《You Two Will Give Birth To Me In The Future》 CH 1 0. The Reignited Empress At the end of today, I will meet my parents who have returned in some way. I crawled down the dirty passage praying that the long-awaited reunion would take place in this world. ¡°Cough, cough!¡± Hearing my plans, the people of the imperial family would think that I have lost my past glory and have finally gone crazy. Actually I was nervous. How dare I disobey the orders of my uncle, the heavenly regent, and escape my room. I wonder if I¡¯m crazy ¡°Ugh, ugh??!¡± Ash and dust dug into my nose, eyes, wounds, and tears flowed down my face while my body throbbed. It¡¯s a secret passage for the Imperial family, but it got so dirty. When my father was alive, this secret passage, which was passed down only to the emperor¡¯s successor, was my playground. After Uncle Rivel buried it, the passage became as messy as a gutter. It looked just like me. The platinum blonde, which resembled my father, was covered with black ash, and the clothes on my body were worn out and dirty and tattered like rags. If this is the image of the Holy Empress, who was once revered as the daughter of the sun, no one would believe it. ¡°Ugh, quickly??.¡± I groaned and did my best to crawl through the collapsed passage. If I get caught, I¡¯ll really die today. People say that the laws of the Holy Empire are gentle. In this land protected by the Holy God, all human beings were noble in their own way. Even a commoner, not an emperor, doesn¡¯t face the death penalty even if they commit a terrible crime. The death penalty is murder. That¡¯s murder if it¡¯s a human being. But I am not a human, I am a beast. At least, according to my uncle. So today I had to risk my life. As a result of crawling like that, the end of the long passage was visible. I put my hand on the wall and pushed it hard. ¡°Ugh!¡± The wall was slowly pushed and exposed where Aunt Viola¡¯s room used to be until a few years ago. ¡°Evenna!¡± I saw my aunt rushing after discovering me. I reflexively coward, but she embraced my ash-covered body without hesitation. ¡°Oh, auntie¡¯s clothes.¡± ¡°Oh my God, how dare you ?? the Empress of the Empire.¡± My aunt ruffled my messy hair. When I raised my head, I saw people¡¯s astonished faces. There were more people in the room than I thought. My aunt and uncle, Count Klang, and even my escort knight, Asil. After we made a plan, there was a prohibition against women in the capital from going out. It¡¯s been almost a year since we met. Ever since the northern barrier collapsed, causing the Empire to fall, and me being criticized by everyone in the world, I have been locked up in my room, so I guess people didn¡¯t know how I lived. However, now was not the time to express regret affectionately. ¡°Are you ready?¡± ¡°Yes, we have met all the conditions we saw in the Spellbook. On a red moonlit day, a magic circle painted in sepia, and a candle made of savannah wick.¡± When I heard that, I looked around the room. Outside the wide open window, the red moon colored the sky with blood. As if foretelling the end of us and the Empire. This place, which used to be my aunt¡¯s room until a few years ago, smelled of dust, since no one was using it now. In the middle of the darkened room, flickering candles surrounded a black magic circle. Next to it was a spellbook, a relic of my mother¡¯s. No matter who looks at it, it is a scene where unique magic is practiced. I, who had been educated for a long time under my uncle¡¯s order in the temple, got goosebumps when I saw it. ¡°I, thank you very much. Now get out of here quickly.¡± ¡°What do you mean get out?¡± ¡°If I get caught by my uncle, even you, aunt, will be in danger.¡± My aunt laughed at my worried voice. Not only her, but everyone, showed no signs of movement. ¡°It¡¯s okay, I¡¯ve already made up my mind.¡± My heart pounded at those words. My mother died a month after I was born. When I was six years old, my father, the first Holy Emperor and the last saint died. A chef, who secretly served me meals without my uncle¡¯s knowledge, had his wrist cut off and kicked out. Since then, everyone, who has helped me and stayed by my side, has either died or suffered terrible things. People whispered that it was the witch¡¯s curse. If the curse extends to these three people¡­ ¡°You can¡¯t do that, stop auntie.¡± ¡°Eve.¡± ¡°At this rate, I¡¯ll kill my aunt like my dad??!¡± My aunt¡¯s blue eyes, which had always been gentle at my words, became sharp. She blocked my mouth with her index finger and said firmly, ¡°Former Emperor, my brother was not killed by his daughter. He died from the heartache and pain of losing his wife.¡± ¡°?? Ha.¡± ¡°You are the daughter of my brother and Lindsay, whom he loved so much. Please let me see you off on your way to the past.¡± My aunt whispered and took my hand. Magic that allows you to go back in time, ¡´Time Leap¡µ. A year ago, I discovered this while looking at my mother¡¯s spellbook with my aunt, who visited the Imperial Palace after a long time. I can¡¯t believe I can go back to before everything went wrong and fix the future. It¡¯s a sweet story for a person like me, who lives at rock bottom. But¡­ ¡°It is a spell that even my mother, who was a great witch, couldn¡¯t succeed. My mother also said that this spell is just a theory and that it¡¯s difficult to implement.¡± ¡°Evenna??.¡± ¡°Nevertheless, I risked my life for this plan because I have nothing to lose.¡± The end of my voice spoked, with my eyes on the floor, trembling inconspicuously. My hands and feet become cold in fear that people might lose their lives because of me again. ¡°But you know, aunt and uncle, you¡¯re different, you¡¯re the count and countess, not a beast like me. As long as he doesn¡¯t find out that you sympathize with me, you¡¯ll be happy.¡± ¡°Eve, you are not a beast. Did your uncle say that?¡± ¡°Ha, uncle did say that.¡± I sighed softly and said. ¡®I will make your Majesty a true emperor so that people will not call you a witch.¡¯ When my dad passed away and there was evidence that my mom was a witch, it was my uncle who took care of me. My uncle played the role of my father on behalf of my deceased father. Although fasting prayers and various training were difficult, in the name of teaching the virtues of integrity and temperance, I did it all. I wanted to be loved by my uncle. I wanted to grow up to be the child he wanted. However, in the end, I became a witch, and I grew up to be the worst aristocrat in the history of the Holy Empire. ¡°It¡¯s not okay to lock, starve, and torture a child in a room!¡± My aunt¡¯s resolute voice broke my thoughts. As I raised my head in surprise, my aunt gently stroked my cheek and whispered, ¡°A witch is neither a monster nor a beast. Believe me. You are the strongest and warmest person I know.¡± ¡°Hu, aunt.¡± ¡°I promise. If you get out of here, one day you¡¯ll find out.¡± ¡°??Really?¡± My aunt¡¯s confident voice choked me up. I always hated myself for being helpless and useless. My life, too. Still, I endured because of the faint hope that someday, there may be a day when I will be proud of surviving. My aunt spoke as if she read my mind, ¡°Of course, Eve. If you get out of here, everyone will know for sure. What a bright child you are.¡± That¡¯s hard to believe. However, the feelings of my aunt who supported me were sufficiently conveyed. I wiped my tears and nodded. No one seems to want to leave the room, so I¡¯ll have to go ahead with the plan. I went inside the magic circle and took my seat carefully. My aunt sat outside the magic circle and whispered, ¡°I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s any side effects. The spellbook only said that in exchange for powerful magic, something precious will be taken away. I can¡¯t say for sure what that is. Are you mentally prepared?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± When I arrive in the past, it will be okay if my limbs were missing. If I could meet my parents and turn everything back in exchange. I took a deep breath and placed my hands on the magic circle. As I read my mother¡¯s writings in the spellbook, I tried to gather magic power into my hands. ¡°Haa??.¡± However, no matter how much mana I put in, I didn¡¯t feel anything triggered. My forehead was sweating from nervousness. When I raised my head anxiously, my aunt cheered with warm eyes. It was then. ¡°The knights are coming.¡± Asil, who stood closest to the door, spoke, warning us. Then, the sound of heavy footsteps was heard outside the door. Bum bum. The sound of footsteps of countless people. The sound of metal. The sound of the armor trembling. Boom! Uncle¡¯s voice was heard along with the sound of the door being kicked. ¡°Viola, you¡¯re there right? Open the door right now!¡± At the sharp cry of my aunt¡¯s name, I reflexively covered my head. My heart was pounding and my breathing was rapid. ¡°Did you hide Evenna? What are you doing inside!¡± ¡°Huu, haa??!¡± The terrifying face of my uncle I saw last night came to mind. The pain at that time dominated my head. ¡°Calm down, Evenna!¡± My aunt comforted me with a desperate voice. ¡°Close your eyes and picture your mom and dad¡¯s faces. You¡¯ve always missed them, right? You¡¯ll see them soon.¡± My aunt looked me in the eye and repeated. I desperately pressed the magic circle. Please. ¡®Feel the magic that revolves around my body, and gather all my power at my fingertips??.¡¯ Bang! Then, the door opened with a loud sound. Imperial Knights, and my uncle, rushed into the room. With his escort, Uncle walked into the room. Bright platinum blonde and metallic blue-gray eyes at first glance. My uncle¡¯s sharp eyes scoured the room. Ominous scarlet candles illuminate the dark room, and I, sitting with my hands in the middle of the symbol of the devil, a pentagon. ¡°Evenna.¡± I couldn¡¯t even breathe out of fear. My body trembled like a tree being blown by the wind. Blue-gray eyes like my dad¡¯s looked at me with hatred. A quiet voice, seething with anger said, ¡°You¡¯re revealing your true self.¡± ¡°Ugh, Huek¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤¡¤.¡± ¡°Dear mother of the Holy God.¡± My uncle kissed the holy grail on his neck. It was white like snowflakes, a symbol of the Holy God. He always did before punishing me. But today¡¯s words were different. ¡°Do not let the lost servants go to the kingdom of evil, but have unconditional mercy, and even bring the dead souls back into their mother¡¯s arms.¡± It was a prayer that the knights of the Holy Empire uttered before annihilating the beast. As if those words were a command, the knight who was at the forefront struck out his sword. Chop! As if cutting a straw doll, the blade cut the count¡¯s neck with an unrealistic sound. The Count¡¯s body slowly tilted, slower than a hundred years. Ting! ¡°Argh!¡± As soon as his body fell to the floor, time regained speed. Asil, my only escort knight, yelled and confronted the holy knights. Even my aunt, who can¡¯t carry anything heavy except books, pulled out a knife. The sound of swords clashing, shouts and screams were all over the place. The bloody smell made my eyes blur. ¡°Eve, come to your senses!¡± My aunt stood right in front of me. Even though she was being stabbed behind her, her gaze was on me. She continued to speak in a very soft voice. ¡°If you succeed in this spell, this will all be gone. You can go back to the past and start over. Go back and find your mother! It¡¯ll be okay, you can do it??.¡± Red blood gushed out of her mouth, which was killing me. I slowly lowered my gaze and looked at her stomach. A bright white holy sword pierced my aunt¡¯s stomach and protruded. My aunt¡¯s deep blue eyes were blurred for the first time. She looked at my astonished face, then lowered her gaze as if checking her body. She looked at the blade of the sword that penetrated her body. She slowly blinked once, then looked up again and stared at me. ¡°It¡¯s okay, ah??.¡± My aunt raised her hand to my face with difficulty. A trembling, yet gentle touch covered my eyelids. ¡°If you close your eyes and open them again, this will all be gone.¡± ¡°Ah, ha??.¡± ¡°When you close your eyes and open them again, this will all be gone.¡± She murmured it like a prayer, like a spell. In the darkness, the sound of cutting was heard once again. It was the sound of a sword cutting through flesh. My aunt¡¯s hand that had been holding my eyes slid down. Even though the warmth that had settled down on my eyelids disappeared, I did not open my eyes. ¡°It¡¯s a pity, Evenna.¡± Shhh. The sound of a sword coming out of its sheath and the scraping of the metal was heard. I repeated the last words of my aunt as I felt the death slowly creeping over my head. ¡®If you close and open your eyes again, this will all be gone. If you close your eyes and open them??.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m sorry I couldn¡¯t purify you.¡± The cold blade touched my neck. That was my last memory. Hope you guys enjoy reading the first chapter!!! Ya¡¯ll really thought the first chapter would be funny. I¡¯LL DO CHAPTER 2 SOON since this cliffhanger is killing me. CH 2 1. The daughter came to save her father. I opened my eyes. And I was shocked to find out that I had opened my eyes. I opened my eyes? Am I alive? So that means ??. ¡®?? Does that mean I succeeded?¡¯ As I blinked my eyes, the scenery around me came into my view belatedly. The evening sunset coming through the window was coloring the room yellow. The red moon, which had been coloring the sky with an ominous color until just now, is nowhere. As I looked around the room, I saw a warm-colored light green wallpaper first. It must have been well managed. I don¡¯t know why I don¡¯t feel my divinity, but maybe it¡¯s a magical side effect? My body trembled at the unbelievable reality. I, who had only failed all my life, created a miracle. I burst into tears. ¡®My aunt was right.¡¯ (Ghost: Don¡¯t know why, but this moment melted my heart TwT) My will, like a desperate prayer, saying, this will all be gone when I close and open my eyes. I was able to keep my word. Lost people can be reunited. ¡®I¡¯m glad, really?? I¡¯m glad ??.¡¯ I crouched down lying on the floor. Tears blurred my vision, so I raised my trembling hand to wipe away the tears. A small sob came out of my mouth. ¡°Ugh??.¡± ¡®?? Huh?¡¯ In my ears, which were filled with emotion, I heard a cute voice that didn¡¯t suit the situation. What was that a cry just now? Did that come out of my mouth? Confused, I lowered my gaze. I was perplexed. ¡°Woo, ah???¡± ¡®What is this ???¡¯ The first thing that caught my eye was a small, plump hand like a hoppang. (TL/N: A hoppang is a steamed bun in South Korea.) I doubted my eyes and looked at my body slowly. My chubby and pale arms. They were dirty with ash and dust, but there were no wounds or burn marks. The clothes I am wearing flowed down my body and were scattered on the floor. My feet and legs were all covered by clothes. I tried to pull out my legs, but my weak body couldn¡¯t move the way I wanted. Did I damage my spinal nerve on my way to the past? I whined and forced myself out of my clothes. At that moment, a full-body mirror built on the wall caught my eye. ¡®??Where am I?¡¯ The only thing reflecting in the mirror was a baby lying flat on the floor. ¡°Ubbs.¡± I took a breath out of embarrassment. Even the voice is unfamiliar. Chubby cheeks. The right eye is pink, the left eye is blue-grey. The baby in the mirror was looking at me, blinked with different colored eyes. (Ghost: She sounds so adorable :0) My black ashened hair is pink, not platinum blonde like my father¡¯s. My hair, which used to be pink like my mother, gradually faded as it grew, and became platinum blonde as I became an adult. But now, this look??. ¡°Huh??.¡± A moment later, a thunderbolt-like truth striked my head. Before my uncle came in, my aunt told me. ¡®I don¡¯t know if there¡¯s any side effects. The spellbook only said that in exchange for powerful magic, something precious will be taken away. I can¡¯t say for sure what that is.¡¯ A large-scale magic comes with a price. The spellbook left by my mother did not specify what the price was. But at this moment, the real price was revealed. ¡®?? Age?¡¯ What¡¯s precious is? Was it age? I shook my head with a puzzled heart. Not only was I overwhelmed by this miraculous sight, I was also overwhelmed by the scenery. This room was just too big. ¡°Oh, dear ??.¡± I panicked and looked down at my hands. I thought it would be okay if I lost my limbs, but turning into a baby was completely unexpected. ¡°Uykka?¡± As I was examining my confusing small body, something caught my eye. A book hidden behind my baggy clothes. A Pentagon carved with gold leaf on a green background, with a sparkling emerald in the middle. ¡®It looks just like my mother¡¯s spellbook.¡¯ As I tilted my head, I became belatedly surprised. ¡®It is her spellbook!¡¯ Why is it here again? Did I get caught in the riot and entered the magic circle? Terrified, I reached out for a book. But I couldn¡¯t reach it. ¡°Eup-ya!¡± ¡®I¡¯m right in front of it! My arms are too short to reach!¡¯ In a hurry, I floundered my limbs as if swimming. Then my body slipped on the clothes and was pushed forward. ¡°Uuug!¡± A little bit more! A little bit more! I stretched out my hand as I looked at the book that was getting closer and closer. At that moment when the book touched my short, chubby fingertips. ¡°Kkya!¡± I got you! After struggling for a while, I finally got my hands on the book. I raised my head proudly. Where should I hide this? I quickly ran into a second problem. Drawers, bookshelves, and even a simple table. Everything was infinitely far and high for me. ¡°Kkyaeueu??!¡± ¡®I¡¯m going to go crazy from jumping up and down??! A spacious room. A faraway wall and a high handle. For a long time, I looked at this huge room and my fate around me with puzzled eyes. ¡°Aueuee!¡± I pushed the fluffy rugs hard with my legs. The baggy clothes were caught on the legs and dragged. Sweat from my forehead dropped on my eyelids, making my eyes sting. Even though the sun was setting, the heat came through the open window. July 22, 879, the imperial calendar, summer is in full swing with tropical nights. Today, which I set as the destination for the time leap, was the day my aunt and I designated after much consideration. The day my father received the oracle that the ¡®Child of God¡¯ was coming! ¡®That day, he received the oracle and waited for the news. But the Child of God did not appear. What have he missed??.¡¯ Dad, who was still a prince, tried to search for the child of God, but he could not find them. ¡®Because the Child of God only came to the Vatican three years after my father passed away.¡¯ Child of God, Sophia. An orphan girl from an abandoned city. When I thought of her, naturally, I also remembered my past, when I was cursed as a witch who stole the Holy Emperor¡¯s seat. ¡°Kkyau??.¡± I shook my head. That¡¯s not what¡¯s important right now. Okay? The important thing right now is. ¡®The moon??.¡¯ I looked at the wonderful wooden door that was decorated with neat and sophisticated decorations like the princess¡¯s room. Twenty-two years ago today was a time when my father was not even married, let alone I was born. But all of a sudden, I met my father who was a bachelor. ¡®Nice to meet you, I¡¯m your daughter from 22 years in the future. I just arrived at the Imperial Palace from the past, hehe.¡¯ What I say would be hard to believe. In addition to that. ¡°You marry a witch in the future and gave birth to me. Of course, the witch is the Pope¡¯s old enemy, but your love has easily overcome such obstacles! But my uncle tried to kill me, so I escaped with magic. Please scold my uncle. If I had said something like that, it might not be my uncle, but me, who would face my father¡¯s malice. My aunt warned me. ¡°Before he met your mom, my brother was a person who was envied by everyone, but there was a lot of pressure that comes with that, and he always dealt with it. So your dad in the past may be different from what you remember. He will be more demanding and difficult to deal with.¡¯ So I chose today. ¡°A child of God will appear in the world.¡± The day my father first heard the oracle before he became the Pope. Dad has been waiting for the saint¡¯s visit all day. So if I suddenly appear in the Imperial Palace today, they will think of me as a saint. At this time, my aunt went on a trip and the room was empty, so the location was perfect. That was the first step in the plan my aunt and I made. Returning to Oracle Day, pretending to be a saint, building favorability from my father, and developing power and influence. Later, when Mom and Dad met and fell in love, I was going to reveal that I was their daughter and tell them what would happen in the future. How the two of you will die later, and how the empire will crumble. Once my parents avoided death, it¡¯ll be easy after that. All I have to do is help my capable father prevent all kinds of catastrophes in the world. I¡¯ll act as a helper for my parents. The most difficult part of the plan was to trigger the time leap. I thought it would be very easy to go to the past and change the future if only the time leap was activated. No matter how stupid a country is, it can recite the history that it has been through. But I guess that was all. Because I can¡¯t even speak correctly, let alone pretend to be a saint! ¡°Eubyaa!¡± This body must have been around 6 months old at most. A time when you can¡¯t control your arms and legs properly. Of course, the pronunciation and vocalization are not good. The only words that can be said are exclamations such as ¡®kkyau¡¯, ¡®ukkyag¡¯, and ¡®euaeng¡¯. I looked at the spellbook in front of me with my eyes as if looking at the enemy. An unidentified baby and spellbook that suddenly appeared! If anyone other than my father discovers me, they will think of me as a witch, or at least a witch¡¯s child. And I¡¯m under that awful suspicion. At best, it was rewarding to come back in time. My heartbeat fastened. I took a deep breath and lifted my head again. I want to clench my teeth, but I have no teeth. I quickly closed my mouth, clenched my fists with a wretched face, and pounded them on the floor. And I pulled my body with all my might. ¡°Ubu?? Ap??!¡± In a nutshell, I did baemil. (TL/N: Baemil in korean means child crawling on their stomach) In an instant, both cheeks heated up red. Children¡¯s physical strength is weak. I just did a simple act of pushing my stomach, but my whole body ached. Elbows, stomach, chin and knees that are rubbing on the floor. Every move came with pain. Tears welled up in my eyes. But whenever I felt pain, I thought of my dead aunt. I thought of Count Klang and Asil. They had their necks cut off and their stomachs pierced, how painful it was. Compared to their pain, this was nothing. They endured the pain of death and protected me. They believed in me. I will definitely pay the price for their lives. ¡°Abu?? Ooh!¡± I tried my best to stand, while thinking about the people who died for me. ¡®As I repeated it, I got the hang of it little by little.¡¯ ¡®Stretch my arms, touch the floor, push my body, and hit the book with my hands!¡¯ Tok. Contrary to my ambition, the book was pushed under the bed little by little with the sound of a timid hit. I put my hands in the air again. ¡°Ubb.¡± Tok. Tok. Tok. When I tapped with my fingertips, the book gradually disappeared under the fluttering bed skirt. Finally, after hitting the book completely under the bed, I pulled the bed skirt with my hand and barely held it. It was after washing the hands thoroughly on the rug to avoid getting dirty dust. Seeing the bed returned to its original state, I proudly wiped my forehead. ¡°Hyuu.