《Hopefully, at Your Mercy》 CH 1 ¡°Princess Delinda! Have you really betrayed me?! How could you do this to me¡­?!¡± Vicious veins protruded from Count Dwell¡¯s neck. Because he couldn¡¯t keep his emotions in check, his contorted face only made him look ugly. Delinda¡¯s gaze alternated between the two men standing before her. One man had a puffy face, and the other merely stood there, regarding the situation while looking insensitive. Delinda decided to stare at the man trembling in anger first. Count Dwell, her fianc¨¦. Sorry¡ªmy soon-to-be ex-fianc¨¦. How could a person make such a remark when he continuously made a fool of himself and whispered sweet nothings to another woman? Did you really think I didn¡¯t know of your affair? [Have you really betrayed me?!] Those words shouldn¡¯t have come out of your mouth. Delinda accepted his misunderstanding as such and made no move to clarify. If my fianc¨¦, Count Dwell, misunderstood and felt deceived and insulted, so be it. A faint smile appeared on Delinda¡¯s face. And the moment her smile deepened, the other man watching them approached slowly. ¡°Delinda.¡± A low voice dropped to a whisper, calling out. The man who was mistaken as my ¡°lover.¡± He¡¯d been watching the situation unfold impassively without offering any explanation or excuse. ¡°Have you really betrayed your fianc¨¦?¡± At first, there was no emotion in the friendly question. What was his purpose in asking when he was quite literally suspected to be my lover? When she didn¡¯t answer easily, the man slowly lowered his head and looked into her eyes. His sharp gaze penetrated her as if he would dig into her shaking heart. ¡°If you haven¡¯t betrayed him yet, we should, starting now.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± He dipped his head and pressed his lips to her ear. And from a distance close enough to reach each other¡¯s body temperature, he whispered a secret suggestion. ¡°Take me as yours.¡± Delinda took a step back in panic. A large hand gripped her arm tightly and stopped her. As if distancing herself was unacceptable. The space between the two was about to widen, but before it could happen, he pulled her in close again. This time he lifted her chin in his palm. She was caught deep in his red gaze again. ¡°Perhaps¡­ it will be your favorite among your possessions.¡± ¡°¡­¡± His warm voice was a sweet enchantment. But it sounded like an arrogant and coercive order to her. Delinda couldn¡¯t answer easily. Her lips trembled with tension. ¡­Was this a trap? I couldn¡¯t stop myself from averting my gaze. His eyes were clearly shining in the dark. It was too much to bear. The shimmering madness hidden beneath his red eyes. I was aware of that madness. Grand Duke Iskan Anagroke. A noble descendant of the Bakhyan Empire and the slaughterer who rules the land of the evil beasts. Since he has tried to kill himself before. <1. Delinda Schultz> It was when two red moons overlapped as one. Delinda Schultz. Han Ji-an, a woman who lived in Korea, was possessed by a novel. She entered the body of ¡°Delinda Schultz.¡± It¡¯s also the second time that she¡¯s possessed a novel. And now that she¡¯s come to her senses, Delinda¡¯s father, Duke Schultz, was talking to some swindler. ¡°As the duke knows, the status of the Spirit Stone has increased dramatically, right? At this rate, if you miss your last chance to become a patron to the development of the Spirit Stone Mine¡­¡± Lord Kabila¡ªwho looked like a swindler¡ªfiddled with a mustache that resembled a mouse¡¯s tail. Even without making a long-winded explanation, anyone could easily infer the last words he omitted. ¡®If you miss this last chance, the great duke will eventually sink!¡¯ The Schultz family was a great family that enjoyed wealth and honor for generations. However, by reaching the age of this era, the fortune of the duke¡¯s family came to collapse. After experiencing large and small incidents, all that remained of the duke¡¯s fortune were the plains near the Royarch River and the large mansion in the capitol. Of course, that would have been enough if they were ordinary nobles, but sadly, they¡¯re a historical noble family. The huge mansion and its accompanying servants were insufficient. ¡°The reason I spoke to the duke first was that I¡¯ve always respected his noble character¡­ Now, the sun is setting. I¡¯m expected to attend a banquet of the Soublio family¡­¡± Lord Kabila glanced out the window and let the silence speak for him. I respected you and gave you a chance first, but if you don¡¯t decide now, I could go to the banquet and present this opportunity to others. ¡°Hmm.¡± Duke Schultz observed the Spirit Stone in the setting sun. A warm glow shone through stained glass. Its dazzling, bright sparkle felt like the light of glory he could return to his family. ¡®Alright. You must come to a decision. An opportunity to rebuild our family and cure Delinda¡¯s illness.¡¯ The duke squeezed the jewel. Even with the mansion as collateral, he was thinking of making a final investment. At that moment, Delinda¡­ Well, ¡°Delinda,¡± who was actually a woman named Han Ji-an, was currently thinking hard. ¡®What? Have I possessed a novel again? But this atmosphere feels all too familiar. Have I been here before?¡¯ And soon, she realized that her analogy was true. She was now possessed for the 2nd time. Inside a novel that she¡¯d possessed once before, too. ¡®Why am I here again? The novel is complete, and I went back to reality, so why?¡¯ I lived here for 6 years at the time of my 1st life. Then, I returned to reality, and since then, my memories of this world have become strange. Some memories appear as dark as a curtain, and some memories I can make out vividly. I couldn¡¯t think of anything related to me or my life, but I remembered meaningless things like they were yesterday. ¡®So¡­ where am I? I should figure that out first.¡¯ Delinda tried to grasp the current situation by scanning her surroundings. I was sitting in a duke¡¯s luxurious mansion. Judging by the name I just heard in the conversation, the person next to me was considered the father of ¡°this body,¡± Duke Schultz. I¡¯ve heard rumors of him during my 1st life. Duke Schultz was particularly memorable, but not because his lineage was one of the great founding families of the Bakhyan Empire. It was because his family was falling apart. Because the princess, the heir to the family, was an idiot. Anyway, I definitely remembered that. ¡®It was probably right after the birth of the ¡°Idiot Princess¡± that their fortune started to decline, right? She¡¯s a beauty, but she¡¯s an idiot. As a result, she¡¯s become a weakness to her family¡­¡¯ Wasn¡¯t it said that she couldn¡¯t speak until she was six? Rumor has it that she had more of an animal¡¯s instincts, not a human¡¯s. Through the efforts of the duke, who educated the princess with love, she finally became a human being. The princess was always inside the duke¡¯s mansion. It was to prevent the spread of rumors claiming she was an idiot. ¡®I remember that while he did various things to fix the princess¡¯s condition, his family¡¯s fortune dwindled¡­¡¯ Some said that he called for an ancient witch and bought an expensive antidote to heal her soul, and after asking for a dragon¡¯s guidance, he was tricked and lost a lot of money. The duke¡¯s biggest blow was when his business filed for bankruptcy and tried to cover up various losses. Delinda used this prior information to think. She glanced at the duke sitting beside her, who was holding her hand tightly and turned to Lord Kabila, who was smiling viciously across from them. And she came to a late realization. ¡­Wait a minute. I¡¯m that idiot princess, aren¡¯t I? This body belongs to that idiot princess! As if awakening from a nap, I quickly came to my senses. ¡®So, in the end, the duke will be ruined as he tries to cure ¡°my¡± condition, which is ¡°this body,¡± right? And now he¡¯s about to be deceived by some strange guy?¡¯ I just possessed this body?! No! My new possessed life! My newly possessed future! Delinda clenched her fist tightly and recklessly butted in just before the two of them finalized the contract. ¡°But, Father. Isn¡¯t this really strange?¡± ¡°What do you mean, Delinda?¡± ¡°A cave where you can mine endless spirit stones¡­ How did we get such a great investment opportunity?¡± I said that much and studied the duke¡¯s expression. I wondered if my words sounded too smart for the idiot princess, but the duke didn¡¯t seem to think it was strange. I think I¡¯m allowed to say this much. I need to know how foolish she is to make an initial estimate. Is it to the extent that she can barely communicate, but her actions are foolish, and her thoughts are idiotic? ¡°Our family no longer has money. A few days ago, I prayed to God for more money again. Did he hear me?