Her sister folded her arms across her chest, her expression shifting from playful to serious in an instant.
She looked at Wish with the kind of disappointment only a twin sister could muster—part concern, part frustration, all love.
"Seriously, Wish. Did you lose your memories?" She leaned forward, her blue eyes searching Wish's face intently. "Like, do you even know my name?"
Wish's mind raced. She could feel fragments of the original Wish's memories floating just beyond reach—like trying to remember a dream after waking.
She decided on a twisted truth, something close enough to reality that it wouldn't sound like a complete lie.
"I don't remember anything clearly." She pressed her fingers to her temples, grimacing. "That sacrifice thing did my brain bad."
Vish's expression crumbled. She reached out, grabbing Wish's hands. "All the memories? All the moments we shared—just gone? Just like that?"
"I have fragments." Wish squeezed her sister's hands back. "Like I know your name is Vish."
The knowledge had come from somewhere deep—the original Wish's memories bleeding through the cracks, whispering information she shouldn't have but somehow did.
Images of childhood flashed: two white-haired girls running through gardens, stealing sweet buns from the kitchen, crying together when their father brought home an injured bird they couldn't save. Pieces. Just pieces.
Vish's shoulders sagged. She pulled away slowly and sat down heavily on her own bed, the mattress creaking under her weight. "I haven't gotten married because—"
She paused, sighing deeply and pursing her lips like the words were difficult to shape. Her fingers twisted in her lap.
"Because I'm waiting for my mate. I haven't found a man compatible with me yet." Her voice dropped, becoming softer, more vulnerable.
"During every month's moon mate festival, I end up single. No wolf, no fox, no jackal, like literally nobody wanted me as a mate. I mean, the physical attraction is there—" She laughed bitterly. "—but not more than that. No spark. Nothing."
Wish bit her lip hard enough to taste copper. Guilt crashed through her chest like a wave. "Sorry," she whispered.
"You don't have to be." Vish stood abruptly, brushing down her skirt with sharp, aggressive movements. "I mean, your troubles are way worse than mine."
She moved toward the door, her hand already on the handle when she turned back. "I need to go. My shift at the palace starts soon." Her expression softened slightly. "But you should probably rest. The deity sent word ordering it specifically."
Wish's eyebrows shot up. "Why the hell does he need to send a word specifically for that?"
Vish's eyes glinted with sudden mischief, a grin spreading across her face. "Who knows?" She shrugged dramatically. "Maybe he's fallen in love with you."
Heat exploded across Wish's cheeks. Without thinking, she grabbed the pillow from behind her and hurled it across the room.
Vish ducked with lightning-quick reflexes, the pillow sailing over her head and hitting the door with a soft thump. She burst into giggles.
"Get out!" Wish grabbed another pillow threateningly, a smile tugging at her own lips despite the embarrassment burning through her.
Vish pulled open the door, still laughing. "Rest well, my future divine consort!" She ducked out before the second pillow could reach her.
The door clicked shut.
Silence rushed back in.
Wish dropped the remaining pillow, her smile fading. Her mind immediately wandered back to something she'd completely forgotten in the chaos.
The system. What was that notification about? I didn't even read it.
The moment the thought formed, a translucent blue screen materialized before her eyes, glowing softly in the dimming evening light.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]
[Congratulations, Host.]
[Primary Death Flag Successfully Interrupted.]
[Mating Moon Sacrificial Ritual — CANCELLED.]
[Reward Issued.]
[Original Plot Data Unlocked.]
[Access Level: SYNOPSIS]
Wish's breath caught. Her hands gripped the edge of her bed.
[Original Novel Title:]
"Claimed by the Four Deities: The Princess Who Ruled the Beast World"
The title hit her like a physical blow. Recognition sparked—distant but there.
[Original Plot Summary Unlocked:]
Princess Nyla of the Solar Kingdom grew up in the shadow of her elder sister, a woman praised for her beauty, talent, and perfect beast form.
Compared to her, Nyla was always less: less radiant, less favored, less chosen.
From a young age, she learned a cruel truth—she was not meant for greatness.
But fate does not reward resignation.
When the Mating Moon approaches and war threatens the kingdom, the elders revive an ancient solution: a sacrificial ritual to awaken the Solar Deity and reinforce the seals protecting the world.
A nameless fox maiden is chosen.
Weak. Unremarkable. Disposable.
Her life is offered without hesitation.
The ritual succeeds.
The Solar Deity awakens.
And with his awakening, Nyla's destiny begins to turn.
Though shaken by the cruelty of the sacrifice, Nyla swears before the deity to one day abolish the ritual, vowing that no more innocent souls will be offered in blood.
Her compassion earns the Solar Deity's notice—the first of many divine attentions.
As the story progresses, Nyla competes with her elder sister for recognition, survival, and power.
Through trials, losses, and political struggle, she earns the favor of the Four Beast Deities, each bond forged through sacrifice, perseverance, and growth.
Nyla rises from overlooked princess to the most revered woman in the Beast World—a symbol of hope, reform, and divine favor.
Wish's face went white as fresh snow.
Her hands started trembling.
"No." The word came out strangled. "No, no, no—"
She'd read this novel. She remembered now—vaguely, hazily, but enough. A reverse harem fantasy she'd scrolled through during one sleepless night months ago.
She'd dropped it after a few chapters because it was too predictable, too fluffy, too...boring.
"I'm the nameless fox maiden!" Her voice rose to a near-shriek. She shot to her feet, pacing frantically across the small room.
"I'm the disposable side character who dies in chapter one to kickstart the heroine's character development!"
She grabbed her hair with both hands, pulling at the gradient strands. "A throwaway character! A plot device! I don't even have a name in the original story—I'm just 'nameless fox maiden'!"