Chapter 2

The overwhelming resentment inside me made me want to tear Suzy apart. However, I was only a soul. Aside from passing straight through her body, there was nothing I could do.

An aged, weathered voice echoed around me. "You can exchange your soul for one chance to start over."

Without a second thought, I agreed. I had to stop Suzy from turning our entire family into tools for her mission. My wonderful parents didn't deserve an ending like that.

…

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back in my bedroom during my second year of high school.

I knew it without a doubt because the certificates on the wall were still there, untouched. This was the year I had been diagnosed with a severe mental illness. Whenever my condition flared up, my grades plummeted.

Those certificates that had once filled me with pride became a constant source of frustration that year. Every time I had an episode, I'd tear another one from the wall: First Prize, Grand Prize, National Math Olympiad Award, and so on.

The wall that had once been covered with certificates was eventually stripped bare by my own hands. I went from being one of the top students in the advanced class to someone who never even took the college entrance exam because everyone believed I was insane.

In my previous life, I'd always been overwhelmed by guilt toward Suzy.

I hated myself. I hated having a mental illness. I hated becoming a burden to her. But now, as I looked at the wall covered with certificates, only one thought remained.

I should have had a brilliant future.

A mechanical voice echoed inside my head. "Congratulations, host. You've successfully bound to the Mission System."

Although I had never heard Suzy's system in my previous life, I knew the instant it spoke that it was hers.

Sure enough, the very next second, the system introduced my target. It was Jonathan Hayes, the owner of the mansion where Suzy had lived in my previous life.

At that moment, my emotions became indescribably complicated.

"In order to help the host complete the mission as quickly as possible, you may alter your family according to the target's preferences."

The system displayed the message in a friendly prompt.

As I stared at those words, my heart ached with every beat. Even now, I could hardly believe what I was seeing.

The tragedy that had destroyed my family in my previous life had begun with nothing more than a single sentence from the system.

You may alter your family according to the target's preferences.

The system didn't provide many details. It only explained that Jonathan disliked people with perfect backgrounds. Someone resilient and self-reliant would be more likely to awaken his protective instincts.

"Can I choose not to change my family?" I asked the system.

I wasn't Suzy. I could never use such despicable methods against my own family the way she had.

"You may. As long as the host successfully captures the heart of the city's elite heir and completes the mission. Friendly reminder, failure to complete the mission will result in the host being permanently erased by the system."

I finally understood how the system worked, and I understood my situation. In other words, as long as I found another way to complete the mission, the system wouldn't interfere with my family's fate.

With ten years ahead of me, I'd have more than enough time to try countless solutions.

But if my memories were correct, the tragedy that had destroyed my family in my previous life would start now.

Suzy hadn't hesitated for even a second before choosing to sacrifice our family. Was she really my sister? Even wild animals wouldn't treat their own family this way.

My chest burned with rage. I couldn't suppress it, no matter how hard I tried. I wanted to see Suzy. I wanted to know whether that innocent, adorable girl on the surface was actually a monster in disguise.

What I didn't expect was that the moment I stepped out of my room, I saw Suzy standing in the corner, quietly shouting in anger.