Chapter 99

He clicked his tongue briefly and sighed as he looked at me, just blinking in silence.

“Sorry. This isn’t the right time to be saying this…”

I grabbed Ramande’s arm, which was rubbing his face in frustration.

“There’s nothing you can’t say to me.”

“…Minuelle.”

“When I was upset, you always calmed me down with your holy power… but I don’t know what to do in times like this.”

With my powers, I can create fire. I can regulate body temperature. But I can’t calm the heat in my heart…

‘Huh?’

The moment I thought about heat and temperature, it hit me—like a filament lighting up.

‘Ten years ago, when the Fire Spirit Stone was stolen, a cold snap hit the southern region.’

Was it not just a curse from Gabbie or an anomaly caused by the Spirit Stone being removed from its place? Could it have been intentional?

If that’s the case, then the Fire Spirit isn’t just about flames… but heat—meaning it could affect anything from the temperature of objects to the entire climate?

—Finally!

As I sat there, lost in thought, Gabbie’s booming voice shattered through my mind so loudly it felt like my head would explode.

—You finally figured it out! Hahahaha!

Gabbie’s laughter dragged on and on. I tried covering my ears against the thunderous noise that shook my whole body—but it was no use. The voice was in my head, not outside it.

“Ugh…”

“Minuelle, are you feeling unwell?”

My knees buckled under the pressure, and Ramande rushed to catch me. I could also feel Esadien approaching quickly.

But I had no time to care about anyone’s concern. My mind—no, my entire body—was overwhelmed by Gabbie’s voice.

—What is fire? It is combustion that gives off light and heat. In other words, light and heat are my byproducts—my children. Have you ever wondered why there is no god of fire? It is because fire is a force of nature that even gods cannot control—it is the origin of this world itself!

‘Okay, fine, just lower the volume already…!’

I thought I might actually die. My whole body was vibrating like I was standing in front of a giant speaker. I begged him, barely hanging on, but Gabbie only laughed leisurely.

—Does my voice really trouble you that much?

“If not you, then what else would it be?!”

I snapped, shouting out in irritation—and only then realized something. Gabbie’s voice had returned to normal. The vibrations I had felt were not caused by him—but by something inside me.

The moment I became aware of that, all the pain stopped.

As I slowly exhaled the breath I’d been holding and opened my tightly shut eyes, I realized that the world—or rather I—had changed.

When I clenched my hand, it had more strength than before. My eyes could now see much farther and clearer.

Gabbie spoke with satisfaction.

—Choosing you wasn’t such a bad decision after all, Minuelle.

“And you call that a compliment…?”

I grumbled, but then paused.

The fire essence that enveloped my heart had grown noticeably stronger.

“Did I just… go through a full transformation or something?”

I felt a bit disappointed. I’d expected something more dramatic, like floating in the air with three or five colorful lotus flowers blooming above my head like in a wuxia novel.

Reading my thoughts, Gabbie muttered in exasperation.

—What kind of wild imagination did people in your old world have?

Suddenly overwhelmed by my improved vision, I shut my eyes again and quipped back at him.

‘Hey, you need that kind of imagination to survive harsh realities.’

Everyone needs some kind of escape when life gets hard. For me, that escape was novels.

‘Maybe that’s why I ended up inside a novel even after dying.’

I gave a bitter smile, and Gabbie’s voice cut in sharply.

—Get it together.

‘What?’

—Wherever you stand and breathe is reality. This is no longer an imagined world.

‘Isn’t that obvious? If it weren’t real, I wouldn’t have gone through so much pain.’

Even as I said that, something tugged at my chest. Maybe Gabbie was right. If I didn’t believe this world was real, I wouldn’t have kept worrying about the “original storyline.”

I opened my eyes slowly.

Then I looked around at the people surrounding me, all wearing the word worry on their foreheads.

Even though I had intruded into the original story, I wasn’t floating in uncertainty thanks to these people—my anchors. Especially Ramande, who had been my lifeline—I reached for his hand and held it tightly.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to zone out mid-conversation like that.”

“It’s okay. It looks like… something changed, didn’t it?”

Ramande smiled as if he understood everything—but for some reason, that smile felt distant.

Normally, I would’ve waited until his mood calmed down. But this time, I felt like I couldn’t leave it be.

The cats had already returned. If we went back inside now, a battle would be unavoidable. We had to be prepared for the worst at any moment.

“Ramande… was that change a bad thing for you?”

As I asked directly, his violet eyes trembled slightly.

“Of course not. I just… I feel like you’re drifting further away from me…”

He started to speak hurriedly but then stopped mid-sentence.

“Weren’t we talking about something else just now?”

“Ha. So you caught that.”

I grinned, and Ramande finally relaxed his shoulders and let out a breathy laugh.

