Chapter 141
‘When I see Kasion Schultz again, I feel like I should slap him three times.’
The moment I ran into Duke Hexagon, I lost consciousness.
And now I’d been dragged into a narrow room somewhere and left there alone. My hands and feet were tightly bound. There wasn’t even a window.
“Ugh… I’m so stuffy and uncomfortable I could die.”
I think I understand now—
Why part of my childhood memories are completely missing.
Maybe after being kidnapped by Hexagon, the shock made me erase everything.
Right now, I have my future mind, so I can think like an adult. But the real me who went through this in the past… was just a child.
There probably aren’t many children who could endure this situation—trapped, alone, no one familiar around—in their right mind.
“Haah…”
They’d even taken my shoes so I couldn’t escape. My bare feet stung against the floor.
“Why’s she so quiet all of a sudden? Works out well for us.”
I heard soldiers joking outside the door.
The rope around my wrists dug deeper into my skin the more I struggled.
‘They went this far just to make sure I can’t move. They’re insane.’
After glaring at the door, I flopped onto my back. I’d already pounded on it several times.
The skin on my hands had split open from hitting it. They were bleeding. Probably bruised too—they throbbed terribly.
Even my wrists tingled with pain now. I had no choice but to sit still and wait for them to recover.
“……”
It was too quiet. Too dark.
It felt like the darkness itself was creeping closer.
“This is giving me goosebumps.”
The longer I stayed locked up, the more childlike emotions bubbled up.
I’m scared.
I’m afraid.
I can’t breathe.
Someone help me.
‘My body is reacting to fear. That’s why my consciousness is fading.’
This wasn’t something I could control with willpower alone.
Even though I know I’ll eventually escape—because I’m from the future—I’m still scared right now.
Scritch, scritch!
Woof! Woof!
Rats scurried somewhere. A large dog barked outside. The room was cold—cold enough to chill my bones.
“I’m scared… No, I’m not. Am I scared?”
I muttered to myself without realizing.
‘Why send me back to the exact moment I was kidnapped…? You could’ve at least given me time to grab a weapon…’
My consciousness grew hazy. Sleepiness washed over me, but I was afraid if I fell asleep here, I might die.
Then the ground began to tremble slightly.
Thud.
Thuuud.
Crash!!!
“If that Lockhart girl hadn’t lured the prince outside, none of this would’ve happened! What nonsense did you fill his head with?!”
Duke Hexagon burst in, glaring at me as if he might kill me on the spot.
He grabbed me by the collar.
“Lockhart must’ve been planning rebellion from the start. What could a runt like you possibly do alone?”
Hexagon looked far more unhinged than he had in the future.
“They must’ve been planning this for quite some time. Otherwise, they couldn’t have stormed in with troops so quickly.”
“…I don’t know.”
“Spill everything you know! What are you planning? Where’s your base? What do you want? Is Lockhart the mastermind? Or is there someone else? Were you plotting revenge for the former emperor?!”
“I… don’t… know!”
“You still don’t realize that telling me everything would be better for your life.”
Smack!
Hexagon shoved me hard.
“By now, your father must be scouring the entire country to find you. Just like he toppled the Imperial Palace, he’ll push forward without hesitation.”
“…Ah…”
“But you might die before that.”
He overturned the thin soup and water sitting on a nearby table.
The liquid soaked into the carpet and disappeared, leaving only dampness behind.
“When you get hungry, tell me anytime. But when you do, you’ll have to beg earnestly—‘Father, please stop the rebellion. Save me.’”
“Save…”
I trailed off. When my eyes met his expectant gaze, I whipped my head away.
“Never.”
“……”
Bang!
He slammed the door and left.
“Don’t give that brat even a sip of water.”
I licked droplets of water that trickled down the wall just to moisten my throat.
Fortunately, rain was leaking in somewhere.
“Ah… I’m dizzy…”
It felt like four days had passed.
There were loud sounds outside, but no soldiers stormed in. My hands trembled more and more.
‘Is there anything? Anything at all?’
Even speaking was too exhausting now. I thought only in my head.
My lips stung. My tongue felt glued to the roof of my mouth.
I must’ve lost weight—the rope around my ankles had loosened slightly. With all my strength, I managed to stand.
‘I’m hungry… something to eat… even a small piece of bread…’
I staggered—and crashed into a cabinet.
Crash!
I stared at the shattered glass on the floor. It looked like I’d broken several vials.
‘Experimental drugs. I shouldn’t drink that.’
No matter how hungry I was, I knew I shouldn’t touch it.
