Chapter 48
The carriage raced through the bustling streets and eventually stopped in front of a mansion. The moment I stepped inside, I was surprised.
There were more people with Theo than I had expected…?
Inside, over ten people were gathered.
Who exactly was Theo?
“What happened?” I asked.
Mael, a familiar face among them, flinched when he saw me.
“It’s a long story,” he said.
Understandable. After all, my dress was soaked in blood.
“Yvonne, if you’d like, you can borrow my clothes,” said a kind-looking middle-aged woman approaching me.
“That would be wonderful,” I replied.
“Come this way,” she said, guiding me into a room.
“What do you think of these clothes?”
I was surprised by the outfit she showed me.
I expected something suitable for a commoner, but instead it was a practical uniform.
‘Pants… how long has it been since I wore pants?’
Even someone as unobservant as me could tell that this uniform was expensive.
From the material to the embellishments, it was no ordinary outfit.
“I like it… but isn’t it too fancy?” I asked.
“No, I think it suits you perfectly. I’ll help you change.”
“That’s fine…” I didn’t insist on refusing.
Maybe it was my adaptability.
How long had I been in Yvonne’s body? Already, I felt accustomed to noble life.
The maids’ help felt natural, as if they were caring for a newborn.
Now, though, I would have to handle everything myself, just like when I lived as Yvonne.
‘I didn’t even say goodbye to Marie.’
Thinking about it, she had been a diligent, kind maid…
I recalled memories with Marie as I removed the blood-stained dress and put on the uniform.
“Wow…”
“You look great,” said the woman.
It was surprising. She had been plump, and I was thin.
‘I thought it would be too big…’
But the uniform fit me perfectly, as if it had always been mine.
“So, what should I call you?” I asked.
“Please call me Madame Amelie,” she replied.
“Thank you, Madame Amelie,” I said, leaving the room with her.
Still, I didn’t understand why Theo seemed pleased seeing me in my new outfit.
Of course, it did look good.
“You resisted hypnosis? Fascinating.”
After I explained the situation, Mael and the others were amazed.
It was indeed strange that someone could act according to spoken commands.
“I’m just glad hypnosis didn’t work on Yvonne,” Mael added.
Theo, who had been listening seriously the whole time, finally spoke.
“Perhaps you have hidden abilities of your own.”
“Yes. Even that brother of mine has abilities,” I replied, receiving nods of agreement from the others.
But I knew better.
“No, I was just lucky. Nathan probably inherited his mother’s abilities.”
The reason Nathan’s power didn’t affect me?
Probably because I wasn’t from this world.
My conclusion: someone possessed by a consciousness from another world might be immune to mental attacks.
‘What good is it if only I’m unaffected?’
If everyone else fell under Nathan’s control, I would still be at a disadvantage.
Then again, maybe I really was just lucky. Even Nathan’s abilities must have limits.
Perhaps he couldn’t use it on multiple people at once, and since he used it on Luca first, it didn’t affect me.
Either way, it was highly inconvenient for a powerless, lazy person like me.
“If he can hypnotize, can magic counter it?” someone asked.
“Yes. My wife Amelie excels in fire magic,” boasted the man sitting next to Amelie.
“No. Magic wouldn’t work on that ability,” I said firmly, silencing everyone.
I had thought my father’s tales of our family history were irrelevant, but it was lucky I had listened.
Otherwise, I might have taken Theo’s group back home.
But if magic failed against Nathan?
‘They’d all side with him.’
Should I even consider that a relief?
“So, where are you all headed?” I asked.
I was going to join Theo’s group and escape.
“We’re going to the Norverre Empire,” he said, pointing to a map on the table.
“The Norverre Empire…”
I had heard the country was in turmoil with a new emperor, but I had no time to worry about politics.
‘I wonder about real estate prices there…’
I had become a fairly practical, mature adult.
At least I needed enough resources to survive on the jewels I had brought.
There might be work, but the jewels I carried wouldn’t last me a lifetime.