¡± High risk, high profit. The higher the profit, the higher the risk. I wanted to grasp the situation properly, but I had no prior information. Isn¡¯t that a given? I just barely got here. I didn¡¯t even know what a ¡°spirit stone¡± was. It didn¡¯t exist during my 1st life, right? What on earth is a spirit stone? CH 2 Hopefully, at Your Mercy ¨C Chapter 2 But even at this moment when everything was unpredictable, one thing was resolute. ¡®This guy is kind of leery.¡¯ This man named Lord Kabila was a fraud from the very beginning. I needed to take a closer look. ¡®Besides, when forming a contract, you have to set the upper hand in terms of the atmosphere. He took the lead! You must take it back. Allowing yourself to be pushed around will only make your opponent look down on you.¡¯ Therefore, in my judgment, this was not the right time to seal the contract. Sadly, however, the duke did not quite understand Delinda¡¯s meaning. ¡°I know, Delinda. Now, it is clear that glory will once again return to our family.¡± ¡°Will it be glory? If I pray more¡­¡± ¡°It seems that your prayers have been answered today, Delinda.¡± Lord Kabila rubbed his hands and exclaimed as if he felt a sense of crisis at Delinda¡¯s words. ¡°That¡¯s right! Isn¡¯t this the moment when the Schultz family will walk the path of glory again? I am delighted to experience this shining moment with you, Your Highness, the Duke.¡± ¡°Haha¡­ Is that so?¡± ¡°Yes! In fact, I received many proposals from other nobles, but I decided to refuse them all and come here. How common is it to gain the opportunity to serve the great founding family of Duke Schultz?¡± This swindler¡¯s enticing words were misleading Duke Schultz. ¡°Therefore, Your Highness, the Duke, please accept my admiration for your family.¡± Bowing his head politely, Lord Kabila smoothly talked. As soon as he finished speaking, Delinda felt it in her bones. It was over. The duke was done for. A noble honor. A great founding family. The words uttered by this swindler were able to sway the proud duke¡¯s mind. As the situation progressed, Delinda finally decided she needed to say something. Anything. ¡°It¡¯s fake, Father! I think this is fake! It¡¯s a fake jewel!¡± It didn¡¯t matter if it was real or fake. I just needed to buy some time. Lord Kabila clutched the spirit stone, feigning offense. ¡°Fake? Even a person without mana or strength can wear this glove and crush it¡­ See, look! Doesn¡¯t it burn perfectly?¡± The effect of the Spirit Stone was certain. When broken with force, a flame will blaze in the air. It really started to burn. Now, the next thing was the problem. What should I do? Even as she struggled, the flame fluttered in the air, as if taunting Delinda. After a short thought, Delinda made a simple decision. Screw up! I¡¯ll ruin this by stirring up a commotion! Delinda made up her mind and lunged for the flame, grabbing it. ¡°Oh, dear! Princess!¡± ¡°Kyaa! It¡¯s hot!¡± Then, she aimed for the seat next to Lord Kabila and chucked it. His eyes widened in surprise. The roaring fire slammed into the couch and began to catch fire. ¡°No, there¡¯s a fire! Argh! It shouldn¡¯t expand to this degree because of its lower rank!¡± Sir Kabila shouted and rambled, taking out magic sand and sprinkling it over the damage. Recognizing the seriousness of the situation, the employees flocked around. ¡°Miss! Are you all right?!¡± Philip, the housemaster of the mansion, made a beeline for Delinda. ¡°No! The duke¡¯s favorite sofa!¡± Varmo, the butler of the mansion, hugged the sofa. The entire thing was confusing. It was noisy and hectic. It was exactly what Delinda wanted. Lord Kabila, who had extinguished the fire, muttered as if he had lost his mind. ¡°How on earth did the princess touch it using her hands¡­ The general public cannot¡­¡± Delinda stood in the middle of the drawing room while it turned as chaotic as the market. Then she took a deep breath and shouted with the loudest voice in the mansion. ¡°I hate dangerous things! I hate things that burn, and I hate that he showed me something frightening! Tell him to get out of my house right now, Father!¡± * * * It was fine. That was stupid enough. I looked very stupid. Delinda smiled the entire trip to her room, accompanied by her maid, Rose. I was reflecting on my performance just now. What happened in the duke¡¯s drawing room? The sofa burned, people panicked, and the contract was wet. A teacup tipped over during the commotion, and the ink smeared. They had to delay the contract momentarily due to the handwriting being unidentifiable. When the princess appeared to be surprised, Duke Schultz sent Lord Kabila away and ordered him to deliver a new contract next time. Anyway, there¡¯s a moratorium now. I have time to carefully look over the contract. Delinda was pleased with her foolishness, but her smile slowly faded as they approached the room. ¡®¡­Wait a second. Is it okay to enjoy this?¡¯ So to speak, what happened today? A terrible incident that made Delinda¡¯s reputation as a fool shine even more foolishly. ¡°¡­¡± After a painful silence, I decided to adapt to reality. ¡®Ay, who cares? This isn¡¯t even my body. It¡¯d be better to act as a fool for now and protect the family¡¯s money. I¡¯m going back one way or the other.¡¯ Thinking about it that way made me feel more at ease. Moreover, I had a feeling that in a few years, I¡¯d be able to return to reality as before. ¡®Relax, the real princess will return to this body someday. I¡¯ll help her physically and mentally so that the princess¡¯s father doesn¡¯t get cheated.¡¯ How many years will it be this time? But even so, I was glad to be a daughter of a wealthy family this time. Even though it¡¯s all going down the drain. I tried to recall the events of my 1st life, slowly bobbing my head back and forth. However, ¡®I can¡¯t think of anything.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t remember my 1st life. Everything was blurry. As if a thick fog were clouding my brain. ¡®Okay, then, let¡¯s put the pieces together.¡¯ Delinda began to unravel the jumbled clues together, step by step. First of all, I clearly lived here in the past. I was also certain that I lived in a different body, not Princess Delinda¡¯s. The problem is that I can¡¯t remember whose body it was exactly. When I was in the real world, I guess I just left the novel and lost my memory¡­ but it¡¯s become a problem now that I¡¯m here again. It was my previous life that I couldn¡¯t remember. Some things were still vivid, like the accent of the Bakhyan Empire¡¯s official language, the price of a single flower sold at the market, and even the taste of cherries. But other matters were unknown to me. ¡®Come to think of it, who was the main character of this novel?¡¯ I¡¯m pretty sure this body isn¡¯t the female lead. I barely moved my feet, and my face blanks as I tried to remember the past. As I was walking so frantically, I didn¡¯t realize that Rose, who was ahead of me, had stopped. I bumped into Rose when she stopped to open the door. Delinda struggled to keep her balance. But Rose weaseled out of the way and rushed to the wall instead of holding me steady. Bump! I hit my face. I didn¡¯t bleed, but it was tingling. ¡°Ah¡­¡± I rubbed the bridge of my nose, and for a second I thought I was going to cry because the tip of it burned. But as I touched my nose, I felt something off. Why is it so strange to be hurt? What the hell¡­ Meanwhile, Rose opened the door wide and beckoned me to step inside first. ¡°You have a precious body, Princess, you must be careful. How can you constantly behave this carelessly?¡± ¡­Huh? Delinda lowered the hand rubbing her nose. This person¡¯s tone and nuance did not seem to be of general concern. If a person appears to be hurt, shouldn¡¯t you worry first? Is it in my head? Am I delusional? I stopped walking and focused on Rose¡¯s face. Rose came to let out a sigh of disappointment, telling me this was not an illusion. ¡°Go on. Everyone will feel frustrated with the princess should you act slow.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°It was like that before. You put the duke in an awkward situation since you requested to welcome an important guest together, and in the end¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°The princess¡¯ strength is that she is always pure, but now you should learn how to act as a noblewoman. The uncaring actions of the princess can seriously tarnish the honor of the noble Schultz family. You know that, don¡¯t you?¡± It was a calm, gentle reproach. Delinda narrowed her eyes. What the¡ª What is this irreverent tone? The expression disappeared from Delinda¡¯s face. Unlike the Idiot Princess Delinda, Han Ji-an¡¯s pouty temper skyrocketed. Was it always like this for Princess Delinda? No, if a child is lacking since birth, it is essential to be understanding. Do you push emotional pressure onto her like this behind her back? To demoralize an already lacking child¡­ Delinda glanced back at Rose. Rose was staring down at Delinda with her chin in the air. ¡°Rose, express yourself correctly.