Chapter 10
Arilleti stood before the castle gate again.
Across the drawbridge, a snowstorm still raged with immense force. It felt like being trapped inside a white canvas where nothing could be seen. If one were to be caught in that whirlwind, they would be blown away for three days and nights and buried in the snow.
Because of the ruthless blizzard sweeping the area two or three times a day, the Hezeite territory was isolated from the outside world for half of the year. This was the inescapable geographical limitation of this hopeless territory.
‘If only the wind stops, a road can be cleared.’
Then the Hezeite territory would be able to enjoy a more prosperous life than now.
‘They could bring in external supplies, and above all, news from the capital would reach the territory quickly.’
One must have ears to hear to prepare for the future.
To begin the work, she first had to get as close as possible to the target of her power. She couldn’t even stand properly alone due to the massive blizzard.
Arilleti hesitated until the very last moment.
‘I didn’t want to show him… but I have no choice.’
Arilleti tugged at Glenn’s pants, and he quickly picked her up.
“You have to hold on tight so you don’t blow away.”
“Of course, Little Lady. Trust your Uncle (Samchon).”
It felt like she had a reliable base.
Arilleti murmured softly, “Needle.”
– Ugh, no! Why are you calling me again!
“This is the last time.”
– Lies! Lies!
How did it know?
Arilleti sent the three trembling Needles flying into the air. The trajectory of the Needles, as they flew, was jagged, resisting their owner’s will.
‘I want to do at least one good deed in this life.’
_…
‘Because I only did bad things before.’
Strictly speaking, the reason this territory was hopelessly impoverished was because the future Arilleti had orchestrated schemes. She deliberately cut the stipend allocated to Hezeite and planted spies here to provoke the monsters residing in the northern mountains.
Arilleti was a villainess. The combined sins she had committed in two lifetimes would be enough to purchase a first-class ticket on the express train to hell a dozen times over.
Therefore, what she was about to do now was not merely a trick to get out of here, but Arilleti’s own form of atonement and repayment.
It was currently January. The snowstorm that strikes the Hezeite territory was said to start in October every year.
‘I will turn back time by three months for this area.’
As Arilleti snapped her fingers, the hands of the clock began to turn backward. The Needles slowly moved backward, gradually picking up speed, until they rotated too fiercely to be tracked by the eye.
At that moment, Glenn Hezeite witnessed a miracle. His pupils widened in astonishment.
The raging blizzard changed direction. A marvelous sight unfolded all around, where fist-sized snowflakes and hail that were falling from the sky simultaneously surged upward.
The clock, which had rewound one day, continued to rotate in reverse.
One day, two days, three days, four days.
One week, half a month, one month.
“…!”
Amidst the blizzard that wildly shook the surroundings, a shape gradually appeared. The green fir trees, which had been buried by the wind that clawed at their eyes and the chunks of hail covering the ground, slowly revealed themselves.
And another month, and yet another month.
The snow that had piled up to the height of an adult man entirely rose into the air, becoming part of the hazy sky. It was a fantastical sight, as if the entire snowfield were rising to its feet.
The moment a total of 90 days had been rewound, Arilleti clenched the air.
‘Stop.’
The wind that had been fiercely clawing at her cheeks and hair retreated instantly.
A road that had been buried in the snow was now uncovered. It was the road leading to the nearest city from the Hezeite territory. The path, which should have been impassable until spring, stretched out refreshingly across the snowfield.
The miracle stopped just as the road became clearly defined enough for horses and wagons to travel on.
The silently stopped clock shattered into hundreds of millions of tiny particles of light.
This was the power of the White Forest possessed by the Time Mage, Arilleti Cardis. To summon the clock hands, declare a domain of time, and freely rewind time as desired. It was the true face of the absolute power coveted across the entire continent.
The Needle’s voice, colder than ever, echoed in Arilleti’s mind.
– That was one time. Only one chance remains.
The three lights seeped back into Arilleti’s chest. A cough burst out as if on cue.
Cough, cough.
A metallic lump surged up from below her throat. Being in a child’s body meant the impact was even more severe.
