Doesn't every position have an article, and every empress have an expected image in people's minds?
To be beautiful, noble, and overflowing with sophistication even when she yawns!
Atha had no confidence in any of these aspects.
Ah, suddenly she felt a desire to see her mother, whose facial features she did not even know.
She longed to return to her home.
Oh, no.
If I went back to the real world, the debt would be...
“Ah, my head”
When Atha put her hand on her forehead, which was starting to hurt, Ruby was confused and quickly prepared a towel.
“Does your head hurt?
Looks like you've been in hot water for a long time.
Lean on me.”
Atha did not refuse to help Ruby.
After finishing the shower with difficulty, Atha slipped under the bed quilt as if she were sick and bedridden.
Then I thought—
Would it be better to be an incompetent empress who can't sleep peacefully?
Or is it better to spend my nights awake worrying about debt?
‘……’
Thinking about it, this wasn't the time to decide whether to return to the real world or stay inside the novel.
Why?
Because I don't know how to go back at all!
Whether I am the Empress, or even the Empress's grandmother, I will eventually have to adapt and live here.
When Atha came to this conclusion, she started turning on the “optimism circuit” in her mind.
Just like she did when she followed Alisto to the palace instead of Cedric.
'… Okay!
Either way I won't be able to sleep, right?'
If so, I'd better sleep in a royal bedroom in the Imperial Palace.
At least the place has been upgraded, which is a gain in itself.
Were her efforts credited with forcibly turning on the cycle of optimism?
Suddenly, she had just the idea she needed—it struck her mind like lightning.
'This is it!'
The excuse she will use when she pretends to escape and then comes back to confess to Alisto!
'I can say that I suddenly felt enormous pressure and fear at the thought of becoming an empress, and I wanted to run away!'
Moreover, it was not bad to have a previous record of trying to escape due to the weight of the position of Empress.
Because in this way, she will be able to act rudely even if she makes a mistake or neglects her duties later.
Or better yet, they might not assign her any tasks pertaining to the Empress (she doesn't know exactly what they are) at all.
Ha.
Sometimes I feel like a genius.
I immediately kicked off the quilt and got out of bed.
“Ruby!”
When she called out to Ruby and went out into the hall, the latter's eyes widened in astonishment and she quickly approached.
“Yes, Miss Atha.”
At first, Atha dismissed the three maids who were watching her behind Ruby.
Then she secretly asked Ruby to prepare a carriage for her.
“Chariot...at this time?”
“This, actually… I want to ask His Highness the Crown Prince for a stargazing date.
So prepare the carriage and then you too go home!”
Feeling guilty, Atha made up the excuse of a date, and fortunately Ruby didn't seem to suspect it.
“Oh my God, this is so romantic.
I will also prepare warm tea and some cake for you to enjoy while watching the stars.”
Atha nodded as she put on her earrings, pretending to be ready for the date.
“Yes, fine.
Prepare everything and then leave immediately.”
Atha lied brazenly without blinking an eyelid.
“Yes, I understand”
After Robbie left, Atha entered the dressing room.
Since there might be eyes watching them as she passed by the first floor to ride the carriage, she put on the maid's clothes that she had hidden earlier.
Although it's not a real escape, to increase the "realism" she has to pack some luggage, right?
Simple dress and pants... oh?
What is this?
Isn't this a medieval fantasy novel?
Why are there “leggings” here?
Atha took the light riding trousers and the jewelry bag that the Empress had given her.
She didn't forget to take the box of cakes that Ruby had prepared in the hall, and then left the Almond Suite without hesitation.
Since she had done this once before, getting out of the Crown Prince's Palace was not difficult.
She got into the car she was accustomed to and ordered the driver: “Go to the city center.”
But maybe because Ruby had given him advance instructions?
For some reason, the driver hesitated.
“Excuse me,… won’t His Highness accompany you?”
Atha had expected this question, of course.
But she had not prepared an answer.
So she just looked at the driver sharply, as if she was saying: You dare to discuss my orders?!
When she succeeded in feigning prestige, the driver, who did not even dare to meet his eyes with hers, leaned down.
“Ehm!
Go!”
The driver bent his back completely, as if he had lost his courage.
“Yes, miss.”
Once in the carriage, Atha covered the windows with curtains.
And when she opened the box of cookies to take one—
A man's voice rang out inside the carriage in which she was supposed to be alone.
“Where are you going?”
'Ah'
Atha's body froze.
'I heard this voice somewhere, who is it?'
She tried to calm her nerves and slowly raised her head, letting her eyes meet the eyes of the man sitting in front of her coldly.
He was the priest whose eyes met hers from afar at the party, which was filled with a mysterious and strange atmosphere.
Atha was certain that he was “the ruler who sent her the message.”
Because the way it appears has nothing to do with humans.
However, its atmosphere was unexpected.
She thought that the ruler would certainly be filled with prestige and majesty.
But the man who smiled at her tenderly as soon as their eyes met had a more relaxed and affectionate impression than she had imagined.
Thanks to that, Atha gathered her courage and spoke first.
“You are… the ruler, aren’t you?”
He nodded.
Since reading the Governor's letter, Atha had prepared thousands of questions and criticisms in her mind.
But when she actually faced him, she didn't know where to start talking.
“Your face says you have a lot of questions.”
When the governor opened the door to talk, Atha nodded.
“a lot”
“Ask.
We have some time.”
Atha first made sure of her personal safety.
“You said that Atha, who was the original Saint, was killed in the fall.
Am I in danger too?”
Upon hearing the first question, an ambiguous expression appeared on the ruler’s face as he pursed his lips.
“I can't say for sure.
Because a lot of things have changed.”
How can the ruler not be sure?
Shouldn't he know everything?
She felt a little uncomfortable, but she had to admit that this was realistic.
Her entering the palace behind Alisto instead of Cedric was in itself the biggest change.
“When the saint died, what made you turn back time?
Why did she not come back to life, but I came here?”
Maybe it was a bit of a difficult question.
The ruler sighed with a look that seemed to be searching for the best way to explain.
“Mmm—A Saint’s ability is passed down through the mother’s lineage, so what happens if she dies without giving birth to a daughter?”
“The offspring will be cut off.”
“It will be cut off.
And I had to prevent that even if it meant reversing time.
However, once the Saint’s ability manifests, I cannot recover the soul in which part of the ruler’s power has settled.
Even if it were me.”
The explanation was that he had turned back time to save the original Saint Atha, but because the ruler's power had already inhabited her, he could not restore her soul.
Atha felt a little startled.
“In other words, the soul is already dead… but as long as the body is alive, it is possible to inherit the ability of a Saint?
And this person is me?”
The ruler nodded deeply.
“Exactly”
Atha's head tilted to one side.
“So, this means that I have the ‘Saint Ability’ as well?
Since the prophecy hasn’t been revealed yet, I thought I didn’t have it because I’m just an outsider in this world...”
Then, the governor furrowed his eyebrows slightly.
“Indeed, I went down.
But it was not me who took him down.”
“What?
If it’s not you, then who sent it down?”
“I don’t know, maybe another ruler other than me?
Or ‘the official’?
‘The regime’?
It seems that the world you were in was called by these names.”
What nonsense?
What is the “responsible” and what is the “system”?
There was no time for questions.
Before doubts form in her mind, he continued his words first.
"Let's go of that.
There's something more important.
As you know, Saint abilities are given randomly, and usually only see one future.
The original Atha was like that too.
She was definitely like that…"
As he continued speaking, his expression became serious, which made Atha tense in turn.
“But for some strange reason, when you inherited the ability, it changed.”