What was my past when I dug myself into a hole saying I might not be able to have children? I should have just kissed him one more time instead.

While I was pouring out my emotions like that, a soft voice suddenly sounded from behind me. It was Evelyn.

“Can’t you sleep?”

“Ah, hello?”

After the child issue, even getting caught punching the air.

It seems I’m showing too much to someone I’m meeting for the first time. I deliberately put on a more docile expression, as if I wasn’t that kind of person.

Seeing me like that, Evelyn smiled gently. However, her soft words had a strange edge to them.

“You can speak comfortably. You’re probably not used to formal speech in the first place.”

“Pardon?”

I frowned, meaning to ask what she meant. She smiled brightly and asked.

“You’re Princess Marian, right?”

“Well…”

Is she probing because she knows something, or is she just asking without knowing? Unable to tell, I just bit my lip.

At that moment, she bowed her head to me first and greeted me with respect.

“I am Evelyn, the seventh disciple of the Mage Yulnisia.”

“What?”

I doubted my ears.

“Yul’s disciple?”

“I’ve heard about you many times from my master. Pink hair, eyes as blue as the southern sea, a small pretty face that doesn’t match your powerful firepower at all.”

Unlike me who was very surprised, Evelyn continued in a gentle tone.

“Above all, that heart. I’ve seen it countless times in my master’s lab, I couldn’t be mistaken.”

At Yulnisia’s name popping up from an unexpected place, my heart shook like a ship caught in a storm. However, I snapped at Evelyn in a cold voice.

“Don’t lie. Mage Yulnisia was from 100 years ago. Even if she took on a disciple in her old age, there’s no way you could be this young.”

The answer to my logical rebuttal was even more shocking.

“My master is still alive.”

“…What did you say?”

This is too much of a joke.

I was about to snort and ignore Evelyn’s words, but in the end I couldn’t laugh and froze with a dumbfounded expression. Coincidentally, I had recently heard Yulnisia’s name.

It was what the Prince Saedel who came to the North said when he grabbed me.

Even then, his words bothered me greatly, but I dismissed them because there was no way my friend Yulnisia could be alive.

But what if she really is alive, as Evelyn says?

‘Could the Yulnisia that Prince Saedel mentioned be the Yul I know?’

That can’t be. Rarely, some people live over 100 years, but Yul was already in her 20s 100 years ago. Surely she couldn’t be living for nearly 130 years?

The more I thought about it, the less sense it made. I shook my head. Then I sneered with a smirk.

“Unless she created a heart with magic, that’s unbelievable longevity.”

To my casual remark, Evelyn nodded seriously.

“What my master has been researching all this time was something similar to that.”

“…What did you say?”

What did I say? A heart made with magic?

She really researched that?

Evelyn smiled gently. Now that smiling face no longer felt likeable.

“Didn’t you find it strange? People with vanished fire attribute mana, and the appearance of ice monsters. They must all be things that didn’t exist in your era, Princess.”

“…So the fact that you know me is true, I guess.”

People of this era don’t know the differences from the time I lived. The fact that she accurately distinguishes them already means she’s someone who knows I’m Princess Marian from 100 years ago.

Evelyn nodded willingly.

“I told you, didn’t I? I’ve seen your heart countless times in the lab.”

“…”

At those words, I could only close my mouth.

‘I was caught up in mana overload to stop Espen. My heart must have shattered to pieces.’

The fact that they kept that heart in a lab was also chilling.

‘Who on earth would do such a thing?’

I thought of people who might have struggled to revive me. My family? My friends? But no one came to mind.

‘No. That can’t be.’

Among the people I know, there was no one who wouldn’t accept my death gracefully and sacrifice others. I shook my head vigorously. Then I asked Evelyn accusingly.

“Why is the heart that was in the lab beating here now? Why research that heart?”

“Well, I wonder why?”

Evelyn annoyingly didn’t answer. I desperately tried to find answers in the words she had thrown.

What did she say? Something about creating a heart?

“…Don’t tell me you tried to create my heart with magic? Why? Who on earth did such a thing?”

