WAV 40

Chapter 40

“Wait… this actually made it into the newspaper”

A strange feeling settled over me.

It wasn’t because I was worried the culprit might be caught. Far from it—I didn’t think that jerk Serge would just sit back and let a headline like this run.

Still, since it was an article closely tied to me, I grabbed the newspaper and skimmed it eagerly.

“Yesterday evening, during the victory celebration for the Teseron campaign held at the royal palace, Grand Duke Serge Belnac, the host of the event, was attacked by an unknown assailant in the Fourth Guest Wing.
Belnac, an S-class awakened with psychokinetic abilities, is famously undefeated, having been deployed to the Lucer Gate at the age of 14 and never once failing a mission.
Eyewitnesses report that the Grand Duke appeared to have been struck on the forehead with a blunt weapon and was seen leaving the Guest Wing with blood on his face.
At the time, the Grand Duke was in an extremely agitated state….”

“Huh… sounds like he was pissed off.”

I couldn’t help but smile.

Reading through the full text, I got a rough sense of what had happened. The plural “witnesses” implied that several people had seen him staggering out with blood dripping down his head. And given the headline, it was obvious this had become a major news story.

Even someone as high-ranking as the Grand Duke couldn’t stop gossip from spreading quietly. Or maybe in trying to contain rumors, he failed to notice a silent observer—someone like the Crown Prince.

“Serves him right for not behaving himself,” I muttered, clicking my tongue at the parts that seemed to tarnish his reputation, before bursting into a quiet laugh.

Nancy gave me a puzzled look at my sudden giggle, but I didn’t care.

—You got knocked out by some random attacker and embarrassed yourself.

And that little muttered thought had now been broadcast for the whole world to see—of course I was thrilled.

“…The Palace Investigation Office has begun an inquiry, but no conclusive evidence has been found to identify the suspect.
Since this attack directly targeted the Grand Duke, who is both the host of the banquet and the Commander-in-Chief of the Northern Forces, the political and military ramifications are expected to be significant…”

“Wow… they really know how to make a fuss over nothing.”

It wasn’t like the culprit was going to be found anyway. I snorted at the line about “no decisive evidence to identify the suspect.” Everything seemed to be going exactly as I expected.

‘Right!’

Suddenly remembering the evidence, I urgently called Nancy over.

“Nancy, where’s the dress I wore to the banquet? Did you happen to wash it already?”

“No! It’s just in the basket waiting. Should I bring it?”

“Yes.”

A moment later, I retrieved the item that could save my life from the dress pocket Nancy handed over. Then I opened the safe hidden deep in the dressing room.

Next to the clothes I had stored for Eston, I placed Serge’s cravat fragment and the ruby brooch. Staring down at them, I murmured,

“…I hope I never have to face this again.”

Even a Grand Duke, who ruled the palace with swagger, wouldn’t want to be classified as a “dangerous runaway.”

Though it was unfortunate that he had now been publicly embarrassed in the paper, it wasn’t my doing.

‘All karma,’ I thought.

In a way, it was an exchange—I gave, he got. No need to feel bitter.

I quietly repeated, ‘I hope I never have to pull this out again,’ before closing the safe.

The next morning.

I headed to the greenhouse bright and early. The weather was too beautiful to stay cooped up inside.

Unfortunately, my damn pollen allergy kept me from stepping into the meticulously kept garden or grounds. So the greenhouse became the next best choice.

“…Not bad.”

I gasped as I opened the door. What I had glimpsed through Edith’s dream was only a fraction of it.

The interior, decorated entirely with foliage plants—no flowers—looked like a tiny fairy forest. Sunlight streamed through the leafy canopy, soft moss covered the floor, and occasional bird songs mingled with the gentle trickle of an artificial fountain.

Peaceful. Cozy. Serene.

‘They really made this just for Edith…’

According to the butler, the greenhouse was a birthday gift from the duke to his daughter, who was upset about not being able to visit the garden. Seven or eight years old, I think.

‘So he didn’t know she’d awaken yet?’

I scowled at the hypocrisy of the duke. Apparently, after fighting Dylan, Edith hadn’t visited the greenhouse often—likely to avoid unpleasant memories.

‘Silly girl…’

It was always a little bittersweet discovering this softer side of her. I smiled wryly and stepped inside.

‘Anyway, now it’s my space.’

This was a place prepared for me alone. There was no reason to avoid it because of one traitorous idiot.

I went further in, avoiding the damp moss, and collapsed onto a soft patch of foliage. I didn’t care that the plants might be decorative—the thought that the owner could always replace them with more if they were damaged reassured me.

I opened the book I had brought:

The First Awakened

The title sounded like a heavy history text, but it was a children’s book in this world. Written for kids, it conveyed information in a simple and intuitive way.

“Gate wave… gate wave…”

Flipping pages quickly, I skipped the part about the first awakened. I didn’t care who it was.

Halfway through, I finally found the information I was looking for:

Gate Wave
A Gate Wave refers to an unstable zone where gates appear and disappear irregularly.
Gates in this area are largely unaffected by whether monsters are eliminated, and their size and number are random, making them unpredictable.

Typical Gate Wave regions include the canyon in the Caspian Mountains, along the Silvaren River flowing below Horn Rock, spanning approximately 17 km…

Reading about the Gate Wave, I furrowed my brow.

“…So basically a respawn area in game terms?”

Endless gates opening sounded absolutely terrifying. Fortunately, it explained that the first awakened had sacrificed themselves to erect a massive barrier, sealing the surrounding area. Classic fantasy novel logic.

“Can you reach this place via teleportation?”

—But then that guy teleported me into a Gate Wave.

Recalling the male lead’s comment at the banquet, a strange unease settled over me.

“This seems like an important plot point… why wasn’t it in the novel?”

The story frequently involved incidents near gates, yet I couldn’t remember any mention of a Gate Wave. None at all, it seemed.

‘If the ending is truly perfect, wouldn’t this need to be resolved too?’

Perhaps the barriers prevented any other damage, so it wasn’t necessary. But it was pointless to overanalyze, given how many details were left out of the story.

A sudden sense of déjà vu hit me.

“Wait a minute…”

I reread the passage about Gate Waves.

Gates are largely unaffected by whether monsters are eliminated, and their size and number are random.

Meaning, even if you close one gate, another can open.

“…!”

A shiver ran through me. This had happened once before, in my own life.

“…This is what happened before I died.”

There was an unspoken rule: a Gate wouldn’t reopen where it had already closed. But it had—on the day Yujihan abandoned me and I was pulled alone into the Gate.

“…So that was a Gate Wave too?”

It made sense, though I had only thought of it as a strange anomaly.

“Eh…”

I shook my head, dismissing the thought. It was just a fantasy world, after all. If Gate Waves had existed in reality, everyone would have noticed.

I closed the book and laid back, enjoying the rare peace. The gentle sound of water made sleepiness creep over me.

Then—click.

I heard movement at the greenhouse entrance.

“Nancy, water please.”

The only person who knew I was here was my personal maid. I instinctively reached toward the approaching sound.

“…?”

But no cool water was placed in my hand. Confused, I uncovered my eyes.

“Nancy?”

Too tall to be her. Silver hair glimmered in the sunlight. A young man looked down at me with a slightly awkward expression.

“…I didn’t bring any water.”

“…”

“Could you spare a moment?”

It was Male Lead 1, Ethan Blake.