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CHAPTER 07
“So. Are you asking me for some kind of reward?”
“How could I ever harbor such an insolent thought?”
“Your eyes are already saying more than that.”
“I merely hoped that the Guardian God might share what’s on his mind with this humble conversation partner. You’ve shut yourself away for so long that it’s been weighing on me.”
“Hm. Sounds like you’re blaming me again. If you weren’t the Crown Prince, I’d have silenced that mouth of yours already.”
“Then I should consider it an honor to have the Guardian God as my conversation partner.”
To all humans except the royal family, the stories of the Guardian God in imperial history were regarded as mere legends or folktales.
“Maybe, for the future of the Empire, it’s best to silence you anyway.”
Lepainon took a half step back and grinned slyly.
“Then you can’t lie about being my conversation partner anymore, can you?”
“Do royals always have faces as thick as dragon scales?”
“Hmm. Comparing my soft and delicate skin to dragon scales, which are adamantite-class—now that’s outrageous.”
Even though he once dared to tail a dragon, Lepainon remained unfazed and shameless.
“Your ancestor helped a dragon only once.”
“……”
When Lepainon studied state affairs as the Crown Prince, he was taught that the first Emperor was a hero who aided dragons.
“That is the only thing that separates you from other humans.”
Recalling the long-dead first emperor clearly irritated Kailis. Perceptive as ever, Lepainon chose to back off instead of provoking him further.
“To the Guardian God who protects the future of the Empire—I offer my eternal respect.”
Kailis turned his back on Lepainon, his expression stiff. There was clearly a light—something unseen until now—flowing from Elufe Inferna.
“It was a light so intense, it could even captivate a dragon like me.”
To him, as a dragon, human appearances were meaningless—mere shells. The concept of beauty or ugliness held no value.
Which is why, for all that time, no one had ever caught his interest. But Lady Elufe Inferna was different.
Her soul, the first time he saw it, radiated an unfamiliar light and a sweet fragrance.
And because of that, his attention was entirely fixed on the small girl.
I must’ve dozed off inside the carriage as it rolled along. But even for sleep, my mind was far too clear—everything felt vividly real.
It was like dreaming within a dream. Or maybe… had I crossed into another world?
I was standing alone in a lush green forest, yet oddly, it didn’t feel unfamiliar. Though it was clearly a place I’d never seen before, it somehow felt warm and comforting.
This dream was quiet and monotonous. I was endlessly walking through a forest where a fairy might pop out at any moment.
‘Maybe it’s the way home?’
After a long walk, I arrived at the sunniest part of the forest.
There, I saw a child with long green hair. The child instantly approached me and whispered,
[“Thank you for saving me.”]
That voice—I’d heard it somewhere before. But where?
‘It sounds like that guide voice from the game…’
I quickly reached out to grab the child before they slipped away.
“Who are you? Where are you from? Why am I here?”
In response to my urgent questions, the child only tilted their head.
[“I don’t really know. Just… when I look at you, this place hurts.”]
The child clutched their small head in pain. Behind them, I saw flames—but felt no heat.
‘Is this really just a dream? It’s too vivid again.’
Just as I tried to approach the child, I felt the world begin to collapse. Trees fell into the ground. The sky cracked open.
It looked like the literal end of the world.
‘Yoon Soobin, you said you’d finish even the hidden characters. What the hell is this?’
“Soobin! My poor girl, my sweet baby… Mom’s here. Please, please—it’s all I ask. Just open your eyes once. Please… sob…”
“My girl… How much pain were you in? I’m sorry I couldn’t protect you, my precious Soobin…”
Images I had never remembered before began flashing through my mind, one after another.
The sight of my parents crying as they held my lifeless body… “devastated” didn’t even begin to describe it.
Only after seeing everything did I realize the truth.
‘Ah… I died.’
Just as my thoughts began to spin into chaos, I felt someone shaking my body, trying to wake me up.
