Episode 67

In my new body, I walked out of the room.

Slowly, I made my way to the next room and looked down at Evelyn’s body.

Before, even just standing up would leave me drenched in sweat from the effort, but now it wasn’t like that anymore.

I had grown used to this much.

Of course, my gait was still awkward, almost comical. I walked like the Little Mermaid, who had just gained her legs and stumbled clumsily.

“Evelyn?”

I turned my head toward the voice coming from the door that had been left slightly ajar. It was Rosalind, looking as though she hadn’t fully woken up yet.

She tilted her head slightly as she looked at me.

“Not quite perfect… but almost there, huh?”

I tried to raise my voice to respond, only to realize that it was still too early for me to speak.

I nodded slowly.

“Moving around a lot will help.”

In response, I spread my fingers wide, then clenched them into a fist repeatedly, grinning as I did so.

Rosalind smiled as if pleased.

She wasn’t the kind of person who smiled so easily, and it gave me chills down my spine for a moment.

“Nothing beats movement for regaining control. Let’s put that body to work today.”

Huh?

What work?

If it was housework, I had already been doing that. Though, admittedly, not in this body.

Before I could ask, Rosalind disappeared.

Moments later, she returned, holding a store uniform in her hands.

“Put this on.”

Before I could voice my refusal, she shoved the clothes into my hands.

As I stood there in a daze, holding the uniform, Rosalind left the room.

I glanced between the clothes, myself, and Evelyn’s body, sighing as I began to undress.

My eyesight was much worse in this body compared to Evelyn’s.

Squinting, I managed to tell the front from the back of the uniform.

I changed into the clothes and combed my hair, tying it back neatly.

Getting ready in this unfamiliar body took a lot longer than I expected.

Could I really run errands like this?

A vague sense of worry washed over me.

I was about to tell Rosalind that this wouldn’t work, but she seemed to have gone downstairs while I was still getting ready.

With no other choice, I slowly made my way down.

Rosalind was explaining something to the staff when she noticed my presence and turned her head.

The employees glanced at me curiously.

“Start with cleaning.”

Rosalind handed me a duster.

And just like that, I became a day laborer, holding the duster she had thrust into my hands.

With a sigh, I began to clean alongside the other employees.

The employees seemed curious about me, likely due to whatever Rosalind had told them, but no one approached to talk.

Through the shop’s glass windows, I could see the street outside. After spending so much time upstairs, the view felt unfamiliar to me.

After finishing the cleaning, Rosalind handed me a basket.

“Since you can’t speak, I won’t have you dealing with customers. Just walk around and restock.”

I cradled the basket in my arms.

Rosalind did a final check of the products in the shop and then flipped the sign over.

As soon as she did, the first customer walked in.

Ding.

The cheerful sound of the bell rang out.

“Welcome.”

The staff, like well-rehearsed puppets, bowed in unison, their bright and clear voices echoing throughout the shop.

I awkwardly followed suit, bowing as well.

Once the first customer entered, more people began streaming in, and soon, the shop became bustling with activity.

Rosalind worked far harder than I had expected. Even though she planned to sell the shop to the building’s owner soon, she still put in her best effort.

Though I was still clumsy and slow in this body, I steadily helped out wherever I could.

It would have been an ordinary day, if not for Kenneth’s arrival.

He came in that afternoon.

If I could have spoken, I might have cursed aloud.

I widened my eyes, confirming that I wasn’t imagining things.

None of the other staff seemed to recognize the Crown Prince. Though they admired his appearance, there was no sign of the reverence he typically commanded.

And who would suspect that the Crown Prince would be browsing in a women’s perfume shop?

He surveyed the shop slowly.

His gaze eventually landed on me, standing awkwardly nearby.

Kenneth gestured for me to approach.

I almost forgot that I was in a different body and nearly walked over to him as I normally would, asking why he had come all the way here. But instead, I kept my head low like an overly polite employee and approached.

However, before I could reach him, another shop girl stepped in front of me.

Smiling brightly, she tilted her head and said.

“This one is new and still a bit clumsy. If you need help, please let me assist you.”

Kenneth’s eyebrow arched briefly before lowering again.

He didn’t appreciate people disregarding his intentions.

Overly friendly behavior was worse than insufficient service in his eyes.

Kenneth looked at the shop girl with a chillingly indifferent gaze, one that sent shivers down my spine.

Perhaps not wanting to cause a scene, Kenneth turned his body slightly.

But the oblivious girl stepped in front of him again, smiling sweetly.

“Are you looking for something in particular?”

If she was trying to win his favor, she was failing miserably.

Without a word, I ran to inform Rosalind that someone had come to visit.

Rosalind, always quick to sense when something was off, followed me outside.

The moment she saw Kenneth, her expression stiffened.

“Right this way, please.”

She said, bowing deeply as she led him to the guest room.

Kenneth glanced between me and the shop girl, who was still standing by his side with a pretty smile, before nodding toward Rosalind.

“The one who’s only been here a day is far more useful,” he remarked coldly, striding into the guest room.

Rosalind shot a withering glare at the girl, who clearly understood her mistake without needing an explanation.

Rosalind then turned her icy gaze away and followed Kenneth into the room.

