Chapter 33
Chapter 33
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 33
Chapter Title: Growing Suspicion
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Chub chub chub—
After wrapping up an exhausting day.
Before bed, having finished washing my face, I savored the moment of leisure while patting toner onto my skin at the vanity.
“Mmm... This expensive, luxurious scent...”
Made with quality ingredients, it soaked right into my skin without being harsh at all. The rosemary fragrance was pretty nice too.
‘Since I’m planning to sell cosmetics and perfumes too, market research beforehand is a must.’
Grinning greedily at the thought of expanding my business, I naturally found myself thinking of Lark.
Truth be told, this toner was a gift from him.
On the way home, I spotted a beauty supply store and popped in for some market research, browsing around...
“Want me to buy it for you?”
Lark had looked so adorably eager to do something for me that I couldn’t resist accepting the gift.
“...”
“Eek!”
Right then.
Wishit’s handsome face appeared in the mirror behind me as he approached, startling me. As always, he was in Lark’s form.
I’d just been thinking of Lark, and here was his face.
I whipped around and said,
“Hey! You’re confusing me now, so stop using the Crown Prince’s face! Just remembering how my heart nearly stopped yesterday...”
“Ah, right. You’ll be seeing the Crown Prince often now, so it’s understandable you’d get mixed up.”
“Exactly. A different face, a different face.”
“Who would you like? Cedric Raizer?”
Wishit asked with a gentle expression, as if he’d do anything for me.
Before I’d gone to meet the Crown Prince, he’d nagged me endlessly out of worry, but after hearing about the successful meeting today, he’d become remarkably lenient.
I burst out laughing and replied,
“That guy’s not my type, I told you. Do you think the only men you know are the Crown Prince and Cedric?”
“Hmm...”
“Do you really have to transform only into real people’s faces? It’s just confusing.”
I clapped my hands once and added,
“I already have two older brothers, so customize yourself as a cute little brother this time. The kind where I’d think, ‘This is what it’d be like if we had a youngest at home.’”
Wishit nodded obediently at my request, then suddenly exclaimed “Ah!” with a mischievous expression and snapped his fingers.
“...Oh, my god.”
The moment he transformed, I was stunned.
Standing before me was a beauty so stunning it left my mouth agape.
Enchanting red hair cascading to her waist. Snow-white skin in stark contrast.
Cat-like eyes with upturned corners giving a haughty air, and full, sexy red lips that drew the gaze.
“This is...”
Mystical golden eyes. And even a tiny beauty mark beneath her left eye—I was moved to tears.
“It’s me!”
“What do you think?”
“Gorgeous!”
I shot to my feet, hand over my mouth, circling Wishit to admire her beauty.
To be precise, it was a slightly more grown-up, slimmer version of ‘me.’
“No way. What are the three measurements? At this rate, 36-24-38?”
“...”
“I am amazing!”
On top of that, Wishit was dressed in a familiar black evening gown design.
‘Heh. Wonder when he stole that design...’
It was something I’d sketched ahead of time, imagining my glamorous social debut after slimming down.
“Beauties like this are rare. Even Hollywood didn’t have many.”
“...Aren’t you embarrassed saying that while looking at your own face?”
“What’s there to be embarrassed about? I’m just stating facts.”
Brushing it off coolly, I suddenly felt a pang of bitterness at my own beautiful reflection.
“What’s with that look?”
Wishit tilted her head and asked.
“Hmm, just... I suddenly feel down.”
“Why?”
“These are the things real Rubette should’ve enjoyed.”
I swallowed a sigh and sank back into the chair.
My reflection in the mirror was still chubby, but the swelling had gone down enough that I didn’t hate it. At my young age, it even looked kind of cute.
“Great family, tons of money, pretty face, great figure. Personality? Sweet and kind, no question...”
“...”
“If it weren’t for those trashy people, she could’ve lived happily without a care.”
I’d resolved to live Rubette’s life wonderfully and happily, but that resolve couldn’t fill the lingering emptiness.
The real Rubette, who should’ve enjoyed this wonderful life, no longer existed.
“No need to feel down.”
Wishit placed a hand on my shoulder and said.
In the mirror, ‘I’ met my eyes.
