Before I could properly understand what Ernoa had said, my heart sank.

So he’s asking me where the original Rosebelia in this body went?

I took slow breaths as I felt dizzy.

Pull yourself together. Repeating those words endlessly in my mind, I opened my mouth.

“What are you saying? I am Rosebelia……”

“Ah, I should have told you this first.”

Ernoa began speaking in a calm tone, as if he had anticipated this reaction from me.

I glanced at his face, which showed not the slightest hint of emotion. By now I was afraid of what would come out of his mouth next.

“The truth is, I can see souls.”

You can see souls? Is that even possible?

I couldn’t believe it even though I heard it with my own ears. As I just blinked my eyes, Ernoa continued with a faint smile.

“When I say souls, it’s not anything grand, more like a thin membrane or band surrounding each person. Anyway, such a thing exists and I can see it. Interestingly, each one has a different color and texture, so I’ve always thought of it as that person’s soul.”

“……”

“At first, I didn’t notice either. The color of the soul originally in that body and your soul were very similar. But at some point I realized.”

“Realized what?”

“That while the colors were similar, the texture was slightly different. And also that your current soul hasn’t fully merged with that body.”

“…I don’t really understand what you’re saying, senior.”

I felt my forced smile trembling slightly. My mouth went dry, afraid of revealing the anxiety in my heart.

“The soul’s color is surprisingly similar, but the texture is subtly different, and the way it envelops the body is somewhat crude. Instead of blending smoothly, it’s as if someone forcibly stuffed it in. I thought that was unnatural and tried to deduce the cause……”

“……”

“The conclusion I came to was that a different soul had entered that body. A soul very similar to, but different from, the original Rosebelia’s soul that was in that body.”

For a moment, my ears rang as if submerged in violent waves. Only after that split second of blinking did goosebumps spread across my entire body.

So…… now……

Whether from temporary shock or my mind freezing up, my thought process was slow.

At the moment death’s shadow loomed, I opened my eyes in the world of the book and began living as the character I had admired. It was a story no one would believe even if I sincerely confided in them.

Yet to think there was someone who saw through it so accurately.

“Well… It’s truly amazing that you have such an ability, senior. But I am Rosebelia.”

“Is that so?”

I looked straight at the face whose thoughts I utterly failed to gauge. Ernoa had easily revealed his hand, but I had no intention of readily admitting my secret.

“I was seriously ill recently, and I did feel something was a bit off with my body since then.”

“How was it off?”

“My aura, which had been stable, became unstable.”

I deliberately brought up the topic of aura, but Ernoa’s face remained perfectly calm.

Could it be he had predicted I was a Swordmaster as well?

“So you were a Swordmaster.”

An awkward laugh escaped at his belated reaction.

I felt a creeping regret that I shouldn’t have said anything, but it was already spilled milk. My opponent was speculating that my soul had changed. So I had no choice but to deflect with a corresponding topic.

“…Is it possible that my soul became distorted from being so ill? I’ve been wondering myself since I haven’t been able to properly control my aura since getting sick.”

“Hmm, I see.”

“In any case, it’s not like another soul entered my body as you guessed, senior. If that were the case, how would I know you?”

Though I expected him to probe further, Ernoa simply nodded his head.

“Well, if you say so, then I suppose that’s how it is.”

Ernoa took a bite of dessert and gestured for me to help myself. Though my heart was still pounding, I picked up a colorful muffin, pretending to be nonchalant.

Taking a bite, the muffin crumbled with a crunch in my mouth. I couldn’t taste anything, but I busily chewed my lips, pretending to savor the dessert.

“Are you returning to the knights’ order, senior?”

“Yes. How about you?”

“I’m planning to go home. I need to properly wrap up today’s work.”

“I see. Then I’ll see you later at the knights’ order.”

Ernoa slowly got up and leisurely went downstairs. As he completely disappeared from view, strangely enough, I began to taste the sweetness of the muffin that had felt like chewing on a clump of dirt.

Laughing helplessly, I put down the muffin and let out a soft sigh. I could feel my dazed mind, swept up in endless waves, gradually returning.

“…But did he actually believe what I said?”

*

“Emily, good work.”

I gently stroked Emily’s neck and handed the reins to Roy. I smiled as Emily’s retreating figure entering the stable with loud hoof beats reminded me of a pouting child.

It seems she wanted to run more after galloping so fast for once.

Leaving Roy with instructions to take good care of Emily, I hurried my steps. Though I had rushed here, the sun had already tilted quite low.

As I entered the main building, the maids gathered in small groups paused and greeted me. Anne was not among them.

“Anne should be in the young lady’s room. She always cleans late.”