¡° ¡°Pardon me?¡± ¡°Why the elusive remark? Was it concern or sarcasm? Don¡¯t act worried and confess to me your true feelings. Princess Delinda was acting foolish as per usual and entirely ruined things.¡± Now, my insides were cool. Rose clutched her dress in surprise, and then let it go. ¡°What on earth do you mean, Princess? How could I dare say such a thing to the princess? You¡¯re mistaken.¡± Contrary to Delinda¡¯s expectations, Rose¡¯s eyes widened and she denied it as if it were inappropriate. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m mistaken? Well then, you should have spoken clearly so that you would not be misunderstood.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°I figured you were pretending to care about me and were actually treating me as a fool.¡± ¡°That¡¯s absurd, Princess. I am a faithful servant to the princess.¡± Rose, who looked bewildered, quickly schooled her expression. Her thin gentle smile made up the fa?ade of her usual composure, just as if she never felt any stir of emotions whatsoever. ¡®Oh¡­ Rose is like a true noble. Isn¡¯t that annoying?¡¯ She was truly dignified. A trained calmness allows her to put on a masking smile and hide her true colors and inner feelings. What type of person is this maid? As soon as I turned curious, unfamiliar information began to flood my brain. CH 3 Rose Rocher. Delinda Schultz¡¯s personal maid. The second daughter of Baron Rocher. Rose had a very sensual image, perhaps because of her fiery detection and plump lips that slightly curve at the ends of her mouth. ¡®To start with, she has a nice appearance.¡¯ Delinda objectively judged her opponent¡¯s appearance as it was. Rose was Delinda¡¯s maid, but she was also a noblewoman. Primarily, it is customary to select a maid from a family of servants who already serve the duke. After completely reading the situation, Delinda plopped down on the sofa. Rose was disgraceful, but not enough to make a fuss over it. Delinda had a clear distinction between when to endure and when to lash out. Rose then stood behind Delinda and began to undo her hair adornment. Delinda tried to grasp reality by staring at her unfamiliar face in the mirror. ¡®Yup, this is a different world.¡¯ I may be confused by the irrational situation, but I was resolutely aware of it. I¡¯ve had the same experience in the past. Being possessed for the second time. And being possessed by the same novel. ¡®It¡¯s my job to adapt to this world and survive well. So, what should I do next?¡¯ The duke was now on the verge of being tricked. If he went wrong with the mining rights to the Spirit Stone Mine in a few days, he¡¯d go completely bankrupt. To start with, I think I should know what a ¡°spirit stone¡± is. ¡°Rose. What¡¯s a spirit stone?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you know?¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t know, that¡¯s why I ask. Do you really not get that I¡¯m asking because I don¡¯t know?¡± ¡°What?¡± Rose was puzzled as if thinking, ¡°What in the world are you saying?¡± ¡°What is a spirit stone? I hurt myself because it burned my hand earlier. Why is Father saying he will invest in such a thing? He only needs to buy pretty and beautiful things.¡± I purposely chose words that would make me sound like an idiot. Rose¡¯s expression finally melted away, as if she were a princess. ¡°The Spirit Stone is an ore that first appeared 5 years ago. They say it was caused by a crack somewhere along the border¡­ but I don¡¯t know the details. Anyway, I heard it emerged around then.¡± I disappeared 5 years ago. So I have no clue. But it¡¯s merely a coincidence that the timing overlaps. Right? ¡°Is it expensive?¡± ¡°Yes, it¡¯s expensive.¡± ¡°So not just anyone can have one, right?¡± ¡°Yes. Unless you have the strength or mana, you cannot handle one properly, so the accessories for the spirit stones are also expensive. For instance, sand that can extinguish the spirit stone¡¯s flame or a water bottle that can contain the spirit¡¯s water.¡± Delinda¡¯s expression turned strange as she listened. She just threw the flame of the spirit stone onto the couch. ¡°But I touched it? I threw the flame.¡± ¡°It must¡¯ve been a lower-tier spirit stone or something. Or it could¡¯ve been a defect.¡± ¡°I see.¡± With a nod, Delinda waited for Rose¡¯s follow-up explanation. But Rose just stared at Delinda. As if this was the best explanation she could give to a fool. ¡°And? Anything else?¡± I needed some more information. I know that this will never, ever, ever be true, but just in case, the swindler may not actually be a swindler. For instance, the swindler may be a man who really admires the Schultz family¡­ So, investing in the Spirit Stone Mine will dramatically revive the Schultz¡¯s family fortune¡­ ¡°What more do you need? My knowledge is limited. Spirit stones are very expensive and rare, no? I¡¯m always with the princess, so I can¡¯t simply catch a glimpse of the precious things.¡± Delinda laughed at Rose¡¯s harsh answer. Isn¡¯t this what Rose meant just now? Since she could not possess such an ¡°expensive¡± and ¡°precious¡± spirit stone in the duke¡¯s withering residence, she also had no chance of seeing a spirit stone in person as a maid stuck at a duke¡¯s residence. It was irritating, but the truth. ¡°Right. If Rose had been born a princess like me, you wouldn¡¯t have ended up as my maid and imprisoned in the duke¡¯s home .¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°Why couldn¡¯t you have been the duke¡¯s daughter, as well?¡± Rose¡¯s neck flushed red when I responded happily, like an ignorant fool. Anyway, there seemed to be nothing more I could find out from Rose now. Delinda lay sprawled out on the sofa. ¡°Alright. You can go, Rose.¡± Rose made the impression she was not pleased with the undignified manner of the noble princess, but that was it. Rose quickly relaxed her expression, bowed her head, and turned to leave. * * * Delinda changed her clothes as her surroundings became quiet. It was a shabby dress she found inside an empty maid¡¯s room. After Rose left, she went exploring the mansion alone. I carefully buttoned up and grabbed a ring from the dresser drawer. It was to secure funds for back alley activities. I was going to do something other than spend my time sitting idly in this room. ¡®If this is the capital, there must be a bar in the back alley of the square. Many merchants go there. I can go and gather information about the Spirit Stone.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t recall what happened during my 1st life, but I remembered it. People laughing and chatting at the bar. Delicious fruit candy sold next to a small tavern. ¡°Why do I remember those things when I can¡¯t remember anything else? That¡¯s ironic. Wait a minute. There are so many jewels here, oh my¡­¡± As the old saying goes, **an old eagle is better than a young grow; even though he has fallen, he is still a duke. [ **T/N: A metaphorical saying that what is inherently good and wonderful does not change in its essence even if it is damaged. ] Even if I run away by collecting the crumbs of the duke¡¯s jewels, I¡¯ll be able to live alone in luxury until I return to the real world. Delinda shook her head, though it was a tempting idea. ¡°Let¡¯s try that method last.¡± I have a conscience. When I thought of the duke¡¯s friendly face and how he clung to my hand tightly, I couldn¡¯t bear to run away. I¡¯m sorry for stealing your daughter¡¯s body, but I can¡¯t really lose her. I shrugged and slid the ring through my necklace, stuffing it inside my dress. But there was a sudden movement outside the door. Startled, Delinda immediately jumped into bed and lay down. The heavy door slowly opened, and someone entered. Delinda covered her neck with the quilt, not wanting the maid¡¯s clothes to be seen. ¡°Delinda, are you asleep?¡± It was her father, Duke Schultz, who came in. In the dark, only her eyelids twitched, and then Delinda pretended to be asleep. Duke Schultz sat by her bedside and stroked Delinda¡¯s head. Then, he gently lifted the blanket. A warmth wrapped around Delinda¡¯s hand. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t it have hurt¡­?¡± His worried voice echoed above. Delinda kept her eyes closed. She already missed the chance to wake up. The duke examined Delinda¡¯s hand and pressed along it, worried about how she grabbed the spirit stone with her bare hands. Just by looking, you could tell I wasn¡¯t hurt, but he continued to observe me with concern. Delinda felt strange. Is this¡­ what it means to have a parent? Delinda¡ªno, ¡°Han Ji-an,¡± who took over Delinda¡¯s body, has never enjoyed this kind of affection. I¡¯ve been an orphan since birth, and no one in the real world ever grew attached to me. No one was interested in me. As if Han Ji-an was just a trace of no substance. ¡°I¡¯m always sorry, Delinda. No matter what, I vow to make you happy.