“Has anything unusual happened?”

“No. Everything was wrapped up smoothly without incident.”

“And her?”

“Apart from being a bit weak, there are no particular problems.”

Instead of saying ‘that’s a relief’, Tanner nodded briefly.

After hesitating for a moment, Audrey continued.

“To be honest, I was a bit surprised.”

“Surprised?”

“She was too calm for someone whose parents had just passed away… She didn’t shed a single tear during the funeral.”

Liliana didn’t cry.

No, she had no expression at all, like a person without emotions.

“…I see.”

Is it because she’s been through this once before?

Tanner let out a long sigh.

Tanner had taken care of not only Liliana but also her family.

However, it couldn’t be called pure kindness.

Liliana has a tender heart. And Tanner knew this very well.

So, under the guise of kindness, he burdened her with a debt of gratitude.

Should he go to Liliana and offer some words of comfort?

Does he even have the right to comfort her?

As all sorts of thoughts were jumbling in Tanner’s mind, a memory from the past flashed through.

[If I were born again, I’d like to be a Platinum.]

Suddenly, Tanner’s eyes widened as he turned to Audrey.

“What did you just say?”

“Pardon?”

Just because one has experienced death before doesn’t mean it’s okay.

Knowing but being unable to prevent it should naturally lead to even more grief and boiling anger.

[I haven’t been sleeping well lately…]

[I will never forget the kindness you’ve shown in taking care of my parents.]

Why did he miss it?

[Ah, no… Animals are a bit…]

There had been many signs all along.

Tanner stood up abruptly.

“Where are you going?”

Audrey looked up at Tanner, whose face had turned ashen.

“Liliana…”

She never intended to choose anyone from the beginning.

She was just hanging on because she couldn’t die.

At least until her parents were alive.

“I have to stop her.”

With a flash of light, Tanner disappeared.

* * *

In the front yard of Liliana’s house.

Contrary to Tanner’s expectations, Liliana was alive and well.

No, to be precise, only her body was intact.

“Huh… Hehehe…”

Sitting with her legs spread wide, holding a potato, and flashing a frenzied look in her eyes while letting out a dry laugh.

A chill ran down Tanner’s spine at the sight of this bizarre Liliana.

“Is this even possible? Huh… Hehe.”

Tanner shook his head, wondering if he was seeing an illusion.

But the scene burning itself into his retinas remained unchanged.

“It’s bad enough to have been in a car accident, but to wake up and find myself the protagonist of that cliché ‘here’… Transmigration!!”

Bang bang—!

Her fists, full of indignation, pounded the vegetable garden.

Even in the midst of this, she carefully held onto the potato, her daily bread, to avoid crushing it.

Wait a minute, transmigration?

Does that mean it’s a different soul, not Liliana?!

“Why did it have to be a 19+ depressing story, why!”

Thud- Thud thud–

Her posture as she supported herself, with one hand on the ground while pounding the soft earth with the other looked quite practiced.

‘This doesn’t seem like something she’s doing for the first time…’

No, that’s not important right now.

Could it be that she had lost her mind due to the shock of losing her parents?

Tanner, who had somehow ended up hiding behind a tree, perked up his ears.

“What good is being pretty when I’m just an imperial citizen with nothing but a Zero body and an old shack!”

“……”

It’s true that Liliana, being a Zero, had nothing but her beauty.

And before awakening as a Miracle, she was indeed a nameless imperial citizen.

Tanner nodded unconsciously.

But isn’t she too self-aware for someone who’s supposed to be crazy?

“Damn it all!”

A scream like an animal’s roar cut through the air.

Startled birds scattered into the sky with a fluttering of wings.

Meanwhile, Tanner stood dazed, as if he had forgotten to breathe.

He couldn’t gather his wits due to the successive events.

“F*ck.”

F—what?!

Tanner’s mouth gaped in shock.

No.

He must have misheard, mixing it up with the sound of the birds.

Tanner desperately denied it.

Originally, Liliana was so timid and had such low self-esteem that she couldn’t even express dislike…

“Life is really sh*tty!”

“!!!”

Tanner hurriedly spread out a teleportation magic circle.

Audrey…

He needed to call Audrey quickly.

* * *

Quite some time had passed since then.

Woof– Woof woof!

In the late afternoon, when the red sunset dyed the sky.

As short legs entered the outskirts of the village, the sound of a barking dog echoed.

Pola, who had been tending to her vegetable garden, stood up, seemingly knowing who had caused the dog to bark.

“Hello, Auntie.”

Charlie, who happened to be passing by Pola’s house, greeted her brightly.

“Are you on your way back from the sawmill?”

“Yes!”

Pola smiled faintly.

“It seems Madeline paid you more today.”

Tanner’s sawmill was still in operation. Charlie earned pocket money by doing odd jobs there, like sealing envelopes.