“When do we leave?” I asked.
“Tomorrow at dawn.”
The schedule was sooner than I expected.
‘Good. If I’d been a day late, I might have missed Theo.’
If the incident had happened earlier and I didn’t meet him…
I would have been caught. Maybe even in prison now.
“Your family will probably be desperate to find you. Leaving quickly might be safer,” he added.
True. It was in my best interest to leave quickly.
Running as a wanted criminal would be nearly impossible.
“So we take the ship tomorrow?”
Norverre was across the sea. It was said to take three days by ship.
Sea sickness… I’d have to endure it.
I could throw up in the sea, right?
“We’ll be safe…”
Was Theo arranging a sturdy ship?
I stared at his lips, waiting for him to finish.
Why did looking at them make me embarrassed?
Focus. Those weren’t my lips.
“We’ll cross the mountains.”
“What?”
I asked loudly, disbelief written all over my face.
Why climb mountains when there was a ship? Did I mishear?
“In ten days, we’ll reach the empire safely.”
“No, but the ship…”
I would vomit on the ship, not on your clothes! Why choose mountains?
I held back the harsh words that nearly escaped.
“He’s being cautious. The empire’s security is extremely strict.”
“Who is he?”
“I’ll tell you later.”
Right, Theo kept many secrets.
And I didn’t know much about him.
We were just friends who happened to share a kiss.
Yes, I wasn’t cool.
I realized again that he kept a distance from me.
…Is he really a conman?
“It’s not intentional hiding. I just don’t want you getting caught up in danger,” he explained.
“Okay.”
Finally, some explanation.
I still didn’t trust him completely.
When we reached the Norverre Empire, I would act like I didn’t know him.
“I’ll tell you everything when this is over. Just wait a bit.”
“Alright.”
I wasn’t sure I fully believed him.
‘Legs, hang in there.’
I looked down at my feet.
It felt good to wear comfortable pants after so long—perfect for hiking.
Growl-
Ah, no.
Was I cursed? Embarrassed, I closed my eyes.
Of course, my stomach made noise at the quietest moment.
“Yvonne, I’ll take you to the dining room,” said a man, clearly aware of my stomach growl.
“Yes… that’s fine.”
Food mattered more than pride. I was too hungry to refuse.
I was about to get up when I suddenly paused.
“Why…?”
Theo looked at me curiously.
“How does everyone know me?” I asked.
“Well…” he hesitated.
“I never introduced myself,” I said.
Everyone looked embarrassed.
It was strange. Theo’s group seemed to know me as if it was natural.
Two Days Earlier
“I’ll start working tomorrow,” I had said.
“Good,” Theo sighed in relief.
He couldn’t sit still while the person who tried to kill Yvonne remained in the duchy.
So Luca disguised himself as a servant in the Duke of Lambert’s mansion.
“With this money, you can live comfortably forever.”
“Thank you!”
They paid a large sum to a servant to leave, allowing Luca to infiltrate.
The culprit needed to be dealt with before leaving—for her sake.
But there was a problem.
‘We must leave by next week at the latest.’
Time was running out for Theo.
“If, by chance, the culprit isn’t dealt with…”
He hesitated, then continued.
“I’ll take Yvonne with me.”
“Theo… that could put Yvonne and us in danger,” Mael protested.
But Theo was right.
She was in mortal danger, even from her own family.
Having experienced it himself, he couldn’t take the risk.
Mael finally stopped resisting.
“I suppose there’s no choice. We should prepare clothes for her just in case,” he said, smiling brightly in a way that was almost unnerving.
He had rarely shown emotion after parting from Yvonne.
His smile was a rare sight.
“Should we prepare dresses?”
“No. We’ll be climbing mountains, so practical pants are better.”
“I’ll tell Madame Amelie,” Mael said.
Yvonne would never know why the borrowed uniform fit so perfectly.
Theo had rushed the schedule because he worried she might change her mind or be unable to join.
Everything went according to his plan.
