Chapter 81
It was definitely a dream. No, it had to be a dream, otherwise, it made no sense.
Raylenne blinked rapidly and stared at the woman standing before her.
“You…”
Looking at a face identical to hers felt like gazing into a mirror. The woman met Raylenne’s eyes and spoke.
“Raylenne.”
Her long fingers pointed towards Raylenne.
“I am the original owner of this body.”
Raylenne’s eyes widened.
‘The original owner of this body…?’
This woman, who looked exactly like her, was the original Raylenne from the story. Even knowing it was a dream, the shock didn’t dissipate easily.
In contrast, the original Raylenne showed no sign of surprise at all.
“You might be surprised, but I was already dead the day you entered my body, and this is the only way I can meet you.”
The original Raylenne appeared completely indifferent.
To speak so casually about being dead, how much must one’s heart have been worn out?
There was something more concerning.
‘So, she really died the day I came into this body…’
The original Raylenne had indeed been assassinated and died that day. Her death coincided with the moment Raylenne entered this body.
As Raylenne pondered this seriously, she remembered that she was in a dream. In a dream, the words of the original Raylenne were merely a projection of her own thoughts. There was no need to take this conversation seriously.
Just as Raylenne was about to dismiss the absurdity of the situation, the original Raylenne spoke up again.
“I have a favor to ask you.”
If someone suddenly asked for a favor in this bizarre situation, it would be a lie to say she wasn’t caught off guard. Still, Raylenne wanted to hear her out. Whether it was because she knew it was just a dream or because the original Raylenne’s emotionless expression seemed bitter, she wasn’t sure.
“What is it?”
The original Raylenne briefly lowered her gaze and murmured softly.
“Mother…”
“Your… mother? You mean the late Duchess?”
The original Raylenne nodded.
“For a long time, no, my entire life, I lived in the guilt that I caused my mother’s death. It was a hellish existence.”
“…”
“But one day, I found a diary hidden behind my mother’s wardrobe.”
A diary.
Raylenne remembered the journal the Duke had mentioned.
‘I saw it in my memory too.’
Of course, the contents were blurred.
“In my mother’s diary, there were stories I had never known. Reading it, I realized that perhaps my mother’s illness was due to someone else’s schemes.”
“…”
“Although my actions might have been the final cause of her death, I wanted to know if there was someone threatening her before that.”
Raylenne’s mouth fell open weakly. Even though it was a dream, she couldn’t help but be shocked.
The original Raylenne’s mother, Nadia, had been sick because of someone’s plot?
“I want you to find out the truth for me.”
“…How?”
“If you read my mother’s diary, you might find a clue.”
“Where is the diary?”
“In my mother’s shrine, behind her portrait. I hid it there.”
The location was quite specific. Raylenne began to doubt if this was really a dream.
Then the original Raylenne spoke again.
“Finding the truth about my mother’s death will also help you.”
“What do you mean…”
“You can use the contents of the diary to make a deal with my brother. He is sure to be interested in what it says.”
“…”
“No need to hesitate. You need to save your wild dog, don’t you?”
Wild dog…?
Raylenne instantly thought of Aiden. She had once compared Aiden to a wild dog when talking to Janie. But using the diary to make a deal with Caverion…
It was hard to understand, but seeing the anxious expression on the original Raylenne’s face, Raylenne couldn’t help but feel sympathy.
‘Fine, it’s just a dream anyway.’
Raylenne finally nodded.
“Alright.”
For the first time, the original Raylenne’s lips curled into a faint smile. It was the first time she showed any emotion during their conversation.
Watching the original Raylenne, Raylenne suddenly felt curious.
The original Raylenne had spent a long time bedridden, and one day she closed her eyes forever. She had been utterly alone in that moment. If she had died that way, no one would have mourned her deeply.
Did she have any regrets about her life?
Raylenne hesitated before speaking.
“Aren’t you… sad about dying?”
The original Raylenne’s eyes lowered slightly.
“Not at all.”
The answer was unexpected.
“I’m actually glad that I died and you took over my body. Before I died, I prayed for someone braver than me to come and accomplish what I couldn’t.”
Could her desperate prayer have reached beyond the book? It had happened just as she wished.
The original Raylenne suddenly looked up sharply.
“I never told anyone this, but… I knew my death wasn’t natural.”
Raylenne couldn’t help but be shocked.
“What…? Then why didn’t you do anything?”
“There was nothing I could do. By the time I realized the truth, my body and mind were too withered to take any action.”
The original Raylenne spoke about her death as if it were someone else’s matter, appearing indifferent, as if she had lost all expression and emotion.
Her frozen eyes slowly moved to look at Raylenne.
“If you uncover the truth about my mother’s death… you might also find the answers to your own questions.”
