I wavered, overwhelmed by a shock that made me feel as though all the blood had been drained from my body.
“Your Highness! Are you alright?”
“She seems too shocked by the situation,” The noblewoman said in a panic.
But the voices of Seo Dajong and Yenna continued to whisper mercilessly in my head.
“Yeah.. that’s right. Mom sent me to see how you were faring.”
“Yes, of course. He did send the letter. He also asked me to keep an eye on how you’re doing.”
Over the shoulders of the noblewomen surrounding me, I could see Yenna glaring at me with a pale face.
Overlapping with hers was the face of Seo Dajong.
“Really? Is mom fine? Why isn’t she answering my calls?”
“Mom’s health hasn’t been good. Dad is sick too.”
“T-They must be in the hospital right now. Can I, can I go visit them?”
“They are in the hospital, but their condition is so bad that anyone can’t just visit. It could worsen. The reason I came is not for that…”
“Could I visit His Highness?”
“That wouldn’t be appropriate… He needs rest so he can make a grand entrance at the wedding. You wouldn’t want to make him feel worse.”
Could Yenna really be Seo Dajeong?
***
The last memory I have of Seo Dajong is still vivid in my mind.
The police came to tell me that Seo Dajong had killed our parents, tried to claim the insurance money, and fled.
“If you learn of Seo Dajeong’s whereabouts, please contact us.”
After a brief investigation, the detective handed me his card.
The walk home felt endless and dark. It was as if my feet were sinking deep into desert sand with every step.
Mom died at the hands of Seo Dajong. How could this be?
‘This must be a misunderstanding, right?’
That’s when my phone rang. There was no caller ID. But I answered the phone as if in a trance.
“Jiyu.”
The voice on the other end stopped me in my tracks. It was Seo Dajeong who called me.
“I’m at the building where your dorm is. I’m on the roof because I have nowhere else to wait. Come quickly.”
Before I could even respond, she quickly said what she wanted and hung up.
I stared blankly at the shabby building on the slope ahead of me. After calling the detectives, I went to the rooftop.
“Seo Dajong just called. She said she’s on the roof of our dorm building.”
I received a quick confirmation that they would be on their way and continued up to the roof. I caught my breath and pretended to be calm as I opened the door to the roof.
There she was, Seo Dajong, standing precariously at the edge, leaning against the railing.
“Jiyu. Help me out.”
As soon as she saw me, she spoke bluntly.
“Help you?” I asked in disbelief.
Seo Dajong’s face twisted into a smirk as she saw my expression.
“Did the police come looking for you too? Then you must know how unfair this is for me.”
“Are you saying that you’re being framed?”
“Yeah. It was a real accident. Your mom treated me better than she treated you, so why would I kill her?”
Her words made my heart ache.
She gently pulled me closer and whispered, “The insurance company just doesn’t want to pay, so they’re making up lies. The police are framing me to close the case quickly. Help me out, Jiyu.”
“And what exactly do you want me to do?”
“Don’t you have some money?”
I stared at Seo Dajong’s face, which showed no trace of grief or despair. Her eyes were only filled with the expectation of my response. To her, this was just a game.
And in that moment, I realized-
‘Seo Dajong really did kill my parents.’
Strangely, I felt calm.
I didn’t pity my mother, who had abandoned her own child to keep the family intact, only to be killed by her adopted daughter in the end.
I didn’t fear Seo Dajong, who had killed my parents and was now brazenly standing before me.
I had only one thought: I had to keep Seo Dajong here until the detective arrived.
“I’ll give you money.”
“I knew you would. I need a lot, though. Is that okay?”
At that moment, noise was heard from below. Men were approaching the building.
Seo Dajong glanced down and her face twisted in anger.
“Those are the detectives, aren’t they?”
My heart sank.
Seo Dajong shot me a murderous glare.
“You called them, didn’t you? You piece of tr-sh…!”
She grabbed my arm violently. Before I had time to resist, she shoved me toward the edge of the roof.
“Did you think you’d get away with betraying me? Go join your mom!”
Seo Dajong pushed me off the building.
The overwhelming impact made everything turn blank. And that was the last memory of my previous life.
***
Even as I made my way home, I convinced myself I was trapped in a terrible nightmare.
‘How could something like this happen?’
‘How could Seo Dajong be Yenna? How could she appear before me again? Am I imagining things?’
But no matter how much I tried to deny it, everything I had experienced was real.
I couldn’t just sit in confusion anymore. I had to find out the truth.
***
“Why are you suddenly curious about that?” Todd asked.
The three gods who had greeted me warmly stared at me in astonishment.
