Tomorrow I leave the capital. I thought that the Imperial Family wouldnât allow it because of my identity, but the schedule was made easier than I thought.
â I didnât know I could go back this fast.â
It seemed that Lexion and Gregory had come up with a countermeasure. Lexion sent a copy of Gregoryâs power of attorney to the Imperial Family right before Kronos struck. Seeing the document bearing the imperial seal, they chose to preserve their pride. As a result, Gregory was sentenced to be confined in his dormitory for one month, and the Duke of Sparrow was ordered to return to the north as quickly as possible.
That treatment clearly showed their displeasure with Lexionâs presence, who had a strong influence.
The epistle-boasting of his benevolence as a merciful monarch-was full of rhetoric. If we remove all that, the content of the letter could be summed up in a request to get lost immediately.
âIâm going to disappear before you change your mind.â
I never liked the unique demeanor of the Aden royal family, but this time, their humble pride helped. It was fortunate that the Imperial Family considered it would be very dishonorable to go back on their own words.
Thanks to that, Lexion and I were able to go to the north without much fuss.
âTomorrow will be the end of my life in the capitalâŠâ
Thinking about returning to a cozy place was like a resting place for my heart, I felt at peace. Unlike the capital, the northern land was like heaven for my heart. Everyone dreams of living in the capital, but to me, the capital was a place of desolateness. The north, on the other hand, was different. There were a lot of things I liked there.
Snowflakes on the trees when it snows a lot, the cold air that cools the tip of your nose in the morningâŠ
Even the memory of the warm lemon tea Daisy made gave me a sense of nostalgia and longing.
âI want to go quickly.â
As I eagerly anticipated my departure, the book inevitably foretold what was going on behind the scenes.
âThe preview has arrived!
With a cheerful notification sound, the book opened in front of my eyes and the preview unfolded.
<b>[The evil dragonâs thoughts deepened and the beasts began to be affected.]</b>
<b>[Due to the increased number of demons, the roads were blocked and Tiarozettiâs party heading to the north eventually got stuck. Lexion sets out to subdue the beasts to secure the road and have a safe trip. In the meantime, Tiarozzetti stays in the villa and waits for control to be lifted until an unexpected accident occursâŠ]</b>
âAn unexpected accident?â
I questioned the preview that seemed cut off in the middle. To this, the guide answered in a simple tone.
âThe content of the preview has been reduced due to concerns about the travelerâs intervention.
ââŠDonât you think itâs too mean to me?â
âDonât feel too disappointed. I always cheer for travelers.
Smack! I reacted rather harshly to the expected restriction. The book had always been harsh on me, and now this kind of work feels trivial.
âI canât believe I can evaluate this treatment as trivial. Iâm acting as a real traveler now.â
I couldnât help but laugh. In the meantime, my heart became dull as I became swayed by the tyranny of the original plot. After that, I closed the book without looking at it anymore.
With the lights off, I blinked in the darkness. Even when I closed my eyes and opened them, the darkness was still there.
As I lost myself in the abyss that surrounded me, I thought of something.
âI wonât go.â
I remembered what Lexion said while dissuading me. No matter how much I thought about it, his behavior was suspicious. The guide explained that I was the only one who returned from this novel.
I could only think that Lexion was a mere character, so he had no identity, he only acted based on the set value given to him. However, the problem was that his setting value was now flexible. He often deviated from the route. As a result, he was like a rugby ball that didnât know where to bounce. And I was as anxious as a child who dropped it into the water.
The fact that I didnât know what his actions might bring made me nervous.
âWhat the hell are you thinking?â I closed my eyes slowly. I felt that if I kept my eyes open I wouldnât be able to fall asleep.
The surroundings were silent. Being in a quiet place, I could hear a small ring in my ears. I had a lot on my mind.
âIs it up to me to find out whatâs going on with Lexion?â
To be honest, it was unclear whether he was aware of his own variables. Maybe because I knew him before the return, I felt a greater sense of alienation. Even things that could be natural felt awkward.
Anyway, the crack had already begun from the point when I suddenly returned.
Yet IâŠ
âI wish you were still the you from the pastâŠâ
I muttered with my eyes closed. I wished he was the same before my return.
I wished the guideâs words were a lie and he had an identity by himself.
Then I thought I would feel less guilty.
âItâs not like heâs giving me his attention because I became the main character. Itâs not that I took away Seirinâs placeâŠâ I just thought it would be nice if he could look at me completely.
