My mind suddenly turned cold.

But when I turned my head, he was smiling as always.

“Hello, Uncle Grimier.”

Grimier looked at me with a worried expression.

“So, how is your condition?”

“Thanks to your concern, I’m healthy now!”

He truly worried a lot.

After hearing that I had regained consciousness, many gifts arrived.

From the capital, from relatives, collateral branches, and retainers.

Even from Grimier himself.

He sent a bouquet.

‘I got goosebumps.’

The man who dragged my life into ruin in my first life, and who was filled with intent to kill me in this one, sent me a gift.

Han Ji-hyuk, who knew everything from me, suggested burning the bouquet.

But I decorated it in a vase.

To never forget my enemy.

“I enchanted the roses you sent and placed them in a vase. Thank you, Uncle!”

“It wasn’t a gift worth thanking for, I feel embarrassed.”

“No, I’m so happy you remembered to send me something despite your busy schedule.”

Grimier stroked my head.

I almost felt like vomiting but smiled meekly like a gentle niece.

Dionera said with an innocent expression,

“You and Uncle Grimier are close, huh?”

Then Liantin shrugged and replied,

“Since Uncle Grimier and Erilot live in the capital, they probably feel closer somehow.”

“Looks good, right?”

“Well... Uncle Grimier is famous for his good nature, and Erilot gets along well with the family.”

Servants and retainers passing by looked at us with warm eyes.

Not knowing how they looked at each other.

Now I understood.

‘Those snake-like glances.’

Grimier must have noticed I changed too.

Given his cautious personality, he’d be suspicious of the changed me.

His eyes, usually gentle and curved, looked sharp today.

“Uncle...”

I tilted my head to ask, and Grimier responded with “Hmm?”

“I didn’t know you always wear glasses. Looking closely, you really resemble Dad!”

“Do I?”

“Yes. Exactly the same... Your gaze is very cold.”

Grimier’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

Immediately, I smiled brightly like a child again.

“You may look cold, but you’re just as kind! Dad scares everyone, but he’s actually very warm.”

“Haha, Daymond is especially kind to you.”

“Yes!”

“You’re adorable. If I had a daughter like you, I’d be kinder than anyone in the world.”

So you brought Dalia, huh?

‘Who exactly is Dalia?’

At first, I thought Dalia was a modern person possessing Mari’s body.

But now I even doubt that.

‘Maybe someone deliberately possessed Mari’s body with a modern person.’

At that moment, someone shouted from afar.

“Grimier, are you here? The grand assembly is about to start.”

Grimier nodded at the approaching retainer.

Then looked back at me, Liantin, and Dionera.

“See you again.”

After we greeted him, he left.

Liantin covered her cheek watching Grimier’s back and sighed deeply.

“Among the second generation, Uncle Grimier is the best. Mom always says so. To meet a man like Uncle Grimier.”

“Yeah! My mother said the same. ‘Daymond looks the best, but personality-wise, Uncle Grimier has a slight edge.’”

Dionera exclaimed, waving her hands.

“Uncle Daymond is cool too! It’s just that our mothers think so.”

“It’s fine. Uncle Grimier is liked by everyone.”

I answered casually, and Liantin and Dionera nodded.

“That’s really something.”

“Right. Our uncles and aunts all hate each other a lot. But they soften up around Uncle Grimier, right?”

“Because Uncle Grimier has helped a lot, and he has no children.”

“No children? Why?”

“If Uncle Grimier becomes duke, he could adopt one of his nephews as heir.”

A kind of insurance for if he loses the succession fight.

Even if he doesn’t become duke, his heir could be Grimier’s child.

That’s why his older brothers don’t oppose him despite him being the eldest.

‘That must be why Dalia wasn’t brought in early.’

To avoid checks.

So he can move freely.

At that moment, Han Ji-hyuk checked his watch and said to me,

“Miss, the duke’s healer should be waiting.”

I had come to the castle today to meet the healer.

Grandfather had assigned me a personal healer.

Then passing Loreina and other cousins widened their eyes.

“No way. The duke’s personal healer?”

Liantin also made a jealous face with “Ugh...”

‘Those who know the duke’s condition can’t contact outsiders.’

That applies even to direct family.

So meeting the healer was something special.

“Anyway, I’m jealous...”

Liantin sighed deeply and gently pushed my back.

“Get good treatment. Don’t collapse again.”

“Okay.”

After greeting the cousins, I entered the main manor.

Han Ji-hyuk glanced around and said,

“Grimier is impressive. Not a single blink.”

“Yeah.”

“Shouldn’t we tell the duke?”

“Tell him what?”

“That Grimier is the mastermind behind all this. Your grandfather adores you, so he might believe you—”

“I was his adorable granddaughter for seven years, but Grimier was his reliable eldest son for over thirty years.”

“Still...”

“I can’t tell grandfather without proof. If I did, everything I’ve built would collapse.”

“......”

“He’s better at survival politics. He’s been acting for over thirty years.”

“So that means we’re in trouble now?”

Han Ji-hyuk said with a pale face.

“Grimier has both internal Astra influence and capital influence over us.”

“Yeah.”

“From what I saw at Ayla’s, he seems to have enormous power now.”

“Right. Even ten soldiers like Ayla could break the manor’s defense walls.”

