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Chapter 9
“You mean… you said all that without even knowing what a Trituto was?”
So she had really hurled that terrible insult at the man yesterday without knowing what it meant.
Clicking his tongue, Dylan pulled out a sheet of paper and a pen from his bag and began sketching something.
“It’s a type of worm that lives in swamps. It looks something like this.”
“Wow…”
Eliana stared at the paper Dylan handed her and her mouth fell open.
“It’s really ugly.”
After staring at the drawing for a long time, she frowned and pulled her face away as if she had seen something she shouldn’t have.
“I was wrong…”
Shuddering, Eliana crumpled up the paper with the drawing of the Trituto and shoved it into Dylan’s bag.
When Dylan looked back and forth between his bag and her with an incredulous expression, she calmly replied that trash shouldn’t be thrown away just anywhere.
Dylan revised his opinion.
This young lady was not normal.
They boarded the first train from Totulo back to the capital.
Money really was wonderful.
The first-class compartment was spacious, and the seats were soft. Each compartment accommodated four people, and compared to second class, these semi-private spaces were far more comfortable.
Two first-class compartments had been rented. Kaillen and Caspian occupied one, while Eliana shared the other with Dylan.
The train released a loud burst of steam and began moving.
Watching the scenery slowly start to pass by, Eliana nodded to herself.
Just like in her previous life, money was still the best thing in the world.
After riding for quite some time and beginning to feel sore, a thought suddenly crossed her mind.
“When we arrive at the capital, am I going to die?”
Dylan’s eyes widened.
They widened so much she worried they might pop right out of his head.
After adjusting his glasses, Dylan frowned.
“Why would my lady die?”
“To silence me. You know, kidnapping me, staging an accident, killing me secretly… something like that.”
At her words, Dylan’s forehead twitched.
His expression clearly said:
What exactly is inside this woman’s head?
Still, what was with his obsession with that bag?
She had noticed it earlier.
Dylan had been clutching it protectively against his chest the entire time.
As she stared suspiciously at the bag, Dylan tightened his grip.
Tch.
Judging by Dylan’s reaction, it didn’t seem like they planned to secretly eliminate her to keep her quiet.
That was reassuring.
During the entire train ride from Totulo, she had made a resolution.
The original story had already gone off track, and there was no telling what would happen from now on.
So she would keep her head down and survive.
Before doing that, however, she needed to convince Kaillen that she wasn’t connected to the Crown Prince or the Empress and that she would never tell anyone what she had seen.
Maybe she really needed to write a blood oath.
She stretched out her right thumb.
Examining the dirty bandage wrapped around it, she pressed her lips together.
A knock sounded.
“Come out for a moment.”
Caspian opened the door slightly and poked only his head inside as he called for Dylan.
When Dylan asked what was going on, Caspian glanced at Eliana and jerked his head toward the hallway.
“Stay put.”
Leaving behind a warning that didn’t sound remotely threatening, Dylan hugged his precious bag to his chest and left.
The compartment became quiet.
The steady rhythm of the train made her yawn, but she couldn’t sleep.
Thoughts continued piling up one after another.
Feeling frustrated, she opened the window.
A powerful gust of wind immediately rushed in due to the train’s speed, forcing her to shut it again.
Running a hand through her messy hair, she gazed outside.
Steam from the train briefly obscured the scenery before disappearing.
Every time she watched this massive chunk of metal racing forward, she found it fascinating.
This world possessed a unique resource.
Torpaz.
A mineral and the world’s only energy source.
Usually transparent with a reddish hue, it wasn’t particularly durable and was easy to process.
Torpaz was graded according to purity:
Special Grade, High Grade, Mid Grade, and Low Grade.
Five hundred grams of high-purity Torpaz was worth enough to buy a small mansion on the outskirts of the capital.
Torpaz was effectively the property of nobles.
The more mines a noble family possessed, the greater their power.
And the Imperial Family owned the largest number of Torpaz mines.
Naturally, the Emperor’s authority was immense.
But perhaps the Imperial Family had stood above everyone else for too long.
The Emperor could not see what was happening among the lowest people.
Nor did they yet realize that a major event would soon shake the foundation of imperial power.
It would also become her future investment opportunity.
