Volume 1 part 1

Volume 1 part 1

Outside, it was a festival.

The celebration, adorned with flowers, flags, and beautiful fabrics, was dazzling.

Every home and shop displayed banners emblazoned with dragons and heroes. The streets were decorated with flowers, and the people wore splendid clothes.

Everywhere you looked, there was a feast for the eyes.

One generous shop owner offered free alcohol, and others handed out food to passersby. That’s how joyful today’s celebration was.

“Glory to the Four Heroes!”

People clinked their glasses together and shouted.

Songs praising the heroes echoed through the streets.

Storytellers were busy sharing tales of the heroes with children and adults, and in the plaza, a play reenacting their adventure was underway.

“In the maze where we could see no end, we began to lose hope. It felt as if only darkness lay ahead.”

When the actor playing one of the heroes, Feriel, cried out, the audience clenched their hands tightly.

The scene depicted the first trial the heroes faced on their journey to subdue the dragon. It was the trial where the guide led the other heroes deep into the mountains in search of the dragon.

“It was then! A radiant star showed us the way—it was the path to Akteil!”

The actor’s hopeful line drew cheers from the audience, who had been watching with bated breath. The music swelled, and the sounds of laughter and joy filled the capital.

Everyone in the capital was rejoicing that Akteil had once again been put to sleep.

Everyone except me.

“…Lady Cornelia.”

At the sound of the maid’s voice calling me, I slowly opened my eyes and closed them again. Unlike the festive cheer outside, the east annex of Duke Astolphe’s estate was quiet.

“The heroes… aren’t coming, are they?”

At my words, the maid bit her lip anxiously. It wasn’t her fault. I thought so as I lowered my gaze from her face.

“Grandmother. Looks like it’s just the two of us. The others won’t be coming.”

I said as I ran my hand over the coffin beside me. Inside lay my grandmother, who had still been breathing just yesterday.

My brave grandmother, who raised me and helped the other four heroes, now lay in a deep sleep within this coffin.

“Grandmother.”

As I bowed my head, the black veil over my face swayed. Calling her name, I leaned my head against the coffin.

Maybe if I stayed like this, I’d hear her heartbeat. Maybe she’d open her eyes and smile at me again.

Wasn’t she always the kind grandmother who answered even when I called her in her sleep?

“Shall we go back to our hometown? Two years in the capital should be enough, right? It’s too harsh here… it’s not a place for us to live.”

I imagined hearing her protest—saying she hadn’t yet tasted all the food she wanted. Her usual cute grumble.

My greedy grandmother. I smiled faintly.

Just then, the door opened and a man entered the room.

In a crisp white uniform and red cloak, unruffled as always, stood Duke Devaron Astolphe—one of the Four Heroes and the owner of the mansion where I stayed.

“Cornelia.”

His voice was one I had once longed to hear, now I wished I didn’t have to.

But I couldn’t ignore him, so I forced myself to look up at him.

His face, sharp and refined as if painted with bold lines. His deep-set eyes and piercing blue gaze.

Even now, I hated myself for feeling a flicker of joy upon seeing him.

His eyes landed on the coffin I held in my arms.

“…I’m late.”

“Yes, you’re late. Grandmother has already gone to be with god.”

As soon as I spoke, I turned my head away, avoiding his gaze.

I was grateful for the veil hiding my face and hated myself for still sneaking glances at him.

Devaron’s face remained unreadable. No shock, no sorrow. Just silence.

A person—my grandmother—had died, and yet none of the expected words came out of his mouth. Not even those he owed me.

I bit my lower lip hard. In the end, must I even ask about this myself?

“Can you tell me why you were late? I told the butler days ago that Grandmother was gravely ill. You could’ve at least been here for her final moments…”

“I was summoned away by an urgent order from His Majesty. Didn’t the butler inform you?”

His cold voice was as sharp as a blade. If a voice could cut, his would have carved my heart out.

I steadied my trembling voice and continued.

“He did. But Grandmother still wanted to see you until the end…”

“Besides, today is the Festival of Akteil. All heroes were required to attend the imperial celebration.”

