"All I did was go outside to deal with some noisy troublemakers. How did it end with me being labeled the Demon King?"
The last thing I remembered before everything went dark was a sword piercing through my chest. And holding that sword—smiling like the cocky idiot he always was—was the so-called hero, Ethan Zanov.
"I'll kick your ass, Ethan Zanov! One day, I'll make you cry those self-righteous tears from both eyes!"
But no one listened to a "Demon King" pleading his innocence. Ethan and his team of subjugations were convinced I was the one they'd been hunting for years. False accusations, betrayals, and a glorious death that wasn't even mine to claim—it all ended in a messy, unfair tragedy.
Or so I thought.
When I opened my eyes, 500 years had passed. My first thought? This has to be a joke.
But nope, it was very real. Ethan Zanov—the jerk who drove me to my undeserved death—was long dead, along with the rest of his party. Just as I was about to celebrate this unexpected freedom, the universe hit me with another sucker punch.
"You have silver eyes," someone told me with a peculiar smile. "That's not a color; just anyone can have it."
I blinked. "But I've always had silver eyes…"
"Yes. Because you are the granddaughter of Archduke George de Zanov."
"… Granddaughter of WHO?!"
Of all people, I'd been reborn into that family—Ethan Zanov's descendants! And not just any branch of the family. I was now a direct heir to the mighty Zanov name, surrounded by brothers who wouldn't stop clinging to me like barnacles.
This family is insane. They're supposed to be my enemies, but these guys have a habit of hugging everyone! What kind of dysfunctional love-fest is this?
"I need someone to stop my older brothers," I muttered, sinking deeper into my new nightmare of a life.
Revenge? Yeah, sure, that was my original plan. But how can I focus on vengeance when my brothers smother me affectionately?
This shitty family. I was born to hate them—so why do I keep getting attached to them?
I stared at the richly decorated ceiling above me, lying stiff in an oversized, silk-draped bed. It wasn't just the room that screamed money. Everything around me—from the ornate chandeliers to the hand-painted tapestries—reeked of nobility.
I pinched my arm to make sure I wasn't dreaming.
Ouch. Definitely real.
"I just wanted to kick Ethan Zanov's ass," I groaned. "Why am I stuck here instead?"
Before I could gather my thoughts, the massive double doors swung open with a bang. A parade of handsome men flooded the room, each of them grinning like they'd been waiting for me to wake up for ages.
"There she is!" one of them said excitedly.
"Finally awake, little sister!" another chimed in, throwing his arms around me like I'd just won a war.
I froze under the suffocating embrace. Why are they all so freakishly good-looking? Tall, broad-shouldered, and radiating power, these men didn't look like brothers—they looked like a squad of polished knights straight out of a fairytale. And worse? They were ALL mine.
"I was starting to think you'd never wake up," said the tallest of them—a man with long, golden hair tied loosely at the nape of his neck. His silver eyes shone with warmth and mischief. "How are you feeling, baby sister?"
"Uh…" I tried to wriggle out of his hold, but he only tightened his grip.
"Too tight!" I wheezed, slapping his arm. "Air! I need air!"
"Oh, sorry!" he said with a laugh, loosening his hold—but only slightly. "We've just missed you so much. It's been a while since the little Zanov princess came home."
"Home?" I muttered, still processing the nightmare I'd walked into. I didn't just wake up 500 years into the future—I woke up in the heart of the Zanov family, reborn as their beloved little sister.
This can't be happening. My original plan had been simple: hunt down the jerks responsible for my wrongful death, ruin their lives, and maybe find some peace. But now?
Now, I was trapped inside the house of my enemies, playing the role of a spoiled noble girl.
"You were out for so long we almost thought you'd forgotten us!" said another brother, sliding into my personal space with a teasing grin. His silver eyes sparkled with amusement as he poked my cheek. "Do you remember who we are?"
"Uh, no?" I blurted, smacking his hand away. "Get off me, you freak."
They all stared at me for a moment before bursting into laughter. One of them ruffled my hair. "Still as feisty as ever! Welcome back, little sister."
I stared at the crowd of doting brothers in disbelief. What kind of nightmare is this?
"You guys…" I muttered under my breath, feeling the pressure rise. "You're all insane."
But my sarcastic remark didn't faze them one bit. One brother scooped me up like I weighed nothing, tossing me effortlessly over his shoulder.
"Put me down! What are you doing?" I shrieked, pounding on his back with my fists.
"Breakfast!" he declared cheerfully as if kidnapping me was the most normal thing in the world. "Father will be so happy to see you awake! And you need to eat—you're too skinny."
"Skinny? I just woke up from 500 years of being DEAD! Give me a break!"
More laughter echoed around me as the brothers carried me off like a prize they'd won in a tournament.
In my past life, I was betrayed, hunted down, and killed—accused of being the Demon King, a villain I didn't even know existed.
In this life, I'm the pampered daughter of the very family I was born to hate.
And to top it off? All of these over-affectionate brothers have a weird habit of hugging me at every opportunity. What's worse?
I think… I'm starting to like it here.
No! No way. I have to focus on my goal—revenge! I'll never forget what Ethan Zanov did to me. But first, I need to figure out how the hell I'm supposed to survive in a family that is this ridiculous.