I couldn’t remember how I had gotten back home from the duke’s residence.
When Kyle asked me what had happened inside, I couldn’t give him any answers. In fact, I was relieved that nothing seemed to have leaked outside.
As soon as I returned to the grand duchy, I headed straight to the study and pulled out the bundle of letters stored on the bookshelf. It was to piece together the information I had missed before. However, without access to Eloise’s letters, my efforts were incomplete.
The letters were in no particular order, all jumbled up, so it took a long time just to sort them chronologically. After staying holed up in the study until the next morning, I finally managed to deduce a few facts by piecing together the contents.
“Should I call this impressive or absurd?”
First, it seemed Eloise had been planning to disappear somewhere even before exchanging letters with Roger. Coincidentally, an anonymous letter that arrived around that time appeared to have offered her some comfort, and even from the fragmented letters, it was clear the two had grown close rather quickly.
Roger told Eloise, who desperately wanted to escape this reality, about a way to “leave for another place.” She combed the empire thoroughly and eventually succeeded in obtaining a book of sorcery.
Roger must have assumed she would fail… but the real problem was that the sorcery had actually worked.
As a result, Eloise and I had swapped bodies.
Which left Roger Duke in a perplexing situation, as he had been waiting for Eloise’s death.
“So, our first meeting in the imperial city was all premeditated.”
I let out a dry laugh and slapped the letter down onto the desk.
“The next problem is figuring out where Eloise hid that sorcery book.”
Judging by the letters, the book seemed to be hidden somewhere in this study.
“If it’s Eloise, she’d have hidden it in a space she knows well and considers safe.”
Somewhere easy for Eloise to find but hidden from others’ eyes.
Although I lacked concrete clues, since it was a book she frequently looked at, my body might instinctively remember where it was.
“Well, I guess I’ll just have to search.”
After reasoning things through, I started searching around the study.
I walked across the carpet, tapping lightly with my foot, took out suspicious-looking books from the shelves, checked beneath the desk, and even inspected the hidden compartments of the drawers. But I couldn’t find anything resembling the sorcery book.
“Hmm… I guess this method won’t work.”
Frustrated, I sat down in the study’s chair and surveyed the room. My gaze landed on the large chandelier directly in front of me.
“Huh…?”
Now that I thought about it, if it was somewhere Eloise could see from this chair but others couldn’t…
An inexplicable sense of certainty washed over me.
“…This kind of hunch is usually right.”
I pulled out the ladder used for the bookshelves and approached the chandelier.
Climbing to the top of the ladder, I finally saw it.
“…What?”
Hidden by the light, a small object was dangling from the end of the chandelier.
It was a dark-colored leather book.
“…Seriously?”
Had it really been here all this time?
Still in disbelief, I carefully retrieved it and climbed back down. Dust had settled on the cover, proof that it had been there for months.
“I imagined something bigger and heavier for a sorcery book.”
Muttering to myself, I opened the marked page.
It was written in a language close to modern, though not exactly the current vernacular. It wasn’t ancient, so I could roughly decipher it.
“There is a way to overturn the world by binding two souls as a medium. However, the soul of the other party cannot be identified until the spell is cast. If one of the two is absent, the spell may cause mental damage to the caster, or in the worst case, result in death.”
I couldn’t help but grimace.
“What kind of spell is this?”
It essentially said, Try it at your own risk. If it doesn’t work, you die.
“Unbelievable…”
Only now did I fully understand why she called it a “miracle” that we switched bodies.
“But Eloise attempted this? Risking her life? Why?”
This wasn’t mentioned in the original story. In that version, Ian had served her divorce papers.
Since there wasn’t much detail about Eloise, it was hard to say, but perhaps she had given up or failed midway.
Then does that mean my presence here is the anomaly in this story?
As I read further, one particular passage caught my eye.
“The spell can only be maintained for a maximum of one year. If not resolved within that time, it will become irreversible.”
“One year?”
Frowning, I turned the page, but—
“…It’s missing.”
The page detailing how to resolve the spell and the consequences of failing to do so had been torn out.
Whether Eloise had removed it or it was always like this, I had no way of knowing.
As I stared at the empty space, the voices of the old woman and Roger echoed in my head.