He cut me off like my words didn’t even matter. Bitterness spread in my mouth.

All the heroes, huh. The Emperor, the heroes, they’re all liars. My fingers clenched my skirt, the bones of my hand jutting out in frailty.

“I’m a hero too, but I didn’t get an invitation.”

“…You agreed to that, didn’t you?”

“Yes. I did.”

I murmured, then slowly stood up. Maybe it was the exhaustion from not eating or sleeping properly for days—my vision blurred and I swayed.

But Devaron made no move to help me. He just watched, without reaching out or stepping in.

Instead, his brow furrowed as if the sight of me disgusted him, and he stepped back.

I took it all in.

“Lady Cornelia! Are you alright?”

The maid, Bell, who had been standing behind him, rushed forward and supported me. Thanks to her, I didn’t fall.

I barely nodded in response to her worried question.

Will he not even offer me his hand anymore? Tears blurred my sight.

I remembered the journey to Akteil. How he would run to steady me at the slightest stumble. His strong hands, the safety of his embrace.

‘Are you okay?’

And the eyes and voice that had truly worried about me came rushing back.

But when I looked up, the man from those memories was gone. Only Devaron, cold and distant, stood before me now.

Clutching Bell’s hand, I slowly stepped toward Devaron. This time, thankfully, he didn’t step back.

“…Once everything’s ready, I plan to return to our hometown.”

I looked up at him. His cold blue eyes met mine through the black veil.

What thoughts were buried in those deep, sunken eyes? It certainly wasn’t grief for Grandmother’s death.

I don’t understand you, Devaron. I thought I did, but I don’t.

“She left a will. She said she wanted to be buried near our old home. I’d like to honor that, at least…”

“I see. I’ll send some knights with you. Safe travels.”

“…Thanks.”

A silence stretched between us after my reply. The kind that felt like it would never end… until he broke it.

“Is that all you needed?”

His tone said he was ready to leave. That he no longer wanted to stay here.

Even though the woman who once helped you had died…

I almost said it, but bit my lip and held the words back.

When I nodded silently, he brushed back his dark hair and spoke in a detached voice.

“I’ll ensure you have all you need. And… may the departed rest in peace. We may not have come, but everyone prayed for her soul.”

With that, he turned and left the room.

I stared at his retreating back and murmured blankly.

“I don’t need it. Your prayers mean nothing to me.”

Tears rolled down my cheeks and dropped from my chin as I bit my lip so hard it nearly bled.

A song celebrating the Four Heroes rode in on the wind, its brightness almost cruel. My chest tightened.

Without realizing, I shook my head.

No.

There weren’t just four heroes.

“…There were five. I was a hero too.”

I helped put the dragon to sleep. I guided the lost heroes. I gave my strength too.

But that didn’t matter. Because I was a commoner—I couldn’t stand among them. All my deeds… were claimed by them.

The sobs I had been holding in burst out, and I collapsed. Bell caught me in panic, but my eyes remained fixed on the shadow of him.

I should’ve told him, as he turned his back to me.

That I won’t return to the capital. That I won’t come back to this mansion.

That I’ll never see him again.

But he wouldn’t care…

I smiled bitterly through my tears.

What if I hadn’t helped them out of guilt? What if I hadn’t loved you?

If I hadn’t stayed in this mansion, Grandmother wouldn’t have died in this unfamiliar place.

She would’ve closed her eyes peacefully, surrounded by nature and familiar villagers.

At least in her final moments, she wouldn’t have been shackled by worry for me.

I regret it…

Helping you. Loving you. Believing in you until the end.

I regret every choice I made.

‘My dear.’

My grandmother’s final words echoed in my ears. I remembered her dry hand brushing my cheek.

‘My dear, emotions you cannot handle are poison.’

Yes, Grandmother. This is poison. It’s killing me.

I laughed out loud. Strangely, my laughter was mixed with tears. Why, then, did I feel so relieved?

I could feel Bell watching me with pity—but I didn’t care.

I was someone who would be leaving soon, after all.

Goodbye, my comrade. My love.

I’ll leave you to live.

And I’ll never come back.

‘…Because one regret is enough.’

