ISBD 39

ISBD

Chapter 39

‘The range of the priestess’s ability doesn’t cover the entire island? Was that ever mentioned in the original story?’

Of course not.

Naturally, details such as the island’s shape or even the size of its territory had never been given either.

‘Damn original.’

Muttering curses in her mind, Ilena once again carefully studied the map.

Still, it was surprising—rain had started so suddenly, so even he must have been caught off guard, and yet in that short time he managed to deduce this much.

Ilena secretly admired him as she looked at Iago’s handsome face.

His gaze remained fixed on the map.

“If you calculate the distance between the capital and Akaha Beach, and the distance to the Kaumana Desert…”

Iago circled a portion of the map with his pointer.

“This is about the range within which the priestess can manipulate the weather.”

‘…That’s exactly the same size as the northern territory?’

Too much of a coincidence—it left a bitter taste in her mouth.

Ilena, who had been staring at the map intently, lifted her head and spoke.

“Iago. Something feels off…”

“Huh?”

Iago’s expression had hardened frighteningly.

It was the first time she had ever seen his face so stiff. Normally, he was always gentle and calm, like a big dog, and the sudden change froze her chest cold.

Even if it hadn’t been intentional, rain had fallen for the first time in ten years on the parched desert. Shouldn’t that be considered a good thing?

“Iago…?”

With a heavy look, Iago spoke calmly.

“My whereabouts are a top-class secret. The north won’t know that we came down south yesterday.”

Only then did Ilena understand why his expression was so grim.

“Then… the north will think I made the rain fall on purpose?”

“That’s right.”

Iago answered with a serious face.

“The one thing we can be sure of right now is that the north isn’t just going to quietly sit back and let us keep the priestess.”

“…”

Ilena’s expression darkened.

‘So I might have to go back to the north?’

Memories of that time came flooding back—the darkest period of her depression and lethargy.

The lonely room where she was always alone, the cold gazes of people who looked down at her lying in bed, and the underground torture chamber.

It felt like someone had poured ice water over her heart.

Her hands and feet suddenly grew cold, and her body began to tremble.

At that moment, something warm and large touched her cheek.

When she lifted her head, she saw Iago’s violet eyes gazing at her, both of his hands gently cupping her face. His gaze was as warm as his hands.

‘I never knew purple could feel warm.’

There were so many things she had only learned after meeting him.

“Ilena. Don’t worry.”

Slowly, he leaned forward and pressed his lips to her cold forehead.

“No matter what happens, I’ll protect you.”

The frozen tension in her body instantly melted away.

How did he always know her heart, and how did he always manage to melt her so easily?

Without a word, Ilena closed her eyes and leaned her face fully into the warmth of his hands.

About two weeks had passed since flowers bloomed in the desert.

Beyond the palace walls, clusters of people were whispering amongst themselves.

“So it’s true, she’s staying inside this very palace?”

“I told you so! That’s why they ended up falling in love!”

The anonymous voices were gossiping about the grand romance that had shaken the entire island these days.

“If it even rained, then it’s a done deal.”

“The northern priestess and the southern king, enemies by birth, falling in love!”

Amidst the noisy chatter, a serious voice cut in.

“But they say, due to her contract with the north, the priestess must return after a month.”

“Oh my.”

The crowd let out a collective gasp of pity at this tragic news, a heartbreaking fate for two lovers just beginning their romance.

“How romantic!”

“So romantic!”

“That’s right. This is pure romance.”

Even the serious voice agreed, unnecessarily solemn.

“I feel like I read something like this in a classic novel.”

“I don’t even bother reading the weekly gazette anymore. This story’s way more entertaining.”

“So, so, how did they first meet?”

“Well, that’s the thing…”

Leaning against a tall palm tree near the wall, Ilena sighed heavily.

Nothing in their gossip was surprising.

Well, except maybe for the fact that the rumor of the cold desert king softening thanks to the warm-hearted priestess was so absurdly cliché.

‘Maybe people have always lived the same way, past or future.’