“What are you standing there for? Come in and serve some tea,” Rosalind called out, clearly meaning for me to follow.

I trailed behind her.

Kenneth was sitting casually in a chair, leaning slightly to one side.

“Your Imperial…”

Rosalind began to address him, but Kenneth cut her off before she could finish.

“Are you trying to advertise?”

Rosalind sat down in front of him, while Kenneth briefly glanced at me.

“She cannot speak,” Rosalind explained.

“What difference does that make? If she has something to convey, she will find a way,” Kenneth replied.

“She won’t. She’s here because the lady brought her,” Rosalind responded.

At that, Kenneth’s gaze shifted back to me.

Feeling guilty for no reason, I lowered my head.

I was terrified that he might see through me.

“Is she family?” Kenneth asked.

“I wouldn’t know,” Rosalind answered.

A silence fell between them after that, and I could feel his gaze boring into me, making my head tingle.

“If she is truly part of your circle, it would be better for you to deliver this yourself.”

Kenneth handed me a letter before standing up without hesitation.

“That concludes my business here. Make sure some quality items are sent to both the Empress’s palace and the Princess’s residence, to avoid raising suspicions about why I came.”

“As you command,” Rosalind said, bowing deeply.

Without looking back, Kenneth left the room.

Just before he exited the shop, he glanced briefly at the staircase leading upstairs.

But he left without a second thought.

I watched through the shop window as Kenneth disappeared down the street.

I saw someone approach him, engaging him in conversation.

Though they were hooded, the person’s movement caught my attention, and when they turned, I realized who it was.

Ash.

The mage who always accompanied the Crown Prince.

His eyes locked onto mine.

Ash smiled faintly and gave a slight bow in greeting.

What… was that?

Ash’s friendly greeting left me bewildered, as if he were greeting someone familiar.

I glanced behind me, but there was no one else.

Ash had definitely greeted me.

‘Could it be that mages can see the true essence of a person?’ The thought flashed through my mind.

But that couldn’t be. If that were the case, Rosalind would have warned me.

Maybe I had stared at him too obviously. Or perhaps he was just a naturally polite person.

I nodded in return to his greeting.

* * *

The letter Kenneth left behind was from the princess.

Since our parting after the hunting festival, it was the first time she had reached out to me.

But how did she send the letter through the Crown Prince?

Could it be that she knew I was here?

However, as I read the letter, it seemed the princess had no idea I was staying at Rosalind’s house. She appeared to have sent the letter through the perfume shop owner, knowing I visited there frequently.

What was odd, though, was that she could have delivered it herself but instead had Kenneth do it.

The princess was warning me.

Though the details weren’t entirely clear, she cautioned me about recent unusual movements involving the Empress and her brother, Count Duran.

The letter speculated that Igon might be in danger, rather than suggesting I was the target of any threat.

I was surprised.

The princess wasn’t just speaking empty words when she said she’d try to help me.

Even for someone as bold as her, it must have taken considerable courage to share this information about her own mother and uncle.

While I was still immersed in gratitude, looking down at the letter, Rosalind entered the room.

“It’s not from the Crown Prince, is it… the princess?”

“Yes, she sent me a warning about the Empress and Count Duran. She also mentioned that she could send someone to meet with me if I’d like.”

My voice was filled with emotion, clearly reflecting my gratitude.

Rosalind let out a soft chuckle and examined the magic circle in the room.

I could sense a hint of mockery in her laughter, as if she found my naivety amusing.

“You trust people easily.”

“She’s someone worth trusting.”

It wasn’t as though I trusted just anyone.

“And yet you were deceived?”

She was clearly referring to Igon.

I hadn’t told her the full story, so Rosalind didn’t know exactly why I had come here. But it seemed she had pieced together enough from my situation and her keen intuition.

Or perhaps she was referring to the widely known scandal involving Stella, which almost caused a disaster for me.

“You’re naive.”

She muttered, as if feeling sorry for me.

“A long time ago, I was like that too. My stupidity got me cursed and left me like this.”

She twirled her finger next to her head as she spoke, making a circling motion.

I knew well that Rosalind considered the fact she remembered all her past lives and knew her fate to be a curse.

“I was a mage in my first life. I researched immortality with my lover,” Rosalind said as she corrected the magic circle drawn in chalk on the floor.

It was such a sudden confession.

It was the first time Rosalind had ever shared something so personal on her own.

“The magic we’re using now, even the one I gave you, is based on the studies I did back then.”

Come to think of it, the book she had given me showed signs of deep research into immortality magic.

“At that time, magical energy wasn’t as weak as it is now, and both of us were incredibly talented. Eventually, we came up with a plausible magic formula.”

“Then…”

I couldn’t help but gape in astonishment.

I had known Rosalind was extremely knowledgeable about magic, but I hadn’t realized she had once been such a powerful mage.

“Unfortunately, we couldn’t test it due to concerns about side effects. While I was hesitating, he decided to use me to verify the magic. The spell failed, and I met my first death then and there.”

Her story was horrifying, and I couldn’t help but wince.

“After that, I was cursed. Every time I was reborn, I would be born without the ability to use magic, and I would retain all my memories, living as someone who knows everything,” she concluded.