Chapter 113: Chapter 113

As long as one inhabits another's body, the soul can never fully settle.

It must be forcibly bound to the flesh, but over time, that bond weakens.

Using divine power excessively shortens the time a soul can remain in a borrowed body.

That was why, back when I lived as Amy, my body had gradually grown weaker.

But according to the records Daedire brought, Eden had somehow prolonged his time in someone else’s body.

How was that possible?

No—there was a more fundamental question.

I had only been able to become someone else because of Pebula’s power.

Yet Eden seemed to be even freer than I was, switching bodies as he pleased.

How had he managed it?

The clarity I thought I had gained was once again thrown into chaos.

But now wasn’t the time to dwell on it.

"So, what exactly are you trying to say?" Cruello asked.

"I'm basing this on the case of Marchioness Somon. What if all of these people were actually the same person?"

If this went in the wrong direction, Amy might get dragged into this, too.

I wanted to gauge Cruello’s expression, but I fought to keep my own reaction in check.

"To be precise, I’m suggesting the existence of a being that steals other people’s bodies and lives in their place."

"If such a thing is possible, then that would be true immortality," Cruello muttered.

"It aligns perfectly with the goals of the Recanon Church as well. Unfortunately, this is only a hypothesis, and I don’t have concrete proof to support it."

She took a sip of her tea.

"However, there is one recorded case where someone abruptly changed—almost as if they had become a different person."

"Yes. So if you would like me to investigate further, I would appreciate any information you could provide about her, Your Grace."

Cruello remained silent.

As the silence stretched, the sound of my own heartbeat filled the void.

It was so loud, I was convinced they could hear it, too.

Desperate to steady myself, I lifted my teacup.

“...Eden isn’t the one.”

Cruello’s words overlapped in my mind.

I neither drank nor set down my cup, caught in a strange sensation.

The unwavering trust he once had in Eden—he still had that same blind faith in Amy.

How could he still believe in people ?

He had already experienced what it meant to have his trust shattered.

It was baffling, and at the same time, it was reassuring.

I swallowed my tea, forcing down the lump of anxiety along with it.

"I see," Daedire said. "In any case, she wasn’t part of the White Desert bloodline, and her symptoms manifested too early."

She discarded her hypothesis without the slightest hint of regret.

Then, °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° rising from her seat, she said, "That concludes everything I had to say. I’ll take my leave now."

"Lady Siora, if you don’t mind, would you escort me out? I have something to ask you in private."

I glanced at Cruello before giving her a nod.

Daedire walked slowly, as if adjusting her pace to match mine.

Her footsteps echoed steadily down the hallway.

For someone who had claimed to have a question, she was unusually quiet.

I had a feeling I knew what this was about.

It wasn’t until we were well away from the drawing room that Daedire finally spoke.

"To be frank, there was one more suspicious person in His Grace’s inner circle."

"You could just say outright that I'm the suspicious one."

"I apologize, but yes. According to my investigation, your personality has changed, and there’s barely any traceable history of your movements."

"Do I look like I’m part of the Black Serpent?"

Well, if she did, then I would have assumed her eyes were made of buttons instead of pupils.

Fortunately, Daedire didn’t have button eyes.

"As an investigator, I’ve learned that intuition often proves more accurate than pure logic. More often than not, that’s how things turn out."

"I had a passing thought. If there’s one person who has been using different bodies over the years... why assume there’s only one?"

"If there were two, what difference would it make?"

"Hmm. If there were two... perhaps one of them would be on the side of justice?"

Daedire smiled slightly.

"As an investigator, it’s a terribly flimsy theory. But one can only hope. In the end, you could say I was just spinning a story."

"I’ll go on from here alone. By the way, I never properly thanked you for helping Julian."

"Speaking of which, where is Julian?"

"He’s currently at my private estate. I’ll bring him back once everything is settled."

As if she had just remembered something, Daedire added offhandedly, "If you need more information about the Recanon Church, you might consider paying a visit to His Majesty the Emperor."

"What could I possibly learn from him? Even when the Elders were handed over, he dragged his feet and refused to act."

"There must have been unavoidable circumstances on his part."

"Oh, so nowadays, even turning a blind eye to corruption is considered an ‘unavoidable circumstance’ worth excusing?"

"Think about it. How desperate must he be to the point where he’s starving the Crown Prince to death in confinement?"

Daedire didn’t even flinch as she smoothly covered her slip.

"Ah, I misspoke. That was confidential information my father shared with me. Could I ask you to keep it a secret?"

"Hold on a second, Dame Daedire."

