I realized what misunderstanding Ophelia had made.

A face pitifully swollen from crying and sniffling.

A child carrying all sorts of luggage alone, unlike me, with my free hands.

If a stranger saw this, they might misunderstand that I was abusing the child.

The moment I instinctively hid Leo behind me was due to the fear that, despite all my efforts, the game system might recognize Ophelia as Leo’s guardian.

But soon, I faced Ophelia directly with a hardened expression.

‘There’s no reason to be afraid or feel unnecessary inferiority anymore.’

Because Leo and I consider each other family, even if the system doesn’t recognize it.

For the first time in a long while, I looked down at Ophelia with a typical Belinda-like expression.

“I’m mistreating the child? On what grounds are you spouting such nonsense?”

“Children should be protected as they are. Yet you treat him so carelessly.”

“Hey, are you even listening to what I’m saying?”

Something was strange.

Though we were clearly making eye contact, Ophelia was reciting the opening lines of <Hirome> as if she had both ears firmly plugged.

I stopped speaking, feeling an odd sense of discomfort.

There was no life in Ophelia’s pink eyes. As if her soul had left her body.

Just as she was about to make the statement from <Hirome> about taking Leo away.

“Lady Belinda isn’t bad!”

Leo, who had been behind me, stuck his head out and shouted.

And at that moment, some light seemed to flicker in Ophelia’s eyes.

A ripple appeared in her mirror-like eyes that had been mechanically reflecting others.

But the next moment, I had to take my eyes off Ophelia.

This was because Leo, who had boldly tried to step in front of me, accidentally stumbled and dropped several of the gift boxes he was carrying.

“Ah! My presents!”

“Leo, come here!”

I stopped Leo, who was trying to run to pick up the gifts near Ophelia.

Somehow, approaching Ophelia felt extremely uncomfortable.

And when I looked at Ophelia again, as if the previous emotionless eyes had been a lie, her eyes now bloomed with vivid spring flowers.

Ophelia picked up a small gift box that had rolled to her feet and dusted off the dirt.

Her face, when she looked up, was flushed bright red.

“I-I’m sorry. How could I make such a rude misunderstanding without properly checking…”

She soon became flustered and crouched down in front of Leo to meet his eyes, not caring that the hem of her long dress was getting soiled with dirt.

“Little one, I’m sorry for the misunderstanding. I just arrived in the royal capital and I’m a bit disoriented… Here, you dropped this gift.”

“Uh, um…”

“Is today your birthday?”

“Yes, I just got it… Um, but…”

Leo hesitated for a moment before asking Ophelia.

“A-are you alright?”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re crying…”

Ophelia seemed to realize she was crying only after wiping her cheek with her fingertips.

She let out a light laugh.

“How embarrassing of me to cry like this.”

She soon rose and lightly arranged her skirt, then smiled a bit awkwardly with tears still in her eyes.

“Let me apologize once more. Actually, I just arrived after wandering for a long time from a very distant place. In my relief, I spoke carelessly without realizing it.”

As she said, the journey from the Empire to this kingdom must not have been easy.

However, I nodded with a sour expression.

“I’ll be generous this once, considering your circumstances.”

“Thank you.”

Ophelia curtsied, holding her skirt with one hand. It was slightly different from the kingdom’s greeting style, but her movements were elegant, as if drawn with a delicate brush.

“I am Ophelia Bermang. If it’s not too presumptuous, I’d like to apologize for today’s rudeness. Would it be alright if I treated you to tea later?”

Ophelia’s face as she asked this was purely innocent.

Only then did I realize that I knew nothing about the person called Ophelia.

In <Hirome>, Ophelia represents the player.

That means the thoughts and actions of Ophelia that I saw through <Hirome> weren’t actually Ophelia’s own.

So I knew nothing about what Ophelia’s original personality was like in this world.

…Perhaps even less than Belinda’s.

Fortunately, there was no sign of the system window recognizing Ophelia as a guardian, but it seemed best to observe what kind of person she was for the time being.

