Can an Enemy Become Salvation? - Chapter 38

After a few seconds of silence, Ibnel, finally realizing she was too close to Shuher, hastily backed away from him.

“Ah, I’m sorry. I was just startled for a moment.”

“To be startled by something so minor.”

“It’s because this place is unnecessarily too spacious. Practically, there are only the two of us living here.”

“If you put it that way, the situation seems similar to before.”

Shuher said this knowing that she had lived alone, abandoned in the annex.

“No. I used to live in a place just right for two siblings…”

“Siblings?”

At his questioning, Ibnel stopped her steps climbing the stairs. Then, realizing she had mentioned the time when she was Arang, she quickly glossed over it.

“I mean, compared to this imperial palace, it was just right. Anyway, it was smaller in scale than this.”

Shuher, knowing there was another lady in the Istella ducal family, didn’t question Ibnel’s words much.

“Oh, by the way, has there been any movement from Aodin yet? By now, they should have heard about me.”

Bringing up the topic of the ducal family, Ibnel finally recalled the suspiciously quiet Aodin and wondered.

Until now, she had been too busy adjusting here to pay much attention, but if they knew she had gained abilities, they were definitely not the type to stay quiet.

“They’ve already made contact.”

“Really?”

Although Shuher didn’t specifically mention it, in fact, Aodin had been sending urgent letters even before Ibnel went on the subjugation mission.

Of course, the content was to return Ibnel. She was originally from Aodin, after all.

“So what did you say? Even if you said no, they’re not the type to back down easily.”

“Was there any need to say anything?”

“Then?”

“I just ignored them.”

At Shuher’s words that he ignored them, Ibnel couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Thinking about how furious and upset the Aodin side must be made her feel refreshed.

“Why are you laughing?”

Shuher had to ask her who suddenly burst into laughter. What words could be so amusing?

“No, it’s just that they must be really regretting sending me away now. It feels completely satisfying.”

Since they were the ones who judged her as useless and unnecessary and sent her to Caries, she couldn’t have good feelings towards them.

“Anyway, don’t you think they might be devising some plan?”

“Whatever they do, it will work out somehow.”

“That sounds like confidence that nothing they do matters.”

As she said, as long as Ibnel was in his hands, Shuher considered those from Aodin not even worth dealing with. All that was left was to gradually tighten their noose.

Ibnel also decided not to worry too much about that part, as she had entrusted it to him when she decided to stay in Caries. Anyway, as long as she was here, there wasn’t much they could do from there.

Seeing that she didn’t inquire further, Shuher brought up a question he had been curious about.

“Didn’t you ever think about returning to Aodin?”

At that question, Ibnel, who had just entered the corridor, stopped her steps. After a moment of silence, she countered with a question instead of an answer, as if trying to test him.

“What if I said yes?”

“I would have already given my answer.”

Seeing his eyes still unwilling to let her go, Ibnel showed a refreshing smile.

“If you’re going to say that, why did you ask me in the first place?”

Anyway, whatever answer she gave would have been the same, but it was just funny how he talked as if he would let her go easily.

“But if Your Majesty answers like that, my answer is the same as before. I am no one’s possession. Is that answer enough?”

Ibnel’s heart on that matter remained unchanged. That she wouldn’t be swayed entirely by the will of Aodin or Caries.

“Then I’ll be going now.”

As she was about to return to her room, Shuher called out to her once more from behind.

“Take a break from training tomorrow.”

“Why?”

“Because there’s somewhere we need to go together.”

“Where exactly?”

“We’ll be going outside the imperial palace.”

Despite Ibnel’s curious gaze wondering what the purpose was, Shuher didn’t seem to have any intention of saying more than that.

“It would be better to cover your face as much as possible in front of people. The story about the lady has spread quite a bit.”

As she also didn’t want to get involved in troublesome situations, she nodded obediently.

With those final words, Shuher walked away, and Ibnel, returning to her room, lay on the bed staring blankly at the black ceiling.

“Why does time pass so quickly?”

Already, a month had swiftly passed since she came to Caries. As she was thinking about everything that had happened so far, she suddenly remembered a presence she had forgotten.

“That’s right, the female protagonist.”

Since she was originally supposed to die near the beginning of the novel, it seemed like it should be time for her to appear by now, but there was still no sign. In fact, she didn’t know anything about that person.

What was her name, where did she live, how did she meet Shuher.

“Well, if I knew, I would have found her first and presented her directly.”

Anyway, once she appeared, Ibnel could immediately become free. If that happened, there would be no reason for Caries to borrow her abilities.

“Everyone would be happy when the female protagonist appears.”

‘And I would immediately become useless. I should think ahead about what to do after that.’

As Ibnel continued these thoughts, she soon closed her eyes to the coming drowsiness.

In a secluded alley.

There was a woman hiding her body in a pile of garbage in one corner of the alley, breathing heavily. For some reason, her two eyes, looking around the surroundings, showed anxiety and trembled.