***

The first time I felt déjà vu was when I was around ten years old.

To be precise, it was when Aunt Maji, the storyteller of our village, spoke about a dragon who had once been the guardian of the Empire but had succumbed to madness and fallen.

When I first heard the dragon’s name, Akteil, my head tilted instinctively. It was a name I was supposedly hearing for the first time, yet it felt strangely familiar. And the question I asked so casually was enough to fluster Aunt Maji.

‘Oh my, Cornelia. Granny Hibi must have told you first. All right, then I’ll tell you a different story today. A long time ago…’

Starting with the name Akteil, I slowly came to realize—through dreams and moments of déjà vu—that I had reincarnated into the world of a book I had read in a past life.

Otherwise, those faint remnants of memory, like recalling a book I had read long ago, would make no sense.

‘Still… there’s nothing particularly special about it.’

I had lived here all my life, and this was my reality now. To be honest, I remembered almost nothing from my past life anyway.

And since that was the case, the content of the book didn’t really come back to me either.

But wouldn’t it be nice to know? Hoping for a chance at sudden fortune, I desperately tried to recall the book’s contents…

[A dragon awakens from slumber, heroes put it back to sleep. A tale of adventure, friendship, and love…? Wait, was there love? The dragon goes ‘Roooaaaar.’]

‘…’

That was all I could vaguely remember. I pushed the paper aside and shook my head.

I was doomed. This wasn’t it. Forget sudden fortune—I couldn’t even tell what was coming next.

What was I supposed to do with “the dragon goes Roooaaaar”? It wasn’t like I was going to fight the dragon.

‘Still, I might get to see the heroes.’

Akteil’s lair was hidden deep in the Logan Mountains.

To get to the Logan Mountains, one had to pass through the Granden Forest—and our village was the last stop before the forest.

In other words, anyone heading to the Logan Mountains had to pass through our village.

I couldn’t remember the heroes’ names properly, but I did remember one thing: they were very handsome.

I started to wonder: just how handsome were they? 

After all, weren’t all protagonists in books good-looking? That was basically a requirement.

‘Maybe I should give them flowers.’

Then perhaps they’d remember me as “Village Girl #1.”

I smiled in anticipation. It should be fine to hand them flowers and then brag about it to the other villagers.

Since I was just a commoner, there wasn’t much else I could do to help them. That small role seemed just right for me.

And so, just as I remembered, Akteil eventually awoke. And I, representing our village, handed a bouquet of flowers to the heroes when they arrived.

That’s where I should have stopped. I shouldn’t have gone beyond the role of ‘the girl who gave flowers to the heroes.’

⋆⋆⋆

“Lady Cornelia.”

The voice calling me brought me back from the flood of memories. I blinked slowly.

When I looked up, a priest with a concerned face was standing before me.

“Are you all right?”

He must’ve noticed I hadn’t responded for a while; his voice was cautious. I quickly nodded.

“Yes, just… a little tired, I guess.”

“I see. That makes sense, considering everything you’ve been through.”

The priest nodded understandingly and extended his hand to help me stand.

I smiled faintly at his small kindness. Why couldn’t he just be this considerate all the time?

Once I was on my feet, the priest smiled warmly and pointed down the corridor. At the far end, a white door came into view.

“This room here. Everything is ready. If you could just confirm a few things… Oh, and we’ve just received a lovely new tea, too. Please try some. The aroma is soothing and it helps calm the nerves.”

“Thank you, Father.”

As we chatted lightly, I walked alongside him down the temple corridor.

In my heart, I wanted to take my grandmother and return to my hometown immediately. But minor issues kept holding me back.

After hearing what Devaron had said, the butler insisted he would handle everything, but I refused.

If you’re going to offer help, maybe work on your cold stare first.

The butler’s eyes were as frosty as ever. Well, maybe slightly less so. He did smile, a bit, when he first heard I was leaving.

That was the first smile I’d seen from him since my grandmother and I came to the Astolphe duchy.

“Is that the commoner who guided the heroes and now leeches off the duke’s estate? She’s more decent-looking than I expected.”

“Shh!”

A sharp whisper suddenly reached my ears.