“Still, you have a dragon...!”

“But the palace authorized the dragon’s movement. To attack Grimier, you’d need state permission.”

“Your grandfather won’t stand by if someone tries to get imperial permission to attack the eldest son.”

“Yeah! So this situation is—completely ruined!”

Even Valderic would have been a worthy opponent.

But since it’s Grimier, we’re surrounded.

Han Ji-hyuk looked at me with cloudy eyes.

“This isn’t something to be excited about...”

I stood on tiptoe and tapped his shoulder.

“Don’t worry. There is a silver lining.”

“What is it?”

“Grimier still has ten years left before he attacks me.”

“What?”

Think back to the first life.

Back then, I was far more miserable.

An orphan with no protector.

Grimier could have easily gotten rid of me.

“Grimier intentionally waited until I was twenty to kill me. Why?”

“Well, maybe he kept you alive until then?”

“Why? I told you, what Grimier fears is my Guardian Star. He can’t know when I’ll break the curse, so why keep me alive?”

“Hmm, maybe he kept you alive out of anxiety.”

“Yeah. I think... he had a reason to keep me alive until I was twenty.”

“What reason?”

“Now we have to find out.”

Why Grimier can’t kill me.

I stopped in front of the room where I was to meet the healer.

Then I looked at Han Ji-hyuk and said,

“That’s your job to find out.”

“How am I supposed to do that...!”

“Whether you enter Grimier’s mansion as a servant, or join the information guild as a runner. Do something.”

“You’re the worst boss.”

“Exactly. That’s why I pay you a lot to keep you from quitting.”

I threw something at Han Ji-hyuk.

Startled, he frowned as he caught it.

“......A key?”

“The key to the manor in district two of the capital. It’s yours.”

“Mistress—!!”

I smiled seeing his eyes go wide and opened the door.

The room was empty.

‘Looks like I arrived first.’

I sat on the sofa and looked around.

‘So this place exists in the manor.’

I’d only lived in the main and new wings, but had been in the castle for seven years.

‘Well, this is where the healer who knows grandfather’s condition lives.’

Of course, it must be carefully managed.

Since there’s a small kitchen attached, it seems meals are prepared here.

‘Looks like contact with servants is kept minimal.’

I got up with an intrigued expression.

Then I inspected the kitchen and potion-making equipment.

‘Wow, smells good.’

The potion equipment still held its scent.

A bittersweet and sweet herbal aroma was wonderful.

Old books stacked on the desk smelled ancient.

‘Wow, it’s been so long.’

This was the scent I smelled in the library during Yu Hyemin’s time.

Books in the manor are magically preserved to always smell fresh.

I sniffed the books.

‘I smelled this kind of scent a lot in elementary school libraries.’

Chuckling, I looked at an open page.

‘Hmm?’

It was in ancient script.

That is, Korean letters.

‘That’s strange.’

Before, I thought this was a fictional world and the author was Korean, so the ancient script was Korean letters.

But this is actually my past life, the “real other world.”

How did Korean become an ancient script?

I tilted my head and read without thinking.

“How to... put a [N O V E L I G H T] living human... in a coma state?”

Why was the healer reading this?

I blinked as footsteps sounded outside.

I hurriedly sat down.

Soon after, the door flung open.

“Sorry I’m late.”

“No worries. Thank you for taking the treatment today... ah?”

I was surprised and stared at a man in a hood.

“Healer Philippo!”

The old healer who saved me from my mother’s poison as a newborn.

Philippo smiled kindly.

“Do you know me?”

“Ah...”

I couldn’t say my Guardian Star showed me the past.

“You’re famous. Former chief healer of the royal palace and the best healer in the world.”

“That’s flattering. But is that all?”

He narrowed his eyes, and I flinched inside.

‘Does he know something?’

Being an excellent healer means he has a tremendous sacred blessing.

Maybe like Vincent, he can read a person’s past.

When I looked nervous, he said,

“Did the duke speak ill of me?”

“Huh?”

“I thought so. That troublesome old man.”

‘Oh, so that’s what he meant?’

I sighed deeply inside.

A while later, he chuckled and waved his hand.

“Grandfather didn’t speak ill of me.”

“Really? I don’t trust him when it comes to the duke.”

“Grandfather and Philippo are very close friends.”

“A fated connection.”

Philippo took my wrist and said,

Warmth spread from his hand, making me feel comfortable.

‘Wow, this feels great...’

“Recently, you broke a curse.”

“......Yes?”

“It seemed a rather strong curse.”

Indeed, a former chief healer of the palace.

He could tell even that.

‘I should’ve met Philippo earlier.’

I smiled awkwardly.

“I think I was cursed by Ayla. The curse seems to have been broken in my sleep.”

“Hmm... If you have such a powerful Guardian Star, that could happen.”

“What?”

He knew that?

I stiffened and stared at Philippo.

“Haha, do I look like I’m into some cult?”

“......”

“Well, I was obsessed with that cult when I was younger. I was one of their thirteen apostles.”

“A cult...?”

“Ah, don’t you know?”

Philippo’s eyes widened.

“It was a cult that existed before you were born.”

“What kind of cult?”

“It claimed Guardian Stars exist, and humans were created by them.”

“......!”

I took a deep breath.

‘That’s true.’

How does he know that?