A pounding headache crashed through my skull like a wave, and I heard a clear voice beside me.
“Miss, are you awake?”
When I opened my eyes, I saw an unfamiliar ceiling. Turning my head, I saw ornate candleholders on the walls and a fireplace I didn’t recognize.
Thinking back—since I had boarded the carriage to the Inferna estate last night, and nothing out of the ordinary had happened—this must be Elufe’s bedroom.
‘I really thought it was all just a dream until I fell asleep…’
I rubbed my eyes, trying to stop myself from crying. Then I sensed someone approaching.
“Oh my, why are your cheeks so red?”
A woman who looked to be around nineteen approached me and tilted her head curiously. She then placed a hand on my forehead.
Her cool touch felt like drinking iced coffee on a summer day.
“Ahem. My head’s a little dizzy…”
“At this level? You’re not just a little sick. Your forehead is burning up.”
“Ah… So that’s why I have a headache…”
This constant weakness in my body… it must’ve been from a nasty cold.
I slowly raised my hand to my forehead, and the woman quickly got to work.
“How do you feel now?”
She placed a cold wet towel on my forehead and brought warm mushroom soup.
The soup and freshly baked bread were surprisingly suited to my taste. Watching me barely lift the spoon, the maid sighed heavily.
“It’s almost time to meet the master… What should we do?”
She asked nervously, clearly afraid of whoever this “master” was.
I closed my eyes and tried to piece things together.
If she was calling someone ‘master’ in this mansion, it could only mean the Count of Inferna.
“Did Father ask for me today?”
“Yes. He’s been in a bad mood since morning. If you don’t want to get scolded, you’ll need to be fully prepared.”
I nodded slightly.
‘When I played the game, I thought she was just a jealous villainess. But…’
Looking at the maid’s worried face, I figured I’d better brace myself.
I stirred the mushroom soup with my spoon and asked quietly,
“What happened with Father?”
“I don’t know the details, but… I heard a letter arrived from the imperial palace. He’s been in a foul mood since then.”
So this wasn’t a dream after all. And it made sense for the Count to be upset if that letter was what I thought it was.
“I see… Could I possibly know what the letter said?”
“I’m sorry, Miss. I don’t know. But… the master gave orders for your belongings to be packed.”
“He said to pack my things?”
“Yes. According to the head maid, you’ll be staying at the imperial palace from now on.”
A sharp pain made me hold my temple and furrow my brows. The maid looked on with watery eyes and whimpered.
“If you’re feeling really unwell, I’ll try to speak to the master for you.”
She didn’t seem like someone who could actually stop the Count.
Between the two of us, I—an eleven-year-old noble—clearly held more status and authority.
“No need. I’ve lost my appetite. Just help me get ready.”
“Yes, of course.”
Watching her hurry off with quick steps, I frowned.
‘The imperial palace…’
The game had always revolved around the heroine, Princess Roellin.
I once believed no one knew this story better than I did.
But now, having possessed Elufe rather than Roellin, I felt completely lost.
‘Roellin might consider me an ally… but that doesn’t mean Elufe is safe. Just look at how differently Marquis Slunt treated her.’
In the end, my memories of the story weren’t enough to tell who was friend or foe.
At this rate, I wouldn’t even get to enjoy the story through Roellin—my own life was on the line.
Since I barely ate and quickly dressed, the dizziness only worsened as time passed.
The dress I wore was dazzling to anyone who saw it—but that was all.
It was so heavy with jewels that I couldn’t tell whether I was wearing a gown or lifting weights.
“I’ll go in.”
“Be quiet.”
When I arrived at the drawing room, knights were already stationed outside, as if the Count was speaking with someone inside.
I stood in front of the closed door without moving. The head butler, glancing at me, politely knocked.
Soon, the door opened and a young attendant came out to escort me.
Holding up the heavy dress with both hands, I walked carefully to avoid missteps and bowed formally before the Count.
“I heard you called for me.”
