*Thump thump* The hollow footsteps echoed in the corridor.
At the end of it stood Madam Lichtenburg, crossing her arms with an unhappy expression at the door.
I lightly greeted her with my eyes, but the moment I reached for the doorknob, her hand grabbed my wrist.
“Wait a moment.”
“What is it?”
“I’ll leave you alone as per the conditions, but I’ll be listening to the sounds from beyond the wall. It’s best not to think of using any shallow spells like the Recognition Interference Barrier.”
“Understood.”
It was only natural to take this precaution, considering I had no idea what she might do to her precious daughter.
Now that I’d laid everything bare to Erica, there was no need to hide the conversation content.
“And… is any physical contact absolutely necessary?”
“No, it isn’t. Don’t worry. I won’t lay a finger on your daughter’s perfect body.”
“……..”
Isn’t this over now?
Yet her hand still clung to my wrist.
Her hand was trembling slightly.
Fearing Erica might be listening, I spread thin Recognition Interference Barriers around and covered her hand.
“What you’re worried about won’t happen. Even after trying to take my life twice, I’m still standing here, and you still doubt me?”
“That’s not it… *Cough*.”
She bit her teeth and pulled her hand away.
Then she turned completely away and glanced back at me with a huffy look.
“I’ll leave it to you.”
“……..”
*Creek* The door opened.
Stepping into the bright light pouring in, I moved forward.
This place… is it a garden?
The spells set up here controlled the temperature and humidity.
It was a greenhouse, surrounded by glass, allowing plenty of sunlight to stream in.
But it was so vast that unless one looked up at the ceiling, you might briefly mistake it for being outdoors.
A narrow path ran between the splendid flower beds on either side.
As I followed the winding path, I soon discovered a small table.
“Ah, you’ve arrived.”
“……..”
“Schlus Hainkel. We’ve been waiting.”
“……..”
The one with the cheerful smile.
No, it’s Julia.
Sitting in a regular chair instead of a wheelchair, she looked like a delicate girl with no apparent issues.
Except for the fact that her body was unnaturally thin for her age.
“Nice to meet you. We meet again.”
I took a deep breath and pulled a chair to sit across from her.
The refreshing smile she wore felt like my heart was sinking.
I often thought she was acting like anyone else, wondering if her soul was in control, but it seems not this time.
“I hear you have a solution for my illness?”
“It isn’t an illness. It was an accident caused by my mistake.”
“Oh my. I heard someone was coming to check on my condition, but it seems you’ve brought a solution already.”
Julia covered her mouth and laughed.
Then, when her bangs slipped down to cover her eyes, she swept them back again.
“I’m sorry for hiding it until now. It was purely my greed.”
“But does Schlus always speak so formally?”
“Do you have a problem with that?”
“Not necessarily. It’s just surprising that you use informal speech with your sister but formal with me.”
“I don’t use formal speech with those who don’t deserve respect.”
“That’s harsh. If your sister heard you, she’d be clenching her fists.”
“……..”
What, just fists?
She’d probably be tearing her hair out too.
She probably resolved to punch me one day.
“Still, wouldn’t it be easier to speak informally?”
“…….. Let’s do it that way.”
I felt a bit uneasy.
Despite her appearance, Julia had lived for hundreds of years as a reincarnator.
Yet here, I was the only one who knew that.
It looked like Julia was also gritting her teeth, pretending not to know Schlus.
I figured I’d need to go along with the stuck-up act a bit.
“My opening was too long. Sorry. Let’s get straight to the main topic.”
“Hehe, it’s fine even if it takes longer.”
“Your sister and mother wouldn’t find it amusing.”
“That’s true… They both worry too much.”
“First, I have a confession. The nightmares you experience are caused by another’s soul clinging to you. It’s a soul I summoned from the underworld. I could have returned it anytime, but I’ve been dragging this out because I wanted to talk to that person one last time.”
“……..”
For a moment, Julia’s mouth opened and then shut again.
Then she returned to flashing that smile.
Maybe she was shocked.
She seemed too stunned to find the words to respond.
“So… should I just call that person who is asleep inside me?”
“To be blunt, that’s how it is.”
“How can I summon them?”
“You just have to lose consciousness.”
*Clap!*
Suddenly, I heard the sound of movement from behind the door.
Damn it. I shouldn’t have said that.
“Of course, just going to sleep will work too.”
Once I corrected my words, the slightly opened door closed again.
Thankfully, it seemed they gave up on barging in.
I would have to be more conscious of Erica and the Madam listening from now on.
“I’m not sleepy right now, you know?”
“You don’t have to worry. I can put you to sleep with magic.”
*Thud!*
This time, the noise came again from the door.
What now?
I said we wouldn’t make physical contact, but I never mentioned that I wouldn’t use magic.
“Then could you please lean your head on the table to avoid hitting it? If you sleep, that soul will wake up, and I just want to chat a bit before sending them back to the underworld—”
“I don’t want to.”
“What?”
“I still don’t want to sleep. I’d like to talk a bit more with Mr. Schlus.”
“We can talk anytime. Let’s resolve the issue first—”
“But we can’t talk anytime. I know how busy you are, Mr. Schlus. When will I get to meet you again, considering I’m unable to move properly? Let’s talk a bit more, or are you planning to forcefully put a spell on an unwilling lady to make her sleep?”
“……..”
I absolutely did not see this coming.
I thought she’d urge me to resolve things as quickly as possible.
Still, what could we possibly talk about?
Julia and Schlus barely had any common ground.
Well, technically, there was some connection with her past life, but Julia certainly wouldn’t want to reveal that.
She had blatantly ignored me last time we met, after all.