¡± A bit sloppy, but this was the best I could do. It¡¯s physically impossible for me to hide it in a high drawer or a bookshelf. It seemed to be a temporary measure in its own right. Fortunately, I won¡¯t be caught for a while because I set the date for the time leap to when my aunt went on a trip. ¡®Now let¡¯s get out of here quickly!¡¯ I turned my head and looked at the door. ¡°Euu.¡± And swallowed my saliva. The door, to my eyes, looked as far away as the other side of the world. Besides, even if I get to the door with all my might, how do I pull the doorknob that hangs high in the sky? With this fragile body, it was impossible to crawl, let alone stand. ¡®?? A baby¡¯s life is fierce.¡¯ Looking at the end of the spacious room, I let out a sigh of frustration as I inflated my plump cheeks needlessly. ¡°Puuu??.¡± I¡¯m seriously going to turn around, this is driving me crazy??. Thank you for reading, hope you guys enjoy it ~ (No crazy cliffhangers/intense chapter this time OwO) CH 3 There was a time when I prayed to God, saying that I wouldn¡¯t ask for anything else if only I could be under the same sky as Mom and Dad again. And right now, I am under the same sky as my parents. Since my impossible wish has been fulfilled there shouldn¡¯t be anything left to pray for, but there is no end to human greed. I have been longing for something very eagerly now. ¡®Get me out of here??!¡¯ ¡°Ueueue!¡± I made my way to the door with all my might. I did my best but in the end my body was already soaked with sweat. My arms and legs started trembling, so I fell on the floor and took a breather. Is it enough ?? to be halfway toward my goal? I panted and looked back to see how far I¡¯ve gone. Through my tired eyes, I could see the rug still under my feet. ¡°??.¡± I was silent for a moment and blinked. Is there something wrong with my eyes? I rubbed my eyes just in case, but the location of the rug remained the same. That means I only took around three steps from where I originally opened my eyes. I felt dizzy. ¡®Euaaaa.¡¯ I¡¯ve been trying so hard, but I¡¯m only able to get this far? Did I try hard enough? To make matters worse??. ¡®I¡¯m hungry??.¡¯ I¡¯ve never had a baby, so I¡¯m not really sure, but I¡¯ve heard that babies need to be fed very often. And I¡¯ve heard that they¡¯re very delicate. Babies are very weak, so if they have a fever, their nerves get damaged and they become crippled. But now I¡¯m hot, dirty, hungry, and sleepy. It meant that I was dissatisfied with my neglected basic needs in many ways. I was dissatisfied that my basic needs were neglected in many, many ways. ¡®How long have I been asleep?¡¯ It felt like I opened my eyes here right after I finished the spell. But maybe I¡¯ve been lying on the bare floor for a long time. Since it¡¯s the Imperial Palace, I might have to wait for someone to come, but my aunt is away on a long trip at this point in time. I¡¯ll have to wait about a week until she comes back, but for the baby, a week was enough time to starve. ¡®I have to hurry and get out of here.¡¯ I glared at the antique door like it was an enemy. And with a solemn face, I raised my chubby arms and stretched them out. ¡°?? Kkya!¡± Then, I flailed both hands and pushed my stomach forward as hard as I could. My underdeveloped muscles complained about the pain as if they were about to tear apart. Sweat dripped down my ears, and tears pooled in my eyes. ¡°Please, please.¡± Although God wouldn¡¯t listen to a witch¡¯s prayer. I prayed from the bottom of my heart. Give me strength. The power to protect the people I love. I pushed the floor as hard as I could and dragged myself. Even if I was slow, I didn¡¯t stop and moved forward little by little. It soon got dark and I couldn¡¯t see well, but it felt as if the door was closer than before. ¡°He, heg.¡± I took a deep breath and fell on the floor. My face was a mess with sweat and tears. While panting and catching my breath, I was surprised by the familiar sensation under my feet. This soft feeling?? No way. I shook and turned my head, and found a rug that was still touching my feet. ¡°??!¡± I stiffened as if I had not seen anything. ¡°Heuaeng ??.¡± Suddenly, my eyes fluttered open. Is it because of the trauma? It felt like all the resolutions I had were suddenly irrelevant. This is an opportunity that a few of my people have given up their lives for. I, who had only repeated failures in my life, succeeded in this miraculous magic for the first time. ¡®Did I make it ???¡¯ I tried to reach out, but it didn¡¯t work. My body lost all strength and my soft cheeks were pressed to the floor. I fell to the floor, breathing slowly. I can¡¯t give up here. I stared at the door, groaning while rolling my eyes. The wooden door, which would have been easily pushed out if I was my original size, looked like a stubborn iron wall. ¡®I succeeded in a spell that is close to impossible, and then I¡¯ll die just because I can¡¯t open a door.¡¯ Because I couldn¡¯t reach the door exactly. Stupid Evenna. Even in the midst of my exhaustion, the sorrow I felt was overwhelming. I really thought I did it this time. Why is my life always like this? Why do things that come easily to others become difficult for me? Why is the door that is open to others closed to only me? ¡°It¡¯s okay??.¡± I felt the warmth sinking down my eyelids. ¡®If you close your eyes and open them again, this will all be gone. ¡¯ I heard my aunt¡¯s voice, who was thinking of her niece even in her death. Probably the best advice I¡¯ve ever received in my life. A voice came from beyond my distant mind. ¡°Didn¡¯t Princess Viola go on vacation?¡± ¡°But you definitely heard something, right?¡± Click, the sound of the door being unlocked. ¡°To hear a baby cry here, what nonsense??.¡± The door opened. The light flowing through the gap of the open door shone on my body, and I looked up blankly. The two people, who looked like maids, were looking at me with surprised faces. That was the last thing I saw, before I blacked out. *** In my sleep, I heard a shrill voice. ¡°??Women¡¯s clothes??.¡± ¡°??Baby??!¡± Oh, how noisy. Why are you talking so loudly when a person is sleeping? Be quiet. I hummed solemnly as if trying to say that. ¡°Eunng.¡± As I was about to go to sleep again, I noticed something strange. ¡®What kind of voice just came out of my mouth.¡¯ I came to my senses as if someone had poured cold water over my head. ¡°Heub.¡± In my line of vision, blurred from the lack of sleep, a small, stubby hand came into view. ¡®Crazy, it wasn¡¯t a dream.¡¯ Then here ??. As I lifted my head, I saw 3 people. The two young women in blue dresses were probably court maids, and the middle-aged woman standing on the right seemed to be a maidservant based on her age and attire. They are ordinary people who can be seen anywhere, but their clothes were a little different compared to my time. ¡®Are they people from ??879?¡¯ (TL/N: That¡¯s the Imperial year, 878) ¡°You must have slept well,now that you¡¯re awake.¡± The maid said and raised her head. ¡°Did you find the person who left the child?¡± Naturally, I followed her gaze and stiffened. I didn¡¯t know at first because I couldn¡¯t see them, but two holy knights were standing by my bedside. The white armor they were wearing had a snow crystal pattern engraved on their shoulders, symbolizing the Holy God. My heart froze as I remembered the knights, who slaughtered my people, at my uncle¡¯s orders. ¡®Did they find out?¡¯ I remembered the spellbook hidden in my aunt¡¯s room. The clothes I was wearing. Will they find out who I am, a witch? Did they find anything strange? My heart was pounding uncontrollably. ¡°No, the guards say they haven¡¯t seen any suspicious people passing by today.¡± ¡°If there were no suspicious people, then the possibilities would be narrowed down to two.¡± The maid muttered and reached over my head. I shrank in surprise. ¡°Since Her Majesty, the Princess, is away, I couldn¡¯t find anyone coming and going simply because of neglected security. Or¡­.¡± The maid¡¯s hand wrapped around my forehead. I frowned and looked up at her with narrowed eyes. It felt like years passed by as her sharp gaze scanned my face. My body trembled with anxiety. She opened her mouth with a serious expression ¡°It was the work of an insider of the Imperial family.¡± ¡°??.¡± My body trembled at the unexpected theory. ¡°Are you saying that a person working in the Imperial family left their baby in the Princess¡¯s room?¡± ¡°If it were someone working in the imperial family, I don¡¯t think their baby would be this dirty.¡± ¡°Well, the baby is in such good condition considering that she¡¯s very dirty. Rather, I think they made her look dirty on purpose to look like a beggar.¡± ¡°Actually, that¡¯s what I was thinking too. I heard that the servants left a small window open for ventilation. It¡¯s a small window that most people can¡¯t get through, but there will be enough room to throw this baby in.¡± ¡°Who made the baby dirty and threw it through the window? Oh my god.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know who left the baby, but this is too much. Luckily, I don¡¯t think they got hurt anywhere, but what if they accidentally bumped their head!¡± The maids and Holy Knights looked serious ¡®Ha, I lived??.¡¯ I grabbed my pounding heart and let out a sigh of relief. Judging by the reactions of these people, the spell book hidden under the bed had not yet been found. ¡°By the way, the baby¡¯s eyes¡­¡± At that moment, one of the maids who was staring at me suddenly frowned. Her gaze drew people¡¯s attention. I blinked in embarrassment when I suddenly received the gaze of 5 adults. ¡®Oh no, my eyes???¡¯ The left side is a grayish blue, and the right side is pink. Odd eyes with two different colors. People used to find this unpleasant. These heterogeneous eye colors were an aspect of me that couldn¡¯t be completely blended in anywhere. TL/N: Heterogeneous eyes are a way to say a pair of eyes with different colors. ¡®Ugh, I should have kept my eyes closed.¡¯ If I showed my eyes like this, it would only make me feel uncomfortable, but I forgot my appearance because I wasn¡¯t in a good mood. ¡°Isn¡¯t the left eye the same color as His Majesty the Emperor?¡± But the maid said something completely different from what I expected. ¡®The current emperor¡¯s majesty is ?? grandfather.¡¯ Come to think of it, my dad said he looked a lot like his grandfather. And my left eye was inherited from my dad. As I grew up, I took after my father, but when I was younger I heard that I looked similar to my mother. However, I felt strange when the maid recognized my father¡¯s traces in my appearance. My heart started pounding. ¡°After hearing those words, it reminds me of what happened six years ago.¡± The maid said something out of the ordinary. At her meaningful words, one of the knights put on a reluctant expression. ¡°Well, something similar happened six years ago.¡± When he responded, the eyes of the people looking at me became subtle. ¡®What is it?¡¯ Was there an incident where someone abandoned a baby to the Imperial family six years ago? ??I didn¡¯t know who they were, but I was truly gratefully to that person. Thanks to this, people seemed to be completely convinced by the idea that someone had thrown a baby into the Imperial palace. ¡°First, by tomorrow morning, we¡¯ll have to find out if any of the Imperial servants have abandoned their babies. If no one confesses, the baby will be sent to an orphanage according to procedures.¡± ¡°Yes, we will look around the palace to see if we have missed anything. If the baby didn¡¯t appear out of thin air, you could find any traces.¡± ¡°By the way??.¡± The maid looked back at me. She muttered as if it were curious. ¡°You¡¯re such a quiet baby. You must have been very surprised at being abandoned by your parents.¡± ¡°??.¡± I rolled my eyes. In order to look like a normal baby, I thought that I should cry even now. ¡°You know your situation, poor thing. Guys, go and get some baby formula. ¡°Yes.¡± As the maids disappeared, the knights also said goodbye and went out for a recheck. I touched my chest. If he looks for traces of where they left me, he probably won¡¯t find any clues. Because I really appeared out of thin air. ¡®Until tomorrow morning??.¡¯ I clenched and opened my fists, which were as soft as cream bread. Understandably my magic power was gone because I used a time leap, but my divinity was gone too, so I was puzzled. Perhaps this was the price of using the spell or a reaction to becoming a baby. But fortunately, even the stigma on my body didn¡¯t seem to have regressed. I felt my divinity slowly rising from the center of my chest. As I gathered it in my right hand, a glimmer of light gathered in my palm. ¡®It¡¯s far less than my original power, but if it¡¯s this much??.¡¯ I clenched the divinity gathered in my small palm. CH 4 I was walking down a path while holding my dad¡¯s hand. The humid wind brushed my cheeks and ruffled my hair. The fragrance of plum blossoms and seeds of unknown flowers blew like snow. Out of habit, I asked, ¡°Dad, where are we going?¡± My dad turned to me at the sound of my voice. But the dazzling sunlight concealed his face, so I couldn¡¯t see my father. While frowning hard, trying to see my father¡¯s face, I slowly realized. Oh, it¡¯s that dream again. When I saw my father in my dreams as a child, I didn¡¯t realize it was a dream, but now I know. The reason I can¡¯t see Dad¡¯s face isn¡¯t because of the sunlight, it¡¯s because I forgot his face. ¡°Eve.¡± Dad put his hand under my arms and lifted me up. He looked at me quietly. I hesitated, not knowing what to do with his gaze on my face. Even my father, back when he was alive, would sometimes look at me sullenly. Right at the traces of my late mother on my features. After that, my father¡¯s expression became very sad, so I always bowed my head low to cover my face. When I was young, people used to whisper among themselves that I looked just like my mother. With my pink and right eye being just like my mom¡¯s. My dad was the only one that told me my eyes were pretty. ¡°We¡¯re going to ride a boat.¡± ¡®This sudden?¡¯ I tried to ask back. However I couldn¡¯t say anything, but as if he heard my question, my dad said, ¡°Yeah, because you said you wanted to ride one.¡± Looking at my dad¡¯s side, smiling lightly, I quietly lowered my eyes. We won¡¯t take the boat. When my dad heard that it could be dangerous because the river was turbulent, he said, ¡°Let¡¯s go next time.¡± There was no next time. This was my dad¡¯s last outing. From that day on, my dad¡¯s condition continued to deteriorate. Dad was reluctant to show me how sick he was, and I was afraid to see him getting worse day by day. Then, in the end, I had to let my father go without even saying goodbye. We loved each other, but we couldn¡¯t get close until the last minute. So, even in a dream, I wanted to convey it. Something I couldn¡¯t say in my lifetime. ¡°I love you, Dad.¡± I whispered as I grabbed the hem of my dad¡¯s shirt. Dad smiled sweetly. The moment I stretched out my hand towards my father¡¯s face, he became a light and scattered in the air. As always. PR/N: Sidenote, this is so sad I started tearing up. *** ¡°Sena, the baby is crying.¡± ¡°Really?¡± I slowly opened my eyes to the voices of the maids. They were looking at me with worried faces. ¡°Oh my God, she really is. Are you hungry?¡± Behind the maids, the golden sunset was pouring down. I looked out at the golden sky, still unable to completely escape my lingering sleep. Perhaps that¡¯s why the dream was so bright. As I blinked, a maid brought a bottle. When the nipple of the bottle touched my mouth, I opened my mouth like a baby bird. I remember being very hungry yesterday, so I hurriedly ate anything whenever I was handed food. The shame that I felt when sucking a bottle despite being all grown up was pushed aside a while back. My life is not mine. It belonged to many people, who had saved me by making sacrifices. They ensured my survival whether they were killed or eaten by monsters. I must survive first, so that I can find a way out of this chaotic situation. As I was sucking on the bottle with such a determined heart, the maid said in a voice of admiration. ¡°She has a strong will to live like this, I think she¡¯ll be able to live well even if she goes to an orphanage.¡± At those words, I was stunned. ¡°Is she really going to be sent to an orphanage?¡± ¡°Yes, because no one came forward as the baby¡¯s parent. We can¡¯t keep a baby in the Imperial Palace forever.¡± The maid reached out to me sadly. A sympathetic touch stroked my head. ¡°Poor thing??. She¡¯s still a baby.¡± ¡°They¡¯ll keep looking into who left the baby. It¡¯s probably a worker for the Imperial Family, but? Just in case, the baby will be sent to an orphanage affiliated with the Temple, so the facility won¡¯t be too bad.¡± I quietly listened to their conversation and continued working hard on the bottle. If it is a place under the Temple, is it not far from here? Certainly, the facility won¡¯t be bad despite it being an orphanage. ¡®If I want to stay in the Imperial Palace and protect my family, I must somehow show my power and somehow pretend to be a saint.¡¯ I secretly wiggled one hand. Although I couldn¡¯t speak because I didn¡¯t have any teeth yet, only the stigma engraved in my soul remained unaffected by my body. In order to use my power, stigma, the core of divinity, was needed. You must be baptized to receive the stigma. If infants are baptized before the age of two, some of them develop stigma. However, some people are even born with stigma. They all had amazing powers, and people called them saints. Like my father, and God¡¯s child, Sophia. I was baptized normally and honed my stamina diligently so that I could exercise my power??. ¡°I can feel the dirty energy in Your Majesty¡¯s power.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t waste your divinity. It is not a power that you can use recklessly.¡¯ Sophia¡¯s and uncle¡¯s voices alternately buzzed in my ears. Whenever I think of the past, my stomach churns. People here don¡¯t know that I¡¯m a witch¡¯s daughter. Sophia was the only one who said my divinity was witch-like. Fortunately, Sophia hadn¡¯t even been born yet. So, unless they¡¯re my father, no one else will feel a strange aura from me. It means that I can only use my powers where my father can¡¯t see, but it wasn¡¯t that difficult considering his current status and my situation. However, my heart and mind thought differently. It was only yesterday that I suffered such a tragedy in the Imperial Palace. What if my identity is revealed? My heart started pounding anxiously. I lost my appetite and took my mouth off the baby bottle. ¡°Aww, did you finish it all?¡± ¡°??!¡± Then, the maid, who gave me the bottle, started to pat me on the back, holding the back of my neck. I could feel my immature stomach being stimulated right away by the consistent blows against my back. When the feeling came, I was restless and floundered. My string of patience wore out quickly. In the end, I couldn¡¯t overcome my instincts and opened my mouth. ¡°Kkeuk.¡± ¡°Good baby.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never seen such a gentle baby before. She burps so well, too.¡± The maids smiled softly and praised my burping. This would be impossible if I was still the Holy Emperor. I, who had been immersed in serious trouble until recently, encountered a new curve called physiological action and couldn¡¯t get a hold of myself. I closed my eyes tight with a red face. ¡®It¡¯s not humiliating at all. It¡¯s an ordeal I¡¯ll have to endure in order to accomplish greater things.¡¯ As I was convincing myself that it was inevitable because I became a baby, the maid said in a friendly voice. ¡°The Holy Knights will take you safely.¡± ¡°?? Au.¡± I heard that the Holy Knights I met yesterday decided to bring me to an orphanage since they were going out to the city. It was just a coincidence, but I think they felt a sense of responsibility since they had ties with me. I had a lot of bad memories with the Holy Knights, but if the other person is not a witch, they¡¯ll be kind. It would be better for me to use my power in front of them. I felt the divinity flowing through my body. Perhaps because of the temporary side effects of Time Leap, my divinity was slightly restored from resting for a day. However, it¡¯s still rather insignificant. Will I be able to use the right powers? ¡®If I can¡¯t ?? I will be sent to an orphanage.¡¯ If you go to a nursery under the temple, you will be able to become a saint protected by the Temple. It may be safer there than entrusting myself to the jungle-like Imperial palace. However, if I leave the Imperial palace now, I¡¯m not sure when I can return. What if I don¡¯t come back for a long time? I didn¡¯t want to take that risk. Although I was very discouraged from the situation of becoming a baby, there was no choice but to push ahead with the plan somehow. As for the power to use, the power of healing, like Saint Sophia¡¯s, would be better than the power of destruction. Since ancient times, the appearance of a Saint born with the power of healing has been considered a symbol of peace. We had planned to show how I can heal by deliberately making a small wound. Any priest can do such a small treatment, but I¡¯m a baby who hasn¡¯t even been baptized, so it¡¯ll look almost miraculous. Like a ¡®Child of God¡¯. ¡°Live well, baby.¡± The maids wiped my face, changed my clothes, and wrapped me up with a soft cloth. I was carried by the hands of the maids in a basket. Outside the castle, Holy Knights and a carriage were waiting for me. ¡°You¡¯re just in time.¡± ¡°Yes, please take care of the baby.¡± The maids handed me over to the Holy Knights. I was wiggling my hands in the fabric, waiting for the perfect timing. ¡°Wait!¡± Then, suddenly, the Holy Knight, who was about to accept me, stood tall. His expression, while I was looking up at him involuntarily, was mixed with bewilderment and surprise. From somewhere, loud voices and footsteps were heard. Curious, I turned my head to the side where the knight¡¯s eyes were facing, but it was blocked by the side of the basket, so I couldn¡¯t see the whole situation. Judging by the creaking sound, are the knights approaching? ¡°Your Highness!¡± Did you say Your Highness? Aunt Viola still has some time before she returns from the vacation. Has my aunt returned? I haven¡¯t seen her since I was transported. Just then, footsteps were getting closer. I raised my head with joy at the thought of finally seeing my aunt once more. However, I was surprised to see a different person put his face in front of the basket. ¡± Is this the baby?¡± ¡°?? Eubeob.¡± Gray eyes mixed with blue. His platinum blonde hair, which gleamed in the sunlight, glistened as if it were a divine revelation, and his skin was as white as frost. His long eyelashes and shaded eyes were cold, and his nose and lips were flawlessly handsome. However, I think we should use a more holy adjective rather than beautiful or handsome. Even people who do not know the Holy Emperor¡¯s face can tell at a glance that he is a God-sent. In my dream, I couldn¡¯t remember his face no matter how hard I tried, so I was worried that I might not recognize him even when I met him. But it was a useless concern. The moment I faced him, my memories struck me like lightning. It¡¯s my dad. Hope you guys enjoyed reading chapter 3 & 4 ~ This chapter made me cry hard and THE CLIFFHANGER IS KILLING ME TwT I¡¯m glad that Eve has a second shot in life to be with her mom and dad. CH 5 The identity of ¡®Your Highness¡¯, who came with priests and knights behind him, was none other than my father. The Holy Knights around me almost bowed on the floor, but considering the relatively loose imperial etiquette, that was a bit overkill. However, I understand why they were so nervous. My father was one of the few ¡®Saint Equites¡¯ in the Empire¡¯s history. Saint Equites was a title given only to those who awakened the ¡®Divine Sword¡¯, which could only be used by Holy Knights of the highest level. Befitting his position as the master of the divine sword, His aura made you feel like making eye contact alone was blasphemy. I thought all popes looked like that. But at this time, my father was only 18 years old. He wouldn¡¯t have been a pope or emperor yet. My father must have been pope-like since childhood. I paused while trying to raise my trembling hand. I¡¯ve been fooled by countless dreams since the day I lost my dad. The dreams had various backgrounds and contents, but the end was always the same. The moment I reach out to my dad, he becomes a swarm of butterflies or a scattering white light. ¡°Did you discover this child yesterday?? ?