The sleepless night continued until dawn.
<b>Part 6 â Road To The North</b>
Heading north.
Itâs been a while since Lexion and I set out on our journey but we couldnât get too far. It was because the evil dragonâs thoughts grew stronger and the number of demons increased.
Everything was going according to the Preview.
After the attack of the evil dragon in the capital, its thoughts were spreading throughout the Empire. Perhaps because I wounded the evil dragon, it seemed to be more rampant. The dragon is a creature that heals its wounds according to the concentration of malice. I injured its leg, so that must be the reason why it started to spray its thoughts among demons.
âIt ended up like this because I twisted it.â
The roads heading north were controlled one after another. We passed quite a few places, but the roads were repeatedly closed and we wasted several days.
The Hakun area we were heading to was the last accessible road. And according to the preview, even that one would be closed.
I knew everything but pretended not to know and waited in the carriage.
After a while, Theoâs voice was heard outside.
âIt is said that this side is also out of control.â
When I heard his voice, it seemed like he was having a lot of trouble. I put my head close to the window to hear more clearly.
âIs that the only way?â
I could hear Lexionâs calm voice.
âNow heâs going to form a subjugation party.â
This was the last place, so if we wanted to return to the north, he would have to start subjugation anyway. In particular, although Hakun was a little far from the northern provinces, one could arrive fairly quickly if they went through the sea.
Itâs better to turn on the waterway than to take a shortcut now.
I opened the window just in time and poked my head out. Thanks to a new ring, my hair was as black as night. I was hiding my identity because I was afraid I would get caught up in something annoying on my way to the north.
In the capital, rumors about the survivor of the Isol disaster were already among people, so there was nothing wrong with being careful.
âIâm glad my body isnât as fragile as it used to be.â
Before returning, I was dragged around by vicious merchants and suffered a lot of damage so even a bit of movement made me quite exhausted. And if I was overworked, even more so.
However, now that such a process has been omitted, I was on the healthy side, except for my congenital feeble body.
Besides, after using âAstaâ on the evil dragon, my physical condition improved a lot. The joints that used to be sore from torture were already fine.
In this condition, even if I used âEjisâ a little, there would be no strain on my body.
However, even if I talked about this physical improvement, Lexionâs overprotection was not over.
âYou donât need to be overprotective like thisâŠâ
Lexion had always been like that. When he decides to protect someone, he tries to take care of them to the point that itâs too much.
That was why Tiarozetti was indebted to him. Because their first meeting was so extreme that he had no choice but to protect her.
In addition, Isolâs power is a double-edged sword. He knew that if I used my power recklessly, I would lose my life like any other Isol, so he was trying to protect me even more.
âThatâs why I have to stay stillâŠâ
As I opened the window I met Lexionâs eyes and asked carefully.
âAre we stuck here too?â
âYeah. I guess weâll have to stay here today.â
âThe situation seems more serious than I thought.â
âitâs okay. Iâll think of a way. If it doesnât work out, Iâll clear a path in the road.â
Lexionâs tone was soft. When he said that he was going to clear a path, he meant that he would eventually participate in the subjugation himself. At the same time, the Black Knights are also with us, so it wouldnât be much of a job to break through.
âIt seems that the place of the preview is HakunâŠâ
Hakun was famous for its rivers. The river was connected to the sea, so it was an area with a developed port.
We unpacked at an inn with a good view of the Hakun River. Afterward, we headed to the restaurant with an outdoor terrace to dine. It was recommended by the inn manager because of the beautiful scenery.
As we were having a pleasant dinner, a small boy was walking around the table selling accessories made of shells. The restaurant owner didnât really stop the boy. He seemed to condone the childâs pitiful circumstances. The boy came to the table where Lexion and I were sitting and held out the accessories.
âOne for twenty rings! It will go very well with your wifeâs eye color. Itâs handcrafted!â
The boy gallantly offered us the accessories. The necklace in his tiny hand was a seashell the same deep blue as my eyes.
Thanks to the boy calling me his âwifeâ I became conscious of Lexionâs reaction. On the other hand, he accepted the boyâs words with a calm look.
1STKISSNOVEL. DO NOT STEAL MY TRANSLATION!
âYou certainly have a good eye.â
âThank you, my Lord.â
It seemed as if he didnât really care about the boyâs words.
However, Lexionâs next words made my mouth go agape.