TWCT 02

Chapter 02

 The Witch of Substitution

I was born as the fifth princess of the great Diablo Kingdom, the most powerful nation on the continent.

A princess with snow-white hair and violet eyes unique to the Diablo royal family—looking exactly like my mother, who was praised as “the most beautiful woman on the continent.”

As the youngest of six siblings—one older brother and four older sisters—I was loved by my entire family.

But my mother, in particular, spoiled me the most.

“It took me ten years to give birth to you.”

She would say that and always wanted to keep me clos

“Mother, no. Rupia has study time. Please let her go back to her room.”

My brother, one year older than me, would try to stop her—but she would hug me tightly anyway.

“Now then, I’ll teach her myself~”

“Eh? Today is geography! You can’t even read maps, Mother!”

“Oh? A son is supposed to respect his mother unconditionally, yet you’re insulting me! Your Majesty!”

“What is it, Queen…? What? The prince…? Well, but it’s true you can’t read maps. That’s not an insult, just a fact.”

“How cruel, even from my husband!”

And like that, we would laugh together as a family.

Everyone treasured me and treated me like a precious jewel.

I learned the reason for that when I became old enough to understand.

“The Witch of Substitution.”

The last descendant of a ruined line of witches—there was only one in the world, and that was me.

Even more, I was born carrying the egg of a sacred beast, making me even more precious.

Long, long ago, my mother’s bloodline made a contract with God.

“When the one protected by the witch is injured or sick, the witch can take that damage onto herself and heal them instead.”

That was the power granted by God.

And that ability was inherited by only one girl in each generation.

I had four older sisters, but none of them inherited the power. So my mother prayed that the next child—me—would be the one.

And perhaps because she was also a Witch of Substitution, she realized while I was still in her womb that I had inherited it.

So even before I was born, I was already special to her.

That never changed after I was born.

She kept me close and taught me everything about being a witch.

My guardian sacred beast, Bado, who was born with me, always stayed by my side and taught me as well.

——And I met my “destined partner” when I was seven years old.

It was the first prince of the Starling Kingdom—Feliks, one year younger than me.

We spent only a short time together, but for a witch, time does not matter.

While my family stared in shock—and my father collapsed crying, shouting, “A foreign man?!”—I smiled brightly and declared:

“Yes, I have found my partner.”

Bado smirked on my shoulder, and my mother hugged me tightly, quickly recovering.

“Congratulations, Rupia! To find your partner at just seven is amazing. Now, let’s connect you two.”

What my mother called “connection” was literal.

The Witch of Substitution can share dreams with their partner no matter how far apart they are.

And the deeper the relationship, the stronger the connection becomes.

I began to see Feliks’s dreams.

At first, I could only hear his voice, faint like a whisper.

But day by day, his voice grew clearer.

Then I began to see his figure.

At first, it was faint, like a shadow—but gradually it became clear, until it felt like he was right in front of me.

I could not share his thoughts or feelings directly, but over time, I learned them from his expressions.

Through his dreams, I learned what he liked and disliked.

And slowly… I came to know him, and fall in love with him.

But one day, I realized something.

Wasn’t what I was doing very wrong?

I was secretly watching his life.

When I asked my mother, she gently denied it with a calm smile.

“Rupia, the witch’s power is ‘substitution.’ The injuries and illnesses don’t simply disappear—they transfer to you. It is very painful and suffering. Normally, no one would want to become a substitute, even if it means saving the partner’s life.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. The second time is especially hard. Because you remember the pain, you hesitate. Having the power and being able to use it are different things. That’s why you must come to know your partner deeply—so deeply that you care for them as much as yourself. Only then can you use your power as a witch.”

Then she smiled mischievously.

“And you know… witches always fall in love with lonely people. So your partner will always be grateful for your connection.”

My mother was a senior witch, so I believed her.

And since I couldn’t stop it anyway—I naturally kept seeing his dreams.

Bado also fully agreed.

“Rupia, the Witch of Substitution is salvation to the partner. The more you connect with him, the happier he becomes.”

Bado was a sacred beast with great knowledge, so I believed him.

And so I stopped feeling guilty.

But my father and brother strongly opposed it.

No matter how much I tried, they never accepted it.

I appreciated their concern, but my feelings did not change.

Or rather—once a witch chooses her partner, the bond only grows deeper.

At that point, everything is already irreversible.

My father cried endlessly.

“Rupia, you are my treasure. Why must I give my treasure to a foreign stranger?! I refuse! I refuse!”

My brother agreed completely.

“That’s right, Father! The Witch of Substitution is a national treasure! We cannot let her leave the country! If we do, she will never come back! She should marry a great noble here, and their daughter should become my heir’s bride!”

Watching them, my mother spoke calmly.

“Rupia, ignore them. They will give up eventually. But this is how it is. Because I connected deeply with His Majesty, he became unable to live without me. And the same will happen—others will not want to let go of a witch they deeply connect with.”

Then she called the prime minister and ordered him to propose my engagement to the Starling Kingdom.

It was decided when I was eight years old.