“I have no idea what we should talk about in this situation suddenly…”
“Anything is fine! Whether it’s about the meal I had this morning, places I visited yesterday, or what’s happening in the world around us, I just want to know more about you, Mr. Schlus.”
“It seems you’re quite interested in me.”
“That’s right. I’m very curious.”
*Snicker* But still, this doesn’t feel right.
I came to see Han Ah-reum, not Julia.
At first, seeing Julia always brought back memories of Han Ah-reum, causing distress, but that was no longer the case.
Because I now recognized the contents differed significantly.
But perhaps due to the presence of the soul, I seemed to catch glimpses of that personality in Julia too.
That must be a delusion.
No one would have an entirely identical personality, after all.
Only the overlapping traits were sure to catch my attention over and over again.
“So… let’s try to find some common interests first. Have you read any novels lately?”
“I have.”
“I really enjoy fantasy novels. How about you, Mr. Schlus?”
“I like stories about girls who have reincarnated hundreds of years.”
“……..?”
Julia tilted her head in confusion.
Still smiling brightly.
Gotcha, you little rascal.
“Han Ah-reum! You really haven’t read my novel properly, have you?”
“Uh…?”
Julia, or rather, her expression was drenched in bewilderment.
In truth, the one who had been in control of the body from the beginning wasn’t Julia but Han Ah-reum.
I’d had my doubts, but I had no confirmation until now.
I had just gained that confirmation a moment ago.
Despite mentioning “a girl who has reincarnated hundreds of years,” she wasn’t at all flustered.
That was evidence she didn’t read my novel well.
It meant she was unaware that her vessel was a reincarnator.
Of course, this wasn’t concrete proof.
It could also mean Julia had superb acting skills and was perfectly pretending not to know.
“Julia enjoys romance novels.”
“Ah…?”
But the genre of the novel Julia introduced helped cement my confidence.
It looked like books from the original world had trickled into Julia’s room, and she had whimsically interpreted that genre as fantasy.
It wasn’t incorrect.
From this world’s perspective, the original world is indeed a fantasy realm.
However, the issue was that the term “fantasy” didn’t exist in this world.
That had been a setting I’d determined while answering a question by a reader in the comments some time ago.
The term “fantasy” was one that did not exist in the world’s concept.
“Ah… haha… I fell right into your trap. Was this a leading question?”
“Leading question? You walked right into it yourself.”
Julia, or rather Han Ah-reum, laughed heartily without covering her mouth.
Seeing that made my body tremble slightly.
With that body, that tone, and that laughter, it was certainly Han Ah-reum.
Without a doubt, it was the Han Ah-reum I remembered.
“Snap out of it.”
But of course, I needed to be careful.
Yes, I’d admit that the reader who created this world was quite all-knowing.
But whether the true spirit of Han Ah-reum rested within Julia’s body still had room for debate.
Even if they claim to be a spirit, there was a solid chance this was just a copy mimicking Han Ah-reum’s past behavior patterns.
A copy indistinguishable enough from the real deal… No, wait, wouldn’t that make it NOT a copy?
I wasn’t sure.
“Han Ah-reum.”
“Yes?”
“Let me ask you something. I tend to be a bit suspicious.”
“I know. That you have a bit of a trust issue.”
“Did you hear the last thing I said…?”
I asked, trembling slightly.
That day. Early in the morning.
I rushed to the hospital, but you had already passed away.
I repeated the same words by your ear, hearing from the nurse that the brain would still be alive.
If you were really Han Ah-reum, you’d remember that.
If you were the genuine soul of Han Ah-reum.
Not just a clever imitation.
“That… I’d rather not recall it.”
“Speak.”
“Oh, brother. Do I really have to talk about that again now?”
“Say it. If you don’t, I’ll consider you a fake.”
“*Sigh*… You said you couldn’t meet another girl. You said you’d carry me in your heart forever. Is that enough? You silly… I clearly wrote in my will to find someone good. You never listen, honestly.”
“……..”
My throat tightened.
It was real.
The real Han Ah-reum.
That face, gazing at me as if I were pathetic, yet smiling faintly.
It was her face and no one else’s.
I had to hold back the rising feelings building up inside me.
The Ring of Miracles…
It wasn’t in vain.
“I think… I think I’m done now. This is enough.”
“Really?”
“Yes. I’m scared that if we talk any further, I won’t be able to let you go, and that frightens me.”
“Uh-huh. That’s a big problem.”
“It is. That little girl is suffering from nightmares because of you.”
I couldn’t bring myself to meet her eyes.
If I did, tears would surely start flowing.
This was enough.
It felt like anything beyond this was too much.
Before my heart changed, before I grew greedy, I needed to send her back.
I had made a promise to Erica about that.
Though I had strayed a little against the natural order, the dead should not be here.
“Lastly, I’ll say this. I love you.”
“No, that’s wrong. You should say you loved me like this.”
“I’m still in love with you, so how can I say that?”
“Loving a dead person, it’s a disease. Have you heard of necrophilia?”
*Pfft*… It’s not like that! It’s really not… *sniff sniff*”
Laughter bubbled up uncontrollably.
You’re cracking jokes even in this situation.
Before I knew it, my laugh sounded almost like a sob.
“Hey… Okay. Since this is your wish, I’ll find someone good. Just like you wanted.”
“Right. Now that I’m dead, you’re finally taking my advice?”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t listen—”
“Don’t apologize! Don’t say such things at the end… We’re already short on good words.”
“Okay… Thank you. I loved you. I was happy to be with you.”
“Yes. Me too, brother. I was really… really truly happy. I love you.”
“Why do you keep saying you loved me instead?”
“Well, that’s because I’m already dead.”
“That’s unfair…”
With a bittersweet smile, I caressed the Ring of Miracles.
It was time to let her go.
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