Chapter 115

I never thought these words would ever leave my own lips.

As Ca.s.sion was leaning into me in my arms, I sat him up.

It would be laughable to say such things in this position.

After I leaned Ca.s.sion against the cave wall, making sure that he was in a comfortable position, I faced him.

Strangely, this just made it odder.

Compared to when I had to look into his eyes while I was so close beside him, this time, our gazes were locked.

His silent gaze told me that he was waiting for me to speak.

For a moment, I had to string together the explanation coherently in my mind.

Where to start, which things to bring up.

As I had lived a long life already, there were many things that I could tell him now.

However, Id have to use up the entire night just to organize everything in my mind.

Ah.

The blue monsters were still out there, and considering Ca.s.sions physical condition, it would be better for us to stay here a little longer

But I couldnt make him stay up all night.

As I briefly contemplated, I finally decided on where to start, and I soon began my story.

The first truth that had to be revealed.

The first truth that I want him to know.

To be honest, I am not Rosetta.

Right, what else would be more befitting as the beginning of this story.

Ca.s.sions eyes widened slowly.

As he looked at me, his silent gaze betrayed a noticeable amount of agitation.

You, youre not Rosetta?

Believe it or not, but its not the first time that Ive come to possess someone elses body. And to transmigrate into another world.

I managed to explain more calmly than I had thought.

Ca.s.sion continued to listen to me, shocked.

I would enter someone elses body, live their life, and when that body dies, I will leave and enter another persons body. This is already my fourth time.

Fourth?

Yes, my fourth. Rosetta is my fourth transmigration. And those strange blue monsters had existed from the time that I was still living in my third transmigration.

Originally, those things should not be here.

Rita.

As I explained, his lips murmured that name.

He recalled that I had mentioned the name Rita earlier.

With a smile, I nodded.

After I silently agreed, Ca.s.sions brows furrowed together.

He looked exceedingly confused.

Wait, I dont understand, its all so sudden

Right, its only natural.

So then, you repeatedly transmigrated into someone elses body And this is your fourth time?

Correct.

And the blue monsters Those things existed in the world where you lived in your third body?

You managed to understand much better than I expected, huh?

I tried to speak in a joking manner, but the confusion and all the questions stamped across Ca.s.sions expression did not go away.

Indeed, its quite hard to believe.

Even if I was in his shoes right now and I was hearing this story for the first time, I wouldnt be able to easily believe it.

Without any warning, such a thing as transmigration, s.h.i.+fting to another world

Im just glad that hes not laughing to my face right now.

Ca.s.sion showed absolutely no signs of derision or sarcasm.

He moved his lips slightly for a moment, then later on asked a question.

So, when you transmigrate into someone elses body, do others come along with you?

No, thats not how it had been. This is the first time that this has happened. But theres one thing Im certain of.

That one thing, Im truly certain of.

Someone from the third transmigration followed me to this world. The man whos controlling those monsters.

The scenes I saw in my dream earlier vividly played once more in my head.

The book and the b.u.t.terfly, coming out from Ritas corpse.

Urien, reaching out, and soon, another b.u.t.terfly coming out of his body that fluttered into the book.

And then.

Because of the rift, that unrelated punk even jumped right in. This is just

Even that irritated voice.

Yes, he followed me. That man, who I loathed to see to the point that Id rather have died.

He followed me all the way here.

I will always be by your side.

That G.o.dd.a.m.n promise.

No.

That crazy warning.

He made sure to fulfill it.

At the thought of Urien, my teeth clenched together once again.

With my lips pursed tightly, one corner curled upwards sardonically.

Soon, however, a paradoxically cold warmth covered the back of my hand.

I turned my eyes from the cave wall and looked at the owner of that warmth.

Ca.s.sion, whose confusion had eventually left his expression, was staring back at me with his characteristically calm face.

His black eyes gazed upon me quietly, then he spoke.

Relax.

I blinked.

When he told me to relax, that was the only time that I felt that my body had frozen on the spot.

And without realizing it, my nails were digging into my palms as my hands were clenched into fists.

Slightly dazed, I looked up at Ca.s.sion.

Honestly, thats all I was planning on telling him.

After dying, I would pretend to be someone else because Id come to possess their body.

The third was Rita, and the fourth was Rosetta.

Therefore, I am not the real Rosetta.

And those monsters werent from this world.

Theyre owned by the man who followed Rita.

Hes the one behind all this.

Right. Exactly. Thats enough of an explanation. Ive already said everything I needed to say.

