I began flipping through the book urgently. The content had changed from what I read before. It wasn’t just the female lead that had changed. The entire plot had shifted.
“What is this? Why on earth ….” As I kept turning the pages, my frustration grew.
Wasn’t this supposed to be a healing time? Then why show me something like this?
Everything I had experienced so far was written in the book. In other words, it had turned into an entirely new novel.
“Calm down, Ariel. This is an opportunity.” Suppressing my annoyance, I took a few deep breaths.
I had already accepted that the female lead of the book had changed. The changes it brought made the story quite different from the original. It wasn’t the future I knew.
I now had a chance to know the future again. Knowing the future in advance would be a powerful weapon. How thrilling it would be to know what Viscount Kainum was planning ahead of time. And there was someone I absolutely had to check on.
“Please… I hope my brother has changed too…” I whispered my desperate wish into the air and turned to the last page of the book.
[And they lived happily ever after.]
What? Why is the subject like this? And the ending was so anticlimactic. How could it be just one sentence? Well, at least it wasn’t a tragic ending.
A smile, or perhaps a hint of discontent, twitched at the corners of my mouth.
“Is that a good thing?”
The specific developments should be ahead, so I just needed to check. I turned back a page. Then the book slipped from my hands and fell to the floor. It wasn’t because I had anger issues. Anyone would have thrown it in frustration.
“Why is it blank?” My mouth hung open in shock. This isn’t how a prophecy is supposed to work. I stood there, fuming in the dark.
The book continued to sparkle as if beckoning me to read it despite having nothing more to show.
There was nothing else to do in the dark, so…. I slowly walked over and picked up the book again. It wouldn’t have reappeared without a purpose. So, I needed to find that purpose.
I quickly flipped through the pages. Contrary to what I thought, there were still a few lines left in places I expected to be empty.
[In front of the crown prince lay a golden leaf. He smiled as he looked at the one who brought it.]
“Crazy b*stard. How could someone like this be called as crown prince?”
I realized what the golden leaf symbolized. Swearing at the crown prince came naturally.
Thankfully, some of Diana’s evil deeds against me were also outlined.
[Diana stood in front of a dress set up on one side of Veloire, holding a wine glass. With an exaggerated short scream, she staggered. In the end, a dirty, blotchy pattern formed on the once beautiful white dress.]
Good. I’ll memorize it all. I reflected on my earlier anger toward the priest.
Sitting down comfortably, I read through the partially filled book carefully. Although it was a collection of fragments and lacked a clear timeline, there was a lot of useful information. However, after discovering the last phrase, I closed the book quickly.
“W-What is this?”
I rubbed my eyes. My heart raced wildly. The sentence I had just read denied all the achievements I had worked so hard for in one blow.
[The no-confinement pledge. It was torn to pieces before Ariel Mellin’s eyes. Well, it was just nonsense written on paper anyway. The remaining fragments turned to ash as they were consumed by the fire in the fireplace. And the promise of that day….
“Finally, I feel relieved.”
With Kasion’s satisfied laugh, it was broken.]
This meant Kasion had revealed his true nature. It showed that he inherently harbored an obsession with confinement. No matter how hard I struggled, I wouldn’t be able to escape.
“But wait, how is a happy ending even possible? Explain it to me!” Frustrated, I shouted. But there was only empty darkness in response, leaving me feeling more stifled.
I slumped down on the spot. There was no reason to stay here. Finding a way to return seemed like the fastest solution. I had seen everything there was to see, so there was no reason to stay here.
I came here because I fell asleep at the priest’s hands. So now I just needed to wake up from the dream.
…But how do I wake up? My eyes were already open, and I was fully conscious.
“Hey! Priest! What have you done to me?”
I called out the one responsible. Thankfully, a reply came immediately.
-Have you found the answer in your heart?-
“What kind of healing time is this?”
-If not yet, I will grant you more time.-
How unfair.
“I think I’ve gotten it. Indeed, the gods are great.”
