Chapter 1
“Evelyn, you are a chosen child.”
Evelyn’s tragedy began with a lie — a lie told by the very people she had believed were her parents.
At the southernmost edge of the Priseria Empire lay the bustling trade city of Cheyn.
Evelyn, the youngest daughter of Count Bayardo, who governed this city, was a precious treasure to her family and lived a life that reflected that value.
Born with a frail constitution, Evelyn spent most of her childhood bedridden. Yet aside from her poor health, her early life was peaceful and affluent enough to inspire envy.
Thanks to its location, Cheyn thrived on active trade with neighboring kingdoms. Wealth overflowed, and no one in the lord’s castle lacked anything. Everyone treated Evelyn with warmth and kindness.
Even her parents — who often raised their voices at her older brother and sister — spoke gently when it came to Evelyn. Her siblings, who normally resented their parents, turned meek and cautious in her presence.
Everyone pitied Evelyn. They treated her like a delicate, noble lady.
Perhaps it was because she had survived a life-threatening birth, only to suffer illness after illness.
Yes, that’s what she had believed.
“Is this the child, Evelyn? She doesn’t look like much, considering the high price our master paid for her.”
That belief shattered the moment her parents led her to a stranger and prepared to sell her.
Today was supposed to be a special day — a picnic with just her parents to celebrate her upcoming birthday, without her siblings.
But something was off.
They had entered a dark forest, riding in an old, creaky carriage. A strange man awaited them, and her parents were more anxious than usual.
“Listen carefully, Evelyn. You are a child chosen by the heavens.”
“What? Father, what are you talking about? Didn’t we come for a picnic? Where are we?”
Count Bayardo gripped Evelyn’s trembling shoulders and spoke, his eyes gleaming.
“We love you dearly, but your special power is too much for us to handle. We can’t keep you any longer. But the Duke of Luisa has agreed to take you in, so you don’t need to worry!”
“Special power? What are you talking about?”
“The Duke of Luisa! Can you believe it? You’ll become part of a noble house! Evelyn, don’t forget the grace of our family even after you become Luisa.”
Even the Countess chimed in, and Evelyn could no longer deny that this was real.
There was no need to ask “Why?”
Luisa.
That single word unraveled the memories sealed deep in Evelyn’s mind — memories from a previous life.
Perhaps it was possible only because this wasn’t her first life.
Or perhaps it was because she had worked at the very company that created and launched the game “Garden of Luisa.”
The empire’s name, the weakened power of the church, the existence of individuals with supernatural abilities — none of it felt unfamiliar. It all lined up with the setting of the game.
At the heart of it was the grand House of Luisa, a noble family that raised and trained children with extraordinary abilities.
As her memories returned, so did the explanation.
In a world where those with special powers — espers — were respected and held the reins of power, the founder of House Luisa had devised a method to secure the family’s legacy.
They would search for children showing signs of awakening powers, bring them in for a series of tests, and adopt the most promising as heirs to the family.
These children, unrelated by blood, would be formally adopted, trained, and forced into a noble rivalry — only the best would become the next head of House Luisa.
It was a strategy for the prosperity of the house.
But behind the glorious façade was cruelty. Ruthless methods were employed, and children who failed the tests died — without ever knowing why.
Garden of Luisa was a game set in this brutal world. The protagonist, a late-blooming healer, would eventually rise as Luisa and navigate the family’s political strife and complex romances.
“Why did I only remember now?”
As memories from her past life resurfaced, Evelyn finally understood the reality she hadn’t grasped as a child.
Her family’s eyes had never been filled with love.
Her father, who squandered the family’s fortune on affairs and gambling.
Her mother, who entertained lovers behind his back while indulging in extravagance.
Her older brother, who failed in business at nineteen.
Her older sister, who committed blatant embezzlement at seventeen.
Yes — they had looked at seven-year-old Evelyn with greedy eyes, as if she were nothing more than a high-priced item.
All for this moment.
The truth, now realized, was heartbreaking.
The stranger who had come to take Evelyn away offered her a bitter sort of comfort.
“Don’t feel too betrayed. Being abandoned by your parents might be your chance to turn your life around.”
He grinned at her.
Her so-called parents didn’t even look back as they left. And now, she had no choice but to follow the man to the place of testing.
“If you can prove your worth, you’ll live a life envied by all — just like they said.”
But what if she couldn’t?
Evelyn didn’t need him to say it. She already knew the answer.
“But if you can’t…”
The man opened the carriage door, meeting her gaze.
“…you die.”
In the chilling silence that followed, their eyes locked.
“Hmm. You have a good look in your eyes. Remember this, child — for the defeated, only a pitiful death awaits.”
He said it as if giving her kind advice. Then he added,
“Now, get in. We don’t want to be late for the test.”