“So, you’re asking if it’s possible for someone’s soul to inhabit another person’s body?” Natu asked, mulling over my words.
I nodded.
Aite’s golden eyes gleamed with curiosity, “Why are you suddenly curious about that? Do you want to experience being in someone else’s body?” she asked. Her cheeks were flushed as she indulged in her wild imagination.
I panicked and quickly shook my head, “No, that’s not it…”
As I hesitated, the three pairs of eyes kept staring, making me uncomfortable. I averted my gaze and spoke.
“It feels like someone else’s soul is inside Yenna’s body.”
“Yenna? The Saint of Prache, right? Why would you think that?” Natu asked.
‘Should I tell them the truth? That I had been reincarnated and that the person who killed me in my previous life seemed to be inside Yenna’s body?’
No, if I explain everything, it’ll just complicate things.
“Yenna’s behavior keeps shifting. It’s like multiple people are living inside her,” I said.
Todd seemed to agree.
“Prache has a nasty reputation, so it’s no surprise the Saint would have an unusual personality. If she’s that fickle, it’s natural for Hanelope to think she has a split personality.”
Natu’s reaction, however, was different.
“Forcing another soul into someone’s body… even for a god, that’s a difficult thing to do.”
“So, is it possible?” I asked.
The three gods exchanged glances.
Aite finally spoke, seemingly having made a decision.
“I’m only saying this because it’s you. Yes, it can be done, but it would require the use of ‘forbidden powers.'”
“‘Forbidden powers’?” I echoed.
The term wasn’t unfamiliar. The god I assumed to be Grauser had mentioned something similar.
– “To send you to another world, I need to use ‘forbidden powers.’ It’s a taboo that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Using it would ruin my divine essence.”
Sending someone to another world or forcing a soul into another’s body were both forbidden.
If it’s forbidden, then how did Prache manage to use it?
My confusion must have shown on my face because Aite continued, assuming I hadn’t fully understood.
“When we say ‘forbidden,’ it’s more like a promise between us gods. The first god who created and then passed away made a few rules at the beginning of time to maintain the world’s order.”
“But none of that matters now,” Todd interjected cynically.
“We agreed to punish each other if any of us broke the taboos, but with Prache being the only one not sealed away, who’s going to punish him?”
“Bringing the Saint from another world was a taboo. Even rewinding time and creating a regression cycle— who’s going to stop him?” Natu added.
‘Is regression a forbidden power too?’
Prache had broken every rule they were supposed to follow. It’s like someone leaving the house all to a kid and letting them indulge in mischief they were forbidden to do.
But there was a difference between what these gods were saying and what Grauser had told me.
“You’re saying that even if a god uses forbidden powers, the only consequence is punishment from other gods? Doesn’t their divinity get ruined?” I asked.
“Of course not,” Aite answered.
“Honestly, it would be better if that happened,” Todd said.
The three gods sighed in disappointment.
‘So, what was Grauser talking about?’
In reality, my assumption that the being was Grauser was based entirely on my own speculation.
‘Am I making a mistake? Should I prioritize what Aite said?’
Yet, I couldn’t shake off an uneasy feeling.
‘I wish I could meet that being again and ask.’
Despite the mystery surrounding it, the idea of meeting that presence again didn’t scare me.
In fact, a part of me was even curious to see him again. Either way, I had resolved one of my questions.
‘It is possible to insert a soul into someone else’s body.’
In essence, the forbidden powers could be used without any serious repercussions.
And Yenna is the Saint of Prache. If Prache intervened something like that could easily happen.
‘But why Seo Dajong?’
Why would Prache find Seo Dajong? Could her soul have drifted into this world by coincidence, like mine?
“You don’t look well,” Aite said in a concerned tone.
Todd chimed in, “Of course, she’s upset. The second prince’s wedding to Yenna is just a few days away.”
“You’re not going to be a bridesmaid, right?” Natu asked.
“No. I decided not to.”
“Oh, thank goodness!”
“Good call. Why should you be her bridesmaid?” Todd added.”I couldn’t bear to see Hanelope standing as that Saint’s bridesmaid!” Natu exclaimed.
The three gods breathed loud sighs of relief.
‘But why did none of you oppose it until now?’
“Still, I gave permission for them to use the Grand Temple for the wedding,” I said.
“We’ll be there too. Let’s see what kind of nonsense they try to pull,” Todd said with determination.
“I’m sure there’s a reason they chose the temple as the wedding venue,” Natu added, equally resolute.
Brantley had arranged for the three gods to attend, disguised as staff under the authority of the temple’s administrator.
“Alright, I’ll count on you three,” I replied with a smile.
