Chapter 2: BPEE

Chapter 2

When I was five years old, the grandfather who raised me said something to me.

“Ella, you are not my biological granddaughter.”

I, who had been crying while holding his dying hand, immediately stopped crying.

“Actually, you are the daughter of a very important person. You were entrusted to me due to unavoidable circumstances.”

My grandfather insisted that, although he didn’t even know where my real parents lived, they must be very important people.

“They said they would come to take you someday, so don’t cause trouble and wait quietly.”

Even as a five-year-old, I already understood reality, so I asked:

“Grandpa… did you get scammed?”

“Heh heh, it’s hard to call it a scam when I was paid so much. This house and all the farmland were bought with the money given to raise you.”

It just sounded like they dumped a child on him in exchange for money.

My grandfather gently stroked my reluctant cheek and whispered:

“Ella… thank you for growing up so well in my care. You were truly a kind and good granddaughter.”

“Grandpa…”

At what felt like his final words, I burst into tears again.

He then turned to the aunt I was meeting for the first time and said:

“Please take care of Ella. She is a precious child, so treat her well.”

“Don’t worry, Father. I’ll raise her like my own daughter.”

The aunt wiped her dry eyes with a handkerchief and grabbed my shoulder tightly.

“Yes… I trust you.”

After that, my grandfather peacefully closed his eyes.

And immediately after that, the aunt changed her tone completely.

“I’m only taking you in because of your father. You’re not even blood-related to me, so be grateful and work hard.”

From that day on, I began working at my aunt’s inn.

I cleaned, did laundry, washed dishes late into the night, and only managed to sleep at dawn. Even in the freezing winter, I had nothing to cover myself with and shivered all night.

If not for Spam suddenly appearing in front of me, I would have frozen to death.

‘I thought that was the hardest time in my life.’

That thought might change today.

I looked at the two men my “father” had supposedly sent.

Their filthy, worn clothes, studded leather belts, scars on their faces, and rough, savage aura—

No matter how you looked at them, they were thugs from the back alleys.

The more intimidating one, an one-eyed man, looked me over and said:

“Hm, purple eyes… quite rare. But wasn’t she supposed to be blonde?”

“She is blonde! Look, look! She’s just so dirty it turned this way.”

My aunt pulled out a handkerchief and rubbed my hair.

The soot-covered strands returned to their original golden color.

The one-eyed man nodded in satisfaction and handed over money.

“This is a good product. I’ve paid generously.”

“Oh my, thank you.”

My aunt accepted it immediately.

I couldn’t stand watching anymore.

“Aunt… the story about my father sending you to bring me—isn’t that a lie? You’re just selling me to strangers.”

“So what if I am?”

She looked at me as if it was obvious.

“If you feel wronged, think of it as paying off the debt for everything I fed and sheltered you.”

My aunt had always treated me like an enemy.

She forced me to work day and night, hit me, and insulted me. She said she could never forgive me for living well while she suffered after becoming a widow.

I had endured it because she was my grandfather’s daughter—the woman I loved my grandfather.

But I decided I wouldn’t endure it anymore.

“I already paid off that debt. Now it seems like you’re the one who should be paying me.”

“What?”

I kicked her leg with all my strength.

A cracking sound echoed, and she collapsed, screaming.

“Aaaagh! My leg!”

While the shocked men froze, I quickly ran.

But I didn’t get far before the one-eyed man grabbed me.

‘I should’ve raised agility!’

Regretting it, I swung my fist with all my strength.

But my slow punch never landed.

I realized too late—I should have attacked him first.

‘Why am I only realizing this now? I should’ve raised intelligence first!’

It was too late for regrets.

I was tied up tightly with ropes and shoved into an old carriage.

The men ignored my screaming aunt and drove off.

Then suddenly, Spam appeared in my vision.

[Web Message]

Emergency Escape ━Σ(ﾟДﾟ|||)━!

You must escape the carriage immediately!

Time remaining: 00:09:57

-Reward: 1,000 EXP
-Failure: Death

‘Failure means death?’

A chill ran down my spine.

I sprang up and slammed my body into the carriage door with all my strength.

Again and again, until it began to creak.

The men outside shouted.

“What’s that noise?”

“That brat must be causing trouble.”

Then, a wolf howl echoed from far away—repeating like an echo.

“Damn it… corpse wolves!”

“Run! If we don’t, we’ll all die!”

Panicking, they whipped the horses.

I was thrown to the ground as the carriage suddenly sped up.

Time remaining: 00:01:07

Only one minute left. I was going insane with urgency.

‘Someone help me!’

The next moment—

CRACK!

The door was torn apart.

Through the broken opening, I saw massive wolves.

Huge bodies rippling like mist, blood-red eyes, grotesque fangs.

Monsters so terrifying they felt like something from a nightmare.

Time remaining: 00:00:31

Frozen in fear, I forced myself up.

I knew this was insane. But I trusted Spam enough to risk my life.

‘Spam has never been wrong. If I just get out of the carriage, I’ll survive!’

I shut my eyes tightly and threw myself outside—

straight into the pack of giant wolves.

Time remaining: 00:00:04

The wolves widened their eyes.

Some even opened their mouths as if a feast had arrived.

At that moment, a silver rope flew through the air and wrapped around my waist.

The next instant, I was yanked upward like a fish caught on a line.

“Kyaa!”

My body shot upward at terrifying speed, then suddenly stopped in midair.

“Impressive. You jumped right in front of the wolves without hesitation.”

I looked up at the unfamiliar voice.

A white-haired boy was floating in the sky.

‘Am I dreaming?’

But even after blinking, he was still there.

Snow-white hair fluttered in the wind. His stunning face smiled softly at me.

“But this time, your timing was perfect.”

In his hand was the silver whip wrapped around my waist.

He had fished me out of the carriage.

‘This is totally an original story character…’

I would bet my entire fortune that this boy existed in the original novel.

The problem was—

his hair was the same pure white as that guy from the original.

‘No way… is it him?’

My heart trembled with an ominous feeling.

[Web Message]

Emergency Escape Successful! (＞ｖ＜)ゞ゜
Congratulations!
You earned 1,000 EXP.

Shut up. This is not the time.

Ignoring Spam’s excitement, I spoke to the boy.

“Thanks for saving me. But could you lift me a little higher?”

The wolves below were jumping up wildly toward me. I felt like a dried fish hanging on a hook.

The boy glanced down and said:

“I’ll take care of it. Close your eyes.”

“What?”

Instead of answering, he pointed one hand downward.

The air around him began to rush toward his palm.

CRACK!

He clenched his fist.

Everything below was crushed flat, as if stepped on by a giant.

I regretted not closing my eyes in time.

“The ground is a bit dirty. Would you like to move elsewhere?”

he asked politely.

I didn’t have the courage to refuse someone who had just crushed a pack of wolves with one hand, so I nodded quickly.

The next moment, the scenery around me changed completely.