NOVEL WEB Ch. 99
‘To be honest, I was worried that Onyx might just sweep this matter under the rug…….’
It had been an unnecessary worry.
[As I mentioned earlier, the Cardiff Social Club is no longer affiliated with Eli Glaster.
Based on the materials you handed over to me, Eli’s title is scheduled to be revoked.
As the representative of the gods, we cannot overlook the actions he took.
You came to help for Cardiff’s sake, and I’m only concerned that you had to experience something troubling.
Please, I hope you understand with a generous heart.
P.S. If you have any questions regarding this matter, please feel free to contact me. Not just about this incident—minor questions are welcome too.]
……Doesn’t this mean the matter was resolved well enough?
I wrote a reply to Onyx’s letter.
Although I didn’t know the details, he had been granted access to the Drimokan Forest with the permission of His Holiness.
‘I need to meet Eileens.’
So I also left a note saying I wanted to accompany him.
Since the World Tree had grown, the borders of Drimokan had become even more heavily guarded. It had already been difficult for members of the Roygin family, who owned the forest, to enter, but now it couldn’t even be compared to before.
After finishing the reply, I let out a breath and glanced at Cedric.
“Is your hand feeling a bit better?”
“No need to worry.”
Even if he said that, I couldn’t help but keep looking.
Cedric, who belatedly noticed me, awkwardly hid his hand. He clearly didn’t look pleased with the situation, so I quietly changed the subject.
“By the way, should I pass this on to grandfather?”
When I took out the letter Cedric had written during his academy days, his eyes widened.
“How did you get that……!”
“Leon gave it to me.”
“That guy, seriously.”
Cedric let out a deep sigh with a troubled expression.
“No need. You don’t have to deliver it.”
“It looks like a letter you wrote with care. Wouldn’t it be best if it returned to its owner?”
“What use is it to give it to someone who’s not even the owner.”
Huh, so it wasn’t written for grandfather?
“You handle it however you want.”
“…….”
While I stood there blankly, Cedric seemed to fall deep into thought.
“By the way, are you hoping I’ll return the marriage proposal letter to you?”
“It’s not that Lord Glaster’s words bothered you, right?”
I didn’t think so—but was that the correct answer?
“You don’t need to pay any attention to what he says. It’s pointless.”
“Hah, it never bothered me. My choices have always been right.”
Cedric flatly denied it.
Oh, so it wasn’t that?
He clutched his forehead and let out a deep sigh.
“Do you have any plans for tomorrow?”
“No.”
Instead of answering, he handed me a note.
[798-1 Montana Street]
“Go there.”
“Who’s waiting there?”
“Someone who wants to repay you.”
His explanation lacked sincerity, but it wasn’t hard to understand.
There was only one person who would do that—Leon.
‘But didn’t he hate me meeting with Leon?’
Just clearing up one misunderstanding, and now he’s even delivering this kind of note.
It was a huge step forward.
I scratched my forehead and narrowed my eyes.
It bothered me that the topic of Leon came right after the marriage proposal.
It also felt odd that Cedric was the one encouraging me to meet Leon.
Instincts were usually right.
“Just in case, did you hear anything from Leon?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Uh, something related to the marriage proposal letter we just talked about……”
I trailed off, suddenly worried I’d jumped to conclusions.
“I can’t know what’s in that guy’s heart.”
“Haha, that’s true.”
“Still, since grandfather also had him in mind, I think he’s not a bad choice.”
Grandfather once jokingly asked how I felt about marrying Leon.
I just laughed it off back then, but if grandfather mentioned it like that, then Leon was probably someone he had already picked out.
‘I don’t think it’s a bad idea either.’
Leon was so kind, he’d be more than I deserved. I was sure our marriage life would go smoothly too.
Wasn’t he the perfect groom?
Not just pretending to be family—but becoming real family.
“I’ll think about it positively.”
After our conversation ended, Cedric got up from his seat. His gaze briefly lingered on the letter.
‘He told me to handle it myself.’
……He was just indirectly saying it was written for me.
I debated whether to open Cedric’s letter in my hand, then lifted one corner of my lips.
‘I’ll read this when I start finding him annoying.’
Right now, when everything is going smoothly.
If happiness greater than this came to me, surely misfortune would follow as well.
* * *
“Arkan.”
When I cleared my throat and called the name of the little guide, he quickly appeared.
He had said he’d step away for a moment because he hadn’t finished his tasks while hanging around with me.
Luckily, he seemed to have returned at the right time.
[I cannot tell you how desperately I called for the lady, hoping you’d notice the dust falling on my head.]
“……I didn’t hear anything.”
[Yup! Of course. Because I only thought it in my head!]
I lightly brushed off the dust on top of the frame with my hand.
“I’ve been thinking—can I take what you called the library as a passageway to another world?”
[Absolutely. I’ve always thought of it as such~.]
[In that sense, I told the unseen lady that I wanted to guide her on that path of destiny!]
I recalled the note I once saw from Atkins.
〈There is a monster living on the timeline.〉
It seemed friendly to humans, but the term ‘monster’ didn’t sound very positive.
Besides, Peril said it too.
That I probably crossed the timeline.
If that’s the case, wouldn’t I inevitably meet the monster……?
[Your expression just turned terrifying—surely you’re not thinking of abandoning me, right?]
“I wasn’t thinking that. I was just worried about the monster said to live on the timeline.”
[Hmm, the human language truly is difficult. We guides have never once referred to that being with such a terrible word.]
[He governs time, overseeing the worlds so that they don’t affect one another—a truly bothersome role he shoulders.]
If that’s the case, then there’s nothing to worry about.
“Then what should I do now?”
[I can’t tell you how long I’ve waited for you to ask that!]
[My lady, have you heard of the ‘One Who Peeked at Destiny’?]
Of course I had……
That’s me.
Though, there’s one more person besides me.
An adventurer—Atkins.
‘But that guy can’t be found right now.’
[Actually, in order to peek at destiny, there’s one condition. You need to have an object that exists in another world.]
At his words, I hesitated and fiddled with the key I kept close.
[Perfect example! The lucky ones happen to pick up objects from other worlds by chance, and I tend to rate such people highly, thinking they’ve been chosen.]
……Then, does that mean this wasn’t originally from the world I lived in?
My mind grew hazy with confusion.
While I stood dazed, Arkan dutifully began writing more letters.
[But occasionally, those who peek at destiny end up becoming miserable. How pitiful they must be!]
“Don’t tell me—you want me to find them……?”
[Ding-dong-daeng~!]
“H-How am I supposed to do that? Don’t you have any clues?”
[I don’t know either. But if you succeed in retrieving the object that person holds, surely the path will open!]
Ugh, maybe I really should just throw it away.
[I will absolutely help too!!!]
As my face began to stiffen instantly, a frightened Arkan hastily scribbled more text.
[It’s certain that they’re within the Empire. And also……]
“…….”
[Heh heh.]
I was so dumbfounded I couldn’t even speak. I just let out a deep sigh from the growing headache.
‘If I think simply, I just need to find someone who’s read the original novel.’
But I had no memory of seeing anyone like that until now.
As I searched my mind, a voice remained faintly in my memory.
〈……My father once told me. That I was destined to become the most noble woman in the Empire.〉
Come to think of it, Idette had said something like that before.
〈To do that, we must retrieve what we’ve lost, he said.〉
A future where she becomes the Empress of the Empire.
That wasn’t something one could say with certainty—unless they had read the original story.