Chapter 21
“Worry, I said I was worried!”
2022.09.11.
“…Reian?”
It was, as expected, a name not in the original story. No matter how much I searched my memory, I couldn’t recall ever reading the name “Reian.”
Was he lying about his name?
I slowly looked up at the man.
“You… no, Reian.”
“Yes.”
“Yoon Ga-eul. That’s what you called me while looking at me. Why?”
This time too, I had a feeling I wouldn’t get a clear answer. His responses were always ambiguous.
“I had a dream.”
“…A dream?”
“A world different from this one. In that recurring dream, you appeared.”
I appeared in his dream?
A character from this novel dreaming of my past self—then maybe my possession of this body wasn’t a mere coincidence.
“Just by seeing you, I immediately recognized you as Yoon Ga-eul.”
His tone and gaze were firm, unwavering, almost certain—without a trace of doubt.
I realized that no matter how much I denied it, it would be meaningless.
“Is that all? You kept seeing Yoon Ga-eul in your dreams, and the moment you saw me you just knew I was that person?”
“…Yes.”
He hesitated slightly before answering, and I was certain he was hiding something.
But I didn’t press him. He wouldn’t tell me anyway.
Man, he’s really bad at lying.
He was so obvious that I felt like everything else he said might actually be true.
My mind became complicated.
Did my past self know this man?
A sudden thought surfaced—what if Reian was also a reincarnator?
What if what I called my “real world” was, to him, a dream, and what I believed to be a “novel world” was his reality?
Depending on perspective, one life could become a dream and the other reality.
I carefully searched through the faces of people from my past life as Yoon Ga-eul.
But no one stood out.
“Then what did I call you in that dream?”
“I only watched you.”
“You never once saw me?”
Instead of answering, he fell silent and looked away.
He knew he was bad at lying, so he avoided the question.
So it’s a sensitive question.
Whatever his purpose in approaching me was, he didn’t seem dangerous. If he had been, he would have left me to die at the bottom of the cliff.
Then what did he want from me?
That was something I needed to figure out calmly.
But first, I needed to organize my situation.
I had fallen off a cliff while traveling with Carlote.
What happened after that?
Honestly, no one would expect someone to survive a fall like that.
Would they even bother searching assuming I was alive?
…No.
A bitter smile formed on my lips.
They might not even search at all, assuming I was already dead.
Perhaps they’d even feel relieved that a troublesome illegitimate child died on her own.
Especially since the last person who saw me fall was Carlote… he might even hide the location.
Of all people in the Perdia family, he hated me the most.
Then this might actually be an opportunity.
If I became a “dead person,” I could disappear without consequences.
Aside from being broke, this was actually beneficial.
Before the original story began, if I left the Perdia estate—the setting of all events—I wouldn’t have to worry about dying anymore.
And whether my so-called sister was adopted later or not, it wouldn’t matter to me anymore.
But why…
Why did my chest feel strangely hollow?
While I was lost in thought, Reian silently tended to the wounds on my arm.
Looking at his flawless skin, long eyelashes over lowered red eyes, and striking face…
I suppressed the urge to touch his soft black hair and asked,
“Where is this place?”
“My residence.”
So this simple room was where he lived.
“Was anyone else on the cliff when I fell?”
Since I fell right after dealing with the last assassin, Carlote should be fine—but I couldn’t rule out hidden enemies.
His hands paused while bandaging my wound.
“I don’t know the situation above the cliff. However…”
“However?”
“It seems Perdia has launched a full-scale search.”
“…A search?”
I was shocked.
A search? By the family?
They wouldn’t deploy knights just to find me.
“Did someone else fall too? A boy with curly red hair…”
Carlote.
But Reian answered firmly.
“No.”
“…They’re really searching for me?”
It felt unreal, like I was still dreaming.
Even more shocking—
“Yes. It has been half a day since you fell.”
Half a day had already passed.
And they were still searching?
But then another thought arose.
