Chapter 65
Six years had passed, and yet it still felt vivid.
Getting fired from the barbecue place, binge-reading a healing-type romance fantasy out of spite, only to get even more annoyed, and then posting a snarky reply online—then came the voice from the sky.
‘Are you salty?’
And that’s how my life inside a romance fantasy novel began.
My face twisted. Seraphina, looking more flustered than ever, tried to excuse herself.
“Sorry, you were surprised, right? But if you carefully interpret the words of the Lord, surely there must be some hidden meaning behind them… Ah, yes. Lord, we are listening. Please, go on.”
“……”
“You mean it literally? Yes, understood.”
“…Seraphina, if I want to ask the Lord something, I can just tell you?”
Seraphina nodded awkwardly. But I felt just as awkward. What was I even supposed to ask?
Should I ask if I could return to my original world? But what if Seraphina asked back, ‘What original world?’ I couldn’t exactly reveal that this was a novel.
“Ah, sorry, Sol. The Lord says, ‘I asked first.’”
“……”
Hearing that, my words burst out, boiling with anger.
“Salty?! Damn right I’m salty! Is she your favorite character or something? You’re punishing me for badmouthing your fave?”
“Uh… The Lord says, ‘Why are you salty when you’re enjoying life? The meat you’ve eaten at the Duke’s estate probably costs more than all the wages you ever earned at part-time jobs.’”
“What kind of dumb logic is that? By that standard, someone who eats 50,000-won bills for every meal would be the happiest person alive! Wow! Shocking revelation—true happiness lies in the ATM balance of crisp 50,000-won bills!”
“Wait a second. Um, Lord, I don’t think I can relay that part…”
Huh? Seraphina cut off the conversation.
Honestly, I did wonder if she was just pretending to translate and slipping in her own words. Like in those twists where the supposedly kind heroine turns out to be the true mastermind.
But apparently, supernatural beings really did exist. Something invisible was messing up Seraphina’s hair violently.
“Thank you for the praise—ah, you want me to leave now?”
“……”
“But Sol can’t talk to you without me—ah, I understand.”
After exchanging a conversation only the two of them could understand, she turned to me.
“Sol, the Lord will never make you do anything dangerous! Even if something scary happens, trust me and endure it. Okay?”
Then she plucked a strand of her own hair, pressed it into my hand, and left. What on earth…
A moment later, the hair moved.
“Ugh! Ah, this is how we’re going to communicate?”
The hair nodded. A supernatural Ouija board, basically.
The moment I thought that, the hair wrapped tightly around my finger. Ow! My finger’s turning purple!
“Okay, okay! I get it! Let’s talk!”
The hair gave a nod.
I worried it would only be a Yes-or-Yes type of conversation, but then the strand stiffened and began writing letters in the dirt. Oh, that’s better.
“Lord, why did you summon me here?”
[You said you were salty.]
“…I hate this. Are you satisfied now?”
[It was fun.]
“Wow. Real nice personality you’ve got.”
[It’s divinity.]
“Changing one letter doesn’t make you sound cooler—it makes you more annoying.”
Still, I couldn’t just waste time bantering. It was obvious the hair couldn’t write long sentences.
Finally, I forced myself to ask the most important question.
“…Can I go back to my original world?”
[Do you hate it here?]
“That’s not the point. People are supposed to return home.”
[Your home? That boarding house bed?]
“You know that?”
[You thought about it.]
“……”
Right. Lying on the soft bed in the duke’s estate, I kept asking myself if I’d really be happy going back to the hard cot in my boarding room.
But still.
“This is… a world inside a book.”
[It’s my world.]
“If it’s deleted, isn’t it over?”
[I said it’s mine. For example—]
The hair scratched at the ground, trying to explain. But the space was too small, and long explanations were impossible. Eventually, the Lord gave up.
[Just live first.]
“Wow, easy for you to say! I’m already terrified because I turn sixteen this year!”
[I’ll give you a gift.]
“…Huh?”
I felt something settle onto my head, like warm steam writhing inside my skull.
And then—
[Just think, ‘Ugh, so predictable.’]
“What?”
[Do it.]
“…Fine. Ugh, so predictable.”
The moment I thought that—
Words suddenly appeared on the ground.
[See that? Roughly like this.]
Huh? Then, in the blink of an eye, the letters vanished, leaving only the previous [Do it.]
What… was this? Some kind of hallucination skill?
The hair began writing again.
[The ability to see 10 seconds ahead.]
“……”
[See that? Roughly like this.]
That’s useless! You can’t even win the lottery with that!
I transmigrated after reading this novel to the end. My only strength is knowing the future—what good is just 10 seconds ahead? If it were an hour or two, maybe.
[You complain a lot.]
“Of course I do!”
[It has its uses.]
“…I guess if I really squeeze it…”
[There’s a side effect.]
“…What?”