"Well then, I truly must be going now. I sincerely wish you safety in the days ahead, Lady Siora."

With that, Daedire gave me a polite bow and walked past me.

I let out a quiet scoff before calling out to her.

As she turned back, I looked up at the towering knight—or rather, the amateur novelist.

"Just so you know, I’m young. I haven’t even been alive for thirty years."

Just because I borrowed a few bodies didn’t mean I was some ancient relic.

She blinked as if she didn’t quite understand.

Well, if she didn’t get it, then never mind.

I had only said it on a whim, as usual.

I spun on my heel and headed back.

As I returned to the drawing room, my mind filled again with unanswered questions.

Eden. Pebula. Borrowed bodies. Lifespan.

No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t find an answer.

Surely Pebula hadn’t granted Eden divine authority, right?

I scowled upward but, in the end, decided to put my faith in my god—at least for now.

After all, Pebula had been reasonable enough to erase my memories of Viga at just the right level.

For now, I would go over the records Daedire had given me in painstaking detail.

Before I knew it, I had reached the drawing room.

I swung open the door—and immediately caught sight of Cruello.

Seated leisurely with one leg crossed over the other, he was tilting a teacup as he calmly examined the documents.

This translation is the intellectual property of Novelight.

He acts like he owns the place.

Cruello didn’t even bother looking up as he asked, “What did she say?”

“She wants us to rescue the Crown Prince since he’s been imprisoned.”

“Oh my. But what more could she possibly offer in return?”

“We’ll take it from the Crown Prince himself, obviously.”

He was still the Crown Prince, after all. His personal wealth had to be worth at least a fairy tale or two.

At this point, someone might start wondering if I had some sort of hobby for charity work.

But I needed someone to clean up the Black Serpent Cult once and for all.

The people pulling the strings were still very much alive—who knew what they’d try next?

Just a little more trouble now, and I could live comfortably for the rest of my life.

At least, that was what I told myself.

And yet, as soon as I thought that, another problem came into focus.

One that was sitting right next to me in the carriage.

He was staring out the window, his expression unreadable.

How could I get him to take me to Morion?

I knew he had all the keys, but I couldn’t just say that outright.

The best approach would be to lay everything out and threaten him into handing them over.

Ah. Long time no see.

Funny how when I was desperately searching for a divine sign, not a single word came through, and now you’re suddenly here.

I pursed my lips in irritation.

If I couldn’t take the shortcut, then I’d have to do this the long way.

He turned his gaze toward me.

“The key. Where do you think we should look next?”

He shut his mouth briefly before speaking again.

“I’ve been thinking, darling. Do we really need to find the last key?”

What kind of nonsense was this, after all this time?

“You’re worried that someone might use Morion,” he continued.

It’s not a possibility.

You, Cruello D. White Desert, the same person currently speaking to me.

I bit my tongue and forced out the only response I could give.

I was going to give myself an ulcer at this rate.

“But most of the keys are already in my hands,” he pointed out. “If I manage them properly, no one else will be able to use Morion. Isn’t that enough?”

So he wasn’t planning on revealing the last key’s location.

Why was he saying this now?

Had he still not given up on reviving Viga?

Or worse—had he fallen under Morion’s influence?

I suddenly felt uneasy, so I spoke more firmly.

“The future is unpredictable. We have to be sure.”

“I see. Certainty is important to you.”

Cruello abruptly tilted his head to the side, watching me.

There was something strange in his gaze.

Then, in a low voice, he called out to me.

“Isn’t there something you want to say to me?”

It wasn’t a particularly loaded question, and yet, my throat closed up.

The opportunity to brush it off came and went in an instant.

Then, a different question followed.

“...Do you still trust me?”

“...What about you, Cruello?”

That was all I could manage to push past my lips.

Cruello didn’t answer.

Right up until the carriage came to a stop.

When the coachman opened the door, Cruello stepped out first.

I followed after him, my mind tangled in knots.

Forget me—why was he acting ?

It wasn’t as if he had recovered his lost soul fragments and regained his memories.

Something flickered at the edge of my thoughts.

It was almost coming together—

I was suddenly lifted into the air.

Obviously, by Cruello.

“You seemed lost in thought,” he said casually. “Keep thinking. I’ll carry you.”

“Who can think properly in a situation ?! Put me down!”

How could he say that so confidently?!

I was so dumbfounded that I didn’t even know how to respond.

...Okay, technically, my body wasn’t really mine either, but still—!

“For no particular reason,” he muttered, holding me securely.

“I’ve decided to do whatever I want from now on.”