Chapter 13

From the moment she realized that the world was not one but many, ‘Liv’ and ‘Via’ could never be the same person.

Even though the order of time was jumbled, that unchanging truth remained.

As Olivia thought about this world, which she had postponed pondering because of Freddy, her mind became tangled once again.

For a few minutes, she stood by the door, lost in thought, until a figure pacing in front of her caught her eye.

“Simon?”

“Was everything alright inside?”

“Was there supposed to be an issue?”

At Olivia’s response, Simon finally let out a sigh of relief.

“No, no, of course not.”

Simon waved his hands in denial as he answered. At that moment, the invitations he was holding slipped from his grasp and scattered on the floor. Startled, Simon hurriedly picked them up.

Judging by the ornate design of the invitations, they didn’t seem to be addressed to Freddy.

As Olivia watched intently, she asked Simon,

“Are those for me?”

At her question, Simon let out an awkward laugh.

“It seemed like you weren’t fully adjusted yet, Your Grace, so I thought it’d be better to deliver them later… Of course, they’re all properly kept by His Grace, the Grand Duke.”

His words dragged on and on.

Olivia wasn’t particularly concerned about where the invitations addressed to her had gone.

She bent down and picked up one of the invitations that had fallen at her feet.

“Should I just ask Freddy to deliver them later?”

“Yes.”

“Then take these with you.”

As Olivia handed Simon the invitations, her eyes caught a familiar name.

She paused mid-action, and Simon, noticing her hesitation, nervously swallowed.

Tilting her head slightly, Olivia looked at him and asked,

“The Munk Ducal House… is it originally a noble family of Silvest?”

“Oh, it might be unfamiliar to you, Your Grace. Would you recognize the Yal Ducal House instead?”

“If it’s the Yal Ducal House, I know it as one of the royalist noble families of Silvest.”

At Olivia’s response, Simon nodded.

“That’s correct—originally.”

“Originally? So, you’re saying it’s not anymore?”

“Yes. Before Frenchia mentioned the alliance, the family declared their support for the aristocrats.”

While such occurrences weren’t common, they weren’t unheard of either.

At a time when the era was rapidly changing, some families made such choices to prevent their decline.

“What does changing their allegiance to the aristocrats have to do with changing their family name?”

“For the Munks, it must have been a difficult position. It’s almost like shaking the very foundation of their family. And from the perspective of the Silvest royal family, it couldn’t have been seen in a positive light either. A family that had long supported the royal family turning to the aristocrats could be interpreted as questioning the royal family’s legitimacy and role.”

Still not fully understanding, Olivia tilted her head, prompting Simon to continue his explanation.

“Changing their name from Yal to Munk wouldn’t have been a bad choice for them. Families asserting traditional legitimacy have decreased, and now, adapting quickly to the flow of money and the times is considered more important than noble titles.”

“……”

“With the increase in newly emerging families, the Munks likely hoped to fade into obscurity. The Silvest royal family probably felt the same way.”

Having finished his explanation, Simon observed Olivia’s complexion.

It was only then that he realized his detailed explanation might have caused her concern.

In the end, he had laid bare the internal affairs of Silvest.

“While it’s true that there are frequent clashes between the royalists and the aristocrats, it’s a natural occurrence in any country. The alliance was formed precisely to prevent the Munks’ influence from shifting entirely to one side.”

No matter what Simon said, Olivia showed no sign of responding.

Remembering her silent hunger strike and how she had stayed in her room after arriving in Silvest, Simon felt a shiver run down his spine.

Just as Olivia was finally adjusting to life in the Hester Grand Duke’s residence, the thought of her retreating to her old ways because of his careless words was unsettling.

He added some exaggeration to his words.

“Politically, there are no major issues, and things are generally peaceful. While the alliance has caused some noise within and outside the country, it will soon settle down.”

Contrary to Simon’s concerns, Olivia was thinking about something entirely different.

As she remained silent, Simon’s mouth grew dry from nervousness. Finally, Olivia spoke.

“So, to summarize, the Munks and the Yals are the same?”

At her question, Simon slowly nodded.

Acknowledging his response, Olivia walked away from Freddy’s office.

Simon broke into a cold sweat at the sight of Olivia, who looked as though she’d been struck by something.

He could already imagine the scolding he would receive from Freddy if he reported everything.

Shaking his head a few times, Simon swallowed hard.

Then, he knocked on Freddy’s office door a couple of times. Hearing a sound from inside, he walked in.

***

The eighth letter from the Unknown Gentleman.

「To My Beloved Olivia,

How have you been?

The weather has now become distinctly summery.

As I write these letters in order, the time has come for me to tell you this story.

Do you remember the Munk Ducal House?

Perhaps, Liv, it was the first time you attended an external event in your role as the Grand Duchess when you went to the party hosted by the Munk Ducal House.

Ironically, at the time, I had no idea what had happened to you there.

(Excerpt omitted)

Liv, as the Grand Duchess, you don’t have to do anything. If only I had said these words, would you have refused the invitations that followed?

Or, if I had come to greet you at the Munk Ducal House…

If I had roughly understood what had happened there, you wouldn’t have had to hear such words.

When I later heard the details of that day, I was once again overwhelmed by my own incompetence.

If—if I could go back to that time, I would do everything in my power to save you from being hurt.

If I acted that way, would you smile brightly instead of crying?

No, even if you didn’t smile, that would be fine.

I only wish I could hold your hand just once more.

…Such futile regret and belated atonement.

July 7, 1820, from summer」

Olivia recalled the letter she had received from Freddy.

Though it had only been a few months since she read it, it somehow felt much further away.

“This isn’t important right now.”

When she didn’t know the sender’s identity and referred to him as the Unknown Gentleman, Olivia had once investigated the Munk Ducal House, thinking it might lead her to him.

But she couldn’t find anything and eventually gave up.

Now, however, the family she had sought so desperately had appeared here, making her realize once again that this was the world of the ‘Unknown Gentleman and Liv.’

Recalling his letters in order, Olivia compared the current situation with the contents of the letters.

Everything was unfolding perfectly, without deviation, just as described in the Unknown Gentleman’s letters.

She sighed and swept her hair back.

Through this, a few things became clear.

The world of ‘Liv and the Unknown Gentleman Freddy’ shared the same locations, families, and names as the world of ‘Olivia and the Freddy who died of pneumonia.’

And the world where the Unknown Gentleman sent his letters was the same as the one Olivia was currently in.

But how?

Although it was certain that the worlds were the same, there were still a few inconsistencies.

The Unknown Gentleman began writing his letters in 1820, after ‘Liv’ had died.

But now, it was 1819, and she was alive.

The one-year gap couldn’t be explained.

Moreover, the world she had been in was 1818.

The years didn’t seem to connect at all.

Additionally, the whereabouts of ‘Liv,’ the original owner of this body, remained unknown.

Though Olivia compiled what she knew, she felt it was impossible to fully understand the situation.

And there was no one to ask or seek answers from.

In the end, she was going in circles.