Riven Palace, though smaller in scale, exuded an exquisite and sophisticated charm, as if a portion of the imperial palace had been gracefully detached.
In some ways, it was even more ornate than the bland Vanessa Palace within the Imperial Palace.
It was built primarily for the royal family to enjoy leisure and recuperate, but they rarely actually stay here.
In the past, it was mostly used as a sanatorium for the sick, so for an imperial family to go there would be akin to acknowledging the precariousness of their political standing, as if their lives were fading away.
But none of that mattered to me. Although I still had the watcher Ian attached to my side, the environment in Riven Palace allowed Theo and me a more comfortable and relaxed atmosphere than the Empress’s palace.
On pleasant days, we would dress casually and stroll along the nearby beach or explore the renowned dessert shops in the bustling district.
Occasionally, I spent my days learning archery or horseback riding from Theo. It was such a precious time that I wish every day could be like today.
Somehow, I felt a little sad that I wouldn’t be as happy in Ios as I am now.
“Since there isn’t much fog today, shall we go fishing?”
Theo, too, seemed to have become more cheerful during his time at Riven Palace. It felt like all the struggles with magic and potions from just a while ago were nothing but a dream.
We gathered our fishing gear and headed out to sea. We rented a small boat from a local fisherman and headed to a spot where we knew there would be plenty of fish for the table. As if he were familiar with the waters, he maneuvered the boat with ease. After a while, he stopped.
“This should be good enough.”
He threaded the bait onto the fishing hook. Watching him, I followed suit, prompted by a sense of familiarity. Then Theo looked at me, a little surprised.
“Usually women are grossed out by the idea of putting live bait on a hook, but you’re better than I thought.”
“I’ve done it a few times when I was younger.”
So, we cast our fishing lines and waited for the fish to bite. Watching the sunlight break on the calm water was soothing.
When I was younger, I used to wonder why adults enjoyed fishing. I couldn’t grasp what was so entertaining about sitting quietly and gazing at the fishing rod.
But now, in this serene and leisurely atmosphere, I realize the joy of such a calming hobby.
I took a deep breath. A gentle breeze blew in, carrying the scent of the ocean with it.
The vast expanse of deep blue ocean wasn’t much different from what I had seen in my past life. It was enough to make me forget that I was in a strange world.
“You said you like the sea.”
Theo, noticing that I was looking at the horizon instead of my fishing line, spoke up.
<Other than that, is there anything else you desire? If this is where you plan to spend the rest of your life, it might be wise to choose more carefully.>
<……The sea.>
<The sea?>
<I’d like it to be surrounded by the sea. An island with a mild climate and emerald coral waters would be nice.>
It seemed he brought up the topic because I mentioned it when we were choosing a place for my settlement.
“When you mentioned spending the rest of my life somewhere, I suddenly remembered the beach I went to with my mom in my previous life. It was truly beautiful. I wanted to stay there for the rest of my life.”
“You don’t want to go back to where you came from?”
Shaking my head lightly, I said, “I don’t really have a reason to, and even if I did go back there, I wouldn’t see anyone I really wanted to see, and… well, it wasn’t a very fulfilling life to go back to.”
There was a hint of pity in Theo’s eyes at my words. I quickly continued with a nonchalant tone.
“The reality we’re facing now isn’t very satisfying either, but I like it here enough to not want to go back to my original world.”
“I’m glad to hear you like it so much.”
“It’s true, because there was one thing I envied most about Lethenia’s life.”
“What is that?”
I looked up at him, smiled widely, and blurted out my honest answer.
“You.”
“…….”
“Even though it’s unfair that you got caught up in this because of me, I don’t regret coming here and meeting you. Even if I had a choice, I would have still come here.”
He stared at me, unable to tell what he was thinking, and then he spoke.
“I feel the same way. There were a lot of things that happened, but I don’t regret coming to Asha.”
The corner of his mouth quirked up slightly.
“I used to hate it here, to the point where I was sick of living, but lately I’ve been wanting to live forever, even if it means finding the elixir of immortality.”
“Really?”
“Well, thanks to someone.”
Theo said it with a clear smile. Before I could ponder his words, the fishing rod bent sharply, creating a strong vibration.