Additionally, Audrey’s diagnosis for Charlie was not ‘insanity’ but ‘amnesia’.

“How did you know? Auntie Madeline gave me an extra trang for sealing them prettily.”

Charlie had lost both her parents and her memories overnight.

If it had been Pola herself, she would have probably spent her days in tears, fallen into a pit of despair.

But this little girl had stood up on her own and was living bravely.

[I’m fine.]

She said while sealing envelopes, her eyes swollen from crying so much.

Pola’s nose tingled for no reason, and she patted her apron unnecessarily.

“Of course! You should get more if you do well.”

Charlie, noticing Pola’s darkened expression, approached her quickly.

“Oh, Auntie. You changed your hairstyle?”

“Huh? Y-yeah…”

Pola always tied her extremely curly hair tightly in one bunch.

[Natural waves are so charming.]

Charlie had recommended Pola to part her hair on one side and only tie up half of it.

Pola liked the hairstyle Charlie had done for her so much that she didn’t bother to undo it.

And that night,

[You… You look different today somehow. Hmm.]

The couple spent such a passionate night and slept in until noon the next day.

“How is it, does it look okay?”

Pola touched her hair, still feeling awkward about it.

“Just okay? You look ten years younger. I almost spoke informally to you, I thought you were a friend.”

“Oh, you.”

Hahaha–

Pola burst into a pleasant laugh. Then she clapped her hands together as if she had just remembered something.

“Oh right, Charlie. Do you want to eat more of that bread you said was delicious last time?”

“The round bread? I’d love to.”

“Just a moment.”

Soon, a bag full of bread was handed to Charlie.

“Mmm~ This nutty smell. Auntie, you should really sell this for money, I’m telling you!”

Charlie’s cheeks flushed with excitement as she looked at the bread filling her arms.

‘Liar.’

Tanner, watching from afar, snorted at Charlie’s behavior, which went beyond cheeky to shameless.

In reality, Charlie had lamented that the bread was ‘as dry as her life’ while eating it.

“Charlie, have you had dinner?”

As soon as Charlie started walking, Abigail, who was watering her yard, called out.

“Auntie Pola gave me bread, so I was going to eat this.”

Charlie showed the bag of bread.

Tch– Beaten to it.

Abigail glanced briefly towards Pola’s house and raised her nose.

“You’ll choke if you only eat bread. I just made some stew, would you like to take some?”

“I like even the one made yesterday.”

“Wait just a moment.”

Even before Audrey’s clinic came to the village, the villagers had been kind to Liliana.

However, it was closer to ‘pity’ than ‘affection’.

Charlie, on the other hand, was different.

The villagers’ feelings towards her were clearly ‘affection’.

Her fresher and clearer pheromones were secondary.

It was because of that inexplicable friendliness.

Before anyone knew it, ‘Charlize’ had become ‘Charlie’, and she had risen to village popularity as if she were everyone’s child.

To be honest, it was obvious flattery.

Yet, it didn’t feel unpleasant.

Charlie certainly had something that made people smile.

“Charlie.”

Martin, Pola’s husband, who was hurrying home after finishing work, called out to Charlie.

“Hello, Sir.”

“Nova’s killing a chicken. Go quickly.”

“Ah… No, it’s embarrassing to keep getting free food…”

‘Another lie.’

Charlie’s pheromones were bouncing so much they could be seen even from afar.

Tanner bit his lower lip to hold back his laughter.

“She probably killed it for you, so don’t feel sorry. There’s nothing to be hesitant about. Oh, could you give this to Nova on your way?”

Martin handed Charlie a bundle of carrots.

“…More carrots.”

“Tell me about it. I don’t know why she’s suddenly eating so many carrots, thanks to that our carrot patch is about to be ruined.”

Charlie swallowed the words ‘That’s what I’m saying. I’m dying because every food she’s been making lately has carrots in it,’ and smiled brightly.

‘A forced smile.’

Still, dinner tonight would be plentiful.

No, it would have been plentiful today too.

Tanner spread out a teleportation magic circle to go to Audrey, leaving Charlie behind.

It was to finalize the ‘maid recruitment’ that he had spread rumors about in advance.

Charlie.

Charlize Frazer.

She is no longer Liliana.

Tanner, who had been watching Charlie all this time, was certain of this.

Who she is and where she came from, where Liliana’s soul has gone…

And why she’s pretending to be Liliana, he didn’t know.

She might not even be able to awaken as a Miracle.

But even so, Tanner wanted to take Charlie to the Grand Duke’s residence.

Perhaps a sense of urgency had come over him, feeling that she might run off the moment someone said they would ‘give her meat dishes’.

‘She must have some plan.’

If a new soul has taken residence in a Miracle’s body…

If this too is God’s will.

Thinking ‘I should tell Mateo to prepare mainly meat dishes,’ Tanner moved with light steps.