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Chapter – 10
“Would it be too shameless to ask…?”
We’ve only just met.
Maybe even asking something like this would be disrespectful to Akkelte.
“But I’m desperate. The only person who can help me is Akkelte.”
Wasn’t it thanks to Elia—who, in the original story, had thrown me a lifeline after living a pitiful life robbed of everything—that I was even able to get close to Akkelte in the first place?
I bit my lip absentmindedly, chewing on it as I stayed silent.
Akkelte tilted his head slightly.
“If you’ve got something to say, then say it. Don’t torture your lips like that.”
“…Ah. Was it that obvious?”
“Very.”
Feeling awkward, I scratched my cheek.
Right. I should just say it. This is the only way I have.
“You know the thing about me falling down the stairs? It wasn’t my fault.”
“Then?”
“You remember my friend from before… Ruluka?”
Akkelte rested his chin on his hand and nodded.
“Pink hair,” he added.
I briefly explained everything—how Ruluka pushed me down the stairs, and how she stole my pendant and used it to enter the Ruvellian family.
I wasn’t sure if Akkelte would believe me, but I had no choice.
When I finished speaking, Akkelte finally opened his mouth.
“I did hear a rumor a few days ago—that the Ruvellians had found their lost daughter.”
He studied my expression carefully, as if trying to gauge my intentions.
After a short pause, he asked cautiously:
“Then, Elia… are you saying you might actually be the Duke of Ruvellian’s lost daughter?”
“…Maybe?”
“That’s hard to believe.”
His blunt statement hit the mark, and I lowered my head.
My confidence deflated instantly.
‘He’s right. It’s only speculation. There’s too little evidence.’
In Elia’s memories, there was no explanation of how she obtained the pendant.
Only the memory that it had been her mother’s keepsake since birth.
But now that it was said to be from the Ruvellian family, I could only assume that maybe I was the real daughter instead of Ruluka.
Seeing my disappointed expression, Akkelte let out a small sigh and then spoke more hopefully.
“But you do resemble the Duke of Ruvellian, Elia.”
“…Really?!”
“Yes. Much more than that pink-haired girl. If she were truly the daughter, there would be strange inconsistencies—like her hair color.”
I wondered if he was just trying to comfort me, but Akkelte’s gaze was serious.
Seeing him like that made it really hit me that he was Prince Isys.
“Elia, I want to help you.”
“…Really?”
“But I don’t have a clear method yet. It’s not easy to prove the pendant originally belonged to you.”
“That’s true…”
If I had shown Akkelte the pendant earlier, would things have been different?
At our first meeting, I only showed him the chain, not the pendant itself.
If he had seen its shape then, maybe he would’ve immediately recognized it as something from Ruvellian.
It was unfortunate, but what’s done was done.
“Is there anyone who could testify for you?”
“A witness?”
Someone who could prove that Ruluka stole my pendant and that it was originally mine.
There was only one person.
“The orphanage head!”
“Only one person?”
“…Yeah. It was my mother’s keepsake, so I always kept it hidden in my clothes. I never showed it off to anyone.”
“That’s troublesome.”
Akkelte pressed his temple.
The more witnesses, the better. Only one person made things difficult.
‘Is there no better way?’
We both fell silent, thinking.
If this were the modern world, Ruluka’s pink hair would have been captured in photos, and security cameras would have recorded everything!
Frustrating, but there was nothing we could do.
“…Is there something like a paternity test?”
I asked carefully, holding onto a small hope.
In my original world, DNA tests could determine biological relationships.
But this world probably didn’t have such advanced science…
“There is.”
What?!
There really is?
I jumped up from the sofa in excitement.
“Then let’s do it right now! Where? How?!”
“Wait. Calm down.”
Akkelte waved his hand at me.
I had gotten too excited.
“…Ahem. So how do we do it?”
I cleared my throat awkwardly and sat back down, trying to look composed.
