Chapter 106: A Twist of Fate

“There’s a funny moment in this video. I couldn’t help but wonder if we could spin it into something – you know, a reality show capturing the daily lives of famous people who travel alone… Ah!”

Lady Elina I, who had just clapped her hands in agreement, abruptly sat up. Clutching the box containing the Magic Orb, she looked down at Karlahee, who was still seated.

“I’m sorry, I had such a brilliant idea that I just had to run it by the head of the agency,” she explained.

“The agency?”

“Hehe, it’s still a secret.”

Wearing a meaningful smile and letting her silver hair dance, Lady Elina I left the reception room.

About a month later, the variety show ‘I’m Going Solo’ premiered, and a rookie quickly became a fixed guest, earning some recognition. At the time, no one could have predicted what was to come.

* * *

A week into their ordeal, Elina II lay exhausted, barely able to muster the strength to trace anything on the cave wall. As her heavy eyelids struggled to stay open, a woman approached her.

Rozally, the only one still able to move, gathered water in a large leaf and slowly dabbed it onto Elina II’s lips. After quenching her thirst, Elina II looked up at the faint silhouette of fiery red hair and smiled.

“You’re… really odd. Who knew a villainess could even handle the role of the Female Lead?”

“Shut up! Don’t think I care about your approval!”

Despite her sharp tone, Elina II just giggled. Rozally frowned in disapproval before turning away.

“Get yourself together and fix the world already! I can’t tell if this is a romance or some kind of survival drama anymore!”

“Hahaha, it is strange… this novel. But who knows? A romance featuring a villainess like you might actually be pretty good.”

Elina II closed her eyes, drowsiness overtaking her. Strangely, her lips twitched into an even more mischievous smile. Perhaps as her body weakened, so did her spirit.

“You may not be the nicest, but you’re not all bad either. I kind of get you. Why else would the owner of this body choose to be so chummy with a villainess like you…?”

“Wha—what are you even saying? Get some sleep before I smack you!”

Unaccustomed to such an awkward atmosphere, Rozally snapped back. After standing silently for a while with her head bowed, she glanced back to see that Elina II had already drifted off to sleep. Rozally collapsed nearby, closing her eyes in fatigue.

It was hard to tell how long she had slept. When she finally opened her eyes, rain was softly pelting the cave outside. The drop in temperature made her shiver all over. Trying to lift herself, Rozally found her body unusually heavy, causing her to collapse sideways repeatedly.

‘This is bad… Did I catch a cold?’

Dazed, Rozally stared at the slumbering Elina II nearby. Oddly, Elina II’s face looked devoid of life.

“Hey, wake up. Hey!”

Rozally startled, her heart pounding.

“The Female Lead can’t die here… Hey! You’re the Female Lead! Wake up, now!”

Stretching out her hand to slap Elina II’s cheek, she couldn’t quite reach. With a pained look, Rozally crawled slowly toward her. Mustering all her strength, she finally landed a resounding slap.

Smack—though the sound was oddly dull.

“You little brat… Wake up! Keep fooling around and I’ll coat you in poison and kill you! Now, wake up!!”

Her voice echoed powerfully within the cave. Rozally continued to strike, then bit her lip hard and withdrew her hand. Her cheek felt icily cold—as if it belonged to someone no longer alive. She turned her face toward the cave floor and stifled a sob.

After shedding tears for what felt like ages, Rozally’s consciousness began to fade. Whether her body was overheating or the chill of the surroundings intensified, she couldn’t tell.

“Sis…”

With her remaining strength, Rozally managed to turn her head, casting a blurry gaze at Elina II. The peaceful look on Elina II’s face convinced her she was truly asleep.

“I… think I’ve reached my limit.”

Her voice came out ragged. Rozally wasn’t sure if she was crying; all she knew was that her throat burned fiercely.

“You once told me that someday I could become a great villainess too…”

She recalled the days when she aimed solely at one goal, tormenting maids with cruel pranks. The days filled with relentless practice to become the perfect villainess, researching how to bottle just enough poison to leave the Female Lead wandering for days without dying.

She had worked so hard to be a villainess worthy of the Female Lead’s respect.

“But I… think I’m done with being a villainess…”

And that was the end. Slowly, Rozally closed her eyes. She could feel the warm tears soaking her cheeks and dripping onto the floor. With that final sensation, her mind sank into darkness. Just as she was about to surrender to the peace the darkness offered…

“Fool! If you don’t play the weakling, who will be the villainess?”