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°Good night, my beloved daughter.¡± After wishing her goodnight, the duke rose from his seat. His tender affection drifted away with the sound of his footsteps. Delinda clenched her fist under the blanket. ¡®It¡¯s weird.¡¯ It was really weird. ¡®What¡¯s wrong with my heart¡­?¡¯ Why does my heart hurt so much? It¡¯s not like he¡¯s worried about me. Delinda stayed curled under the blanket for a while, biting her lip. * * * Delinda groaned, climbing over the wall. The only guards patrolling the vast mansion were the two knights at the front. It was perfect for a nightly escape. ¡°I can¡¯t let Delinda¡¯s father go bankrupt either. Then I¡¯ll be screwed too, right? This residence is temporary, but I still have to live happily.¡± As I left the duke¡¯s mansion and glanced behind me, I saw the tall spire of the residence. I kept thinking of the duke resting inside. The reason why Duke Schultz feels randomly sorry is that he loves his daughter so much. Is that what parents are supposed to be? I can¡¯t believe another person¡¯s unconditional love could be so warm. Do other people live with this kind of affection? ¡­They must be really happy. I can¡¯t take away a daughter from a duke like that. ¡°I¡¯ll do whatever I can until I can get your daughter¡¯s body back! First things first, gathering information on the Spirit Stone!¡± Even in the back alleys, the Bakhyan Empire¡¯s capital was expertly maintained. Due to the capital guards¡¯ great ability to maintain public security and the high level of people¡¯s senses, it was safe for a woman to walk alone late at night. The lights of the restaurants and shops seen in each alley were warm. There were also smiles on the faces of the passersby. Delinda shielded herself with the cloak and walked happily down the street. ¡°If I round the bend here and pass through the alley, maybe there¡¯s a shortcut¡­ there was a bar where merchants often gathered.¡± My body instinctively turned down the path it had recognized before. But the supposed passageway was being blocked by a tall wall. ¡°Huh? This wasn¡¯t a dead end?¡± Did the paths change without my knowledge? Well, it has been 5 years. Delinda tilted her head and fumbled against the wall. But what her hand touched wasn¡¯t a hard wall. Her hand went through the wall. As if the wall was soft pudding. ¡°Ugh!¡± Her disoriented body stumbled. Delinda passed through the barrier, swinging her arms around in embarrassment. She grabbed onto anything nearby to support her fall, but it turned out to be an empty metal garbage can. Thud! Delinda landed on the floor with a loud noise. Clank, clank¡­ The rolling sound of the empty trash can went on. ¡°Ah¡­¡± Delinda groaned, lying flat like a frog. With both hands on the ground, she tried to lift her upper body. I felt something muddy under my palm. What the¡­ It was wet and felt gross. Delinda frowned and strained her fingertips. ¡®¡­Something¡¯s not right.¡¯ The environment was frighteningly still. As if time had stopped, as if everything had fallen asleep, an alien silence lingered. But why? I could hear the exciting music circulating in this place just a moment ago. The ground touching my face smelled of wet soil. With a coppery tang at the same time. ¡°¡­¡± Delinda stopped breathing at that moment. Blood. Its blood. Just a while ago, it was clear that the sticky blood wetting my hand also pooled on the floor. Delinda screwed her eyes shut, afraid to confirm the reality. This is the first time I¡¯ve gotten caught up in a terrifying experience. My body was going rigid. My fingertips began to tremble with instinctive fear. Like magic, unfamiliar footsteps began to break through the throbbing tension. Tap, tap, tap. Unhurried and quiet steps. Someone was approaching. Delinda¡¯s face froze, and she only shifted her eyes. She saw their blood-stained shoes drawing near. I didn¡¯t know what to make of this alarming situation, but I knew, without a doubt, that the blood on his feet wasn¡¯t his. Delinda closed her eyes again. Afraid to identify the person. In stifling fear, only the low strum of my bashing heartbeat could be heard. The sound of footsteps penetrating my ears suddenly stopped. Delinda could tell. They were currently standing above her as she lay on the floor. She instinctively felt their shadow cast over her head. This moment of silence continued for what felt like an eternity. Delinda couldn¡¯t breathe properly out of fear. Then, she barely exhaled when she couldn¡¯t fight back the tension. ¡°Whose dog are you?¡± A low voice that could shake the deep forest weighed heavily on Delinda¡¯s mind CH 4 Delinda did not answer. She didn¡¯t even raise her head to identify him. She just lay on the ground as if dead. I was told to follow this advice when I stumbled across this information. If involved in a criminal act, don¡¯t even think of identifying the other person¡¯s face. Just close your eyes. Because criminals will not allow someone who looked at their face to survive. ¡°Who sent you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± The man, who¡¯d been staring down at Delinda for a while, began to rub the soles of his shoes on Delinda¡¯s cloak lying on the floor. Delinda didn¡¯t even breathe, even though she was furious at his behavior of treating her cloak as a rag. After wiping all the blood off his feet, he lifted her chin with the toe of his shoe. ¡°How¡¯d you get in here?¡± Despite his calm tone, there was no emotion in his cold voice. He was too composed for someone who just killed a person. Delinda, lying flat-faced on the floor, only lifted her head when he moved his foot. Delinda kept her eyes closed. The man raised her chin to inspect her face, but she did not do the same. ¡®This psycho really just¡­ In what country is it polite to lift a person¡¯s face with your feet?¡¯ Being from a country of Eastern courtesy, she was angry at this man¡¯s behavior, but her tiny anger was lost to intense fear. Delinda declared firmly, her eyes clenched shut. ¡°Please spare me. I¡¯ll be good.¡± ¡°¡­What?¡± If you spare me, I¡¯ll behave myself, sir. The man was silent as if Delinda¡¯s answer was expected. ¡°I¡¯m only a passerby; I didn¡¯t see a thing. My eyes are currently closed. I¡¯ll act very nicely.¡± The formality was second nature. Even being a duke¡¯s daughter and whatnot, or being humiliated, in the face of death, a crazy strong bastard will rule over others no matter what. ¡°I fell as I was walking just now. And then I found myself here. I¡¯ll keep my eyes closed until you leave.¡± So just kindly let me go, you crazy bastard. The man, with his eyes closed, was still listening to Delinda¡¯s rambling. As if trying to figure out what was going on inside her head. Delinda felt frustrated. She was just walking down the street and touched a wall. Who would¡¯ve expected to find this jerk inside? If I made a mistake, I was only guilty of wandering around in the middle of the night to find out some information revolving around the Spirit Stone. The man lifted Delinda¡¯s head and removed his foot. Delinda¡¯s face fell back to the ground. There was a sharp gust of wind above Delinda¡¯s head. I heard the cold sound of metal scraping at the same time as my hair fluttered in the air. Shaking the blood off his sword, the man put it back into its sheath. The man bent over and grabbed something hanging around Delinda¡¯s neck. It was the ring she put on the chain of her necklace. The ring she grabbed for the purpose of financing. The ring shone alone in the dark. Clink. The man used his strength to easily break the chain. When the ring separated from her body and came into the man¡¯s grasp, its glow dimmed as if it were a lie. The man smiled faintly, sneeringly. A mage¡­ His murmuring voice did not reach Delinda. Soon, the ring landed beside Delinda¡¯s face. The man threw it back at her. Delinda checked the ring with her eyes before discreetly reaching out to take it. ¡®My precious funds.¡¯ But her attempt to take back the ring failed. The man had his foot gently pressing on the ring. ¡°What is your name?¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± She asked, wiggling her hand and reaching for the ring. ¡°I asked you what your name is.¡± His toneless voice seemed to say, ¡°I¡¯ll kill you if you make me ask you again.¡± ¡°Del! It¡¯s Del!¡± Delinda shouted with all her might. At best, I gave a pseudonym similar to my real name. I should¡¯ve gone along with Francesca, but it¡¯s too late now. The man applied more pressure on the ring under his foot. ¡°Affiliation.