my heroine refuses to let me be reborn. If I haven't finished my novel

Cherish stepped out of the room, exhaustion evident in her every movement. Her frail body collapsed onto the floor, covered in wounds, prompting Lanling to rush over and support her in alarm.

"Big Sis Che—!"

Cherish quickly covered the girl's mouth with her hand and pressed a finger to her lips.

"The master is asleep, Cheripha... It's okay now..." The young girl smiled weakly, her weary expression tugging at the heartstrings of those who saw her.

Lanling nodded and carefully helped her sister—who was only a few years away from becoming a young girl—toward the clear stream near their small hut. It was a struggle. Both siblings were thin and malnourished.

Cherish's life was filled with hardship, both physically and mentally. In just the past three days, Lanling had barely had a full meal, let alone Cherish, who had endured this suffering for years.

Food was not truly scarce, but Elliot always ate first, leaving almost nothing for the sisters. He would feast in front of them with a smug expression, as if watching their hungry gazes was some kind of twisted entertainment. He only allowed them to eat his leftovers. And every single time, Cherish would give a larger portion to her younger sister.

The two of them now sat by a river near the forest, far from the Silver Rose Mansion.

From here, they could still see the old estate where they once lived. The mansion's roof had originally been a simple brick-red, but after the new owner seized it, the color had been changed to a shade of bluish navy in just a month.

Cherish gazed at it with sorrowful eyes before lowering her gaze to her wrist. The blood-red runes still encircled her skin—a magical contract, just like the one Cheripha bore. A deep sadness, despair, and guilt flickered across her expression.

The golden light of the setting sun bathed the scene. Even with her sunken cheeks, bruises, and frail body, Cherish's face remained strikingly beautiful.

Her expression was both serene and warm, yet so heartbreakingly gentle that anyone who saw her couldn't help but look twice. But now, that warmth had faded into a distant, empty gaze. Cherish was not a beauty of divine goddess perfection, yet even Lanling sometimes found herself staring at her without realizing it.

A single tear slipped from Cherish's eye, as if marking the weight of what the author had put her through.

"Big Sis... I won't be clumsy again," Lanling murmured, causing Cherish's silver eyes to widen as she snapped out of her thoughts. "I... I'm sorry."

"...Cheripha, it's okay. You're my little sister. I have to protect you," Cherish said with a weary smile. There was no anger, no blame—nothing but gentle reassurance. Her delicate hands scooped water from the river and carefully washed the bruises and wounds on Cheripha's face, her touch as tender as an angel's. "I want you to grow up... and when you're older, we'll run away from here together."

"And where will we go, Sis?" Lanling asked, though she already knew that with the magic contract binding them, escape was impossible.

"Hmm... I heard that the city of Ceza has a beautiful ocean view and lots of people," Cherish mused softly. "I really want to see it someday."

"...One day, we'll go there together, Sis. I promise," Lanling said, forcing out a lie. A lie that felt like a heavy stone on her tongue. But even so, it made Cherish smile again.

After that, the two sisters helped each other wash up before gathering herbs—some for treating wounds, and others for contraception.

In truth, Lanling had never written about such things in her novel. It had never even crossed her mind. But the character she had created now had a life of her own, struggling to mend the tragedies that the "creator" of this world—Lanling herself—had forced upon her.

She had only discovered the truth after secretly sneaking out to search through books at the town's library while Elliot was away. That was when she realized what the herbs Cherish had been gathering were really for...

The more Lanling uncovered about Cherish's fate, the deeper her sorrow grew.

Once they had finished gathering herbs, the two of them returned home to treat their wounds and prepare food. They expected Elliot to return soon, but it seemed he had gone to the bar again. He barely had any money left, yet he was skilled at using words to manipulate others—he would surely find someone willing to buy him drinks.

Since Elliot was out, Cherish took a basket and prepared to go to the market, bringing Lanling along. She didn't dare let her sister out of her sight, unsure of what might happen next.

From their small hut near the woods, it took about thirty minutes to walk into town. Despite her injuries, Cherish trudged forward.

As they entered the marketplace, the townsfolk's eyes fell upon her. Some gazes were filled with pity, some with sympathy, some with confusion, and others with scorn and disdain. But no matter the emotion, all those eyes shared one thing—fear.

They cast sidelong glances, whispering in hushed tones.

This was 'Rose Garden,' a remote, desolate town named after a rose garden that no longer existed. A backwater settlement near the forest, where the only reason a hundred households could survive was the nearby river. The roads were rough and undeveloped, keeping most merchants away—except for inexperienced caravans or those with no other choice.

