Chapter 151 - North Korean rabbit

Episode 151

At the same time Hilia was facing an unexpected truth through the dragon Artanus,

Evangeline was also facing an unforeseen question.

After summoning her to the temple where the <Book of Fate> was kept, the Archbishop had posed a sudden, strange question.

"Master of Fate. Have you ever experienced any peculiar phenomena?"

"Peculiar phenomena? What could be more peculiar than being pulled into the very book I was reading?"

The Archbishop had grown accustomed to Evangeline's blunt and dismissive attitude.

Evangeline had already told him about her transmigration into the world of the book she had read. Right after the Archbishop had acknowledged her as the Master of Fate.

She had thought it would further solidify her claim as this world's protagonist.

The Archbishop had fervently agreed with her opinion as well.

"Perhaps what the Apostle read was a part of this very <Book of Fate>."

"It would be better if you could read the contents of the <Book of Fate> yourself."

Evangeline still could not read a single word of the Divine Language in which the <Book of Fate> was written.

The Archbishop had urged her to learn the Divine Language even now, but she ignored him. It was too bothersome.

Regardless of Evangeline's thoughts, the Archbishop continued.

"Perhaps because the Apostle has realized it herself, the portions of the <Book of Fate> that can be deciphered are gradually increasing."

"Well, of course. It's met its master."

Evangeline puffed up with pride.

"So, can we see the future now? You said once the <Book of Fate> is complete, we could even see the future."

That would be really convenient.

"Unfortunately, not to that extent yet."

The Archbishop answered with a tone of regret and then broached his main point.

"Among the partially decipherable pages, there is a strange section. The content isn't exactly identical, but similar events are repeated three times. If we include the most recent page describing our current situation, the same timeframe is repeated a total of four times within the book."

"And what does that mean?"

Archbishop Bio rephrased his question for clarity.

"Have you ever experienced time turning back? Multiple times, at that."

Evangeline's mind became tangled in confusion.

Of course, no matter how hard she tried to remember, she had no such recollection.

If the <Book of Fate> contained such a thing, but she had never experienced it, what would happen?

'He's already a stiff man, isn't he going to listen to me even less?'

Evangeline snatched the <Book of Fate> from the Archbishop's hands.

"Let me see."

For such a large book, it felt almost weightless.

Evangeline flipped through the pages carelessly.

For some reason, the very front was defiled, as if countless letters had been overwritten on top of each other.

The Archbishop explained dutifully.

"This part is clearly written, but it is completely illegible. It's as if someone wrote over the same paper dozens or hundreds of times."

The pages turned smoothly.

Then, around the middle of the book, where sparser writing appeared intermittently, Evangeline was shocked.

"What is this?!"

She knew no Divine Language at all.

Yet, there were a few lines of characters she could read perfectly well.

'This is Hangul?!'

* * *

The main palace where the Emperor resided was heavy with grief.

It was only natural, as its master, the Emperor, was awake but almost in a state of stupor.

An uninvited guest stepped into that place.

Yet, no one stopped her.

Grand Duchess Axion still berated her nephew-by-marriage and son-in-law, whom she disliked.

"Are you planning to let go of everything completely now?"

The Emperor, with a despondent expression, slowly raised his head.

"I must look pathetic to you."

"So you do know."

It was, in fact, an absurd situation.

No matter that the Grand Duchess was of imperial blood, the Emperor's aunt and mother-in-law, the difference in their status was clear.

Yet, neither of the two recognized or pointed out the Grand Duchess's discourtesy.

Because at this moment, they were not facing each other as Emperor and Grand Duchess, but as individuals.

As a family elder and a son-in-law.

"After losing Roxelline, I endured by looking at Arpad."

"For someone who says that, you were quite eager to cast out your own son."

"I know better than anyone how intelligent and cheerful Roxelline was in her daily life. And I also know... better than anyone, how she was after madness consumed her."

"......"

"It was clear that if Arpad were devoured by madness, it would be worse than Roxelline. I clung to the last shreds of my reason, again and again, holding onto only my duty as Emperor to endure."

