Episode 111

“Father said this before. He said that even though what we intend to do isn’t meant to be, it will eventually be seen as treason.”

“That’s right.”

“Then if things go wrong and we are accused of treason, what will happen?”

“Not only will our family be destroyed, but it will be hard for any of us to survive.”

Listening to my father’s words, I recalled the conversation I had heard in my dream.

‘Only Ian and I survived.’

On the day of Lloydin’s execution, my family had already died, and only Ian and I, who had escaped, survived.

“Ayla.”

“Yes, Father.”

I woke from my brief reverie at my father’s call.

“Why are you asking that all of a sudden?”

Noticing my father’s worried expression, I realized I was frowning without knowing it.

I quickly smoothed my brow and continued the conversation with my father.

“Father, do you remember when I said that I thought my illness was completely cured?”

“Of course, I remember. How could I forget that?”

“I had that dream again recently.”

“What dream? You mean a dream related to your illness? Didn’t you say it was cured?”

My father’s voice grew louder, his face serious.

“Yes, that’s right. But the dream I had this time was completely different from the ones before.”

“Different? How was it different?”

“It was the same up to the point where there were paths everywhere, but it was the first time I’d seen so many countless paths.”

“There were an enormous number of paths?”

“Yes. At that time, I thought my illness had relapsed, so I tried to find a path to wake up from the dream as usual.”

My father stared at me intently, as if urging me to continue.

“So I reached the end of a path, and suddenly something began to unfold before my eyes.”

“What was it?”

This time, unable to just listen quietly, my father asked me impatiently.

“Well… it was just an ordinary dream. A dream that anyone might have.”

“Just a dream?”

“Yes. But the place was the banquet hall in the imperial palace. I enjoyed a banquet in my dream.”

“I sometimes have such dreams too. It’s nothing special.”

“Yes, you’re right. If it’s just a dream, it’s not special at all.”

###

“Ayla, what do you mean? Are you saying that what you dreamed was not just a dream?”

As expected, my father was quick to notice something odd in my words and questioned me immediately.

“Yes. That dream was precisely reenacted at the banquet the next day.”

“Reenacted? What do you mean by that? Explain it in detail.”

“It’s exactly as I said. Father, I’m having prophetic dreams.”

“Prophetic dreams?”

“Yes. Even after that, I had another dream, and the events I saw in the dream unfolded exactly in reality.”

“Prophetic dreams…?”

My father looked at me with a bewildered expression.

“It’s hard to believe, but it’s true. Even I couldn’t believe it at first.”

“It’s not that I don’t believe you. I know you well enough to trust that you wouldn’t make up such nonsense. It’s just that I’m a bit taken aback by something so unexpected.”

My father quickly composed himself and spoke, his previous expression shifting rapidly.

Then he fell silent, seemingly lost in thought.

Understanding his reaction and attitude, I waited quietly for my father to gather his thoughts.

“So…”

After a moment, my father spoke again, his face back to normal as if nothing had happened.

“Have you seen events in the distant future as well?”

“Yes, I have.”

I nodded slowly as I answered.

“Earlier, you asked what would happen if things went wrong. Did you see that event?”

“Yes. That’s right. It was so vivid. So…”

When I was thinking about it alone earlier, I felt calm, but now, telling my father about the situation at that time, emotions welled up inside me.

As my eyes turned red and I bit my lip, my father let out a deep sigh.

“If it’s hard to talk about now, you don’t have to. You can tell me once you’ve calmed down a bit.”

“No, I’ll tell you now. You must know this, Father.”

I managed to calm myself down and continued speaking.

“What I saw in my dream was the Duke’s execution.”

“What? The Duke? You mean Lloydin Blighton, your husband?”

Excitement filled my father’s voice at the mention of Lloydin.

“Yes. It was the day of his execution. And before that, already…”

Unable to finish my sentence, I closed my eyes tightly and swallowed the words I was about to say.

‘No.’

I can’t handle this emotionally.

In the current situation, failing to convey everything properly because it’s hard to talk about is completely unnecessary.

To get my father’s help and solve this together, I had to inform him of everything accurately.

After steadying my mind once more, I opened my eyes with renewed determination.

“Before that, all the people related to the Anaïs family had already been killed. And somehow, I managed to escape.”

“Who told you this?”

“I overheard people around me whispering. And I cowardly hid among them, just watching.”

Even now, thinking about my actions that day, it was still hard to understand.

How could I just watch Lloydin die?

How could I be the only one to survive when my entire family had perished?

How could I be so cowardly as to think of escaping alone? No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t comprehend it.

“Sigh, but still, it’s a relief.”

“Excuse me?”

A relief?

At my father’s sudden and unexpected words, I looked at him with puzzled eyes.

“Ayla, it’s a relief that you at least survived, isn’t it?”

“Father, how can that be a relief? It’s not a relief at all. I, I…!”

Suddenly, overwhelmed with emotion, tears welled up and streamed down my face.

How could it be a relief that I survived? Seeing my father show even a slight sense of relief despite everyone else dying and me being the only one left made it impossible to control my emotions.

“I can’t understand how I could be the only one to survive. Father, I don’t know why I alone survived so cowardly, and I don’t even know what that means.”

My vision blurred as tears filled my eyes.

“Ayla.”

Then my father called me softly, reaching out to gently wipe the tears from my eyes.

“Isn’t it better to be alive than to be dead?”

“Living can be more horrible than dying, Father.”

Living a life tormented by guilt, wondering why I alone survived, and not being able to bring myself to end it would be a living hell.

For a brief moment, I had felt that way.

If Lloydin hadn’t been in front of me when I woke up from the dream, I would have been trapped in that nightmare, writhing in agony for a long time.

“No. As a parent, if any of my children survive, that alone is enough for me. Of course, it would be best if everyone were safe, but sometimes it’s inevitable.”

“Father, I…”

I didn’t fail to understand my father’s words.

If I had heard that someone else in my family had survived instead of me, I would have felt relieved too.

But that was something my mind could only understand logically.

I still didn’t want to experience the sadness, loneliness, and horror of being left alone.

There was a prolonged silence in the study.

Father quietly watched over me while I kept my head down, crying endlessly.

It was only after a long time that I managed to stop crying and regulate my breathing.

“Are you feeling better now?”

As soon as he confirmed that I had calmed down, Father asked in a calm voice.

“Yes, I’m better.”

I replied, adjusting my now subdued voice.

“Good. Then let’s discuss what we should do moving forward.”

I lifted my head to look at my father as his cold and composed voice reached my ears.

In front of me now sat a completely different person from just moments ago.

Father’s eyes gleamed with a sharp and keen determination, holding a strong resolve.

This was not the father I had always known in my daily life.

The man sitting before me now was not just my father as a family member but Richard Anaïs, the head of a prestigious noble family in the empire, an outstanding politician, and a brilliant strategist.