But I had a bad feeling. If this were a real solution, he would’ve been happy too.
“First, you need approval from the temple. And the consent of the person involved.”
“The temple’s approval?”
“Yes. You need the authority of the High Priest. It’s not easy.”
The High Priest…
Even without knowing much, I could tell that was someone extremely important and busy.
And consent from the person involved meant the Duke of Ruvellian would have to agree—but would someone like that even meet me?
The more I talked with Akkelte, the more hopeless things seemed.
‘But I can’t give up. Everything Ruluka stole was mine.’
Everything that should have belonged to Elia had been taken.
And I had even been pushed down the stairs and almost lost my life.
If I gave up now, I’d only be doing Ruluka a favor.
“I don’t care how hard it is. I’m not giving up.”
My voice was small, but filled with determination.
I clenched my fist tightly and spoke seriously.
Akkelte’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.
Then they softened.
“That look again.”
“Huh? What look?”
“Nothing. If you’re determined, I’ll help you.”
“Really? Thank you, Akkelte!”
“It’s nothing.”
I really had nothing but gratitude for him.
As I kept thanking him, I suddenly added,
“I’m actually usually very dependable! I’m not someone who gets pushed around or anything…”
Whenever I think about it—losing my mother’s keepsake, and even now—I had only ever shown him my weak sides.
Akkelte wasn’t weak like me.
His perfection made me feel a little envious.
Then Akkelte leaned closer and pressed lightly on the bridge of my nose.
“So what if you’re not that type? We’re friends, aren’t we?”
“Ugh, it’s still embarrassing!”
I jumped back, covering my nose.
“You don’t show any weak sides at all! I feel like I’m the only useless one…”
At my words, Akkelte fell silent.
His blue eyes deepened as if thinking.
He looked at me quietly for a moment, then said softly,
“…I have weak sides too. It’s okay.”
“Huh? You do?”
I was surprised.
No matter how I looked at him, Akkelte seemed perfect.
Honestly, it was hard to believe.
‘Is he just saying that to comfort me?’
I doubted him inwardly.
But as if he had seen through me, he let out a small laugh.
“Your face really shows everything you’re thinking, you know?”
“…I-I wasn’t thinking anything.”
“Then why are you stuttering?”
“Am I?”
I leaned back into the sofa and whistled awkwardly.
My body still felt heavy from being unconscious for a week.
I looked out the window.
When had time passed so quickly? It was already getting dark.
‘The orphanage head still isn’t back?’
Being a prince really must be something impressive.
He was just waiting patiently for our conversation to end without rushing us.
“Akkelte, aren’t you busy today?”
“I am.”
“Time’s getting late.”
“…Yeah.”
He also looked out the window.
As if reluctant for the day to end, he clicked his tongue.
We stood up together.
“Let’s talk more through letters. We should plan things ahead.”
“Okay!”
It wasn’t realistic for Akkelte to come to the orphanage all the time.
So we decided to communicate by letter, promising to reply within a week.
After finishing our conversation, I went outside to see him off.
“Huh? It’s a bit cold?”
As soon as I opened the gate, a chilly breeze touched my skin.
The Empire of Iberte was in early summer and rarely rained, so it shouldn’t have been cold.
“…Ah! Rain!”
As if on cue, drops began to fall from the dark sky.
Soon it turned into a heavy shower.
‘Wow, this is my first time seeing rain since I got possessed!’
Rain was so rare in this empire that I had never seen it before.
They said it only rained less than five times a year here.
Excited, I smiled and jumped in place.
“Akkelte! Look! It’s raining!”
Rain that would bring life to the dry land. Water for withered plants. A blessing for the empire.
I shouted excitedly, expecting Akkelte to be smiling too.
But…
“Akk…elte? Why…?”
My expectation was completely wrong.
Akkelte stood frozen, staring blankly at the sky.
His face was stiff, and the muscles around his eyes trembled slightly—as if he were afraid of the falling rain touching him.
