There was only one reason why I had requested Professor Fel’s assistance—My selfish desire to meet Aria Rias not as Deus Verdi, but as Kim Shinwoo.

That was all.

Though I didn’t really want to use an artificial body again, some tasks called for it.

And now, I wanted to spend time with her as Kim Shinwoo, not in the appearance of Deus.

Since the previous artificial body was destroyed by Lanhardt, a new one would have to be made and it would take time.

And considering that she would have gained experience since the first creation, it could probably be made much faster now.

But regardless, I assumed there was still ample time from production to delivery from Loberne Academy to Graypond.

However, surprisingly, the process was completed in just a few hours.

“…”

I stood there speechless, staring at the white artificial body that resembled a mannequin before me. I knew I should say something, but no words came out.

“…”

Likewise, Deia, who had brought it, remained silent, her lips pressed tightly together.

The silence lingered for a moment. However, eventually, I was the first to break the silence.

“Why…?”

Do you have this?

Before I could even voice the question, Deia’s face turned bright red as she hurriedly interjected.

“I-it could come in handy! You owe your life to the artificial body once, so I asked Professor Fel to make this just in case!”

“…”

“It was for your sake! Seriously! Don’t look at me like that!”

“…”

As I continued to stare at her through my bleary eyes, she was unable to hold back any longer and drew the magic pistol strapped to her waist.

“Lower your gaze!”

“Huff, then, I will use it with gratitude.”

“J-just take it.”

“It is yours.”

I didn’t want it.

Having declared this coldly, I cautiously reached for the artificial body.

It was the same as before. The fact that I could slip out of this body so easily somehow served as a reminder that I was not Deus.

In the end, I, too, wasn’t the true owner of this body.

“Deia, can you assist with this body?”

“C-can’t you ask Findenai? I don’t want to touch it.”

Deia expressed her reluctance to handle Deus’ body when I was not there.

“If I leave it to Findenai, there is no telling what she might do to it.”

Though she claimed to be giving us siblings some time to ourselves while she went for a smoke, I didn’t trust her with this task.

“Ah.”

Perhaps acknowledging I wasn’t wrong, Deia hesitantly came behind me and placed her hands around my waist.

“There is no need to do it right away, though.”

“Just hurry up, you idiot.”

She really had no filter when speaking to her older brother.

As I reached out toward the artificial body, my vision began to distort slowly.

Suppressing the nausea and dizziness, I carefully opened my eyes, only to be met with a distinct sense of alienation.

Blinking repeatedly with stiff eyes, I glanced at Deus, who was now cradled in Deia’s arms.

“Wow…”

Deia let out a gasp, seemingly in awe by the manner the artificial body morphed to match the soul it contained.

I could only speculate that it must have been a somewhat grotesque sight.

“Let’s lay it on the bed.”

As I took hold of Deus’ limp body, Deia asked intriguingly.

“Your manner of speaking changes immediately, huh?”

“Because I’m Kim Shinwoo, not Deus.”

“Hmm.”

She snorted at my attempt to differentiate between the two identities.

Though unexpectedly, it seemed she liked the fact that I drew a line between Deus and Kim Shinwoo.

Then, I cautiously extended my hand toward Deus, who was now lying on the bed.

Previously, the amount of mana I could wield using an artificial body was limited.

Now, it’s the exact opposite.

Even while in the artificial body, mana still followed seamlessly. As a result, Deus’ complexion appeared to have become slightly better.

Crack.

On the other hand, seemingly unable to handle the sudden influx of mana, a cracking sound came from somewhere within the artificial body.

It doesn’t really matter though; I’ll only be using it once anyway.

Still, I might need to compensate Deia for repair costs later.

“The souls seem to be stable.”

I said as I checked the souls contained within Deus’ body. They remained dormant, resting peacefully.

“That fact must be pretty important for you.”

Watching me examine it ever so carefully, Deia asked curiously.

Without much thought, I replied matter-of-factly.

“It means that even after I die, the souls can remain within the body.”

Only after saying that absentmindedly did I realize I had made a mistake.

Startled, I glanced at Deia, whose expression had turned noticeably somber.

“Are you seriously going to say something like that right now?”

“…It was just a figure of speech. I don’t want to die either.”

“Tsk.”

Deia clicked her tongue in annoyance, glaring at me briefly to express her irritation.

However, this was an important issue.

No matter what happened to me, the souls’ rest should not be disturbed.

As long as my body isn’t torn to shreds, it should be fine.

For instance, my right arm was already a prosthetic.

[Why can’t we use an artificial body?]

[Well, he’s just moving his soul without dying. It’s different in our case, senior.]

[That’s so unfair.]

I could hear the voices of the two souls coming from behind me, but I didn’t have time to pay attention to them right now.

“I’m off to see Aria.”

Since the artificial body wouldn’t last long, I intended to move immediately.

“Wait a second.”

And as I was heading out, Deia stopped me and adjusted my collar.

