Chapter 47

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***

How astonishing.

How can such an accurate reasoning came from Leighton’s stupid brain?

It was the same when he was explaining about the duke, and now this.

Nelia couldn’t bring herself to talk at the veil-like speculation that shouldn’t have been accurate.

Nelia, who could barely come back to her senses, muttered.

“……Do you think there are one or two people who think the same as you? It’s because the name of the gemstone on the necklace is Elena’s Tears. Sigrid’s lover.”

“Why, did you know?”

“I just happen to hear something when I’m staying by the duke’s side.”

Nelia narrowed her eyes.

“I told you in advance so you won’t be in vain, but he already tried everything to Elena’s Tears, and nothing ever happened.”

Actually, Elena’s Tears are needed to find Sigrid’s heart, but she had no idea how to instigate it yet. Nonetheless, the reason why she was adamant was because she wanted Leighton to not be concerned about it.

“You don’t know that.”

Leighton picked up one of the books on the desk and showed it to Nelia.

The tattered book was almost on the verge of becoming a rag. Where did he find this kind of book?

“It says that Elena’s Tears can only be instigated by the chosen one.”

Nelia spat out hot air at the vague and obscure explanation.

“I can also say that much.”

“No, look at this book. This is such an old book! Can’t you see the credibility of this from the old cover?”

“Not at all.”

Nelia said flatly. Leighton had a face full of bitterness.

“Don’t say that. Do you know how much I had to pay for this book? I’ve spent all my salary that I got from working my ass off to father.”

Nelia internally clicked her tongue.

Tsk, tsk. He has been scammed for this.

“Only the chosen one can instigate Elena’s Tears according to the book, you cannot be the chosen one.”

Leighton scowled at the rather strong criticism.

“You don’t know that!”

So when he came to the Imperial Palace and tried to see the necklace, Leighton really meant it.

Oh, such a foolish guy.

He even believed the content of an old book which the source was unreliable, and held a false hope to it.

Nelia thought Leighton was like a fool and brushed it off.

She didn’t expect this topic would be talked about by people again.

***

After talking with Leighton, Nelia left home to return to the duke’s residence in time.

Luckily, the road became somewhat quiet in the evening, so it wasn’t difficult for the carriage to go faster than usual.

Nelia thought she would be back in the duke’s residence sooner than expected.

Kik-.

Until the carriage stopped with a loud squeak.

The horse stopped in a haste as they jumped wildly, and at the same time tha carriage shook.

‘Wh-what…….’

Nelia grabbed the handle of the carriage in a hurry. She heard the coachman calming down the horse outside.

Soon, the carriage came to a halt.

When it became quiet, Nelia slowly opened the door of the carriage and stepped outside. She needed to know what just happened.

When she got out of the carriage, she saw the bewildered coachman and a woman sat on the ground.

Nelia approached the coachman and asked.

“What is happening?”

“This woman…… suddenly jumped in the way and almost got hit by the horse.”

The coachman exhaled a deep sigh after giving an explanation to Nelia. Nelia’s gaze shifted to the woman who sank on the ground.

She (Nelia) couldn’t see the woman’s face properly because she was lowering her head.

However, the woman emitted an unusual ambience with her light pinkish hair scattered softly on the ground under the moonlight.

Nelia approached the woman and knelt down, sitting down with her.

“Pardon my rudeness…… Are you fine?”

The woman slowly raised her head.

As expected, the woman, who emitted such an unusual ambience, was extremely beautiful. Her slender features consisted of her white skin and bright red eyes, creating an alluring feeling.

Nelia stared blankly at the woman, and asked again when she managed to get a grip of herself.

“Did you not get hurt?”

The woman shook her head slowly.

“Yes……”

Her small voice was heard slightly. The woman’s long eyelashes were trembling.

“I apologize for jumping onto the road all of a sudden…… since I just came here, I wasn’t used to the road.”

“It’s alright. It’s alright as long as you don’t get hurt.”

Nelia comforted the woman who looked somewhat pitiful.

‘She must have come from another country…….’

It was just like seeing herself falling into this world for the first time. Nelia couldn’t harbor the thought to simply pass by her and ignored her, so she asked the woman.

“If you’re fine with it, do you mind if I offer you a ride to where you’re heading?”

The woman answered quickly, contrary to her expression, which looked a little blank.

“…….Can I?”

“Of course.”

She said she would offer a ride, but on the other hand, she was a little worried to see the woman accepting the offer right away without any other questions.

When she said that she would offer a ride, she couldn’t believe the woman immediately took the offer……

Nelia took the woman’s hand and got her up on her feet.

“Where would you like me to take you?”

“…..The monastery.”

She didn’t appear like a priest, or was she a priest?

Nelia asked the coachman to stop by the monastery. She took the woman, who was standing, to climb into the carriage.

As the carriage set off, the woman stared out the window as if she marveled at the rapidly passing passage.

The longer she looked at her, the more unusual she seemed. With an unrealistic appearance, she also didn’t talk much.

Nelia looked at the woman quietly and asked.

“May I ask where you come from?”

The woman’s face turned from the scenery she was seeing with an indifferent gaze. The red eyes turned to Nelia.

“I’m……. From the southern part of Aten Town.”

