Chapter 183 - North Korean rabbit

Chapter 183

The sentence I had rewritten into the <Book of Fate> was now seated more stably than it had been a moment ago.

However, I could already see a faint red aura beginning to swirl around the letters themselves.

It was clear that if this grew any stronger, the newly rewritten sentences would vanish completely.

‘Then the reality I changed—that Arpad and I divorced naturally—would also… revert to its original state.’

The fact that I could leave the imperial palace without any resistance or conflict was entirely thanks to the <Book of Fate>.

It felt somewhat unfair.

Evangeline wasn’t even a proper owner, and the <Book of Fate> was incomplete.

Yet she had nearly erased me and taken my place.

Now, I am the true owner, and the <Book of Fate> has been completed by finding all five divine artifacts.

Naturally, it should be incomparably easier than it was with Evangeline.

The reality I rewrote doesn’t involve killing or erasing anyone; it’s simply that Arpad and I divorced and I left.

Yet, I find myself in a situation where I must rewrite the <Book of Fate> anew every day.

The reason was clear.

‘Arpad is resisting.’

This was the opposite phenomenon to the future that Artanus, whom I was trying to avoid by any means, had set in stone.

The sentence dictated by the dragon’s draconic magic, ‘I kill Arpad,’ was stained an even deeper red.

No matter how I tried to rewrite it differently, it remained completely unchanged, solidly fixed in place.

In contrast, the sentence I had newly rewritten kept trying to disappear along with the red aura.

This was because Arpad, Artanus’s successor, was continuously resisting the fate I had rewritten.

Unable to properly accept the situation of being parted from me.

I stroked the faintly red-tinged sentence I had written in the <Book of Fate> with my fingertips.

As if this sentence, stained red and swaying precariously, were Arpad himself.

Unknowingly, I found myself gazing at this sentence, moved.

Paradoxically, his resistance to the fate I rewrote was also proof of how much he loved me.

I whispered softly toward the words written on the page. Even though there was no way Arpad could hear it.

“I’m sorry.”

That was the moment.

*Thud!* The swaying carriage suddenly came to a halt.

It was such an abrupt stop that I nearly tumbled forward.

“!”

What’s going on?

While I was shocked and tense, a commotion arose outside the carriage.

It couldn’t be bandits—the road my party was currently traveling on was the safest major route.

It was guarded by the Imperial Army, and I had hired ample mercenaries for escort. It was not a situation where a band of thieves would dare to attack.

Just in case, I gripped the <Book of Fate> tightly.

Then, cautiously, I slightly opened the closed carriage window to peek through the gap.

There, I saw a face I had never expected.

“!”

* * *

The atmosphere at the imperial family’s regular formal dinner was strangely frigid.

This was because the father and son, who resembled each other, were merely picking at their food, chewing on silence alone.

“…….”

“…….”

Both men felt a peculiar sense of dissonance.

The Emperor fell into silent contemplation for a moment.

‘How strange. Lately, these formal dinners had become quite pleasant and amicable occasions….’

It certainly couldn’t be because of Isabel, so then it must be… because of her?

The Emperor tilted his head.

The former Crown Princess was a child who had married Arpad solely for political reasons.

It made no sense that warmth had returned to the awkward relationship between father and son because of that child.

Yet, the Emperor found himself unconsciously thinking so.

Who knows? Though he told himself that, perhaps there had been something else between Arpad and his former wife.

After all, hadn’t they even gone through a marriage of abduction to become husband and wife?

To confirm his rising question and to dispel the awkward atmosphere, the Emperor broke the silence.

“So, did your former wife depart well?”

Arpad’s expression twisted.

After maintaining a stiff silence for a moment, Arpad barely managed to reply.

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know? Did you not see her off when she left the palace?”

“…….”

That was exactly it. He had no memory of seeing her off.

No, to be more precise…

‘It’s closer to saying she vanished when I opened my eyes.’

It was absurd.

They had clearly terminated their contractual marriage and formally divorced with the temple’s permission.

She had probably returned to her family home, the Ducal House of Delphin, by now.

“!”

Arpad shot up from his seat as if struck by lightning.

“Arpad?”

“I must take my leave first. Something urgent has come up.”