The priest must’ve heard the loud remark too, because he turned in surprise. Two men hurriedly walked past us.

“Lord Simon, your voice was too loud!” someone scolded, but even in that rebuke, I could hear the glee in their tone.

The laughter of the retreating men faded into the distance.

“Are you… all right?”

“It’s true, after all.”

I gave a small smile and nodded in response to the priest’s cautious question.

He scratched his head and turned away, seemingly out of things to say.

Yes, it was true. What those men had said was the accepted truth.

My grandmother, who had long suffered from chronic illness, collapsed on the cold floor the very day I returned after sealing the dragon.

I learned far too late that her condition had worsened as soon as I left on my journey.

The villagers had cared for her, but it should have been me by her side—her only family.

If only I hadn’t gone.

I bit my lip.

The villagers and a doctor from the neighboring town said it was simply the natural progression of aging. They told me it wasn’t my fault.

But those kind words didn’t absolve me. If anything, they only deepened my guilt.

Had I been there, maybe I could’ve delayed the worsening of her condition.

No… maybe it wouldn’t have gotten worse at all. Maybe she could have lived on peacefully, if only I’d been more careful.

Not long after, the Emperor issued an order: to remove me from the hero registry. And the others agreed.

I stared at them in shock, but no one met my eyes. Then, I received a letter.

A letter stating agreement with my removal, sent by Devaron, who had gone to the capital ahead of us.

Resistance… was futile. I was just a commoner, up against the Emperor and the high nobility.

Thus, the five heroes became four again.

But my existence couldn’t be erased entirely. The heroes introduced me as the girl who guided them when they were lost in the forest.

And so, for that one act of kindness, I was branded an ungrateful commoner who dragged her sick grandmother to leech off the Astolphe duchy.

Still, I had one small comfort.

‘Come live at my estate, Cornelia.’

Because you were the one who reached out your hand first.

I trusted you, whose feelings had clearly once aligned with mine—even if it was never said aloud.

I convinced myself that you had your reasons for nodding along to my dismissal. That you must have.

So I took your hand, Devaron.

It was a foolish decision.

‘That was the end, wasn’t it.’

After arriving in the capital, the heroes—Devaron included—were showered with extravagant celebrations, speeches, and honors that would have required more than one body to endure. In contrast, all I received were accusing glares and harsh words.

A festival named after the dragon, Akteil, was established, and the four heroes had their images emblazoned on banners that adorned the skies.

Meanwhile, my name was dragged through the mud and became the subject of ridicule.

Still, I couldn’t ask for help.

Even the people of the Astolphe ducal house, who might have helped, treated me and my grandmother coldly, believing the rumors. And Devaron, who could have cleared things up, merely said one thing to the butler and servants:

‘There were circumstances. Treat her well as our guest.’

It was the perfect statement to be misunderstood. After bringing me there, Devaron, following the emperor’s command—or perhaps his own will—frequently left the mansion. Subsequently, I became increasingly isolated.

All I could do was pretend to smile in front of my grandmother and desperately try to grasp even the hem of Devaron’s cloak, someone I hadn’t even seen since arriving.

‘…The duke won’t be coming again today?’

‘Yes, His Majesty the Emperor has summoned him to bestow an honor.’

‘I see. Then… Could I ask you to pass along a message?’

At my request, the butler narrowed his eyes. I understood what that look meant and turned my head to avoid his gaze.

‘My grandmother, Hibi… She wishes to see the duke. Please, just tell him that.’

Did the butler pass along the message? Or did he ignore it?

To this day, I don’t know. Devaron never came to see my grandmother.

‘Dear, why haven’t the others come to visit?’

At first, when we arrived in the capital and she was still unaware of the situation, my grandmother had wanted to see all the heroes.

But not a single one came to visit.

Months passed, and my grandmother never again mentioned any of their names.

Instead, she would simply say how wonderful the capital was, with all its delicious food and things to see.

She must have realized the truth.

‘I should leave.’

There was no longer any reason to stay in a capital without her. I wanted to erase all traces of myself and my grandmother from this place and leave.

At that moment…

“Cornelia.”