¡± ¡°Yes, these maids found the baby in the room of Her Majesty, Princess Viola.¡± A familiar voice answered my dad¡¯s question. When I turned my head, I saw the maidservant I met yesterday. At her words, my father looked back at the court maids. ¡°Is there anything special about the baby?¡± ¡°Yes, yes! She¡¯s a normal baby except for the fact that she is very well behaved. But what kind of situation is this?¡± When the courtmaid bewilderedly asked, the maidservant whispered quietly. ¡°The oracle has come true. ¡®A child of God will appear in the world of humanity¡¯. Moreover, on the day of the oracle, a baby suddenly appeared in the imperial palace.¡± ¡°Then, this baby??.¡± The maid¡¯s hand, which was holding the basket, gripped harder. Her very confused face looked down at me. ¡°Very well behaved??.¡± Dad pondered as there could be other meanings to the words ¡®very mature¡¯. I was surprised to see my dad suddenly, but it wasn¡¯t all unexpected. Dad received the oracle and waited for a special sign, but nothing happened. Even the next morning, he would¡¯ve checked once more for any abnormalities on the previous day, and I thought he would come to check if he heard about a baby appearing in the Imperial palace. I clenched my hands due to my anxiety and opened them again. My father was a saint born with stigma like Sophia¡¯s. If he had used his powers here, he might have sensed my filthy aura that Sophia felt. How great would it have been if I were really God¡¯s child. Sophia, the child of God, came to the Vatican at the age of five. The appearance of the child was clean and the cute way she spoke the Imperial language was unlike a child who escaped Nasha, a living hell. ¡°It¡¯s about time God talked to Sophia.¡± As a child, her pronunciation was somewhat slurred, but she introduced herself with unshakable confidence. The voice of God spoke in Sophia¡¯s mind since childhood. She was able to speak, and write without learning, then she went through the long and mortifying days in her journey from Nasha to the capital of the Holy Empire. ¡°??Abu.¡± But I couldn¡¯t speak. Even mimicking a saint is impossible. The helplessness that followed me all my life weighed down on me. It was sad to be trapped in such a weak body. I finally met my dad, but I can¡¯t even call out to him ¡°Are you mumbling?¡± Dad then turned to me. He reached out to me, who couldn¡¯t raise my hand. A large palm brushed my head. I blinked, bewildered. Dreams and reality were completely different. Reality was warm and clear. My dad, who looked twelve years younger than I remembered, stared at my eyes and muttered. ¡°Your eyes are pretty.¡± ¡®You have pretty eyes,¡¯Dad would always say. My pink eye was inherited from my mother. My uncle said that I was the only one in the Imperial family with such a heterogeneous eye color. My dad was the only one who called my heterogenous eyes pretty. Perhaps the dream I had this morning is still continuing. I lifted my head, feeling an indescribable feeling. Then, suddenly, I saw a red scar on my father¡¯s palm. ¡°Abya??.¡± That must hurt. My dad was always sick. When I was young,I used to train my healing powers so I could relieve Dad¡¯s pain. However, it was not easy for me, who was born with non-healing properties, to exercise my powers. In the end, I was able to learn how to use my healing powers only after my father died. I reflexively gathered divinity in my hand. And I put my hand on my dad¡¯s wound. Even though my hand touched his, my dad didn¡¯t disappear. I looked at my father who didn¡¯t disappear with trembling eyes. In my tear-blurred field of view, my golden divinity fluttered. As if me having a lack of divinity was a lie, my power was exercised. The memories, the voice, that I have painfully and tightly kept. It came pouring out as if a dam had collapsed. ¡®It¡¯s my dad.¡¯ It¡¯s really my dad. I must play it cool. I have a plan. If I use power in front of my saint father, he may feel dirty. My mind went blank when I felt my father¡¯s hand and body temperature on my palm. I couldn¡¯t control my emotions anymore. ¡°Ueueueu??.¡± Eventually, I burst into tears. I could see Dad¡¯s gray-blue eyes widening in an instant. My father¡¯s hand which touched mine stiffened, and the people watching were confused. But I bet I was the most confused person in this room. ¡°Heuaeaeng! Heuae?? Ug, kkeug!¡± I tried to cover my mouth with both hands, but it became a more sad sob. Maybe my tear glands are broken? As my body gets younger, my nerves that control my facial muscles become immature altogether. Tears flowed from my eyes like a real baby. But I couldn¡¯t stop. No one understands. How it felt to be left alone in the Imperial family, infested with vipers after my father died. What it felt like when I first met my dad in my dream and woke up. How cut off and hurt I was until I gradually felt grateful to meet my father in my dreams, whom I cried for with longing. I, who lost my father when I was six, was more familiar with my faceless father in my dreams, who disappeared when I touched him, than my living father. But now I see my real father, who disappeared 10 years ago. The roaring maids and Holy Knights, and even my father don¡¯t understand just how long I¡¯ve been waiting for this moment How difficult it was for me to get to my dad. ¡°The baby??.¡± My father muttered in a confused voice. The maidservant and court maid hurried to his side, thinking that the Crown Prince was embarrassed because the baby was crying. ¡°Hey, shall we try to comfort her?¡± ¡°Originally, she¡¯s a docile baby, but what happened?¡± ¡°She must have been surprised that there were so many people.¡± As if they were trying to comfort me by hugging me, the maids reached out to me. But I didn¡¯t want to be separated from my father, whom I had barely reunited with. If I hadn¡¯t met him now, I wouldn¡¯t have missed him after I saw him. How do I execute the saint imitation plan? I was neither a saint nor a witch. I was just a daughter, who reunited with her father after ten years. ¡°Heuaeaeaeng!¡± When I screamed and grabbed my dad¡¯s thumb, the maids became puzzled. In the midst of the commotion, in which a baby cried loudly and maids were bewildered, my father was alone silent. Whether my thumb was holding his hand or not, he was just looking at his palm silently with his hand open. He murmured softly as he looked down at his spotless palm, which had been cleared of their wounds. ¡°This is ??.¡± His knights, who spent all day focused on the next Holy Emperor, caught the little murmur. The maids, who felt something unusual, stopped soothing me and turned to my father. Dad, who was looking at his palm strangely, slowly opened his mouth. ¡°The baby has used power.¡± At that moment, the surroundings became quiet as if ice cold water had been poured on everyone. ¡°Heuaeaeaeng! Ueu, heuaeaeng??.¡¯ Having control over the commotion, I held my dad¡¯s thumb tightly and wept bitterly. Like a child who lost her parents. Or like a child who regained her parents. My dad, who was looking at me crying for a moment, slowly reached out to me. He supported my trembling back and butt, holding me in his arms. ¡°Is that true, Your Highness?¡± In a space where only my cries could be heard, a Holy Knight had plucked up the courage to open his mouth. Dad patted me on the back with a complex face. The touch of my father, who is still a bachelor, was awkward and clumsy, unlike how I remembered. But one thing was the same. My dad was a kind person. Even though he didn¡¯t know I was his daughter, he hugged me tightly, regardless of whether I would dirty his clothes with my runny nose or tears. Whenever my dad patted me on the back, I became more emotional and kept crying. As if to confirm, Dad clenched and opened his healed palm a couple of times. ¡°?? I¡¯m sure. This is the power of healing.¡± ¡°Oh my god.¡± ¡°This baby is so powerful!¡± A voice of admiration came from all over the place. Healing using divinity, the power of healing, was one of the powers that only priests with stigma could exert. Dad¡¯s knight muttered with a lost expression. ¡°Then this child is the youngest priest in the Empire?? no.¡± He shook his head without speaking. ¡°You must be the child of God.¡± ¡°The child of God mentioned in the oracle is ??!¡± ¡°The child of God, here, now?¡± ¡°This baby is a saint!¡± Suddenly, a maid ran out and began to shout. The maids, who were snooping nearby at my father¡¯s sudden visit, were surprised to hear the news. The knights were as noisy as the maids, and my father couldn¡¯t mediate the situation. Dad was looking at me. Dad¡¯s eyes, which became even bluer under the light, seemed to stare inside of me. But I didn¡¯t avoid his gaze. ¡®I missed you, Dad.¡¯ I buried my face in my dad¡¯s chest. Dad¡¯s stiff shoulders trembled for a moment, then patted me on the back again. With his large palm patting on my back gently I had a strange feeling that somehow everything was going to work out. My body, which was constantly nervous and worried, loosened up. Without even realizing it, I fell asleep in my dad¡¯s arms. CH 6 2. This Time, a Saint Within an hour of the appearance of the oracle, the child of the God it mentioned was found. The Holy Knights and priests, who followed His Highness, couldn¡¯t help but be moved by the fact that they had seen the child of God. The maids, who were nearby, rushed there when they heard that the child of God had appeared. A strange scene unfolded before the people, who were inflated with anticipation and excitement. ¡°S-Saint??.¡± ¡°Are you asleep?¡± The child of God was asleep. Because the maid carefully wrapped her up for going out, the baby, who was wrapped with a white cloth, had her eyes closed. Her eyes that were red from crying diligently touched the hearts of the viewers. Her plump cheeks, which twitched as the baby licked her lips in her sleep, were so lovely that it hurt their hearts. No matter if she¡¯s a child of God, she is still a baby. It is natural to fall asleep when tired. That wasn¡¯t the problem. The problem was, where the baby slept. The baby was asleep in the arms of the Second Prince. ¡°Oh, my.¡± ¡°Oh my gosh.¡± People immediately looked at the prince¡¯s expression. Ainzbern de Reinhardt, the soon-to-be pope, was the pride of the Imperial family. Yet he couldn¡¯t be said to be a friendly person even in words. A model of a perfect saint, with all aspects of principle and so forth. In the Temple, people regarded integrity and innocence as the virtue of a saint, but he was a imposing figure as a subordinate who had to serve him. Everyone respected Ainzbern but had a hard time. So, the people of the Imperial Palace were two or three times more careful about their behavior in front of him, and were cautious with each step they took. The combination of His Highness and the docile baby, who was an angel when alone, didn¡¯t go well together, like water and oil. ¡®Of course, it¡¯s nice to see??.¡¯ His platinum blonde hair which shone like gold silk in the golden sunlight, and his blue-gray eyes that glistened even as he stood still, were looking down at the baby. She¡¯s just a baby sleeping soundly, there isn¡¯t any particular reason to look at her, but it was dazzling to see the beautiful His Highness holding a cute baby. The motions of the people, who were excited by the appearance of the saint, were in high spirits as if they all were ascending to the sky. ¡®But, what if the baby goes to the toilet?¡¯ It would be a natural disaster if the baby dirtied the white, holy uniform resembling the owner. The baby saint must be brought back into the Imperial Palace as soon as possible, and it is also out of the question to entrust that role to the Second Prince. In the end, the maid who was closest gathered up the courage. ¡°Your Highness, I¡¯ll take the saint.¡± The maid hurriedly reached out to Ainzbern¡¯s arms. But just before she touched the baby, Ainzbern took a step back. ¡°?? Your Highness?¡± The maid looked at Ainzbern with a puzzled face. ¡®He avoided it.¡¯ Everyone in the room watched carefully as the Second Prince takes a step backwards in order avoid giving the baby to the handmaiden. It was a skillful evasion, like a striker protecting the ball from a defender. The knights were flustered by the agile reaction speed, and the maid was perplexed. ¡°Your Highness? It must be uncomfortable, but if you give me the saint??.¡± ¡°No.¡± Then, Ainzbern spoke up. His charismatic deep and neat voice had the power to move the hearts of the listeners. It could be said that it was the voice of a person born to become a pope. With his appealing voice, Ainzbern said, ¡°I will carry her.¡± ¡°??.¡± People doubted their ears. It was as if the maidservant was trying to steal a precious relic from him. With his decisive attitude, the handmaiden could not suggest any further and took her hand away. Ainzbern has broader shoulders than other knights, since he always trains diligently because of his values ??on principles and integrities. The small baby compared to his large body looked like a bundle of cloth rather than a child. Ainzbern held the bundle of cloth in his arms preciously like expensive jewels, and after much consideration, he opened his mouth. ¡°This baby.¡± He looked down at the baby with a delicate face and declared it as if it were a matter of course. ¡°If her parents don¡¯t come to take her, I¡¯ll take care of her.¡± ¡°??!¡± People were shocked by the bombshell of a declaration. In front of the bewildered people, Ainzbern, who was always alone and calm, headed to his castle with the baby in his arms. Although he was accompanied by many knights and priests to assist him, he did not let go of the baby until he returned home. <*> It¡¯s already been 6 days since I turned back time. ¡®So this is ??.¡¯ When I opened my eyes, I saw a mobile spinning above my head. Bees and butterflies, made of soft crochet yarn, spun around meant to spark my interest and develop my brain. As I followed the movements of the imitation insects that fluttered as if they were teasing me, I thought, ¡®What is all this?¡¯ ¡°Baby, are you awake?¡± During that moment, a warm voice greeted me. ¡°My baby is so well-behaved. Even when you wake up, you just watch the mobile.¡± It was Linda, who had been taking care of me from the moment I woke up here, that had said that. With her light brown hair and her soft impression, she looks at me and loosens more gently. ¡°Would you like to eat?¡± Holding the bottle she gave me, I drank skillfully. In the last six days I¡¯ve gotten used to alot. A baby¡¯s young physical abilities and the many humiliating situations that result from it. Also the time and people back from 22 years ago. But still, I didn¡¯t understand this situation. I looked around the baby¡¯s room, which was too fancy for an improvisation. A white floor with soft carpets, gold ornaments in several places. A baby bedroom with a large window, a large multipurpose drawer, a dressing room, and a second bedroom with an adult bed. The baby bedroom door was a large arch with curtains, so I could see the living room at any time. The window on the wall was small and the curtains were thick, so it was a comfortable atmosphere to take a nap at any time, and the living room was flooded with dazzling golden sunlight through another long window. Three days ago, I met my father and fell asleep crying profusely. And when I opened my eyes, I was here. ¡®No matter how I look at this place, it looks like the Sun Palace??.¡¯ The Sun Palace was my father¡¯s castle. It is said that in the year my father was born, the former Pope received an enormous oracle. The contents of the oracle are astounding, ¡®The sun is coming to the sickly land!¡¯ In the oracle, which was like the beginning of a legend, my grandfather couldn¡¯t control his joy and ordered the most famous architect in the Empire to build a castle of the sun. Thus, this castle was built. The Sun Palace, which was specially built at the orders of my grandfather, who had an extraordinary love for his second son, was splendid and large, living up to its name. All parts of the castle were gilded, and the floor is covered with high-quality white marble. It was built in the area with the highest amount of sunlight in the Imperial family. So, when the sun was rising in the middle of the sky like now, the light really poured into the castle as if the sun had come down. After my father died, I didn¡¯t dare to step inside it. How did I end up here? Wherever she turned her eyes, with the divine background behind her, Linda said in a cheerful voice. ¡°I changed the formula today. I think the baby eats everything well. Even if it tastes a little off, it¡¯s nutritious. But as expected, you eat well. I¡¯m proud of you.¡± Linda said a lot even though she thought I couldn¡¯t understand her. Maybe it was to learn the language quickly. But there was another piece of information I was curious about. ¡®Why am I here?¡¯ ¡°Ou ae oni nyamyu.¡± I wondered how I happened to be in my father¡¯s castle, and why he doesn¡¯t even show his nose. Linda¡¯s eyes widened as she took the bottle from my mouth. A bright smile soon appeared on her face. ¡°Oh, my. Is the changed formula that good?¡± ¡°Ae?¡± ¡°Yes, yum yum.¡± Linda looked at me like she was looking at a lovely little animaland brushed my hair. Judging by her kind face, it seemed that she didn¡¯t understand what I was saying. I looked at Linda¡¯s soft smile and opened my mouth as if possessed. ¡°Nyamunyamu??.¡± ¡°Yes, enjoy your meal.¡± As Linda said with a small smile, I put the bottle to my lips again. Soon, both my cheeks turned a bright red. What did I just do? I like your gentle touch towards me, without even knowing it??. ¡®Calm down, Evenna. you are all grown up You are 16.¡¯ I reflected on myself by pressing my red cheeks with the back of my hand. After finishing my meal, I burped before Linda patted my back. But Linda, who has a good eye, quickly noticed my change. ¡°You burp well on your own.¡± ¡°??.¡± ¡°My smart baby.¡± Linda¡¯s pleasant voice made me lower my head naturally. Everything I said about getting used to my young body for six days is all undone. I will never get used to being praised for burping after eating. I organized my current situation by pretending to sleep so that Linda couldn¡¯t talk to me. In this era, my grandmother had already passed away. So now, most of the political affairs were handled by my grandfather and his aides, who are weak. Normally, the Crown Prince would take the place of the Emperor at this time, but my grandfather hasn¡¯t appointed the Crown Prince yet. He was hoping for his second son to take over the throne, not his legitimate firstborn. This is because his second son will become the next pope and he hoped that the Imperial family and temple, which had similar roles and composition, would be completely merged into one. As a result, only half of my grandfather¡¯s plan was completed. My father, the second son whom my grandfather loves dearly, becomes the Holy Emperor, who is both the Pope and the Emperor and succeeds in making the Empire united, but he died after a short reign of six years. His young daughter he left behind became a puppet monarch, and eventually uncle Rivel, my grandfather¡¯s first son, took control of the Imperial family. ¡®But not anymore.¡¯ ¡®Cause I¡¯m rewriting history.¡¯ I clenched and then stretched my hand. I could feel magic pulsing in my palm. During the past few days, whenever I was awake I spent my time recovering stamina and mana. I had made up my mind. With this power, I will protect everyone. ¡°Hey, baby.¡± Then Linda called me in a surprised voice. I was startled and looked up at her. What is it? You won¡¯t be able to feel magic unless you¡¯re a witch. Did Linda notice something weird like Sophia? ¡°Are you having fun?¡± ¡°??.¡± ¡°Shake your hands, it¡¯s fun.¡± Linda said, putting her hands together in front of me and spreading them out. I think she saw collecting mana as a kind of effort to help me develop my hand muscles. ¡®Hey, I¡¯m glad??.¡¯ As soon as I was relieved, Linda¡¯s gaze bore into my face. ¡®Ugh.¡¯ Her green eyes sparkled like jewels. My temple was sweating profusely, full of anticipation. Unable to overcome that strong push, I finally clasped and opened my hand twice. ¡°Daedae.¡± ¡°Oh, my. My baby is so smart¡±. Linda lifted me up and hugged me tightly as if she couldn¡¯t stand it. I smiled and flinched, but buried my head in her shoulder. What is more important than training my magic core is training my body. Being praised was only an additional effect and not my purpose. Neve CH 7 ¡°You dust that. I¡¯ll wipe the back of the shelf here.¡± I woke up to the whispering voices and the touch of the wind tickling my eyelashes. I turned my head to see the gentle sunlight and cool breeze coming in through the open window. Because of Linda who kept trying to play with me, I couldn¡¯t train, was exhausted and slept while adjusting to her rhythm. By then, Linda didn¡¯t see that I had slept, and other servants were coming in and cleaning my room. As usual, I listened to their voices. The only way to get information with this body is by listening. ¡°The baby is so calm.¡± ¡°Well, she never says a word. Sena was worried before, so she put her hand under her nose.¡± ¡°Haha, but when she saw His Highness, she screamed out and cried.¡± ¡°Oh my God, really? Was it because of His Highness¡¯s cold expression?¡± ¡°I guess so.¡± ¡®No.¡¯ I only said the rebuttal inwardly. I felt sorry for my father. I cried sadly when I saw my father?? I was so overwhelmed with emotions that I couldn¡¯t help it, but it seemed that my father didn¡¯t care. ¡®Is that why he hasn¡¯t come?¡¯ I cried when I saw my dad??. When the thoughts came to mind, my lips unconsciously moved downwards. I was crying with a sullen heart, and then I panicked. ¡®There¡¯s really no end to greed.¡± A few years ago, I prayed to God that I wouldn¡¯t ask for anything else if only I could be under the same sky as my parents. When I saw my dad once, I wanted to see him again, and I had a desire to tell him that I was his daughter. Many people, including my aunt, didn¡¯t sacrifice themselves for my personal satisfaction. If I¡¯m greedy like this, I¡¯ll be hated by God. ¡®Okay, let¡¯s recover quickly.