“All Astrid wants is a simple apology. Is that seriously too much to ask?”
A furious male voice cut through the air.
Huh?
Luna Sterling blinked, confused, lifting her head.
Hadn't she just sacrificed herself to seal away that demon threatening the world?
How the hell did she suddenly end up here?
In the lavish dressing room, a crowd of angry faces surrounded her.
Pieces of a deep-blue gown lay shredded on the floor, pearls scattered everywhere. Across the room, a teary-eyed girl leaned into a glamorous woman's arms, her hand covered in a nasty burn.
A middle-aged man, his face dark and stern, snapped again, “Luna, we've only spoiled you so much all these years that now you think you can get away with anything!”
As Luna looked around at the familiar faces, old memories began to resurface.
Yeah, these were her so-called “family” and the fiancé she never chose.
She was the fake heiress who had grown up in the Terrells by accident. All had been fine until one day, Patrick Terrell randomly crossed paths with their real biological daughter, Astrid Terrell.
A DNA test left no doubt. From that moment on, everything in Luna’s life went straight to hell.
The parents, guilt-stricken for losing their real daughter for so long, poured all their love and attention into making it up to her—fast.
Her older brothers instantly became doting siblings to Astrid, while Luna turned invisible, just background noise in her own home.
She couldn't accept not being their biological child. She’d even considered leaving, but Astrid had clung to her hand and pleaded with wide, sincere eyes:
“Luna, please don’t leave, okay? So what if we’re not related by blood? You’ll always be part of the Terrells to me. I’ve always wanted a big sister. If you disappear, Mom, Dad, and our brothers will be heartbroken too!”
And just like that, Luna had gotten suckered in, blinded by that gentle act.
She had genuinely cared for Astrid. But little did she know, behind that sweetness hid a master manipulator working the ‘innocent darling’ routine like an art form.
One setup after another, Astrid twisted everything, making Luna look like some jealous hag who just couldn’t handle the truth.
With every fake smile and subtle jab, the family grew colder. The rift between them deepened.
Luna, burdened with guilt for “stealing” someone’s life, never suspected Astrid. She even turned to her for comfort when things got too hard.
This whole dressing room scene? It was the Terrells’ big plan to reveal Astrid’s true identity to the public—at her and Luna’s shared birthday party, no less.
Half an hour before the party kicked off, Astrid asked Luna to meet her in the dressing room. But the minute she stepped in, all she saw was a destroyed dress and chaos.Luna Sterling casually picked up the pair of scissors lying on the nearby table. Just then, the door opened, and in walked Astrid Terrell, followed closely by Bryce Rowland—the golden boy from the Rowland family, the one who was supposedly engaged to the real Terrell daughter.
And everything that happened after that? It all fell into place like a perfectly staged drama. Astrid broke into sobs like some pitiful flower drenched in the rain, Bryce glared at Luna like she was scum, and whatever Luna said? No one was buying it.
The commotion drew a crowd. When Patrick Terrell arrived and saw the scene, his face turned red with rage. Without even hearing Luna out, he decided she was just jealous of Astrid being the real daughter and had purposely tried to humiliate her.
Luna tried to explain, on the verge of breaking down, but not a soul seemed interested in what she had to say. Then Astrid, all gentle and caring on the outside, came over with a cup of hot water and told her to calm down and talk slowly.
But just as Luna reached for the cup, Astrid suddenly let go—and right in front of everyone, that whole cup of hot water poured directly onto Astrid's own hand.
Luna stood there, completely stunned. She might’ve been slow before, but not anymore. Everything suddenly clicked.
All this time she’d been played like a fool, pushed around without even realizing it. But right now, something inside her snapped. She completely lost it and screamed out the truth—told everyone that all this was Astrid’s sick setup. But again, no one believed her.
They just looked at her with disappointment all over their faces. Patrick even forced her to apologize to Astrid. Furious and heartbroken, Luna ran out, only for Astrid to follow—and at that moment, both were kidnapped.
And when her so-called family had to choose who to save first? They didn’t even hesitate. They saved Astrid.
