Arin’s spirit talk went on for quite a while. Even Adele, who had been chiming in with amusement, seemed a bit tired.
Abel, knowing that she could talk endlessly once she started about her spirit obsession, was busy with paperwork in the meantime.
The spirit, who had been performing tricks a number of times, also seemed to be getting a bit weary, yawning as well.
Abel stamped the budget management documents and passed them aside. Just as he was about to handle the last piece of paperwork, he noticed her gaze directed at him.
Arin, who had been rambling non-stop, seemed to catch on to that gaze and fell silent.
She muttered, “Maybe I got a bit carried away,” scratching her cheek, which made Abel chuckle softly.
Of course, Adele hadn’t thrown him a look for that reason at all.
‘Does she want to be alone with me?’
Having spent a few months together, deciphering her intentions through her eyes wasn’t too hard.
Abel beckoned for Arin to step out for a moment. She glanced at Adele quietly, nodding eagerly as if waiting for that cue.
“I’ll step out first, Duke.”
She saluted with precision and opened the office door before stepping out.
It was hard to believe that the chatterbox from earlier had transformed so dramatically into someone so composed.
The strict separation of public and private matters was quite impressive at this level.
Adele silently watched until the door slammed shut.
Once she confirmed that Arin had completely left, she turned towards Abel.
“It seems like you want to talk privately.”
“Yes.”
She nodded solemnly, her expression serious.
Usually, Adele wouldn’t come directly into the office unless absolutely necessary.
Since she was willing to overlook such a breach of etiquette, it must be a matter of great importance.
Abel pushed the last document aside and met her gaze.
There was a certain determination in her eyes.
“I want to get stronger.”
Adele declared this as if announcing it, her fist clenched tight.
This wasn’t a whim; it was a conclusion she had come to after several days of reflection on previous events.
Ever since almost dying at the hands of the Emperor, she realized something crucial.
She had been too comfortable relying on the power of her regression ability.
Whether it was due to being poisoned or assassinated, she had believed that as long as she had ‘regression,’ anything could be undone.
Even if she faced a humiliating death, she had been confident she could just rewind it.
‘What a fool.’
This had also been the case when she possessed Adele’s body and convinced her family’s members.
She had been unrestrained in using that ability since she thought any mistakes could be undone through regression.
Through regression, she learned a lot about them and successfully persuaded them accordingly.
Thanks to that, she was able to create allies like Lily.
She had also easily dealt with the Crown Prince’s assassin using regression.
Even when she first met Abel, she sealed the contract with him through a similar trick.
She managed to protect Lily from an unknown knight at the auction for the same reasons.
Even in the library, she bravely faced certain death only to successfully eliminate the Emperor’s Hand.
Yet when she faced a real death in Ark, she finally realized one thing.
‘I am weak.’
Because of her weakness, she was inevitably prone to being overpowered.
There was a time when she lost not only herself but Lily as well, thanks to an assassin sent by the Crown Prince.
Even in the library, she could hardly manage to deal with the pain of death before barely overcoming the Emperor’s Hand.
And…
She could never save the old woman who had rescued her in the village.
She had been so arrogant, thinking she could always save someone using regression.
Caught in complacency, believing that her weakness could simply be solved through it.
In the end, she almost died at the hands of the Emperor. If it hadn’t been for the contract with Abel, she would have been dead for sure.
If he hadn’t proposed the re-contract first, she would have definitely died that day.
Grinding her teeth unconsciously,
“Regression is something to use in moderation.”
Just as Louis had advised. She mustn’t depend on this ability thoughtlessly.
It was a matter beyond just costs to be paid.
Believing in the mere possibility of regression, she realized how lazily she had moved until now.
‘So, I need to get stronger.’
As Abel closed his eyes for a moment after Adele’s heartfelt declaration, he placed the pen he was holding down on the table and leaned back in his chair.
This was a stark contrast to the vulnerable image he remembered seeing during their first encounter.
