Chapter 24

The duke entered soon after, looking almost as flustered as Damian. He didn’t even notice Bleria, who had started to bow in greeting and walked right past her.

“My child, I heard the news. Oh, heavens…”

The duke, his face filled with unmistakable emotion, embraced Harriet warmly. Damian, who had stood silent and frozen since his sudden entrance, was nudged by his father before he hesitantly wrapped his arms around his wife.

“… You’ve been through so much.”

The scene of them sharing their joy painted the picture of a complete family. Bleria, after a long moment of hesitation, realized she didn’t belong there.

Quietly, she stepped back and slipped out of the room. Her nose stung as if she were on the verge of tears.

***

“Bleria.”

Her name pulled her back to reality just as her vision blurred. Slowly, the disorientation faded. The occasional lurch of the carriage and the faint ringing in her ears reminded her of where she was.

Across from her in the carriage sat Gopher.

I almost fell asleep, she thought, grateful she hadn’t. Sleep was something she avoided unless absolutely necessary. Pressing her fingers to her weary eyes, she asked, “Are we there yet?”

“Not yet. You don’t look well. Are you okay?”

Gopher reached out, placing a hand on her forehead. It was warm but not feverish, just as she had felt earlier.

“I’m just… a little tired. There’s been a lot on my mind.”

In truth, Bleria felt deeply unsettled.

The nightmares she had been having made it hard to distinguish between dream and reality. It felt as though Eos Liche might expose the truth at any moment or that the duke and Harriet’s affection would return to the real Bleria.

Damian had never truly cared for her in the first place, so there would be no one to stand by her side.

When despair welled up without a grounding sense of reality, one exception always came to mind. Gopher’s words echoed in her memory:

“Trust me, Bleria.”

Even if it was just one person, even if only Gopher said such words, it was enough. It gave her the strength to breathe.

He was the only one who had accepted her despite knowing she wasn’t the real Bleria.

Even if his reasons weren’t rooted in pure affection, the mere fact that he stood alone in this made it valuable.

Bleria unconsciously pressed her cheek against Gopher’s hand, but then, realizing what she was doing, she flinched and pulled away, her face heating up.

“…Is this because of that matter?“

“That matter? Oh…”

Realizing he meant the story of Eos Liche, Bleria clamped her mouth shut. Neither of them spoke again until the carriage reached its destination.

As the wheels came to a halt, Gopher spoke once more. “If you’re unwell, we can postpone this.“

“Don’t worry. If there’s one thing I’m good at, it’s hiding how I feel.“

“…Alright.”

Though clearly dissatisfied, Gopher opened the carriage door. Bleria accepted his hand as he helped her down.

Looking up, she noticed the overcast sky. It was a foreboding sight, an ominous backdrop for receiving a prophecy.

***

The prophecy was conducted in a baptistry annexed to the temple.

Both Bleria and Gopher donned translucent veils prepared by the temple as they entered and knelt.

I feel nauseous.

Her condition had worsened since the carriage ride. Her thoughts were fragmented, slipping through her mind like sand. Perhaps that was a blessing—she couldn’t fully anticipate the dread of what the prophet might reveal.

Whatever the prophet saw would not be shared with others, so she wouldn’t have to worry about anyone else finding out.

Still, she must be ready to run if the future they saw was horrific. The haunting nightmares she’d been having might yet spill from the prophet’s lips.

“Ugh.”

A sharp headache made her groan involuntarily. Bleria lowered her head, squeezing her eyes shut to steady herself.

Footsteps drew closer.

Finally, the prophet arrived—a man clad in a pristine white priestly robe, his eyes covered with consecrated cloth. Gold-threaded embroidery adorned his shoulder cape long enough to sweep the ground. His silvery hair flowed past his waist, and his voice was the heaviest Bleria had ever heard.

“Bleria Charlotte Heaven and Gopher Isaac Allnight, is that correct?”

He stopped before them and began unbinding the cloth over his eyes.

“Some doubt the abilities of prophets. They dismiss us as frauds or mock us for merely seeing mundane things. It’s pathetic, though also pitiable.”

“…”

“They fail to understand that these moments—impossible to explain by human logic—are pivotal. For some, it’s the last chance to undo a mistake, the moment to seek forgiveness for a lifetime of sin, the catalyst for a new way of life, or even the blessing of salvation from the divine.”

