A girl with brown hair braided on both sides and wearing a hat stood there.

She looked about 10 to 12 years old.

“Sorry. Are you hurt?”

The girl asked with a worried face, and Han Ji-hyuk answered,

“No.”

“That’s a relief! Sorry.”

The girl was bowing her head deeply when suddenly—

“Masa, come eat!”

A warm-looking woman who appeared to be the bakery owner shouted at the girl.

“No, my sister is waiting...”

“Then wait. I’ll pack something for you.”

“You don’t have to...”

“Do you think I don’t know your situation? Just wait a moment.”

The girl nervously approached the shop.

The woman returned with a bag, a baguette sticking out, so it looked like she had brought some bread.

The girl muttered as she took the bag,

“Thank you always.”

“It’s nothing. It’s just extra.”

“But I always receive it...”

“I come by whenever you need help, so this is nothing. How’s your sister doing?”

“...”

“That’s serious. How can you take care of her at such a young age?”

“It’s okay!”

“If you need any help, just tell me.”

“Just hearing that makes me feel better.”

The girl smiled shyly and bowed deeply.

“Goodbye!”

She hugged the bag and hurried away.

Han Ji-hyuk, watching her back, narrowed his eyes.

“She’s got clear blue eyes, but...”

Han Ji-hyuk took out the portrait of Dahlia and checked it.

Still looked like a frog.

“Do you really think I can recognize Dahlia with this picture?”

“...Look carefully.”

“Looking carefully, can I see Dahlia’s face here?”

“There’s a dimple... and the eyes droop giving a kind impression. There’s also a small scar above the eyebrow, and the double eyelids are thin, so at a glance it looks like there aren’t any, making her face look East Asian...”

The description somewhat matched the face.

Han Ji-hyuk approached the bakery owner with a sigh.

“May I ask you something?”

“Huh? Ah, sure...”

“Is the girl’s name Masa?”

“Yes.”

“How about her parents?”

The woman frowned and looked at Han Ji-hyuk suspiciously.

“Who are you to ask about that? What does it matter if she has parents or not?”

“I’m looking for a child.”

“What child?”

Han Ji-hyuk fabricated a story like a conman.

“The mistress is looking for her lost daughter.”

“...A servant of a noble family?”

“Yes.”

“Then she wouldn’t be related to that girl.”

As the bakery owner muttered, a man grilling crepe batter at a stall said,

“Oh, just tell us. Who knows, Masa might be a noble lady?”

“But still...”

“She was raised by her mother alone, without a father. The mother died last year.”

“That’s true, but Masa’s mom wasn’t someone to have something with a noble.”

“Right...”

“Looks matter, you know.”

The bakery owner glanced at Han Ji-hyuk.

“She was a good person, but just an ordinary woman you’d see anywhere. Generous build, nothing remarkable.”

Han Ji-hyuk quickly took out a gold coin from his pocket.

When he handed the coin, the bakery owner’s face twisted.

“Do you think I’m someone who sells children’s identities for money? Take that away!”

Han Ji-hyuk awkwardly smiled.

“The mistress looking for her isn’t someone with a noticeable appearance.”

“...”

“She’s desperately looking for her daughter. Could you please tell me something?”

The woman, folding her arms, started talking.

“Masa’s a good child. She pushed a cart since she was seven, nursing her sick mother. Now even her sister is sick and near death, but she doesn’t give up.”

“How’s the sister?”

“Sister?”

The woman snorted.

The crepe vendor shook his head.

“Her temper’s the worst in this neighborhood! Masa’s lucky to be kind, otherwise, that troublemaker would’ve been thrown out a long time ago.”

“Her name?”

“Marie.”

“Marie...”

“Her temper’s so bad it’s indescribable. Once Masa accidentally hurt Marie’s eye while pushing her wheelchair.”

“Yes.”

“So Marie poked Masa’s eye with a pencil!”

“What?!”

