Chapter 142

Exiting the Sang-je’s palace, Flora climbed onto a waiting carriage. A few paces into the journey, her expression fell. Her heart, which had been barely holding together, started beating rapidly. Her two hands that were tightly gripping her skirt, turned pale, she bit her lip in nervousness.

Surely I am mistaken…It is a mistake. Of course, there’s no way that someone’s Ramita would change!

Anikas were forbidden from sharing their lucid dreams with anyone but the Sang-je, not even their own family. When she was younger she kept the secret because she was afraid of the knights who would frequently visit, saying they were sent by the Sang-je, warning her not to breathe a word. Now that she was older, she held her tongue because she understood that keeping the secret safe was equivalent to keeping herself safe.

As much as the lucid dreams were confidential and a taboo, they were also a point of pride. For Anikas, having the lucid dream was akin to the high-society debutante. Only once your Ramita was revealed were you accepted as a full-fledged Anika. That was when your name was finally added to the list of those allowed into Anika-only meetings, and that was when you got permission to enter into the secret library. Every young Anika dreamt of and looked forward to the day she would experience her lucid dream and finally enter the palace to see the Sang-je.

That said, even though there was no one privy to Flora’s lucid dream, the fact that she possessed a strong Ramita was somewhat of a well-known “secret”.

Flora was no stranger to being in the limelight, surrounded by whispers and awes. She had tasted fame at quite a young age. Typically, an Anika’s first lucid dream was around the age of ten. So, when she had hers at seven, she had astonished them all. In the clandestine world of Anikas, for a long time, this precocious occurrence had been a much talked about affair. Add to this the fact that she was one of the two Anikas to have been born upon a decade long wait, and the Sang-je’s frequent summons, her status was markedly unique. It was only natural that the people perceived her differently than the others.

I’m an Anika who has received the special blessing of Mahar.

In the secret library, Flora was perusing records of Roxy Anika, renowned for possessing the strongest Ramita in history. In her chronicle, the eminent personage had described her lucid dream. It was an incredibly vast lake, she had never once been able to walk along its shores all the way around.

Flora was elated about this snippet of information. Like her predecessor, she too had seen a lake. It was so wide that it was impossible to reach its edge even if one were to walk all day. The records also said that Roxy would have this dream once every three months, but hers was once every two months. 

This could only mean that her Ramita was stronger. That she was even more special than this amazing historical figure! She was beyond ecstatic.

However, she drew a lull when she suddenly thought back to last night. 

Last night, she had had a slightly different lucid dream. In her previous dreams, no matter which direction she looked, all she could see was water. But in this most recent dream, the water in the lake had noticeably diminished, so much so that she could clearly see the shore. It was then that she realized the lake she had presumed to be impossibly large, was not without a boundary after all. Its overflowing waters had simply concealed its edges.

She had just stood there in shock until she woke up from her dream.

Yes. I must have been mistaken. There must… be some sort of mistake.

When the Sang-je asked about her lucid dream, she felt as if her heart would stop. She couldn’t bring herself to answer honestly. Even if the water had diminished, the fact that she had even seen a lake indicated a strong Ramita. But how could someone who had already tasted incomparable greatness settle for anything less? She could still see in her mind’s eye the overflowing waters from before. She couldn’t accept the fact that she might be less special than before.

Hence, as a response to the Sang-je’s question, she had drawn up the memory of her first lucid dream. Because the emotions and awe she had felt at that time were genuine, she was able to respond calmly.

I didn’t lie. In my next dream, I will see my usual Ramita again.

She felt absolutely certain that in two months, in her next dream, she would be able to see a lake that was overflowing with water once again.