¡¯ I closed my eyes and felt the magic in the air. Even priests couldn¡¯t feel the divinity, but witches could feel magic. Contrary to people¡¯s prejudices, magic is everywhere, not just in the underworld or in the abandoned city of Nasha. They¡¯re even in the Sun Palace, which is full of relics. If I focus on the flow in the air, I can feel its magic. To train my magic core, I have to draw the magic I sensed into me little by little. As a result of repeating this consistently, my empty core was quite full of magic in a few days. The recovery rate was slow because of the location, but with this amount of power, many things could be done. For example, this. I opened my right eye slightly without letting the servants know. My fingers were reflected in my pink eye, which I inherited from my mom. I slowly moved my body¡¯s mana to the right hand. Then, the black magic visible only to the witch¡¯s eyes gathered. Since long ago, this power has only been seen with my right eye. When I touched it, my little fingers pressed by the magic flinched. I moved the mana under the back of my hand. Then my hand, which had no strength, slowly moved up. It may look like I raised my hand to others¡¯ eyes, but to me, it looked like black magic supported my hand. ¡®It seems like it¡¯s still not enough??.¡¯ As I was looking at it, a servant suddenly spoke. ¡°By the way did you hear it too? Rumors about the secret of the baby¡¯s birth.¡± ¡°??!¡± I was surprised and recovered my mana. The hand that had been lifted in the air fell onto the bed. My heart pounded. As I turned my head, shaking, I saw the servants whispering while wiping the pots by the window. ¡°Yeah, the story that the baby might be His Majesty¡¯s bloodline?¡± ¡°???¡± Frightened, I became confused by the voices. ¡®What does this mean?¡¯ ¡°Is this evidence supporting the rumor?¡± ¡°Well, I think it makes sense.¡± Not noticing my gaze with a million or so question marks, the servant naturally shrugged. ¡°Her left eye and facial features resemble His Majesty¡±. ¡°??.¡± I had nothing to say, so I touched my face with my hands. ¡®It¡¯s not unusual for a granddaughter to resemble her grandfather??.¡¯ Ha, but in terms of bloodlines, I¡¯m more closely related to my dad than my grandfather. So wouldn¡¯t I look more like my dad? Look here again carefully, guys. ¡°Besides, His Majesty also has a history.¡± As the servant added. I suddenly felt a sense of dizziness. ¡®Hmm, something similar happened 6 years ago??.¡¯ People who first discovered me said something similar, saying that I looked like my grandfather. I was frowning and agonizing, and soon came up with a thought. ¡®Grandpa¡¯s youngest son, Fariel de Reinhardt.¡¯ He¡¯s my youngest uncle. Come to think of it, I heard that the youngest uncle was an illegitimate child. As he died on the battlefield, he was later recorded as an honorable warrior. He died when I was very young, so I couldn¡¯t recall any personal information. He was abandoned by the Imperial family when he was young. ¡®Come to think of it, he must be alive now.¡¯ Uncle Fariel. Many people who died in the future and I¡¯ve never met before are alive now. I opened my other eye to the new emotions, then came to my senses again and concentrated on gathering my mana. As a baby, I slept too much. I don¡¯t have much time for work, so I have to use my time as much as possible. While I was diligently filling my magic core, the servants¡¯ cleaning was over. As they were doing their final clean-up, I heard a murmur outside. ¡°Your highness, you¡¯re¡­¡± ¡®Your Highness?¡¯ My ears perked up at the familiar title. Did daddy come? I turned my head with excitement. Soon, the door opened suddenly. The servants, who were approaching the door with a puzzled look, were surprised and bowed their heads. As I looked back at the door, a familiar face came into my eyes. The warm and leisurely afternoon air quickly turns cold and reveals sharp thorns. My body reacted before the face began to tremble. He looked very young 22 years in the past, but he couldn¡¯t help but notice his face and atmosphere. ¡°Seeing Your Highness Rivelius!¡± Linda, a young boy who looked like a apprentice knight, and priests??. It was uncle. The man who killed my aunt in front of my eyes and tried to kill me. With terrified eyes, I watched him approach me. Thump thump. People¡¯s screams were mixed in with his footsteps like hallucinations. ¡°Ueu, u, heuk.¡± An uncontrollable scream rang out. I couldn¡¯t even breathe properly. The feeling of a cold blade touching the nape of my neck still remained clearly. I wanted to hide, but there were walls everywhere. The fence of the crib that protected me from falling was transformed into a prison¡¯s iron bars in an instant. Helpless, I rolled over to the other side of the fence, trying to get away from him just a little bit. ¡°Your Highness!¡± Then, Linda stepped in front of me. Could it be that my terrified struggle could be seen in her eyes? Although it was obvious that Linda was nervous, she gathered her courage and said, ¡°Now, His Highness Ainzbern has left the Sun Palace. If you tell me what you need, I will tell him about it after His Highness returns??.¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay. I didn¡¯t come to see Ain today.¡± But at Linda¡¯s trembling voice, Uncle cut her off. ¡°I heard that a child of God came down to the ¡®Imperial Palace¡¯.¡± The word ¡®Imperial Palace¡¯ had a unique accent. He was stipulating that the child of God came to the Imperial Palace, not to the Second Prince. ¡°I heard that Ain arbitrarily declared that he would be in charge of the saint, but?? she is the saint, who came to Imperial family, so doesn¡¯t it make more sense for the first son of the Imperial family greet her?¡± No, he went one more step than that. He was drawing a line that it was his arbitrary choice to take me over, and at the same time he was accusing my dad of playing his role like he was taking it away. In front of my dad¡¯s family. ¡°That¡¯s??.¡± I could see Linda¡¯s fingertips trembling. Even the escorts guarding the front door seemed to be greatly embarrassed. Those were rude words that¡¯ll reach my father¡¯s ears. Even though he was the eldest son of the Emperor, it was also an attitude that crossed the line, considering my father would soon become the pope. But he had a reason to come out strong. It was because he thought that my father wouldn¡¯t be able to argue even if he did this. Dad owed a great debt to his brother. It was because when they were young, my father seriously injured my uncle during a quarrel. That left my uncle with a large scar across his right eye. It was already too late when the priests came. Uncle was blind for a while. It was just a miracle that he regained his sight after that. However, the trauma was so great that my uncle was unable to use the auror properly after that. One of the reasons why Uncle loved Sophia so much in the future was because she removed that scar. During his life, Dad felt guilty whenever he saw uncle¡¯s wounds. Grandpa¡¯s favoritism must have played a role in fueling dad¡¯s guilt. But that¡¯s not much of daddy¡¯s fault, and there¡¯s more to it, but? Daddy¡¯s guilt has increased this year. ¡°If you understand, get out of my way.¡± When his long bangs shook with purpose, his covered left eye was revealed. The blue-gray eyes that survived from the long vertical scar shone fiercely. In front of the man who would become emperor, there was nothing more Linda could do. The shadow of my uncle slowly that cast over my body swallowed my shadow. I raised my creaking head and looked at my uncle. ¡°Nice to meet you, Saint.¡± My uncle greeted me with courtesy, raising his hand on his chest. ¡°I am Rebelius de Reinhardt, the first prince of the Empire.¡± There was a bright smile on his face. My heart dropped. The two look completely different even though he has platinum blonde hair and blue-gray eyes, the same color as my fathers. Unlike my father, who looks beautiful but cold with little expression of emotion, uncle gave a good and soft impression at first sight. However, his gentle smile became invincible only to me over time. A memory of the past, struggling to get even a handful of kindness and a smile from my uncle, came to mind. My heart was pounding as sharply as a sharp awl. ¡®I feel like I¡¯m going to vomit??.¡¯ Helpless me and my smiling uncle. I was so used to this situation. It¡¯s like going back to when I was 10 or 13. I endured it then, and it was bearable. As expected, did my body become younger and my nerves became more sensitive? As I shivered silently, my uncle blinked, puzzled. ¡°Are you shaking right now?¡± ¡®Are you trying to buy sympathy, Evenna?¡¯ The memories of the past were overlaid in the present, and my ears buzzed. As I was terrified and unable to do anything, I could see the face of my uncle, who was watching me, slowly stiffened. ¡°Something is strange??.¡± He murmured and reached into the crib. A large hand approached my head. I shrank, startled. The moment the hand was about to reach me. ¡°Brother.¡± A familiar voice was heard from the doorway. CH 8 My uncle¡¯s hand stopped right before it reached me. ¡°Ain.¡± ¡®Dad???¡¯ I shook and slowly raised my head. Then, I saw my father entering the room, organizing his messy hair through the crib¡¯s fences. ¡°What are you doing here without any prior notice?¡± ¡°This is disappointing, does an older brother need permission to see his younger brother? At my uncle¡¯s playful question, Dad¡¯s alertness was noticeably relieved. At first glance, he looked cold, but compared to his attitude to other people, my father¡¯s attitude toward uncle was clearly soft. Looking at the sly smile around my uncle¡¯s mouth, my uncle seemed to be well aware of the difference. ¡°You didn¡¯t come to see me??.¡± My father¡¯s gaze stopped at me as he slowly approached. Inside his blue-gray eyes, which were getting endlessly grayish, looked me up and down. From my frightened face, stiff shoulders, trembling fingertips, and hips attached to the fence. Like an illusion, the temperature of the room suddenly dropped. Soon, the coldest voice I¡¯ve ever heard came out of my dad¡¯s mouth. ¡°Get out of here right now.¡± Everyone in the room was surprised by my father¡¯s cold command. The person who was most embarrassed was by far my uncle. His smile, which seemed unbreakable, collapsed. ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Without answering Uncle¡¯s question, Dad walked over to the baby crib. It was his answer, by blocking the way between my uncle and me. Uncle had no choice but to take a step back. ¡®?? Phew.¡¯ When my uncle moved away from the crib, I was out of breath. But my dad wasn¡¯t satisfied. ¡°A little further back.¡± ¡°??.¡± ¡°More.¡± ¡°??.¡± Uncle stepped back little by little at the criticism of my dad. It was not until my uncle was at the center of the room that approval came from my dad¡¯s mouth. ¡°Good, there.¡± Looking at that, I felt dumbfounded. I was surprised when my uncle reached out to me, and I thought it would be nice for him to back away, but??. I didn¡¯t know he¡¯d be this far away. My uncle¡¯s face, which had a bright smile on his face when he first entered the room, was now completely dead. He sighed as if tired. ¡°Why all of a sudden???¡± ¡°What did you do to the child?¡± Dad, who cut my uncle¡¯s sentence, questioned him with a cold voice. I had such a frightened face. It seems that dad read an unusual sign from me. Dad was standing with his back to the crib, so I couldn¡¯t see his face from my position. All I could see was the pale face of my uncle who was looking at my father. ¡°?? I didn¡¯t do anything.¡± My uncle said as if he were making an excuse. It was unfair for him because my uncle really didn¡¯t do anything to me. Yet. If dad leaves me again, he¡¯ll point the sword at me again. Feeling a chill at the back of my neck, I hunched my neck. At that moment, Dad turned and looked at me. He looked at me during the moment when I was frightened and curled up like an ammonite. Dad¡¯s eyes turned cold when he saw me, and then he looked at my uncle again. ¡°You didn¡¯t do anything, but why is she like this?¡± ¡°?? No, really.¡± Uncle scratched his head as if frustrated. ¡°What can I do when the baby is scared? When you first saw her she cried. I¡¯ve heard from people that said she cried so hard that they were worried that she would faint.¡± I flinched at my uncle¡¯s counterattack. My anger and longing piled up, over the years I couldn¡¯t meet my father. I should¡¯ve controlled my emotions well. Feeling sorry, I rolled my eyes and looked at my dad. But Dad answered without blinking an eye. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear that she fell asleep in my arms?¡± ¡°??.¡± My uncle seemed speechless. After making an absurd face, he managed to fix his face and spoke sarcastically. ¡°?? Yes, I see. So it¡¯s my fault.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± But my father¡¯s answer was concise as if he didn¡¯t notice my uncle¡¯s sarcasm. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry if you really didn¡¯t do anything. The baby seems to be afraid of my brother¡¯s face, so please refrain from sudden visits in the future.¡± ¡°??.¡± Uncle blankly pointed to my face. It was the first time he had ever heard of a baby looking scared. Judging from today¡¯s events, Uncle must have visited the Sun Palace at will. But it was suddenly hidered, so it must be very frustrating. The strong attitude of his younger brother, who was always weak to him because of the feeling of debt. The maids and knights who opened the door also looked embarrassed. Actually, I was surprised, too. Why are you defending me this much? Is it because I¡¯m a child of God? When I raised my head in confusion, my dad looked down at me at the same time. When our eyes met, his sharp eyes relaxed. ¡®Ah.¡¯ At that moment, I realized my father always seemed as strong as steel, but in front of weak things, he was surprisingly weak. Even if I am a child of God, I am just an orphan abandoned in the Imperial Palace. That¡¯s why he treats me so kindly. Even if I can¡¯t tell you that I¡¯m your daughter. Even if it¡¯s not affection for your daughter, but sympathy. When I received affection from my father, I felt tears. ¡°?? Abba.¡± (T/N: She is trying to say ¡®Appa¡¯ which means dad in Korean, but since she can¡¯t pronounce that properly she said ¡®Abba¡¯) I forgot that I was in front of my uncle, who will try to kill me one day, and babbled softly. Then, Dad slowly reached out to me. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m here.¡± When Dad pulled me out of the crib and held me, I buried my head in Dad¡¯s arms. ¡®Oops, uncle.¡¯ Belatedly, I remembered my uncle¡¯s existence and turned my head. My uncle, who looked at me with blank eyes, flinched. Dad raised the corners of his mouth as he looked at him. As a reaction to that, Uncle¡¯s expression became darker. ¡°I think you misunderstood something. You are not her father.¡± Uncle pointed out in a slightly unpleasant voice. Dad shrugged lightly. ¡°I know.¡± ¡°Okay ??.¡± When his uncle turned his back, the priests, who came with him, followed him. ¡°Let¡¯s go, Fariel!¡± At that, the boy who was near the crib turned his head. I realized late. The boy I thought was my uncle¡¯s apprentice knight was none other than my youngest uncle, Fariel de Reinhardt. Blonde hair and green eyes that have never been seen before in the Imperial family. In addition, his clothes were so simple that I never thought he would be a prince. Above all, he looked only about eight years old, so I couldn¡¯t immediately imagine that the child would be my uncle. Uncle Fariel stared at Uncle Rivel¡¯s back as he left the room, for a moment, then looked back at my father and asked as if courageous. ¡°May I hug her?¡± At those words, Dad¡¯s eyes scanned Uncle Fariel as if searching. After much deliberation, my father made a decision. ¡°No.¡± Uncle Fariel¡¯s face filled up with disappointment. Dad quickly added. ¡°I am very scared because my baby is young. I don¡¯t like it because she¡¯s scared right now, so ask again when she grows bigger.¡± ¡°You said the baby is scared???¡± Uncle Fariel looked a little shaky, but he understood why and nodded. It seemed awkward to hold me in front of him, so Dad laid me back on the crib. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± At that moment, Linda came over and bowed her head in front of my dad. ¡°This is my fault, Your Highness. I should have been more protective of the baby.¡± ¡°This is largely due to my negligence in my actions.¡± ¡°But, the baby??.¡± Linda looked at me with tearful eyes. I can tell her feelings just by looking at them. There was guilt and worry in her twinkling in them. Only my nanny blocked the First Prince, so she was very courageous. Still, did she feel sorry for me? Did I look so scared? Do nannies take care of babies like that? I would have had a nanny, but after my father died, I suddenly became invisible. I don¡¯t know if she quit her job or if she was kicked out??. We were not blood related, and she wouldn¡¯t have received anything from me, but the one-sided affection was unfamiliar and strange. In front of her, dad looked down at his hands with a complicated face. ¡°It would be good to take this opportunity to clarify your attitude.¡± While listening to the conversation between the two, I suddenly noticed a strong gaze pouring into the side of my face. I turned to see Uncle Fariel staring at me. The child¡¯s clear gaze fluttered across my skin. ¡®It bothers me a lot.¡¯ After the time leap, I often drew strength out of my physics. I faced my youngest uncle a little awkwardly. Looking closely, I could see the resemblance of my father in my uncle¡¯s face. Although hair and eye colors are different, if dad grew up to be delicate and cute, he would¡¯ve looked like my uncle. I have no memories of Uncle Fariel, but it was nice to meet him like this. In the future, he will be killed in action at such a young age. I could only meet you through records. As soon as I got to that point, I suddenly became sympathetic, so I took some courage. ¡°Tta.¡± ¡°??.¡± ¡°Amyuaa.¡± How are you, uncle? When I murmured with that meaning, my uncle slowly put his head against the fence. He muttered softly so that the words could only be heard by me. ¡°We¡¯re both abandoned the same, why are you a child of God?¡± But what came out of his youthful lips was a familiar hostility. ¡°You¡¯re nothing.¡± Cold eyes looked down at me. It was a familiar look to me. The faces of those who mocked me in the future came to mind, and my heart sank. ¡°Do you still need something?¡± My dad suddenly looked at Uncle Fariel and asked. The moment Uncle Fariel looked back at my dad, the malice on his face disappeared. ¡°No, I¡¯m going to go now.¡± He returns with a childlike expression and smiles brightly. I was speechless and dumbfounded. ¡®What was that??? ¡°Excuse me, Goodbye.¡± The youngest uncle, who even greeted me politely, was like a different person who had been whispering coldly to me until just now. As I turned and looked at the back of his vanishing gait, I patted my fluttering chest. ¡®?? I take back saying that you look like my dad, if he was delicate and cute.¡¯ Now that I I looked closely, he looks just like Uncle Rivel. The Imperial family from 22 years ago is not the same Imperial family in the future. I received a bunch of favors in the past few days, and it seemed that ice water hit my softened mind just now. Then, suddenly, a large hand supported me. When I lifted my head, my dad held me in his arms. ¡°You must be very surprised.¡± A gentle hand pats on the back slowly. I tilted my head. With his beautiful eyebrows slightly frowned, dad smiled as if he was sorry. ¡°The procedure is more complicated than I thought??.¡± ¡°??.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t come often because I was busy.¡± ¡®It wasn¡¯t because I cried.¡¯ At that one sentence, all my tension melted away like snow. Even if you don¡¯t know that I¡¯m your daughter, I still want to be loved by my dad. Even if it is the agape love of a loving father. ¡°As expected, it¡¯s completely different from the imperial family 22 years later.¡± Yes, because my dad is here. Even if I have Uncle Rivel, or even if other people with hostility appear to me. There was no need to despair like before. ¡°Fariel is not cute. My dad is much cuter.¡¯ No, is it weird that my dad is cute? I mean, anyway, my dad doesn¡¯t look like any other brothers and is the most handsome. Not just among brothers, but the best in the world. ¡°Oh my.¡± When I rubbed my head in my dad¡¯s arms, I heard Linda¡¯s surprised voice. ¡°The baby is very shy, but she really likes you.¡± She said something louder than usual. Even the servants who were still in the room from the commotion could hear it. ¡°??That¡¯s right.¡± Dad responded quietly. It¡¯s my misunderstanding that the voice somehow sounds proud. CH 9 ¡°??.¡± ¡°??.¡± Dad hugged and stared at me. A heavy silence passed between us. Under his long eyelashes, there was awkwardness in his beautiful blue-gray eyes. My bachelor dad seemed unaccustomed to handling kids. It was certainly like a dream-like experience with my dad, but it wasn¡¯t. Should I show off my talent so that I don¡¯t seem like an enemy? I was thinking about what I could do in this body, but my dad opened his mouth. ¡°What do ?? babies like to do?¡± Linda¡¯s eyes widened at dad¡¯s awkward question. ¡°Babies don¡¯t like me? so I don¡¯t know how to deal with such a young baby.¡± Linda smiled a little at his awkward words. ¡°Talk to the baby.¡± ¡°Talk?¡± ¡°Yes, even if they don¡¯t understand, talking to a baby a lot is good for their communication and language development. Children who hear a variety of words quickly learn how to talk.¡± ¡°I see.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not good at speaking??.¡± Dad muttered in a serious voice. My eyes lit up. No matter what my father said, I was confident that the world would have fun listening to it. At the corner of my dazzling eyes, dad opened his mouth. ¡°I have been visiting the temple for the past few days. I have reported your arrival to the Vatican.¡± My arrival to the temple? When I first heard this, I was a little nervous. There were no good memories of the Temple. Because in the future, the relationship between the temple and I got worse from this point. ¡°Priests are born with attributes.¡± Dad continued to talk. A soft voice rang in my ears pleasantly. ¡°There are two main types of attributes: destruction and healing. It is effective to use the power that fits your natural attributes. For example, Holy Knights born with the property of destruction need a lot more divinity just to heal paper wounds than breaking stone walls. On the other hand, priests can heal easily, but they are not good at fighting. Therefore, it is very important to follow your natural attribute, this principle is when your stigmata are first formed??.¡± But my father suddenly started reciting the Introduction of Divinity. ¡®She said it would be nice for me to hear a variety of words, but giving a baby a lesson?¡¯ Without noticing that my eyes were looking around, dad continued to talk about the principles of divinity. As I looked around, confused, Linda pressed her lips with her hands and held back her laughter. I smiled sadly. ¡®You were actually serious when you said you didn¡¯t know how to handle a baby??.¡¯ ¡°Everyone was surprised and delighted to hear that you used the power to heal.¡± Then, my dad said softly and swept my cheek. It was a very careful touch. ¡°This is a promising sign to the empire.¡± The way he looked at me was full of friendly energy. There was a reason why my dad said that. Unlike excellent holy knights, there were few excellent healers. Since ancient times, the appearance of a saint with the power of healing has been regarded as a symbol of peace. That fact pierced my conscience. ¡®Empire. Promising.