Chapter 94

“How about the Workplace counselling booth by Cornelia, the youngest Grade 1 Secretary?”

I nearly gagged.

A public Those Who Can’t Resign booth—what will happen if we get found out!

“No.”

But many people showed interest anyway. I refused, telling them not to say such nonsense.

“Who wants career counseling from a twenty-one-year-old? Ugh.”

But Lukan didn’t give up easily.

I endured it for a long time and returned to my lodgings. Why did I have to do side gigs even here? And for free?

‘Those Who Can’t Resign. It’s not even the place for it.’

Thanks to that, I could come back without blatantly avoiding the Duke and make it seem natural.

Elysia insisted firmly that even if divine power had healed me, there could be aftereffects, so I should lie still all day. Since I had ignored others and entered the council chamber and felt a bit conspicuous, I obediently got into bed.

“The Supreme Justice was watching with a very sharp gaze, too.”

I recalled his gaze from the brief moment we met in the council chamber.

‘It was that look that says you really don’t listen….’

He watched my expression so persistently while I spoke that keeping my face controlled wasn’t easy. He was so blatant, I felt stupid for not having understood his feelings until now. Lying in bed like a well-behaved child for a while made troubling thoughts keep surfacing.

I’ll be honest. I could only think of the Duke in the rain yesterday. He says it’s love at first sight, but I couldn’t believe it. With that face, in that situation, those words felt like a scam.

“I should at least move my body a bit.”

When I got too absorbed in that memory, the conversation I had with Olgard at the temple surfaced. Since this kept happening, I felt I had to get up.

“Nice.”

I slowly walked through the garden we used for the outdoor lunch last time. Moving even a little made it a bit easier. Then an elderly priest in clerical robes up ahead saw me and nodded as if he recognized me.

“Aren’t you Olgard’s younger sister?”

Apparently in Yuno I’m marked as Olgard’s sister. The elderly priest was the High Priest who had stood in the front row among the clergy at the banquet. In other words, he was said to possess the strongest divine power among the High Priests.

“Hello, High Priest.”

I greeted him politely. The High Priest before me was probably the one who recognized Olgard’s talent and brought him to Yuno.

Would he also know about the oracle? I wanted to ask, but I held back, thinking something trivial to me might seem like a big deal here.

“I came after presenting the Queen with a candle imbued with a prayer that calms the heart.”

The High Priest broke the silence to ease the awkwardness. I responded in kind.

“Those in high positions must have many worries. Since the High Priest has taken the trouble, she will soon find peace.”

“Thank you for saying that.”

“You’re welcome.”

“However… lately my disciple and his sister don’t look well either. Apart from gladness, it seems they have many worries. I hope you won’t resent him too much.”

I didn’t exactly deny it and gave a wry smile.

“…It’ll be okay, right?”

“Hmm. If this would help, please accept it.”

The High Priest opened a box he was holding and handed me the single remaining candle. Anyone could tell it was what remained after being given to the Queen.

“Oh no, I couldn’t possibly accept this. It’s fine.”

“Please accept it. Seeing exactly one left like this, I believe this too is the will of the gods.”

He gripped my hand with surprising strength for an old man and placed the candle in it. The small goddess statue Olgard had shown was delicately engraved on the candle. It was clearly not something one could buy at an ordinary shop.

“I already felt uneasy today as if I had forgotten something, but after distributing these candles, I feel completely at ease. It seems this one is meant for you.”

I lowered my head and stared at the candle in my hand. The High Priest smiled contentedly and turned away.

“I feel like I’ve done my duty for today. If there’s a chance later, we’ll meet again.”

He left with an odd remark and hurried away.

“A prayer that calms the heart, huh….”

Perhaps it was exactly what I needed right now.

Once the council ended without incident, Aidan began to insist strongly on what he wanted.

“Let’s, go, pla, y, Coco!”

His gaze was too intense to ignore. A day had passed and I had fully recovered, so I agreed to get some fresh air. While getting ready to go out, Lukan and Elysia asked to join, saying they wanted to look around the harbor.

