Chapter 98

After finishing his business, he returned to the sofa where Adelaide was waiting.

“Sorry to keep you waiting, Miss Adelaide.”

“I’m fine, Your Highness Leopold. Did the conversation go well?”

“Yes. It was… very important. I’ll tell you about it later.”

Leopold, sitting on the sofa, picked up a glass from the table, perhaps because his throat was dry. The half-filled glass of deep red wine swirled.

…Maybe I’ll have just one glass. Honestly, my throat’s a bit dry. My Adam’s apple twitched involuntarily.

Honestly, just one glass wouldn’t hurt, right? It’s not like Claire is handing me the drink, and if Leopold is drinking it, it doesn’t seem dangerous. If it were poisoned, I would’ve noticed by now.

Yeah, just one glass.

Without realizing it, I picked up the crystal glass next to me.

Lifting the veil slightly, I brought the wine to my lips. The scent of cherries and blackberries wafted to my nose.

I took a small sip and swirled it in my mouth. A refreshing taste, with a hint of astringency and sweetness blending into a smooth harmony.

Good wine.

It had been almost half a year since I last drank alcohol, and I gladly let it flow down my throat.

That’s all I remember.

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Finally.

She opened her eyes, taking a deep breath, savoring the air of the world she hadn’t felt in a long time. It was a completely different scent from the grassy plains in her memory, but it was still a welcome sign of life.

A sense of liberation surged through her veins, bringing back the longed-for sense of reality. She looked down at her fingertips, wiggling them slightly, as if reacquainting herself with the familiar sensation.

“Princess Ai-shan Gi-or? Are you alright?”

Her blurred consciousness began to clear.

Ai-shan Gi-or. Ai-shan Gi-or Ha-shal-leur.

Yes, that was her name.

‘Not that impostor, but my real name.’

Finally welcoming back its true owner, the surging life force within her was forcibly subdued. The obedient energy quietly held its breath.

“…No problem.”

‘Yeah, no problem at all.’

Ha-shal-leur muttered to herself as she looked at the person in front of her.

The imperial prince was staring at her, as if finding her sudden silence strange.

‘His name was Leopold, I think.’

She had seen everything. Heard everything.

The thing that had taken over her body, distorting all her plans and doing bizarre things. She didn’t know what it was or what its intentions were, but the first emotion she felt was anger.

She didn’t know whose scheme it was, but if it was someone who could pull off such a stunt, they were probably some kind of sorcerer, and she vowed to tear them all apart someday.

Her mother’s grave, Ja-han, and her younger brother. When she saw herself abandoning everything she had built and fleeing to the west, she was so furious she almost lost her mind.

Does this guy even know what he’s done?

After hunting thousands of Dainians to maintain the tension with the westerners, preventing the Ai-shan from moving recklessly. Waiting until the warriors who wanted a war of conquest grew dissatisfied with Or-han and eventually supported a new, renowned leader.

And then, in one fell swoop, he ruined all that and let Or-han loose on the plains. Did he even think about how to clean up the mess?

‘Of course not.’

The next emotion she felt was confusion.

The actions of the one who had taken over her body made no sense.

It was as if they knew the future, preparing for something diligently. Acting like a thug driven by instinct, but then suddenly transforming into a knight when holding her mother’s sword.

It was pitiful to watch.

They couldn’t even wield power properly, not even a warrior, relying solely on brute strength and turning others’ bodies into rags in every fight.

Ridiculously, they were defeated by a woman who had just become a master, then nearly killed by a Dain holy warrior. In the end, they were even swayed by the power of a mere artifact.

After that, they were pushed back by a few beastmen who weren’t even great warriors… and almost died after exhausting all their strength.

‘After fighting the beastmen, well, at least they improved a bit.’

Thanks to fighting a great warrior, they finally learned to wield the power of a master properly.

The last emotion she felt was helplessness. An emotion she never thought would come to her.

After seeing all that, no matter how much she screamed curses at the top of her lungs, it didn’t reach them at all. She wondered if they could even hear her voice.

Even now, returning like this was a miracle. A fleeting miracle, like a dream in the night.

Her intuition whispered to Ha-shal-leur. This state wouldn’t last long.

‘The cause… is this, isn’t it?’

She felt something small squirming in her stomach. A tiny worm emitting a faint miasma, trying to burrow into her body. A creature so weak and small that under normal circumstances, she wouldn’t even notice it.

Her blurred mind and her body, sensing the foreign object with a fierce sense of crisis, must have summoned the true owner.

