EVHE 60

Chapter 60

The very next day, Saint sent me a letter. Judging by the handwriting, it didn’t seem like he wrote it himself—someone else must have penned it.

The letter said he would be suspending our lessons for a while. Only until he finished his current work, or so he claimed, but he never mentioned when that would be.

“Should I be happy about this?”

After all, the protagonist had basically fallen out of my lap without me even trying.

“But at this point…?”

I was already deep inside the whirlpool of events—far too deep to turn back.

“And what about my magic…”

I thought my barrier was perfect, but it had already been pierced twice.

This was the exact moment I needed reinforcement, yet he cut off the lessons. That meant my plans involving magic were practically a failure.

And to make matters worse, he had left behind unsettling words before disappearing, which left a sour feeling in my chest.

“Sigh…”

I let out a faint breath, hoping it would drown in the rattling sound of the carriage.

Outside the window, white petals fluttered past. That meant we were nearly at our destination.

It was a place I had promised to visit with Olivia, from the Primrose estate.

The place was called Rust. Despite the rough impression the name gave off, it was supposedly a very beautiful spot.

I reached out and gently shook the shoulder of the person in front of me. She didn’t wake up with just that—still sleeping peacefully.

“Miss Olivia.”

“Yes, yes!”

The moment I called her name, Olivia shot her eyes wide open and answered loudly.

Still half-asleep, she followed my gesture toward the window.

“Wow, we’re here already!”

Olivia pressed both hands against the glass as though she were about to break through it.

“This is where it begins.”

Picnic aside, I had a far more important mission today.

“I need to figure out Olivia’s intentions, even a little.”

That was the real reason I had agreed to come with her.

If Olivia truly bore me sincere goodwill… then I would gain an ally worth an army.

But if it was all a lie…

“Could I possibly defeat the heroine?”

In novels, when good and evil clash, good always wins.

And in this story, no matter what, the “good” was the protagonist.

I gazed at Olivia. The most harmless, pure, immaculate embodiment of good in this world. Which only made the thought of opposing her even more terrifying.

“Come on, Lady!”

The moment the carriage door opened, Olivia jumped down and waved at me.

“Hurry, or we’ll lose all the good spots!”

I stepped down after her, following the childlike excitement in her voice.

The weather was bright, and the place truly lived up to its reputation. People crowded under the trees, and it looked like all the scenic spots were already taken.

“I heard if we climb up a bit, there’s an even better place!”

Without waiting, Olivia dashed ahead.

“Olivia! Slow down!”

My eyes followed where she had gone—and immediately saw the start of a mountain path that looked far from safe.

“…She’ll only go up a little, right?”

That was my small hope.

But it wasn’t long before I realized it was a big, foolish hope.

“She’s got some stamina…”

I was on the verge of collapsing.

Meanwhile, Olivia climbed the mountain trail without the slightest pause, quickly leaving me behind.

“Ugh.”

I brushed off the petals the wind had blown into my hair.

When I turned, the guards trailing behind me quietly shifted to the side, pretending not to notice my struggle.

“The view really is nice.”

The words slipped out of me without thinking.

The path we had climbed stretched far below us. White petals drifting down the road looked just like snow.

Colorful murals painted on the houses along the path unfolded in a charming display.

Now I understood why so many people had come here for a picnic.

But the wonder didn’t last long.

“So heavy…”

I had brought a picnic blanket and lunchboxes, wanting to set the mood, but it was a mistake.

“My feet hurt.”

I should have worn comfortable shoes, even if I had to stick with a skirt.

“My legs ache…”

It was truly the deathly trio of burdens. And I had already lost sight of Olivia long ago.

“Even heroines need stamina, huh.”

I panted heavily, muttering under my breath.

“Ugh, I’m dying here, seriously!”

She was enthusiastic in everything she did, and I realized she hadn’t taken my stamina into account at all when picking this spot.

By the time I finally reached the mid-slope, Olivia was already sitting on a picnic blanket, waiting.

Above her towered the largest tree I had ever seen—so grand it could have been called the World Tree.

“Over here, Lady!”

She waved at me when she spotted me.

“Isn’t this spot beautiful?”