[Beware of gastrointestinal side effects.]
“…Why are you suddenly talking like a medicine leaflet—Ow!”
A stabbing pain flared in my stomach. At the same time, the hair drooped limply. What the hell?!
“Hey! You’re already gone?”
No matter how much I shook the hair, or even cursed like a child, the Lord gave no response.
In the end, I’d learned nothing! Why was I brought here, and can I go back at all?!
…Ha.
Could I really survive terrorism with just 10-second foresight? Or would I just watch the flames approach, replaying my life in my head?
Since the Lord didn’t seem like he was coming back, I left the prayer room. Seraphina, who had been waiting nearby, smiled brightly.
“Did you have a good talk with the Lord?”
“…Yeah. Thanks for giving me the chance.”
“I’m glad it helped! Thank you for helping today.”
“Uh, where are you going now?”
“I have to help with the children’s prayers. It would’ve been nice if that gentleman earlier had bought me juice… Anyway, Sol, have a good time!”
Was it because of her personality that she was the Lord’s favorite? Or did the Lord create her to be his favorite?
…And was I really dragged into this world as punishment for calling his favorite ‘catnip’? I didn’t know. Thinking about it only made my stomach ache more.
Then, only after Seraphina left, I realized—
“…I don’t know the way back!”
This prayer room was in the deepest part of the main temple. I hadn’t noticed when I came in, but there were so many branching paths!
I almost screamed, but instead decided to test out my new ability.
I walked a few steps down the right path.
<Ugh, so predictable.>
…A fence. Dead end.
I went back and tried the middle path, then the left.
<Ugh, so predictable.>
…The main temple building came into view. Looks like this was the right way.
Not that I was thankful at all, but at least thanks to the Lord, I made it back to the prayer hall. My stomach still hurt, though. Ow ow ow.
People were still coming and going—and oh, really? There was actually a man holding a glass bottle of plum juice.
<Ugh, so predictable.>
…The man spoke right in front of me.
“Where did that thirsty lady from before go? You know her, right?”
Wow. Couldn’t be more cliché!
And sure enough, the man strode toward me, forcing a smile.
“Hello, my lady.”
“Hello.”
“That thirsty lady earlier—”
“You’re asking about my friend?”
“Ah, oops. You saw right through me.”
He winked, then shamelessly continued.
“But meeting such a charming lady instead must also be a gift from the Lord.”
“……”
“Devout lady, if it isn’t too rude, may I ask your name?”
<Ugh, so predictable.>
…I saw myself snatching the juice bottle and running away.
Seriously? Am I really that reckless?
The man kept talking.
“Are you shy? But don’t miss this chance. Since your friend is such a beauty, most opportunities will surely go to her—”
“They won’t be stolen. I’ll steal them myself, you bastard.”
“…Excuse me? W-wait, my lady!”
No need for more. I immediately grabbed the juice bottle and dashed down the path. I even shouted before people could turn to look.
“KYAAA! A weird man is chasing me! Help!”
“What? In the temple?!”
“How dare a suspicious man in this sacred place!”
Temple knights reacted instantly. Tall men in gleaming white armor pounced on the culprit. He seemed to be protesting.
“What? You just invited a young lady for tea?”
“This is not a place for romance!”
“Pray! Pray until that filthy head is scrubbed clean!”
Looked like he was being dragged off to the nearest prayer room. Serves him right.
I raised the juice bottle. The glass bottle sloshed with thick golden-yellow plum juice. So they had takeout in this era too, huh? Looked expensive, but I gratefully took a sip.
“Wow, that’s really sweet.”
Even better than Flogel fruit! Maybe because it was grown in a warm region. Happily, I gulped down the juice.
…But what if that creep came back?
<Ugh, so predictable.>
…Eh? I saw an entirely unexpected scene.
A black-haired man striding toward me, grabbing my shoulder tightly.
He wore the uniform of a temple knight, with black hair and… blue eyes.
No way. Ignatz?
I didn’t have time to think. That future began unfolding right away. The man rounded the corner and spotted me, eyes going wide.
He looked like Duke Schlaeger twenty years younger, bulked up—undeniably a member of the Schlaeger bloodline.
…But why did he look so happy to see me?
Was there some gene in the Schlaeger line that made men obsess over their younger sisters? But even if so, how did he know my face?
Soon Ignatz stood right before me. Easily 190 cm tall.
I craned my neck up, voice trembling.
“…Who… are you?”
Even though I already knew.
Ignatz answered.
His voice wavered as though he might cry.
“Se-yul.”
“…What?”
“Han Seyul, right? You look exactly the same as when you were little.”
The unexpected words pierced my ears. Wait—how did he know my real name? And what did he mean by “the same as when you were little”?
While I was frozen in shock, Ignatz pulled me into a tight embrace, whispering—
“I’m your brother… Yujin oppa.”
