Chapter 65
My last encounter with Deon ended in the worst way I could have imagined. Still, at least in the final moments, I wasn’t the only one hurt, so I told myself it wasn’t a completely bad outcome.
But now… what should I do next?
Originally, I planned to return immediately to my own world. But after receiving the note warning me to be careful with the book, I could no longer fully trust the words of the real Lemoni, who resided within Raelia’s body. The real Lemoni was a dangerous person—so reckless that even after returning via reincarnation, she would swap her soul just for revenge. She claimed I could go back home, but… I still couldn’t bring myself to trust her completely.
“Are you just planning to live as Lemoni, then?”
Raelia approached me at that moment and leaned her elbows against the railing.
“I can understand why you don’t trust me—after all, this is all because of me. So how do I convince you to trust me?”
How, indeed. How could I ever trust you?
I looked at Raelia grimly.
“The real Raelia… she’s in the book, right?”
“That’s right.”
“Then… if I open the book and the souls switch, what are the chances that I’ll get trapped inside?”
“Zero.”
A confident smile curved her lips charmingly. But there was no proof. And that was exactly what worried me.
“Then why is Raelia trapped in the book?”
“…Raelia never entered your body and never went to another world. So her soul had no choice but to lose its way. But you were originally Kim Eunji, right? If you open the book and blink, you’ll immediately return to your world. So there’s nothing to worry about.”
I rested my chin on my hand and frowned. Honestly, if I could truly go home, I’d welcome it. But could I just blindly trust this woman?
What should I do then? If my soul got lost when opening the book, regardless of Lemoni’s confident words, would the real Lemoni even bother to rescue me after returning to her own body?
The answer was “no.”
The real Lemoni had learned dark magic after reincarnating, all just to kill Deon. Moreover, the book containing the spells was classified as a Level 3 banned book in Dreiss Prison. She wouldn’t risk exposing herself to rescue me.
Then… I’d have to force the situation so that she had no choice but to save me.
“Fine. If it means I can go home, then I’ll do it.”
I nodded, deep in thought. Raelia’s face immediately lit up with a big smile as she grabbed my hand firmly.
“Really? Want to do it right now?”
“Do it where the banquet is being held,” I replied.
“What?”
As expected, her expression stiffened.
“How could I trust you to open the book in a place where we’re alone? That’s why it’s better to do it in a crowded place. I even considered opening it among the servants at the Christina Duke’s castle, but they’d all side with you anyway. It’s safer to do it at a banquet where an unpredictable crowd can react if something goes wrong—they’d freak out and intervene.”
“…Don’t you think showing that our souls have switched at a banquet would make me look like a complete lunatic? This is a Level 3 banned book in Dreiss Prison.”
“That’s your karma. I won’t open the book any other way.”
Her face twisted at my words. But the more her expression crumpled, the clearer it became that the one who truly wanted this deal was not me, but the real ‘Lemoni.’
For a moment, silence hung in the air as I rested my chin and gazed at the sea. I felt Raelia’s piercing gaze beside me, but she finally looked away and muttered under her breath in begrudging agreement.
“…Fine. Let’s do it that way. Once we return to the castle, that body is a survivor from Dreiss Prison, so the young ladies will all rush to invite you to the banquet. Just pick any invitation and attend, and don’t do anything weird with my body until then.”
“We’re almost there! The continent you see ahead is the Southern Empire!”
Our conversation was interrupted by Cedric’s excited shout. Soon, the ship dropped anchor and we set foot on land. The body, still used to the rocking sea, staggered dizzily, when someone abruptly grabbed my arm.
“Lemoni doesn’t walk like that. From here on, we’re in the Southern Empire, so behave properly.”
“I was going to anyway…”
“…Milady.”
It was at that moment.
I furrowed my brows, expecting another argument with her, but suddenly, a voice mixed with tears escaped. Turning my head, I saw a middle-aged woman with reddened eyes clasping her hands together as if in prayer.
“Oh, God! At last… at last, you’ve brought our innocent, pitiful lady here safely. No, wait, that’s not it. Quickly, let me escort you into the carriage. Let’s head straight to the Duke’s castle.”
The tears in her eyes froze Raelia and me in place. The problem was that more than fifty servants and knights in front of us were wearing the same expression.
On the way to the Duke’s castle, I stared absentmindedly out the carriage window. The Southern Empire was a place of quiet beauty and noble elegance, like a landscape painted by a famous artist. Trees sculpted into elongated ovals, soft dirt roads, and even the occasional rabbit seemed to be placed deliberately as part of the scenery.
Every time we passed a village, the conversations of ordinary people sounded like music. The calls of fruit vendors, the laughter of children running between them, even those who glanced curiously at the Christina family’s carriage bowed politely or stared in awe.
I accidentally met the eyes of one man and smiled awkwardly. The man, blushing, bowed deeply until his head nearly touched the ground.
“I-I apologize for encountering you in such humble attire, Milady.”
Hmm. Honestly, I’m dirtier than he is. I just gave an embarrassed smile, yet he stayed bowed until the carriage was out of sight. When I first possessed Lemoni, the prisoners treated me like vermin. But seeing her enter the world properly, I truly realized Lemoni was a noble.
But the reality of being a noble truly hit me when we arrived at the Duke’s castle.
“Oh, young lady! Your beauty—what on earth is this!”
“Milady, are you alright? Divine fortune has helped… truly, God has aided us.”
“Fortunately, there are no visible injuries, but I recommend a full examination soon.”
“We’ve prepared a bath for you here; please come in first.”
The waiting servants rushed forward to greet me. That was when…
“Let go of me! I’m a guest too!”
Cedric, having confirmed his identity, was moving to rest, but a sharp voice echoed through the grand hallway.
“This is a Level 1 prisoner whose identity hasn’t been confirmed. If the prison weren’t in such disarray, you’d already be in solitary confinement!”
“You’d be speechless if you knew who I am… I won’t let go!”
Raelia was being forcibly dragged by the knights. One of them had bruises on his cheek, probably from her hitting him while trying to pull away.
What should I do?
I stopped mid-step and stiffly commanded, “Let go.”
“Excuse me?”
“But Milady, this person’s identity can’t be verified in the Southern Empire.”
The knights hesitated, still trying to drag her, but immediately stopped at my word. It was clear now that the Lemoni Christina before them really was the rightful lady of this place.
What should I do in this situation? Should I act like Lemoni normally does, causing chaos? I hesitated, but it was obvious from their behavior: they would accept anything the lady who returned after five years did.
Then, there was no need to act like Lemoni to avoid suspicion.
“She’s the one who saved me. You might not be able to verify her identity, but she’s trustworthy. Treat her as a guest, like the others. She’ll be dining with us too.”
When I asked politely, the knights’ wary expressions softened noticeably.
“…Understood, Milady.”
“Understood.”
Their salute was sharp and obedient, yet I sensed a flicker of surprise—they probably noticed she was different from the Lemoni they remembered five years ago.
“…Crazy people. They don’t even recognize the real owner… only the shell…”
Raelia, finally released from the knights, muttered this under her breath. She glanced at me briefly, then swept her eyes over the crowd of servants surrounding me. Her expression was that of someone who had been stripped of what was rightfully hers.