Luna? She was abandoned. Left to die.
“System, what the hell is going on?” Luna demanded inside her head.
After she died in her last life, the system had whisked her soul away to some cultivation world. She had spent centuries training, rising to become the top of the Xuan sect. And in the end, she’d died again—only to wake up... here?
【Indeed, Host. Since you sacrificed yourself to seal away the demon lord, you accumulated tremendous karmic merit. So the system granted you a second chance at life. Please enjoy~】
Luna: “…”
Back here? Seriously? No thanks.
【So... self-terminate?】
Luna, stone-faced: “Get lost.”
There was a pause. Then she asked again, “What about my cultivation and spiritual energy? I can feel them, but it’s like something’s holding me back. I can barely use any of it.”
【That’s the world’s rule suppression.】
The system replied, 【This place barely has any spiritual energy to begin with. To maintain balance, the laws of this world naturally suppress powerful entities. Think of it like—no ascending to immortal-level shenanigans after the establishment of modernization.】
“And my cultivation level?”
【It can return to full strength, but you’ll need tons of karmic merit.】
“Got it. You can shut up now.”
【Roger that.】
Patrick Terrell looked stern. “Luna, today’s supposed to be a birthday celebration for you and Astrid. Guests are still waiting outside. Just apologize to Astrid, and your mother and I can let this slide for now.”
“Dad…”
Astrid gently tugged at Patrick’s sleeve, speaking in a soft voice, “I’m sure Luna didn’t mean to…”
“How is that okay?!”Patrick Terrell snapped, "She didn’t just ruin your gown—she splashed scalding water on your hand in front of everyone! I can’t believe the girl I raised all these years turned out to be so vicious!"
"Hold up a second."
Luna Sterling, rubbing her aching head, glanced at Astrid Terrell with a crooked little smile. "I’m still trying to figure out what exactly makes me ‘vicious.’ Astrid, do you really not feel a shred of guilt dumping all this crap on me?"
Astrid blinked, her expression all innocent hurt. "Luna, what are you talking about…?"
"First it’s ‘she cut up my gown,’ then it’s ‘she burned my hand with hot water’—girl, you’ve really gone all out to push me out the door, huh? But if you hated me that bad, why’d you stop me from leaving before? Was that part of your twisted script too?"
Her eyes locked onto Luna’s, and for a second, Astrid looked genuinely rattled.
What the hell? Why did it feel like Luna was completely different now?
Before she could form a response, Bryce Rowland jumped in, voice tight. "Luna, how long are you going to keep lying? Astrid and I walked in and saw you holding the scissors. We caught you red-handed. What more do you need?"
Luna turned to him lazily, this man who was supposed to be her fiancé.
And wow, what a discovery.
People in the capital always praised Bryce as this charming, gentle guy—handsome, kind, like a perfect gentleman. But under Luna’s gaze, those eyes were dull, and the corners of his eyes shadowed with an unhealthy greenish tint...
Gentle? Sure.
Maybe a little too gentle.
Especially when it comes to women.
She tilted her head, smirking. "Okay, Bryce, yeah, you saw me holding scissors. Did you actually see me cutting anything though?"
Bryce huffed, "I mean... the scissors were in your hand. Isn’t that enough?"
Luna’s smile deepened, slow and mocking. "Alright then, let me give you an example."
"Let’s say—just hypothetically—you ordered ‘takeout’ one day and the cops busted in on a vice sting right after you... finished. So, based on that timing, can I assume your stamina’s trash?"
"You—"
Bryce’s brain lagged a moment before realizing that kind of “takeout” wasn’t food. His face went beet red. "Luna, what are you saying? You’re a girl, for god’s sake!"
"You brought this up first."
Luna batted her lashes innocently. "If you can take something out of context to accuse me—no actual evidence, just scissors in hand—can’t I do the same and say you’re two minutes max? I mean, no one saw the process, right?"
Then she turned to the crowd, voice clear and overly sincere. "Spread the word—Bryce Rowland’s got performance issues."