The source of the wealth she needed if she wanted to escape the protagonists’ lives and live comfortably.
Was this what it felt like to know winning lottery numbers?
Wasn’t this one of the perks of transmigration?
Suppressing a smile, she suddenly heard the compartment door slide open.
It was Kaillen Liveliden.
After closing the door behind him, he glanced around and sat heavily in the seat across from her.
What was this?
Transporting a criminal?
Were they taking turns watching her?
Seeing Kaillen sitting there with his arms crossed and eyes closed irritated her for some reason.
“Are you monitoring me? I’ll quietly return to the capital, answer all your questions honestly, and repay the money.”
Kaillen didn’t react at all.
It was as though he hadn’t heard her.
“A good leader is supposed to trust his subordinates.”
This time one of Kaillen’s eyebrows twitched.
But he still didn’t open his eyes.
She sighed and turned to look out the window.
Then Kaillen finally spoke.
“You’re not my subordinate. Why would I trust you?”
“I’m also a citizen of the Liveliden Empire. Since I receive the protection of the Imperial Family, that technically makes me one of Prince Kaillen’s subjects.”
He snorted and opened his eyes.
His vivid green gaze settled on her.
“A ruler must constantly doubt. He must be generous yet stingy, kind yet cruel.”
Without blinking, Kaillen continued.
“You secretly left your estate before dawn while hiding something. Even then, I didn’t press you for details. My men are watching you, yes, but…”
He paused.
“Wouldn’t you say this already demonstrates the qualities of the ideal ruler you just described?”
Eliana stared at him for a moment.
Then she crossed her arms exactly as he had.
“You must be exhausted.”
One of Kaillen’s eyebrows twitched again.
“Because finding the right balance is always the hardest thing.”
The original novel had described him like this:
“Kaillen Liveliden was recorded in the history of the Liveliden Empire as the king most beloved by his people and the ruler most feared by neighboring kingdoms.”
Kaillen wouldn’t become that beloved king through strength alone.
It would be the result of the people who stood beside him.
Did he know?
Did he realize what kind of ruler he would become?
Of course, that was still far in the future.
“Even if it’s exhausting, I think that’s how a ruler should be. People like us live or die because of a ruler’s decisions.”
Though her career as a journalist had been brief, it had taught her how important politics truly was.
When ignorant and lazy people became leaders, ordinary citizens paid the price.
She had witnessed that firsthand.
The novel had devoted only a single sentence to it, but she found herself looking forward to seeing the future emperor loved by his people.
Looking forward to the empire Kaillen would someday lead.
Many trials still awaited him.
He would overcome them all and become that ruler.
“I’ll be cheering for you. Become the light of the Empire.”
Digging through her pocket, she pulled out a piece of candy she had bought at Totulo Station before boarding the train.
She held it out to him.
Kaillen silently stared at the candy.
Then he stood up.
Being so tall, he almost seemed in danger of hitting his head on the ceiling.
Just before leaving the compartment, he glanced between the candy and Eliana.
At that moment, Dylan returned and opened the door.
“So this is where you were.”
Dylan stepped aside to allow Kaillen to leave.
After Kaillen exited, Dylan narrowed his eyes and looked at Eliana.
Then he noticed the candy still in her hand.
“Um… is that for me?”
“No.”
Eliana immediately stuffed the candy back into her bag.
Dylan adjusted his glasses and frowned in dissatisfaction.
Then he sat as far away from her as possible and pulled documents from his bag.
After that, Dylan never left his seat again.
The train continued smoothly onward.
Eventually, it entered the capital, Yetenkorna.
The station attendants walked through the train announcing that they would soon arrive at the final stop and reminding passengers not to leave belongings behind.
Familiar scenery began appearing outside.
The train gradually slowed.
Aside from Kaillen’s group and Eliana, no one else remained in first class.
Once the train came to a complete stop, Eliana followed them into the corridor to disembark.
Just before stepping off, she absentmindedly slipped a hand into her pocket.
She felt the candy she had failed to give to Kaillen.
For some reason, an uneasy feeling settled over her.
She unwrapped the candy and placed it into her mouth.
The atmosphere at the station felt strangely chaotic.
Through the wide-open train doors came the sound of a crowd murmuring excitedly.