Ha-shal-leur concentrated her life force within her body and crushed the trembling worm into dust. It was a weak worm. One that would die naturally if it couldn’t parasitize a human body.

“You mixed something in the wine. Something so small that most wouldn’t notice.”

“The priest’s blessing should be enough to keep you from collapsing, so tell the nobles under Prince Leopold to get treated later.”

Hasharl put down her wine glass and gave a warning to the prince.

Originally, she wouldn’t have cared if some imperial humans lived or died… but her consciousness would soon be pushed back again, and she’d have no choice but to leave the rest to this damn usurper.

‘So, for now, I’ll have to play along.’

If the one who stole her body were to die pointlessly and collapse, she too would vanish into nothingness.

“What did you just say…?”

“Exactly what I said. Well then, I’ll take my leave.”

Hasharl nodded slightly and rose from the sofa.

There was nothing more to say.

Leopold wasn’t failing to hear her words—he just couldn’t believe them and was questioning her to confirm.

‘I’ve given my warning. He’ll figure it out.’

Suppressing her true nature and lowering herself was reaching its limit.

She was exhausted from the irritation boiling up in her mind.

Heading alone toward the balcony, Hasharl pondered again who could have reduced her to this state.

There was definitely some kind of curse involved.

The woman who had examined the Ice Blade had said it was cursed too.

‘Those I thought I’d exterminated… must have dared to hide in Aishan. Probably the work of one of Orhan’s brats.’

Hasharl was convinced her half-brothers were the culprits. It was just a hunch, but there was evidence.

Those worms had been scheming against her for ages, knowing they couldn’t beat her head-on.

Besides, as the Khan’s children, they’d be worth approaching for those sorcerers too.

‘…Is Jahan okay?’

There was no way to check now that she couldn’t return to the east.

Hasharl rubbed the back of her neck.

Her anger flared up again, making her temples throb.

“Hey, stop.”

Hasharl halted a servant passing by with a tray and snatched a bottle of wine.

Even if there were bugs in it, it was still a pretty good drink. She could just get rid of the bugs in her stomach later.

Stepping outside, Hasharl tore off the bottle’s neck with her fingers and chugged it down.

Compared to her homeland’s liquor, it was mild and sweet, but it wasn’t bad either, as her throat kept gulping it down.

“Haah…”

After setting the half-empty bottle on the railing, Hasharl rummaged through her pocket and pulled out a magic herb, sticking it in her mouth.

Whenever she saw westerners constantly smoking these, she’d secretly wanted to try one herself.

‘…Not bad.’

Hasharl closed her eyes and savored the smoke. She enjoyed the slightly pungent minty flavor seeping into her lungs.

It definitely felt better than she expected.

She could even understand why the one who stole her body was so addicted to it.

Her mind calmed, and her anger subsided a little. Her heightened senses spread out around her.

She could hear the moans of the lowlifes.

Even with her eyes closed, her sharpened senses vividly painted the scene around her.

She could clearly see the figures writhing in the bushes, legs spread and tangled together.

‘All that talk of dignity and etiquette… but their true nature isn’t so different after all. Just like Mother used to say.’

Hasharl exhaled smoke into the air, recalling her mother, Ai-mel-ra.

Her mother, too, was from a noble family in the west, but she always expressed disgust when talking about nobles.

She’d say their old pride was gone, and most had become corrupt trash, voicing outright contempt.

As her throat dried up, she used the moans as a snack to wash down the wine, alternating between inhaling and exhaling smoke.

Then, her senses picked up someone approaching.

A staggering gait. Rough breathing. A pounding heartbeat.

Judging by the air’s vibrations, it was a burly man.

The scent wafting over was mixed with a strong alcohol smell.

‘…Who is it?’

Clearly heading her way, Hasharl lowered her gaze from the air to the balcony window.

Soon, the window swung open, revealing a middle-aged man.

A face flushed red from heavy drinking.

A body so bloated it made his extravagant outfit look ridiculous.

His glossy blond hair, oddly out of place, was almost laughable.

“Huh, as expected, you’re here. Princess of Ka`har…”

His shaky voice carried a thick undercurrent of hostility.

“Do I know you?”

Hasharl coldly retorted.

She didn’t recognize his face.

Even digging through the usurper’s memories, she couldn’t recall meeting this person.

“Gilbert Bernstein. Head of the Bernstein family… the father of Kenneth Bernstein, the one you ruined.”

‘Kenneth?’

“Who’s that?”

At the doubt in Hasharl’s voice, Gilbert’s face twisted instantly.