“No. It’s just me and Coco going.”

“Ay, why so? Come along and let’s have fun together!”

Aidan expressed his refusal firmly, but Lukan’s affable shield gently overpowered him. The four of us ended up touring around Yuno’s harbor. It was better for me; I hadn’t been very eager to go out, but having others around made it much easier.

“The weather is killer!”

Lukan shaded his eyes with his hand and exclaimed. The blue sky with puffy clouds matched the docked ships perfectly. I could see the Empire’s ship we arrived on.

“Coco, look over there!”

Elysia pointed to somewhere near a ship. There was a fisherman proudly holding a piece of meat half the size of a person. Aidan and Lukan gasped at the sight too. Being used to the capital, they seemed fascinated.

We wandered the harbor and nearby market until we lost track of time. Eventually we got hungry.

“There’s an outdoor restaurant over there!”

Following Lukan’s lead, we sat at a scenic outdoor restaurant and ordered a bunch of Yuno’s famous seafood dishes. The freshness was incomparable to the Empire’s. Both the walk and the new experiences were good for a change of pace.

“Do you feel a bit better now?”

While Elysia and Lucan left to buy souvenirs they’d been eyeing as the food arrived, Aidan asked. He seemed to know my mood well despite appearances.

“Thanks to you. How did you know?”

Aidan propped his chin on one hand and raised an eyebrow.

“Just. When I watch you, I just know.”

Then he let out a small sigh.

“I’ve come to know things I didn’t need to know, though.”

“Huh?”

He conjured a small orb of light with magic and sent it gently toward my chest.

“…!”

The orb disappeared before it could sink into my chest.

“It’s sad that I’m not the one who comforts Coco, but I want Coco to be happy. Because Coco is most wonderful when she’s confident in her work.”

“Aidan….”

“It annoys me a bit. But I hate Coco being sad more.”

Lately Aidan had been saying vague, puzzling things. Still, I could feel he wanted to comfort me. I wanted to respond to him as best I could.

“Who knows when we’ll have another chance like this. For today at least, I’ll let everything go and have fun with you, Aidan.”

“Really? Truly? Can we stay out late?”

“Yes.”

Just as Lukan and Elysia returned, Aidan shared the news. They were excited, saying they’d make the most of the evening. Lukan, in particular, tossed up topics Aidan would like at the perfect moments, leaving him unable to focus. His charm evidently worked even on the heir of the Magic Tower.

“Ugh~ I’m tired.”

In the end we returned to the palace nearly at midnight. Elysia and I collapsed onto our beds right after washing. Elysia fell asleep and started snoring quickly. I was also exhausted. Olgard’s treatment had fixed my body, but my mental fatigue remained. I remembered the candle the High Priest gave me, lit it, and gently placed it on the small bedside table.

‘Now that I think about it, I got help from two Yuno clergy members.’

Maybe the oracle’s message to ‘help me’ meant something like this. As the delicately carved candle burned, the cozy scent I had smelled in the Yuno temple wafted softly. That alone was enough to satisfy me. Hoping Elysia wouldn’t wake me too early, I closed my eyes.

“Cornelia.”

Someone seemed to be calling me.

“Cornelia.”

“Coco.”

I finally opened my eyes. It was my home—the house from my previous life.

‘When did I get here? Until just now I was in the Kingdom of Yuno.’

But it was too vivid to be a dream.

“Coco.”

The voice I had heard earlier. When I turned my body, I couldn’t help but be surprised.

‘Me…?’

Because Cornelia, who should have been my own body, was standing across from me.

“Hello.”

Cornelia greeted me. I paused and bumped into something—the bed. The original me, ‘Kim Won-young,’ was asleep with their eyes closed.

What on earth was happening? I instinctively became wary of the other Cornelia in front of me.

“You don’t need to be afraid. I won’t harm you.”

“Who are you?”

When the figure before me smiled gently, I realized instinctively. It was the most perfectly fitting expression I had ever seen on this body.

“You… are the real Cornelia.”