After thoroughly provoking me, when I poured out questions, Evelyn took a step back.

“I can’t give you the answers to those questions.”

“Hey!”

Who do you think you’re teasing now! When I got angry, Evelyn smiled gently and said this.

“Please meet my master. She will surely be glad.”

In the end, it meant that Yulnisia would answer my questions.

The first thought that came to my mind when I heard Evelyn’s proposal was this.

‘What if this is a trap?’

But even if it was a trap, it was a meeting I couldn’t avoid. It’s not just anyone, it’s Yulnisia who’s involved.

‘Yul…’

My friend Yul. We used to chat about what we’d do when the war ended while chewing on turnips.

‘What on earth happened for you to live over 100 years? You were never the type to dream of immortality.’

Rather, Yul used to boast loudly that once the war was over, she’d quit being a mage and everything else. Something about being sick and tired of mana.

‘And yet she’s still alive.’

I didn’t know the situation, but I was certain it couldn’t be good.

‘If that’s the case, I’m the only one who can save Yul.’

For that, I had to meet Yulnisia.

And at this moment, the only person I was concerned about was Hadel.

‘It seems Evelyn wants me to follow her alone, but…’

Evelyn tried to persuade me by saying this. The phenomenon of fire attributes becoming rare and ice monsters appearing. She said this happened due to research after my death.

Is there anyone more closely related to this situation than Hadel?

‘Let’s not hide anything from Hadel.’

So I went back to the room and asked Hadel if he could come with me. Hadel nodded willingly without even hearing what it was about.

“You have to tell me what’s going on later.”

“Yes.”

Having decided to spend my life with Hadel, I no longer intended to hide anything from him. Especially if it affected reality.

So in the end, the journey to meet Yulnisia started with the three of us: me, Hadel, and Evelyn.

“It seems the Grand Duke trusts me quite a bit. Coming along without any guards.”

Honestly, I was surprised too. I didn’t expect Evelyn to come out alone so readily.

‘It doesn’t seem to be a trap.’

Then is the real purpose to let me meet Yulnisia?

While I was examining Evelyn’s sincerity, Hadel nodded stubbornly.

“It’s much better than something happening to Marian somewhere I don’t know about. Thank you for telling me, Marian.”

“…”

At Hadel’s greeting, I felt conflicted for a different reason. I had decided to be honest with him about everything, but this situation still wasn’t pleasant.

‘I haven’t told Hadel anything about my past.’

To be precise, I thought I would live completely separated from the past. I never imagined I would have to face the past again so suddenly.

‘First, I need to decide whether I’m older or younger.’

But how do you count age in this case?

While I was having these useless thoughts, we walked away from the lord’s castle and into the deep mountains.

It was already late at night. The sound of the wind shaking the trees was eerie.

‘Why stay in such a remote place?’

Was it a trap just to get me and Hadel away from the castle?

I shook my head after doubting for a moment. If they wanted to harm us, they wouldn’t have needed to separate us. Evelyn’s subordinates were all over the castle.

‘Come to think of it, when Prince Saedel talked about Yulnisia, he spoke as if he couldn’t come this way.’

I wonder what circumstances there are.

After walking a bit more, there was a tent set up somewhere in the mountains where people don’t pass by.

As if they move locations often, traces of trampled grass remained intact under the tent. Evelyn stopped in front of it.

“My master is inside here.”

From the middle, it was no different from creating a mountain path as we climbed. I frowned and asked Evelyn.

“Why live so far away from where people live? It must be inconvenient for Yul too.”

“She’s now in a state where she can’t appear in front of other people.”

“What?”

Evelyn’s answer was very unsettling, but Evelyn only smiled enigmatically without explaining. With a disgruntled expression, I stared at Evelyn and slowly moved inside.

‘It’s dark.’

It was dark outside, but there was no light inside either. In the pitch-black darkness, I called out to Yulnisia.

“Yulnisia?”

−…

There was no answer. No presence could be felt either.

Is she really here?

What does it mean that she’s become unable to appear in front of people?