“He said he wanted to meet me.”

Her hand, as it lifted the teacup, was graceful.

Indeed, just as I had heard, Sylphia was the epitome of a dignified noblewoman.

“Thank you for inviting me.”

I felt tense, as if I were facing a strict teacher.

Perhaps sensing it, Sylphia offered a soft smile.

“There’s no need to be so formal. You’re not here to learn manners from me, after all.”

Unsure how to respond, I hesitated, and then Sylphia took something out.

‘That’s what I sent.’

Choco pies and snacks, all had been prepared by me.

She pointed to the words written on the red packaging.

“This is writing, not a drawing, correct?”

“Yes? It’s…”

I had never encountered someone who considered Hangul as writing, not art.

‘Could she also be a transmigrator?’

In the midst of my confusion, Sylphia picked up a pen and wrote.

“……!”

What she showed me was in Hangul.

Seeing that I couldn’t hide my surprise, Sylphia grinned.

“Evelyn loved teaching me new languages. Like this, [Hello, Sylphia].”

Sylphia knew Hangul.

She took a sip of tea and continued her story.

“We’ve been best friends since we were very young. She was truly a peculiar child. At the age of twelve, she told me she had suddenly fallen into a strange world.”

Sylphia hadn’t forgotten what Evelyn had told her in confidence.

“At first, I thought she was dreaming, but she kept talking about it for years. I eventually thought she had lost her mind.”

Still, she was a good friend to Sylphia. That was the conclusion she arrived at.

“She told me she came from another world.”

Transmigrators did exist.

And Sylphia seemed to have something she wanted to ask me as well.

“I was surprised to see Hangul on the desserts you offer. Is the other world that she spoke of real?”

For some reason, my throat felt tight.

I nodded my head.

“……Yes. It’s a real country.”

Not in this world, but it did exist.

Sylphia smiled in a way that looked both content and somewhat sad.

“I thought Korean was something she made up. So it’s a real language.”

It seemed like her friendship with Evelyn was genuine, as her voice was tinged with longing.

“She was an extraordinary friend. Perhaps it was because she was so intelligent, but she often had innovative ideas. I was usually the first to taste her food or critique her sketches. This is a memento from her.”

Soon, a basket emerged from under the table.

Inside were oldlooking cans, candies, and various letters.

At a glance, all the names written on the envelopes were in Hangul.

It was unbelievable.

Transmigrators had existed even before the original story began.

“You must be very saddened by your friend’s passing.”

At my words, Sylphia offered a subtle smile.

She put down her cup and then said something shocking.

“Evelyn didn’t die. She disappeared one day.”

“What? Suddenly?”

“Yes. Overnight. Since she was so eccentric, I thought she had left on a journey without saying a word. I never thought I would see her again.”

Evelyn, who had visited Sylphia’s mansion, had vanished without a trace.

“People in the Count’s household thought I had harmed her. After Evelyn disappeared, I was treated like an enemy. My family paid a large sum to cover up the matter concerning Evelyn.”

The matter of Evelyn had been a taboo.

“Even the fact that we were best friends.”

The Ballut family accused Sylphia of being the culprit, but there was no evidence.

In the end, they came to despise her, and Sylphia too was left emotionally scarred and led a long secluded life.

“At first, I was both sad and angry. Later, I thought maybe she had returned to the original world she always spoke of. That made it easier on my heart.”

Sylphia seemed to have been waiting for today, her face sincere and open.

“This is the first time I’ve spoken about Evelyn in such detail.”
“Other worlds do exist, but I’m not sure if she has returned to her original world.”

I wanted to tell Silphia what she needed to hear, but it wasn’t true.

I didn’t even know how I ended up here myself.

“‘Disappeared?'”

Why does that one word keep swirling in my mind?

“That’s good to hear. It would be nice if she’s living there. At least one of my questions has been somewhat answered.”

“Miss Aileen, did Miss Vallet ever mention that this is a place within a book?”

“A place within a book? No such words were mentioned.”

Silphia looked surprised as if she hadn’t heard that.

“It’s nothing. I must have misspoken.”

“That’s possible.”

Silphia smoothly moved on.

She seemed quite excited.

“It’s been a pleasure talking about Evelyn after such a long time. If the opportunity arises, would you like to continue our conversation?”

“I’d love to.”

Accepting the offer, she too smiled.

“If you need my help in the social circle, feel free to ask.”

“Will do. If it’s not too intrusive, could I borrow the letters you exchanged with Miss Vallet?”

Silphia nodded and handed over the entire basket.

“Of course. Just return them safely. Ah, no translation needed, I presume.”

“Yes.”

Our eyes met.

It was the gaze of those who shared a secret.