¡± ¡°I know nothing of an affiliation! I¡¯m only a maid of noble birth!¡± He seemed to be asking for my identity, but I¡¯d never say I was the daughter of Duke Schultz. What kind of fool would expose their true identity to a murderer? In response to her answer that she was just a maid of a noble family, the man laughed as if she were ridiculous. Until then, Delinda had kept track of the situation by listening to her surroundings. The man took his eyes off her, retrieved a jewel from somewhere near his chest, and flung it at the wall. Crash. The shattered jewel cast a circle of white light in the air. ¡ª Yes. Lawton speaking. Someone¡¯s voice emerged from the circle. ¡°28 Clancy Street. Three on the left corner.¡± ¡ª Are they dead? The voice coming from the light casually spoke of death. ¡°Dead.¡± ¡ª Are you going to maintain the space? ¡°I think I¡¯m going to leave it as it is.¡± ¡ª Yes. I¡¯m heading out to handle it straight away. As soon as he heard a clear answer, the man grabbed the light. The light was captured in his large palm before it split and burst. Until then, Delinda was scanning her surroundings. What was going on above her head? Is there such a thing as a walkie-talkie in this world? At that moment, while immersed in numerous thoughts, her body was suddenly scooped up. ¡°Kyaa!¡± As she lay flat on her stomach, he grabbed the back of her cloak¡¯s hood and pulled up. The man simply lifted this grown woman¡¯s body as he would a puppy. Then he began to stride toward his destination. Delinda¡¯s toes dangled in the air. ¡®Am I going to die? Am I going to die like this? Are you going to kill me? Is it my turn now?!¡¯ Delinda clasped her hands over her mouth. Because she thought screaming would provoke the man. After some time, he dropped her body on the ground as they arrived somewhere. Delinda stared at the dirt on the floor, devastated. She never even thought of looking at the man¡¯s face. I heard footsteps receding in my ears. It was the man¡¯s footsteps. He tossed me somewhere and left me on the street alone. ¡°¡­¡± Even after the man disappeared, Delinda sat in the same position for a long time. Then, after an even more of a long time, she pulled on her cloak¡¯s hood. My ears finally popped open. There was nobody around. All noises came flooding back as if they¡¯d washed ashore after sinking into deep water. The laughter coming from the window and a minstrel¡¯s song outside the square. No one will know of the tragedy behind that secret wall. Delinda strengthened her legs and moved slowly. She was more suspicious than relieved. Why did he spare me? Even though the man generously let me go, I only questioned his motives. The man had no reason to spare me. Didn¡¯t he have the power to kill people and also the justification to kill the eyewitness to the crime? ¡°What¡¯s done is done. Is it alright that I got out alive? Something¡¯s still bothering me.¡± Delinda yanked tighter on her cloak. Even the soft air brushing her skin felt cold, perhaps because of what happened just moments ago. ¡®But if I die here, will I go back to the real world?¡¯ She stopped to think but then resumed walking once again. If she dies, that may just be the end. There was no need to risk her life based on an unproven theory. ¡°Let¡¯s not die, and let¡¯s not go bankrupt. It¡¯s dangerous out tonight, so I¡¯d better start looking into the Spirit Stone tomorrow.¡± Delinda made a promise to herself and circled the square. She blended in among the people and stepped into an alley a while later. Entering an unknown bar, I drank a beer, then aimlessly strolled through the narrow streets. Wandering on the streets, I wasted my time. Then when the moon rose high in the sky, I finally headed back to the duke¡¯s residence. Afraid of someone noticing I was from the duke¡¯s family, I deliberately spent time on the streets to ensure safety. Before I knew it, I was getting closer to the mansion. Fortunately, no one seemed to be tailing me. Just as before, two knights were stationed in front of the duke¡¯s residence. Delinda naturally steered clear of them and headed for the wall by the backroad. ¡®No one¡¯s here, right?¡¯ I glanced around and climbed a tree. The chunky edge of the branch reached the inside of the wall, so I thought I could jump from there. I crawled along the bough with a grunt and leaped for the wall. But. ¡°Oof!¡± I bumped into something and toppled back toward the branch. ¡°What the?¡± I hugged the branch, clinging to it like a koala so that I wouldn¡¯t fall. It felt like I just got stuck on something. I thought nothing was there, but apparently, there was a branch under the bridge. After thinking for a moment, Delinda stood on the branch again. Then she looked around and jumped again. However, she got stuck again. ¡°Ah! What the hell!¡± This time, she fell off the branch completely and rolled to the ground. Angrily huffing, Delinda jumped up like a roly-poly and started climbing the tree. Then she mounted the branch once more and flew toward the wall. And the moment Delinda¡¯s body was about to hit the barrier, Tink¡ª. A stone flew from an unknown direction and shattered the barrier¡¯s corner. Delinda slipped into the duke¡¯s residence through a gap that silently cracked. Not knowing someone had let her in, she hummed in admiration for her ability to jump over the wall. The sound of Delinda singing receded over the wall. ¡°¡­¡± A target that breaks the barrier. The man Delinda encountered in the alley earlier peered over the wall where she had disappeared. CH 5 Hopefully, at Your Mercy ¨C Chapter 5 Having been watching the duke¡¯s residence for a while, he threw the stone with his hand and turned around, not wanting to linger. [Please spare me. I¡¯ll be good. I didn¡¯t see a thing. I¡¯m only a passerby.] A servile sentence uttered with such confidence. Delinda¡¯s voice echoed in his head. A slight wrinkle appeared between the man¡¯s forehead as if something was troubling him. The woman was clearly a wizard, seeing that the magic amplification ring shone during their encounter. Judging by the ring¡¯s color concentration, she has quite strong mana. And if she was able to get past the space distortion magic that Calot¡¯s power had created, it meant her mana exceeded Calot¡¯s figure. By nature, wizards are people united with pride and self-esteem. The man knew from experience that they preferred to stick out their necks** and die rather than beg for their lives. [ T/N: an idiom meaning you take risk by saying or doing something that other people might not like. ] However, this wizard disguised herself as a maid and pleaded for her life. He thought it was some foolish trick. So he kept her alive, for now. He trailed her footsteps while trying to identify her and her background. She spent a significant amount of time wandering the alleyways as if to hide her tracks before entering the aristocratic home. Duke Schultz¡¯s residence, to be exact. One of the five dukes of the Bakhyan Empire. Magic barriers are always in operation outside the royal palace and the residences of the dukes. This explains why two knights are formally guarding the entrance to the duke¡¯s mansion. It is possible to exit from the inside, but difficult to re-enter without approval. However, this so-called wizard thoughtlessly launched herself at the barrier. Ignorantly using her body to try and break through the barrier instead of using magic. ¡®I¡¯ll be able to confirm her identity soon enough.¡¯ The man disappeared into the darkness, recalling the last appearance of Delinda. * * * Meanwhile, Rose, the maid, arrived at someone¡¯s quarters, shouting as she removed her cloak. ¡°How could you bring a fake one? What if they caught me!¡± It was Lord Kabila¡¯s room. He visited the duke¡¯s estate to discuss the development of the Spirit Stone Mine. ¡°What do you mean, a ¡¯fake¡¯?¡± ¡°That idiot girl held it and the flame. I heard ordinary people can¡¯t even touch a spirit stone. You had to seal the contract today¡­ I¡¯m very disappointed after this accident!¡± ¡°No, it was¡­ It was real! Didn¡¯t you see the flame successfully ignite? But if there were any variables or defects¡­ Nonetheless, not everything is known about the Spirit Stone yet.¡± Lord Kabila, the man who had earlier proposed the investment at Duke Schultz¡¯s residence, gave an excuse with a face that showed he was being wrongly accused. Rose sighed angrily and sat down in her chair. When she let down her hair, the hairpin she tucked in between the strands fell out. It was Delinda¡¯s. ¡®Stupid Delinda won¡¯t even notice that her hair accessory is missing.¡¯ Even if she did, she¡¯d probably think that she lost it like the fool she was. Stupid Delinda did not deserve expensive gifts or noble status. She was lucky to be born a duke¡¯s daughter. ¡°If you wish to scam someone, do it properly. Regardless of how stupid the duke¡¯s family is, you shouldn¡¯t carry out a sloppy scheme.