Chapter 43
Before being abandoned, I decided to abandon first.
The short words the old woman said somehow felt like they had a double meaning. I had possessed this novel world and was on this journey to Kingdom of Kaia, and honestly, I was also feeling uneasy about how everything would unfold.
The woman smiled strangely at me, as if she knew something. The more I thought about it, the more unpleasant I felt.
After finishing the bath, Ena, who had already finished organizing the luggage, stood up with a bright smile.
“I will ask them to bring the meal to the room. So you can eat comfortably.”
I hurriedly stopped her as she was about to leave the room.
“Wait. I want to eat downstairs. And I want to look around the inn as well.”
“Eh? Ah, then shall I arrange that?”
At my words, Ena took out a simple indoor dress from the organized luggage.
I changed into comfortable indoor clothes, put on a thin cloak over it, and went back down to the restaurant on the first floor.
Fortunately, the people who came with us seemed to be using another building, so there were almost no people around.
Honestly, food was just an excuse. I wanted to meet the old woman again. I needed to ask why she said those things earlier and confirm whether she was a scammer or really had supernatural ability.
As expected, the old woman was still there.
She looked relaxed, as if she had been waiting for me.
“What do you want to know, madam?”
“What did you mean by what you said earlier? That this is a dangerous journey.”
Instead of answering, she rubbed her fingers together slowly, delaying time.
I took one silver coin from my pocket as if trying my luck and handed it to her.
She smiled with satisfaction and lifted the cloth covering the crystal ball.
The transparent sphere, like a bowling ball, rolled slowly under her dried, wrinkled hands. Whether it was a trick of light or an illusion, faint light strangely burst out from it.
“To see the future, I need information. Tell me your birthplace, your birth date, and your constellation.”
I hesitated for a moment and told her Stella’s information instead.
She closed her eyes as if concentrating after hearing what I said. Hearing her mumbling something with her lips made my heart tense.
‘She’s not going to figure out that I possessed this body… right?’
I watched the crystal ball closely, but it didn’t seem to show the future.
Even if she could see the future, I didn’t think she would know more than me, who had read the original story.
Honestly, I also wanted to test her ability.
Suddenly, she opened her eyes wide and grabbed my hand.
“You can deceive me, but you cannot deceive the heavens!
If you think such lies will work, you are mistaken!
Who are you? Why are you pretending to be someone else?”
I could hardly breathe because of the words she poured out.
The old woman shouted as if she knew I was not Stella but someone else.
I tried to pull my wrist away, but her grip was too strong.
Ena, who was standing behind me, rushed forward in shock and pulled my hand away with all her strength.
“Let go! You crazy old hag!”
Thanks to Ena’s help, I barely freed my wrist and tried to calm my shocked heart. My heart felt like it was about to burst.
My body was trembling as if the woman was cursing the me who had possessed Stella’s body. Those empty gray eyes looking at me felt like they were trying to pull me into a swamp.
“Ena, let’s go.”
I forgot everything else I wanted to ask and just wanted to leave that place quickly.
Staggering as I stood up, I was supported by Ena and turned around.
Then I heard the old woman’s voice from behind. Unlike the creepy voice earlier, it was gentle.
“Since you gave me money, I must repay you.
Your world will completely change because of this journey.
It may become misfortune, or it may become blessing.
Please judge well what is real and what is fake.”
Without answering, I went upstairs.
I had even forgotten my hunger, and my appetite disappeared.
Ricardo looked up at the sky.
When he arrived, it was early evening, but the dark night sky already had the moon hanging high.
Ernhart came out from the west building and walked quickly toward Ricardo.
“There are no special matters. No one is injured, and there were no accidents.”
Hearing Ernhart’s report, Ricardo walked toward the entrance.
Then loud noise came from the main building.
It was a scene where workers were dragging out an old woman who was complaining and cursing.
Seeing that the big men were dragging a small bent old woman, Ernhart frowned and tried to approach them, but Ricardo stopped him.
“Don’t ever come near this place again, you crazy woman!”
The old woman they chased away hugged something carefully wrapped in cloth while cursing and making threats as she moved away.
Only after confirming this did the workers pat their hands and go back upstairs.
“That old hag keeps coming back even when we tell her not to. Customers keep complaining just by looking at her.”
“The noble lady who just left must have quietly moved away. I wonder what she heard; her face turned pale.”
“She sometimes hits the mark even when she talks nonsense. That old woman once guessed that I was secretly cheating on my wife. She even knew what my lover looked like. I got chills after hearing that.”
One man lowered his voice, and the man beside him laughed.
“Today she even told me nonsense that the Emperor came here! She must be losing her mind.”
Their laughter reached the two men standing a little far away.
“It seems she was just a mentally unstable street fortune teller.”
Feeling awkward, Ernhart said, but Ricardo looked back at the old woman’s back with a somewhat concerned gaze.
“Make sure strange people are not allowed inside.”
“Yes.”
Watching Ricardo turn around and enter the lodging first, Ernhart muttered quietly:
“She doesn’t even know how carefully he takes care of her.”
In fact, the two people were awkward in front of each other even though Ricardo cared more than anyone else.
Ernhart could not understand them.
Thinking of the series of events after the lady came to the mansion, it was clear that the two were not snarling like enemies.
But they were not close like a loving married couple either.
It felt like a precarious relationship that made people watching feel tense.
He shrugged his shoulders, wondering if such a description was suitable for a married couple, and quickly followed his lord.
I was tired, but I couldn’t fall asleep and kept tossing and turning on the bed.
“You can deceive me, but you cannot deceive the heavens!
If you think such lies will work, you are mistaken!
Who are you? Why are you pretending to be someone else?”
The old woman’s voice sounded like metal being scraped.
I covered my ears with my hands, but it didn’t help.
‘Did she really know something…? No. That can’t be.’
I just felt more troubled because of that strange old woman.
She must have been talking nonsense because her mind wasn’t normal. I tried to shake off the situation from my head, but then I remembered another thing she said.
“Your world will completely change because of this journey.
It may become misfortune, or it may become blessing.”
It was such vague words that I almost laughed.
‘If I could make money by saying something like that, I would be rich already. My world has already completely changed! Can’t she see I’m doing this hard life just to avoid disaster? What a scammer!’
I felt like I couldn’t sleep anymore, so I got down from the bed.
I picked up the thick gown placed on the sofa and turned around.
Then I saw Ena sleeping with her mouth slightly open, probably exhausted from today.
Seeing her sleep so sweetly made me laugh quietly.
Afraid of waking her, I tiptoed out of the room.
Instead of forcing myself to sleep, I decided to walk in the corridor until I felt sleepy.
The cold air in the corridor made me quickly put on the gown in my hand.
Then I slowly started walking down the long corridor where only the wall lamps were softly lit.