Along with the rain, news of her so-called romance had spread across the entire kingdom, perhaps even the whole island.

The elders didn’t even bother hiding their grins, and every servant who passed by in the palace greeted her with broad smiles.

‘The problem is, not a single part of the rumor is true.’

Ilena leaned her head back against the tree with a dull thump and let out another deep sigh.

She hadn’t made the rain fall, and the two of them weren’t in love.

Even their personalities had nothing in common with the rumors.

Even the gossip that she had only one month left on her northern contract wasn’t completely true.

Strictly speaking, the contract still existed, but the north had no intention of honoring it.

Ilena lowered her gaze to the letters in her hand.

**“I heard your depression has improved. To make it rain in enemy northern lands—have you lost your mind?

And what’s this rumor I hear? Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten that you and I are engaged?

Return to the Kingdom of Manoa of your own will, immediately. I repeat—do it of your own will.

—Friedhen”**

**“Why haven’t you replied?

I’m saying all this for your own good. You’ve always been so careless, always troubling those around you.

Don’t tell me you’ve actually fallen for that so-called cruel Black King?

Don’t delude yourself into thinking he’s interested in you. He just wants to use your ability.

Never forget—I’m the only one who truly cares for you.

—Friedhen”**

**“Why no reply?

—Friedhen”**

**“Are you asleep?

—Friedhen”**

**“I warned you clearly.

It would be better if you returned of your own will.”**

The last letter wasn’t even signed.

‘So the original Ilena was treated like this all along?’

Ilena frowned and stuffed the letters back into her pocket.

That this was the male lead of Ilena of the Happy Island… truly the greatest mystery of her possession.

When Iago asked about the letters, she only gave him the most bare-bones version of the truth:

“That I received a personal letter from the north, urging me to return before the contract ends.”

Partly because she didn’t want him to worry or get angry, but also because she had long had the habit of not showing personal matters to others.

‘Still… I’ve got this uneasy feeling, like they’re about to pull something.’

Ilena rubbed at her tired eyes.

Lately, with so many things weighing on her mind, the old fatigue and faint lethargy had started creeping back.

‘I should lie down for a bit.’

Dragging her weary body, she stood and started walking back toward the annex along the palace wall.

Cutting through the palace would’ve been much faster, but she deliberately chose the longer way along the wall.

She didn’t want to run into anyone.

Everyone she met in the palace smiled at her as if she’d made the rain fall.

‘But it isn’t true. I’m still broken…’

She had thought her “Happiness Operation!” had helped her get a little better, but in truth she was still a broken human being—someone who didn’t know how to cry properly, nor how to be happy.

Ilena walked gloomily through the palace, which was always so full of people.

‘It’s been a while since I felt like this…’

Every time she thought she was improving, she ended up back here again.

Depression felt like carrying a huge black dog on her back.

Whenever she tried to take even a step toward happiness, it would bite her cloak and drag her back down.

Ilena gazed at the sky, dyed red by the setting sun, lost in gloomy thoughts.

‘Why did I come to this world? Why me?’

When she first fell here, she had been so crushed by her depression that she couldn’t think of anything at all.

All she’d wanted was to live this life doing nothing, just resting.

But now, with the warmth and care of those around her, her depression had improved little by little, even without medication—and ironically, that only made her thoughts more complicated.

‘If someone else, not a depressive wreck like me, had possessed this body… or if the original sunshine-bright heroine were here instead…’

It was just as Ilena was sinking deeper and deeper into that whirlpool of negative thoughts—

[Bzzzt—. Have you finished planting the bombs?]

‘Huh?’

Ilena stopped dead in her tracks.

Somewhere nearby, she faintly heard a man’s voice.

‘Bombs…? What did I just hear?’

She glanced quickly around, but of course, there was no one.

‘Then it came from outside the wall.’

Holding her breath, Ilena crept closer to the wall, straining to hear the voice again.

Soon, the same voice came again, clearer this time.

“It was impossible to infiltrate the palace. The wall is low, but it seems to be enchanted somehow.”