Chapter 136

‘Has the overall timeline sped up?’

She believed that if she could sever the connection between the imperial court and Jactor, the plot might veer from its original course. However, the empire had already reached out to the black sorcerers sooner than expected. Worse still, there was now contact with shamans, something that never happened in the original story.

“What am I missing?”

She couldn’t shake the feeling that the more she intervened in the original story, the more the larger framework of the narrative was changing.

Anxious and restless, Evelyn found herself nervously picking at her fingernails.

‘No. I have to try as much as I can.’

Apart from that, in the corner of her thoughts lingered the figure of the original story’s female lead.

Just the night before, she had received a report from her subordinate concerning Rowendel. It was nothing more than a modest village of commoners, but Gideon mentioned he had heard a strange story there.

“They say Lady Lorenheim… suffered a grave fever about three years ago.”
“Why? Did something happen?”
“From that time onward… they say she’d changed as a person.”
“Changed as a person? What do you mean by that?”

According to the testimony of Dahlia’s stepmother, her stepsister, and even her closest friends, she occasionally displayed peculiar behavior.

‘They said she spoke in a language no one could understand.’

Compared with the education afforded to the nobility of the capital, that of the provincial aristocracy was limited. Their lessons rarely went beyond the basics of etiquette, culture, and the arts, leaving little opportunity to encounter foreign languages.

Considering the environment in which Dahlia had been raised, it would have been near impossible for her to have acquired such knowledge on her own.

Perhaps Dahlia was…

‘Could she be slightly different from the original story setting?’

Unable to dispel the mounting suspicion, Evelyn released a quiet sigh.

She reached for a history book from the shelves containing ancient records and began to read. Immersed in its pages, she soon found herself midway through the book when her gaze froze upon a single passage, her eyes widening in astonishment.

「 At times, a wicked soul may cross over from another world and take possession of another’s body. This is akin to a form of soul-sorcery, wherein the soul of the one dispossessed is fated to wither and vanish. 」

“What in the world does this mean?”

In the novels she enjoyed reading in her past life, there were many stories dealing with themes of regression, possession, and reincarnation. Having been reincarnated into a book herself, Evelyn thought she had a fairly good understanding of these concepts.

But another possessor…

The moment she considered the possibility that there might be another possessor in this world she had been reborn into, her heart began to pound. It wasn’t excitement, but unease, the fear that the original story’s progression might be overturned.

No, it might be nothing. Let’s not jump to conclusions too quickly.

Even as she tried to soothe herself, the gnawing suspicion refused to settle, leaving her rubbing her throbbing temples. It was then that a voice called—

“Lady Inevasel?”

At the sound of her name spoken in a low, resonant voice, Evelyn slowly lifted her head. Sunlight caught in the man’s finely spun golden hair, and the sight filled her vision.

“Ah… Your Grace.”

“You don’t look well.”

In his blue eyes, fixed intently on her, concern was written plain. Feeling guilty for troubling him, she curved her lips into a faint, awkward smile.

“It must be a slight migraine.”

When she answered as though it were nothing, Khalid gave a single nod. Hoping to steer the conversation elsewhere, she continued naturally.

“I see you’ve come to borrow books again today.”

“Not exactly. I came because I had someone to meet.”

Hmm? He shouldn’t have many occasions to come to the capital. Does he even know anyone here?

Just as Evelyn tilted her head with a puzzled expression, the man’s gaze shifted to the book in her hands, curiosity flickering in his eyes.

“Every time I see you, you’re reading an old book.”

Come to think of it, they always seemed to cross paths in front of the shelves where ancient volumes were kept. With a slightly awkward smile, Evelyn tilted the cover toward him and replied.

“I suppose I grew interested as I read.”

At her words, Khalid seemed lost in thought for a moment before replying readily.

“If it’s old books you’re interested in, the ducal archives hold quite a number.”

“The ducal archives…?”