Without even waiting for his father’s response, Arpad had already left the dining table and was striding away.

No matter how close their relationship as father and son, or that he was soon to inherit the throne, this was a great discourtesy.

Nevertheless, the Emperor was not particularly displeased.

Because the attitude Arpad had just shown seemed like that of a child, secure in his parents’ affection and acting willfully.

It was an incongruent sentiment.

But it seemed there had been someone who had enabled the Emperor to think this way—more precisely, to reveal the paternal affection he had been suppressing all along.

“Your Majesty needs to be a bit softer toward yourself and your family. Only then can Arpad believe and rely on the fact that his father truly loves him.”

“Believe and rely, you say?”

“Of course. No matter how Arpad is, to Your Majesty, he is still your son, isn’t he?”

It was true. It was too obvious, but there had been a child who revived that fact, which he had tried to suppress and forget.

With an audacious and pretty smile.

“…?”

No matter how much he retraced his thoughts, he couldn’t remember who it had been.

* * *

Arpad, who had rushed out of the dining hall, headed straight for the Ducal House of Delphin.

Alone, without any other attendants.

Perhaps by going there, he could resolve the dissonance, the sense of loss, and this excruciating pain that had been tormenting him for the past few days.

The woman who had briefly been the mistress of Sia’s bedroom.

Even when he tried to recall her, her impression was blurry, but it seemed she held the key to his strange condition.

Perhaps if he saw her in person, he would understand.

He practically forced his way into the Delphin ducal residence.

“Gasp! Your Imperial Highness the Crown Prince!”

“We greet Your Highness!”

It was odd that the number of internal servants was small compared to the scale, wealth, and prestige of the ducal residence.

Soon, a thought occurred to him.

‘Well, she didn’t have many useful servants, so she did some internal reorganization. After that, she entrusted it to Lord Beltain…?’

Arpad was puzzled.

Why did he know this?

His memories and emotions were strange all over. There were far too many parts that didn’t fit together, as if patched haphazardly.

He called out urgently.

“Where is your mistress? Tell her I’ve come to see her.”

The servants bowed their heads in confusion.

“The young mistress is not here.”

“After returning from the palace, she said she would take a rest and headed to the villa.”

Arpad pressed the servants until he learned the location of the villa.

Just as he was about to dash to the villa, a doubt sprouted in his mind.

‘She wouldn’t be there.’

This was a certainty.

For some reason, Arpad could be sure.

As if analyzing the behavioral patterns of someone he knew well.

It was clear she would absolutely not be at the villa the remaining servants knew of.

Suddenly, he dredged up the names from the memory he had recalled earlier.

“Lord Beltain? Where is he?”

She had clearly entrusted the management of Delphin and her assets to a trusted aide.

To the knight she brought from her family home, Lord Beltain.

A man who had greatly irritated Arpad.

The answer was as expected.

“Lord Beltain resigned and left this place a few days ago.”

He was absolutely not someone who would leave the Ducal House of Delphin without reason. Moreover, resigning? It made no sense.

Arpad was seized by a strange conviction.

He returned to the Crown Prince’s palace in one breath and sought out the Head Lady-in-Waiting.

The Duchess of Müzen hurried over and knelt.

“You summoned me, Your Highness.”

“Among the ladies-in-waiting of the Crown Prince’s palace, there should be one named Ani—no, Anica Loren. Bring her to me.”

The Head Lady-in-Waiting looked up, bewildered.

“If you mean the lady-in-waiting brought by the former Crown Princess, she resigned from her position four days ago and left the palace.”

“…!”

Arpad could be certain. This was absolutely no coincidence.

* * *

In the dark space, Gaspard smiled strangely.

Before him, a pale light glowed. It was the medium connecting his ‘doll’ and its master.

Enjoyably receiving the information sent by the doll, Gaspard smiled.

“Indeed. The promised place is quite far.”

He had not yet moved from within the darkness.

But it was certain that an excellent opportunity to move would soon come.

Holding his breath, he waited for it.

* * *

‘Why is that man here?’

Shocked, I flung open the carriage door.

There, the one-eyed, black-haired man who had been arguing with my escorts after stopping my carriage grinned.

“We finally meet again.”

The Black Serpent, Klaus Teslan, had followed me all the way here.