“Huh?”
I nearly lost my grip on the rod as it was jerked away from me with a force that even with all the strength in my hands, I couldn’t counteract.
Theo took the rod from me and skillfully pulled up the catch. I could see the big fish rippling on the surface. I couldn’t help but cheer.
“Wow! I caught it! I caught it!”
Theo burst out laughing as he watched me jump for joy.
━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━
[I came from a different world. Somehow, I was pulled into the body of Lethenia.]
Ian hadn’t been able to do anything since he saw Lethenia’s magic notebook.
Although there were heaps of immediate tasks to tackle, matters related to Lethenia have become the most important for him now.
He began recalling the changes in Lethenia since she woke up from death.
The way she looked, the way she acted, the way she spoke, even the way she thought, was not the Lethenia he knew. Instead, the person who seemed more like Letenia was Rosetin.
‘Could it be that Lethenia’s soul was transferred to Rosetin after what happened that day?’
Ian’s heart raced, even though he knew it was impossible.
He headed straight to the imperial library. It housed all the forbidden books from the time of ancient Xenos, and only the Emperor was allowed to enter. The countless books were stacked three stories high.
Like a madman, he searched for the magical texts on soul transmigration. He spent days locked inside the library.
It was an exhausting task to sift through all of these volumes alone, but he didn’t care. If there was a secret he needed to know, he would find it, no matter what it was.
Then one day he came across a very old book with a title that caught Ian’s eye.
[About the Demon, Demonio: Bond through the Soul.]
With trembling hands, Ian turned to the next page. What it contained was so unbelievable that he wouldn’t be surprised if it was a lie.
[The demon, Demonio, makes a pact through the soul, taking possession of the human body.]
He remembered Lethenia’s recent peculiar behaviors.
He wondered if she was involved with this dangerous black magic. There was one more thing that caught his attention.
[Soul Transference Spell]
And when he read it, he couldn’t help but think of Rosetin. He could see her looking at him with the same sad eyes as Lethenia.
He wondered if it was because of him that Lethenia had thrown everything away and done such a dangerous thing.
There was a knock at the door. Ian opened the library door and saw the chamberlain standing there with a grave expression on his face. He turned to Ian.
“While investigating Mary Carlus, we’ve uncovered facts not known to the public.”
Ian had previously ordered an investigation into Lethenia’s birth mother. He waited silently for the chamberlain’s next words.
He kept his mouth shut to maintain his composure, but he couldn’t hide the way his eyes flickered with anxiety. Finally, the words he never wanted to hear came out of the chamberlain’s mouth.
“Her Majesty the Empress… was not a legitimate child of the Bledel family.”
The chamberlain continued with a troubled expression. During the investigation, they tracked down an attendant of Mary Carlus who had escaped from the duchy and was hiding in a foreign country.
Sophia Renble. She was a maid whom Mary cherished. She briefly took care of young Lethenia after Mary fell ill and died.
She suffered torture while trying to protect Lethenia from the cruelty of the Bledel family.
In a fortunate twist of fate, she managed to escape with the help of the gardener, who was her lover at the time.
“I have brought the maid to the Emperor’s palace.”
At the chamberlain’s words, Ian stormed out of the library in a half-dazed state.
━━━━⊱⋆⊰━━━━
In the dimly lit chamber, a woman in shabby attire awaited him. Fear crept into her eyes as she faced the Emperor.
“Y, Your Majesty the Emperor.”
Sophia stuttered with nervousness and barely managed a curtsy. She felt Ian’s icy gaze on her and shuddered.
At the chamberlain’s nod, Sophia swallowed nervously and proceeded to reveal everything she knew about the Empress.
Starting with the past of Mary Bledel, she unfolded the delicate and precarious relationship of the Bledel couple, which was different from what it seemed on the surface. She also revealed how Lethenia lived after Mary’s death.
During her long narration, there was a moment when Ian’s pupils, which had remained motionless, flickered.
“She was always locked up in the attic on the third floor. There were countless cruel punishments inflicted by Duke Bledel for no reason at all. He cunningly avoided leaving visible scars on her body, fearing that they might be exposed to the outside world. Instead, he committed despicable acts that were too horrifying to witness.”