"Then you should endure now as well. Why now, of all times..."

"While I was living, killing myself as a human being, as a father, there was a child who gave my entire life back to me."

The Grand Duchess closed her mouth.

She knew well whom he was referring to.

She, too, had broken her seclusion and decided to step outside again because of that child.

She found herself thinking anew.

That child truly was like a spring day after a long winter...

That's why she wanted to believe, and did believe.

That it would end so meaninglessly...

The Grand Duchess shook her head.

No. She could not afford to be this disheartened.

No matter how great the shock.

The Emperor was still sighing, holding his forehead.

"Once I returned to being a father, I was happy. Unbelievably so."

"......"

"But now, having to kill myself as a human, as a father, and return to being an Emperor... it's too difficult."

Grand Duchess Axion spoke in a dry voice.

"It is not yet time for that."

"...Pardon?"

The Emperor was surprised. He thought the Grand Duchess had come to reprimand him and push him to regain his senses.

But it seemed that was not the case.

"I'm saying there's no need to return to being an Emperor with ice, not hot blood, flowing in your veins. Not yet."

She smoothed her skirt and spoke in a low voice.

"It is not yet confirmed that the two children are dead."

"...But."

"Arpad, your son... would he die from something like an explosion?"

"......"

"And the Crown Princess, that child, for all her delicate face, how bold and clever she was. There's absolutely no way she died so helplessly."

The Grand Duchess spoke as if trying to brainwash the Emperor, and to convince herself as well.

"We must prepare for when those children return. Are you going to regret not believing in your son all this time, and then not believe again?"

"...!"

"Are you planning to abandon my only grandson again?!"

A sharp shout echoed through the Emperor's bedchamber.

* * *

I tried to simplify the memories the dragon had shown me to understand them more easily.

'Before my regression, due to that damned dragon, Arpad was already repeating regressions. And he met me then. That's it.'

And surprisingly...

'We had a marriage of abduction back then too?!'

Yes.

Arpad, upon meeting me at the end of his regressions, simply dragged me away.

A veritable, real marriage of abduction!

Moreover, the situation was even more of a mess than now, because back then I was already married to Ludwig.

He didn't abduct me from the wedding procession; he abducted a newlywed who had even finished her honeymoon.

Naturally, the uproar was several times greater.

Yet, Arpad paid it no mind.

"Let the Emperor, or the Crown Prince, deal with it themselves."

After even discarding the Crown Prince position, he fled with just the two of us.

It wasn't a sweet, romantic situation. Nor was it particularly destitute.

For several years, the two of us did nothing but bicker and fight.

"Are you insane?! How can you abduct someone like this? A marriage of abduction? That's barbaric!"

It seems I, with my stronger memories and identity as a Korean, was greatly shocked.

"It's still better than being the wife of that good-for-nothing Ludwig. Shouldn't you be thanking me?"

"You dragged me here to keep watch so you could kill me anytime!"

The more I resisted and spoke harshly, the more Arpad laughed. Thinking back now, it was an eerily faint smile.

"Right. I dragged you here to torment you before killing you. Because I hate you."

"Well, I hate insane, barbaric humans like you too?!"

We kept saying 'I hate you' as if competing.

We fought over the smallest pretexts.

But as time passed, we gradually became immersed in each other, as if sinking in.

Just like in this life.

Both he and I tried hard to deny the feelings we had already developed.

For Arpad, it was because of the anger and hatred towards the concept of a 'bride' accumulated over his long regressions.

For me, it was because, added to my Korean identity, my first impression of Arpad was so poor.

And on top of that, how could I see someone in a good light when every time he opened his mouth, he only said nasty things?

I thought if I started to like him, I would lose.

But it was impossible not to pity him, even a little—a man tormented by constant, terrible nightmares, half-mad.

That shallow pity grew heavier and broader the more I learned about what he had endured, eventually swallowing me whole.

On a certain day when neither of us could properly confess our feelings to the other,

A decisive event occurred.

"I greet the Master of Fate. I never imagined the great Apostle of the Gods would be in the clutches of a beast."

It was Archbishop Bio.