¡¯ They weren¡¯t strange words. Although the priests had the same attributes, the amount of their natural divinity was different. Most of this divinity depends on their hereditary, but there was a rule that a child couldn¡¯t have more divinity than the parent, so the divinity gets weaker with each passing generation. According to the myth, the first emperor was a child of God, and his blood got thinner and weaker. However, sometimes the child exceeds the power of their parents. For example, people like Saint Sophia and dad. In the temple, it was called ¡°God¡¯s hereditary¡±. Through God¡¯s children, strong divinity was again reproduced, and because the number of high-ranking priests was barely maintained, the Empire¡¯s people praised me like crazy when I was born. (TL/N: Talking about when she was born before the time leap.) ¡®The most honorable person in the world, the sun of the empire.¡¯ But my status ended the day I exercised both powers. It¡¯s because of my powers, I didn¡¯t have any attributes. As my dad said, there are two main attributes of priests, but there are some cases where people are born with no attributes. In that case, those people can handle both powers but at the same level, they can¡¯t be good at either. Considering that those who are born with one attribute must devote themselves to training for the rest of their life to be active, a priest with no attribute is of no use in actual combat. From promising mixed blood of a saint and a witch to a non-attribute, all I could say was that I did everything. ¡°You will definitely be a good healer.¡± Despite the criticism that he was beautiful but cold, dad said that to me with a warm smile. Knowing that it was a smile for a saint, who was born with amazing healing powers, my conscience was deeply pierced. ¡®Ho, I may not be a good healing priest??.¡¯ Having acquired the power of healing at the age of 6 with a sweet dream of using it to heal my dad, I couldn¡¯t cure a single cold until I was 16. I clenched my fist with a tattered heart. ¡®I grew up as a witch rather than a priest, I will be filial.¡¯ Wouldn¡¯t a witch be filial? The idea of filial piety differs from house to house. I will try to bring dad, the Pope, back to life with magic, not divinity. I feel a little bit heresy? I didn¡¯t give in and opened my eyes. ¡°Au, Adada.¡± ¡®For the sake of the family¡¯s well-being, I will work hard to light a fire in me, dad.¡¯ It doesn¡¯t seem like my intentions came through to my dad, but he continued to tell me a lot of stories after that. My dad tried to protect me as my guardian, but the temple won¡¯t permit that. If a saint doesn¡¯t have a parent, there is a rule that the temple will protect him or her. So my dad looked a little troubled. ¡°Eong, aae, ibuu.¡± ¡®Your highness is my biological dad.¡¯ I whispered something like that, but my father didn¡¯t seem to understand. It¡¯s hard to say even if I can talk. My dad is my dad, but I haven¡¯t been born yet. Despite such problems, my dad spent time with me until dinner. I was happy to have a long conversation with my dad after a long time. All I could say was ¡®Ukya,¡¯ ¡®Kkya,¡¯ and ¡®Ababa¡¯. I should practice my pronunciation hard so that we can talk about it properly as soon as possible. After my dad left, I was so exhausted that I fell asleep. Afterward, servants came again, but I gave up on practicing my powers and just slept well. Until midnight. It has been 7 days since I performed the time leap. I had something to do today. This was because my aunt will soon return from vacation. It would be a big deal if my aunt, who returned from resting, accidentally discovers my spellbook under the bed. ¡®I have to retrieve the spellbook today.¡¯ When I opened my eyes for the third time, my room was dark. I slowly turned my head to the side. My nanny, Linda, was sleeping on a bed a short distance away. Breathing. As I listened, I heard a faint sound of breathing in the quiet room. I have analyzed the lifestyles of the Sun Palace¡¯s servants. The only time I could avoid people¡¯s eyes was during some of my nap times and my nanny¡¯s sleep time. My nanny, Linda, goes to bed around midnight and wakes up around 8. No one has entered the room while Linda was asleep in the past few days. ¡®Now.¡¯ In other words, now was the opportunity to go out. As I practiced during the day, I moved my magic core¡¯s magic slowly. This time, not to the back of my right hand, but my whole body. Just like before, I gathered black magic into my hand and made it support my body. Then, my body lying on the bed floated up. ¡®Oh, oh.¡¯ When I completely escaped from the fence that had imprisoned me, my body was left in the air. I squinted nervously at Linda¡¯s bed, who was asleep. If Linda opens her eyes now, she will see me floating in the air. But luckily, there was no sign of her waking up. A hand made of magic slowly lowered me to the floor. I sighed silently. ¡®The first step was a success.¡¯ Then, the second is??. I looked around with sharp eyes. And then again, my body shuddered with magic. Up until my dad passed away, the Imperial palace was my playground. The Holy Empire¡¯s Imperial Castle was connected to each building like an organ pipe. Inside the large walls, was an outer castle where servants lived and an inner castle where the Imperial family lived, and there was a large garden in the middle. When you enter the castle, it is an open space, but from the outside, it looks like a fortress. Its organic composition was complex and unique, and many first-timers were lost. But to me, the Imperial palace¡¯s structure was as familiar as the palm of my hand. And in the Imperial palace, there was a secret passage that was passed down only to the Emperor and the prince. 800 years ago, when the secret passage was built, it was an era when holy relics called gifts left by God were overflowing. Historians deduce that the first emperor, who founded the Yehad, was severely paranoid and controlling. He was very worried that his children or his subjects would try to kill him or the Crown Prince. The Priests generously used the holy relics to save His Majesty, the Holy Emperor, and his precious bloodline. ¡®As a result, this passageway was born??¡¯ As I recollected, I poured out the divinity I had accumulated over the years, little by little, just under the wall leading to the hallway. As soon as I drew the Emperor¡¯s pattern passed down from my dad using my divinity, the floor was pushed away. Gasp. Startled by the sound, I glanced behind me, but Linda¡¯s bed was still. I slowly moved my body down the floor with magic while watching carefully. When I entered the entrance and instilled my divinity once more, the floor closed. ¡°Whoo.¡± The secret passage, which recognized the divinity of their owner, lit up the way with a golden light. I looked into the passageway with little startled eyes. ¡®Beautiful.¡¯ In the future, most of the passages were destroyed due to the extensive expansion that my uncle had done forcibly. So, the remaining part was too narrow for a single person to pass properly, and it was messed up with dust and ashes. But now it was comfortable like long ago, when I first set foot in this passage. When I saw the holy relics emitting light one by one on the wall of the passage, my heart pounded. This secret passage was connected to almost everywhere in the Imperial Palace to save the emperor at any time and no matter what happens. When I first came here as a child, I was so excited that I walked around all day. ¡®Of all the visitors of this passage, our Evenna is probably the youngest.¡¯ Dad showed me the passage and said so. Normally, even the eldest son of the emperor could visit this space only before or after the succession ceremony if his safety was not endangered. It was so that there wouldn¡¯t be a disaster if someone other than the emperor took control of the Imperial Palace. Thinking about it now, it was my dad¡¯s certain promise that brought me here. He promised not to crown another successor other than myself. My body is younger now than it was then. I am probably the only person who has broken the record twice as the youngest person in the passage. That¡¯s huge. ¡°Kkya.¡± What¡¯s even more amazing is that the current emperor is uncomfortable and he hasn¡¯t chosen a successor yet. Then, I am the only person who can use this passage? now. My secret passage. The golden relics that brightly illuminate the passage seem to recognize me despite the change in periods. Even when everyone turned away from me, I was comforted by this passage, which was the only way to welcome me. It was as if I was the emperor, and the holy relics on the wall were whispering in my ear. ¡°Relax.¡± That was the impression I got here. I sat down on the floor, gathering magic in my hands and feet. I could see black magic gently wrapping them. I clenched my teeth and pressed my hand to the floor with all my might. ¡°Ah!¡± ¡®Magic?? Stand!¡¯ With a loud cheering sound, my body stood tall. I clenched my fists and focused. The dispersed magic blew away only after I balanced myself. ¡°Uhhhh.¡± I looked at the feet supporting my body with amazement. CH 10 ¡®?? Stand!¡¯ ¡°Ahh!¡± While I shouted cheerfully, my head tilted forward. ¡°??!¡± I swung my hands and pushed the top of my head with magic. Then the center of gravity shifted back again. When I hurriedly supported my back with magic, my body stood up again. ¡°Ua.¡± To stand properly, I have to support my lower body as well as my lower back. After contemplating, I circled the magic around my waist and regained my balance, just walking on a round pedestal. Then there was stability, and the amount of magic consumption significantly decreased compared to when my body was floating with magic alone. My idea was correct. It would be more efficient to support my weight with my feet and assist with magic rather than flying and moving with only magic. So I have been practicing now and then, and I¡¯m so glad that I¡¯m doing so well. ¡°Adada.¡± ¡®Standing and walking are great.¡¯ I felt a piercing sensation in my foot as I stepped on the ground. I groaned a little and felt both feet on the ground. The memories of pushing my stomach, hiding books, crawling on the floor, and sweating ran through my head. Grown-ups say crawling is a military exercise. A baby¡¯s life is a battlefield where every moment is fierce. Adults make life easy. ¡°Ana, Doo.¡± ¡®One, two.¡¯ I counted my steps and took one step forward. I was under pressure to grow up fast, so I think the problem was that I drank too much formula. The white socks Linda put on my feet were too small for my chubby body. It took very delicate magic control for my socks to withstand my relatively large body. ¡®I used to do this when I sprained my ankle.¡¯ At the time, I was struggling to live. Because if I showed my weakness, things would get worse. In the Imperial palace infested with enemies, magic helped a lot. This power eventually even brought me back to the past. Because I was a witch, I faced a lot of shame, but it was ironic that I was able to overcome it because I was a witch. ¡®One hundred and one, one hundred and two.¡¯ My steps were simply baby steps. My legs are short, so my steps are narrow, and it seems that I have to take three or four steps to take an adult step. I shed tears at the shortened movement, but I worked hard as I counted the steps inwardly. If my stamina wears out, I use the power of healing. Compared to a priest, who was born with healing properties, mine was an insignificant ability. But it was still capable of recovering stamina and healing minor wounds. ¡®My worn-out stamina is restored with divinity, and my lack of strength is restored with magic. I will take these steps until morning comes, I will retrieve the spellbook.¡¯ That was my plan. I was very worried, but fortunately, it seemed to be going as I planned. ¡®No, maybe it¡¯s a lot smoother than I thought?¡¯ I looked at the magic that wrapped around my body with strange eyes. I was anxious to think that I have to quickly retrieve the spellbook before the end of the week, my aunt¡¯s vacation duration. So, I calculated the distance between her room and my room and based the amount of magic needed on that. Then, I diligently collected it. So, on the 7th day, I met my target and came out. But strangely, I feel relaxed. In the past, my magic used to leak easily when I used it, but now it doesn¡¯t feel like it¡¯s leaking ¡®Is it because of the time leap???¡¯ Just as a warrior gets stronger every time they go through war. Did I also grow stronger as a witch by casting a large-scale spell? I¡¯ve never seen a witch other than myself, so I don¡¯t know how they usually strengthened, but it¡¯s possible. ¡®Five thousand five hundred, five thousand and five hundred one??.¡¯ I wonder if it¡¯s been an hour or two. Finally, the wall leading to my aunt¡¯s room was gradually appearing. If I were an ordinary baby, I would¡¯ve been exhausted already, but with the help of my divinity, I wasn¡¯t very tired. ¡®Five thousand five hundred and twenty!¡¯ ¡°Kkya!¡± Arriving in front of the wall, I cheered quietly. I don¡¯t think I¡¯ve ever been so proud of myself. ¡®This was really successful.¡¯ I put my ears on the wall with excitement. I couldn¡¯t feel any presence. When I pushed with my hand against the wall, the wall was gently pushed even though I didn¡¯t put much force. Soon, a familiar space unfolded in front of me. It was deep dawn, but the large moon lit up the darkness and I could see it all at once. ¡®It¡¯s my aunt¡¯s room.¡¯ I leaned on the wall. Then, I lifted my head and looked around. It sure seems like no one is here, so I ran back and forth. Unfortunately, I walked out and searched under the bed. ¡®The Spellbook, the Spellbook.¡¯ As I bent down to the bed skirt and fumbled on the floor, I soon found something at my fingertips. I was assisted by my magic, and I grabbed hold of it and pulled it with all my might. Popping from under the bed was my mother¡¯s spellbook, which I was so worried about. I did it! ¡°Kkya?!¡± I was amazed unconsciously, but then I was surprised. My hard frozen gaze briefly and looked at the door. I was frozen in sweat, but when there was no moment, I slightly sighed silently. ¡°?? Hu.¡± ¡®??Evenna, are you really stupid?¡¯ I asked myself a question with an unbelievable face. He sobbed in front of his father, and now he is impressed by the work that is behind him. Did my emotions intensify after becoming a baby? I couldn¡¯t tell and shook my head. Then, I held the spellbook with both hands and carefully headed to the secret door. On the way, I stepped on the rug under my feet, so I deliberately stepped on it with all my might. Rug, look at this. This is the difference in superiority between you and me. How hard it was before to pass it when I was hungry. Even if it was thanks to my magic, it was refreshing to walk around. My two legs then hurried. Arriving in the passage with a waddle, I took a small gasp of air with my back against the closed wall and held the book. It was a short distance, but I ran out of breath when I moved my short body in fear of anyone coming in. Since I have achieved my goal, I can take a short break. I fell to the floor. As I took my breath away, I looked at the green spellbook with a large emerald embedded in it. ¡°Heh??.¡± I smiled softly and stroked the spellbook. As a result of my mission, the evidence that I am a witch has disappeared from the world forever. Besides, ¡®Mom¡¯s spellbook.¡¯ At first, when I saw it, the situation was embarrassing while I was in a hurry to hide it, but that book in my hands was my mother¡¯s only keepsake. I found this book by accident last year, when I was 15 years old, where it was hidden behind a bookshelf. At first, I didn¡¯t even know it was a spellbook. My aunt tried to open it, but it wouldn¡¯t budge, so I knew it was a spellbook. I tried so hard not to let my uncle find out about this. There was a very simple spell in the book. A spell where only the last person who closes the book can open the book. Moreover, it did not tear or break under any impact. When you open it up, the whole book is fully blank, but if you use a little magic, the contents inside will be revealed. This secret spellbook was full of traces of my mother. ¡®I also found the time leap in there??.¡¯ Thanks to her, I can turn back time and live like this. To me, my mom and the spellbook were like lifesavers. I carefully opened the book. On the blank beige paper, I gathered my magic power in the palm of my hand and swept lightly to reveal the page¡¯s content. The spells are written in my mother¡¯s handwriting, the magic circle, and, perhaps she was bored, there was also a small doodle of a tiger in the corner. A round, crooked, ugly tiger. There is information that can be inferred from this. My mom was bad at drawing. ¡°Hehe.¡± Somehow I felt better, so I fell on the floor and buried my face in the book. A mom who could only be heard in the stories of aristocrats or fairy tales from temples, or relatives. Traces of her, which have never been seen before, remained in this book. A mom, who wasn¡¯t ferocious, wretched, ugly, or sneaky like others say she was. I suddenly lifted my head and looked back down at the book. ¡®If I can use Time Leap, wouldn¡¯t it be possible for me to perform other spells as well?¡¯ I remember there were quite a few useful ones. I was a little tempted, so I turned the book. ¡®If you get close to a witch¡¯s belongings, your soul will be corrupted. You will be abandoned by the Holy God.¡¯ Then, like a conditional reflex, my uncle¡¯s voice rang in my ear. Just thinking about the voice made my heart fasten, so I pressed my trembling hand to the floor. The cool stone floor calmed me down. When I found my mother¡¯s belongings, I remembered my uncle¡¯s words and left them without even looking at them properly. ¡®?? If now was the past, I wouldn¡¯t have even dared to do this.¡¯ Throughout my childhood, I did my best to follow my uncle¡¯s words. I laughed when I was told to laugh, reflected on myself when told to, smiled when told to, took a picture for the public when told to, and signed documents without knowing the contents when I was told to sign. I lived by doing only what I was told to do and not doing what I wanted to do. But the result. ¡®It¡¯s a pity, Evenna.¡¯ The death of many people and the judgment of my future. I shut my mouth tight. ¡®Anyway, if it¡¯s the judgment of my future, doesn¡¯t it mean that I can do anything I want?¡¯ My eyes fluttered as I looked down at the book. CH 11 ¡®I still have time, so I¡¯ll take a look.¡¯ I flipped through the book lightly. When I opened this book for the first time, all the words looked like a foreign language. However, perhaps because there were similarities between these words and the research I did on Time Leap for the past few months, I¡¯ve noticed some words that I knew. My mother¡¯s handwriting was not neat. To be honest, it was bad handwriting. She tends to scribble. At first, I thought it was a foreign language my mother might¡¯ve spoken in her hometown, but it was really hard to read because the content was difficult and I was unaccustomed to her writing. ¡®But as I keep looking at it, I can read it??.¡¯ Even if her handwriting was bad, I have to say I¡¯m lucky because the words have a pattern of similarity. I flipped through the book, looking at the names and contents of the spells my mother had written down. There were so many different types of magic. A spell that clumps cat fur, prevents an egg from hatching, increases hair loss rate??? ¡®Um, I don¡¯t know??.¡¯ I don¡¯t know what my mom was trying to do, but most of the book was filled with spells like that. Her purpose was unknown, but it was difficult to learn and consume a lot of mana. However, sometimes the spells were useful. ¡®Oh, this looks good.¡¯ ¡´Low-Level Spell: Mouse and Bird Ears¡µ It was a spy spell that would make a third ear for sneaking around. It will allow servants to listen to rumors without being cautious when they enter my room. I blinked my eyes. I can¡¯t believe that this is considered to be a low-level spell. ¡®If this magic is low-level, why is hair loss magic a high-level magic?¡¯ Anyways, the procedure for an impossible spell, the Time Leap spell, was complicated, but I still succeeded. I think I can do this spell if I study hard. I folded the corner to bookmark the page and then flipped back. In addition, some spells looked useful, such as a transformation and an illusion spell. While divinity can only heal and destroy, magic could do that and more. Freedom and abnormal, their abilities seemed limitless. ¡®That¡¯s why they cause terrible accidents.¡¯ Vicious crimes, like stealing relics, terrorizing temples, and killing priests. What the witches did were separated and didn¡¯t leave a trace, so their methods were unknown. That¡¯s why the temple was so wary of witches. ¡°Eueung??.¡± ¡®But is it true that all those events were caused by witches?¡¯ Whenever there was an accident in the Imperial family, people suspected me first. But I swore I¡¯ve never hurt anyone. I didn¡¯t even know how to poison food or steal things. It must be my magic??. I turned the book over at once and opened the last page. ¡´Time Leap Theory¡µ Not advanced magic, just ¡®theory¡¯. It was a spell that seemed possible in my mom¡¯s mind. I skimmed through the magic circles and spells I¡¯m familiar with now. Mom thought this theory was not possible. The reason was that it was too dangerous, it had too many variables, and too much mana was required. Still, she found a way to get rid of those obstacles. Things like specific days, when the witch¡¯s power gets stronger, or auxiliary items that boost magic power. ¡®Candle made from the wick of a savannah tree??. My aunt saved me a lot of trouble.¡¯ She said that she got it from an information guild in the back alley of Gilhelm and even gave detailed instructions on how to get there. Maybe someday this information will become useful. And at the end, precautions were attached. [Even if you succeed in casting this spell, there is a serious risk because time hates contradictions. To resolve the contradictions, time will attack the time traveler.] ¡®Time Paradox.¡¯ For example, time travelers became in contact with themselves from the past. When two or more of one person exist simultaneously, a time paradox will occur, and you will be bounced out of the past. That¡¯s what my mom thought. (Simultaneously- At the same time) Even my mom didn¡¯t know what exactly it was to ¡®bounce out of the past.¡¯ They may be brought back to their original time, become trapped in a time gap, or their existence might become eliminated. [Also, changing the past will affect time travelers.] If I get hurt in here, the past, future me will also get scars. My mother said that this was only a hypothesis, but it was a very valid hypothesis. So, to avoid this time paradox as much as possible, I came to a time before my birth. ¡®If I am born six years later??.¡¯ I don¡¯t know what will happen then. So the time I have left is six years. No matter what happens, I have to make a decision. ¡®If you succeed in this spell, this will all be gone. You can go back to the past and start over. Go back and find your mother!¡¯ My aunt¡¯s will for me was to find my mom. Three years from now, my mom will come to the capital for a banquet at the Imperial Palace. ¡®Operation escape from Idelhi.¡¯ One by one, I recalled the knowledge I had memorized before coming to the past. The witch, Idelie, is a world-class criminal caught trying to assassinate the high priest in Halsterian. The Holy Union was a unified state created by combining the Empire of Yehad and seven small countries. Each of these eight countries had a holy relic protecting the land. The high priest was very important because the holy relics can only function properly when the high priest instilled their divine power consistently. Therefore, if you want to enter the Daishinjeon Hall, the criteria are strict, and many escorts follow the high priest. However, the witch, Idelie, hiding in this great temple dared to kill the high priest. But, the high priest didn¡¯t die, though this incident created a law. ¡´law that regards witches as beasts¡µ. The Tehera Orthodox Church advocated strict humane ways, but the story was different if it was about a beast. Three years later, in 882, Idelie was captured by the Empire. And before being transferred to Halsterian, the witches invade the banquet. And among them was the great witch Lindsey and Granger. ¡®If I wait three years, can I see my mom?