3. Awakening
Lee Juyong, Lee Juyong, Lee Juyong. It’s not like I was the only person named Lee Juyong in Korea. But then again, there was no other Lee Juyong who looked like this, was there?
“I’m telling you, I’m Lee Juyong.”
“No, I’m Lee Juyong.”
“T-then where did you go to school? What’s your mother’s name?”
“Ilgwang Middle School, Baekseol High School, and my mom’s name is Jung Misuk.” The woman rattled off without hesitation.
“What’s your father’s name, and what’s his position at which company?” She then asked me.
“That is…” Confidently holding all sorts of memories from various lives, I opened my mouth to answer.
Huh?
But I couldn’t say anything. Beyond the name Lee Juyong, I couldn’t remember anything else. Olivia, Rebeka, Siani… I had the memories of others, so why couldn’t I remember anything about my own identity?
While I was pondering whether I was really not Lee Juyong then who could I be, the supposed Lee Juyong complimented me.
“But you’re really pretty.”
“…”
“Honestly, I told Mori it wouldn’t work because I knew Siani had a terrible, I mean, bad temper and wouldn’t want to meet…”
That’s when I realized.
“Wow, seeing you in person, I can see why you’d have a bad temper.”
That was definitely a reader’s reaction. The true Lee Juyong, no, the empress, was excited to see me.
“I’m sorry for posting hate comments asking when Siani Felicite would be removed.”
What on earth, this crazy novel…
* * *
After talking, it turned out Lee Juyong was a heavy reader of <Summer Night’s Dance>. Cliché as it was, she woke up here after being hit by a truck.
“If it’s the aftereffects of the magic stone, everyone from the imperial family to the nobility should suffer similarly.”
She complained as if it was unfair only that she suffered so severely from the aftereffects. Ultimately, she argued it was because she wasn’t originally from this world. Thinking about it…
I’ve used magic stones in many lives but never had such symptoms.
While there were aftereffects common among the nobility, none were as severe as skin peeling off.
“Then who am I?”
“Who knows?”
I had been Olivia, Natasha, an empress, and even a monster hunter in past lives. I could recite the personal information of those identities, but nothing came to mind for Lee Juyong. Then, who was my original self among those many characters?
“Big Sis, maybe you’re from here but got confused thinking you’re a reader because your memories got jumbled.” The empress’s eyes sparkled. “Usually, protagonists don’t realize they’re the protagonists!”
That was a gaze full of omniscient reader’s viewpoints.
“But why are you calling me Big Sis? If we go by the age in this world, Siani should be younger.”
“If you’re pretty, you’re the big sis.”
Hmm, that’s true.
“Besides, Big Sis, you said you’ve lived incredibly long in this world. I’ve only been here a short while if you add up my original age and the time here.”
It was hard to argue against that, so I nodded. Anyway, once I step outside, I’ll have to bow my head to others, so what does it matter?
“But how did you end up with Lee Juyong’s face?”
“Exactly. Everyone else changes into beautiful and outstanding faces, so why did I end up with this face… Am I being underestimated because I’m a possessor?”
“But my face kept changing.”
“See, I still have my original face. You’re not a possessor; you’re originally from this world!”
Her argument seemed far-fetched, but it was hard to counter.
“Still, I’m glad someone I can talk to showed up, Big Sis! I’ve only been guilty of spending cash, and suddenly I had a husband and a child.”
She seemed very happy to meet me. But for me…
What happens now?
My goal was to make Siani’s life successful to escape the cycle of possessions and return to the reality where I was Lee Juyong. But if I’m not Lee Juyong, then to whom do I return? If I can’t return to reality, what am I struggling here for?
“If I succeed in this life, to whom do I return?”
“Who knows?”
The empress responded to my rhetorical question as if she was commenting. It really was a ‘who knows’ situation.
This is maddening. I paused to think.
This isn’t right. There’s no need to cling to a life I don’t even remember, worrying whether I’m Lee Juyong or not. If it was only my second or third possession, maybe, but… After living countless times, this shouldn’t shake me. Well, it’ll work out somehow.
“Your skin disease.”
“…Yes?”
“I’ll cure it.”
The Empress, or rather, Lee Juyong, covered her mouth in shock. “Really? How?”
“I’ve developed an antidote as a test subject. Let’s give it a try.”
“Oh, Big Sis, you’re the best…”
“But in return, you too, or rather, Your Majesty the Empress, from now on…”
In the end, the woman before me was the empress of this world, the second highest in power in the Meteora Empire.
“You must assist me.”
So, it’s time for me to gain something too.
* * *
“I will do my best to help you! Fighting!”
With the encouragement of the reader, no, the Empress, I stepped into the corridor and found it was raining.