“Everything you’ll enjoy from now on is the same as Rubette enjoying it. Because you are Rubette.”
“...”
I froze.
His words...
They were probably just meant to cheer up my sulky mood, but for some reason, they felt oddly off.
“What does that mean?”
“Huh?”
I turned, and Wishit blinked blankly before flustering.
“No, I mean, if you’re happy, Rubette would be satisfied too.”
“...”
“What was it? Little brother vibe?”
Wishit quickly changed the subject and snapped his fingers.
In an instant, he transformed into a familiar yet unfamiliar form—a young boy resembling me, with short red hair and subtle golden eyes.
“Wow, our family genes are really something.”
At my straightforward admiration, Wishit’s nose turned up proudly.
“Pretty skilled, huh?”
“Of course. You always belittle me, but I’m a top-tier spirit, you know. Every human who enters the Spirit Spring is dying to contract with me, the Wish Spirit.”
“Indeed. Such an impressive being.”
I teased him back playfully and forced a casual smile.
‘Yeah, Wishit really is an amazing spirit. It’s weird I haven’t suspected anything until now.’
With a snap of his fingers, he could become anyone; summon objects from afar with a whoosh; or tap my head to play scenes in my mind like a movie.
Recalling all the abilities Wishit had shown me so far, I thought...
‘Definitely suspicious.’
I carefully hid the budding doubt from showing on my face.
‘Wishit’s a spirit, like an alien being wielding incomprehensible, higher-dimensional powers.’
...That’s what I’d brushed off casually. But what shook that belief was none other than Lark.
I secretly glanced at Wishit in the mirror, recalling my conversation with Lark today.
“Fascinating. I never imagined a spirit might have abilities beyond their inherent ones.”
“Other abilities?”
“Didn’t your spirit Vista hide the contractor’s mark that should appear on your hand?”
“Yes. Why?”
“Spirits are great beings, of course, but they have clear limits. Generally, they can’t perform unrealistic feats outside their unique abilities. Take my earth spirit Randian, for example.”
Lark made a flower bloom from the floor and handed it to me, kindly adding,
“With soil, it can bloom flowers or flatten steep cliffs in seconds. But that’s it.”
“...”
“It can’t use abilities of other attributes, or cast magic unrelated to earth.”
The point was, spirits weren’t omnipotent. They had a clear limit: only their assigned unique abilities.
So, for Wishit, the ‘Wish Spirit’...
‘Aside from granting three wishes, he shouldn’t have any other magical abilities.’
But that wasn’t the case.
Starting from erasing the spirit user’s mark on my hand, as Lark noted...
‘Wishit can do anything.’
Thinking it over calmly, the oddities piled up.
The scope of wishes he granted was also extremely free, by his standards.
‘For example, when he let Rubette glimpse Juliet Karentina’s life.’
Was it just a glimpse? No, it wasn’t one-off; I could even leave comments on her SNS.
Strictly speaking, each of those unrealistic powers should count as separate wishes...
‘The criteria for what counts as a wish is up to him too. If Wishit wants, he can do anything. Does that make sense?’
Spirits had protected the empire since its founding, but humans still hadn’t fully grasped their nature and limits.
Even Lark, puzzled by my spirit’s abilities, ultimately dismissed it with, “It could be possible.”
‘Suspicious. Too suspicious.’
But Lark’s doubts had planted a strong seed of suspicion in me.
“Wishit.”
“Yeah?”
As I tidied the vanity and headed to bed, Wishit trailed after me.
I lay down, pulling the covers up to my chin. I felt his gaze as he stood blankly by my side.
“Have you ever lied to me?”
“...”
Wishit paused, furrowing his brow.
“What’re you talking about?”
“...”
I carefully observed the subtle expression that flashed across his face and asked,
“Well, not necessarily a full lie. Maybe something you didn’t say when you should have, or something you’re hiding?”
“What’s this out of nowhere?”
“...”
Wishit scowled, shrugged, then suddenly yanked the covers over my head.
“Hey, what the—!”
“You seem tired. Go to sleep.”
I threw off the covers in a hurry, but Wishit was gone. He must’ve fled to the Spirit Spring.
Staring at the empty space where he’d been moments ago, I was certain.
‘Yeah, the kid can’t act. Definitely something’s up.’