“It looks like I managed to get the clothes size right, but they’re a bit wrinkled. All set now.”

“Thanks.”

I thanked Deia for tidying me up, but she still didn’t step back. Instead, she kept gazing at me with a blank expression on her face.

“What is it?”

“Nothing, just…”

Scratching the back of her head, Deia finally took a step back and whispered softly,

“I guess I did a good job preparing it.”

“You did. Thanks.”

I expressed my gratitude for her foresight and headed outside.

“Sssppp, why does it feel like I’m sending him on a date in the clothes I gave him as a gift?”

I could hear her muttering something strange under her breath, but I ignored it and went to find Aria.

***

“Checkmate.”

“…”

Eleanor’s queen stood directly in front of Aria’s king, completing a flawless checkmate.

If Aria took the queen, Eleanor’s knight would immediately take the king.

The battle of wits between the two girls in the royal garden had come to an end with a one-sided result.

“Move back.”

Aria demanded, her face showing her annoyance openly, but Eleanor smugly handed over her notebook.

“How’s this? I drew it pretty well, right?”

Inside the notebook was a portrait drawing of Aria, one that exuded deep irritation and captured her sulky expression.

“I got bored playing chess with you, so I decided to sketch it.”

Anyone watching Eleanor at this moment would undoubtedly praise her as a beautiful young lady befitting the title of princess.

And with a radiant smile, Eleanor ripped the page featuring her sketch of Aria out and handed it over.

“Take it, loser.”

Although the words that came out her lips were clearly far from graceful.

“I said, move back.”

“Even if I move back, you’ll still lose. Nothing will change even if we replay.”

“Then why did you suggest we play chess in the first place?”

Aria had been bored spending her summer vacation at the royal palace, so she accepted Eleanor’s invitation to play chess.

However, true to her dominant demeanor, Eleanor was an excellent chess player.

“I just wanted to call you lame, loser.”

Eleanor responded with the same cheerful smile.

After revealing her identity as a regressor back at the Forsville village, Aria was worried their relationship might become strained.

Yet Eleanor’s attitude toward Aria hadn’t changed in the slightest.

It would have been better if it had changed a little.

“This makes me so fucking mad.”

Brimming with irritation, as Aria barely resisted the urge to destroy the chessboard…

“Pardon my intrusion.”

At that very moment, a man interrupted the two girls. Exuding a mysterious aura, he seemed more like he was from the Han Empire than the Griffin Kingdom.

He appeared all of a sudden, as if he had dropped out of nowhere, giving off a strange, out-of-place vibe.

“Huh…?”

Eleanor gasped upon seeing his face, her mouth agape.

Aria was equally stunned.

Though she had never seen Kim Shinwoo’s true appearance in person, Aria was able to recognize him from Eleanor’s sketches.

Hence, it wasn’t hard to deduce his identity.

“P-Professor?!”

“I’m just borrowing this artificial body for a moment.”

Though his manner of speaking was different, his demeanor was unmistakable. The frosty air that seemed to follow him couldn’t be hidden, even in the artificial body.

“I-I can’t believe I’m seeing this in real life, not just in my dreams!”

Eleanor rambled on excitedly, a trickle of drool slipping down her lips.

“W-Would you like to come to my room for a bit? I’ll get my c-canvas, paper, and brushes ready!”

Hastily wiping her drool, a faint madness flickered in her eyes.

“A-And could you perhaps wear something else? What you’re wearing now is amazing, but I’d love to see you in something different too!”

“Wow, this bitch’s preferences really show when she loses her mind.”

Exasperated, Aria spoke, but her words no longer reached Eleanor’s ears.

Each night, she closed her eyes, hoping to meet him in her dreams.

Because it wasn’t Deus who had saved her from her nightmares; it was Kim Shinwoo—A man she would never meet again.

Holding onto a sliver of hope, the princess always clasped her hands together in prayer.

Wishing for the impossible, wondering if she might meet him in real life one day.

When she fantasized about it, her face immediately turned red, and she let out a small, secret laugh.

That was the kind of person he was.

To Eleanor Luden Griffin, Kim Shinwoo was…

A mix of miracles and longing.

However, reality was always cruel.

“I’d like to speak with Aria for a moment. Is that okay?”

“With her?! Not me?!”

The moment Kim Shinwoo pointed at Aria, Eleanor’s expression darkened noticeably.

Her face looked like she was on the verge of tears from the injustice. However…

“Me?”

Aria, too, was flustered as she stared at Kim Shinwoo, who had singled her out.

“It’ll only take a moment.”

“Of course! You can take all day if you want!”

With a bright smile, Aria followed behind Kim Shinwoo.

Left alone, Eleanor clenched her fists and pressed her lips together as tears welled up in her eyes.

She tried her best to suppress the overwhelming surge of emotions. However…

“Aaaaargh! This pisses me offfffff!!!!!!”

In the end, it was Eleanor, the winner, who flipped over the chessboard.

***

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