“The time hasn’t come yet.”
“You are the anomaly in this, and there isn’t much time left.”
“…”
I slowly raised my head to look out the window, where leaves were falling.
If what they said is true…
Less than half a year remained.
Realizing this hit me like a ton of bricks.
It was completely different from vaguely assuming I’d return someday to knowing the exact time limit.
My hand holding the book fell limply to my side.
Half a year.
If I truly had to settle everything within that time…
Then what?
“…”
What should I do?
❖ ❖ ❖
“…ise.”
“…”
“…Eloise.”
I snapped out of my daze when a voice called me back to reality.
Ian, walking beside me, had his gaze fixed on me.
“Uh… Sorry, what were you saying?”
“Are you feeling unwell?”
“No, I was just lost in thought.”
Shaking my head, I squeezed his interlaced hand tightly.
It had been a few days since I met Roger and discovered the sorcery book in the room.
The weather was nice, and at Ian’s suggestion, we were taking a walk in a park near the Grand Duke’s residence.
Tilting my head slightly, I forced a mechanical smile.
“So, where were we in the conversation?”
“His Majesty wishes to discuss the timing of the announcement regarding the relinquishment of succession rights.”
“Ah, yes, an important discussion. Hmm. When would be a good time?”
I nodded deliberately and looked up at him.
Ian, however, didn’t respond. Instead, he simply stared at me intently.
“…Ian?”
Did I say something nonsensical again?
Feeling puzzled, I called his name. He suddenly reached toward my head, and I felt a tickle near my ear.
It was a cosmos flower. He must have plucked it somewhere and was now tucking it behind my ear.
“What are you doing?”
“I thought this would be more enjoyable than continuing a dull conversation.”
He shrugged playfully.
“You’re beautiful. As always.”
His sudden remark made my cheeks flush, dispelling the daze I’d been in earlier.
Since our mutual confession that day, Ian had been throwing out these unabashedly sweet comments with no warning.
“…Where on earth do you learn things like that?”
“A bright student learns ten things from one lesson.”
“Ha.”
In other words, he was saying it was my fault.
I looked at him, incredulous.
Seeing my expression, Ian silently laughed and leaned in to plant a light kiss on my lips.
“…Ian!”
Startled, I blushed furiously and lightly hit his shoulder.
The person on the receiving end, however, looked as nonchalant as ever.
“Why would you… out here…!”
“Because you’re beautiful.”
“No, even if no one’s around to see—”
“Does it bother you?”
His question, paired with a faintly drooping of his eyebrows, made me pause.
Meeting his deep, azure gaze left me speechless.
Ever since that day, Ian occasionally used his striking looks to disarm me like this. Each time, I found myself at a loss for words.
His face was just too unfairly handsome.
“It’s not that it bothers me, but…”
“Then it’s fine.”
Cutting off my words, Ian chuckled deeply and leaned in again, this time for a deeper kiss.
“Mm.”
The sensation of his lips gently biting mine made me give up pushing him away. Instead, I clung to his coat.
When our mingled breaths grew heavy, Ian finally pulled back, his movements slow and deliberate.
“You’re getting bolder, you know that?”
“Yes.”
He placed a quick peck on my lips and wrapped his arms around my waist.
“And you’re the one who taught me.”
“What? I never—!”
I bit back my retort, knowing he’d likely kiss me again if I argued. Instead, I turned my head away.
‘This man has no idea what’s going on inside me.’
The turmoil I had been trying so hard to suppress resurfaced, stirring my emotions into chaos.
After staring at the ground for a while, I finally called his name softly.
“…Ian.”
“Yes, Eloise?”
“Well, if—just hypothetically speaking…”
What would you do if I had to leave someday?
The unspoken question lodged in my throat, making it hard to breathe.
“…”
“Eloise?”
Ian’s puzzled voice came from above my head.
After several hesitant attempts to speak, I slowly shook my head.
“…It’s nothing.”
Gripping his hand more firmly, I spoke.
“Let’s go.”
❖ ❖ ❖
They say misfortune always comes in waves.
“…What did you just say, Vivi?”
Stunned, I asked again, and Vivi answered clearly with her bright voice.
“Lady Lawrence is returning to the capital.”
Diana was back.
• • •
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