Luckily, it seemed my true thoughts weren’t conveyed.
-Then I will wake you up now.-
As soon as he finished speaking, the last beam of light was swallowed by the darkness. Instead, my world regained its light and color.
* * *
I thought I had only slept for a short time, but apparently, I slept through the whole night. After finishing the healing time, the priest threw a few cryptic remarks my way and left.
“Healing begins with the process of knowing yourself. It’s most important to face what is worrying you and what problems you are carrying head-on.”
“Does the healing process sometimes predict the future?”
“Once you know yourself, you will know everything.”
That last statement seemed more fitting for someone who had reached sainthood or the rank of a god.
“So what I saw was just a reflection of my own worries?”
I felt a bit wronged. If it was just simple worries, I wouldn’t have read so intently. My eyes almost fell out.
I unfolded the no-confinement pledge Kasion had given me. Just thinking that this could turn into a worthless scrap of paper made my whole body tremble. The expectations and excitement I had held, different from what I had anticipated, faded a little. I began to resent the gods.
“So what do I do now?”
For now, the most important thing was to hide this from Kasion’s sight. Later, I could take it to the temple without him noticing, get it notarized, and have the priests use their mysterious powers to put some kind of restriction on it to keep it safe, right?
Just then, Serhen suddenly entered the room. “Ariel, you’re going to Veloire with Lire today?”
Startled, I crumpled the parchment.
Serhen gave me a curious look. “Ariel, what is that…?”
Lireania peeked through the door with a curious expression.
“It’s nothing.”
It’s obvious when someone lies for the first time.
“What is it?” Serhen asked again with a hurt expression. His gaze never left the parchment.
That was my mistake. I had folded it in a way that clearly revealed Kasion’s signature.
“Uh, that… Kasion made me a promise.”
“What kind of promise?”
“That’s… personal. Could you pretend you didn’t see it?”
Even if he looked disappointed, there was no helping it. I didn’t want to let anyone know about this.
“Come on, Lord Serhen. Why are you asking about something Lady Ariel clearly wants to keep secret? It must be a love letter.” Lireania had a pleased look on her face.
Did she think I’d die if I wasn’t in love with someone? Or was teasing me just that fun?
“It’s not like that.”
Seeing me almost tear up, Lireania smiled gently.
“Sorry, I’ll stop teasing you.” She apologized and then dragged Serhen out of the room with her.
“This place isn’t safe.”
Kasion is dangerous, but Serhen is no less so. If he saw the contents, he wouldn’t hesitate to challenge Kasion to a duel.
After pondering for a while, I placed the pledge in a jewelry box and locked it. Then I took it to my new hideaway. There were a lot of new secret devices I had installed there.
“This is my secret weapon. It has to stay safe and sound.”
* * *
I went to Veloire with Lireania. Because of the commotion Viscount Kainum caused yesterday, I couldn’t retrieve my dress or Lireania’s. So today, I would personally bring them.
A large number of knights from the marquisate were dispatched for this. I noticed unfamiliar faces among them, possibly knights from the duchy.
“Oh my, the ribbon has changed a bit.”
“Right? It’s more vibrant now.”
“Oh? And more jewels have been added.”
Does a bridesmaid’s dress really need such fancy jewels? It was still modest compared to the wedding dress, though.
Shining blue sapphires and yellow topazes…. For some reason, I was reminded of the brooch Kasion had given me recently. Surely not…. I looked at Lireania suspiciously, but her face remained calm.
“So now we just need to take this, right?”
“Yes, thank you for your help.”
“The wedding is really just around the corner.”
We couldn’t stop smiling as we laughed and chatted. The excitement of a new family and a new home made it impossible to frown. If only there weren’t any uninvited guests.
“Oh my, Lady Mellin, Lady Soler. You’re together again.”
Princess Diana had once again arrived unannounced at Veloire with a servant carrying a beautifully wrapped bottle of wine.
Ah, this… Somehow, I have a bad feeling about this.
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