ICETKM 36

Chapter 36

The original heroine never appeared.
And in her absence, I ended up guiding the Emperor and even forming a half-bond with him.

The storyline that was supposed to revolve around the original female lead had already gone astray from the beginning, providing me no guidance whatsoever.

‘My memory’s fuzzy too.’

So what am I supposed to do now?

“Variables are like that, nya. No one knows how big the storm will be from a butterfly’s single flap, nya. Be prepared, nya.”

Thwap, thwap. The cat’s tail tapped against the floor.

I watched as Louias, murmuring in his sleep, reached out and grabbed that tail.

Unlike when she acted all high and mighty with me, Lucy let him hold it quietly.

When did they get so close?

“What do you want me to do?”

The guide. And the system window.

It was clear those things were nudging me in a certain direction.

They were probably urging me to actively throw myself into the world of this story.

But never had that pressure felt as chilling and ominous as it did today.

It was as if I were a puppet tied to invisible strings…

I felt sick just thinking about it.

“You already know, don’t you, nya? Either actively find someone else to become the Emperor’s match, or decisively take that place yourself, nya.”

Of course, what you want is the latter, right?

I didn’t say it out loud, just stared at her—and the cat responded with an eerily toothy grin.

And then, a familiar sound rang out.

“…Haa, not again tonight.”

A glimmering system window.

Someone’s data shifting into orange.

‘Damn it. That idiot used his powers again.’

I scowled hard.

Sure, I could understand Caesis’s reaction—his disappointment, that hypersensitive rage. But I was still human.

I hadn’t done anything seriously wrong, yet from the start, I was hated.

He came close to me on his own, even though I didn’t want it, and at night I had to pretend to be friendly while deceiving him.

But I wasn’t shameless enough to live comfortably with such a split between day and night.

As time went on, it grew more and more uncomfortable.

His guarded, reluctant gaze during the day.

His overly familiar, unreserved gaze at night.

“I can’t face him and pretend to guide like everything’s fine when I feel like this.”

At first, I tried to take it lightly.

Sure, Caesis’s strange nighttime demeanor was odd, but I’d also felt relieved to not have to pretend to be the duke in front of him.

But right now, at least tonight—after what happened during the day—I couldn’t face him like nothing was wrong.

I wanted to yell.

That I’m not the beloved match he sees with such affection.

That the real one was someone else.

That this relationship was flimsy, easily changed.

That he shouldn’t look at me so tenderly and make me misunderstand!

That he didn’t even truly know anything about me!

But while my thoughts were noisy and chaotic, the cat guide remained utterly unbothered.

“No need to overthink it, nya. It’s your choice—and you bear the consequences, nya.”

Yeah. That. That’s exactly what’s so irresponsible!

I felt irrationally angry at Lucy too and turned away.

The experience of being possessed today and the utterly unhelpful system window only deepened my distrust.

I couldn’t trust anything anymore.

“I’m leaving.”

But when I didn’t hear the familiar sound of footsteps following me, I turned around.

Lucy was still beside Louias, not moving, licking her paw.

“You’re not coming?”

The cat shook her head like a person and even scolded me.

“Don’t you feel sorry for this kid, nya? I’m going to stay and keep him warm with my body heat, nya.”

Right, sure. Suit yourself.

Since when did she start acting so caring?

I snorted, shut the door, and returned to my own room.

After dismissing the maids and changing into my nightgown alone, I settled into bed.

“What now…?”

There it was again—an all-too-familiar system window.

Something I had seen once before.

A branching choice.

[A critical branch has occurred.
Gate Invitation.
The one who is lost desperately seeks the light of salvation.
Though he hates and distrusts you, he’s begun to trust you without realizing it. Favorability has shifted.
Do you accept the gate’s invitation?
Choose wisely.
All choices come with consequences.
If you save someone’s life, you may form a deep bond with them.
Your decision will shape what comes next.]

So this means…

‘If I accept, I’ll go into the gate? The one calling me must be the Emperor—so why is it the gate?’

My face twisted.

It was late—well past midnight.

Which meant…

Something had happened at the Imperial Palace.

“What is this…?”

For a moment, my fingers hesitated.

The ominous wording on the system window—just like Lucy had warned—made my skin crawl.

It felt like someone was watching, pushing me into the absent heroine’s role and laughing as they observed.

I couldn’t shake the feeling that maybe this world wasn’t real.

That maybe I wasn’t truly alive inside Hilaria.

That I was lost.

And a gate?

Even back in Korea, as a Guide, I’d been dragged into gate missions multiple times—unlike the precious S-ranks who could afford to play it safe under tight protection.

I wasn’t as skilled as a combat Guide, sure, but I still had experience.

But even so—could I really handle it?

Could I think clearly after seeing the beasts, monsters, and horrors inside a gate?

Gulp. I swallowed dryly.

Why had the Emperor suddenly required urgent guidance inside a gate? That, I couldn’t understand.

But what choice did I have?

I still slept like a normal person, felt happy when eating good food.

I enjoyed wearing soft, luxurious clothes, and I got annoyed when work overwhelmed me.

The mages following me were starting to feel kind of cute and fun, and the desperate awakened ones who sought my help… they caught my eye.

So right now—Hilaria was me. I was alive.

And Caesis had to live too.

Not because he was the male lead.

Not because he was important to the story.

But because he was the Empire’s strongest SSS-rank awakened.

It was the same reason I had forced myself to guide detestable Espers in Korea, even when they disgusted themselves.

Because if they survived, I could survive.

“I don’t like doing what the system wants…”

I pressed my finger firmly against the [Accept] button.

—Yes.

“This is my choice.”

To save Caesis.

And in that instant, the world turned white.

* * *

After the tense confrontation with the Duke at the palace earlier that day, Caesis had rampaged through every available gate like a madman.

Whether the gates were in a dangerous state needing urgent response or completely stable and not yet active, he didn’t care.

His knights, noticing their lord’s unusual behavior, quietly followed and adjusted to his pace.

And he—

‘What a joke.’

—couldn’t even understand himself.

‘Why did I move?’

Everything was a mess.

The red blood.
The woman’s disgustingly cold expression.
The relationship that never changed.

Then why had he felt disappointment? Why anger?

‘Disappointment means I expected something.’

He had expectations… of her?

Since when? Why?

‘Things started getting weird.’

He’d moved to shield her from danger on multiple occasions.

Like that time with the awakened ones.

In the alleyway, when she faced down the hooded figure.

And now, again.

‘It wasn’t for Louias’s sake.’

He ran, like a trained dog, and blocked the way.

And when he’d wondered whether the Duke couldn’t use magic, she had demonstrated high-level spatial teleportation that most mages wouldn’t even attempt.

Even though he knew she was mocking him, even though she had completely neglected Louias.