She asked like she wanted my approval.

The view was breathtaking. The colorful rooftops below shone brightly, and the forest met the clear autumn sky in a spectacular scene.

Since it was mid-mountain, it was just us and the guards—an opportunity to quietly enjoy the scenery.

“This might be my favorite spot yet.”

“Really?!”

Olivia was even more delighted than I was at my answer.

“She really is cute when she acts like this…”

But I never knew when she might suddenly turn and thrust a blade at me.

“I made the lunch myself today!”

Her big eyes sparkled as she opened the lid. Inside were neatly packed, delicious-looking foods.

“It’s not poisoned, is it?”

Once suspicion took root, nothing felt safe anymore.

Even as I shared the meal with her, I couldn’t relax. I scrutinized every single one of her actions, brimming with doubt.

But I found nothing strange.

“Have you been up to anything lately?”

Seeing that just observing wouldn’t get me far, I asked some questions.

Individually they might be trivial, but together they might reveal something.

“Hmm, lately I’ve been honing my skills.”

An odd answer for a noblewoman’s daughter.

“Like sensing a target…”

Her target better not be me.

“…And moving swiftly, even unseen.”

Did she mean to assassinate me?

“So basically, like hunting!”

Human hunting?!

Without realizing it, I was overinterpreting every word she said. Once anxiety set in, rational judgment fled.

“By the way, you seem to know this place really well.”

“Ah, not really!”

She covered her mouth shyly, as if embarrassed by my compliment.

“I’m planning to go to Sabina in a month.”

If I remembered correctly, that was when Sabina would suffer a monster attack.

In the original story, Olivia was there—so she would know the situation better than anyone.

If she really was a regressor or possessed, and genuinely on my side, she would definitely warn me against going.

“What do you think of that place? I hear monsters appear sometimes. It feels like something big could happen there.”

I casually brought up the future, hinting at what was to come, hoping she’d dissuade me.

“Oh, Sabina?”

Olivia clasped her hands at her chest and tilted her head.

“I heard the sea is so beautiful there, it’s worth the occasional monster sighting. Especially this season—dolphins swim close to shore, so it’s perfect for a holiday.”

She even blushed faintly as she smiled.

Then she launched into a flood of details—specialty products, ferry schedules, things to watch out for, and more.

She was like an enthusiastic tour guide. I just sat there, dumbfounded, listening.

“Ah, sorry! I rambled on too much, didn’t I?”

“No, it was just what I wanted to know.”

She really had been earnest, almost too much so.

“So… she doesn’t know about Sabina’s incident?”

But I couldn’t conclude that yet. Maybe she knew and was deliberately trying to throw me into danger.

“Then what about outside the Empire?”

To draw a conclusion, I needed as many reactions as possible.

“I’m thinking of going beyond the borders.”

I watched her carefully—every expression, every movement.

If she was living a second life, or if she had transmigrated, then…

Judging from how she acted at the Primrose estate, she wasn’t someone who could easily hide her feelings.

“Maybe I’ll go there permanently.”

“I don’t really know about outside the Empire!”

Her reply was so bright and innocent it completely disarmed me.

“Did I guess wrong?”

Maybe back then, it really had been just a slip of the tongue. Now I even began doubting my own suspicions.

“Should I just come clean and tell her I’m not Lilith?”

The more we talked, the less certain I became, and impatience gnawed at me.

“If she understands, great. If not, she’ll just think I’m crazy…”

I was lost in thought when—

“Ah, excuse me. I’ll just… check something over there real quick!”

Suddenly Olivia stood awkwardly, then hurried into the woods.

“…?”

Her suspicious behavior made me immediately stand as well.

Just as I was about to follow her, she reappeared, walking back.

“Where were you?”

“Oh, nowhere. Anyway, where were we?”

She sat quickly and changed the subject, which only looked more suspicious.

“Olivi—”

I was about to press her further when—

A short but piercing scream ripped through the air.

Both our heads snapped toward the source.

“…What?”

When I saw the scene, my brain froze, unable to process it.

To be precise, my body stiffened in fear.

Half of our guards were already cut down, falling like dead leaves under an assault from a swarm of black figures.