My own questions…?
Raylenne wanted to ask more, but the original Raylenne’s expression suddenly became alert. She looked around and waved her hand.
“Someone’s coming. You need to go back now.”
With those words, everything went dark.
“Miss, are you alright?”
Janie’s voice came through. Only then did Raylenne realize her body was being shaken.
Through her blurry vision, she saw Janie’s worried face. Raylenne sat up, realizing her clothes were soaked.
“Oh my, you were sweating so much in your sleep. I was so worried you might be sick again.”
“…”
“Tomorrow is the late Duchess’s death anniversary, so it must be especially hard for you.”
Despite Janie’s concern, Raylenne had almost forgotten that tomorrow was Nadia’s death anniversary.
‘Tomorrow…’
Just then, Janie spoke while looking at Raylenne.
“You should take a bath first. If you stay like this, you’ll catch a cold. It’s colder than usual with all the rain lately.”
“…Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
Janie smiled brightly before disappearing into the bathroom.
Left alone, Raylenne ran her hand through her hair.
‘What a strange dream.’
Having the original Raylenne appear in her dream was bizarre. Perhaps she had been thinking about her too much recently.
The strangest part was how vividly she remembered the dream’s content.
Dreams usually left only a few disjointed scenes, but she remembered the entire conversation as if she had just spoken to her. The location of the journal, her request…
Outside, rain was still falling.
Raylenne felt a chill and wrapped herself in her blanket.
* * *
The next day.
From the morning, the castle was bustling. Priests in white robes moved around the castle, and the servants were busy with their tasks.
Raylenne was no exception.
She woke up early and tidied herself. She combed her hair neatly and put on a simple black dress without any decorations.
“It looks like the ceremony will start soon.”
Janie said, and Raylenne nodded, heading outside.
The place was in front of the Duchess’s shrine.
Everyone was holding umbrellas, making the crowd seem even larger. The faces visible through the rain were somber.
Raylenne quietly walked over and stood beside Caverion. She felt awkward because of the previous day’s events.
It was the first time she had such a conflict with Caverion.
“You’re here.”
When Caverion spoke, Raylenne nodded slightly.
It wasn’t that she held any lingering resentment towards Caverion because of Aiden; she just wasn’t in a good mood today.
Whether she had somehow been influenced by the original Raylenne from the story or the magic of the late Duchess, it felt like it was raining in her heart as well.
A priest came forward and recited a prayer.
The solemn voice mixed with the sound of raindrops hitting the ground.
Raylenne’s gaze landed on the portrait of the Duchess in the shrine.
[Where is the diary?]
[In my mother’s shrine, behind the portrait. I hid it there.]
Why did she have to remember the dream now?
As she stared at the portrait of the Duchess, the ceremony ended before she knew it.
An elderly man with a straight back walked past her field of vision. The man approached Duke Ergen.
The old man patted Duke Ergen’s shoulder.
“You’ve been through a lot. It’s been quite some time since Nadia passed, yet you hold this memorial every year.”
Duke Ergen replied firmly.
“It’s something I must do.”
“There’s nothing you must do. I’m just grateful to you for loving our Nadia so much all this time.”
The old man glanced at the portrait briefly, then turned to Duke Ergen.
“It’s sad, but you can let go of our Nadia now. You can’t be alone forever.”
Duke Ergen smiled bitterly and shook his head.
“I’m not ready to take someone else as my wife.”
The old man sighed deeply.
“If that’s how you feel, so be it, but it pains my heart.”
To an outsider, their conversation might have sounded truly sorrowful, but knowing the truth about the Duke, Raylenne frowned as she overheard.
‘Disgusting.’
She clearly remembered what the Duke had said on the day they had argued.
[You’re all talk and no action, just like your mother.]
Behind the scenes, he spoke of his deceased wife in such a way, while to the elderly man, who seemed to be his father-in-law, he acted as if he were a grieving husband who couldn’t forget his beloved wife.
Raylenne stood rooted in place, glaring at Duke Ergen, when someone placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Raylenne, it’s cold. Let’s go inside.”
It was Caverion.
Raylenne, feeling too exhausted to move, shook her head.
“I’m fine, brother. You go ahead.”
Caverion did not insist. He gave a faint smile and disappeared into the rain.
As the people gradually left, Raylenne remained alone in front of the shrine. Slowly, she moved towards the portrait of Nadia. It was the same painting, but today, Nadia’s face seemed sadder.
Then, her eyes fell on the space behind the cabinet.
Because of the dream.
‘She said the diary was behind the portrait…’
Raylenne, feeling a bit hopeful, leaned over to look behind the cabinet.
‘Huh…?’
There was indeed a book lying there.