¡± Lord Kabila kept his mouth shut with a face of discomfort. It was clear that this Rose woman before him was dismissing him as a fraud. Of course, not everything he said was true, but it wasn¡¯t entirely false either. She was being unfair, but he put up with it. He¡¯s about to strike a good deal with the duke, isn¡¯t he? Until then, he intended to obey the woman who connected him to the duke. ¡°Very well. Next time, prepare a proper spirit stone. That¡¯s why I¡¯m here today. The duke cares for his daughter very much, so be sure to prepare a gift for him.¡± ¡°No, today¡¯s stone was definitely a spirit stone. I¡¯m certain in my mine¡ª¡° ¡°I¡¯m leaving.¡± Rose abruptly stood up, cutting off Lord Kabila¡¯s words. Lord Kabila muttered behind her back. Pretending not to hear, she slammed the door shut. Soon, her surroundings turned quiet. ¡°There are idiots surrounding me everywhere.¡± She chewed on her lip and put up her hood. If everything had gone as planned, the contract should¡¯ve been signed today. Had that happened, she would¡¯ve received a prepayment from Lord Kabila and felt more at peace. Duke Schultz was supposed to receive a referral fee if he delivered the money to Lord Kabila in return for the mansion as collateral. Rose passed the lodging street and entered the central square. Passing the jubilant drunks and out of the marketplace, she spotted Duke Schultz¡¯s estate in the distance. Duke Schultz. And her own family, Baron Rocher, were only servants of the Schultz family. ¡®What can¡¯t I do better than Delinda, who was born a princess?¡¯ Rose felt wronged. No matter how hard she struggled, it was impossible to climb higher than the Schultz family¡¯s princess. So if she can¡¯t reach a higher position than Delinda, she¡¯ll have no choice but to cut her down. It was clear that the duke would sink even further into the abyss if his family and the family mansion¡ªhis last source of pride¡ªcollapsed. It would bring shame to the princess if her family background disappeared. Rose imagined Delinda grieving in a raggy dress. She felt much better. <2. Iskan Anagroke> Delinda wandered around the mansion. From the east section of the 2nd floor where my room is located to the west corridor. I just walked, scouring around, and quite a bit of time has passed. I look around the corridor to catch my breath. Beautiful masterpieces hung like old legacies. White dust accumulated on the frames. They weren¡¯t dirty, but they didn¡¯t seem well-maintained either. ¡®I really do think this place is going to crumble. What should I do¡­?¡¯ Delinda clicked her tongue and resumed walking. As she reached the east end of the corridor, she saw a large entrance leading somewhere. She took a peek inside. ¡°It¡¯s a library.¡± Not interested, Delinda turned to leave, but then she spun back around. There was a bundle of papers on the desk near the door. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a newspaper?!¡± I scurried up to it. ¡°Since when do newspapers exist? Looks like it happened while I was away.¡± Delinda happily picked up the bundle of papers. Why didn¡¯t I think of this before? Information about this world could be fully obtained from books and newspapers. I might be able to retrieve the memories I lost from my 1st life or learn what events happened while I was away. With a hum, Delinda flipped open the newspaper. Yellow paper filled with letters appeared in front of her. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± But soon enough, Delinda¡¯s face began to harden with shock. ¡°What? Why can¡¯t I read the letters?¡± The newspaper was full of strange text. All cursive and crooked. There was not a single letter she could understand. ¡°Haha¡­ I don¡¯t know how to read¡­ A princess that doesn¡¯t know how to read¡­¡± It seemed that Delinda¡¯s ¡°body¡± hadn¡¯t learned to read. Oh, how ridiculous. ¡®No way¡ªI know she¡¯s kind of stupid, but how on earth did the duke raise his precious daughter this way? Is beauty everything in life, or does a happy, smiling girl matter that much to you?¡¯ Delinda wanted to cry. The duke¡¯s family is dying, and it won¡¯t be long before the swindler comes back. I don¡¯t recognize the alphabet and can¡¯t remember the past. I tried to read something, but I couldn¡¯t understand anything. Even yesterday, when I went out to look for information on the spirit stone, I faced a crazy psycho who threatened my life. ¡°Ah. There¡¯s so much to do.¡± This time, I thought I¡¯d be able to live a peaceful aristocratic life as a duke¡¯s daughter¡­ At this rate, I¡¯ll return to reality after much suffering. I was in a real-life crisis. However, my appetite was fine compared to the daunting reality of this crisis. Dinner was very delicious. Delinda ate every last bit of food on her plate. The duke apologized for drastically cutting food costs, but the menu was full of meat. Salad was more expensive than meat because of the protein-based diet. ¡°Did you enjoy your meal, Princess?¡± Chamberlain Philip Renschler asked affectionately. ¡°Yes, I ate nicely.¡± Delinda eyed him with suspicion. She feared this person might also attack her. The same way Rose did while pretending to be friendly. But despite her concerns, his attitude remained the same. After finishing the meal, he lingered by her side and nagged her all the way back to her room. ¡°I had no vegetables that my lady preferred, but you should¡¯ve eaten everything on that plate.¡± ¡°All right, Philip.¡± ¡°And if you eat your meat in a rush, it¡¯ll upset your stomach. Last time, you ate lamb in a hurry, and you threw up.¡± ¡°¡­Did I really?¡± ¡°Also, drinking excessive amounts of water is bad for your digestion, and the other day¡­¡± With her eyes blank, Delinda pretended to listen to his nagging. He seemed to be only slightly older than her, but his level of nagging was comparable to a grandfather¡¯s. A grandfather who admonishes his beloved granddaughter. He wouldn¡¯t nag me like this unless he was simply being affectionate. Philip hurriedly closed the door, thinking I was on his side. ¡°Okay, Philip! Next time, I¡¯ll make sure to chew my meat, eat my vegetables, and drink less water during meals!¡± I went into my room and decided to lay on the sofa for a little, but the sun was setting. The garden outside the window looked calm as the sun began to disappear, and the wind blew cold air. The outside world appeared unfamiliar as if I were staring at a landscape painting. Delinda closed her eyes. When will I return to reality? If I do, I¡¯ll wake up lonely in a small room again. Curling up into a ball, Delinda felt empty inside. But she didn¡¯t know why. * * * Someone screamed overhead. ¡°Princess! Wake up!¡± ¡°Mmm¡­¡± Ugh, it¡¯s loud. Delinda rolled over, covering her ears. But then her arm was dragged out of bed. ¡°Hurry and wash up. A guest will be arriving soon.¡± It was Rose, the maid. Delinda struggled to wake up, rubbing her eyes and teetering over. Her body was moving frantically with Rose¡¯s control. ¡°I told you you have to be up by noon!¡± Rose rudely pushed Delinda into a chair and began to help her get dressed. She used a comb made of horsehair, roughly tearing through Delinda¡¯s hair. ¡°Hurry and wash up. A guest will be arriving soon.¡± ¡°Who¡¯s the guest?¡± When Delinda asked, dazed, like a fool, Rose crossed her arms and answered. ¡°The Grand Duke, Iskan Anagroke!¡± Delinda couldn¡¯t say any words. Iskan Anagroke. Because the moment she heard that name, her heart sank. CH 6 My heart began to thump, thump, thump violently inside my chest. A shudder ran from the tip of my toes. Why the hell am I feeling this way? I didn¡¯t know a lot of things, but I was definitely aware of the emotions stirring inside me. This emotion clearly resembles fear. But it wasn¡¯t just fear. No, I¡¯m not afraid, but rather¡­ I¡¯m sad? ¡°I¡­ Iskan Anagroke¡­ Who is he?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know him?¡± ¡°Rose, I told you the other day. Are you asking that because you really don¡¯t know that I don¡¯t kn¡ª¡± ¡°He¡¯s the prince! His Highness the Second Prince of the Bakhyan Empire, Grand Duke Iskan Anagroke.