¡¯ Of course, I don¡¯t intend to just wait for three years. As originally planned, I will pretend to be a saint, gain allies, and dig up suspicious information. I have to find out how big Uncle¡¯s plan is, what the circumstances of my mother¡¯s death were, and how to prevent the terrible disaster. And I looked for ways to meet my mom as soon as possible. ¡®However, there were unexpected obstacles??.¡¯ I looked at my tiny hands, wondering what to do. I understand I had to pay a big price for using such a powerful spell, but can I save my parents in this body? ¡°Ahyuu.¡± My small and fragile appearance made me sigh, but it can¡¯t be helped. I held onto the book. Well, it¡¯ll work out somehow. After all, I did succeed today, since I covered my physical weakness by using magic and divinity. I put my hands on the ground and raised my body. I stood up, supporting my waist with magic. ¡°Itta.¡± I grabbed the book with both hands and moved my legs to walk forward one step at a time. ¡°Ana, two??.¡± ¡®I¡¯m going to exercise if I keep doing this, I think I¡¯ll learn to walk.¡¯ It must have been about two hours since then. ¡®Four thousand one hundred and three, four thousand and one hundred four??.¡¯ I realized a fatal problem. ¡®I used up my ?? divinity.¡¯ ¡°Heh, heh.¡± My divinity has run out, so I can¡¯t recover my stamina anymore. I sat down on the floor in disappointment and took a moment to catch my breath. As I looked up, I saw the dark passageway. ¡®Magic wasn¡¯t the problem.¡¯ It also takes divinity to maintain the light of the holy relics. I was walking on foot, not using my divinity because I thought there wasn¡¯t enough to recover my stamina. ¡®Did I get too excited after reading the book?¡¯ Since the Sun Palace is full of divinity, I purposely focused on gathering mana rather than divinity. I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m lacking divinity. ¡®Sleepy.¡¯ I was tired and my eyes kept closing. I took a lot of naps, but I guess it wasn¡¯t enough. If I slept here, Linda would wake up in the morning to find an empty crib??. ¡®I have to focus??.¡¯ Right now is a time where people can¡¯t imagine a hybrid of a witch and priest, but no one can doubt that I¡¯m a witch. But, this was much better than the future, when I was always sure that my head would be flying at any second. Because of the big difference in situations, even if I get caught using a secret passage, I think the situation will pass by when others think ¡°God was calling Evenna.¡± just like what happened with Sophia. I blinked blankly and realized I was thinking nonsense. What if someone notices the abnormality in the Empire?¡¯ At first glance, everything seems fine, but 22 years later, the Empire will be destroyed. This Empire, which was in good shape, can¡¯t be in chaos in just 22 years. There was something slowly accumulating. Above all, if I get caught by my uncle, I may have a much more terrible future than I originally had. ¡®Linda might be held accountable for me??.¡¯ ¡®It¡¯s a bad thing to cause trouble to those around you.¡¯ I shook my head to shake off the sleepiness and hit the floor. The soles of my feet were throbbing, so I protected more firmly with magic and stepped vigorously. As I moved forward harder, the end was near. ¡®Five thousand five hundred and ninety-nine ??.¡¯ Saying the last number in my head, I stood up straight. ¡°Hyuyaa.¡± ¡®Five thousand and six hundred!¡¯ When I squeezed out the last of my divinity, the nearest holy relic shone. My dark vision brightened, and I frowned. ¡®It¡¯s a wall.¡¯ The light went out quickly, and I quickly found the door leading to my room. The spellbook was well hidden in the passage, so I pushed the door open. ¡°Kkya.¡± When I went in, the dim moonlight and fresh air greeted me. ¡®Now, squeeze out the last of my magic and go into a crib??.¡¯ But??. But why is he here? ¡°You.¡± ¡°Ubeub.¡± Emerald eyes and sparkling blonde hair, which can be seen even in the pale moonlight. The young boy who was pointing at me with an awkward posture was Uncle Fariel. ¡°Uh, s-saint?¡± He asked with a very confused look. ¡°Where did you come from ???¡± CH 12 ¡®Where did you come from?¡¯ Fariel¡¯s question was fast to the point. You¡¯re asking me a question that¡¯ll cause me trouble. ¡®I¡¯m doomed.¡¯ Monkeys sometimes fall from trees. So, It seems like I mistook that this was my room since I was tired. There is only one answer I can give in this situation. ¡°Euaeng.¡± I lay flat on the floor and put my thumbs in my mouth and sucked my thumb. Fariel¡¯s face twisted into an absurd expression. An intruder who doesn¡¯t know where they came from suddenly starts sucking their fingers like an idiot. I just closed my eyes. ¡®Let¡¯s pretend I don¡¯t know anything.¡¯ It was a shameless move, but all I could do in this situation was to ignore him. ¡®A true gentleman does not put his pride before a cause.¡¯ As I was comforting myself like that, warm hands touched my back. ¡°Euu?¡± When I opened my eyes, Fariel was holding me and looking at me as if he saw something bizarre. He pursed his chapped lips and muttered a little. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I shrugged in surprise. On the outside, he was an ordinary and cute child, but I remembered the words of Fariel I met during the day. ¡®Your nothing.¡¯ His voice was dripped with hostility. ¡®Even if I get caught, I¡¯m still a baby.¡¯ It was frustrating and annoying. I closed my mouth and looked at Fariel. Fariel frowned and said, ¡°You, maybe??.¡± ¡°Your highness, what did you say?¡± At that moment, someone outside the door asked. At the sudden voice, Fariel and I turned to look at the door at the same time. For a moment, we looked at each other with bewildered eyes. Fariel opened his mouth hastily. ¡°Wait a moment.¡± At those words, the door opened abruptly. The bright light from the hallway came in through the crack and brightened the room. At the sharp and bright view, we frowned at the same time. ¡°Your Highness?¡± As I blinked, a maid with a puzzled face caught my eye. The maid¡¯s gaze, which had been on Fariel¡¯s face, fell on me, who was in his arms. ¡°?? Saint!¡± The maid screamed in surprise. My face was bleached white. ¡®This is all ruined.¡¯ At that moment, my mind was thrown into memories of the distant past. It was a scene in the capital square that I saw one day. A witch was tied up in the middle of the square, and citizens surrounded her and shouted with angry expressions on their faces. ¡®Defeat the witch!¡¯ ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± At that time, a knight patrolling the hallway heard the commotion and approached the door. Immediately behind the startled maid, the knight stuck out his head. He looked into the room with an indifferent expression, found me in Fariel¡¯s arms, and was greatly embarrassed. ¡°Saint!¡± The same words came out of his mouth. ¡°Okay, hold on, I¡¯ll call the nanny in a moment.¡± The maid said that to the knight and disappeared. Soon after, she reappeared and somehow brought not the nanny, but the chief attendant of the Sun Palace. The chief attendant was a middle-aged man with a stern look, and brown hair tied together while wearing a monocle. ¡°What is this?¡± In response to the chief¡¯s question, I was only thinking that everything was ruined. The voices of civilians yelling to overthrow the witch continued to resound in my ears. However, Fariel¡¯s maid suddenly bowed her head to the chief. ¡°I¡¯m really sorry!¡± ¡®?? For what?¡¯ At my confused gaze, her apology continued. ¡°I was away for a while, it was all my fault.¡± Then, the maid looked back at Fariel with a slightly resentful face. ¡°His Highness Fariel asked to hug Saint during the day, but His Highness Ain refused. I think that¡¯s why he secretly brought the saint out.¡± My eyes widened at those words. The resentment of the civilians, which had grown louder in my ears, subsided as if cold water had been poured on me. ¡®Ah.¡¯ I soon understood the situation. Today, Fariel said he wanted to hug me, and my dad flatly refused. So, Fariel, who had lingering feelings, seemed to have been misunderstood that he secretly broke into my room and brought me while everyone was asleep. ¡®That¡¯s right, I¡¯m a baby right now.¡¯ Normally, if a baby is found in another room with a child in his arms, you will think that the child has brought the baby. ¡®Instead of thinking that the baby was actually a witch and the future empress, who became young due to the side effects of a time leap, and that she was caught coming back from secretly hiding a spellbook in a secret passage??.¡¯ I pat my chest. Looking at the arrival of the chief of the Sun Palace, this room seems to be inside the Sun Palace. It doesn¡¯t seem to be that far away from my room, and it was the most realistic reasoning to think that way. I¡¯m relieved. There¡¯s only one problem. ¡°I didn¡¯t do it!¡± Fariel yelled. My ears were ringing and I closed my eyes tightly. ¡®Well then.¡¯ Fariel, who had been misunderstood, had no way not to explain it. He pointed at me and shouted, ¡°I didn¡¯t bring her. She came to my room!¡± I was nervous and chewed my lips with my toothless gums. In front of the huffering Fariel, the chief slowly approached. He crouched to meet Fariel at eye level. ¡°Are you going to say that in front of His Highness Ain?¡± ¡°I really will!¡± ¡°You say that the little saint who can¡¯t even crawl, opened the bedroom door and came to visit His Highness Fariel?¡± ¡°That- that.¡± Whether it was strange to him, Fariel stuttered as if embarrassed. His confusion seemed to be seen by others as a liar¡¯s agitation. ¡°Your Highness.¡± The chief said in a hushed voice. ¡°This is a different problem from what I¡¯ve seen so far. This could be a big deal.¡± At the stern gaze of the chief, Fariel frowned as if he was speechless. ¡°No??.¡± ¡°Give me the saint.¡± The chief reached out to me. Fariel huffed and looked alternately at the chief¡¯s hands and me, and threw me at him. ¡°Whew!¡± A pathetic sound escaped my mouth. Since I was young, my body has weakened, and I was shocked like a leaf swaying at the slightest blow. Fortunately, the chief hurriedly caught me and hugged me. I groaned and shook my head. At that moment, I saw it. The red flames emanated from the eyes of the chief looking at Fariel. ¡°Your highness!¡± The fierce yell came from the chief¡¯s mouth. *** I don¡¯t know how things went after that. It was because Linda, who had heard of the situation and ran to it, took me back to the hall, so I couldn¡¯t watch it till the end. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, baby??.¡± Linda hugged me and apologized over and over again. It¡¯s me who should apologize. It might be exaggerated as a kidnapping case, but fortunately, no one received any punishment because it was resolved even before the incident broke out. Instead, an escort knight was standing in front of the door, and a strange relic was in my cradle. Since it is the palace of the future people with the power of destruction, the security of the Sun Palace has not been strict. ¡®Thanks for bothering me.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t blame anyone because it was my mistake. I was worried that Fariel might have noticed something, but fortunately, no one seemed to listen to him. Seeing that he didn¡¯t even come to see me, I think he must have been very angry. I remember the last appearance of Fariel, who was furious. He must be upset that he was suspected of lying??. ¡®To be honest, it is unfair to make a complaint.¡¯ Oh, it¡¯s not good to think like this. But I didn¡¯t have a good feeling about Fariel, who spoke bad words to me at our first meeting and even threw me at our second meeting. I don¡¯t know why Fariel was sleeping in the Sun Palace that day, but looking at his temper and hostile attitude, if he was this close, sparks would surely come out. It wasn¡¯t intentional, but I thought I was lucky that things happened like this. ¡®But it¡¯s also true that I was stupid.¡¯ I was very surprised by the mistake I made. I was intimidated and stayed in the cradle for a while, calmly restoring my divinity. However, a day or two later, I remembered the spellbook hidden in the passage. I¡¯m a timid and a stupid coward, but there was still one lesson I learned from using the time-leap spell. It was the fact that to make things better, I had to take some risks. If I had been quiet in my uncle¡¯s grasp because I was afraid of using magic, I wouldn¡¯t have met my dad again. On every other night, I went to read the spellbook hidden in the secret passage to avoid my nanny¡¯s eyes. I learned a lot of useful spells by reading hard whenever I had time. But there was one problem. ¡®I need ingredients to use spells.¡¯ There were quite a few useful spells in my mother¡¯s spellbook, but special materials were needed to draw the magic circle. It was the ink sepia made with the ink of the giant squid living in the Black Sea. When I used the time leap, my aunt got it for me, but it was an item that I couldn¡¯t get now. I kept thinking about it even after I hid the book in the secret passage and returned to the crib. ¡®Should I go to the Information Guild?¡¯ However, it was impossible to go to the information guild in this body. If I travel to the next city where the information guild is with magic, I would get exhausted in the middle of my trip. How long will it take to learn how to walk? How old do I have to be to get permission to go out? ?? I have to do something before 6 years. ¡®Is there any other way to use spells?¡¯ While holding my head and groaning, it became afternoon. The servants who came in for cleaning were sweeping and cleaning the room. ¡°It¡¯s really incredible.¡± The servant who came close suddenly said that. I turned my head to see if he was saying that to me, but his gaze was directed at the holy relic in my cradle. ¡°His highness must have been very worried about the saint.¡± ¡°I know, she must be very precious to have the blessing of protection of a holy relic.¡± At their words, I turned my attention to the holy relic in my crib. The cradle railing was imbued with a transparent crystal-like relic, which shimmered faintly. Although it was small in size, it has enormous value since it is a holy relic. I, too, was really surprised when my dad put the holy relic in my cradle. The relic with the blessing of protection was not used except by those with divinity. So far, I¡¯ve only felt burdened and apologetic. ¡°His Majesty seems to really care about Saint.¡± Hearing those words, the corners of my lips relaxed. ¡°Kkya.¡± Oh, my lips have relaxed. It¡¯s really a big deal because your facial muscles are getting weak. Without dignity of an emperor. ¡°I understand your feelings??.¡± ¡°Eung.¡± However, the servants looked at me with a similarly relaxed expression. I got a little embarrassed and lowered my head slightly. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m glad. Now His Highness Fariel will never be able to touch the saint.¡± Then, the servant murmured. ¡°His highness doesn¡¯t have stigma.¡± ¡®?? What?¡¯ I shook my head curiously. How could a child of the Holy Empire Emperor be devoid of divinity? CH 13 Divinity was hereditary, and the ranks of the empire were similar to those of the temple. My grandfather, the emperor, was a cardinal in the temple, and my aunts and uncles, who were members of the imperial family, also became at least a high-ranking holy official. It meant that everyone had great powers. Since I am not like them, I inherited my father¡¯s place and became the Pope without any special abilities??. ¡°But, why doesn¡¯t His Majesty Fariel have stigma?¡± Just in time, the young servant was curious about something similar to me. I thought he looked exceptionally young, but he seemed to be a new employee, who had just come to the Imperial Palace. ¡°It¡¯s a famous story, don¡¯t you know?¡± ¡°Well, in detail.¡± ¡°Do you know who His Highness Fariel¡¯s mother is?¡± ¡°Ah, did you find out who she is? I heard that she secretly abandoned His Highness in the Imperial Palace and disappeared.¡± The young servant shook his head. ¡°Nothing could be done to keep her identity a secret. Because she was one of the maids of the Imperial Palace.¡± ¡®A maid in the Imperial Palace?¡¯ I blinked at the unexpected identity. Because Fariel was an illegitimate child, of course, I knew that the mother had a very low status or had some kind of problem. But she was a maid of the Imperial Palace? Doesn¡¯t that mean a new noble family will take over the position of being the Empress? Moreover, the Empress died while giving birth to Aunt Viola, and Fariel was younger than my aunt. My grandfather didn¡¯t remarry after my grandmother passed away, so the position of the Empress must be vacant. ¡°Then why did he become an illegitimate child?¡± ¡°Shh, lower your voice.¡± The new servant hurriedly looked at the door. Checking that it was quiet outside, he whispered secretly. ¡°His Majesty¡¯s mother was a woman from Ibina.¡± ¡°That western city? How did she get here?¡± ¡°Obviously, she ran away.¡± The servant shook his head. ¡°Because it¡¯s too old-fashioned for a young woman to live there.¡± The newcomer tilted his head as if he did not understand. ¡°Then why doesn¡¯t she marry His Majesty. Why did she leave His Highness?¡± ¡°In Ibina, it is forbidden to marry a foreigner.¡± ¡°But His Majesty is the Emperor of the Holy Empire?¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t there a saying, ¡®the Empire is not above small countries¡¯ for nothing?¡± When I overheard the story, I laughed out loud at the part. Since Fariel was an illegitimate child, I thought my grandfather had an inappropriate relationship. But when I heard it, it wasn¡¯t like that at all. Ibina is the westernmost of the eight countries that make up the Union. Fariel¡¯s mother seems to have left her family as if she had run away from there. I don¡¯t know why, but there must be something like maybe she didn¡¯t like arranged marriages, or there was a quarrel within her family. While coming to the empire and working as a maid of the Imperial Palace, she met my grandfather in person. In the light of the servants¡¯ words, they probably tried to get married. However, she faced opposition from Ibina. The emperor of the Holy Empire is not an almighty position. The original text of the phrase ¡®the Empire is not above small countries¡¯ that servants ridicule is ¡®Empire is not above continents¡¯. It was the first treaty of the Holy Union. The process of uniting all the countries of the continent into one was not through a war of conquest. About 300 years ago, in Nasha, the northernmost city on the continent, magical beasts began to overflow. At that time, the country where Nasha was located, Halsterian, requested help from neighboring countries. However, at that time the continent was in a state of the cold war. Of course, the eight countries, fighting their own battles, rejected Halsterian¡¯s request. And the downfall of Nasha. An unprecedented situation occurs in which all humans in Nasha are annihilated. At the time, Nasha was the second largest city in the country. The beasts that slaughtered all the humans there, where countless people built houses and cultivated the land, lived vigorously, flooded the border country of Halsterian, Genas, and soon spread across the continent. It was then that other countries realized that the situation was serious. The countries joined hands with Halsterian under the ideology of ¡®All human beings on the continent are children of the Holy God.¡¯ And until Nasha is completely rescued, a treaty of unification is signed that nullifies the border. However, Nasha has not been rescued for 300 years, and the treaty still exists. 300 years ago, Yehad, who was holding the role of supreme of the continent at the time, became the head of the Holy Union. In the year of proclaiming unification, the Emperor of Yehad promised to respect the cultures and laws of the seven countries. So, no matter who the Holy Emperor is, if the King of Ibina opposes the marriage, saying that it is their law, he has no choice but to obey. Each of the countries, including Yehad, preserved their own laws and cultures like one country. Respect and balance were like the foundation for forming the Holy Union. ¡®Even if it means making a son an illegitimate child.¡¯ Perhaps at that point, Fariel¡¯s mother could no longer stay in the Empire. I don¡¯t know exactly what happened when she returned to Ibina, but it was probably after she arrived home that she found out that she was pregnant. So, she gave birth to the emperor¡¯s child alone and entrusted the child to the imperial palace. I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s her decision or her family¡¯s. ¡°But when His Highness came to the Imperial Palace, he was already over 2 years old.¡± ¡°Infant baptism can only be received up to the age of 2??.¡± That¡¯s why Fariel was the son of the Emperor of the Holy Empire, yet he became a single believer without stigma. In this country where rank and divinity are proportional, what a subtle position it must have been to be a prince without stigma. I knew that feeling better than anyone. ¡°That¡¯s sad.¡± The newcomer muttered a little. But the inexperienced servant snorted as if it were funny. ¡°It¡¯s unfortunate for him. Who do you sympathize with now?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right??.¡± As I watched the servants start cleaning again, I suddenly came to my senses. ¡°Yeah. I¡¯m not in a position to feel sympathy for Fariel.¡± If Fariel had known, he would run around, wondering if a witch would have sympathy for me. I closed my eyes and slowly recovered my mana. Even if I say I can draw a magic circle by getting Sepia, I can¡¯t use magic without mana. As I focused my mind with all my heart, I felt my mana core filling up little by little. *** I was taking a nap after lunch, and the door opened, so I wondered if my dad was there. I looked up happily, but a little girl came into the room with my dad. Upon discovering her, my eyes widened as I ran away. I knew we would meet soon, but knowing it with my head and actually going through it felt different. ¡°Is everything okay?¡± ¡°Yes, your highness.¡± While Dad and Nanny Linda were greeting each other, a girl approached the crib. About 11 years old? She had fine platinum blonde hair fluttering from her shoulders and was as pretty as a doll, with a new blue ribbon on her head to match her eye color. The girl, who walked at a fast yet slow pace, grabbed the baby crib railing, greeted me with her refreshing sparkling sea-colored eyes. ¡°Hi.¡± After licking her lips, she added. ¡°My name is Viola.¡± The child who said so was bright and lovely without wrinkles. I didn¡¯t see her as a person, who comforted me until our last moment, someone who would die such a strong and sad death. I felt like crying. ¡®Aunt Viola.¡¯ ¡°Oh my gosh, she¡¯s so cute??.¡± My aunt complimented me and introduced herself, putting her arm on the railing of the crib and sticking her head close to me. Whenever she blinked, her long eyelashes fluttered like butterflies. ¡°Can I hug her?¡± My aunt looked back and asked like a person, who just asked an important question. After talking to the nanny, my dad approached us. ¡°Well??.¡± Dad glanced at me with slightly worried eyes. ¡°I won¡¯t drop her.¡± ¡°The baby is very shy.