Chapter 09
‘Only now?’
Of course, it wasn’t that his remorse was wrong. On the contrary, the Duke’s attitude was so genuinely sincere that I almost wondered why he was going this far.
But the fact remained: it was too late. If I were the real Erina, I might have been moved—maybe asking in disbelief, or letting tears show from emotions too strong to contain.
But unfortunately, I wasn’t Erina. I was just someone inhabiting her body.
If he had apologized just a few days earlier, the real Erina could have received it properly.
A pang of regret rose in me. Still, I carefully folded that regret, along with the irritation at the Duke’s belated apology, and tucked it away in a corner of my heart.
Emotionally reacting would serve no purpose. Right now, the most important thing was to figure out why the Duke was acting like this.
‘No, maybe the reason doesn’t matter.’
What mattered was that the Duke’s attitude had changed from the original story—positively, even.
‘But… what exactly should I say in this situation?’
It was awkward, very awkward. Even the real Erina might have felt flustered if her usually indifferent father suddenly bowed his head and apologized like this.
“…It’s okay, Father. Acting for the sake of our beloved mother was only natural.”
After thinking long and hard, that was the awkward line I came up with. Nothing else seemed right.
‘Ah… of course.’
Knowing roughly how considerate that sounded, I internally sighed as I saw the Duke’s expression shift.
‘Maybe I’ll just let him be mistaken.’
Honestly, nothing else came to mind, and sometimes letting someone misunderstand is better for one’s own safety.
I deliberately avoided the Duke’s gaze for a moment. After all, the fact that I wasn’t the real Erina was already deceiving him—adding a little more falsehood wouldn’t hurt, right?
…It shouldn’t. From now on, whether I liked it or not, I had to live as Erina.
Pushing aside the faint prick of conscience, I put on a calm front.
They say sometimes it’s better not to know the truth. Sure. If you knew everything, even a heart that once burned brightly would grow cold.
Still, I couldn’t bear to watch the Duke’s expression for long, so I quickly searched for something to redirect the conversation. It wasn’t far off.
“Father… about that.”
The Duke turned his head. He looked puzzled at the Lintburg egg I was pointing to.
“Yes, that?”
“Right. Russell gave it to me… but I have a question.”
“Go ahead.”
“How do you hatch this egg?”
Honestly, I was still unsure. If I sold the Lintburg egg, it could fetch a huge sum.
But the Lintburg’s healing abilities were also tempting.
After all, in the original story, Erina was assassinated. Of course, I planned to do everything to avoid that fate and bend the story, but no one can predict the future.
‘Money doesn’t help if you’re dead!’
Even if you take money to the grave, it’s useless. First, you have to live to use it.
‘And I have no idea who sent the assassin, or who the culprit even is.’
So the more ways I could protect myself, the better. Especially since my awakening abilities weren’t much.
The Duke furrowed his brow at my question. Then, with a dissatisfied expression, he asked:
“Didn’t Russell tell you?”
“He seemed… preoccupied.”
In truth, Russell had fled the scene, so he had no chance to explain properly.
The Duke sighed deeply. Judging by his expression, he didn’t seem to blame Russell.
“You can use a mana stone. But since the creature will recognize whoever is present as its mother the moment it hatches, you must do it when no one else is around.”
“I see.”
It reminded me of a duck or something. Nodding, the Duke elaborated:
“In the wild, the mother collects mana-infused objects to help the egg hatch. Once enough accumulates, the mana breaks the hard shell. I hear it takes about ten minutes.”
After glancing at me for a moment, he added:
“If you want, I can get the mana stone right away.”
Hearing that, I looked at the teal egg. Its gem-like gleam made me pause, thinking for a moment before I spoke.
“If Lintburg had been born in Mother’s hands, could she have recovered?”
“…I obtained it hoping that might happen. Whether it truly would, I no longer have a way to know.”
I felt the same regret. What if the Duchess had been alive…?
But as the Duke said, that was now impossible.
Then what should I do? What would be the best course of action to survive?
“…Father. I want to hatch the Lintburg.”
I could decide quickly. The Lintburg’s healing ability—if the Duke himself hoped it could cure the Duchess, it must be powerful.
Then it would be okay for me to place value on that hope too.
‘There’s a hint in the original story that one of the male leads tried to assassinate Erina…’
But that was only in the original story. Right now, the story wouldn’t likely follow that path.
Has any transmigration story ever followed the original plot exactly just because the protagonist knew it?
Besides, three characters had already deviated drastically from the original, so arguing about canon was pointless.
Ah, unless the world’s “forced consistency” or whatever kicked in… then maybe.
‘I’m not letting that happen, seriously!’
Because if it did, a grim fate would still await. That alone was reason enough to rely on Lintburg.
‘And it’s a dragon—who’d just ignore that?’
In fantasy, dragons are the ultimate creature! To see one in real life, that opportunity couldn’t be missed.
And that egg shell—if it remained mostly intact after hatching, it would still be valuable.
The Duke brightened slightly. Not dramatically, but compared to his previous somber, regretful look, it was much better.
“Then I’ll get the mana stone ready.”
No—correct that. The Duke seemed excited. As if he had been waiting for this moment, he sprang to his feet.
“I’ll prepare plenty, Erina. Is there anything else you need?”
His gaze, as if saying, “I’ll grant anything you ask, just speak up,” made me feel slightly overwhelmed.
Wait, a father really going all in for his daughter’s request? I understand doing extra when regretting the past, but this sudden change was… amazing!
‘Seize the opportunity when it comes!’
Better to roll in dog poop than miss a chance at life! Requests? I have plenty! I’d be grateful if you could immediately provide a proper mansion to live in seclusion and a lifetime supply of wealth, Father!
‘Wait a moment!’
I nearly forgot caution in my excitement! I still didn’t know why the Duke suddenly regretted his past.
‘Father, you’re terrifying…!’
Tempting someone with money to the point they lose focus, then blurring reality… No wonder he’s the Duke…!
Resolving to be careful from now on, I opened my mouth.
“I have a question, Father.”
“What is it? If I can answer, I will.”
The Duke immediately sat, listening attentively, poised and proper.
“I’m curious… why did you suddenly start thinking about me?”
That poised expression cracked the moment he heard my question.
Whether he hadn’t expected me to ask, or simply didn’t want me to, the Duke struggled to maintain his composure.
“…I see, it’s natural to be curious.”
Only after a long pause did a strained, low voice escape.
“While conducting your mother… Penelope’s funeral, I realized something. I thought she left nothing behind, but that wasn’t true.”
His red eyes met mine, faintly glowing. That gaze carried a mixture of emotions.
“I realized that you… were one of the treasures she left behind. And that I had committed a lifetime’s worth of sins against you…”
His voice trembled faintly, eyes heavy with guilt. He was speaking sincerely. Yet it didn’t answer my question.
‘That doesn’t explain it.’
In the original story, he would have ignored her more after the funeral, not regretted it. His words didn’t convince me.
‘There must be another reason, and he won’t reveal it.’
I knew that a man like him was skilled at hiding the real reason. So discovering more was unlikely.
“…I see.”
I smiled lightly, accepting that.
“Thank you for answering, Father.”
But it was fine. There were still two more people I needed to ask.
