Chapter 26. The Reason She Entered the Book

Elena fell deeply asleep in bed. She continued to breathe evenly, seemingly not hearing the sound of the door opening.

Even when Ginny and Miche came and shed tears, and when Madam Schmie came and stroked her head, Elena didn’t wake up.

The proposal. Even in her dreams, Elena wandered through the scene where Rudfelix had proposed to her. The morning sunlight was warm, and Rudfelix’s embrace was broad and reassuring. It was a moment when the love in his eyes gripped and shook her heart.

Her body used rest as an excuse to plunge Elena into a deep sleep.

While dreaming of Rudfelix’s proposal, she went further back in time, reliving the incident at the valley where her power had manifested.

She was helplessly cut by the dagger thrown by the kidnapper, yet when the rock fell, an invisible shield had activated.

Elena pondered the difference in her dream.

Her memories gradually returned to the past like a kaleidoscope, recalling special everyday moments.

Each time, Elena felt both joy and sorrow.

The end of the long dream was the accident that occurred when she became Elena.

She vaguely remembered seeing a completely shattered carriage, and when she next opened her eyes, she realized she had entered Elena’s body. But strangely, the dream showed events from before that. Perhaps she could see them because they were imprinted in Elena’s body. These were real memories of Elena that couldn’t be seen in the book.

When the carriage rolled down the slope, Elena was in her mother’s arms.

In the spinning world, Elena could avoid the harsh impacts while in her mother’s embrace. Sharp fragments flew through gaps her mother couldn’t cover, but something invisible deflected even those.

Even so, rolling inside a carriage was a shock no child could withstand. So even though it was a dream, Elena felt something strange.

As the carriage floated momentarily before hitting the ground, it completely disintegrated, sending pieces flying in all directions. Elena forcibly shook her head, trying to regain her senses.

“Sob.”

It was her mother’s crying. She covered her face while sobbing.

“Mom, why are you crying?”

“I’m sorry, Elena.”

“Mom?”

Dream Elena stroked her mother’s cheek. Why would she apologize?

“Mom has to go now.”

Elena behaved as if she didn’t understand.

She knew what dying meant, but it was sudden. Dad had said death was very painful, but Mom seemed fine.

“Are you dying, Mom?”

“Yes. An angel has come to take Mom away.”

Elena frowned and turned her head toward an unusually bright light pouring from somewhere.

There, a man with white wings floated gently.

“Is Mom dying?”

The man nodded.

“But Mom isn’t in pain?”

Elena tilted her head curiously.

Her mother grabbed her shoulders and looked at the angel. Elena also looked at the angel.

“What about me?”

“Elena, you need to stay here.”

Elena looked into her mother’s eyes. Her mother’s eyes, which always smiled, now looked very sad.

“You’ll be lonely if you go alone, Mom.”

“Elena, you survived, so you must stay here.”

— No.

The angel lightly floated closer to them.

— This child doesn’t have much life left either.

Elena looked down at the angel’s hand on her shoulder. It had the warmth of the sun that gently illuminated her eyes every morning.

“Does that mean Elena is dying too?”

— More precisely, her soul doesn’t have much time left. Since it’s now misaligned with her body, even if she returns to it, she won’t last long.

“That’s a lie, isn’t it?”

The angel remained silent at the woman’s question.

Elena thought the angel was a bad person. She believed his seemingly kind face was all a lie because he made her mother sad.

— Instead, I’ll have this child succeed me.

The angel liked the clear light surrounding Elena. Even if she survived today, she would die soon anyway, so if possible, he wanted to take her now.

“I’ll send Elena back with my power. Then she can live, right?”

— The probability is low. If the body completely breaks while accepting the same soul, it cannot be reversed.

Even the angel’s small head shake sent white feathers flying from his wings.

Bird or human?

Elena looked curiously at the wings attached to the angel’s back.

“Will you give me those wings too?”

— If you follow me, I will.

Elena fell into deep contemplation. If she went with Mom, she could stay with her and also have wings on her back.

She already felt a tickling sensation as if something was about to sprout from her shoulder blades.

“Then I want to follow Mom.”

The angel now looked at the woman.

“Elena. If you stay here, you can grow up and meet a man you’ll love.”

“I want to go with Mom.”