“Because you hurt me, you deserve it too. She freaked out. And it happened during our mother’s funeral. She’s ruthless.”

Han Ji-hyuk frowned.

The Dahlia I heard about from Erilot was a very kind child.

Kind, caring, friendly, forgiving even when mistakes happen...

“If there’s a possibility, it’s on Masa’s side. But Marie also has a scar near her eye.”

Either way, it was necessary to check.

That night.

Han Ji-hyuk arrived at Eclipto Castle, exhausted.

I glanced at him while flipping pages.

“Why do you look like that?”

“Masa is pitiful... Marie deserves punishment.”

“What?”

Han Ji-hyuk explained.

He had seen a girl similar to Dahlia in the busy district of Eclipto Territory by chance.

From what he heard, the father was missing and the mother seemed deceased.

So he went to check on them...

“The sister kept bothering the younger one all day!”

“Who said to find the sisters? We were supposed to find Dahlia.”

“I recorded video.”

Han Ji-hyuk took out the magical device I gave him.

It was a special device that could record very short clips, less than 3 seconds.

I started the device.

[How am I supposed to eat this? You’re trying to get me to run away, right?]

[Ah, no, sister...]

[Shut up! Stop pretending to be nice!]

“The one shouting was Marie, and the one crying was Masa—”

“...Dahlia.”

“See? It’s definitely Dahlia.”

Han Ji-hyuk nodded.

“I knew Masa was Dahlia. You should admire me for recognizing her with that portrait.”

“No.”

“Huh?”

“Dahlia is this one.”

I pointed at the one shouting.

The older sister Marie.

Han Ji-hyuk said, clearly shocked,

“They said Dahlia’s a kind child.”

“...”

“Marie is really a terrible one. Heard she did all sorts of things. Especially a pro at bullying her poor little sister.”

Personality might have changed since childhood.

Meeting Dahlia would be when I was eighteen.

“Eight years is enough to change.”

“How old? How old exactly?”

“Supposedly, Masa and Marie are twins. One year younger than you.”

“...”

“But their eye colors are different. Both have blue eyes.”

“What?”

I quickly looked at Han Ji-hyuk.

“What the heck is going on?”

People aren’t cats; their eye color doesn’t change as they grow.

I recalled memories from my first life.

“Dahlia’s eyes were really beautiful. Like the green of the Dahlia flowers blooming in summer.”

“I imagined something like a deserted, beautiful emerald sea.”

“Brothers, stop that talk... it’s embarrassing.”

“Haha, Dahlia’s always shy about compliments.”

Her eyes were definitely green.

“She looks too much like Dahlia to say she isn’t her.”

Especially the older sister Marie looked like a mini version of Dahlia.

“Where do these kids live?”

“Not far from the castle.”

“I’ll get ready in the morning.”

“It’s the opening ceremony, right?”

“Just before that, for a short while.”

“Okay.”

I told Han Ji-hyuk and kept watching the magical device’s footage.

Something felt very off.

Like misaligned gears.

The next day.

I left Eclipto Castle early in the morning.

Of course, to visit the Marie and Masa sisters.

Their house wasn’t far, as Han Ji-hyuk said.

It was only about a 30-minute carriage ride.

But the problem was...

“Is the house halfway up the mountain?”

“Yes.”

The mountain was too rugged for the carriage to go up.

‘But using the teleportation stone...’

The border of Eclipto Territory was tightened for the opening ceremony.

Though they probably didn’t have enough funds to cast a strong barrier, they would at least be monitoring the mana flow.

Using the Gaho Stone here could get me tracked.

If anyone suspected I’d scouted the sisters’ home and told Astra, it’d be trouble.

“Let’s walk.”

I said with determination, and Han Ji-hyuk’s face twisted.

“In ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) that dress?”

“Yes.”

“...Crazy.”

I boldly entered the mountain, but Han Ji-hyuk suddenly grabbed me.

“Ah! What are you doing?”

“Going to the ceremony looking like a mess?”

“I’ll walk carefully!”

