"Your Grace, the stars say that this child will bring you nothing but misfortune."

  These were the first words she heard upon returning to this world.

  "Misfortune?"

  "The star Remesis portends death, ruin of hereditary property, and other calamities… Your Grace, for your own good, I advise you to rid yourself of this child as soon as possible."

  The man, who looked colder than an iceberg, was silent for a while. The gaze of his topaz eyes glinted unkindly at the infant.

  "Your Grace…"

  "I understand you," Michael Carter, the Grand Duke of the Nadal Empire, nodded shortly. "You may be free."

  "But what about…" the astrologer fell silent as the master of the house suddenly looked at him gloomily.

  "This girl… I will decide myself what to do with her."

  With a sweep of his long dark cloak, the Duke vanished from the room. He was followed by the elderly astrologer in a satin robe. The hem of his garment swept the floor, while the old man himself was the epitome of wisdom and grandeur.

  He muttered something malevolent under his breath, glancing back at the child's cradle.

  There lay an infant, branded at birth as an "omen of woes and misfortunes."

  They left the newborn alone in the room. Her own father looked at her as if she were a pile of rubbish before him, and not his own daughter at all.

  This feeling… She had already forgotten what it was like. Her lips involuntarily curved into a smile as the girl, for the first time in a long while, caught her father's gaze.

  As it turned out, it had been filled with hatred from the very beginning.

  If it weren't for the body of an infant, she would have laughed heartily at the sheer irony of this situation.

  Her name is Remesis Carter, and in fact, not so long ago, she had turned twenty years old. Just a few moments ago, her life was cut short by a sword and she woke up in the body of an infant.

  "So I've returned to this body after all. The youngest daughter of the Carter family."

  Her first life had been miserable and disgusting. Despite being born into a Grand Duke's family, her position was far worse than one might expect. Her father had abandoned his daughter, all because she was born under an unlucky star.

  The Nadal Empire was a state where people deeply believed in astrology, and particularly, in the destiny it foretold. It was a kind of cult. Immediately after a child's birth, the nobility, and even representatives of the lower classes if they had the means, would invite a member of the Astrological Order to their home.

  In terms of importance, this person was second only to a temple clergyman.

  It was the astrologer who determined the future fate of the child. Depending on which star he was born under, his further position in society was decided. Thus, parents could make even the youngest child the heir of the family if he was "blessed by the stars."

  This tradition was so entrenched in the empire that members of the imperial family and all the high nobility necessarily used the services of astrologers.

  Michael Carter, the Grand Duke of the Nadal Empire, was no exception. He had four children in total, and for each of them, a personal star horoscope was cast at birth.

  The firstborn son, the Duke's successor, Michel Carter, was born under the most auspicious star. The star Serdil promised its bearer wealth and success in all endeavors. Therefore, from birth, the boy was treated with special regard.

  The second daughter, Katrina, was also blessed by a celestial body, though to a lesser extent than her brother. The star Reina promised happiness in family life and a successful marriage.

  The third son, Livius, was not blessed by the stars like his older sister and brother. The star Akarin promised a quiet life without any particular achievements. But there were no bad signs on it either, which already allowed Livius to be accepted into the family.

  However, the prosperous lineage of the ducal family was interrupted with the arrival of the fourth child. The Duke's youngest daughter was born late at night, when thunder rumbled and lightning flashed outside the window. By her birth, she also deprived her mother of her life.

  The centuries-old oak, which had remained untouched at the Duke's residence all this time, was struck by lightning at the moment of her birth.

  Based on this, it could be said that the newborn's fate was sealed even before the astrologer's visit. And he later confirmed the fears. The star Remesis was considered one of the most unfavorable stars in a natal chart. Practically, this meant the girl would bring misfortune not only to herself but also to those around her.

  There was no place for such a child in the Duke's family. The head of the Astrological Tower advised him to get rid of the child as soon as possible.

  "Although Lord Michel, blessed by the star Serdil, may be able to ward off trouble from the family, this girl's presence here is still unsafe!"

  It was believed that people born under an unlucky star brought nothing but trouble to their loved ones. Their lives were full of deprivation. They faced either ruin, the death of a relative, or all of it together.

  In any case, no one wanted to keep such a child. It was especially unacceptable in the Duke's family, one of the pillars of state security.