Elena firmly held her mother’s hand. Meanwhile, the angel looked at Elena’s physical body.

His head shake toward the woman meant that even if she used her power, it wouldn’t be easy.

“What about the person who will be left alone?”

The woman mentioned her husband who would be waiting at home.

— That’s the fate he must bear.

“My power.”

Mom didn’t give up and stubbornly insisted on her will to the angel with a determined face.

“I’ll use it on Elena.”

The angel opened his eyes in surprise but soon behaved as if he understood. He realized she wasn’t talking about Elena but another soul.

“Please put a new soul into Elena’s body.”

The woman smiled faintly, feeling sorry for her daughter who couldn’t come back to life. Elena was happily asking if she could go with her mother.

“A good child who knows this child well and has no attachments to their original life.”

The angel nodded at the condition set by the woman. Elena, who had been listening, tilted her head this way and that.

“What about Dad?”

“Dad needs to stay here. A good child will come to live in your place.”

“In my place?”

“Yes.”

The woman stroked Elena’s head with apologetic eyes.

“The power I have can put another soul into an empty body.”

When the woman turned her head, Elena’s eyes followed. There lay her mother, dead with a metal fragment from the carriage pierced through her stomach, and herself with closed eyes in her mother’s arms.

Elena finally realized she had left her body and was talking with her mother. That’s why she could see the angel and felt so light.

Elena looked at herself lying there and waved.

“Please take care of Dad. And live well in my place. Since you’re kind, I hope you’ll help other powerless people.”

Though sad she couldn’t live longer, she could endure it because she was with her mother. Elena held her mother’s hand as she approached the angel.

“Cough.”

Elena coughed softly from within the dead woman’s arms.

Opening her eyes slowly, tears that had gathered in Elena’s eyes rolled down. She finally understood why she had entered Elena’s body.

The love she received from those around her after becoming Elena was all a gift given to her current self, not the previous Elena.

Her heart felt heavy, and tears flowed endlessly.

Having had a difficult life, she wanted to feel family affection more than anyone. She received that from her father like a reward, making her time living as Elena so wonderful and precious.

“Thank you.”

Elena wiped her tears and murmured.

“For what?”

“Oh my!”

Her shoulders trembled as she saw Rudfelix approaching the bed with large strides. Her startled heart beat rapidly, completely chasing away her sleepiness.

“Are you thankful that I let you sleep without waking you?”

“How long did I sleep?”

“Two days.”

“That’s a long time.”

Perhaps because of that, her muscles felt stiff, so Elena raised her arm. Suddenly, she froze with her mouth open as pain sent shivers through her entire body.

“You shouldn’t strain your left arm yet.”

Rudfelix gently lowered her arm with a gentle admonition.

His large hand covering her wound seemed to ease the pain, but the feeling of pain still remained strong.

“You won’t be able to hold your notebook. Fortunately, you can at least hold a pen.”

Elena smiled broadly at Rudfelix’s nursing.

“You told me to be your wife, not your aide. So why is it fortunate that I can hold a pen?”

“You need to sign the covenant.”

Understanding his meaning, Elena’s face flushed hot. With her neck also turning red, she stammered.

“That…… contract, I mean covenant, so……”

Why am I trembling?

I was the one who joked first by mentioning ‘wife’.

“That’s right. Marriage covenant.”

Rudfelix answered calmly. However, his words contained the certainty that he was ready to take Elena as his wife.

“Do you have a wedding in mind?”

Though he asked Elena’s opinion, his tone suggested he would prepare everything himself.

“I haven’t thought about it. But……”

Elena recalled her dream and whispered dreamily.

“I want to spend time with Father before getting married. Even five years, no, three years would be good.”

“Three years?”

Seemingly not hearing Rudfelix’s uncomfortable echo, Elena murmured with empty eyes.

“I want to create unforgettable memories with Father, as much as I’ve been able to be happy like this. I want to thank him every day……”

“Elena.”

Rudfelix’s low voice woke Elena.

“I don’t want to postpone the wedding until then.”

Rudfelix faced Elena with a strange expression, like when they first met.

“I want to be by your side and spend time with you too. I want to become family with you, but it seems you don’t.”

After quickly throwing these words, Rudfelix stood up and walked across the room.