“…Sis?”

Her vision, once pitch black, gradually turned white. The brightness was blinding, making it impossible to open her eyes properly. Whether it was already morning, a flood of brilliant sunlight poured into the dark cave. Bathed in its glow, Elina II, tears shimmering in her eyes, looked down upon her.

“I’m so sorry for coming back late. I’m truly sorry.”

“Really… Sis?”

“Yeah… It’s me.”

Elina II nodded vigorously, smiling before quickly wiping away her tears and speaking with resolve.

“Silpid, come to me as soon as you hear my voice.”

A gentle breeze suddenly swept around Elina II and Rozally’s intertwined legs. Perhaps delighted by the long-awaited summons, the spirit of the wind was unusually energetic.

“Go and heal Rozally properly.”

At her command, Silpid promptly pressed his lips to Rozally’s cheek. Moments earlier, an intense heat had been rising from her body; now a cool, restorative breeze enveloped her entirely.

Feeling lighter, Rozally playfully swung a mock slap at the air and then leapt forward to embrace Elina II.

“I’m so glad you’re back, sis! I’ve missed you so much!”

Their heartfelt embrace between the villainess and the Female Lead was cut short by a sudden thought that flashed through Rozally’s mind.

‘So… that possession must have left.’

Though it was something she had longed for, an inexplicable dread now clutched at her. Just as Rozally awkwardly let go of her hold on Elina II…

“You wouldn’t believe the incredible experience I had!”

“What do you mean…?”

“I ended up inside a woman from another world called Korea, with jet-black hair and dark eyes. They even called me Kim Bing-ui. I even went through college…!”

She continued, recounting how an annoyingly overly knowledgeable guy, a returning student whom she once detested, kept hanging around—and how, out of sheer boredom, she accepted being called CC, among other things. The tale only grew more spectacular.

“After skipping a few classes, a professor gave me an F. I stopped going because I couldn’t stand seeing his face. But hey, my body’s owner would handle it, right?”

Oblivious to the gravity of her misdeeds, Elina II maintained an innocent expression.

“Oh! But wait, someone called out for me! They shouted so desperately, ‘Please come back, I’ll leave if you don’t, come back immediately!’ That voice snapped me back to my original body.”

“…”

“It sounded like a plea for help… Anyway, it was a miracle. I don’t know who it was, but you nearly got into serious trouble…”

“…Is that really true, sis?”

With a firm look, Rozally glared at Elina II. Even as Elina II repeatedly nodded as if she had heard it all, Rozally bit her lip hard in disapproval.

‘Who does she think she is… Like I’d just let it go?’

Silently, with her head bowed and tears streaming down, Rozally was gently comforted by Elina II’s careful pats on the shoulder.

The classic conclusion to Chapter 13

“The Beautiful Peacock Flower”

―writer. Diches

[Why is Lady Elina I standing in front of my Palace? For a moment I thought she was a mirage, but like vivid paint, she clung to the background. Hours in the icy winter wind had left her ears and hands red and raw.

Warming her frozen hands by rubbing them together and exhaling puffs of steam, she finally noticed me standing a short distance away and stopped all her movements.

“Ha…”

Without realizing it, a sigh escaped me. My feet felt stuck in the soft, powdered snow.

She moved closer. Her silver hair fluttered rapidly in the air as she dashed toward me, suddenly gripping my arm tightly. Ironically, the chill of her embrace was offset by a surprisingly warm fragrance.

“I’m sorry, truly.”

“Elina I?”

“Will you give me another chance to love you…?”

Was this a dream? I couldn’t tell. The miracle I had yearned for was unfolding before me. Tears welled up, yet my body, as if resigned to fate, calmly slipped away from her embrace.

“I can’t. I already love someone else…”

Her eyes fluttered shut and then reopened in confusion. Facing her perplexed gaze, I could only manage a lukewarm smile. Even if you clung to past regrets, I no longer loved you.

“Not you… but the one who healed and held together the wounds you left behind…”

Then it happened. From behind, a warm presence reached out and startled me as I turned around. A middle-aged woman with curly hair, adorned with lavish jewels, grinned widely. Her neatly arranged golden teeth shimmered with a yellow glow.

“Oh—my young lover Diches, I was worried when I couldn’t see you!”