If I fell from that height, survival would be impossible.
They were probably just searching to recover a body.
Then I could disappear completely as the unfortunate daughter who died.
A perfect disappearance meant the peaceful life I wanted.
But…
At that moment, voices echoed in my mind.
“I’ve always watched you.”
“Well done, Elodie.”
“Being praised by a father isn’t something that can be considered a reward.”
The voice of the Perdia Duke.
I smiled faintly at Reian.
“Thank you for saving me, Reian.”
His hand froze midair.
Then he calmly withdrew it.
“You’re welcome.”
Not meeting my eyes, he turned his head slightly.
I checked my remaining injuries and stood up from the bed.
“I think I’ll go back.”
I justified it to myself.
I can’t stay broke.
In this world, a powerless woman couldn’t survive.
And I couldn’t throw away everything I worked for.
If I was going to run away, I needed enough money first.
The news of Elodie Perdia’s disappearance spread quickly among the servants.
Despite the head butler’s attempts to suppress it, rumors could not be contained.
In the Duke’s office.
After half a day of fruitless search, the Duke returned and received Yansi’s report.
“We searched all nearby villages, but no one matching Lady Liri’s description was seen.”
“…I see.”
“We will continue the search.”
The Duke rubbed his tired face and nodded.
Carlote was still searching near the cliff despite his injuries.
The Duke called the knight commander Geiren.
“Geiren.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“Any leads on the attackers?”
The assassins’ bodies had been brought back to the estate for investigation.
Geiren reported:
“Given that Young Master Carlote struggled, they seem to be highly skilled.”
“Next.”
“No markings on weapons or bodies. Likely an organization that cannot reveal itself.”
“Cowardly bastards.”
Yansi added,
“More like cautious.”
“Cautious, my foot.”
The Duke looked at Geiren again.
“We found nothing about their identity. However, Carlote says the target was likely Lady Elodie.”
“…Elodie?”
“Yes. They continued attacking even after the carriage was exposed.”
The room grew heavy with tension.
“Such a pity. If even one had survived…”
“Finding Elodie comes first. Return to the field.”
At that moment—
BANG!
The door burst open.
“My—my lady has returned!”
No one scolded the intrusion.
Because the Duke and Yansi immediately rushed out.
Outside the estate stood Elodie, bruised and injured.
“Li—!”
Yansi tried to approach, but the Duke overtook him.
“Elodie.”
He placed a hand on her shoulder.
“You should go inside and get treated.”
“I’m sorry for causing trouble.”
“How is your body?”
“I’m fine. Just a few scratches.”
But the Duke’s eyes sharpened with killing intent.
“…Father?”
Elodie flinched.
He calmed himself.
“Who saved you?”
From behind her stepped a man.
“The mercenary king, Ian.”
Yansi narrowed his eyes.
A man who rose to the highest rank alone and built his own power.
He had once met Elodie in secret.
This was no coincidence.
Carlote’s face twisted as the search continued.
“Damn it…!”
He searched for hours through the forest.
No results.
Scratches covered his body, but he didn’t feel pain.
He only moved desperately.
Eventually, the search party began withdrawing.
“What are you doing?”
“We have orders to retreat from His Grace.”
“Retreat? We found nothing yet!”
Then came the answer:
“Lady Elodie has returned.”
“…Ah.”
That was the answer he had been desperately hoping for.
He immediately rode back to the estate.
Night had already fallen.
He ran to the annex.
He stopped at her tightly closed door.
Creak.
Inside, Elodie sat on the bed.
“…Why did you let go?”
“Carl?”
“Do you want to die?”
“Are you disappointed I didn’t die?”
His emotions exploded.
He pulled her into his arms.
“Hey—what are you—”
“Worry! I said I was worried!”
Tears fell uncontrollably from Carlote’s eyes.
Like a beast that had lost its master, he sobbed violently.
Yes… it was worry.
This feeling…
Carlote finally stopped lying to himself.
