Chapter 1: Dorothy

"Magic Mirror, Magic Mirror, tell me, who is the beauty whose appearance is more enchanting than a hundred flowers, whose black hair is deeper than the night sky, and whose temperament is more virtuous than a scholar?"

In the dim room, a young girl with a thick braid of black hair resting across her chest sat before a vanity. By the flickering candlelight, she posed this question to the makeup mirror before her.

The mirror reflected the girl's face. Her overly long black bangs covered her forehead, giving her an air of gloom, while the oversized, old-fashioned black-rimmed glasses beneath them obscured most of her face. Coupled with the dark environment of the room, it was essentially impossible to tell what the girl really looked like. However, judging by the exposed bright red, full lips and smooth, delicate chin, she appeared to be a beauty.

The next moment, the girl in the mirror parted her red lips slightly.

"That's right, it is I, Dorothy."

Suddenly, the room door was pushed open. Bright sunlight burst in, beams of light piercing the darkness and causing the girl by the mirror to close her eyes, unaccustomed to the sudden brightness.

"Sister, why are you doing this again?"

A beautiful blonde girl with a face brighter than the sunlight appeared in the doorway, hands on her hips. She looked at the black-haired girl before the vanity with a touch of helplessness, then walked over quickly, pulled back the tightly closed curtains, and opened the window.

More light flooded into the room mercilessly, illuminating everything and completely destroying the dark atmosphere Dorothy had worked so hard to create.

"No, Alice! My power, my power is fading! Damn you, you really are a wicked stepsister. You and your evil mother came to this home just to steal the family property that should have been mine!"

The bright sunlight finally illuminated Dorothy's face, revealing skin so fair it was almost pale. She shielded her eyes from the dazzling light with one hand while glaring fiercely at the blonde girl standing before her.

This was Alice, her stepsister in name, the child her stepmother had brought with her when she married into the family. It was precisely because of this detestable mother-daughter pair that Dorothy's once peaceful and beautiful life had been ruthlessly shattered.

Thinking of this, Dorothy couldn't help but tremble with cold anger; even the dazzling sunlight outside couldn't make her feel a shred of warmth.

*Hmm, endure. Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west of the river. Do not bully a young girl for being poor... *

"Give it a rest, Sister. Dad is just a poor mage, and you two married into this family. You don't have a damn bit of property. Here, this is the pocket money Mom just gave me for this month. She told me to bring it to you."

The blonde girl Alice ruthlessly interrupted her sister's chanting. She looked helplessly at her drama-queen sister who was having another episode, then pulled a thick envelope from her chest, which was as flat as a steel plate, and waved it in front of Dorothy.

"Just tell me if you want it or not."

"I want it."

Dorothy stood up with no backbone at all and snatched the envelope from her sister's hand, though she frowned the moment she touched it.

"Why is there so much?"

Although her stepmother was indeed a rich woman, she was very strict with her upbringing. The pocket money she gave her and her sister every month, while not small, was definitely not much—enough for daily expenses, but certainly not enough for extravagant living.

But this time, the envelope was over ten times thicker than usual, which made Dorothy feel a surge of joy.

Could it be that Mother had finally seen the light and understood that a daughter needed to be raised in luxury, so she decided to increase her pocket money?

"Don't overthink it, Sister. This is just money for you to buy school supplies. After all, starting tomorrow, you'll be a member of the Witch Academy. Hmm, hurry up and get ready. Mom told me to take you to the market for a big shopping trip in a while."

Alice, who knew her sister all too well, saw the look on her face—she was practically drooling—and knew she was daydreaming again. She ruthlessly shattered her sister's delusions.

"Ah, is that so? Alright, wait for me a moment."

Dorothy's face fell as her beautiful fantasy was punctured, and she lowered her head in utter disappointment.

However, she felt a bit dazed by her sister's words.

"A witch? Hmm, starting tomorrow, I'll be a witch too. Time flies so fast; sixteen years have passed just like that."

Dorothy murmured.

Deep in her heart, she had always kept a secret: she was not actually from this world, but a transmigrator from another.

In her previous life, he had died in a cliché fashion—hit by a truck while trying to save a little girl. In his final moments, he heard the voice of a god, who asked if he had any unfulfilled wishes.

And so, having been a bachelor his whole life, the wish he finally shouted out was naturally for a young, beautiful girlfriend who had a compatible personality, was devoted to him, and would never betray him.

That generous god eventually granted his wish, though the method of realization was a bit special.

But Dorothy had no complaints about that god with a twisted sense of humor, after all...

*Yes! I am so beautiful now. The me in the mirror is my ideal type. It's decided: from now on, I am my own girlfriend. *

That was pretty much her current mindset, finding joy in the "raising a female character" aspect of the game.

It was just that this world after her rebirth was vastly different from her previous life. It was no longer a blue world where technology reigned supreme, but a more fantastical, magical world. Many legends from her past life had become reality here, such as the "witch" Alice had just mentioned.

Witch—for Dorothy in her previous life, this wasn't a good word. Behind this term lay countless young girls persecuted by insane and ignorant religious movements.

But in this new world, it truly represented a race—a race of naturally powerful spellcasters, the elite among the elite in the "mage" system, which was already a superior profession.

Long lifespans, powerful mana, permanent beauty—these things that other races sought but could not obtain, witches possessed upon awakening. They could cast magic freely, easily command powerful familiars in battle, and even without mana, their basic physical fitness allowed them to engage in passionate brawls with veteran warriors. They were simply a race that felt like they were cheating.

Such a powerful group naturally couldn't be easily persecuted like in her previous life. In fact, in the ancient times of this world, before witches had risen, there had been churches that launched witch-hunting movements. However, not long after the hunts began, the enraged witches marched straight to heaven and plucked the feathers of the powerful angel the church worshipped—the so-called Lord of Radiance—to take home as pillows.

Witches—they were the ruling race of this world.

This world was a magical world with unprecedented prosperity under the rule of witches.

And she, Dorothy, was about to become a new member of this powerful race.

"This is truly a new life to look forward to."

Dorothy raised her head, looking at the girl in the mirror who possessed beauty almost beyond words, and a smile curled at the corners of her lips. ===== CHAPTER 2 =====