¡± My aunt used honorifics for my dad. I watched the conversation between the two, who did not act like siblings. ¡°When I first hugged her, she cried out loud and I struggled to soothe her.¡± ¡®Struggled??.¡¯ I remembered that day. The touch of my dad, who hugged and patted me when I burst into tears after I met my dad. I¡¯m a little ashamed of crying like a baby, but I tilted my head when I thought that my dad had struggled to comfort me and to say that he went through hardships. I thought you were just calmly hugging me with an expressionless face. ¡°She cried a lot because she was hugged by my older brother.¡± My aunt looked at me as if she felt sorry for me. She fixed her eyes on me and spoke in a soft voice. ¡°I don¡¯t look like my brother and I look gentle, so I¡¯ll be fine.¡± ¡°??.¡± Dad looked down at the side of my aunt¡¯s face. A cute little eleven-year-old princess and an 18-year-old prince who is still in his childhood. The scene where two children of the Imperial Family, who resembled each other, were together seemed like a painting. Both of them are precious and respectful people to me, so just watching them live and talk honestly made my heartache. ¡°Here we go.¡± Meanwhile, my aunt reached out to me. She put her small hand under my armpit and held me tightly. ¡°Please support her butt with your hand.¡± My aunt was coached by the nanny and held me stably in her arms. I was so happy and liked this moment, so I laughed, and my aunt¡¯s face brightened. ¡°Look at this. You like me.¡± ¡°This can¡¯t be??.¡± Their voices sounded like a dream. ¡®If you succeed in this spell, this will all be gone. You can go back to the past and start over.¡¯ My aunt didn¡¯t say anything wrong. Our past really didn¡¯t happen. ¡®It¡¯ll be okay, you can do it??.¡¯ It was true that I could do it. ¡°Dodaoyo.¡± ¡®Thank you.¡¯ As I mumbled to myself, my aunt laughed as if I was cute. ¡°She¡¯s mumbling. I guess I¡¯m recognized as a good person.¡± ¡°I think she¡¯s telling you to let her go.¡± I buried my head in my aunt¡¯s shoulder. I made an oath alone to the young princess, who didn¡¯t know anything yet. ¡®I¡¯ll protect you this time.¡¯ So those innocent and clear eyes are not stained with blood and betrayal. This peace was even more precious because it was hard to get. TL/N: Okay, in chapter 11 it stated that the Union is made up of 8 nations instead of 9 like here, but both translations seem correct. So if either translation gets proven incorrect, I¡¯ll make a translation note on it CH 14 At night when everyone was asleep, I always hid in the secret passage. I had to deal with the problem of obtaining Sepia, the magic tool needed to draw the magic circle. I opened the book ambitiously. ¡®Let¡¯s look at the spellbook from the beginning.¡¯ There wasn¡¯t much said about sepia in my mom¡¯s book. [The ink of the giant squid living in the North Sea has the property of concentrated magic. This ink can be used to make sepia, which is an ink that is used to draw magic circles, and is used to make magic tools. For example, it¡¯s used as raw materials for making magic stones. It is useful for making deadly poisons or weapons, so it is traded at a high price on the black market.] I sat down on the passage¡¯s floor and read the book seriously. ¡°Huum.¡± ¡®Agglomerate nature, is that important?¡¯ After quietly having a staring contest with the book for a while, I buried my head in the book. ¡°Ueu??.¡± ¡®I can¡¯t concentrate.¡¯ I couldn¡¯t find any clues, and I was distracted because of my meeting with my aunt during the day. ¡®It¡¯s not like the kid got excited after going on a picnic.¡¯ (TL/N: She¡¯s comparing her reaction to meeting her aunt to an excited kid after a picnic by saying her reaction wasn¡¯t childish/excited) Seeing my aunt put my heart at ease, and I really felt like everything had returned. ¡®So cute.¡¯ Her youthful voice that was so loud, rang in my ears. You¡¯re so much cuter. ¡®I was very surprised because of Fariel.¡¯ Moreover, I thought with my eyes drooping, ¡®I¡¯ll apologize in your place to the servants soon. I¡¯m a little anxious right now, but I¡¯m not a bad kid. But the reason he why he stayed at the Sun Palace??.¡¯ I sighed deeply while thinking of my aunt¡¯s words. Oh, just a few hours ago, I promised not to sympathize with Fariel, who was in my past situation. ¡®I¡¯m very concerned ??.¡¯ The Sun Palace, where the next Pope stays, along with several precious holy relics, is perhaps the most sacred place in the Imperial family. Thanks to this, it was easy for me to restore my divinity. It is said that Fariel often stayed at the Sun Palace by earnestly asking my dad and the chief attendant. ¡®There is a record that says stigma was formed while training in a place full of divinity.¡¯ So, Fariel believed that if he practiced here, his stigma would also appear. There was a precedent or something??. That¡¯s why people seem to have believed that Fariel secretly approached my room at night. It is said that good things will happen if you are blessed by a saint. That¡¯s just a superstition. ¡®No, it wasn¡¯t superstition in Sophia¡¯s case.¡¯ Innocent Sophia, a miraculous saint, brings the dead back to life. There was nothing she couldn¡¯t do. Even baptizing people over 2 years old. Sophia¡¯s Priests. There was an incident in which commoners, children of fallen aristocrats, or people who were too weak to be baptized as a child were baptized by her and became priests. Those who got stigma became complete followers by trusting and following Sophia more than God. ¡®How was ?? Sophia baptized?¡¯ Originally, infant baptism was not done by humans. If a baby, who is under two years old, is laid on the holy relic, held in Daishinjeon Hall, the Holy God baptizes the baby. As if answering my question, Sophia¡¯s way of speaking rang in her ears. ¡®Because Sophie is the baby of God!¡¯ (TL/N: The translation is ¡®Sophie¡¯ and not ¡®Sophia¡¯, like how she was mentioned in previous statements, so the way Sophia is talking is in a mocking tone, like talking to a child) Oh, well. It¡¯s not strange that the child of God can use their divinity. I turned to the book again, convinced. Seeing that I kept thinking about something else, I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll get any information today either. *** For a day, while I spent time without any new information, I only recovered my divinity and mana. I pulled my face out of my tightly wrapped clothes and checked the scenery. The white temple with snow crystal patterns engraved here and there was shining divinely in the sunlight. Even those who had no idea of the Tehera Orthodox Church¡¯s sophistication seemed to know at a glance that this building was a temple. The Temple Hall of the capital was huge because it was attached to the Vatican, so a more magnificent feeling was added. ¡°Oh, my.¡± The nanny, who was holding me, looked down at me with a worried expression. ¡°The baby is trembling. She must be cold.¡± ¡°Is it cold?¡± Dad looked at me with a puzzled face. Exposed to the bright sunlight, my pink hair shimmered like jewels. In addition, the holy relic, my dad hung on my neck to go out, protected my body. The clothes wrapped around me were tight, but it seems strange that it¡¯s not hot but cold. Actually, it wasn¡¯t cold, but something else was the problem. Dad, nanny, me, and the Holy Knights were wearing white. The Holy Knights were behind and on our sides. From the entrance to the temple, the eyes of the believers and priests naturally drew attention to us. Their eyes are terrifying. Bad things happen when you get a lot of attention. Especially if it¡¯s from the people of the temple. I have no good memories of this place. Shaking my body, I suddenly heard a clicking sound. When I looked up, my dad was looking at me with eyes that seemed to be looking at otherworldly creatures. ¡°It¡¯s ridiculous.¡± His eyes were on the clothes and holy relics on me like a ball. He dressed me like this, but he thought I was cold. He was asking what else he could do??. That¡¯s possible. I¡¯m a baby right now. ¡®It¡¯s definitely different.¡¯ In my memory, my dad was always ill. His clothes that would¡¯ve been customized grew bigger day by day, and his fluttering limbs had no strength. The impression of me trying to smile when our eyes used to meet, lingered in my head vaguely. But originally, my dad was a strong man. After he defeated his teacher at the age of 15, he won battles against anyone. Dad, who has never been weak in his life, will find it difficult to be weak. I even got worried that if I kept going like this, later on, even if I said I was his daughter, he wouldn¡¯t believe me. I know I have inherited the bloodline, but why would he believe me?? ¡°Woo?¡± My thoughts were interrupted by the sudden feeling of floating. When I looked up, my dad, who held me tightly, said something. ¡°Hurry up, we don¡¯t have time.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± The knights who followed responded with an intense voice. When I blinked in my dad¡¯s arms, I realized that the trembling disappeared a moment later. Where the cold fear disappeared, a firm embrace remained. ¡®It¡¯s warm??.¡¯ I buried my head deep. There was nothing to be afraid of while I was in his arms. When the fear disappeared, I could see what was in front of me. The members of the temple were talking to each other or doing their own thing, but as we passed, they stopped and turned their heads once in a while. They tried to bow their heads in awe when they saw Dad, but whenever they saw me in his arms, they were confused or bewildered. Among them, there were people who forgot to say hello and looked at me blankly, then apologized and stepped back. It was embarrassing to see the surprised-faced believers, but it was fun. As we walked among the people, they split like the Red Sea, and we soon reached our destination. The tallest floor of Temple Hall, the innermost room. When the priest, who found us from a distance, opened the door wide and went inside without any obstruction, I saw a person sitting in the middle of the white room waiting for us. ¡°Welcome.¡± He was an old gentleman with a gentle face, with his gray hair hanging down. A white uniform that reached the ankles unique to Tehera¡¯s sophistication. A horse with white snowflakes, a symbol of the Holy God. There was only one old gentleman in the temple who carried such a fancy cane. ¡®The previous Pope, Celadion Tannin.¡¯ In this era, he would be the current Pope. I knew about him only by memorizing history books before the time leap, but I had never met him. When I was born, he was already a person who died, since he was over 90 years old, so he must have enjoyed a thousand lives. (TL/N: Because of how old he is, Eve is joking about how he must¡¯ve enjoyed a lot of moments that equaled to a thousand lives) Strangely, high priests often died young, and there was even a myth that God was taking away the ones he loved to keep them. Tannin was a rare priest that lived a long life by avoiding such myths. Dad, my nanny, and the Holy Knights put their hands on their hearts and bowed their heads. After the polite greeting to the head of temple, Dad said in his characteristically heavy voice, ¡°I see you often.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re complaining?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± ?? I think there were complaints. I heard a lot of complaints that the temple won¡¯t grant permission for guardianship. Perhaps my dad¡¯s reaction was funny, the Pope chuckled. Then, suddenly, the Pope caught my eye when I stuck my head out of my dad¡¯s arms. ¡°Child of God.¡± When the Pope reached out to me, my dad hesitated a little and handed me over. The Pope¡¯s arms were unexpectedly comfortable. It felt like he was used to handling babies. ¡°Now I¡¯ve finally met you.¡± Dad looked down at me, who had been handed over to the Pope, and as the distance stretched, he went to the other side and sat down. ¡°Now that I have met you like this, you¡¯ll give your approval now.¡± At Dad¡¯s words, I pricked up my ears and looked up at the Pope. ¡°People would think that I didn¡¯t give permission to be a guardian because I wanted to meet a baby.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ¡°Uh-huh, I¡¯m the Pope, do you think I¡¯m that narrow-minded?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°Huh, really.¡± The Pope laughed happily again. The two seemed to get along well. Through that conversation, I realized that the condition the pope offered to recognize dad as my guardian was to let him meet me. It was a fairly simple condition for not giving permission for a long time. If you want to see me get permission, you have to show her to me. ¡°Kkya.¡± I looked at the Pope and laughed like a baby. The pope, who unintentionally lowered his gaze, looked at my face and was stunned. ¡°I don¡¯t think this child is a child of God.¡± I was horrified. ¡®Uh, how??.¡¯ As expected, does the Pope see something? In my frozen gaze, not knowing what to do, he opened his mouth. ¡°She¡¯s a fairy.¡± ¡°??.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure.¡± Then my father, who was sitting on the other side, nodded. ¡°Yes.¡± I just closed my eyes because I was embarrassed. My aunt said that everything will be over when I close and open my eyes. CH 15 ¡®??I¡¯m sleepy since I close my eyes.¡¯ It happened to be nap time. There was nothing I could do in the Pope¡¯s arms anyway. As soon as I was about to fall asleep, I felt a strange gaze from somewhere. I opened my eyes and looked around. Then, I suddenly found something and was surprised. Red eyes were looking at me over the Pope¡¯s arm. Standing there was a little boy. He was too small to be a child, but his feet stood stable on the floor so older than a baby. His face exposed under his fine black hair was quite delicate and kept neat, but he didn¡¯t look pretty. It was because his expression was serious as if he was a middle-age-man, who has gone through all sorts of hardships. ¡®Black hair and red eyes??.¡¯ All of them were rare traits in the temple. It is said that witches have black hair and red eyes. Especially in the future, people born with black hair would dye all their hair to hide their natural hair color. ¡®But who is he?¡¯ In this era, the age difference between me and him wouldn¡¯t be that big. Besides, he had such a striking appearance, it was strange that he didn¡¯t know his appearance stood out. Is he a child of a lower priest? A white shirt and pants on his small body look quite luxurious??. Even though I was hesitant to raise my head, I was surprised by his straight gaze at me and bowed my head again. The child was looking so intently at me, so even if I lifted my head a little, our eyes met. ¡®Why are you looking at me like that?¡¯ I felt like a target in front of a sniper. Why are you doing that? I was restless and looked back at the adults. The holy knights with sharp eyesight and sensitive senses, and my dad must have noticed the child¡¯s existence, but no one cared. It seemed to everyone that this child was very familiar and normal. ¡°?? Ueu.¡± But why are you doing that to me only? At this point, I was full of courage. No matter how afraid I am to make eye contact with people, I can¡¯t lose to a stranger. I gathered courage and stared at him with my eyes wide open. ¡°??!¡± Then, his eyes shook as if embarrassed. I smiled softly, feeling a subtle sense of triumph. ¡°Oh, John.¡± At that time, the Pope, who belatedly discovered the child, looked back and held me in his arms. Thanks to this, our sharply opposed staring contest also ended. ¡°You must be curious about the saint because there are no peers of your age in the temple.¡± I blinked while hugging the Pope. We¡¯re peers? ¡°Fortunately, you seemed to have gotten better.¡± (TL/N: This is Eve¡¯s dad talking) ¡°Yes, I was so anxious about losing my only grandchild.¡± ¡®The pope¡¯s grandchild?¡¯ I didn¡¯t know the previous pope had a grandchild. I heard that he had no descendent left behind?? When I heard about him, where did it hurt? ¡°Did he get baptized?¡± ¡°I postponed it because of his bad condition. He¡¯s going to get it today, he¡¯ll be two years old next month.¡± ¡®??Two years old?¡¯ Wait, he¡¯s two years old? Does that mean I had a staring contest with a 2-year-old? ¡®Evenna, it¡¯s pretty pathetic after the coming-of-age ceremony ??.¡¯ I froze for a moment and struggled to raise my head and look back at the little two-year-old. And like an adult, he sent me a kind and warm smile. ¡°Hehehe.¡± ¡°??.¡± The red eyes staring at me frowned. Throughout the conversation between the adults, the boy looked at me with a grumpy face. His persistent gaze was a little concerning, but I muttered ¡°two-year-old¡± in my mind like a spell. £ª £ª £ª I think I fell asleep with one last thought, ¡®It¡¯s nap time and I can¡¯t even sleep because I¡¯m worried about the little boy.¡¯ When I woke up, the time had passed, and the Pope was handing me over to my nanny. ¡°Huueum??.¡± I yawned in my nanny¡¯s arms and looked around. Not only the father and the knights but also the Pope were preparing to go somewhere with his pastoral staff. I thought I was going home now, but my nanny whispered in a slightly excited voice, ¡°Baby, we will go to the baptism together right now.¡± I blinked blankly. What do you mean baptism? This sudden? The adults left through the door and silently crossed the hallway, and began to go down the central stairs of Daishinjeon Hall. By the time I went down to the basement through the hall on the first floor, I realized who the main character of this baptism was. In the arms of the Pope, John was dressed in a pure white ceremonial robe. The pope said he¡¯ll turn two next month, so he¡¯ll have to hurry before you lose your stigma permanently. ¡°Wow??.¡± Upon reaching the basement, my nanny quietly admired it and I looked around with curious eyes. The basement of Daeshinjeon, the place where ceremonies were held, is especially dark. The high ceilings and the wavy columns were all glistening, like a divine light. The priests¡¯ attire was all white, and John¡¯s black hair, buried in the pope¡¯s arms, stood out. There were only five places on the continent where infants could be baptized. It is not an easy place to go because the queue is always long, but on a day like today, where the Daishinjeon Hall is closed, the pope¡¯s grandson could easily get baptized. ¡°You benefit greatly from your bloodline, John.¡¯ After passing through the arched door guarded by the holy knights, a central baptistery appeared. The first thing you can see was a statue of the Holy God, which symbolizes the Tehera Orthodox Church. Thanks to the delicate craftsmanship and overwhelming size, it was as if the truly gigantic god, Tehera, greeted us, holding a snow-like holy sword with his wavy long hair. I inadvertently avoided my gaze and dug into my nanny¡¯s arms. ¡°That¡¯s the holy relic ¡®Nova¡¯.¡± The Pop said. As I turned my head to the voice, I could see a hole in the middle of the floor like a huge bath. The Pope put down John and tapped the hole with his pastoral staff. ¡®That was good??.¡¯ A pure white pastoral staff with a snowflake relic gathered divinity and help manage it well, even when I was the Pope, I used it well. As the Pope gathered more divinity, the pastoral staff soon began to glow white. As my curious nanny took a few steps closer, she was able to see what was happening in the hole. ¡®Wow??.¡¯ The space that I thought was a hole was a very huge holy relic. The holy relic of baptism, ¡®Nova¡¯, was embedded like a rock on the basement floor of the Great Hall. The largest relic on the continent. ¡®I¡¯d say the diameter is 12 m.¡¯ I looked at Nova with curious eyes. The achromatic stone began to glow white with overflowing divinity. The Pope turned to my father as he gathered divinity through the pastoral staff. Then, my father came and handed me the ranch and repeated the same thing for a while. The infusion of divinity at the time of baptism had the meaning of consecration. After infusing Nova with the most luxurious divinity, the Pope pushed John¡¯s back. ¡°Come on, go in.¡± ¡°??.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid. The Holy God will bless you.¡± The Pope said in a kind voice. Then, John suddenly turned to me. ¡°??!¡± I avoided my eyes reflexively. And when I looked back a little later, John had his back turned away from me and was going down to the Nova. With his legs in shabby clothing, the white light soon rose like water and swallowed to the end of the top of his head. It looked very weird. Is it because John¡¯s hair is dark? It seemed that the stigma would not appear on the child. I fixed my gaze on the dazzlingly twinkling light in an anxious feeling. The light condensed into smaller and smaller pieces, and in an instant, it took on a golden geometric pattern. ¡®That¡¯s ??.¡¯ Ten dashed lines were connected diagonally. The pattern of light gradually diminished and disappeared on the child¡¯s forehead as if smushed. ¡°Oh oh.¡± People looked at John with a look of wonder. The pope strode over to the dimmed relic and pulled out a bunch of white cloth from his pocket. When he untied the white cloth, dried flowers came out of it. Without touching the flower, the Pope held out a white cloth to John. As John held the flower in his hand, it shone white and became moist as if it had water. ¡®Aurio.¡¯ The flowers that grow only near the temple, Aurio, were used to distinguish priests because they absorbed divinity and gained vitality. The Pope smiled brightly and hugged John. ¡°Congratulations on becoming a priest, John.¡± When the Pope stopped hugging John with a smile, Dad and the other priests also joined in congratulating him one by one. However, John, the main character, had an unwavering face even after such a mysterious ceremony. The excited Pope thanked them on his behalf. I looked at John, who was calm at the moment, and then turned to the Holy relic. The holy relic, which had been humming as if it was difficult to withstand the amount of divinity in it, returned to a colorless stone and became quiet. £ª £ª £ª In the middle of the night, as always, I stood in front of the entrance to enter the secret passage. Looking at the appearance of a normal wall, I gathered my divinity and drew the emperor¡¯s emblem. Then, as usual, the wall slides out, revealing the entrance to the passage. Suddenly, I remembered my dad¡¯s voice. ¡®This emblem must not be shared with anyone.¡¯ I first set foot on this passage when I was very young. It was before my father died, so I was only three or four years old? So I didn¡¯t notice, but it seemed a little strange. The fact that the door opens when you gather divinity and make a specific pattern. The emperor and his successors are the only ones who know this, so it is a secret that only grandfather and I know in this era. I thought about it as I entered the entrance with my magic floating around my body. ¡®Why does the entrance open when I make a pattern with divinity?¡¯ No, let¡¯s go back a bit more fundamentally. Why do you create patterns with divinity? No one had done this. Unlike magic, divinity was originally invisible. When it was very strongly condensed, only traces of it could be seen shining like a light. So, when creating a pattern with divinity, I had to use divinity as if pouring a great amount. I remembered John being wrapped in light. It was my first time seeing someone being baptized, so the scene was deeply embedded in my mind. As I was immersed in thought, my hand, which had been flipping through my mother¡¯s spellbook, as usual, stopped abruptly in the vicinity. A phrase I¡¯ve read over and over again caught my eyes. [The ink of the giant squid living in the North Sea has properties of concentrated magic.] For a moment, my shoulders shuddered. ¡°Ah?