“Ho, how, why, that, why…….”

“Because Juliette’s body was created temporarily to house the soul of Miss Haeng-in, who crossed over to this world. To balance the world.”

“……That’s too complicated an explanation.”

“Well, the setting of this ‘novel’ is a bit difficult and unkind in the first place, so let’s just say that it is what it is.”

Sarah smiled prettily. It was a smile that seemed to cleanse and purify my complicated mind, which was about to burst.

“Don’t feel too bad, though, because I will, and we will remember.”

“……!”

“Ethan and Claude, with the power of Ambrosia holding my soul, will remember Miss Haeng-in.”

My head was spinning, and I didn’t know what to think, whether to be happy that I could go home now or to be sad that I’d wasted my time enjoying this world when I could be forgotten.

“This is what Miss Haeng-in looks like in Korea, isn’t it?”

Sarah waves her hand in the air, and a holographic image of me sleeping in South Korea appears, not of Juliette, but of Park Haeng-in.

“Yes, yes! That’s right, that’s me! That’s me!”

I clapped my hands and jumped up and down in place. I couldn’t have been happier to see my face after all these years.

“Good to see you.”

Sarah stared at me longingly, in the face of an ordinary woman in South Korea, and I couldn’t help but wonder: why was she looking at me like that?

“Before you go back, do you want to hang out with me for a bit?”

“Pardon?”

“You haven’t really enjoyed this world.”

Sarah held out her hand to me, a very white, fine, pretty hand, and for some reason, I was reminded of the way she had held out her hand to Claude when she first met him.

“…….”

Unconsciously, I clasped Sarah’s hand tightly in mine.

“Ethan’s waiting for me, so I can’t spend too much time on this, so it’ll have to be quick.”

“What? What’s that?”

“Hold on tight!”

There was a snap of Sarah’s fingers, just like in the novel, and a dizzying array of intricate magic circles appeared in the air. The wind was coming from somewhere, even though we were indoors.

“I’ll show you the Empire I loved.”

As soon as Sarah finished speaking, the magic circles came crashing down on us.

“Ugh!”

I had to stop myself from screaming. It was louder than Sarah’s crystal-clear laughter, and I could feel gusts of wind whipping around me and whipping my hair into a dizzying mess.

“Open your eyes.”

“Ugh.”

“It’s okay.”

“Really?”

“Yes, trust me.”

At Sarah’s urging, I managed to open my tightly closed eyes, but it wasn’t long before I realized where I was, and my eyes were as bright as molten fire glasses.

“Wow! Awesome!”

“Fufu, isn’t it pretty?”

I was flying through the night sky of the Empire, where darkness had fallen, but the stars and moonlight were many times brighter than in Korea, making it seem like the Milky Way was flowing.

“This is the Crombell Empire, and that golden building you see over there is the Imperial Palace.”

Sarah explained to me like a tour guide showing a tourist around, and we flew through the sky as her hand moved around.

“Wow, wow! That! That’s where Claude and Elexa first met, right?”

“Oh my, yes, that’s right, that’s where Claude first learned to reach out to a child his own age.”

“Oh my gosh. I’ve never seen Elexa here before……. I want to see him too.”

“You can see him, right? Do you want to go?”

“What? Do you mind if I do?”

“Miss Haeng-in wants to do it, so why not?”

Sarah nodded coolly and put her arm around my shoulders, then grinned.

“Hold on tight, we’re going to the palace now.”

“Uh, yes, huh? Huuuh!!!”

We were shot towards the Imperial Palace at a speed that couldn’t be compared to the gently flying we’d been doing up to this point. We didn’t just fly, we were shot, and in the blink of an eye, the buildings of the Imperial Palace that we’d seen in the distance were suddenly right in front of us.

“Oh my goodness, it just so happens that His Majesty the Emperor, the Empress, and the Crown Prince are out for a night walk.”

Sarah said, pointing with her hand towards the garden side of the Emperor’s palace. When I followed her finger, I saw Penelois sitting at a tea table in the garden, a blanket covering her, and the Emperor of this Empire, Eleon de Crombell, with his noble face shining, stood by Penelois’s side…….

“Is there anything else you need, water, tea, or shall I bring you more cookies?”

He dropped to one knee and politely placed his hands on top of hers, holding them out to her.

“Don’t fuss over me, please, just make yourself comfortable next to me, Eleon.”

“I’m more comfortable this way, so I can be closer to you, so I can give my voice to my lovely daughter in your belly, and so I can…….”

“Sit down.”

“Yes.”

Eleon obediently sat down across from Penelois, while Elexa was making a wreath out of flowers a little ways away from the tea table.

Huh, huuuuh!”

I couldn’t help but squeal with delight as my second favorite family in the novel, besides the Ambrosians, came into view, but was I too loud? Penelois turned to stare at me and Sarah with a piercing gaze.

“Gasp.”

Come to think of it, if we got caught, wouldn’t this be trespassing on the palace grounds? I looked back at Sarah quickly, wondering if she was going to get in trouble because of me. But as if to dismiss my concerns, she smiled and waved.

“Lady Penelois! Elexa!”

Sarah called the Empress and Crown Prince’s names in a friendly manner.

“Oh my! Oh my! Lady Sarah!”

Penelois jumped up from her seat and bounced in place. Elexa, too, dropped the crown and wreath he was making and came running over.

“Pe, Penelois. You’re pregnant now, please be careful……!”

“I missed you, why are you coming now!”

“Where’s Claude? Didn’t he come with you today?”

Penelois enthusiastically welcomed Sarah, firmly pushing aside Eleon who was trying to stop her. Elexa was also bouncing at Penelois’ side. Apparently, this wasn’t the first time Sarah had visited the palace like this. Sarah looked back at me as if to tell me not to worry.

“Would you like to say hello, Miss Haeng-in?”

“Heok, yes.”

I nodded my head enthusiastically, never one to turn down an opportunity Sarah gave me. Then, my body, which was floating in the air, slowly descended downwards, and as soon as my feet touched the ground, the Emperor’s family came running over to us.

“Who is this cute little lady?”

Penelois wondered as she looked at me, clinging tightly to Sarah’s side. Elexa did the same, his eyes shining brightly as he clung to Penelois’ side.

“Crazy, this puppy…….”

I couldn’t help but get dizzy with the freshness of Penelois and the cuteness of Elexa, both of which I’d only seen in the novel, but Sarah was there to support me.

“She’s such a dear friend to me that she shares her very soul with me.”

“Oh my.”

Penelois looked at me with admiration at Sarah’s introduction, and I felt her gaze warm up a little more.

“Then you’re precious to me too.”

Elexa quickly fetched the wreath he’d been making and held it out to me.

“I’ll give it to you as a gift.”

“Heoook.”

I accepted Elexa’s gift with a big smile on my face – what a sweet thing to do with a wreath.

“Thank you, I’ll make sure to pack it and send it back home.”

As I stood there speechless with happiness, Sarah thanked him for me, and then looked at me and asked.

“Where do you want to go next?”