Glenn didn’t dare to speak. He was overwhelmed. This was the great force of nature, which humans could never approach.
Only one power in this world could unleash such a miracle: the White Forest.
When he bit down hard on the inside of his lip, the child who had stopped coughing spoke calmly.
“Payment for two weeks of board and lodging, plus the price of saving your lives.”
The baby voice, still slurring her words, pulled Glenn back to reality. Arilleti, who had been holding tightly around Glenn’s neck, released the tension in her arms.
“This is where we part ways now.”
Arilleti slipped out of Glenn’s arms and jumped down to the floor.
Glenn, who was blankly staring down at the child, knelt on one knee without a word.
“I failed to recognize the Sage.”
“I’m not a Sage,” Arilleti sniffled, wiping her damp nose with her maple-leaf hand.
“How can I express my gratitude…”
“It’s payment for services rendered. No need to thank me for every little thing.” Arilleti maintained a forced, solemn voice while suppressing a sneeze. Since he was treating her like a Sage, she felt like she should act the part.
‘Those princes never used formal language with me.’
Anyway, Glenn Hezeite.
She hoped he would not mistake a favor offered out of goodwill for a right. And that he would not waste this opportunity.
‘Seeing as he’s even kneeling before a child, I doubt he will.’
Given his reputation for integrity, there was enough chance of success. In fact, Glenn was the only one who had ever made Arilleti taste defeat in her two previous lives.
Arilleti hoisted the bag onto her shoulder.
“May the blessing of the White Forest descend upon the Hezeite territory and His Highness the 3rd Prince.”
This is where they part ways.
All Arilleti had to do now was walk along this newly revealed road and quietly prepare for her end in a suitable place.
Now, hurry up and go! I must leave before Glenn recovers from the shock of witnessing a miracle for the first time in his life!
Arilleti started moving at full speed.
Arilleti walked briskly down the dirt road. She didn’t forget to glance behind her every now and then to see if Glenn was following.
Cough, cough.
It had been a while since she had done something crazy like rewinding time by three months, so she kept coughing. This kind of selective regression, targeting a specific area, consumed a great amount of power.
But walking on the open road made her heart swell with satisfaction.
‘Yes, yes. If they fully utilize this road to expand their influence, they will have the potential to take on the princes.’
May the Marquis work hard to crush those unruly brats. And may he put the 3rd Prince Rastian on the throne.
Arilleti hurried her steps, humming a tune mixed with coughs.
‘Oh, right. I forgot to emphasize this.’
The 3rd Prince came to mind.
Rastian Federka. He must be suffering from the harassment of the 1st and 2nd Princes at the Imperial Castle right now.
Glenn would probably go to take him in soon, right?
The 3rd Prince Arilleti remembered was a tall young man with a body as thin as a tree branch. His frame was sturdy, but he was so lean, lacking both fat and muscle, that he gave the strong impression of being pretty.
The 3rd Prince suffered from a cough his entire life as a side effect of toxic pneumonia contracted in childhood. He also suffered from all sorts of underlying diseases, making his personality extremely sensitive, earning him the nickname ‘Pretty Mad Dog.’ She never had much contact with him as she never considered him a rival, but she remembered his intense hysteria.
‘That’s all because he didn’t receive treatment when he was little.’
Arilleti picked up a fallen twig and wrote large letters on the dirt ground. Her hard work practicing writing had paid off.
MANDRAKE
But why am I so dizzy?
Drip.
Blood flowed profusely from both nostrils, which had been unpleasantly tickling.
“Huh?”
Nosebleeds were a common occurrence in her past lives, so she was about to casually wipe it away, but the amount dripping onto the ground was unusual.
Arilleti’s vision spun upside down.
Wait, already?
– Already what? Are you listening to my warnings through your nose?
The Needle snorted disdainfully.
Someone shouted in alarm from far away.
“Sage, no, Arilleti!”
Uh, I can’t let him catch me like this!
But the world had already tilted sideways.
Thud.
Arilleti rolled over with a loud sound and fainted right there.
