/
Someone pulled me into the room.
My eyes, unfamiliar with the darkness, did not recognize the opponent immediately.
Someone clasped me behind my back. The force was strong enough to crush, and it felt somewhat painful rather than making me afraid.
“What—!”
I twisted to free myself from the arms holding me from behind.
‘I’m in trouble. I don’t even have a sword now.’
I was trying to get out by hitting the opponent’s chin with my elbow, but I heard the opponent’s voice in my ear.
“Shh.”
It wasn’t even a word.
Nevertheless, I could soon realize who it was.
“Caesar…?”
Only then did I realize.
This scent that permeated my whole body was definitely his.
‘Oh, but you went the other way from me earlier, didn’t you?’
The question was soon answered.
In the corner of the room, I could see the door leading to the other room was wide open.
It was usually a doorway between the rooms where the servants came in and out. He must have come before me through that door.
‘I’m glad there are no eyewitnesses.’
I stroked Caesar’s arm and thought blankly.
There must be many eyes on the empress’s side in the imperial palace. How bold of Caesar.
‘Well, me too… I’m glad to see you like this.’
We really were helpless people.
At that thought, a bitter laugh came out of my mouth.
“Show me your face.”
At my request, Caesar turned around and faced me.
As I got used to the darkness, I could now see his face. Slightly tousled bangs and sullen red eyes.
He raised his right hand and put it on my cheek. As I had imagined, his fingertips were cold without heat.
Caesar gently stroked my cheek.
His hand gestures, eyes, and trembling lips were heartbreaking. Everything looked far away.
“Have you been well?”
Caesar asked me.
“Mm.”
“Are you eating well?”
“Mm.”
“Are you sleeping well?”
“Of course.”
They were lies.
But if I had been honest, you’d be sad. So I wouldn’t be.
“Me too.”
Look, you lied to me too.
But I didn’t necessarily point it out. I just frowned and smiled.
“I will soon be engaged to Yulika Brande.”
Said Caesar.
It was expected. Even so, the news of my man’s engagement heard through my man’s voice broke my heart.
“But I didn’t give up on anything. I’m going to put everything back.”
Said Caesar.
He meant breaking the engagement.
Caesar put his forehead on mine. His scent permeated my body.
“Wait for me, Helena.”
“Mm.”
“You must wait.”
“Of course.”
“Eat well, sleep well.”
“Don’t worry.”
“Don’t date other men.”
“Alright.”
“Because I won’t give up.”
Caesar hugged me again. with all one’s strength to the point where one could hardly breathe.
“So, Helena, don’t give up on anything.”
Mm.
Mm, of course.
I closed my eyes tightly because I was about to cry.
This is the second life I didn’t ask for. There was nothing I wanted, nothing I wanted to do. Everything was just boring and bothersome.
I finally have something I don’t want to give up.
“I won’t give up. Not on this one.”
Yulika said I have it all, but no. I have nothing but you. I don’t mind losing everything else, but you must come back to me.
You must come back to me.
After the brief meeting, I opened the door again and left the room.
Through the closed door, Caesar was seen standing alone in the darkness.
His expression was heartbreaking. I wanted to go back and kiss him right away.
But the door closed quickly, separating him from me.
‘5 minutes… No, maybe 50 seconds.’
The time I spent with him was ridiculously short.
He quickly filled my heart and vanished in an absurdly instantaneous moment.
‘I can’t even imagine a dream vainer than this.’
All that is left is the void.
Caesar.
You are teaching me so many emotions.
Taking a step back from the door, I endlessly said to myself.
***
Less than a month after I declared that I would not become the crown princess, the imperial family announced the engagement of Yulika and Caesar.
The engagement party invitations, of course, also flew to Peresca.
‘I don’t want to go, really.’
Previously, I didn’t want to go because it was bothersome, but this time I don’t want to go because I don’t want to see them.
The empress would be smiling proudly, and Yulika would be by Caesar’s side. I didn’t want to see them all.
“I can’t believe the day will come when I hate people so passionately.”
I hadn’t even thought of the brothers who had tried to kill me in my previous life like that.
Agoth, who had come into the room to tidy up the tea table, said to me.
“Isn’t it a good thing to have a goal?”
“I think negative goals make people feel sick.”
“You do look very tired.”
Well, I must be.
I increased the amount of training so I wouldn’t think about anything else, but I’ve been losing sleep every night, and I’ve lost my appetite, so I’ve lost my diet…
‘I’m going to disappear at this rate.’
I’m not even a heroine of a tragic story. What is this? I need to get a hold of myself.
“If you don’t mind, why don’t you go out with me tomorrow to refresh yourself?”
“Go out? Where?”
“Actually, Miss Everett, the one I told you before, is taking a day off tomorrow.”
[T/N: I translated it as Mr. before. Apparently, it’s a she. Korean language and their lack of subject… smh]
“The person who has participated in the Draco religion gathering?”
“Yes.”
Oh, right.
I felt like my head was going to explode over my affairs with the empress, so I had completely forgotten about that crazy religious group.
“Okay, make an appointment tomorrow.”
“Yes, I will.”
