KMPEG 83

Chapter 83

“Paella’s lover, the gatekeeper, will probably be found soon. On my way here, I asked someone trustworthy to take care of it.”

“I see… So it’s true he really died.”

I nodded. I tried to stay calm, but the shock of another death still hit me hard.

Tiago sat down on the sofa across from me, his expression more serious than usual.

“Delphine, can I ask you something?”

“…?”

“I’d really like you to answer honestly.”

What is this about?
I suddenly felt nervous. Tiago wasn’t the type to push people or ask uncomfortable questions.

Normally, if something made me uncomfortable, he wouldn’t even mention it. So for him to ask like this… it made me tense.

What is he about to ask me?

I braced myself and nodded.

“Sure. Go ahead.”

Earlier, when I asked for help, Tiago didn’t even ask what kind—he just said he’d help. I felt like I could answer anything he asked now.

Tiago took something out from inside his coat.

“Is this item really yours?”

My hair comb?

It was the comb Paella had mentioned.

“Oh, yes. That’s mine.”

“I see…”

“But why would they take it? It’s not even valuable.”

Tiago looked troubled.

“It seems like Edward is suspicious of you.”

“Suspicious of me? Why?”

“I think Edward wants to accuse you of being a witch. And also frame you for the cursed orbs incident.”

“What…?”

My voice shook a little.
In the novel’s world, magic was common, but prejudice against witches—especially women—was deeply rooted.

If a girl was born with magical talent, her family would often hide it.

When I was just a reader, I thought it was a weird and unfair world. But now that I’m living in it, I understand. In this empire, all court mages were men, and magical power meant political power—power women weren’t allowed to have.

Events like the cursed orbs were always blamed on witches. If someone died and they needed someone to blame, a “witch” was the perfect scapegoat.

But still… I don’t even know how to use magic!

I felt a bit wronged.

“But Tiago, I don’t even know any magic. How could I be a witch?”

“Not being able to use magic doesn’t mean you can’t be accused of being one. There are other ways they define witches.”

I looked shocked.

“What do you mean, other ways?”

“For example… if you came from another dimension. Or if your soul was swapped.”

Another dimension? That means… possession?

I almost dropped the teacup in my hand.

“I see…”

I didn’t know what to say, so my voice trailed off. Then Tiago asked,

“Delphine, tell me honestly. Do you know anything about… this kind of situation?”

He said it vaguely, but I knew exactly what he meant—he was asking if I had possessed someone.

Instead of answering right away, I nodded. I bit my lower lip and thought.

Where should I start? I didn’t want him to think I was crazy. But I had already decided—I would trust Tiago and tell him everything.

So I began.

“You might find this hard to believe.”

Tiago replied gently.

“Try me. I believe in you, Delphine.”

He looked straight into my eyes, and his calm, steady gaze gave me courage.

“One day, my soul suddenly changed. I was actually living in a country called Korea in the 21st century. I was crossing the street and got into an accident.”

Tiago nodded, his expression unreadable. I couldn’t tell if he believed me or was just shocked. But he patiently waited for me to continue.

I tried to explain everything factually, without going into emotions.

“I was in a traffic accident. In the world I lived in, we didn’t use horse carriages. We had cars—vehicles that moved with their own power and were much faster. I was hit by one. I thought I died. I was dying.”

“…”

“But when I opened my eyes, I was in this world. This world is the setting of a novel I was reading. So, basically… I possessed someone inside the story.”

“Possessed?” Tiago asked, repeating the word.

“Yes. I possessed someone inside the novel.”

Tiago looked surprised and nodded slowly, like he was still processing.

Of course he’s shocked. I just told him he’s a character in a book.

He stayed silent for a moment, thinking. Then, unexpectedly, he smiled.

“So I was right. I always felt like you came from somewhere else. I knew you were special and one-of-a-kind. Now I know why.”

His smile was warm and kind. His lighthearted tone helped me relax a little.

Then he asked with a twinkle in his eye,

“Now I’m curious. If this world is part of a novel… what did it say about me?”

I shook my head.

“The novel and what’s happening now are completely different. These events… they weren’t in the book. Also, in the original story, I never possessed anyone.”

“I see.”

“In the original version, you and even Frederick weren’t mentioned at all. I married Leo. And I wasn’t the main character. The leads were Leo and Charlier. I was just a side character.”

Tiago looked genuinely surprised.

“To me, you’re always the main character. How could you ever be a side character?”

He said it with a cheeky smile.

I couldn’t help but laugh.

He should find this hard to believe… but here he is, comforting me with jokes.

Feeling more relaxed, I opened up completely.

“I wasn’t trying to hide it on purpose. But it’s not something you can just casually bring up. It sounded so unbelievable… I didn’t even fully understand it myself.”

Tiago looked at me with understanding.

“Of course. I’ve never heard a story like this. If it weren’t for everything going on now, I wouldn’t believe it either.”

He met my eyes as he spoke slowly and gently. I asked him,

“Tiago… so what do we do now?”

His expression stiffened.

“What’s coming won’t be easy.”

I got nervous hearing that. Seeing my reaction, Tiago smiled again.

“But don’t worry, Delphine. I know what to do.”

“How are you going to handle it?”

He looked off into the distance.

“For your safety, I can’t tell you. The more you know, the more danger you’ll be in. But just remember this one thing: keep your possession a secret. Tell no one. Understood?”

I nodded.

“That’s a relief.”

“What is?”

“Is this the secret you said you were keeping? The one from that last investigation?”

“Oh, yes.”

“I thought…”

Tiago laughed playfully.

“I thought maybe… you liked another man. I was seriously worried.”

He gave me a goofy smile, and I blushed.

“N-no! That’s not it.”

I felt my face turn red and looked at Tiago. My heart was beating fast.

“Good. I don’t need to be jealous then. Actually, knowing you came from another world makes you even more attractive.”

“…”

Tiago turned his gaze toward the bedroom.

“Delphine, Paella should wake up soon.”

“Oh… okay.”

“She’ll rest a little more and then return to the maids’ quarters. I’ve placed a protection spell on her. So if anything happens, I’ll know right away. Don’t worry.”

“…Thank you.”

“And I’ve put a protection spell on the maid hiding in your room too. So when you return, please explain things to her. Can you do that?”

“Yes. Thank you, Tiago.”

He waved it off like it was nothing.

“Lastly, Delphine—I’ve placed a protection spell on you and your room as well. But still, try to stay in your bedroom and get plenty of rest today.”

“I will. But… Tiago, are you okay?”

I couldn’t help checking on him. He looked calm as usual… but something about him seemed sad.

“I’m okay. Don’t worry. Delphine, you should rest. A lot happened today. You really need to sleep well tonight.”

I nodded slowly.

“Then… what about you, Tiago? What will you do now?”

He had said it was safer for me not to know, but I couldn’t help being curious.

Tiago smiled gently—but there was something sad and bittersweet in that smile.

“Don’t worry about me, Delphine. I’ll be fine. Soon, it’ll be like none of this ever happened. No one will even remember your secret. Everything will go back to normal. So don’t worry.”

His eyes tried to reassure me, but they also held a quiet sadness.

I nodded for now…
but I couldn’t shake off the aching feeling in my chest.