here!"

Father choked on his words. This trick always worked. If she wanted to burn the castle, he would personally hand her the torch.

"Put it down! I agree!"

He snatched the bone shell off the table and tossed it at my feet like trash.

"Rowena, your sister yielded this Leviathan position to you. When you enjoy their fortune, remember her grace. If you dare be ungrateful, I'll flay you."

Look at him. The mess Camilla discarded was forced onto me, yet he twisted it into charity, demanding my gratitude.

I picked up the shell and bowed. "Thank you, Father. Thank you, Camilla."

With that bow, the father in my heart became a dead man.

Camilla tossed the bloody dagger aside and clung to his arm. "Let Rowena fulfill the pact. Maybe one day our family can rely on her glory."

"You always consider the greater good." Father smiled proudly.

Without sparing me another glance, he walked out.

The moment the doors clicked shut, Camilla's sweet facade vanished.

"Sister, this time, I will birth the divine heir. You can wait to be kicked out by the Leviathans and spat on by the world."

So, she had reincarnated too.

She only saw the dazzling prize of my past life, thinking that stealing Malik would guarantee her a god.

But could a stolen script truly write the ending she craved?

We married on the same day.

The gifts given by the Leviathans were immensely expensive.

To save his own face, Father ensured my wedding procession looked incredibly respectable. In contrast, Camilla's setup appeared rather shabby.

However, as I walked down the corridor, I saw it clearly: behind everyone's backs, Father secretly slipped the Elven family's core magical source stone into Camilla's pocket.

Before I departed, Camilla deliberately stopped in front of my procession.

"Congratulations, Sister," Camilla said, covering her mouth with a sneer. "I just wonder if you'll be able to endure the miserable life awaiting you in the Leviathan estate."

I met her gaze. "Thank you for your concern, Sister. I'm sure I'll do just fine."

She scoffed. "If you can't bear an heir for them, the pact will be annulled. With your meager magic, you won't last long."

In her past life, she believed she birthed a monster because Raven's bloodline was defective.

She never knew the truth the territory whispered about: her secret practice of forbidden blood magic had destroyed her womb and triggered the backlash.

Convinced the Leviathans were a sinking ship, she was desperate to dump them on me.

I simply replied, "Don't worry about me, Sister. Just keep a close eye on your husband."

In our past life, everyone saw my glory, but no one knew the disgusting reality behind closed doors.

Malik was vile and bloodthirsty. He pillaged women and offended the Orcs. I drained my healing talents and savings just to clean up his disasters and save his tribe from slaughter.

Camilla knew none of this.

She lifted her chin. "I'm only using his breeding pool to birth a god. You think I'd ever love a savage reeking of fish blood? A joke."

She smoothed her skirt. "When I rise to the top, I might throw some charity your way to keep a roof over your head."

I let her march toward her doom. "Then I wish you a swift climb, Sister."

Dreams built on theft always look glamorous at first—which only makes the karmic backlash infinitely more lethal when it strikes.