  The dignitaries of the Astrological Order begged Michael Carter to reconsider, but he still decided to keep the child. They never gave her a name, and in the end, the girl was named after the cursed star under which she was born: Remesis.

  But despite Remesis being allowed to remain in the Duke's family, her future life promised nothing good. It was as if the curse of the unlucky star had begun to come true.

  From the moment of her birth, her sister and brothers shunned her, fearing the misfortunes destined for her by fate. Not to mention her father. He forgot about her existence immediately after the astrologer gave her that terrible "diagnosis." It was unclear why he even decided to keep the girl in his house at all.

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  Her family shunned her, and the servants despised her. Remesis's entire life was filled with suffering. She tried to earn love, but could not do so because of her unfortunate fate.

  One way or another, Remesis did not live long in the Duke's estate. At the age of eight, she was officially declared the bride of the imperial family. Moreover, her betrothed was the Emperor's eldest daughter, who had once been given the title of Crown Princess. But rejoicing turned out to be premature. After all, this child was also cursed.

  Asil Nara Ashelot.

  The Crown Princess of the Empire was born under the so-called "black" star, which carried only one meaning — death.

  Although the Emperor did not kill her, he disowned Asil as his daughter. After the horrific details of her birth became known, the newborn princess was stripped of her status as heir to the throne and exiled to live on the outskirts of the imperial palace.

  Since then, Asil had been hated by everyone around her. Even her own mother cried every day and regretted giving birth to her. The princess was mistreated and tormented as if she were a leper.

  A devil's spawn with no place anywhere.

  A terrible monster.

  …And it was her wife that Remesis was supposed to become.

  When her father presented this condition to her, she could not refuse. It was an order from the Emperor, who wanted to unite their families by blood ties.

  However, in reality, it was merely a convenient pretext to get rid of the harbingers of discord from two noble families.

  The two of them were exiled to the North, ostensibly to maintain diplomatic relations between the northern and southern regions. But in reality, it was an exile to certain death.

  Severe frosts, dangerous predators, and lack of food — a place where not every adult could survive. Yet they sent children there with almost no escort. A barren land. A place where battle eternally raged.

  Of course, no one expected them to return alive.

  Remesis did not believe it either. When the girl was sent North, it seemed to her that her fate was already sealed. She thought she would either freeze to death or become a snack for wild beasts.

  But, to her great surprise, that never happened. Remesis managed to survive that time and live safely to the age of twenty.

  And all because her wife, Asil Nara Ashelot, turned out to be more dangerous than any predator on that frozen land…

  Only thanks to Asil were they able to survive the cold nights, escape death in the jaws of beasts, and avoid other dangers of the North. In the end, they even managed to settle in the capital of the North and build their own residence.

  Nevertheless, although Remesis had gained long-awaited stability and a roof over her head, the girl was actually not happy about it at all. Because she was terrified of her wife.

  The princess even acquired a nickname — the "Northern Devil."

  People called Asil a monster obsessed with war and bloodshed. Having become the princess of the northern lands, the woman waged war after war, and not one of them ended in defeat. Wherever she passed, she left not a single living soul behind.

  To Remesis, it seemed she lived amidst endless bloodshed. She could neither run nor hide from it. Asil's madness pursued her everywhere.

  The princess kills someone, someone attacks them, a war starts, murders, more murders…

  With the rapid growth of Asil's influence, the North became one of the most powerful territorial lands in the Empire. After the dominance of the northern region became evident, all the powerful families hastened to sign a treaty of alliance with them. No matter how humiliating it was.

  Obviously, sooner or later this news would alarm the imperial palace and the Emperor himself. Only he came to his senses too late. While the Emperor did not remember the existence of his daughter in the distant North — she was slowly but surely accumulating her reserves. As a result, her army became at least five times larger.

  The war between the North and the South became only a matter of time. And the imperial family had no chance from the very beginning. For one who always considered himself above all others, this was a real blow. To save his position, Alexis Cezar Ashelot even resorted to a dirty trick.

  To avoid an unequal confrontation with his daughter, he decided to stab her in the back.

  To this end, the Emperor secretly contacted his daughter-in-law and made a deal with her. In exchange for killing Asil, the Emperor would allow Remesis to annul this marriage and return home. This was what the girl had so desperately yearned for all these years.