“Thank you, Agoth. You must have had a lot to worry about.”
I am still going to and from the imperial palace as an instructor.
These days, whenever I encountered court nobles, I felt strange eyes. Still, no one had been able to slander me directly because I was the duke’s daughter.
However, it was different for Agoth. What must have happened to her while waiting for me…
I had also told her not to wait for me and go back, but Agoth refused. She had said it was her job to help me.
“I swore I would be the servant you need. When it comes to doing things for you, I am invincible.”
Agoth said with a smile.
Looking at that expression, I felt like an idiot who had been fretting and nervous all along.
“Right. Then I must become invincible for Agoth.”
You can become stronger no matter how many things you have to protect.
I can be stronger than before.
I learned that by watching Agoth.
For the first time in a very long time, I smiled broadly, feeling refreshed, with not a single irritating feeling left.
***
I met Everett at a restaurant downtown.
Everett was a woman with light brown hair in braids on both sides. Her freckles were all over her cheeks, giving her a cute impression.
At first glance, she was about the same age as Agoth, but she was probably older than that.
“Thank you for coming out, Miss Everett.”
In my greeting, Everett bowed in surprise, looking around with anxious eyes.
“Pardon? Oh no, no! Ugh, I-I’m always eating well and living well thanks to the duchy’s grace!”
“Oh, that— you don’t have to feel so nervous.”
“Yes! Nervous, yes! I’m sorry! I’m so tacky… Uuu, I-I never thought I’d come to such an expensive restaurant…”
I thought I had picked a pretty popular place, but even this was burdensome? What a disaster.
Fortunately, Agoth, sitting next to Everett, tenderly comforted Everett, who was nervous.
“It’s okay, Everett. Our lady is very nice. She is the second kindest person after the young master.”
No matter how much Agoth loved me, I came after Leonard when it came to ‘kind’ person. Well, I admit it.
“Actually, I became interested in Dracoism, but as an aristocrat, I didn’t feel like it’d be good to participate, so I want to ask Miss Everett about it.”
“Ah, yes… I’ve heard from Agoth… To be honest, I’ve only participated a few times to say I’m a believer…”
Maybe she was a little relaxed after talking about business. Everett opened her mouth in a somewhat calm voice.
“Why did you only go there a few times? I guess Miss Everett doesn’t like that religion?”
“I’m a little scared for some reason.”
“Scared?”
I asked, wrinkling my brow. Everett nodded slowly.
“The religious leader does sorcery by saying that it is the power of a dragon. He levitates or teleports things.”
… Of course, magic.
In the eyes of ordinary people, such small tricks might have seemed like sorcery.
‘So they say it’s the power of a dragon? No wonder people are easily attracted to it.’
I could see why that religion spread only to the common people. Nobles would have recognized it as magic at once.
‘Is it just an ordinary heretical religion?’
Mm, no, wait.
In this day and age… Are there any mages left who can use that level of magic?
“Did they plan anything related to monsters there?”
“What? Monsters? No, I don’t think it’s such a grand religion.”
Everett waved her hands with a face in denial.
Are you saying that ‘monsters’ is a grand thing in a religion that even worships a dragon?
‘Everett said she’d only been there a few times, so she might not know.’
If the level of the culprit was high enough to summon and control the monsters, their rank must be high within the sect.
‘It would be good for me to sneak in and find out.’
As I was thinking about it, Agoth asked Everett.
“By the way, did you see the leader performing magic yourself?”
“Mm. I saw it from a distance. I also think he was using something like a device.”
“A piano string?”
“Yeah, something like that.”
“How old is the leader? The head of such an organization is usually an elder.”
When Agoth tilted her head and asked, Everett smiled awkwardly and shook her head.
“No, they were very young.”
… Mm? Young?
This time I asked.
“How old did they look?”
“Pardon? That, well… From a distance, I don’t know for sure, but at most, they looked less than 30 years old.”
So, they’re in their twenties?
Is it possible to create such a large cult in your twenties?
‘No, wait a minute. Hasn’t that religion been around for quite some time?’
It was years ago that I heard about the religion from Hamilton.
So, from what age did that person called the leader have been leading this religion?
“That… the leader, how do they look like?”
“I don’t know because I didn’t look closely… but they were blonde.”
Blonde hair.
Noe was obviously blonde.
“Their name? Do you know the leader’s name?”
“No. Everyone just calls them ‘Leader’.”
Is it too much of a leap to think of Noe here?
There isn’t any connection.
God. Savior. King.
The strange array of words shouted in this religion only coincidentally overlapped with what he had told me.
‘But Draco and I… there must be a connection.’
I was sure, clutching my chest.
I was the one who had sealed the dragon 500 years ago. The religion was most closely related to dragons, and also—
I was the closest person to a dragon.
“Miss Everett. Do you know when that religious meeting will be held again?”
“I heard they will have a meeting in Potts Square at the end of this month….”
“Potts Square is in the lowlands, right? My lady, don’t tell me… you’re not going to go in person, are you?”
Agoth asked, looking at me with ominous eyes.
Instead of saying no, I smiled a little.
Of course, I plan to go see for myself.
To the heart of that monstrous religion.