Chapter 93
Raylenne sighed in relief at Aiden’s calm response. Just then, Caverion added a caution.
“And if you so much as lay a hand on Raylenne or get too close to her, even if you don’t need to control your power, you’ll be kicked out of this castle immediately.”
Aiden looked at Caverion with a hint of defiance in his eyes. “What are you so worried about?”
“I’m warning you because I’m concerned you might overstep your bounds and try to threaten Raylenne.”
Raylenne realized that Caverion’s words were flawed. Aiden had escaped his status as a prisoner and had become an extraordinarily powerful Awakened being. Consequently, Aiden’s position was now as high as, if not higher than, Caverion’s.
Caverion knew this well but was reluctant to admit it. After all, he and Aiden had been at odds for a long time. Raylenne hoped Aiden wouldn’t retort, as she knew that would only lead to an endless argument.
Fortunately, Aiden remained silent, signaling the end of the conversation. Ironically, while Raylenne felt relief from Aiden’s reaction, she also felt an odd discomfort at his apparent agreement with Caverion’s warning.
Raylenne watched Aiden, who remained expressionless, staring down without revealing his thoughts.
* * *
That night, after talking with Aiden and Caverion, Raylenne had a dream. In it stood a person who was both unfamiliar and familiar—a woman who looked exactly like her. It was the Raylenne from the original story. She spoke first.
“Thank you for agreeing to my request.”
Ah, that’s right. Everything began when the Raylenne from the original story appeared in the dream and pointed out the location of the diary.
‘It’s strange to call it a dream.’
Raylenne shook her head. “No, I should be the one thanking you. Thanks to you, everything was resolved. If I hadn’t found the diary, it would have been hard to bring down Duke Ergen.”
“…”
The Raylenne from the original story looked down silently. A single tear formed quietly beneath her eyes.
‘Yes, knowing the truth doesn’t always bring relief.’
After all, her biological father was responsible for the deaths of her mother and herself. Confirming something she had only suspected was quite different from merely suspecting it. Especially since she only learned the truth after her death.
Seeing the original Raylenne, who had appeared almost doll-like in her emotionlessness, crying, made Raylenne feel her own heart sinking.
Raylenne approached cautiously and embraced her from behind. The original Raylenne, who had been shedding silent tears, did not resist but remained in her embrace.
“It must have been hard for you…”
A tragic life. While others viewed her as the only princess of the Empire with envy, she had lived a life plagued by guilt, loneliness, and depression before her death.
After shedding tears for a while, the original Raylenne pulled away from the embrace.
“Thank you… It must have been frustrating not being able to recall your important memories…”
That was indeed true. Important memories seemed locked away, as if sealed. Memories such as Belle, the maid who had been injured, or Nadia, who had fallen with young Raylenne down the stairs, or the contents of the diary…
The reason she couldn’t recall these might be that they were painful memories for Raylenne. However, she didn’t understand why she couldn’t remember the diary’s contents. Normally, they would be unpleasant memories, but since the diary was related to Nadia, it was somewhat of an exception.
Raylenne decided to ask the original Raylenne about it. “Why couldn’t I remember the contents of the diary? If I had remembered them sooner, I might have been able to bring down Duke Ergen more quickly.”
“Memory isn’t something I made you forget. It’s instinctive. But if I were to speculate on why you couldn’t recall your mother’s diary, it might be because the diary contained things that caused me great distress…”
That made sense. The original Raylenne must have loved her mother dearly, so seeing her diary would have been painful.
With a sorrowful expression, Raylenne listened as the original Raylenne spoke in a calm voice.
“I want to repay you.”
“Repay me…?”
“I can finally leave this place with peace of mind. Before I go, I want to share something that might be helpful to you.”
Something that could be helpful. Although Raylenne didn’t know what it was about, she was grateful for the information.
The original Raylenne’s smooth lips moved. “Your stray dog.”
Stray dog. That was how the original Raylenne referred to Aiden.
“You wouldn’t want to leave it to someone else, would you?”
Was she referring to a handler? For instance, the female protagonist…?