It was Nancy, a maid friendly with Anne, who spoke to me as I looked around. I nodded in understanding and went up to the second floor. Soon after opening the door, I saw Anne’s back as she wiped the table in front of the sofa.

“Young lady?”

“Anne, where’s mother?”

“Madam went to the Grand Duke’s residence today.”

Talk about impeccable timing.

The Riley Grand Duke’s residence was not far from the Winters Marquis’ estate. Perhaps that’s why Olivia frequently visited her maiden home.

She would visit the Grand Duke’s residence about once a month.

“Was there anything else besides that?”

“Ah, I think I heard she was going to stop by the square. But why are you suddenly asking about Madam’s whereabouts?”

A laugh escaped involuntarily.

To think she even dropped a hint about going to the square in the midst of all this.

I suppose when you keep failing, your next plan naturally becomes more meticulous.

“I was just about to send someone to the knights’ order, but you came at a good time.”

“Why the knights’ order?”

“Sir Dylan is supposed to briefly visit the mansion tonight.”

“Looks like I came at just the right time.”

Did Dylan know Olivia would be going to her parents’ home soon? It seems he was planning to visit the Marquis’ estate to coincide with that timing.

“But what’s that?”

“Ah, this.”

What Anne pointed to was the pink paper bag I was holding. I took out three boxes from inside.

The boxes were also pink, with two tied with white ribbons and one with a blue ribbon. They were all packaged from the dessert shop.

“This is for Vivian, and this is your share.”

I pointed to the two boxes tied with white ribbons in turn.

“What are these?”

“Desserts I bought from Sweets Avenue.”

The boxes tied with white ribbons were packed with the sweetest desserts from the shop, while the box tied with the blue ribbon was packed with less sweet desserts.

“Then you should eat them, young lady. You like sweet things.”

“I don’t really feel like eating them today.”

I glanced at the dessert boxes and quickly looked away. Just recalling the conversation with Ernoa made me feel choked up.

“But only this box has a blue ribbon.”

“This is……”

It was Ian’s share. While buying desserts to give to Vivian and Anne, I suddenly thought of Ian.

He didn’t seem to like sweet things much, but remembering how he had taken candy from me, I impulsively bought it.

I had only said thank you each time, even though he was letting me practice aura to my heart’s content. I thought less sweet desserts might be okay.

Would he make a sour face? Should I hide that it’s dessert and give it to him?

Just imagining Ian’s reaction almost made me smile.

“Young lady?”

“…I need to wash up. You can go now, Anne.”

Anne tilted her head as if sensing something was off, but soon hugged the two boxes to her chest. As I moved towards the bathroom, I smiled wryly watching Anne leave the room with a bounce in her step.

I should buy them more often.

*

At the brief knock, Ian closed the book he had been reading. He let out a low exclamation as he habitually looked for Nathan.

‘He went to bed early today saying he wasn’t feeling well.’

“Come in.”

The door opened. The one entering the office was Vincent.

“You called for me, Your Highness.”

“I called to hear if there’s been any progress, but judging by your expression, not yet?”

“We’re trying to find a way, but it’s not easy. There aren’t any other existing Swordmasters, so at best we’re just combing through remaining records.”

“It doesn’t have to be a perfect method. Right now……”

It was all the more painful knowing there was nothing he could do but watch. Rosebelia was practicing her aura with truly stubborn determination.

Though the pain was said to be very brief, every time he saw her coughing up blood, he was reminded of a passage from the book Vincent had authored.

“If one cannot properly handle aura, it can instead become an entity that eats away at the swordsman’s life force.”

“Are you saying we don’t necessarily have to rely on records?”

Ian knew it wouldn’t be easy to find a method. Whenever he had time, he always read books about aura, but he had never seen a case like Rosebelia’s.

“Whatever it is, we need to at least try something.”

Ian said, unconsciously releasing his lower lip that he had been biting.

“According to my intuition, there might be one method… But it’s based on the premise that there’s another Swordmaster besides her.”

Another Swordmaster.

He himself could merely sense aura. He had no idea how long it would take to become a Swordmaster like her. Most cases ended with just being able to sense it like this.

‘If only I could be of help.’

“If there were other Swordmasters, they wouldn’t have stayed quiet all this time.”

Ian ruffled his own hair. Vincent cleared his throat and looked around cautiously at the gesture laden with irritation.

“I suppose so… I’ll try to devise other methods.”

“Still, tell me about it first. On the premise that there’s another Swordmaster, what’s this method you thought of?”

“To put it simply, it involves contact between a Swordmaster with stabilized aura and a Swordmaster with unstable aura.”