But the scent was so sweet.
Deliciously sweet. Like caramelized sugar torched over a dessert. My mouth filled with saliva.
I’m thirsty.
‘Don’t.’
Don’t. Absolutely not.
At the same time, my stomach hurt so badly I felt like I’d die if I didn’t put something in it.
I’m thirsty.
Give me water.
‘Still no. You know what kind of family Hexagon is. Don’t. Don’t… don’t.’
I came here to change the future.
I can’t collapse here.
But the moment I inhaled the sweet scent, my hunger and thirst intensified. My head spun. My sense of smell seemed to blur.
Various scents flooded my nose.
‘Endure it.’
I bit my lip.
“……!”
But when I came to—
I had already quenched my thirst with the spilled experimental drug.
My consciousness gradually faded.
Before my eyes, an unfamiliar dream unfolded, like scenes from a phantom projection.
‘Those people are wearing strange clothes. What is that? The wheels look weird. That carriage is strange. It’s different. This feels like another world.’
I crouched somewhere cold, watching scenes flash by like a spinning lantern.
It felt like I’d been dropped into a dark, silent place.
‘They’re talking into a box… Everyone’s walking while holding something in their hands.’
I simply accepted the strange sights.
‘That book must be interesting.’
I watched a woman happily reading a book. She looked bright and joyful—like she might pull me out of the dark, frightening place I was in.
But soon she vanished.
Another scene unfolded.
A woman wailing—The Empress. The Empress I saw back then. And the Emperor.
One crying, the other shouting.
‘Scary.’
I squeezed my eyes shut and buried my face in my knees. Still, their voices thundered in my ears.
I covered my ears tightly.
‘This is fake.’
‘This is a dream.’
‘This isn’t reality. It’s a story. Just a fairy tale. I can escape.’
I didn’t want to hear the growing sobs.
This is all a fake story. Like the fairy tales Aunt used to read to me before bed.
When I wake up, it’ll disappear. It’s nothing. This is nothing.
“Enya, bad things will always disappear someday. Like magic, they’re meant to fade away. When things are hard, think of them as a dream and endure. Then they’ll pass more quickly.”
Remembering Aunt’s words felt like someone gently stroking my hair.
‘It’s okay now.’
Strength drained from my body. Exhaustion overtook me.
Suddenly, a thunderous noise rang in my ears.
But I wasn’t hungry anymore.
I curled into a ball.
“…Hey!”
There was a loud voice.
I frowned.
‘So noisy…’
Too loud. Cold again. No—hot.
It smelled like something was burning.
“…Enya!”
Someone was calling me.
“Enya, Enya…”
Dale stammered, unable to calm down. He came to the estate and cried all day.
He did that every time.
It was Dale who had swiftly infiltrated the Hexagon estate and found Enya’s location. It was Dale who pulled her out of the blaze.
But Enya was already unconscious.
“Enya…”
“She’ll be alright.”
Marcus tried to comfort the young emperor, who refused to leave Enya’s side.
But Marcus’s heart was rotting away just as much.
His only daughter hadn’t opened her eyes in two weeks.
No consciousness—just a beating heart. Practically an empty shell. Even the High Priest had said so.
“Enya will wake up.”
He spoke his wish aloud. If she couldn’t wake, he was ready to offer his own life in her place.
If possible, he would die for her.
The emperor, who visited daily, seemed no different.
“That’s just what you wish, Chancellor.”
“……”
“Tell me the truth. No—tell me that it’s true she can wake up. That you’re not lying to me.”
Marcus turned his solemn face away.
If Enya didn’t open her eyes, she would die. At best, she could survive like this for about a month.
What could they do?
No treatment. No divine power had saved his daughter.
“Enya is sick and hurting because of me.”
Tears spilled from eyes so swollen they seemed unable to swell any further.
“Uncle was right. If not for me… if I hadn’t been born…”
“Your Majesty.”
Marcus gently took Dale’s hand.
Seeing the emperor—utterly broken, none of his usual composure remaining—pained him deeply.
“Enya would not want Your Majesty to blame yourself.”
“Even if she’s suffering because of me?”
“Yes. I’m certain.”
“……”
The emperor bit his lip, suppressing even his sniffles, and buried his face in his hands.
His shoulders trembled as he struggled to remain composed.
“…Ah.”
Suddenly, his eyes flashed.
“There is. A way.”
“Your Majesty? Where are you going? I’ll escort you.”
“I found it, Marcus! There’s a way!”
The emperor, who had bolted out like an arrow, turned back toward him.
“I can save Enya!”