The most striking and conspicuous sight, standing out starkly against the backdrop of this remote town, was the grand mansion with a blue-tinged roof sitting at its center. It was the only place in the entire town that exudes luxury, encircled by towering walls, setting it apart in stark contrast from the modest homes of the townspeople. This mansion had stood for over five hundred years and once belonged to a merchant family known as the 'Silverrose.'

Now, only one heir remained from this lineage—Elliot, a giant of a man who abused his older sister and constantly beat Lanling.

No matter which way she looked at it, Lanling felt that both this mansion and the entire town were like a massive plot hole in the earth. The very idea that a wealthy family would settle in such a place, purely for peace and quiet without any ulterior motive, seemed implausible. There were no signs of progress or development anywhere.

Moreover, the town was located about four to five hundred kilometers from the capital, with extremely poor land transportation. Lanling once thought that bringing in materials via the river might have been the most feasible option. However, from what she had heard and from asking around, no one could recall how or when the mansion was built! It was as if this enormous, opulent mansion had simply materialized out of thin air.

Another thing that made Lanling consider this town a "plot hole" on earth was the absence of a church. Normally, churches served as spiritual centers for communities, and every town had at least one priest. But here, there was nothing of the sort. There weren't even city officials or guards—Lanling had never once seen them! Yet, the townspeople seemed completely unbothered by these abnormalities.

Even when it came to governance, Lanling wasn't even sure if any nobles were overseeing the land. If the nobility weren't completely neglectful in their duties, surely something about this town would reflect their presence.

Because of these inconsistencies, Lanling secretly nicknamed Rosegarden as the "Plot Hole Town." She had no idea why, but nothing about this place seemed to make sense.

The trip to the market proceeded in its usual, unremarkable manner. Cherish simply picked up her items and paid for them without any small talk or interaction—just like the past three days.

Though the bruises and wounds on Lanling's face and body were painfully evident, and Cherish bore injuries of her own, particularly a deep wound on her face that had turned into a bloody mess despite being treated with herbal ointment, the townspeople acted as if they saw nothing.

To them, it was a common enough sight to be ignored.

In truth, they weren't particularly fond of the two sisters visiting their stalls.

An elderly woman swiftly wrapped the vegetables and fruits Cherish had selected, using magic to fold the paper around them as if an invisible hand were doing the work. She handed the package back without making eye contact with Cherish, though a fleeting look of pity crossed her face. Even so, she wanted no part in this trouble—especially not when it involved Elliot Silverrose.

As the two walked away, a young man approached them. Judging by his clean and tidy clothes, he didn't seem to be from around here—most likely a merchant from a traveling caravan.

"Do you need any help, miss?" he asked.

Cherish froze. She wanted to speak, but in the end, she pressed her lips together and remained silent.

Just then, his friend, looking panicked, rushed over and pulled him aside. Their hushed conversation wasn't entirely out of earshot, allowing Lanling and Cherish to catch bits and pieces of it:

"The two sisters… cursed… Elliot… don't get involved…"

Though the first man clearly didn't like what he was hearing, his companion's urgent explanation seemed to persuade him. In the end, he cast a pitying glance at the two sisters before giving up and walking away.

Lanling observed Cherish' nearly expressionless face. She must have been used to this—to seeing help come so close, only to slip away in an instant.

Lanling recalled the day she first arrived in this world.

After being slapped, she had run from the shack, racing into town to seek help. But no one had lifted a finger. No one had even acknowledged her plea.

And when Elliot finally caught her, he had beaten her right there in the middle of the street.

It had happened in plain view of dozens of people, all of whom simply watched in silence. The only one who had tried to stop him was Cherish, her tear-streaked face filled with desperate pleas.

["A truly familiar sight, isn't it?"]

Cheripha's voice echoed in her mind.

["There's no better form of help than indifference and silence."]

["Well, it's because of the Silverrose family curse,"] Lanling responded in her thoughts as she walked beside Cherish. ["Even if the townspeople don't know whether it's real, there have been plenty of cases where those who harmed Elliot met with misfortune."]

["The rumors about the Silverrose ancestor's curse have scared people into submission. It's said that anyone who angers Elliot could suffer a terrible fate—not only would they be beaten half to death, but their families might face fires, floods, or other disasters. Knowing that, who would dare to cross him?"]

["It sounds like a mix of coincidence and manipulation, but it's an interesting story, isn't it?"] Cheripha used before pausing. ["By the way… you sure seem to have thought a lot about Elliot's past."]

Lanling responded, ["Actually, I only thought about Elliot in a rough outline."]

["Elliot is just a side character, so I didn't go into too much detail—but there's still quite a bit. But as for the city of Rose Garden, I didn't plan out the details at all… I only wrote about the mansion and its new owner, that's all."]