¡± Like last time, I tried to use her question against her, and Rose gave me the response I wanted¡ªalbeit with a fed-up expression. ¡°Aha. Of course. His Highness¡­¡± Delinda tried to recall vague information. It sounded like a name she recognized, but she couldn¡¯t think of anything. She appeared unable to fully grasp the information because something was blocking it. The princes of the Bakhyan Empire. Delinda pulled out as many memories as she could and arranged them all in her mind. There were two princes in the empire. One is the crown prince, son of Empress Roseanne. The other is Prince Iskan Anagroek, the son of the late empress. The emperor first married the mother of Iskan Anagroke, the second prince, but when she died, he remarried the current empress. Almost as if he¡¯d been waiting for her. And as soon as he remarried the current empress, he brought in a boy. That was the current crown prince. The crown prince was the result of the emperor and empress forming a sexual relationship. So he was having an affair when he married the former empress. That¡¯s why the son of the current empress was older than the son of the late empress. ¡®¡­The second prince, Iskan Anagroke, must¡¯ve gotten trampled on a lot because of another prince suddenly taking his place. What is wrong with people? Viciously tormenting the son of their former empress¡­ It seems that the emperor¡¯s true love is not Iskan Anagroke¡¯s mother but the mother of the current crown prince.¡¯ ¡°By the way, what was the crown prince¡¯s name?¡± ¡°It¡¯s Kislin Roux Crozan¡­¡± Rose whispered quietly as if she were careful to even put the name in her mouth. Delinda¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Oh!¡± Kislin Roux Crozan! The Crown Prince of the Bakhyan Empire. Iskan, the second prince, was now a grand duke with the last name Anagroke. He was given a new last name instead of the emperor¡¯s last name, ¡°Crozan.¡± A separation from the imperial family, so to speak. It was accurate to interpret that he¡¯d been eliminated in the battle for the throne. As soon as I heard the crown prince¡¯s name, strange memories began flooding my mind. My head was filled with the concealed information, popping around like popcorn. Crown Prince Kislin Roux Crozan. Black hair resembling the night sky and beautiful sparkling eyes. His dimples gave him a charming smile. The warmth that held my hand tightly. And, [Ruyan] A voice that turns especially friendly when calling the other person¡¯s name. ¡°¡­¡± Delinda dropped her arm to her side, causing her dress to slide off. ¡°Princess?¡± Goosebumps rose along my forearms, and I wrapped myself in my arms. Just a moment ago, I remembered my name from my 1st life. ¡®My name was Ruyan! And I knew the crown prince of the empire!¡¯ Although the crown prince¡¯s face did not clearly come to mind, I saw small fragments of him. He was a handsome boy with black hair and a pretty smile. Ba-dum, ba-dum, ba-dum. My heart began to beat wildly. The memory came to me as if a clue. It was more embarrassing rather than welcoming. What on earth was my relationship with the crown prince? Why would the crown prince playfully say my name while holding my hand? Besides, I feel like¡­ Crown Prince Kislin was the male lead of this novel! Delinda finished putting on her dress because Rose (who was still standing next to her) asked her to finish putting on her dress in a nervous voice. I was lost in thought again, leaving myself to Rose¡¯s touch so she could button up my sleeves. I was certainly not the female lead during my 1st life. This was the world of Romance Fantasy, and although I was living in it, I was definitely not a main character. However, the novel¡¯s male lead, ¡°Crown Prince Kislin Roux Crojan,¡± affectionately called out my name. What about the female lead? Who is she?! I tried to think, but nothing came to mind. How can life be so unkind? If I was going to get sucked back in here for a 2nd time, they should¡¯ve let me remember everything from the 1st time. I grumbled all dolled up with my hair done. As Rose added the finishing touches, it began to get noisy below the window. When Delinda finished pulling on her gloves, she approached the window and looked down. About twenty knights mounted on black horses were approaching the entrance of the estate. The eyes behind the iron helmet were sharp and hard. They were all marching in a precise row. A large group and imposing presence. At first, I saw him as a perfectly trained elite soldier. And the most eye-catching of them all. The crowd of knights surrounding him halted in front of the gates. The horse rose on his hind legs and cried, causing dust to unsettle. The horse¡¯s cloak fluttered in response to the movement. Not a second later, a man with unusually broad shoulders dismounted the black horse. Long legs stepping onto the ground, hands handing over the reins to a servant. With an elegance that overshadows the attention from his disheveled attire. His unkempt, wind-blown hair was as black as the night sky. He oozed the grace of a high-ranking aristocrat born with natural power in his hands while also appearing to be a trained knight, like the well-cut blade of a sword. Delinda clung to the window. She bent at the waist and looked down until she almost fell. ¡®Wow. How can he be so handsome¡­¡¯ His silhouette was nice to look at, but seeing his face was like a fantasy. Delinda did not bother to look back at Rose, opening her mouth to ask, ¡°Rose, Rose! Is that him?¡± ¡°Yes, that is the Grand Duke, Iskan Anagroke. It¡¯s my first time seeing him too, but since he¡¯s the only one who is expected to arrive today, I assume I¡¯m correct.¡± Aha. The younger brother of the crown prince who called me Ruyan. Delinda gawked at him as if possessed. Did he feel her piercing gaze? Iskan raised his head. Their eyes slowly clashed in the air. ¡°¡­¡± Unlike behind the dark window, outside was full of sunlight. When she could clearly see the man staring back, who appeared to be engulfed in dazzling light, Delinda let out a gasp that was similar to a moan. ¡°Ah¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t move my body. If his eyes had physical powers, I¡¯d have been tied up by now. They were a strong, vivid red. He¡¯s definitely very handsome¡­ ¡®Why? Why am I sad?¡¯ I was staring at the most handsome man in the world, and for some strange reason, my shoulders shrank. An inexplicable emotion caused a sharp electric current to run through my fingertips. Am I scared of attractive people? But¡­ I¡¯m used to seeing myself. Delinda couldn¡¯t breathe and look at him at the same time. So she recoiled from the window and hid in the shadows of her room. As if she wanted to run from him. ¡°What¡¯s gotten into you?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Delinda shook her head at Rose and took a couple of deep breaths. Her trembling began to settle bit by bit. When her hammering heart calmed down, Delinda asked Rose, ¡°But why is he here?¡± Rose let out a small sigh and replied as if it were a pity. ¡°Why? He¡¯s here to purchase the duke¡¯s mansion.¡± ¡°What?!¡± * * * To be exact, Iskan did not come to buy the mansion. He came to loan money by placing a mortgage on the mansion. Duke Schultz was looking for money to finance the ¡°Spirit Stone Mine¡± contract, and the news reached Prince Iskan. Delinda came down to the foyer and greeted Iskan with her father, Duke Schultz. With her back straight, she stepped inside and glanced at him from the corner of her eye. Iskan, who led the knights and entered with confidence, gave off the impression that he was the residence¡¯s owner rather than a guest. His red cape fluttered gracefully with each step. His imposing steps resemble the rough waves that incessantly crash against the cliffs. ¡°Welcome, Your Highness. Thank you for not rejecting my request and coming personally.¡± ¡°I would gladly run if the duke had asked me to do so.¡± A more friendly greeting than expected. The duke and Iskan walked toward the drawing room, continuing their brief greetings. Delinda stood by her father¡¯s side and followed them with her mouth sealed shut. ¡®As expected, something keeps bothering me.¡¯ Iskan Anagroke. Every glance at him made me freeze. I must have a phobia of attractive people or something. Otherwise, there would be no explanation for why my lips have been trembling since earlier. It was not until they entered the drawing room that the duke introduced Delinda to Iskan. ¡°Isn¡¯t this your first time meeting His Highness? This is my daughter, Delinda Schultz.¡± Only then did Iskan finally look at Delinda. Delinda stood there, staring at him. Step, step. Iskan slowly approached Delinda. As a formal greeting, Iskan extended his hand, and Delinda took it; their body temperatures slowly fused. Iskan lowered his head and kissed the back of her hand gently. A strand of hair fell across his forehead. His straight lashes were long, and his unblemished skin was as smooth as finely crafted marble. He lifted his head, his eyes catching on Delinda¡¯s. A clear, sharp gaze. His expressive eyes locked her in a deep trance. ¡°So this is how I get to see you.¡± A melting smile with a soft low tone. ¡­Ah! Delinda shook her hand away in surprise. A tingling current ran down her spine. From the moment he greeted her father, she felt a strange sense of deja vu¡­ A relaxed tone that doesn¡¯t seem to feel the ups and downs of emotions. A low voice with a calming drop at the end of his words. It was him. Last night¡¯s killer, who was covered in blood. CH 7 Hopefully, at Your Mercy ¨C Chapter 7 ¡°Delinda? What¡¯s wrong? Are you still hurt from yesterday¡¯s incident?