And yet, strangely enough, my lips continued to move without my permission

That man In the previous world, he was my lover.

While saying things that I didnt plan on saying.

With a little jolt, Ca.s.sion closed his mouth.

For a moment, a wave of emotion could be seen expressed by those straightened lips.

Faced with that subtle display of emotion, I kept moving my own mouth.

For a while, I believed that I was happy, and I believed that I could continue being happy. I knew what he was truly like, but I thought I could change him.

Quite exactly as I had said it, while I was living as Rita at that time, I thought that I could change Urien.

I knew exactly how much of a madman he was in the original novel, but I thought that I could make him become a good man.

And yet.

But no, it was nothing but arrogance on my part. And when I finally realized, it was already too late.

In my head.

The fragments of the past, which I had tried to suppress, came up one after another.

Back when I still lived as Rita.

At the very beginning, I was the one who approached Urien.

It was after Ritas family found out that I was a fake.

I wanted someone to love me. I didnt care if it was the male lead who would later become crazyI was just so lonely.

Hes someone who did not know Rita yet.

So, I didnt have to pretend to be Rita.

So, even a little bit, someone would know who I truly am.

So, it was Urien who I chose.

It was Urien before he officially met Rita, before even the original novel had started.

The male lead who had a miserable childhood.

A lonely person, just like me.

I was arrogant at that time.

I was completely certain that Id be able to change him.

I believed that Id be able to heal his loneliness, that Id be able to lead him down the right path.

That wed be happy, together.

The line was thin between confidence and conceit.

And, joy and despair worked hand in hand with each other.

Right, just like that.

I was nave.

As I still grappled with the fragments of the past, I continued speaking.

Wickedness was already in his nature, but I didnt know that he couldnt be rid of it. So, I ran away. I became terrified of that man. However, he persistently found me.

The first scene of the dream, there in the forest.

That, too, was the first time.

My first attempt at escaping.

I ran barefoot through the forest, and the blue monsters chased after me everywhere.

I knew that I would be caught eventually, but I couldnt stop trying to get away.

The only thought that kept going through my mind was thisthat, as long as Urien wasnt there, I knew that I could endure h.e.l.l.

However, he caught me.

Its as if he was just playing a childs game of tag.

There was a relaxed expression on his face.

And yet, the cost of my escape was more disastrous than I could imagine.

A few days after that

For the criminal offense of treason, Ritas household was eradicated.

Her family members were all stripped of their surname, and they were all sent to the temples dungeons.

Urien was responsible for this.

This was the result of the misappropriation of his great divine power, as well as his authority as the high priest.

He took them all so as to be used as hostages against Ritaagainst me.

And a few days after they were released from prison, Ritas brother was killed.

Right in front of my eyes.

As I remembered that time, I laughed. Instead of crying, laughter burst forth instead.

Every time he caught meevery time I tried to get away from himthe ones who paid the price were the people around me. Ritas brother, father and mother. Even just the people who talked to me. They all paid the price instead of me.

Rosetta.

As Ca.s.sion called me, I bit my lower lip tightly.

He just called my name, but for some reason, it felt like that was enough to trigger my tears.

So, I went on, pretending that I did not hear him.

Even Mother

Rosetta, you can stop

Theres no difference. I was the one who killed Mother.

Ca.s.sion tried to dissuade me from continuing, but I firmly stated it anyhow.

The atmosphere was heavy.

Amidst the silence that went on between us, I recalled the day that Ritas mother died.

That day.

I took advantage of Uriens carelessness and headed towards the dungeon.

Then, I went to Ritas mother and succeeded in breaking her out.

Her older brother and father were already dead.

After breaking her out, she suddenly took my hand and said this.

Together. Lets run away together, child.

Child.

As I had lost my own name, this was what I was called.

However, it didnt sound bad to me.

Although I couldnt be Rita, it felt as if she was acknowledging me in her own way.

She looked at me not with pity, and neither with resentment.

I dared to nod.

I dared to say yes.

I dared to vow that Ill be good to her from now on, that I wont pretend to be Rita again.

Only that. Only that well live together.

No one chased after us, to my surprise.

Now that I looked back on it, it was strange. But at that time, we were so preoccupied with running away that we couldnt even stop and be suspicious of it.

As we desperately ran through the woods, barefoot, in the midst of darkness, such doubts were a luxury.

We just ran.

Suddenly, around the time that we were running out of breath, the ground began to collapse beneath us.

We were running down the path towards the cliff, however the intact ground crumbled like that.

There was no such thing as escape.