In a remote forest, abandoned by her parents, accompanied by a suspicious man, and being sold off to who knows where — That was the memory Evelyn regained on the day she remembered her past life.
A mansion so dark not even a sliver of light could break through.
Children lay sprawled on the floor, clinging to Evelyn’s ankles, screaming at her with voices full of despair and rage.
“Save me! I don’t want to die!”
“Aaah! No! Please help!”
But the cries of resentment and hatred gradually faded, morphing into sorrowful whispers.
“Why are you the only one who gets to live?”
“I want to live too!”
“Save me, Evelyn…”
Resigned voices dug into her ears.
And just as they began to drag her away—
“You will live, Evelyn.”
A new voice rang out like salvation, and in that instant, her eyes flew open.
“Haah!”
Evelyn sat up with a gasp, tossing aside her blanket and glancing around the room with bloodshot eyes.
Soft sunlight filtered through the curtains, gently illuminating her room.
Outside, the laughter of children echoed up from the monastery grounds to Evelyn’s second-floor bedroom.
Peaceful.
“It was just a dream…”
She wiped the cold sweat from her forehead, only to notice her hands trembling. She clutched the blanket tighter.
It had been a terrible nightmare.
The childhood memories she desperately wanted to forget had crept back into her dreams just when she thought they were fading.
Even though it had been ten years since she escaped that place.
“I should take it easy today.”
She never felt well on days like this, but she couldn’t afford to rest.
This small monastery nestled in the mountains was Evelyn’s beloved home, and it needed many preparations to endure the coming winter.
Especially this year—with a patient in their care—there was more to worry about than usual.
Before heading to the kitchen, Evelyn stopped in front of the room at the far end of the second-floor right hallway. She cleared her throat and knocked gently.
“Sister, it’s Evelyn. May I come in?”
“Come in, dear.”
At the sound of the warm voice inside, Evelyn smiled gently, as though the nightmare had never happened, and entered the room.
“I ended up oversleeping today.”
Inside, a pale elderly woman sat propped against the headboard.
“The children must have brought you breakfast. Was it good?”
“Of course. They did a good job. I ate it all.”
Evelyn approached with a bright smile, hiding her concern as she noted how much paler Sister Lasagna looked than the day before.
“And your medicine?”
“I was going to take it in a bit.”
“You have to take it regularly, Sister. That’s the only way you’ll get better.”
Evelyn handed her a cup of warm water. Lasagna hesitated but eventually took the medicine reluctantly.
“You’re right. I need to get better quickly. I must be a burden, especially with the cost of my medicine…”
A cloud passed over Lasagna’s face, her expression darkening.
“Sister, it’s me—Evelyn. Don’t you know how good I am at knitting? It’s almost winter, and I already have people lining up to buy scarves. There’ll be more than enough to cover your medicine.”
“If you say so… I suppose that’s a relief.”
Seeing her still-worried expression, Evelyn forced her voice to sound even brighter.
“Really, it’s okay. Don’t worry!”
“Evelyn, is this batch of medicine also on credit?”
The pharmacist’s uneasy tone made Evelyn’s shoulders droop.
She had sounded so confident in front of Lasagna, but the truth was they’d been behind on payments for some time, and the monastery’s finances were strained.
“I’m sorry. But it’ll be winter soon, and I’ll be able to pay you back quickly. Just a little longer, please.”
“It’s not that I don’t trust you. I know you’re not the kind of girl to run off with someone’s money…”
He handed her the bag of medicine with a hesitant sigh.
Evelyn worried what would really happen once winter arrived.
“Maybe if I sleep less and work more, I’ll get through this… It’s supposed to be a harsh winter this year. We’ll need a lot of firewood too…”
The monastery’s annual stipend would arrive at the beginning of the new year. That left two months to endure.
Noticing the concern on Evelyn’s face, the pharmacist offered a bit of unsolicited advice.
“Wouldn’t it be better for Sister Lasagna to transfer to a larger monastery with better facilities? She’s getting older, and her medical needs are only increasing.”
It wasn’t as though Evelyn hadn’t thought of it.
When she first noticed the signs of Lasagna’s illness, she was the one who had urged her to go back to the capital.
But Lasagna had refused.
“She said she didn’t want to.”
If she left, the church would have to send a new nun to run the monastery.
But no one would volunteer to come to a remote mountain monastery like this. Without a replacement, the monastery would be shut down—and the children would be left homeless.
Lasagna had chosen to stay, for their sake.
“And with her health, long travel isn’t possible anyway.”
“I suppose. I’ve heard rumors of some strange illness spreading in the capital. Maybe it’s safer out here.”
“An illness?”
“I only heard secondhand, so I don’t know the details… Anyway, I bet you’ve got a lot on your mind.”
“I suppose so.”
“By the way… have you given any more thought to what I mentioned last time?”
There it was—a topic she had hoped wouldn’t come up.