So I too gracefully bowed in the noble’s greeting style.

“I am Belinda Blanche. Send the invitation to the Blanche residence, and I’ll make sure to arrive on time.”

After our introductions, Ophelia turned around without any hesitation.

I stared for a long time at her retreating figure, moving away unhesitatingly as if she had a clear destination.

Terry, sensing my mood, asked discreetly.

“Do you know her?”

There was a time when I thought I knew Ophelia well, when I believed I needed to send Leo to her.

But now…

“No, she’s a stranger.”

Just an unfamiliar stranger.

***

The Papal Palace located in the holy capital of the Sacred Empire.

“Your Eminence, I’ve brought the materials you requested.”

Lionel handed the documents to the man who was looking down at the scenery of the holy capital through a massive window.

Jusepe, who had spent a long time pilgrimaging through the temples of the Kingdom of Genos while hiding his identity as an ordinary cleric, was dressed in pure attire befitting his position.

After quickly examining the materials Lionel had brought, he said with satisfaction.

“These corruptions are sufficient to remove the Grand Archbishop of the Kingdom of Genos diocese. Well done.”

Despite Jusepe’s praise, Lionel’s expression remained shadowed.

A few days ago, when Jusepe returned from his pilgrimage, the news of his demotion awaited him.

The high priests’ opinion was that, as a result of abusing his power, he had lost his sight and could no longer wield power as before, making him unsuitable as a Cardinal protecting the Sacred Empire.

However, their words were merely excuses.

Despite losing his sight, Jusepe possessed divine power second only to the Pope, wielded the Spear of the Falling Star that no one else could handle, and was so incorruptible that he had never committed a single sin.

Nevertheless, they removed Jusepe because his spear was often directed within the Empire, mercilessly cutting down those who committed corruption.

Eventually, Jusepe was designated to leave the Empire and become the Grand Archbishop of the Kingdom of Genos.

Lionel was prepared to lose all positions to appeal to the Pope, but Jusepe stopped him.

Only after seeing his always serene expression did Lionel realize.

That Jusepe had known this would happen.

He had gone on a pilgrimage to the Kingdom of Genos because he had foreseen this future.

Thus, to ensure that not a single corrupt priest remained in the temples of the kingdom where he would be appointed.

Removing the glasses he had been wearing while examining the documents, Jusepe quietly called his adjutant.

“Sir Lionel.”

“Yes, Your Eminence.”

“Sometimes, fulfilling one’s duty means having to leave the Holy Nation.”

Lionel was Jusepe’s adjutant but also the commander of the Cardinal’s knight order, so he could not accompany him to the Kingdom of Genos.

Lionel’s expression, which had been hoping that Jusepe might ask him to follow him, turned bitter at his next words.

“But would you promise to be in this Sacred Empire exactly eight years from today?”

It was a statement with unclear intentions, but instead of agreeing as usual, Lionel voiced what he had always been curious about.

“I have never dared to ask even once until now. But today, I must ask. Your Eminence, what exactly happens eight years from now?”

“…Sometimes, it’s better not to know certain futures.”

Jusepe smiled faintly and moved the thin lace veil he had been wearing over his head to cover his face.

The future eight years from now, which he couldn’t tell even his most trusted subordinate, flashed through Jusepe’s mind.

The collapsing northern wall of Taranze.

The monsters pouring out.

And the Monster King with a vicious crown commanding them.

Thus, humanity would perish.

The reason Jusepe had not acted despite seeing such a future since he was very young was that sometimes even attempts to prevent disasters become part of the prophecy.

But he could no longer stand by.

Jusepe carefully examined one sentence in the document he was holding.

It was a brief report stating that a village that should have been buried by a landslide had been rebuilt, and people had safely settled there.

‘For the first time, a prophecy has deviated.’

Perhaps no one would know how much hope Jusepe saw in that one sentence.

And so Jusepe headed for the Kingdom of Genos.