“You really are…”

At that moment, a plume of fire shot up from the inner part of the castle.

A ball of flame surged straight into the sky like a vertical arrow and burst high above the castle like a firework.

I followed the arc of the fire with my eyes. A brilliant red glow shimmered above Esadien’s head as he spoke with the cats.

“Austin knows.”

Whether he sensed the shift in my energy earlier or had been watching us all along—this was his signal to stop wasting time outside and come in. That firework was his invitation.

Ramande’s face stiffened as he heard me mutter.

“Then…”

“Ramande.”

Standing close to him, I spoke frankly and firmly.

“I haven’t completely forgiven El for deceiving me. But I’m willing to give him one more chance. It’s my fault too—I didn’t handle it cleanly even after realizing it was a misunderstanding.”

Putting it into words helped clarify my own thoughts. Ramande looked at me with unreadable eyes.

“…And you and I aren’t the kind of people to drift apart just because I gained a new power. You’re my pillar.”

Someone who supports me unconditionally—like my parents and sisters. Someone who keeps me from falling.

Even if Ramande were to become a high priest tomorrow, I’d never feel like we’d grown distant. Never.

“We’re family. You know that, right?”

We had always been close like family, but I’d never said it out loud before.

I’d expected him to reply with something like, “Why are you saying that now?” or “How can you say such embarrassing things so casually?”

But Ramande didn’t answer right away.

Just when I was beginning to wonder if I’d said something wrong, a slightly teary voice finally responded.

“…I know.”

Aw, old man Ramande—you’re touched!

Relieved, I added with determination: “Be careful, Ramande.”

“…You too.”

After giving his hand one last squeeze, I walked toward Esadien.

Now, it was really time to begin.

* * *

A short while later.

As I watched Esadien and Theodore standing solemnly before a small hole in the wall, I was at a loss for words.

“So… you escaped the castle through this?”

“Yes.”

“And now we’re going to enter through it.”

“Correct.”

Esadien’s answer was firm, but honestly, even our vice-captain and Theodore looked half-skeptical.

No wonder. When El was a kitten, this might’ve seemed like a big hole. But for a human… your head might get stuck trying to squeeze in.

Then, Clidane, who had been silent until now, whispered:

“Shall I just climb over the wall, my lady?”

“No… it’s fine.”

I shook my head, suppressing the urge to rub my face in frustration.

Because of everything that had happened recently, Esadien was becoming a symbol of irrational boldness—but the real Esadien had always been calm, rational, and highly skilled.

‘Even if we tried to break through the main gate, Austin’s forces would be waiting for us.’

Since he already knew we were here, we decided to stick to our original goal and use a diversion.

The infiltration team would enter through the hole and rescue the emperor and crown princess: Esadien, Theodore, Clidane, and me.

While the rest of the knights created a distraction at the castle gate to buy time, we would get in and out as fast as possible.

‘I’m sure Esadien has a plan.’

As I looked at him, he smiled and nodded confidently. Then, he drew his sword and took a deep breath.

Thump.

He gently pierced the wall with his sword.

‘Is that wall made of tofu or stone…?’

Yes, folks—this is a live demonstration of a man slicing through a castle wall like soft tofu.

It was beyond impressive—it was almost unnerving.

While everyone stared in stunned silence, Esadien cut out a neat block and set it aside like a puzzle piece. Then he said cheerfully:

“All done.”

“Esadien, now copy me exactly. Say: ‘Wasn’t that easy?’”

“…Wasn’t that easy?”

“……”

I had to bite my lip to stop myself from laughing. His awkward smile had dangerous levels of charm.

Even the knights looked completely defeated—like they’d just met Bob Ross in armor. Clearly, this wasn’t something any normal person could do.

‘Reincarnated into a wuxia world and became a crown prince—could that be it?’

Ha. No way.

I shoved the thought aside and gave Esadien a big thumbs-up. Finally, he beamed with a bright smile.

‘Esadien really does have a plan.’

And what a way to prove it. He was amazing—in multiple ways.

With admiration, we moved out. Esadien kept glancing back at me, even though he knew Clidane was trailing behind in full alert.

‘Well, I do get why he’s worried.’

To him, I’m probably still the girl who coughed up blood at the slightest touch and couldn’t walk more than a hundred steps a day.

Even if I’d stopped coughing blood, I was still out of shape. So why was I part of the infiltration team?

At first, I wanted to join the distraction squad—but that idea got shut down immediately. Too dangerous, they said.

‘It’s all thanks to that magical item.’

Before leaving the house, my sister gave me a pair of boots—like Hermes’ sandals or a superhero’s flying boots.

While they only floated me about 4cm off the ground—not quite flying, more like hovering—they kept me from falling behind the knights and even suppressed my presence. I was thrilled.