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Chapter 4 — The Choice at the First Turning Point
Even though I had suddenly become the tragic, doomed villainess inside a novel, I was determined not to die. I would survive until the very end.
Fortunately, this world was the very novel I had obsessively read over and over again before I died.
With that in mind, the one person I had to be most wary of was the Emperor—the male lead, Kaishis.
‘Because I have a quest to protect.’
Even in the original story, that man possessed instincts that were practically beast-like.
If I showed even the slightest flaw, he would be the first to realize I was a fake.
And then there were the Triple S ranks that had never even existed on Earth!
Even the S-Ranks back there had all been complete lunatics. Just imagine how terrifying they’d be toward someone who wasn’t the heroine.
Thankfully, after spending a nerve-racking week here, I had figured out a few things.
“First, Hillaria.”
The Duchess I had possessed wasn’t someone who appeared very often in the original novel, which was told from the heroine’s point of view.
There were plenty of other villainesses who tormented and harassed the heroine, who was only a B-Rank Guide.
Hillaria only appeared during dramatic moments—either standing against the Emperor or cornering the heroine in difficult situations.
‘Fortunately, Hillaria is naturally quiet. If I just keep my mouth shut, everyone else will misunderstand things on their own.’
Even to me, my reflection in the mirror looked cold enough to make my heart skip a beat.
I couldn’t deny that she was beautiful.
But when she kept her mouth shut and simply stared at someone…
She was so terrifying it was enough to haunt their dreams.
That didn’t mean things were easy.
Because Hillaria…
“Ha… damn it.”
There was no way I could stop myself from cursing.
“Should I just tear it all apart?”
Those mountain-like piles of documents.
That endless workload.
“I’m going to work myself to death.”
With a gloomy face, I picked up my quill and sat down at the desk.
That’s right.
This woman was a hopeless workaholic and a perfectionist.
“If you’re already a Duchess, shouldn’t you delegate the small stuff to your subordinates? Why are you doing everything yourself?”
If I suddenly started handing work over to others, people might become suspicious.
So, through gritted teeth, I kept doing all the work Hillaria normally handled.
My neck felt so stiff it was killing me.
“I can’t keep living like this. Fortunately, the original story is about to begin soon. Something should change then.”
The opening incident, which I knew by heart after reading it so many times, was the heroine’s dramatic first appearance.
She calmed the Emperor during one of his berserk episodes before quietly disappearing.
Because of the aftereffects of his rampage, the Emperor’s memories of that night became fragmented.
Armed with only a few clues, he desperately searched for the woman.
And eventually…
He found her.
The Guide who could perfectly save him, despite being nothing more than a B-Rank.
Oh, right.
In this world, Guides were called Guides, while Espers were known as Awakened Ones.
Anyway…
“I need to figure out what exactly this ‘qualification’ for the quest means.”
This line from the quest was the problem.
[Do not let anyone discover that you are not the real Duchess Ariel until you obtain the qualification of ????]
Was the important thing escaping the role of a doomed villainess?
Did I need to stray from the original story as much as possible to reduce my influence?
Or…
‘Should I actively destroy the original plot instead?’
Wait.
Suddenly, I realized something I had unconsciously overlooked this whole time.
‘Hold on. That’s strange.’
In the original story…
Hillaria was a flawless, pure magician.
Which meant she was neither an Esper nor a Guide.
So why…
‘Why could I sense the Emperor’s energy every single time? Just like a Guide could.’
Exactly like I had back when I was an A-Rank Guide in Korea.
A chill ran down my spine.
At that very moment—
As though mocking me, celebratory fireworks exploded before my eyes, and a status window appeared.
Hillaria, the rightful heir of a family of magicians who despised Awakened Ones, sealed away her Guide abilities with her own eyes until the day she died.
But you are a new soul capable of using that power to its fullest potential.
Congratulations!
You have awakened a hidden trait.
A perfect body and soul have become one, unlocking the sealed qualification.
You have obtained the S-Rank Guide Trait!
“What the…?”
“S-Rank?”
My jaw dropped.
Espers recognized Guides.
No matter how carefully they hid themselves, physical contact alone was enough.
And now what?
This body was an S-Rank Guide?
Was this quest trying to help me or kill me?
This world was overflowing with Espers!
“Hey! T-This is ridiculous!”
I couldn’t even run away from the original story while that damned status window toyed with me.
I had only recently decided that I’d clear the quest, escape the original plot, retire with all my money, and live comfortably.
And now this?
Was it making fun of me?
As I continued muttering like I was rapping, the status window changed, as though trying to comfort me.