“Walking in heels? Stay still.”

Han Ji-hyuk carried me and strode up the mountain.

‘I’m not as weak as I look.’

I expected him to complain within ten minutes, but he walked well.

I’ve grown taller and heavier at ten years old but didn’t look tired.

Also, I was quite well-built.

‘Now I see why Mosco keeps asking Han Ji-hyuk to train.’

With good conditions, training might make him stronger.

But he hates training, so I can’t force him.

I was carried up the mountain and looked back.

Han Ji-hyuk suddenly stopped.

“Hey.”

“What?”

“If you don’t want to die by a bear, you have to play dead, right?”

“I think that’s a fairy tale. If you play dead, they tear you apart. Why do you ask?”

“...There’s a bear in front of us.”

I turned my head stiffly like a machine.

“...”

“...”

A huge bear quietly stared at us.

“What now?”

Han Ji-hyuk asked, and I quietly said,

“What are you doing?”

“Huh?”

“Run!”

I shouted, and Han Ji-hyuk finally started running madly.

I thought you were supposed to back away carefully when meeting a bear, but this one was already in attack mode.

Running was the only answer.

But the bear was running incredibly fast.

‘What is this? What the heck!’

Didn’t I have the protagonist buff?

Why did I suddenly become unlucky Erilot again?!

‘Is this the protagonist crisis?’

Han Ji-hyuk was quite sturdy but not as strong as the knights.

Carrying a ten-year-old and running fast was impossible for him.

I thought we’d get caught.

I jumped off and ran clumsily myself.

Then came a fork in the road.

“Han Ji-hyuk, go that way!”

“You go!”

“I’m going the other way!”

“What are you trying to do?”

“One of us has to survive!”

Staying together wouldn’t help.

I was small, so if the bear caught me, I’d be torn apart.

Han Ji-hyuk couldn’t hold the bear back...

‘That bear is too big.’

Better for one to survive than both get caught and become bear food.

We split and started running.

The bear chased me.

‘Why me? Seems like there’s more meat the other way!’

Was I more noticeable in this bright red dress?

If I’d known, I wouldn’t have come to the ceremony complaining about being sick...!

‘I should’ve worn sneakers instead of heels!’

No, sneakers!

If I survive this, I’ll definitely invent sneakers...!

I ran desperately.

I ran as if I were going to die, but the distance kept closing.

The bear swung its paw.

Just missing me.

Terrified, I shouted,

“Ombre!”

As I said it, Ombre jumped out of the shadows and grabbed the bear’s leg.

“Go─!”

The bear tumbled down, and I ran toward the sound of water.

‘Beasts hate water, so if I’m in the water or crossing a river...!’

I ran hurriedly, but the bear quickly got up and chased me again.

Ahhhh!

Should’ve brought Lagon along.

But if I did, the nobles would have found another reason to criticize me...!

Even in this emergency, strange thoughts came to mind.

The sound of water grew louder, so we were near a valley.

I hoped the water would be deep.

‘It’s shallow...!’

Still, I jumped into the water.

The bear followed into the water.

“Ombre!”

I shouted, but Ombre just wandered around in the water, clearly afraid.

Since it was still a young monster, it seemed scared of water.

At a close distance, I crouched in the water.

“I’m dead─!”

My stomach growled, and I dived under the surface.

Splashing sounds came right behind me.

But it was strange.

No matter how much time passed, I didn’t feel pain.

‘What’s going on?’

I stealthily surfaced and turned my head.

“Huh?”

The pierced bear was lying on the water.

And standing above it was...

“Who are you?”

A boy frowned as he looked at me.

Startled, I looked back at him, and he tilted his head judging my appearance.

“Noble?”

Then—

“Brother?”

“Brother!”

Behind the boy appeared familiar faces.

The Masa and Marie sisters I saw on Han Ji-hyuk’s magic device.

Marie’s expression twisted angrily.

“Who are you, with my brother?”

“...”

“Tell me!”