It’s getting complicated.
As if my mood wasn’t gloomy enough, now it started to rain. While I was staring blankly outside,
“Goddess, hello!” Moriana, who had been playing with the maids while the empress and I talked, appeared again.
This is a trap.
I scrutinized Moriana closely. I had seen her during the kidnapping incident, but this was the first time I looked at her face closely.
“Mother, is yur face all healed?”
“It will be soon.”
“As expected, Goddess is the best! I knew it since yu saved Moriana and smased the monster!” Then, the child ran up and clung to my legs.
“Why am I the Goddess?” I asked, looking at the royal princess.
Isn’t it obvious? In every life, there were beings with such special abilities. Although I didn’t know exactly what the royal princess’s ability was, she couldn’t just be an ordinary child. She speaks too well for her age and even uses magic.
The problem was that Moriana didn’t appear in the original story, so I had no idea what her ability was.
“Because yu’re the Goddess!”
“…Ah.”
Until now, I hadn’t taken those goddess comments seriously. I thought she called me that because she saw me in the magazine. But with this crazy novel and its crazy author, I had to be cautious.
“If I’m the Goddess, then who is Your Royal Highness?” I asked, almost like playing with words. Then,
“I’m a fairi! The strongest fairi!”
…A fairy? And a strong one at that? Well, she did look a bit fairy-like.
I decided not to probe further. If this continues, I might end up being responsible for educating the royal princess.
How long have we been talking? Looking at the clock in the corridor, several hours had passed. The heavy rain made it hard to notice dawn breaking.
“I have been in the imperial palace too long. Please send me back to the corridor of the temple, Fairy.”
It was time to return. I was anxious about whether Redian had woken up or if Aeron had stopped by.
“Yes! Will yu come to play again?”
“Of course.”
Hehe, Moriana smiled roundly and blinked. Suddenly, my view shifted.
See, she’s not an ordinary kid.
* * *
Before I knew it, I was back in the corridor of the temple’s quarters.
Right. Whether I’m Lee Juyong or not isn’t important. I continued to sort my thoughts as I headed to my room.
What matters is surviving. If I survive this life, everything else will sort itself out. There must be a real me waiting somewhere.
“That’s right. As things have turned out, I’ll just focus on this life.”
There’s no point in worrying about the distant future. Even if I plan for a hundred years, death comes in an instant, and if the protagonist’s luck runs out, I’ve experienced losing my head repeatedly. Anyway, if I succeed in this life, whatever happens will be fine.
“Now, then…”
It’s time to strategize about the male protagonist. Redian Hyu Rixon.
Is he sleeping?
Worried he might be awake, I quietly opened the door.
“What? Where is he?”
No one was there. Instead, I realized the room was soaked with rainwater, and the window was open.
Did he escape through there?
Why, all of a sudden?
“Rere, Rere!!”
No, my male protagonist! My lifeline!
I rushed out of the room. The temple and the imperial palace’s geography were unknown to him, so where could he have gone? Especially with the rain pouring down like this, and with his condition…
“Rere?”
“…”
“Rere!”
Wandering through the corridors, I eventually found myself outside the quarters. But all I could see were the lush bushes enveloping the temple.
“…How am I supposed to find him here?”
I muttered as I gazed at the rain-soaked sky. Now I’m even starring in a runaway story with the male protagonist.
Ah, right, the restraint.
Suddenly, I remembered. There was a ring connecting me to Redian so I could summon him here. While I hastily looked down at the ring,
“…Master.”
I heard someone calling me from behind. Without turning around, I knew who it was.
“Redian, what on earth…!”
As I turned and saw him, I was speechless.
“Where have you been?”
“…”
The rain sounded unusually cold, and the wind was chilling. But the blue eyes looking at me in the rain were even colder.
“What are you doing here?”
“I thought you abandoned me.”
“…What?”
His eyes were still red and swollen.
“You said you get bored easily.” His voice was devoid of any emotion.
Redian’s expression was too cold, making me feel strange.
“The hunting competition is over, and since I couldn’t protect myself and got hurt…”
Where did the Redian I called a baby go…
“You’ve decided I’m no longer useful and abandoned me.”
His gaze was so intense it seemed to turn black for a moment. Then, Redian opened his lips again.
“I was looking for you. Master.”
“…”
Pitter-patter. The rain grew fiercer. His silver hair was wet, and water that looked like blood dripped from his body. I stared at Redian blankly.
“I will chase my master even to hell. It’s the nature and instinct of a dog like me.”
At the same time, I remembered that forgotten phrase.
Wait a minute. I’m going to be okay, right?
I dont think your gonna be ok girl…