Someone suddenly grabbed my shoulder and turned me around. I had been watching the priest’s back, but now my eyes met those of a knight.

Embroidered on his cloak was the red rose insignia I knew so well.

“Lord Leonif has summoned you. Come with us immediately.”

It was a call from one of the four heroes—an old comrade.

***

Originally, there were four heroes personally chosen by the Emperor.

Devaron Astolphe, a swordmaster and a duke. Leonif Kaits, the second-in-command and a Marquis. Rose Clair, second daughter of a famous archery family. And Feriel Tevius, a guide and mage.

Each of them was talented, of noble birth, and possessed stunning beauty.

The emperor looked down at these carefully selected gems with a smile. 

These gems, who would subdue Akteil, would be remembered as his greatest achievement. He believed he would go down in history as the most radiant emperor.

And with the brilliance of these gems, he would mask his own flaws.

But then, among those dazzling jewels, a single dull stone appeared. A stone that had never been part of the emperor’s plan.

***

Dragged along by a gruff knight, I ended up in the drawing room of the Kaits marquisate.

In the lavish drawing room, where the host had yet to appear, I silently stared at my now-cold teacup.

“Shall I pour you a fresh cup?”

The maid’s timid question was met with a shake of my head. The tea would surely go cold again before Leonif arrived.

“The young marquis was detained by some matters and will be a bit late. Please wait just a little longer.”

As she spoke, the maid cautiously watched my expression. I smiled to reassure her, though I probably didn’t look too well.

Of course not. I’d been dragged here with urgent documents still wet with ink, and now I’d been left alone for over two hours.

‘I don’t know what’s going on, but I want to go home.’

I just wanted to return and finish what I had to do, and then leave this capital behind. That was all I could think about. What was next on my list again?

I had to start preparing to return to Yorkven Village. My thoughts tangled, and my head felt heavy.

Just when I had finally grown tired of waiting and asked the maid for a fresh cup, the master of the mansion appeared.

Leonif Kaits appeared, with his curly cream-colored hair reminiscent of sheep, deep gray eyes.

Two years had passed since Akteil was subdued, yet he walked into the drawing room just as lively as he had back then.

“Cornelia!”

“…Leonif.”

“Sorry, did you wait long? My father suddenly called me in.”

As always, he smiled brightly and sat across from me.

The maid returned with tea and naturally poured him a cup too.

Dressed in the pristine uniform of a hero, Leonif smiled and offered me a cup.

“Try it. Oh wait, you probably already have. How is it? These are the finest tea leaves from Leah. The aroma is lovely. Calms your body and mind. My mother’s been drinking it often lately.”

Leonif closed his eyes as if savoring the scent. His calm and relaxed demeanor made me frown.

I had no idea why I’d been summoned and I hadn’t even touched the tea. Staring at him, I finally spoke.

“What’s this about? I want to go home. As you know, I have a lot to do.”

“Cornelia! My friend. Don’t be in such a rush. There are still more people who need to come.”

People? Who else had he called? 

Before I could ask, the drawing room doors flung open and several people walked in.

They were the heroes.

“See? They’re already here.” 

“Sorry, we are late. It’s been so long, Cornelia!”

The woman who entered first rushed to hug me, and a sweet scent wafted past my nose.

It was Feriel, one of the heroes and the guide.

Behind her came Rose. All three of them wore the same white uniforms Devaron used to wear.

My gaze naturally drifted over my old comrades.

‘Come to think of it…’

Was this the first time I’d seen all their faces since coming to the capital?

No, there was that one time.

That day when I went out to buy the food my grandmother had wanted—hadn’t we run into each other on the street?

While piecing the memory together, I found myself glancing unconsciously toward the still-open door, searching for Devaron.

Maybe he hadn’t arrived yet. Maybe he’d walk in any moment now.

Since Leonif had summoned all the heroes, Devaron should be here too. But to my disappointment, as soon as Rose sat on the long sofa, the maid closed the door.

Hello dear readers!

This novel has 4 volume, each will be divided into 10 parts, making the total number of chapters 40. I think the side stories are separate though, but we will talk about that when we reach there.

See you next chap~