Aten Town……. She didn’t know that town. The woman added, perhaps she had read Nelia’s clueless expression.

“I don’t think you will know. It’s such a rural village…….”

“Haha, I apologize. I never heard of that town.”

Nelia thought the atmosphere had become awkward. It seemed to be even more true because the woman was staring her right in the face after she finished her remark.

She wondered what was on her face, and it was the moment Nelia doubted her.

“Popo.”

The woman mumbled something that she couldn’t comprehend.

Popo…….?

Nelia tilted her head.

“He’s my friend, and he looked so alike you…….”

The woman’s white face had a pale pink hue similar to the color of her hair.

The woman’s slightly drooping gaze flickered to Nelia again.

“May I ask your name…….?”

“Oh, I’m Nelia Benedict.”

The woman recited her name quietly, ‘Nelia…….’ and she spoke with her little hand on her chest.

“My name is……. Charlotte.”

Charlotte, the name complimented her face perfectly.

The pretty hair color like sweet sherbet and the features that emitted a haughty ambience reminded her of an ice.

Nelia, who thought the name was really good, Nelia felt a strange sense of deja vu with the name.

‘What is it…….?’

Nelia soon knew the reason.

This was because the woman’s name was the same as the female lead of this world.

No, not just her name, but even her appearance!

It would have been a coincidence if they have the same names, but her appearance was too identical with how the female lead was described.

Her personality looked a bit more conscious than she thought…….

More than that, their circumstances were the same as that of coming to the capital from the south and settling in the monastery.

Charlotte, who grew up in a rural monastery, came here according to the will of the priest who took her in.

The will was to find Sigrid’s heart.

This was because the world might be in danger if the heart fell into the hands of a wicked person.

‘Then she fell in love with Carlos and find the heart for him.’

Nelia shook her head as she recalled the original story.

The important thing she needed to think was that she just met the female lead through a ridiculous coincidence.

Duke Hart, Crown Prince Carlos, and Charlotte.

She wondered if there was a sort of magnet in her body that attracted the main character to her?

Rather than that, she didn’t understand why she didn’t notice this exact woman was Charlotte sooner. She could have recognized the woman just by her unusual appearance.

Nelia was still pondering, trying to recall the person Charlotte had mentioned a moment ago.

‘Who is Popo…….?’

Was there someone with that name staying by the female’s lead side?

Nelia, who was busy thinking, suddenly realized a pair of eyes bore hotly into her.

Raising her head, she caught Charlotte staring at her and she felt embarrassed by that.

When their eyes met, Charlotte spoke up.

“Can I call you Nelia?”

“Pardon me? Yes.”

“Where was Nelia heading to?”

Once they exchanged names, Charlotte spoke more actively than she thought.

Nelia answered, contemplating to explain where she was originally going.

“…….The place where I work.”

“At this hour…….?”

Charlotte’s mouth opened slightly. It seemed to be the expression that contained most emotions she had seen so far.

“The duke I serve is not feeling well, so I have to go there.”

She was slightly guilty to say that the duke was sick, but he was not feeling well due to the curse, so it wasn’t entirely wrong.

Charlotte dropped her gaze.

“Is that so……”

Nelia nodded.

“Why is Charlotte outside in this late hour…….”

“Shalott.”

Charlotte corrected the name quite adamantly.

“Call me Shalott……. Charlotte is too long……”

Is that so?

Although she didn’t feel it was very long, the owner of the name wanted so, well……

“Why did Shallott come to the capital at such a late hour?”

“I came here early in the morning…… and I was lost in the middle of the day……”

“Even so, you have to be careful. You almost got hit by the carriage.”

“Yes……. You’re right.”

Charlotte nodded carefully at Nelia’s scolding.

“And…… I’m saying this because I’m worried for you, you can’t just hop in when someone offers you a ride. What if you get kidnapped?”

Nelia spoke beyond the limit and soon regretted it.

She nagged too much at someone whom she just met for the first time.

She looked at Charlotte just in case she was offended, but she was smiling with her eyes closed.

“Nelia is not a bad person.”

For a moment, Nelia just looked blankly at her figure.

How come all the main characters in this novel have charming faces?

The same applied to Carlos, the male lead, and Duke Hart, the second male lead as well as the villain.

‘……’

Come to think of it, she remembered that Duke Hart was the second male lead in the novel.

She knew that the duke likes her now, but once she laid eyes on the beautiful Charlotte, even a woman would possibly fall in love.

And even Duke Hart…….?

She felt strange upon thinking so.

“Nelia, are you not feeling well somewhere……?”

Nelia realized she unknowingly had a frown on her face.

Charlotte was looking at Nelia with worried gaze.

“I’m fine.”

“If so, that’s a relief…….”

Charlotte blinked slowly.

Then the carriage stopped and the coachman’s voice was heard from outside.

“We’re here.”

When she took a peek outside, she saw a large white pillar that looked like a monastery.

Charlotte had to say farewell now, but she didn’t get up and was simply staring at her.

“Sharlott?”

“Nelia, thank you for today.”

“It’s nothing. You almost got hit by a carriage. You must have been shocked, so hurry and go inside, take a rest.”

But Charlotte still hasn’t moved from her spot. Her red lips moved slowly.

“Can I meet Nelia again?”

***

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