She had once had dead eyes like a lifeless fish, trembling as though terrified, a look that conveyed a sense of despair.
However, now, there was so much vitality in Adele’s eyes.
Fear lingered in them just the same, but at least there was none of that hopelessness he had witnessed before.
He unconsciously smiled at the sight of the transformed person, questioning if she was truly the same individual.
“I want to get stronger, huh…”
When he had first seen Adele, she had appeared like a fragile child—injured from falling over the edge but still attempting to climb the cliff.
Looking at her now gave the impression of gazing at a child left near the water’s edge.
It reminded him of his own childhood, having to navigate the thorny path of becoming the heir to a noble family without understanding anything.
This sense of kinship likely stemmed from the fact that she too was a modern individual like him.
Otherwise, there wouldn’t be such a reason to worry for her.
‘…Even if she is not the same as I once was.’
Her answer was much better than what he had once been capable of as a child.
His answer back then had been to evade.
“That’s good.”
Adele’s face brightened at his words.
Still, it wasn’t something to be overly joyous about.
Becoming stronger wasn’t something that could be achieved overnight; it required effort every single day to truly grow.
She would likely have to walk through thorny paths daily.
“Are you firmly resolved?”
Abel asked gravely, causing Adele to gulp.
It wouldn’t be an easy path as he said.
However, it would be a hundred times better than remaining idle and complacent. Concluding her thoughts, she nodded firmly.
“Yes, of course.”
“Good.”
So what should Adele do to become strong?
He had often thought similar thoughts while reading “[The Villainess Reverses Time Again]“.
If only Adele could become strong, wouldn’t most of the episodes flow smoothly?
Yet, each time, one particular characterization posed a hurdle.
Adele’s dismal talent.
Her physique was too frail to become a warrior capable of handling aura. No matter how powerful an aura might be, if the body containing it is weak, it would be meaningless.
The Crown Prince was a prime example, having consistently lost in the original due to indulgence and mismanagement of his training.
However, it felt too late to start training the body now. Aura was hard to awaken unless done so in youth.
‘What about mages…’
The situation was no different there.
Although she had a decent amount of mana, the vital talent—her sensitivity to mana—was lacking significantly.
At the time of their re-contract, she hadn’t even felt a hint of dizziness while manifesting her spatial creation.
The original version of her had felt inferior due to her talents, so that spoke volumes.
‘But…’
Didn’t they say she was a descendant of elves?
If that were the case, one possibility presented itself.
A path she had never considered before suddenly came to mind.
“Arin.”
At his call, Arin burst through the door. Adele jolted at her unexpected reappearance.
“Did you call for me, Duke?”
Nodding slightly, he issued his command.
“Teach Adele spirit magic as a spirit knight.”
“Excuse me? But…”
Arin frowned and questioned back.
She was understandably worried.
Most spirits that once inhabited this world had long since departed to the spirit realm without returning.
Even Arin’s spirit spent most of its time in the spirit realm, indicating how decrepit this world had become.
However, if she had the gift Louis had given her, the narrative would change.
He opened a spatial portal and retrieved a music box from inside.
A cylindrical wooden box with a vintage handle attached on the side—this was quite the striking item.
Upon seeing it, Arin let out a short sound as if she understood his intent.
As a spirit conduit who had reached a certain level, she would likely recognize the significance of the music box.
“Can you do it?”
“Yes. It’s definitely doable.”
Arin nodded affirmatively at Abel’s question.
“Please take good care of Adele.”
“I’ll do my best.”
She knelt on one knee and spoke earnestly. Adele, still not fully grasping the situation, tilted her head in confusion.
“So, does this mean I will become a spirit conduit?”
Abel nodded at her inquiry.
A route for a spirit conduit that was never in the original.
Had Louis not given the music box, had Adele never known she was a descendant of elves, or had he not taken in the young Arin from her childhood—none of this would have come to pass.
‘How nostalgic.’
He never expected these changes he’d made to the original story would come back this way. It seems no one can predict a person’s path.
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