¡± Wait, maybe this is ??. Did I just find out how to use magic spells without sepia, the magic ink? ¡®And maybe even the way Sophia used to baptize people!¡¯ CH 16 ¡°Kkya.¡± I reached out and held my little aunt¡¯s hand. This blonde and blue-eyed lady saw my actions and her eyes curled. She carefully placed her thumb in my small palm. I clasped her thumb and waved it around as my way of shaking hands. Will my aunt be like this when she grows up? This noble lady, who is dignified with every action, was my amazing aunt. In the future, we saw each other ever since she was deported, so it had been a very long time since we met. ¡°Jen, say hi.¡± ¡°Hello??.¡± My cousin, who hid behind my aunt¡¯s skirt, said hello with hesitation. It¡¯s been two months since I¡¯ve been to the Imperial Palace, this means I¡¯ve met all of my family. I haven¡¯t seen my ill grandfather for a long time, but coming back to the past was the first time I¡¯ve seen him in person, so it was strange and pleasant. He had an intense and intelligent impression. ¡°By the way, where is Fariel? I haven¡¯t seen him.¡± At my aunt¡¯s question, the surroundings became quiet. I showed her an awkward smile. Fariel has been confused since the day I met him a month ago because I mistakenly went into his room. The servants murmured about the Prince, who used to constantly come in and out of the palace, that from that day on, he didn¡¯t even come near the Sun Palace. Perhaps, he was banned from entering, or he couldn¡¯t come see my Dad. ¡®I can¡¯t do anything because I can¡¯t meet you.¡¯ For a moment, I was amazed at myself as I thought I had found a clue in the way, which Sophia baptized. I haven¡¯t even seen a single strand of Fariel¡¯s hair in the past month. I didn¡¯t know when I would meet Fariel, so I beat 10 days and worked hard to recover my divine power. Maybe the day will come when I will be able to use it. ¡°Why is everyone quiet?¡± My aunt raised one eyebrow. Her gaze was on my father, the most influential person in the room. Dad was sitting at an angle on the sofa and looking at his documents with his secretary. Raising his head slowly with a stinging gaze, he said in an insensitive voice, ¡°Come.¡± And a moment later, I heard a knock. I flinched and raised my head. People in the room also looked at the door in unison. When a servant opened the door to my dad¡¯s beckoning, I saw a face I haven¡¯t seen in nearly a month. ¡°Our youngest.¡± My aunt welcomed him. No matter how I looked at it, her attitude wasn¡¯t like one persecuting an illegitimate child. My dad was soft, my young aunt, and my family seemed to care about Fariel quite a bit. Well, he didn¡¯t leave any evidence of being an illegitimate child, so I didn¡¯t know he was one until I heard it from my aunt back before time leap. Fariel, who was walking in, approached my aunt, but his gaze turned to my Dad. Dad set his documents on the table and got up. ¡°Fariel.¡± ¡°?? Brother.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t forget what I said.¡± Fariel nodded with a determined look. I looked at them and the atmosphere alternately. I don¡¯t know what¡¯s going on, but it seems like they had a conversation without me knowing. Did Fariel give a heartfelt apology to my Dad about me? ¡®He seems so confident.¡¯ When we first met, he was rude to me, a babbling baby, plus, he even threw me to a servant once, I never thought he was a normal person. However, I was the person that understood him the most. In the Holy Union, divine power was more important than status. Everyone knew who was a lower priest and who was a higher priest. Fariel had to bow his head to those whose rank in the temple was higher than his, even though they have a lower rank in the noble hierarchy than him. It was considered a law. Living as an Imperial family member without divinity in the Holy Empire might be similar to living as a Holy Emperor suspected of being a witch. The label of being a broken human would follow him like a shadow and drive him into a deep pit of deprivation and a sense of entitlement. Didn¡¯t these feelings cause him to join the Holy Knights, which he wouldn¡¯t have entered if he was treated well, and die on the battlefield? If Fariel had lived a little longer, he might¡¯ve met Sophia, gained stigma, and become one of her followers. Unfortunately, however, he died at the young age of 19 before Sophia had appeared. My uncle doesn¡¯t seem to like me??, but he¡¯s still a family, and I couldn¡¯t let him die so sadly and easily. I waved my hand towards Fariel. ¡°Kkyaa!¡± ¡°Eoeo.¡± Aunt Viola, who was holding me, held me tighter, as if embarrassed. But I didn¡¯t give in. ¡°Ppyaaaa!¡± We haven¡¯t seen each other in a long time, and if I miss this opportunity, I don¡¯t know when we will meet again. I can¡¯t even go find Fariel so I struggled with discomfort. ¡°Why is the quiet baby suddenly doing this?¡± My aunt looked at me, bewildered. My little aunt hugged me tightly and said to Fariel, ¡°I think she¡¯s calling for you¡±. ¡°Me?¡± Fariel pointed a finger at himself, confused, then looked back at my dad reflexively. Dad, who looked at me with shaky eyes, when I started to riot, hesitated for a moment at Fariel¡¯s gaze, and then nodded without saying a word. ¡°Umm??.¡± Fariel approached me with a puzzled expression. I wiggled my arm at Fariel, who stood with a stiff posture. Fariel slowly crouches to me, understanding my gesture. ¡°Like this?¡± I reached out to his forehead. I¡¯ve only seen Sophia baptize twice, but she put her hand on the foreheads like this. When John was baptized, the divinity gathered on his forehead. The stigma and divinity cannot be seen with the naked eye, but perhaps it is located nearby there. My fingertips touched Fariel¡¯s forehead. When my eyes met with the bewildered Fariel, I closed his eyes and gathered divinity at my fingertips. This wasn¡¯t difficult because I do it very often. Every time I entered the secret passage¡¯s entrance, I made the divine pattern. Divinity was originally invisible to the naked eye, but when a lot of divinity was used at once, it gave off a white light, and if it went one step higher, it gave off a golden light. I remembered the pattern I saw the other day when John was baptized. A door that opens when you create a specific pattern with divinity. Ink sepia, used to draw a magic circle, with their property of ¡®condensed magic¡¯. Maybe the principles of these two were similar? There were no magic circles in the temple, so no one noticed. ¡®To create the pattern, I have to condense a lot of divinity to the point of visibility.¡¯ Probably something only divine beings can do. Even Sophia, a real saint, was exhausted on the day she baptized. Since I¡¯m not a saint, I think I¡¯ll have to work even harder than that, so I poured all the divinity I had accumulated over the years into Fariel. ¡°Uh, what??.¡± Aunt Viola sounded shocked. I could feel people¡¯s eyes turn towards us. When I slowly opened my eyes, a golden divinity was twinkling at my fingertips. My eyes widened when I realized this. The only thing I was anxious about was whether I could draw the divinity pattern I only had a glimpse of, over the Pope¡¯s shoulder. However, when the golden divinity was on Fariel¡¯s forehead, the divinity naturally formed the pattern. ¡®Oh.¡¯ Feeling like something was going to happen, I squeezed the last of my divinity. Then, the pattern of light became clearer and began to seep into Fariel¡¯s forehead. ¡°That ??.¡± Dad looked surprised when he saw the pattern on his forehead. It was yesterday that we all watched John¡¯s baptism together, so everyone will remember that pattern. ¡°Ah.¡± As the light on his forehead faded, Fariel fell backward like a man whose legs lost all their strength. My startled aunt took his arm. ¡°Fariel! Are you okay?¡± ¡°What?¡± Fariel blinked blankly and patted his forehead. He didn¡¯t seem to understand what had happened to him. ¡°Viola.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± Then my dad came up to my young aunt and reached out to me. My aunt handed me over to my Dad. As he lowered his head in bewilderment, his eyes met mine as if he was looking at an alien. ¡°??.¡± ¡°??.¡± I love my dad, but him looking at me with his sharp eyes made me tremble a little. Dad raised his hand and it on my forehead as he looked at me. I looked at my father with serious and nervous eyes. His long fingers traced my face and grabbed my cheek lightly, and pulled it. ¡°Eh.¡± I frowned and turned my face to the other side. My cheeks stretched even more. I was a little shocked. When my father, who is a saint, realized something and took me, I didn¡¯t realize that he wanted to play with my face. I felt nervous for no reason. ¡®Now that my father is 18, so he¡¯s not yet mature.¡¯ I was trying my best to understand his actions, but my dad suddenly opened his mouth. ¡°Fariel.¡± Fariel, who got up after being supported by my aunt, was called and looked back at us. ¡°Come here.¡± Fariel still looked confused but obeyed my dad. Fariel, who approached us with nervous steps, stood awkwardly and looked up at my dad. ¡°You said you wanted to hug the baby.¡± ¡°Yes? No, that¡¯s??.¡± ¡°Hug her.¡± ¡°What?¡± After the uproar a month ago, my dad bestowed me a holy relic of protection. So no one without stigma dared touch me. If Fariel was the same as before, he wouldn¡¯t be able to touch me. But my dad just pushed me into his arms without saying a word. At that moment, Fariel slowly reached out to me. With a face full of anxiety and strange anticipation, the protection relic wasn¡¯t activated until he embraced me. ¡°How??.¡± There were sounds of startled voices and gasps coming from everywhere. The secretary who was organizing the papers and the servants stopped what they were doing and watched us with surprised eyes. ¡°How the hell did this happen?¡± ¡°I think, maybe??.¡± My nanny stuttered in response to the servants¡¯ murmur. ¡°I think the baby baptized His Highness.¡± ¡°What? That is impossible.¡± ¡°But earlier, that¡¯s what happens when you get stigma.¡± My aunt came to Fariel with a look of bewilderment and grabbed his shoulder. ¡°Fariel, is that true?¡± While people were talking in an exasperated voice or urged him, Fariel Fariel took turns looking at me and the relic hanging from my neck with a puzzled look. At that moment, my dad quietly reached out and grabbed the relic on the end of my necklace, and handed it to Fariel. ¡°Remember what you saw in the gift textbook?¡° Dad¡¯s quiet voice reached my ear. He said this quietly because the gift textbook is a book that only official priests use when they receive education about holy relics and holy swords. Fariel, who has no stigma, read that book? Fariel hesitated, and as if made up his mind, he took the holy relic of protection in his hand. He made eye contact with my dad and narrowed his forehead as if concentrating. I immediately realized ¡®He¡¯s infusing his divinity.¡¯ Soon, the holy relic vibrated slightly and gave off a white light, and my aunt covered her mouth and stepped back. There was no evidence as convincing as divinity and stigma appearing to prove the baptism. ¡°Am I dreaming right now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so, your highness.¡± ¡®Thank god.¡¯ I looked up at Fariel with a mixture of surprise and pride. Fariel¡¯s green eyes gleamed white, reflecting the sparkling holy relic. My aunt lost her composure and shouted to summon the priest, and the servants opened the door in confusion and began to run out. Fariel, who I thought would be most agitated, was surprisingly calm. Just then, Fariel turned to me. When our eyes met, I flinched and averted my gaze. ¡°?? Heuk.¡± I lifted my head at the sobbing I heard near me. Fariel was crying. ¡°Heueug, kkeug.¡± I didn¡¯t know he was going to burst into tears. Seeing that, somehow the tip of my nose wrinkled. How desperate he must¡¯ve wanted this. Our first meeting was the worst, but the boy in front of me was just full of anxiety because of how different he was from everyone. ¡®Dad, am I really a witch?¡¯ Just like me in the past. I felt like I could understand the alienation and fear he must have felt, so I hugged him tightly in my heart. CH 17 I closed my eyes and waited. Nanny Linda, who was looking at me, looked in a different direction, and the sound of footsteps slowly faded away. Step. Step. Step. As soon as the door closed, my eyes opened. ¡®Now.¡¯ I looked down at the rabbit doll I was hugging. It had a soft texture and pink fur like my hair. The doll, Tosun, that I had grown attached to was a gift I got when I first came to the Sun Palace. I put Tosun on the spot where I was lying on my behalf and got up using magic. ¡®Just as always, just as always.¡¯ Just as divinity condenses to create a secret pattern, magic condenses into a magic circle, into circles and formulas with multiple meanings. When the magic circle looks like the one in the spellbook, the circle shines. ¡®Magical Ink Sepia has the property of condensed magic. If you pour magic on the circle painted with sepia, the magic will automatically move according to the shape of the ink, making the circle magical.¡¯ If you know the principle, you can find alternative ways. Even without sepia, if you make the circle with condensed magic it will become a magic circle! ¡°Kkya.¡± In the place where the magic circle created light, which faded, there Evenna was. In her place was Tosun, sleeping in her bed. ¡´Advanced spell: Transfiguration¡µ It was one of the spells I saw in my Mom¡¯s spellbook. It took a lot of concentration and effort to create a circle by gathering mana. Fortunately, ever since I was young, I always made the divinity pattern, so I was able to make the circle. The results of the baptism seen in the temple were enormous. Now I can use magic to walk around even during the day, not just at night. ¡°Hehehe.¡± I went round and round on the crib, with my closed eyes, pink hair covering my forehead, and the sound of breathing. I did this. ¡®It seems to be getting more and more natural. Maybe I have a little talent for magic?¡¯ Rumble! I quietly laughed in celebration, but then I was horrified by the noise from outside. I held my breath and raised my head, but nothing happened. ¡®Ah, it must have been the wind.¡¯ Phew, I¡¯m glad everything was fine, but after being surprised, I carefully entered the secret passage, looking left and right. As I instilled my divinity into the holy relic, the dark interior brightened, and I could see bundles of paper and clutter scattered around. ¡°Hmm??.¡± ¡®It has become a complete hideout.¡¯ The pens and papers were brought from the Sun Palace¡¯s office, the mirrors were from the servants¡¯ rooms who do not use them, and the books from the Imperial Library. I didn¡¯t steal them cause I¡¯ll put them back someday. I sat on the floor and glanced at the dizzying interior for a moment, then put my hands on the floor and got up. ¡°Kkya.¡± It has been three months since I came to the past. ¡°Kkya.¡± Was it because of my hard work flying around the Imperial Castle with the help of my magic? I can now stand on my own without magic. I stood steady and clasped my hands. ¡°How are you?¡±, In a child-like tone. In addition, I can speak as well as an adult. But I don¡¯t make it obvious in front of others. It¡¯s because my body is originally young, but my comprehension of language has regressed. Now, I know how to make audible sounds with my young oral structure. But there was also Uncle Rivel and his aides. Until I met my mother, I pretended to be a normal baby because I thought it would be better to examine the imperial family quietly. ¡®Uncle Rival knew witches. It w difficult if I look weird.¡¯ Sophia was a genius healer, but her speech and growth pace were just like a child¡¯s. No, she was smarter than her peers, so she¡¯s a gifted child? So I, too, had to show just as much as a gifted baby. ¡°How are you book?¡± As I approached my mother¡¯s spellbook, I saw the page I had opened yesterday. Ah. ¡´Low-Level Spell: Mouse and Bird Ears¡µ (TL/N: This spell was mentioned in chapter 11, where the person that used the spell will have a mouse and bird-like ears) To survive in the palace knowledge is essential, so I¡¯m getting information today. ¡®Where should I go to get important information?¡¯ The dining room, where many people gather, that¡¯s a must. The Emperor¡¯s drawing-room, I think that would be nice too. Where else should I go??? ¡®Uncle Rival¡¯s office, or something??.¡¯ I shivered at the name that came to mind. Just the thought of Uncle Rival¡¯s name made my spine shiver. ¡®First of all, the dining room??.¡¯ I hugged the book in my arms and headed to the dining room. After lunchtime, the dining room was empty. ¡°The dining room must be crowded with people during mealtime but other than that, it must be quiet.¡¯ During mealtime, I¡¯ll be careful and not speak because I am afraid people will hear, and when mealtime is over, there¡¯s nothing to worry about, so I can talk. I¡¯m thinking about it because it¡¯s more ambiguous than I thought, but then I saw a human shadow through the window on the hallway side. ¡°??!¡± As I clung to the wall in shock, I heard the voices of the maids. ¡°Where is Lena?¡± ¡°I should go to the break room first.¡± ¡®Break room?¡¯ Is there a lounge for staff? When I floated in the air and stuck to the window, I could see people crossing the hallway going upstairs. I also went upstairs through the secret passage. As I got close to the entrance and listened to the sound outside, I was able to find a space where I could hear the sounds of people talking. I sat with my back at an angle to the entrance and waited until the crowd was gone. After a while, they left after the chieftain called them. When I carefully pushed the entrance and poked out my head, I saw a fireplace, sofa, a coffee table with various kinds of snacks, a crib, several dolls, and cute little things such as picture frames. ¡®There was a lounge in the middle of the second floor¡¯s annex where the servants¡¯ rooms are located.¡¯ It is a perfect location for attendants staying in the annex to gather and talk. I opened the page that had¡´Low-Level Spell: Mouse and Bird Ears¡µwritten on it, looked at the magic circle, and began to use magic. The black magic that slowly came from my fingertips gathered and separated according to my will, creating a magic circle. As I was concentrating on my mind, my magic suddenly flashed. ¡°Oops.¡± The wind gathered in the air, and the whitish hairs scattered on the floor gathered together. ¡°Magic of clumping cat fur.¡± (TL/N: This spell was mentioned in chapter 11) A white ball of hair fell to the floor and rolled in front of me. Who keeps cats in break rooms??. I looked at the furball with a slightly disappointed look and then tried the magic again. Witches weren¡¯t using magic ink sepia for no reason. I suffered dozens of failures before I was able to use the transformation magic gracefully. In the middle of drawing the magic circle, another spell keeps being demonstrated. ¡°Again??.¡± Only after wasting magic three times, I succeed in drawing the magic circle. As the black light shone, the air rumbled, and nail-sized material appeared. It looks a little like a furball that just clumped together, but it was the ears of mice and birds seen in the spellbook. I quickly shouted the starting words of the spell. In the language of witches. ¡°Robin, latte.¡± Then the ears fluttered in the shadow and disappeared. It is said that the ear usually hides in the shadow, but when I say a phrase, the ears pop out, and the sounds get amplified. While transmitting the sound, it bothers me that people in the room heard me say the phrase, but it should be okay because I hid behind a large cabinet. After a moment of being proud of my success, I heard footsteps from outside. I hid behind the secret passage. As the passage¡¯s entrance closed, I could hear a muffled voice. Curious about what they¡¯re saying, I immediately recited the phrase I just said. ¡°Robin.¡± Then I heard a crackling in my ear for a moment, and then I heard the voices behind the wall. -The schedule suddenly disappeared. What are you doing till evening? -I¡¯m going to read a book. ¡®Wow, I can hear them.¡¯ The words heard by the ears, the ¡°furball¡±, becomes the phrase for summoning them. The bird¡¯s ears are summoned by the first word, and the mouse¡¯s ears are summoned by the second word. The sound of the conversation was clear as if I was in the same room with the maids. -It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve seen a council meeting postponed. -Isn¡¯t there something wrong with His Holiness? As I headed to my next destination while listening to their voices, I stopped at the conversation. I can¡¯t remember if the council meeting was delayed during this period. This means that there was no incident big enough to be recorded in the history book that I memorized before coming to the past. The current Pope has three years left. Even though I knew that, since I¡¯ve only met him once before the time leap future and now meeting him once again, events were bound to change. ¡®If I stay in this time period, I will have a relationship with someone I¡¯ve never met before.¡¯ I have already met several such people. The Pope, the Pope¡¯s grandchild, my nanny, maids, and even my Uncle Fariel. ¡®How many of them will survive when I go back to my original time?¡¯ -His Highness Rivelius said he would visit the temple, so we have to wait. (TL/N: Rivel is the shorter version of his name, Rivelius is his actual name) -There must be a lot of discord. The ¡®agenda¡¯ came into the council this time. -Witchcraft. ¡®?? They have already started to discuss it.¡¯ The law that led us, the witches, to death. I accelerated my pace, which had slowed for a moment. The full-scale legislation will start in three years anyway, so there is no need to worry yet. The voices of the maids also look promising. (TL/N: This event was also mentioned in chapter 11 if you want a refresher.) -Thanks to her, the imperial atmosphere has subsided. -That¡¯s right, things are good these days. -There¡¯s news about our baby saint. ¡®Yes, your baby saint??.¡¯ I nodded my head, then paused. ¡®If they¡¯re talking about a baby saint??, would that be me?¡¯ -That¡¯s right, I¡¯m glad we have news of the baby. -I also live with joy hearing news of my baby these days. I heard that servants are also trying to take work from the Sun Palace. -Ah, I wish I could go to the Sun Palace too. What type of conversation am I hearing now? I tapped my ear to see if the magic was wrong. When I listened to the conversation properly again, a maid said in a particularly high voice. -Actually, I recently stopped by the Sun Palace for work. ¨C No way. Did you meet her? -It was just a brief encounter. -Oh my god, you did meet her! ¨C How was it? Was she as cute as an angel? Did she have a lark-like laugh? (TL/N: Lark-like- nice/pleasant voice) -I heard that she is shy! -Is her hair really like pink cotton candy? I was taken aback by the sudden pouring of questions and stopped. Is the ¡®Baby Saint¡¯ they¡¯re talking about is me? Unlike me, who began to think about the actual questions, the maid didn¡¯t seem embarrassed when she heard the questions coming at her. No, somehow, she even replied with a proud voice. -She¡¯s really cute, like an angel with pink cotton candy hair, and she laughed with such a lark-like voice. -Whoa! Whoops, I was startled by the cheering, which shook my eardrums, and I fell backward. My butt lightly hit the floor but felt no pain. I covered my still tingling ears with both hands and confusedly blinked as I looked down at the floor. ¡®W-What?¡¯ I couldn¡¯t understand what this conversation was, even though I listened to it.