00:00Every hundred years, the kingdom of Varya gave birth to an oracle, a woman blessed with the power to see
00:06the future.
00:07In my previous life, King Aurarian dreamed of the oracle, and ordered portraits of a young woman to be posted
00:13throughout the realm.
00:16After seeing the portrait, Seraphina used forbidden sorcery to swap faces with me.
00:22She even recreated my star signal on her own shoulder, and took my place in the royal palace.
00:28But she possessed no gift of prophecy.
00:31The royal family exposed her deception before long and threw her into the dungeon cells to await execution.
00:38Meanwhile, wearing her face, I married into the Ashborough family.
00:42I went from being Varya's unacknowledged daughter to the Mister of Ashborough Manor.
00:46I visited her in the dungeons.
00:48She forced poison down my throat.
00:51You stole my life! My life!
00:54The face I wore was yours, so you should be the one who dies!
01:01When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day the king began searching for the oracle.
01:07This time, Seraphina did not try to exchange faces with me.
01:11She stared at the portrait hanging on the city wall, then suddenly smiled and tore down the royal seal proclamation.
01:16In front of everyone, she pointed directly at me.
01:19My sister, Alara, is the oracle from the king's dream.
01:24I knew immediately, she had been reborn too.
01:28The moment Seraphina finished speaking, silence fell over the cloud outside the city gates.
01:33In the next instant, royal knights surrounded our carriage.
01:37The captain compared the portrait to my face.
01:39Lady Alara, please come with us to the royal palace for oracle verification.
01:43My stepmother's expression changed instantly.
01:46She grabbed Seraphina's hand and lowered her voice.
01:49Have you lost your mind?
01:50If the oracle is destined to stand beside the king, how can you hand such an opportunity to her?
01:55Seraphina merely smiled with calm confidence.
01:58Mother, I know exactly what I'm doing.
02:01She turned to me, her tone dripping with false generosity.
02:04Alara, I'm personally delivering you to the king.
02:08Don't forget this favor in the future.
02:10I said nothing, because I already understood.
02:13She had returned with memories of our previous life as well.
02:15She wanted me to walk into the very place where she had died once before.
02:19Seraphina believed she had given me the road to death while keeping the road to survival for herself.
02:23What she didn't know was this.
02:24I had never been a fake oracle.
02:26Only after entering the royal palace did I discover I wasn't the only candidate.
02:30All potential oracles were housed in Starlight Abbey beside the palace grounds.
02:34The great hall was crowded with young women.
02:36Some came from noble families.
02:37Others came from remote villages.
02:39Each bore some resemblance to the portrait, and nearly all carried some kind of birthmark.
02:43A nun stopped in front of me.
02:44Raise your head.
02:45Expose your left shoulder.
02:47I obeyed.
02:48The moment she saw the star signal on my shoulder, she nodded.
02:51You stay.
02:52Nearby, a girl burst into tears as she tried to explain herself.
02:55My birthmark is only a little lighter.
02:57I really was chosen by the stars.
02:59The nun waved her away without hesitation.
03:02Take her out.
03:02The royal family has no need for liars.
03:04As the girl was dragged away, she continued screaming and crying.
03:08At last, I understood.
03:11This was no sacred sanctuary.
03:13It was a place built to eliminate failures.
03:16That evening, Serafina came to see me.
03:18Dressed in an elegant gown suitable for visiting Ashborough Manor, she stood outside the doorway
03:23and smiled at me.
03:24How do you like it here?
03:25I looked up at her.
03:27You seem very happy.
03:29Of course.
03:31She stepped closer and lowered her voice.
03:34Elara, you don't actually believe you'll become someone important at the kingside, do you?
03:39I didn't answer.
03:40She stared at my face, her smile growing wider.
03:43There are hundreds of oracles in the palace.
03:46When they discover you're a fraud, your death won't be pleasant.
03:51Once the gates of Starlight Abbey closed, they remained shut for three full months.
03:57Every day, the nuns asked the same question.
04:00Show us your left shoulder.
04:02Anyone whose birthmark was the wrong color was taken away.
04:06Anyone who looked too different from the portrait was taken away.
04:09Some girls sobbed and insisted they had been chosen by the stars.
04:12The nuns simply closed their record books with icy indifference.
04:15Send her to the dungeon cells.
04:17Three months later, only five of us remained in the hall.
04:21A nuns stopped in front of me.
04:23Tomorrow, you will meet the king.
04:25There can be only one true oracle.
04:28That night, I had just closed my eyes when a hand suddenly clamped over my mouth.
04:33Pain shot through my entire body.
04:35A blade sliced across my left shoulder.
04:38In the darkness, someone whispered beside my ear.
04:40Without that birthmark, what chance do you have left?
04:49I smelled roses.
04:51Seraphina.
04:51After the intruder left, I reached for my left shoulder.
04:54My hand came away covered in blood.
04:56My star sigil had been ruined.
04:58The next morning, I stood in the great hall of the royal palace with a cloak draped over my shoulders.
05:03King Orion looked at me.
05:05Why are you hiding your shoulder?
05:06Someone destroyed my birthmark last night.
05:09Standing beside Queen Isleth, Seraphina let out a soft laugh.
05:13Starlight Abbey is heavily guarded.
05:15Who would risk everything just to harm an unknown girl?
05:18Then, before anyone could respond, she loosened her shulk and revealed...
Comments