Chapter 09
“Wait… you didn’t even know what a Trituto was when you said that yesterday?”
Wait—did I really hurl that awful insult at that man without even knowing what it was?
Dylan clicked his tongue, then pulled out paper and a pen from his bag and began scribbling something.
“It’s a worm-like creature that lives in swamps. It looks roughly like this.”
Wow…
Eliana looked down at the paper Dylan handed her, mouth agape.
“It’s really ugly.”
After staring at the drawing for a while, she frowned and pulled back, as if she had seen something she shouldn’t.
“I was wrong…”
Shivering, Eliana crumpled the paper with the Trituto drawing and shoved it into Dylan’s bag.
Dylan gave her a baffled look, alternating between staring at the bag and her. She grinned as if to say, you can’t just throw trash anywhere.
Dylan corrected his judgment.
This young lady was not ordinary.
She took the first train from Totulo Station to the capital.
And money sure felt good.
The first-class compartment was spacious and the seats were soft. Each compartment was divided for four people, but the private, room-like space was far more comfortable than second class.
Two first-class compartments were rented: Kaylen and Caspian in one, and I traveled with Dylan in the other.
The train hissed steam and began moving. I nodded quietly, watching the scenery slowly unfold.
As in my past life, money was king in this world too.
After riding for a while and feeling my body start to ache, a thought slipped out of my mouth.
“When I arrive in the capital… am I going to die?”
Dylan, sitting across from me, widened his eyes. So wide I feared they might pop out.
After a moment, he adjusted his glasses and furrowed his brows.
“Why would you die, young lady?”
“Wouldn’t someone try to silence me? Kidnap me, or make it look like an accident?”
Dylan’s forehead twitched at my words.
His expression clearly said: What is going on inside that woman’s head?
I wondered why he clutched that bag so tightly. Was there something important inside?
When I glanced lasciviously at the bag Dylan was holding close, he gripped it tighter.
Tch.
Judging by his reaction, it didn’t seem like anyone planned to secretly eliminate me to keep me quiet.
Lucky, I guess.
I resolved, while riding the first train from Totulo to the capital, to lay low and survive. The original story was off-course; who knew what could happen next?
Before that, I had to convince Kaylen that I wasn’t affiliated with the Crown Prince or Empress, and that I wouldn’t reveal anything I had seen.
Did I really need to write a blood oath?
I held out my right thumb, examining the bandages. Just then, there was a knock.
“Come here for a moment.”
Caspian peeked in, calling Dylan out. Dylan asked what it was, and Caspian merely gestured for him to step out.
“Stay put.”
Dylan left, cradling the bag to his chest. The first-class compartment grew quiet.
I yawned at the rhythmic sound of the train but couldn’t sleep. Thoughts kept circling.
I opened the window to relieve frustration, only to slam it shut as the wind rushed in.
Brushing my tangled hair aside, I looked outside. Steam from the train obscured the scenery for a moment, then vanished.
Watching a massive chunk of iron move rapidly, I felt amazed.
This world had unique resources.
Torphaz. A mineral and the only energy source here. It was mostly translucent red, not particularly strong, and easy to process.
Torphaz was graded by purity: special, high, medium, and low.
500g of high-purity Torphaz could buy a small villa on the outskirts of the capital.
Torphaz was mostly owned by nobles; the more mines a noble had, the stronger their power.
The Imperial family owned the most mines, and thus the emperor’s power was immense. Yet, isolated in the highest reaches, the emperor was unaware of what happened at the lowest levels. Soon, something would occur to shake the emperor’s power, though they did not yet know.
This was also a crucial future investment for me, helping provide the resources to survive my own storyline.
Knowing lottery numbers must feel like this. Perhaps this is the perk of being possessed, I thought, stifling a chuckle.
Then the door burst open.
Kaylen Liveredan entered.
He shut the door, glanced around, and plopped down in front of me.
Monitoring me like a criminal transport? Or rotating guards?
Seeing Kaylen with arms crossed, eyes shut, annoyed me for no reason.
“Are you watching me? I’ll go to the capital quietly, answer questions honestly, and repay the money.”
Kaylen didn’t even blink.
“A good superior trusts their subordinates.”
His brows twitched slightly, but he still kept his eyes closed.
“But how can I trust you if you are not my subordinate?”
“I am part of the Liveredan Empire. I am under the protection of the imperial family, so I am indeed your subordinate, Prince Kaylen.”
He snorted, raising his eyelids. His vivid green eyes fixed on me.
“A ruler must constantly doubt. Be generous yet stingy, benevolent yet cruel.”
He continued without blinking.
“You fled the mansion at dawn as if hiding something, yet I didn’t ask in detail. I monitor with my subordinates… isn’t this enough to show the true nature of a ruler?”
I crossed my arms like him and stared silently.
“You must be tired.”
His brows twitched.
“Finding the right balance is always the hardest.”
The original story noted:
[Kaylen Liveredan would go down in history as the most beloved emperor to his people and the most feared ruler among neighboring kingdoms.]
His greatness wasn’t achieved alone—it was the result of those who stood by him.
Did he even know he would become a remarkable ruler?
Of course, that was a story for the distant future.
“It’s a tiring life, but as a ruler, one must bear it. Every word of the people determines life or death for us.”
Having worked as a journalist, I felt the weight of politics firsthand.
An ignorant or lazy ruler brings disaster to their people. I had seen it up close.
Even though it was just one line of narration, I could foresee a future where the emperor was loved by his people—the Liveredan Empire under Kaylen.
He would face many trials, large and small.
Overcoming those trials, he would become that emperor.
“I hope you become the light of your people. I’ll cheer for you.”
I rummaged through my pocket and gave him a candy I bought at Totulo Station. He stared at it quietly, then stood.
Tall enough to almost touch the ceiling, Kaylen paused, glancing between the candy and me.
Then Dylan entered, opening the door.
“There you are.”
He turned sideways, letting Kaylen pass. After Kaylen left, Dylan narrowed his eyes at me and noticed the candy in my hand.
“Is that for me?”
“No.”
I quickly stuffed it back in my bag. Dylan adjusted his glasses, scowled, and sat farthest from me, taking out documents from his bag.
From then on, Dylan stayed put, and the train moved smoothly.
The train neared the capital, Yetencorna.
Station staff reminded passengers to check they weren’t leaving anything behind as the train slowed.
Familiar scenery appeared, and the train gradually slowed.
Only Kaylen’s group and I remained in the first-class compartment. Walking down the aisle to disembark, I absentmindedly reached into my pocket. The candy I hadn’t given Kaylen was there.
Feeling uneasy, I unwrapped it and popped it into my mouth—but the station seemed unusually tense.
The open train doors let in the murmurs of a bustling crowd.