[Wow~ Even when you say you only thought about it roughly, you still make such a complex background for a side character.] Cheripha spoke in a tone of surprise, though Lanling's eyebrow twitched because it sounded more like sarcasm.

["Oh, come on! Of course, I have to think ahead in case I need to use them again!"] Lanling snapped, gritting her teeth. ["If I'm going to create characters, I have to make the most of them!"]

[By the way, Is this curse of the Silverrose family real? Monkey writer?]

The small figure suddenly stopped, freezing in place. Even Cherish halted her steps, sensing something off about her younger sister.

[And if it really exists, will it be the kind of curse you described?]

["That…is the one thing I haven't thought about yet,"] Lanling admitted to the voice in her head. ["I never planned it out at all…"]

Lanling stood in front of the town library, covered in dust and grime after crawling through a small hole in the wall, which was overgrown with weeds.

She still had a blade of grass in her mouth, accidentally biting down on it. She quickly plucked it out and wiped her lips, only to wince from the bruise Elliott had left on her face.

"Damn it… it took forever to get here," Lanling muttered, spitting out the remaining grass.

As she recalled the events from earlier while escaping from Elliot, she remembered seeing him standing outside a house, doing something suspicious. Lanling didn't dare get too close, but she noticed a golden flame flickering at the tip of his index finger.

[What do you think he's up to?] Cheripha asked.

["I'm getting out of this hellhole… and taking Cherish with me."] Lanling said as she stepped forward.

Cheripha fell silent before scoffing. [And how do you plan on doing that? You've realized by now that you can't use magic, right? You can't even protect yourself—how much time do you think you have left to help Cherish?]

Despite her words, Lanling felt that the voice in her head was listening intently.

["I don't want to see Cherish meet that kind of end,"] Lanling said, her expression darkening as she remembered Cherish's face from earlier that evening.

[Oh, wow,] Cheripha sneered. ["I thought you were going to say something more impressive. I never expected a writer like you to use human compassion on characters like us."]

Lanling sighed. She knew deep down that she was acting out of her own humanity.

Even though she had made an agreement to take on Cheripha's body, how could she just stand by and do nothing? Cherish was a character fated to disappear, having sacrificed everything she had to protect her younger sister.

Compassion and the role of an elder sister might have been things created by the stroke of a pen, but they were also the things that had kept Lanling going up until now.

[Hah! You said you'd only be here for a few days, and yet you've already changed your mind? You're even altering the fate of a character who was supposed to die at the very start?] Cheripha's voice held a mix of mockery and boredom. [Is that even possible?]

["Think what you want,"] Lanling replied curtly.

She was thinking about the prologue of her novel, Reborn as a Purple-Haired Mage.

'Cherish was supposed to be sold after Cheripha was taken by a slave trader…'

The more she thought about it, the more the details she had long forgotten began resurfacing.

After Cheripha was sold, Cherish fell into despair and tried to take her own life. But at the last moment, she thought that if she stayed alive, she might one day see her sister again. So, she chose to endure life under Elliot's control until she was eventually sold off with no other choice.

That was the end of Cherish's role in the story—her fate was left unknown.

Everything that happened to Cherish was written in no more than three paragraphs; all recounting events that had already occurred before the story officially began.

In truth, Lanling wasn't even supposed to be here.

'Come to think of it… why did Cheripha bring me into her body at this point in time?'

It was something that had been bothering her for days.

'If I were following the original plot, I should've started the story while locked in a cage at a slave auction—three years after Elliot had sold Cheripha off.'

In the original story, the opening scene took place at an auction house where Cheripha was being sold as a slave. One of the main characters would purchase her for an exorbitant price.

Lanling had no idea what Cheripha was planning by making this change, but she doubted she'd get a straight answer even if she asked. So instead, she focused on the immediate situation.

'There's about a week left before I'm sold off… I need to hurry.'

Estimating the timeline in her head, Lanling ignored her uncertainties and pushed the library doors open. The heavy doors took nearly ten minutes to move.

Creak!

A thick wooden chair had been used to barricade the entrance instead of a lock.

Looking around, it was clear that no one had taken care of this library in a long time. While it had been tidied up somewhat, it was done haphazardly, leaving cobwebs in random corners and dust hanging in the air.

Books floated around the room, defying gravity, while in the center, a person hovered in midair.

She was a woman with a slender, alluring figure, draped in an elegant black lace dress. Her body floated effortlessly, as if she were lounging on an invisible sofa.

'Alright… It's time to find some help,' Lanling thought.

'At this point, I don't care if it's a ghost or whatever—I'll take anything I can get.'