He placed the unbound cloth on the altar. Having been warned not to meet his uncovered eyes, Bleria and Gopher lowered their heads.

“Do not diminish the gift of the divine with human judgment, lest you regret it. Gopher Isaac Allnight.”

The prophet’s hand rested on Gopher’s head, and without warning, the prophecy began.

“I see you walking into flames.”

The words made Bleria turn to Gopher in alarm, almost like a curse. His expression remained unchanged, but the hand resting on his thigh was clenched tightly.

He’s holding back anger.

“You’ll have no one to blame but yourself. It’s something you choose willingly. No, you must do it, for what you desire most lies within those flames.”

“…”

“There’s a tangled web of ill fate behind this, but the situation deteriorated long ago. There were—and still are—many moments when you could have stopped it. You won’t, of course.”

Bleria asked in his stead, her voice trembling. “Does that mean… what you’re describing will definitely happen?“

“There is a possibility for change. Humans rarely change themselves, and so the future seldom alters either. Still, I won’t claim that what I saw is your ultimate fate. I only glimpsed a single moment—nothing beyond it was revealed. Please prepare wisely for that day.”

After his words, the prophet’s hand moved toward Bleria’s head.

Realizing it was now her turn, Bleria quickly lifted her head. Yet, her thoughts lingered on Gopher. She couldn’t help but wonder about his expression and what thoughts he was grappling with. Her fingers twitched with the urge to negate the prophet’s words on his behalf.

Despite it being her moment to receive a prophecy, her attention was elsewhere. Perhaps this distraction was her punishment.

“Your name is Bleria Charlotte Heaven, correct?“

“Yes, that’s correct.“

“How strange. I see nothing.”

It felt as though a massive hand had gripped her heart.

Ah… It was as if her heart might spill out from her open mouth.

“If you are hiding anything, confess it now. Speaking falsehoods before the divine will not serve you well.”

Cold sweat ran down her back, making her ceremonial robes cling to her skin unpleasantly. The oppressive reality seeped into every fiber of her being.

Why hadn’t she anticipated this?

Even though she had known they would confirm her name, she hadn’t imagined something like this happening. It was as if she had genuinely convinced herself she was Bleria Heaven. Her mind went blank, and she couldn’t utter a word.

Gopher spoke in her stead.

“Bleria lived under another name before reuniting with her family. Perhaps that could be the cause.“

“This is the first time I’ve encountered such a case, so I can’t say for sure. We can try. Please provide the name you used.”

Bleria nearly covered her own mouth in reflex. What stopped her was Gopher, who firmly held her hand.

Speak the name?

That was the one taboo she could not break if she was to remain Bleria Heaven. It was something she could never allow herself to utter. This was an entirely different matter from being recognized for the blue grapefruit.

I can’t say it.

At that moment, Gopher’s grip tightened. It felt simultaneously like a hand steadying her and one pushing her off a cliff.

Was he telling her to keep her secret? Or to speak the name? She couldn’t discern his intention—until their eyes met.

“Miss?”

“…Mel…”

The pressure to comply forced the sound from her lips despite every effort to resist. The strain pressed on her entire body.

Her vision swam, blurring as though everything was merging into one. The ringing in her ears, which had started earlier, grew unbearable, as though it would split her head in two.

It’s too much. I feel dizzy. I’m going to die.

Bleria barely suppressed the urge to retch. Clutching Gopher’s hand tightly, she forced herself to confess her name, like an admission of guilt.

“Mel Slopey.”

The awful sound of it left her nauseated. The wave of sickness finally overcame her, and her vision turned black. Voices—unclear whether they belonged to Gopher or the prophet—mixed together before fading into faint tinnitus.

As consciousness slipped away, Bleria thought she might have felt relieved.

The desperate grip she had maintained, as though holding onto life itself, loosened. Her body collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut, and Gopher instinctively caught her.

“Bleria…?”

Her lack of response chilled him to the core.

“I…”

Without thinking, Gopher swatted away a hand that reached out—it was the prophet’s. Though he felt he should apologize, the cold dread crawling up his neck kept him on guard.

The prophet spoke calmly.

“I will examine her.”