¡± The duke rushed to Delinda in a hurry and examined her hand. Even though she was rude to Iskan¡ªthe prince and grand duke¡ªhe expressed his concern first rather than admonishing her. Delinda finally came to her senses. She alternated between looking at the duke, who was staring at her hand with a worried expression, and Iskan, who focused on her with zero emotion. Then, she bowed her head and apologized, though belatedly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Your Highness. I recently touched the flame of a spirit stone with my bare hands, and when I reached for Your Highness, it suddenly hurt. That was rude of me. Please forgive me.¡± Will the excuse work? What if he hurts my father? No matter how nice of a smile he flashed, this man was one of those who reigned from one of the highest positions. The imperial family wields omnipotent power. A person should never slap away a family member¡¯s hand or commit disrespect. At the same time, he was also a scary man who killed people yesterday. The brutal killer even had power. What could be scarier than this? Iskan only smiled softly. ¡°That¡¯s all right, Princess. How¡¯s your hand?¡± Even after that, he showed concern for Delinda. Delinda nodded, saying she was fine. When he tried to take a step closer, as if he were going to inspect her hand, she unconsciously shifted her foot back. It was her instinct to avoid him based on the brutal memories of that night. Iskan also overlooked her reaction, as if he¡¯d experienced enough instances of people being afraid of him to make him sick of it. ¡°Now, let¡¯s hear what the duke has to say. Why are you mortgaging this beautiful home, exactly?¡± Turning the topic to the duke, Iskan nonchalantly sat down on the sofa. Like overpowering someone else was an attitude ingrained in him. ¡°As a matter of fact, I was just offered a great investment opportunity. From what I heard¡­ I judged that there would be no risk in the contract¡­ Thus, with the help of Your Highness¡­¡± As their discussion carried on, the duke began to speak cautiously. Delinda was also on the sofa. She sat there with her mouth shut and watched Iskan¡¯s conversation with her father. Iskan was listening to the duke with his chin resting on his fist, leaning against the armrest of the sofa and looking arrogant. Delinda tried to grasp Iskan¡¯s intentions, but no matter how hard she looked, all she could see was a gentle smile. ¡®Delinda, the owner of this body, is rumored to be an idiot¡­ I guess he let me off because I told him I touched the flame of a spirit stone with my bare hands yesterday?¡¯ A man who kills but is tolerant of rudeness? ¡­There¡¯s just no way. And besides, to willingly loan money in a situation that seems so obviously fraudulent? This guy is suspicious, too. ¡®Has he been coveting this mansion? Or is this a trick with that swindler? But what does the prince lack that he would resort to being a con man?¡¯ Delinda rolled her eyes, adding suspicion to her doubts. Meanwhile, the conversation between the duke and Iskan was nearing its end, and the duke finished it off by offering a tour of the estate. After sending off the knights and servants, the duke introduced him to the mansion. They moved past a large drawing room, a hallway full of paintings and sculptures, and a corridor leading to a small indoor fountain and dining room. ¡°Magnificent.¡± Iskan uttered a small note of appreciation as he entered the huge banquet hall. Delinda¡¯s eyes thought the place was amazing, too. If you looked closely, the elegant patterns on the walls were all delicate mosaics. It was a luxury that you couldn¡¯t have without much effort and money. From floor to ceiling, the windows were tinted with color. Each time a branch shook outside the window, the shadows gleamed colorfully. ¡®Wow. This is the best!¡¯ Even if my father, the duke, was swindled and his family was destroyed, there was always a reason to be proud. Owning a place like this is always going to be reassuring. Because we have our own home. I slowly entered the hall, caressing the wall. I swear I could hear a graceful melody playing somewhere. It was a beautiful place full of past glory. Forgetting the duke and Iskan were present, I appreciated the room as if observing a beautiful artifact. How long has it been? As I looked up at an enormous portrait of a beautiful woman, I felt a presence behind me. ¡°It¡¯s your late mother. I met you as a child.¡± Delinda¡¯s shoulders tensed in surprise. As she tried to look back, Iskan¡¯s hands forced her shoulders forward. With a firm grip so she couldn¡¯t turn back. Delinda stiffened with tension as her shoulders were held prisoner. She felt warmth slowly approaching her ear. Standing behind her, his face was pressed up close. A distance where they could feel each other¡¯s breath. A low-baritone whisper followed. ¡°It¡¯s a pleasure to see you again, Del.¡± ¡°¡­¡± I got goosebumps in my ears. Delinda swallowed a terrified breath. What do you mean¡­ Del? Wasn¡¯t that the alias I threw at this guy that night? It was only natural he¡¯d find out. Yesterday, he saw my face clear as day. Of course, I never thought I¡¯d run into him again like this. ¡®Father, where did you go? Please save me¡­¡¯ Delinda worried, still looking up at the painting. I didn¡¯t know how to react. The force of his fingers digging into my shoulders hurt. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard any rumors that ¡®the¡¯ Schultz Princess is a wizard¡­¡± He spoke in a grinning voice. Delinda seemed to know what he was talking about from the indirect reference. He means the real owner of this body, Delinda Schultz. The rumored idiot. Delinda wondered if she appeared smarter than the rumors suggested. Delinda turned rather anxious. It wasn¡¯t going to happen, but it felt like he¡¯d soon find out that she was possessing this body. Besides¡­ ¡®You haven¡¯t heard rumors that she¡¯s a wizard? Are you saying I¡¯m a wizard? What did you see?¡¯ Soon, his hands released her shoulders. His close warmth also faded. Delinda still took a breath, pretending to look at the painting. ¡°Your status has substantially risen from being a maid overnight.¡± From farther away, he spoke with a smirk in his voice. Only then did Delinda turn back. She¡¯d made up her mind in that short moment. Whatever the excuse, this guy¡¯s going to dig his heels in. I had a hunch. Now that this is happening, a direct breakthrough would be the answer. ¡°Are you going to kill me now?¡± ¡°Do I have any reason to?¡± ¡°I witnessed yesterday¡¯s murders.¡± To that, Iskan just chuckled quietly as if he genuinely found this amusing. ¡°Murders¡­ I never killed anyone.¡± Liar. I literally saw you. Slowly lowering his upper body, he peered into Delinda¡¯s eyes. With a faint smile, Iskan replied. ¡°I was merely disposing of the garbage.¡± As Delinda¡¯s face noticeably paled, he added generously. ¡°It is treason to seek out the lives of the imperial family. You¡¯d have an immediate trial.¡± ¡°¡­¡± ¡°So no, I won¡¯t kill you, Princess. Because you are not a rat seeking to invade my life but the precious daughter of Duke Schultz.¡± His smile instantly grew cold. Erasing his smile, his face appeared as cold as the sharp blade of a sword. From the look in his eyes, it was clear that he would have cut her off right then if she weren¡¯t the ¡°daughter of Duke Schultz.¡± Delinda realized. ¡®This man¡­ I think he¡¯s a bit unhinged?¡¯ First of all, his eyes were crazed. But clear, almost as if they held a deep well. On the surface, he was level-headed, but the madness hidden beneath stirred. It was even scarier to see a handsome man with those eyes. Plus, this unsettling guy has been speaking of killing people as if they were bugs he was used to squishing. Only then did Delinda grasp the reality. This is a world of strict status. A world where killing others means nothing. Therefore, it wouldn¡¯t be strange if a prince with that power and authority secretly kills himself. Moreover, he seems to suspect me of being some kind of spy or something¡­ Suddenly, the back of my neck was itchy. It was the same feeling I had earlier when I looked down at him from my room. It was like he was physically tightening my chest. Delinda inched back, fiddling with the nape of her neck. The bottom of the hard frame touched her back. He didn¡¯t come any closer. Just watched her move away. His gaze slowly slid from Delinda¡¯s eyes to her cheeks and from her cheeks to her neck. Feeling his persistent gaze, Delinda removed her hand from her neck. At last, he finally spoke with some emotion. ¡°When our eyes meet¡­ you have the habit of slowly blinking once.¡±