  For twelve years, Remesis lived in an endless nightmare. She hated the North and the wife imposed on her, towards whom she felt nothing but terror.

  And now she seized this opportunity like a drowning man clutching at a straw.

  "Maybe if I save the Empire, Father will finally acknowledge me!"

  If the girl cursed by an unlucky star became the Heroine of the Empire, she could get rid of her stigma. The people who had despised her all this time, and the members of her own family, would finally accept her.

  Buoyed by this fragile hope, Remesis decided to attempt the assassination.

  Killing Asil was no easy task: after all, they had no relationship. She couldn't just walk into the princess's office without arousing suspicion. Their rare encounters were limited to mutual greetings in the corridors, more like a forced formality.

  In the end, the girl concluded that it could only be done at night.

  Remesis planned to attack and kill her while she slept. However…

  Suddenly, the princess intercepted the blade a millimeter from her throat. A few drops of blood fell onto the snow-white sheets. But judging by the woman's expression, one could not tell she felt any pain. Remesis's blow, delivered with all her might, was more like an insect bite.

  Remesis was so stunned she instinctively froze. She couldn't believe Asil had sensed danger so quickly, even while asleep. Or maybe she hadn't been sleeping at all?

  "Have you come to wish me goodnight?"

  The Princess of the North tilted her head, as if surprised, and smiled strangely. Remesis felt uneasy from that ominous smile, which held nothing human.

  In any case, since Asil knew her intentions, it was too late to retreat. Now she had no choice but to see it through.

  "Aaaah!"

  Remesis pulled out the dagger and tried to attack her again, but nothing worked. For Asil, her pathetic efforts were no more than the flailing of an ant. She effortlessly pinned her to the bed, not even giving her a chance to resist. Both her hands were fastened to the bed in a tight grip.

  It seemed Remesis's battle was lost very quickly.

  Now she stared at the woman before her with wide eyes. Just one look at her sent shivers down Remesis's spine, but she couldn't look away, as if her eyes were frozen in place. Incredibly, the woman, more beast than human, was beautiful. A terrifying and mesmerizing beauty.

  Even in the darkness, her amber eyes glittered dazzlingly. Their intent gaze rested on Remesis's face. Under it, the girl could barely continue breathing.

  Asil grinned coldly, intently studying every wrinkle that appeared on her face.

  "This is the first time my wife has sought me out. I am so touched. I suppose this dagger is also a manifestation of your love?"

  The tone of her voice was mocking, but cold as the northern wind.

  She only said one sentence, but Remesis's insides instantly froze. Every word she uttered sent shivers down her spine.

  The girl squeezed her eyes shut and turned away.

  "Speak when I command you."

  Asil ruthlessly grabbed her chin and forced her to look at her. Remesis's eyes glistened with tears she had been holding back all this time.

  "I… I have to… I have to kill you to go home!"

  Her words were cut short by a sudden outburst of hysteria.

  "Isn't this your home?"

  "Let me go! I want to go home! I-I can't… I can't stay here anymore!!!"

  Asil's expression changed. She looked at the girl lying beneath her like trash. Remesis shuddered at how indifferent that gaze was.

  In an instant, the smirk on her face was replaced by the familiar ferocity of a predator.

  "Very well," she said slowly and without emotion, "if that is your wish, I shall grant it. I will send you, safe and sound…"

  "W-what?"

  Remesis faltered.

  "…your head."

  Before Remesis could comprehend it, her head was already severed from her body. In the end, this failed assassination attempt resulted in her own death.

  Only at that moment, as her whole life flashed before her eyes, did she finally understand how foolish and pathetic she had been all along.

  No stars were to blame for her unfortunate fate. It was the fault of people.

  When Asil beheaded her, only a few moments passed for her. The girl opened her eyes again in her newborn body. Twelve years ago, when all the misfortunes preceding her death had not yet occurred.

  Now she lay in her infant cradle, staring at the dark ceiling before her. It would be quite some time before the servants finally came to tend to her. And her father's indifferent gaze was firmly etched in her memory.

  Remesis Carter, the girl born under an unlucky star and doomed to an unhappy fate, smirked.

  "If I am truly cursed, then I will bring a curse upon this entire empire."