If Aiden couldn’t control his power even after two months, he would have to leave and find another handler. According to the original story, the likely candidate would be the female protagonist.
“I know how your stray dog can stabilize its power.”
Raylenne’s eyes widened as she looked at the original Raylenne. So, it was about the handler after all.
“If you help just a little, your stray dog will quickly learn how to control its power on its own. As you know, it’s quite intelligent.”
The original Raylenne was almost certain of this.
“How can I help Aiden?”
“It’s very simple.”
The original Raylenne’s emotionless face seemed to hint at a faint smile.
“All you need to do is be a bit more honest in expressing your feelings.”
“…What?”
“Then your stray dog will take care of the rest, so you won’t need to worry.”
Raylenne wondered if the original Raylenne was joking. But as if reading her thoughts, the original Raylenne erased her smile.
“I don’t joke with someone who has been so kind to me.”
The original Raylenne held Raylenne’s face and gently kissed her right cheek.
As Raylenne was stunned by this unexpected gesture, the original Raylenne said softly, “I need to leave now.”
Raylenne looked at her in surprise. “So this is really the last time I’ll see you…?”
“Yes. As I mentioned, I’m finally able to leave this place. I came to see you before I go.”
For the first time, the original Raylenne smiled. “I hope you live your remaining life well.”
She vanished with a mirage-like smile. That was the last time Raylenne saw her.
* * *
“What are you thinking about so much?”
Aiden asked as he set down his teacup. Raylenne, recalling the Raylenne from the original story she had met in her dream, shook her head slightly.
“Nothing much.”
Raylenne now spoke comfortably with Aiden. There was no need for the formal, subservient language she had used before. Though it wasn’t official yet, Aiden would soon be freed from his status as a prisoner.
Feeling a sense of pride in this small change, Raylenne waited for Caverion’s arrival. Caverion had requested to meet with Raylenne and Aiden in the reception room, although he had not shown up yet.
Caverion was likely coming to set detailed rules that Aiden would need to follow during his stay. Recently, Caverion had been extremely busy. The responsibilities of his new position as the head of the family and numerous other tasks had kept him occupied. Moreover, Caverion was also preparing a grand party to calm people’s curiosity following Duke Ergen’s trial. The party would be held at the castle to celebrate the New Year, marking the beginning of a new era for the Empire.
Caverion was able to handle all these tasks efficiently thanks to his loyal knights. Their steadfast support had accelerated the completion of many tasks. Of course, Raylenne had also contributed by handling quieter tasks. She managed the chaotic castle environment, cleaned up the previous Duke Ergen’s office, and dismissed all his old employees, hiring new ones in their place.
During this process, Haele’s new role was decided. Previously responsible for managing the underground prison, Haele no longer needed to be there as the cells were now empty. When Raylenne asked Haele what he wanted to do, he shyly scratched his head and replied:
[I would like to learn swordsmanship.]
Raylenne hesitated for a moment. Haele was a commoner. Even if he learned swordsmanship diligently, he would likely only become a low-ranking knight or mercenary. She carefully conveyed this reality to Haele, but he responded cheerfully:
[That’s okay! Even if I become a low-ranking knight or a mercenary, it will be good.]
Raylenne nodded. It wasn’t difficult for Haele to learn swordsmanship. In fact, she was in need of a hand to manage the knights, so it worked out well.
[If you take on the role of a servant, you will need to assist with the knights’ chores. In return, I’ll make sure to allocate some time for you to learn swordsmanship.]
[That sounds good to me.]
Haele responded enthusiastically. Raylenne smiled along with him and added:
[However, you might need to lose some weight.]
With his current physique, he would likely become out of breath after just a few sword swings. Haele’s face reddened slightly with embarrassment, and he replied, “Yes, I understand.”
As Raylenne recalled this moment with a light laugh, she heard Aiden’s gruff voice.
“Who have you been thinking about all this time?”
Raylenne snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Aiden. His expression seemed oddly sulky. Although Aiden’s facial expressions were usually subtle, Raylenne now noticed a significant change.
‘It’s quite cute that he’s feeling jealous.’
As Raylenne smirked inwardly, Caverion entered the reception room.