Although you were originally an A-Rank Guide, you possessed control comparable to an S-Rank.
Do not worry.
To conceal your identity, you can perfectly control your Guide abilities.
Unless you wish otherwise, no one will ever realize that you are a Guide.
Yes, Mother.
Thanks for comforting me.
Haha…
Should I be happy about this?
Or not?
I collapsed into my chair with a bitter smile.
“Seriously… becoming an S-Rank Guide was this easy?”
The moment I relaxed ever so slightly, warmth spread through my eyes.
Guide energy I hadn’t even consciously noticed began radiating outward.
‘Oops… they’ll notice.’
Fortunately, the people around me were all magicians.
Still, just in case, I hurriedly suppressed the power as if locking it away.
Immediately, every trace of it vanished.
It was completely different from when I had been an A-Rank.
The power…
The capacity…
It was astonishing.
It felt as though I could calm any Esper.
As long as they didn’t reject me.
‘If only I’d had this power in my previous life…’
For a brief moment, I remembered those vicious S-Rank Espers who had treated S-Rank Guides like royalty.
But I quickly shook the thought away.
What mattered was this place.
The present.
Not those damned S-Ranks who had abandoned me.
So becoming an S-Rank Guide wasn’t something to celebrate at all.
If anyone found out I was a Guide, the surrounding magicians might bury the head of the family alive on the spot.
Ah…
Right.
Damn it.
“I’m supposed to be an Archmage, yet I can’t even cast the simplest spell. What’s magic anyway? Can you eat it?”
My shoulders trembled.
Any five-year-old magician could cast a tiny flame spell.
Yet I couldn’t use magic at all.
Everyone around me was an enemy.
Knock. Knock.
“Eek!”
At that exact moment, there was a knock at the door.
That startled me!
Thankfully, no one had seen me practically jump out of my seat.
“My Lady, you have a visitor.”
It was my aide, who assisted me with my work.
A visitor?
I awkwardly stood up, my eyes widening.
The color drained from my face.
Hillaria was a work-obsessed woman with no friends.
That was exactly why I had felt relatively safe.
Since I hadn’t responded, my aide—who was used to serving such a silent master—must have assumed I had silently given permission.
Before I could gather myself, the door opened.
W-Wait a second!
“…”
“…”
Huh?
But the visitor was someone I had never expected.
In other words…
Where did you come from, little one?
‘It’s a kid.’
A tiny little boy peeked his head through the half-open door.
Our eyes met.
He looked about eight years old.
Judging from his small frame, he might even have been younger than children his age.
At most…
Maybe ten?
‘But he’s seriously adorable.’
It was strange.
Had there ever been a character around this age in the original novel?
If he wasn’t an original character, then his appearance was far too extraordinary.
His brilliant green eyes…
His sparkling silver hair…
He was so unbelievably cute I wanted to pinch his cheeks.
My face almost softened automatically.
Come on…
I’ve always had a weakness for children!
‘No. Keep a straight face. Keep a straight face.’
I didn’t even know who he was.
If I smiled foolishly now, the quest might fail instantly, and I’d be dead on the spot.
In situations like this, it was usually best to keep my mouth shut.
The other person would fill in the blanks themselves.
“…”
“…”
But this time, luck wasn’t on my side.
No.
This wasn’t how it was supposed to go.
Cold sweat trickled down my back.
Just by watching, I could practically see the child shrinking under my gaze in real time.
Yeah…
I know.
This auntie’s eyes are a little scary, aren’t they?
I straightened my awkward posture and stepped away from the desk.
The child finally squeezed through the doorway and cautiously took another step toward me.
“…”
I could see him taking a shaky little breath.
His tightly hunched shoulders made him look pitiful.
Those large eyes cautiously looking up at me…
He looked exactly like Puss in Boots.
Sniff… I couldn’t do this anymore.
I slowly approached him and knelt on one knee so our eyes would be level.
His eyes widened in surprise.
Right.
So we definitely weren’t close before.
But…
What was I supposed to call him?
Recalling the blunt way Duchess Ariel always spoke in the original story, I finally opened my mouth.
“It’s alright.”
“I’m not angry.”
“…!”
“Don’t be frightened.”
I gently patted the tiny round head that looked as though it would topple over if someone poked it.
At that moment, the child’s cheeks turned bright red.
As though he had made up his mind, he bit his lip.
Ah.
He looked like a little duck.
His puffed-up cheeks as he lowered his head in concentration were unbearably adorable.
I almost laughed.
After fumbling around for quite a while, his small white hands finally produced a tiny pen and a piece of paper.
He began carefully writing something.
“Ah.”
I knew.
I knew who this child was.