As if showing it was an urgent situation, she was barefoot, seemingly not having the presence of mind to grab her shoes, and her exposed arms and legs were noticeably thin.

Soon, breaking the silence, the loud voices of several people were heard.

“Did you find her?”

“No.”

“Damn, that cunning wench. Where on earth did she go?”

Men with rough faces seemed to be scattered throughout the alleyways looking for that woman.

She covered her mouth with both hands to avoid being discovered by the approaching footsteps. To prevent even the sound of her breath escaping in between.

‘I absolutely must not be caught.’

“Let’s go that way. She couldn’t have gone far.”

Only when the men’s voices were completely inaudible did she come out of the garbage pile where she had been hiding. And she started running desperately in the opposite direction from where they had gone.

‘Where should I go?’

Her heart raced, feeling like the men might chase after her through that darkness at any moment. Soon, the woman’s gaze fixed on the road leading to the capital.

“The capital…”

As if it were the only escape route, she ran straight ahead without looking back, not even feeling the pain in her bare feet.

Under the moonlight, white eyes shone with fear.

“You don’t know where we’re going?”

“That’s right. His Majesty just told me to come out.”

As Ibnel left the palace with Lia’s send-off, Shuher was standing in front of the carriage. He too was dressed in light, inconspicuous clothes unlike usual.

Approaching him, Ibnel couldn’t contain her curiosity and asked.

“Where are we really going?”

“Just get in for now.”

With those words, Shuher got on, and she also greeted Lia and followed him into the carriage. As soon as the two sat down, the carriage started smoothly.

Soon after the carriage passed through the entrance of the imperial palace, Ibnel couldn’t take her eyes off the scenery outside the window. It was understandable, as it was the first time she was leaving the imperial palace since coming to Caries.

‘I thought I wouldn’t be able to leave at all.’

Until coming here, she had thought she wouldn’t leave alive, so it felt like a new experience. A moment later, the streets of the capital unfolded before her eyes.

Her gaze was captivated by the low buildings and the quaint, exotic scenery, unlike the sky-high apartments and high-rise buildings she used to see every day.

‘So this is really Caries.’

Shuher, sitting across from her, found her reaction puzzling. She wasn’t someone seeing the world for the first time, so why couldn’t she take her eyes off this unremarkable scenery?

Aodin should be much more splendid, so it should look rather dull in comparison.

“But where are we really going? I’m feeling a bit uneasy since you keep not telling me.”

“The Eunice Count’s residence.”

“The Eunice Count’s residence?”

It wasn’t an entirely unfamiliar name to Ibnel either. She definitely remembered seeing it in a book.

It wasn’t a family that had received powers, but it was a place with no less fame.

“Isn’t this the family famous for making firearms? I think I read in a book that they led the development of bullets used to defeat magical beasts.”

Shuher nodded in affirmation.

“All the guns currently used by the knights are made by the Eunice Count’s family. They have been making high-quality, excellent firearms, and even now, the heir is continuing the legacy following the current count.”

As she listened to that explanation, she belatedly realized that they were heading there now and asked in surprise.

“So you mean we’re going there now?”

“Yes.”

“For what purpose?”

“Because the gun you’ll be using is there.”

“Really?”

Unlike before, Ibnel’s face immediately brightened. From her perspective, it was naturally welcome news. In fact, she had been interested in this family related to firearms since she saw it in the book.

“I also have some business-related matters to discuss with the count, so it’s killing two birds with one stone.”

“But why are you taking me along? You could have just passed it on to me later.”

“That’s not something to say from someone who kept pestering me to prepare a gun every time we met.”

She scratched her cheek in embarrassment, remembering how many times she had begged for a new gun until now.

A while later, the carriage that had arrived at its destination stopped, and the two got out. There stood a massive white mansion.

‘So this is the Eunice Count’s residence.’

At that moment, a man approached the two of them.

“We’ve been waiting, Your Majesty.”

“It’s been a while, Count Gerrien.”

This man with a gentle impression and good build was Gerrien Eunice, the owner of the Eunice Count’s family. Gerrien, exchanging greetings with Shuher, belatedly noticed Ibnel who was with him.

She politely greeted Gerrien.

“Pleased to meet you. I’m Ibnel Istella.”

A strange silence followed Ibnel’s introduction. From that atmosphere, it was felt that Gerrien didn’t welcome her.

Nevertheless, Ibnel had something she really wanted to say when meeting him.

“I wanted to express my gratitude to you, Count, for being indebted this time.”

“Indebted?”

Gerrien didn’t understand at all the meaning of the debt she mentioned. They were meeting for the first time today, so what could there be?

“I heard from His Majesty that all the guns used in the imperial palace are made by the Eunice Count’s family. When I went to Perti territory this time, I saved my life several times thanks to that gun. So I am indeed indebted.”

At Ibnel’s following explanation, bewilderment was clearly visible in his eyes.